Lovestruck Books Wins Over Booklovers’s Hearts

Lovestruck Books is here to win over booklovers’s hearts. This new independent and woman-owned bookstore located on Brattle Street specializes in romance novels and focuses on “celebrating love in all its forms.” Alongside its literary mission, Lovestruck sports a cozy cafe offering George Howell coffee and even anticipates serving wine in the near future. With its celebration of an often-overlooked genre exploding in popularity and its inviting atmosphere, Lovestruck Books is set to be a match made in heaven for Cambridge book lovers.

The bookstore opened on Jan. 17 and celebrated its Grand Opening Weekend with a slate of activities from tarot card readings to cupcake eating. Rachel Kanter, Lovestruck’s owner, was present to head the festivities. In the month or so since the shop’s opening, it’s been buzzing with customers and gaining popularity on social media.

It’s no wonder that videos of the store are racking up views, as its decor is candy for the eye. Lavish pink-and-red faux flowers decorate the exterior of the store, and the store’s porch offers seating for warmer weather. Inside, visitors are greeted with a pyramid of romance-themed merchandise and red, white, and black shelves stocked with subgenres ranging from LGBTQ+ novels to historical romance to romantasy, a subgenre that’s especially popular online for its mixing of fantastical elements with classic love plots.

The cafe area is more subtly love-themed but still smoothly integrated into the bookselling. One can either study quietly with their latte or shop while they sip. There’s plenty of plush seating and a wide-ranging selection of books, so it’s easy to get lost in Lovestruck for a full afternoon.

Beyond selling romance and smut, Lovestruck is also focused on normalizing the genre and creating a comfortable community space in Cambridge. Kayla Januchowski, Lovestruck’s general manager, sat down with The Crimson to discuss some of these goals.

“I think with the resurgence of the romance genre, in general, becoming very popular and well-loved, especially coming out of the pandemic, there was a need for everyone to have a safe, inclusive place to enjoy the genre without feeling shame or embarrassment for liking it,” Januchowski said.

There’s been a boom in romance novel sales, but it’s often taboo to openly discuss the works offline. Lovestruck wants to change that.

“I think a lot of communities, not just Cambridge, need a place like this where folks can come in and not only feel like they belong, but also can open any book and find themselves in it, and can relate to our characters, our diverse selection of authors, and just our amazing stories,” Januchowski said.

Part of getting this message out into the world is making sure that customers are aware of Lovestruck Books. With the rise of online communities like BookTok, social media has been shown to get readers excited about coming together to discuss and share books. Lovestruck is cognizant of how impactful an online presence can be from a marketing and community-building standpoint.

“I think that it's just as important to create a community online and virtually, as well as in person,” Januchowski said. “Some people may not be able to get to our store physically. Perhaps they are uncomfortable coming in a physical setting, and that is valid, and we want to create a safe space for them to enjoy our community that we've built together. That's where our online presence comes in.”

The presence seems to be translating into in-person customers as well as views and likes. One customer, Taylor Bliss, visited the store while visiting Boston from Connecticut. She was made aware of the store’s opening via social media.

“I was just scrolling and I happened to see it, and I didn't notice that it was actually in Boston. And then my friend saw it and sent it to me,” Bliss said. “She was like, ‘We have to stop and check out this place.’ And I remembered that I had seen it on Tiktok like a week prior.”

Lovestruck is also focused on expanding its events schedule, to provide reasons for people to keep visiting the shop. This could help the store become a new third place for Cambridge and New England community members to connect over common interests.

Januchowski expanded on Lovestruck’s most pressing plans: creating more events to get people in the store.

“We’re going to be introducing a writer circle soon,” Januchowski said. “Our first book club just happened. We have more coming down the pipeline. And even some non-book events in the future, is something that we're thinking about. Again, creating a community for everyone to come in and enjoy this space and to share their love for indie authors and for the independent bookstore.”

Lovestruck Books is a romance bookstore, but it’s also set to become a place to meet bookish peers, a cafe study spot, and perhaps a multi-faceted community space. This new opening is sure to make any book lover fall head over heels in love.

—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.