Edinburgh has long been known for its literary accolades. It holds the title of the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature; The Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published here in 1768, and the yearly Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world-leading festival of words, literature, and ideas. But did you know that the city is also home to the UK’s first brick-and-mortar romance fiction bookshop?
Founded in 2024, Book Lovers Bookshop in the Southside area of Edinburgh is fast becoming the place to go for lovers of romance fiction.
We spoke to Caden Armstrong, Book Lovers Bookshop’s Owner/Founder to discover all the shop’s mission and how visitors can delve deeper into this increasingly popular literary genre.
The idea of opening a bookshop dedicated to romance fiction came about from growing up in Los Angeles, where Caden would visit The Ripped Bodice, the USA’s first romance bookstore. It was here that she remembers “falling in love with the romance genre”.
“Edinburgh, is very special for literature and bookselling”
Choosing her home, Edinburgh, as a location for a similar bookshop was simple as the city is “very special for literature and bookselling. It is home to so many incredible and unique independent bookshops that have created a wonderful and vibrant community that we’re very lucky to be part of”.
For the uninitiated, romance fiction is “a genre that not only explores love in all of its different forms, but also has historically celebrated and prioritised women’s pleasure written for and by women”. But it’s not solely for female readers. For people of all genders and backgrounds it’s “a safe environment to explore love, sexuality, emotion and pleasure while always getting a happy ending”.
“a fun, safe and diverse space to celebrate romantic fiction, romance authors and romance publishing”
A queer and disabled-owned space, at its heart, Book Lovers Bookshop’s aim is “to create a fun, safe and diverse space to celebrate romantic fiction, romance authors and romance publishing”. Visitors browsing the shop’s well stocked shelves will find a multitude of romance genres to choose from, including contemporary, historical, sports paranormal, romantasy, dark, and young adult. Plus, it’s also a space for writers, with both self-published works available, as well as traditionally published. And, for aspiring writers they are “always open to chatting about the best ways to get their books into bookshops”.
Keen to delve into the world of romance fiction, but unsure where to start? Don’t worry, Caden has some great recommendations. “If you love rom coms, we always recommend authors such as Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, Cara Bastone, Katie Holt, or Alexis Daria. If you love paranormal romance of romantasy, we recommend authors such as Amber V. Nicole, Thea Guanzon, Rachel Gillig, Ben Alderson and Alexandra Rowland. For dark romance, Lights Out by Navessa Allen and Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver are a perfect entry into the genre”. If you fancy meeting-up with like-minded readers, be sure to check-out their programme of monthly events. Varying from in-person to online, and including events such as author panels, and meet the author, these are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about your favourite writers.
So, what would be Caden’s perfect reading experience in Edinburgh? Offering the best of both worlds, this would include “going to a coffee shop I love (Lady and the Bear Cafe, Pudding’s Cafe, or Lovecrumbs) with a nice book and getting a cup of tea”, followed by “a bookshop crawl to all of the incredible independent bookshops this city is home to”. We couldn’t agree more!
This project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
