Niche bookstores courting people who love to read about love are popping up across the country.
Why it matters: The romance genre is red hot and starry-eyed fans are demanding more access to stories that defy age-old tropes and stereotypes,Axios' Torey Van Oot writes.
What's happening: San Diego helped set the trend when Meet Cute romance bookshop opened a brick-and-mortar site in fall 2022 after doing pop-ups and selling online.
Driving the trend: Data from consumer research firm Circana show print sales of romance novels as of last summer were up 52% year over year.
Industry experts say the growth is fueled in part by TV adaptations and#BookTok and #bookstagram bringing new and younger readers into the fold.
What they're saying: "Particularly after lockdown, people were looking for spaces to be in community with one another — with people they had things in common with," Meet Cute owner Becca Title told Axios.
The bookshop creates that space in North Park by hosting book clubs, author talks, mixers and other events.
