The Midnight Chapter opens in downtown Albion.
By Nick J. Buckley for Black Squirrel News
ALBION — Rachel Goodhew and Alyssa Stanfield met at dispatch about a year ago.
Now they own a bookstore together.
“It all was kind of a joke,” Goodhew said.
The joke became The Midnight Chapter, a romance bookstore that opened in downtown Albion on May 29.
Goodhew and Stanfield are 911 dispatchers with the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority, who bonded over books after Stanfield trained Goodhew as a call taker. What started with conversations about romance novels eventually turned into discussions about bookstores, bookmobiles and what they might do if they ever opened one of their own.
Stanfield said the idea felt a little more real with every step.
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” she said.
Not a normal bookstore
The idea became more serious when ACE Real Estate offered a year of free rent to a business with a strong proposal. Goodhew put together a business plan, and The Midnight Chapter was selected.
For Goodhew and Stanfield, the goal was never to open a traditional bookstore. Downtown Albion already has one in Sterling Books & Brew.
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The Midnight Chapter focuses on romance, carrying contemporary romance, historical romance, fantasy-romance titles often called “romantasy,” manga and young adult selections. The store also carries works by local authors, stickers, keychains, crafts and candles.
“I don’t think there was ever discussion between Rachel and me of having a normal bookstore. We just always laughed and giggled about the ‘smutty’ books,” Stanfield said. “We were like, ‘We have to have a romance store.’”
Goodhew said romance readers are often looking for a little escape.
“When anything’s not great, we need a little treat,” Goodhew said. “And a book is a great little treat.”
The first chapter
According to the owners, customers traveled from around the region during the store’s opening week and found The Midnight Chapter in different ways. Some discovered it through TikTok. Others heard about it through word of mouth. One husband from Homer stopped in to buy a mystery book for his wife, who had told him exactly where to find it.
Kaytlin Ona, of Albion, stopped in after seeing the store online and said she was happy to find a romance bookstore so close to home.
“I like that it’s a cute little store,” Ona said. “It’s cozy.”
Goodhew said the store’s “Blind Date with a Book” packages, which conceal the title until the book is opened, sold out on opening day.
The owners are already discussing book clubs, author visits and future events. Bookstore Romance Day in September is circled as a natural fit.
This planning happens around dispatch shifts and family life. Goodhew is married and has three children. Stanfield is planning an October wedding. The bookstore is open Friday through Sunday, leaving the pair to squeeze ordering inventory, answering messages and planning events into the hours between work and home.
For Stanfield, the goal is simple.
“We’re just two girls who love reading, love romance and want to share our joy with other people,” she said.
IF YOU GO
The Midnight Chapter
Location: 100 E. Erie St., Albion
Hours: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Monday noon to 5 p.m.
Online: themidnightchapter.com
Corrections and clarifications
An earlier version of this story misspelled Goodhew’s last name and listed an incorrect address for the bookstore.
How we reported this
Black Squirrel News visited The Midnight Chapter in Albion, interviewed co-owners Rachel Goodhew and Alyssa Stanfield, spoke with customers and photographed the store.
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