How a Shop Southland Business Packed the House for Three Sold-Out Nights
On a cold January weekend, something pretty remarkable happened inside a cozy storefront at 17200 Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.
Thirty romance readers packed into Love’s Sweet Arrow. Then 30 more the next night. And then 30 more again.
All three “ReHeated Rivalry” events themed around Rachel Reid’s wildly popular hockey romance Heated Rivalry. Tickets sold out in hours.
For Roseann Backlin, co-owner of the romance-exclusive bookstore she runs with her daughter, it was both exciting and validating.
“When things get huge, any bookstore or business is going to take advantage of it,” Backlin said. “But we’ve actually been working with Rachel since 2021.”
Long before the series was adapted for the screen and took over social feeds, Love’s Sweet Arrow was hosting special preorders for Reid’s books. Copies were shipped to the author in Canada, signed, sent back, and distributed directly through the Tinley Park shop. That early relationship positioned the store to lean in when the fandom exploded.
And lean in they did.
The first two event nights sold out within hours. The third sold out within a day.
Backlin was out of town when tickets first launched. “We had people reaching out asking for more tickets right away,” she said.
Each evening was capped at 30 attendees, creating an intimate, high-energy atmosphere inside the store. Fans played trivia, made team-colored bracelets and keychains, and watched scenes together. At times, they even quoted lines before the actors could say them.
“It wasn’t just one person,” Backlin laughed. “There would be five people all saying the line before it happened.”
It goes without saying that in a world of digital sales and big box stores, this was huge for a local independent bookstore.
“It means we get to pay the rent,” she said candidly. “When you buy indie, the money stays in the community. And you’re getting something you can’t get from a big box store.”
Love’s Sweet Arrow has been open since 2019. It launched just before COVID reshaped retail. Events have always been part of the store’s DNA. Even though they slowed during the pandemic. Now, Backlin explains, they’re coming back stronger, and in new ways.
“We’ve always had authors in the store,” Backlin said. “But doing events centered around a book like this has definitely picked up. We’re thinking we’ll continue doing more.”
Part of that momentum has come through involvement in Shop Southland, a Southland Development Authority (SDA) initiative designed to spotlight and connect local businesses.
“Jamie [Makuch] is so easy to work with,” Backlin said of her relationship manager with the SDA. “She’s set us up with events with other Southland businesses. She just comes up with good ideas.”
While bookstores are “their own animal,” as Backlin puts it, partnerships have helped expand visibility and connect the store to new audiences.
The broader surge in romance readership has also played a role. It's always been a popular theme, but the ‘love for love’, so to speak, seems to be hitting a new peak.
“I think people are just like, ‘I like what I like to read, and I’m not going to hide it,’” Backlin said. “People have always gravitated toward romance. You know that even if the characters go through things, everyone’s going to be happy at the end.”
In a world that can feel unpredictable, that guarantee resonates.
Backlin plans to bring a similar event back in September to coincide with the next book release, along with additional lead-up events throughout late summer.
For readers who missed the January sellouts, she has a simple invitation:
“Even if you missed these events, there’s always something fun happening here.”
About the Southland Development Authority
The Southland Development Authority, a not-for-profit economic development organization, is committed to driving equitable and sustainable economic growth in the south suburbs of Chicago. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and impactful direct investments, the SDA is building a vibrant, inclusive economy that drives wealth growth for individuals, businesses and municipalities. Combined with the benefits of the South Suburban Land Bank and the Monarch Fund, the SDA serves as a model for regional development.
