Dallas gets its 1st romance-only book store
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Your TBR pile is about to get a lot bigger. Photo: Courtesy of Jaclyn Wooten
North Texas now has its first book store dedicated to the romance genre.
Why it matters: Romance book stores and pop-ups dedicated to readers who love love are spreading across the U.S. The genre has something for everyone, from sweeping epics in fantastical lands to realistic, modern love stories.
- Print sales of romance books have more than doubled in the last few years, with many people turning to the comfort and escape of a love story during the pandemic.
The big picture: The genre has moved beyond the bodice-ripper, grocery store paperbacks with open-shirted, long-haired Fabio on the cover. Modern romance covers a wide range of styles, from contemporary fiction to erotica to fantasy.
- "BookTok" has also helped catapult romance into the mainstream.
The latest: Blush opened in Bishop Arts this month, and owner Jaclyn Wooten has been ordering books nearly every day to keep up with the demand.
- The location is the second for Blush, which first opened in Wichita, Kansas, last year.
Context: Wooten started selling bookish goods — themed shirts, stickers and bookmarks — online at House of Jupiter, especially popular among fans of Sarah J. Maas and ACOTAR.
- That business led to Wooten opening a storefront in her hometown to sell romance novels.
Zoom in: Blush customers from Oklahoma and Texas would drive to the Wichita location. Plus, she got a lot of online orders from Dallas.
- "The girlies are there," she says.
Vibe check: Bishop Arts, which already has three independent book stores, was the obvious choice. Wooten wanted her store to be in a walkable neighborhood, where visitors could make a day of it.
- Blush is located inside a renovated house. It's cozy, taking up just half of the building. The packed bookshelves are pink, obviously.
- Wooten also sells House of Jupiter goods in the store. On a recent visit, we bought a "Spicy Literature Connoisseur" sticker.
The intrigue: Part of the magic of visiting Blush, like many independent book stores, is that readers can ask for recommendations. Wooten wants to create a community where readers feel safe browsing the shelves and asking for suggestions.
- Wooten likes to ask people about their favorite TV shows and movies to get a sense of what they like. Her favorite thing to overhear is one reader turning to another, "Oh yes, I've read that and love it."
Here are some of Wooten's starting recommendations:
🤗 New to romance? "A Novel Love Story" by Ashley Poston
Want to understand all the hype around reading romance? Find out when our MC (main character) gets lost in her favorite romance book series, literally. Ashley Poston's use of magical realism in this contemporary romance adds an extra layer of intrigue to the subgenre.
🧙 Ever heard of romantasy? "Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli
Witches and witch hunters make the perfect setup for this enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy. Join the rest of us eagerly awaiting the sequel out next February.
🏳️🌈 Looking for a queer romance? "Fall for Him" by Andie Burke
Things are getting cozy this fall when two neighbors are forced into sharing a small apartment. It's a perfect forced proximity romantic comedy with deeper themes woven in beautifully.
🌶 Looking for something spicy? "Desperate Measures" by Katee Robert
This dark romance might have some recognizable characters as it's a retelling of a familiar story of a princess and her captor. The special edition features sprayed edges and beautiful character art. (With any dark romance, we always suggest reading the trigger warnings.)