Reagan Byrne Rachel Kanter says response to her Lovestruck Books has been “amazing and overwhelming.”
Lovestruck Books, a romance bookstore in Harvard Square whose opening we announced back in September, has been open officially since Jan. 17. Now that owner Rachel Kanter is through her first full month as a bookstore owner – something she’s doing for the first time, and in a relatively new field – we decided to check in with her about what’s gone well, what’s been surprising and what’s to come.
Response to the store, beginning with a soft opening in time for last-minute holiday shopping, has been “amazing and overwhelming,” Kanter said. The store has been a lot busier than she anticipated, starting with a line around the block the first weekend. Most Saturdays there’s still a line to get in. “Unbelievable,” Kanter said.
Lovestruck carries between 9,000 and 10,000 titles, with about 12,000 books in the store at any given time. About 70 percent of those books are romance, 20 percent are general fiction and another 10 percent are children’s books. The most popular genres so far, Kanter said, have been contemporary romance, dark romance and “romantasy,” a combination of romance and fantasy. Two hundred copies of “Onyx Storm,” the third book in a romantasy series by Rebecca Yarros, sold out “almost immediately.”
“It’s been stunning to see how excited people are to have these books,” Kanter said. “I’ve been surprised by the breadth of the demographic coming in.”
People are finally feeling confident to own their love for romance books, and in a challenging political and social climate it’s nice to have “a bit of escapism,” Kanter said.
Marc Levy Lovestruck Books opened officially Jan. 17 in Harvard Square, Cambridge.
But, she said, Lovestruck feels as much like a community bookstore as it does a romance bookstore.
“I think people are coming here because they’re excited to have a place to gather,” Kanter said.
An in-store George Howell Coffee café serving coffees, espresso drinks and pastries helps achieve that. As of last weekend, it turns into a wine bar at 4 p.m., serving by the glass and by the bottle as well as mixing cocktails and stocking snacks from local businesses, including cheese and charcuterie from Formaggio Kitchen and Q’s Nuts products.
Acting as a “third space” – a social setting that is neither home nor work – is a priority for Kanter. “I don’t want to say there’s been a vacuum for that in Cambridge, but I think postpandemic, people are really looking for places to gather and opportunities to come together as a community,” Kanter said. “I’ve witnessed people meet in the store because they’re both in the same section and they’re swapping book recommendations, which has just been really lovely to see.”
“I feel very fortunate to be able to have such a large space, and I wanted to make it available,” Kanter said.
A couple came in to take wedding photos, Kanter said, and others have reached out about taking engagement photos and even hosting a wedding at the bookstore.
Reagan Byrne Lovestruck has a George Howell Coffee café that becomes a wine bar at 4 p.m. daily.
Events have been the most concrete method for Kanter to make connections. Lovestruck hosted an event in December with Alice Hoffman, author of “Practical Magic,” that sold out quickly. That was before the store even opened. Another event for Valentine’s Day with author Ashley Poston and book influencer Katie Shober sold out “within hours,” as did a midnight release party for “Onyx Storm.”
“I’ve been so surprised at the popularity of our programming,” Kanter said. “I didn’t expect to be as oversubscribed as we are,” she said.
On the calendar for March are author talks and signings, release parties for forthcoming novels and the store’s first children’s storytime. There are also two book clubs running, one focused on exploring queer storylines.
“We want to keep things varied,” Kanter said. “We’re doing nonbook events too, like a mah-jongg night, a knitting circle … things like that, cozy activities that feel sort of related to reading.”
Lovestruck Books, 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge
