By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young
Do you dart to the romance section at every bookstore you enter? Are you someone who chooses books based on romantic interests? Will you be reading Ao3 fanfiction for the rest of your life? Maybe you found all your fave book recs from Catcall Editor Kelcie McKenney’s Smutty Book Guide. If any (or all) of the above fits your reading style, then, wow, do we have news for you.
Carley Morton recently opened Kansas City’s first all-romance bookshop, Under the Cover, to serve all your rom-com, YA romance, paranormal romance, regency romance, and/or erotica needs. A fellow cliterature stan, Carley has been a romance fiend since 2011.
“The first thing that got my attention and made me start reading a whole lot was Jennifer L. Armentrout,” she says. It was the paranormal romance that pulled Carley back into reading—and has kept her here since. Like many of her bookstore customers, Carley strictly reads romance. “Sometimes I accidentally might not, and then I’ll be mad because, like, why aren’t they banging?”
If you’re not a huge reader—or a huge fan of the romance genre—for Carley, there are a few rules to note that every novel of the genre must have: “There has to be love interests, and I believe that it has to be a happily ever after—or a happily for now.”
Carley thinks specific niches are the best parts of the romance genre. From fantasy and sci-fi romance to contemporary rom-com and angsty sports—there is something for nearly everyone. “I have a whole section just of sports romances because it’s like really big right now. Whatever you can think of, there’s probably a [romance] genre for it. It’s so wide that it appeals to everyone. I have noticed that there are a lot of younger people in here but also older people. I’ve seen every age come in—men and women.”
While the romance genre gets lots of love from the reading community, the genre still gets far too much flack from the public. “In the publishing industry, it’s still looked down on,” Carley explains. “For some reason, literary people are like, ‘romance is trash,’ but the stories are well-written. I mean, not every one, but ‘I want smut on the first page, and I want it now,’ you know?”
Besides the publishing industry continuously ignoring romance novels, some readers claim the romance genre is anti-feminist—especially more hardcore smutty books. “Most of the women are choosing to do what they want for themselves and learning to do things,” Carley argues. “Some books are like ‘weak, little, I need a man for everything.’ And that’s fine. That might be your kink, and that’s fine; we don’t kink shame here. But a lot of it is empowering and the choice to do and read what you want.”
Still, romance fans persist. Whether it be through social media platforms—hello, #BookTok!—monthly book clubs, or otherwise. Readers are going against misconceptions and opening up about their love of smut. “People are more open to it and talking about it now,” Carley says. “I think part of that is the younger generation, they’ve grown up in a social media world.”
That’s one of Carley’s favorite things about owning Under the Cover: how customers interact with each other. “There are people in here and someone will ask a question, then everyone will answer,” she says. “They’ll just get into a group discussion about stuff and help each other find books.” Not everyone who shops at Under the Cover knows which tropes they enjoy or authors they love—but Carley (or other customers) are always there to assist. “It’s super fun to watch. It’s really supportive.”
Believe it or not, Under the Cover is a fairly new concept. With talks to open the store beginning August, a signed lease in September, and a grand opening at the end of November, it’s almost unheard of for a new business to come to fruition this quickly. But even before its opening, Under the Cover has been nothing but successful; if you’re chronically online, you may even recognize the iconic store name or moody decor from this viral TikTok.
Carley hopes to provide events such as author signings, book club meetups, and more in the future at Under the Cover. Until then, you can shop the books IRL or online at the Under the Cover’s Under the Cover’s website; or you can listen to Carley’s podcast, Smut Stuff.
Under the Cover
605 E 31st St.
Kansas City, MO
underthecoverkc.com
Nicole Mitchell (she/they) is a writer and social media manager who graduated December 2020 with a degree in strategic communication. A few of her favorite things include cuddling with cats, listening to Bon Iver, making lattes, and running her book club (even though sometimes she forgets to read the books.)
Whitney Young (she/her) is a photographer, graphic designer, and conceptual artist who currently resides in Kansas City, MO. She is passionate about the environment, local communities, and intersectional feminism, and those values often show up in her personal work. She received her BFA in Design with an emphasis in Photo Media from the University of Kansas. When she isn’t working her day job in marketing she can be found playing video games or bouldering at the local Kansas City climbing gyms.
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