“Hey Jennifer,” I said, as I merged into Calgary’s downtown traffic on a bustling Tuesday morning. She glanced at me, her eyes already suspicious. “What is it?” she asked. I could tell she was already suspicious. I grinned, knowing what was coming. “I have an idea.” Pause. Her sigh fogged up the windshield. “Well? Let’s have it,” she prompted, her voice the perfect blend of tolerance and dread.

I paused dramatically, savoring the moment. “I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately, and it seems to me that selling books on Amazon would be fun! I mean, we both love books, especially buying them. I’m sure we’re not the only ones who have this passion. Why not fill a need?”

I kept my eyes on the road, but I could feel the look. That sideways glance, paired with a wrinkled nose and slightly narrowed eyes—my wife’s patented cocktail of skepticism and exasperated affection. I grinned like a kid handed two scoops of bubble gum ice cream from Foothills Creamery.

“I think we should open a bookstore.”

Her response was calm—almost too calm. “Okay, dear,” she said, as we turned into her office parking lot. “If that’s what you want to do, we can do it.”

And so, Jennifer & Ryan Books was born.