When visitors step into The Last Chapter bookstore, they enter a world where love floats around in the air. The mint green walls are lined with bookshelves stocked with novels from every romance genre. Whether it’s academia, fake dating or enemies to lovers, The Last Chapter has all the tropes that romance readers love to envision.
Amanda Anderson never intended to become the cupid of Roscoe Village at a young age. After years of searching for romance novels that reflected her Latine culture and heritage, she realized if she wanted to see herself in a story, she would have to build the shelves herself.
“There are a lot of people and a lot of places that say they’re truly open spaces,” Anderson said. “I feel like you can’t say you’re an open space, but not give minorities the same respect you give others.”
Her intention is to create a place where people feel safe in turbulent times that have directly impacted her community, especially during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago last fall. In November 2025, ICE federal agents arrested a worker at a nearby day care in front of her students, as reported by ABC7.
Beyond creating a space for people from all walks of life, Anderson donates a portion of all sales to the Midwest Immigration Bonds Fund, which helps pay for the bonds for individuals in ICE custody.
From moving products online, having protection spots in the store to changing store hours to benefit those in need, Anderson said she’s “always learning. I’m always listening.”
Anderson’s love for books began at an early age. What started as a reading contest to get free pizza in sixth grade spiraled into a fascination that never went away. Even as she got older and broke into the world of Wattpad fan fiction, romance novels were always a part of her life.
Wattpad is a platform for e-books and fan fiction written by its users, and it’s a hub filled with undiscovered talent that has even gone on to inspire Hollywood films such as “The Kissing Booth” and the After series movies, adapted from Anna Todd’s series of the same name.
Anderson is determined to find space at the bookstore for indie authors and publishers who want their book on shelves.
“Romance saves lives. I know it saved my life. … There’s just no other genre out there that can do it the way that romance can,” Anderson said.
It is more than just a strong connection between people, she said. It’s struggle, loss, empathy and overall a genre that captures emotion in a scary, but always beautiful, way.
Anderson didn’t experience that feeling in her last role, where she worked a corporate job that was “sucking the life” out of her. Like many Latine children raised by parents that emphasized the importance of higher education, she believed success in the U.S. was working a 9-5 job, which didn’t leave much room for her personal ambitions.
“I always had this dream of opening up a bookstore, but in my head, I was like, ‘Well, I have to do my years, wait til I can retire, and then I can do this,’” Anderson said.
She quit her job when she was 25 years old and got to planning. In December 2021, The Last Chapter bookstore was born first as an online presence with pop-ups and convention appearances.
Two years later, the brick-and-mortar store opened at 2013 W. Roscoe St. in Roscoe Village and became the first and only romance bookstore in the city, according to its website.
By creating a space where people feel loved, appreciated and safe, regardless of whether they buy anything, Anderson ensures a welcoming environment for everyone, including queer people and people with disabilities.
“If romance doesn’t judge, who the hell am I to judge?” Anderson said.
Lillian Sollis, an occasional shopper at The Last Chapter, said the store has given her more confidence as a newcomer to the romance world.
“Honestly, when I first went into the store I was kind of intimidated because I didn’t know what I was looking for,” Sollis said. “But after talking to the workers, I felt like I didn’t need to worry about sounding dumb because they genuinely wanted to help me find a book that was perfect for me.”
Ahsha Davis, a frequent shopper and volunteer at the store, said that making friends can be hard, but The Last Chapter has helped her make meaningful connections.
“I love being able to talk about these things with people and also just talk about life stuff together. I owe it to reading and to The Last Chapter for this new family I’ve gotten,” Davis said.
Anderson hopes to expand the storefront and keep growing relationships within the community. Some ideas she has include doing a collaboration with an animal shelter for an “adopt and shop” event and becoming a bigger resource for up-and-coming writers.
The bookstore is holding a meet and greet where fans can come take pictures and celebrate the anticipated release of Liz Tomforde’s “In Her Own League.” It will be held at the 1914 Club at Wrigley Field, on March 28 from 8 p.m. to midnight.
“I hope when you come into the Last Chapter, you feel like you’re just walking into warmth, like sunshine on a rainy day,” Anderson said. “I hope you just know how loved and appreciated you are, whether you’re a romance reader, or whether you’re just stepping in.”