Lovestruck Books, Boston’s first brick-and-mortar romance bookstore, opened its doors for three all-day celebrations over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. It officially opened in December 2024 at 44 Brattle St. in Cambridge.
The opening festivities Jan. 17 featured a talk by young adult author Chloe Gong, known for her acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, free George Howell Coffee tastings from its cafe and love-oriented interactive activities. On vibrant pink tables there were craft bracelet stations as part of a collaboration with Little Words Project.
“It’s cozy,” said visitor Ruby Barenberg. “I love finding new spaces to chat and sit with friends — places designed for women and people who have similar hobbies.”
Lovestruck specializes in romance and holds prominent historical, young adult and fantasy sections. It also has limited nonfiction and non-romance sections, including a children’s area nestled in its back corner.
“There’s something for everyone here,” said local children’s book author Sarah Jean Horwitz. “It’s very involved.” Horwitz attended a local author panel held virtually by Lovestruck the previous week. Lovestruck plans to host future meet-ups and events designed for emerging local authors, including a Meet Your Local Authors panel scheduled for Feb. 2.
Rachel Kanter founded Lovestruck to “reinvigorate” the lack of inclusive and accessible community spaces lost after the COVID-19 pandemic. The bookstore and cafe is independently woman-owned and operated, mimicking the romance genre’s history — romance literature emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries as the sole genre primarily authored for and by women.
“For so many people, romance is the only area they see women’s stories and pleasure being centered,” Kanter said. A lifelong romance reader, Kanter used to be “self-conscious” about her love for romance literature, a genre often dismissed among academics and in pop culture.
Romance literature reached an all-time high in 2023, emerging as the most popular genre in the United States. This increase in popularity can be attributed to social media usage during the pandemic, which invigorated online book-sharing platforms like “BookTok” on TikTok. Readers hoping to escape the confines of quarantine and seek accessible, fun entertainment turned to romance.
“It’s a genre to be reckoned with” that has a “prominent readership of customers deserving to be taken seriously,” Kanter said.
Lovestruck plans to embrace this readership by hosting weekly author panels, wine tastings and other events designed to “celebrate the female experience,” Kanter said.
Kanter hopes the space and upcoming events can “open romance” to all readers by creating a safe space. She intends for Lovestruck to “uplift local authors, people of color and stories of those often marginalized.”
“It’s been incredible … how supportive the community has been,” Kanter said. During its opening weekend, Lovestruck’s featured book launches sold out entirely. As lines of visitors wrapped around an exterior adorned with pastel flowers, Lovestruck employees handed out chocolates to those in line.
“It’s a place of love,” said manager Kayla Januchowski. They hope Lovestruck will give all who visit the “feel-good, happily-ever-after moment we’re all searching for.”
Lovestruck’s full events calendar can be found on its website.
