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"I'm hoping for Lovestruck to be a space that can really foster community," said Rachel Kanter, a book lover and romance reader who is bringing Lovestruck Books, a romance bookstore and cafe, to Cambridge, Mass., later this year.
Lovestruck Books will reside at 44 Brattle St., a short distance from Harvard Square, in a 5,200-square-foot space. Roughly one-third of the space, Kanter reported, will belong to the cafe, while the bookstore will encompass the remaining two-thirds. The romance genre contains dozens of sub-genres, she noted, and the sizable space will allow her to carry an expansive selection.
"I'll be able to really go deep into the sub-genres," said Kanter. And while her personal favorites include historical romance, contemporary romance, and romantasy, Lovestruck Books will have something that speaks to every romance reader.
There will be a small, curated children's section as well as a small general fiction section. She remarked that her plans for a children's section are sometimes met with "raised eyebrows," but "my answer to that is, people who read a lot of romance often have children."
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| Lovestruck Books in progress | |
The general fiction section, meanwhile, is for people "who are maybe new to the romance genre," or "customers coming in for the cafe," and Kanter is excited to introduce general readers to the genre. And across the romance and general sections, she hopes to feature local authors wherever possible. "Part of what I'm hoping to do is contribute to the strong community of readers we see in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area," Kanter said.
Kanter plans to carry only new titles, as her store is very close to Rodney's Bookstore, a much-loved used bookstore in Cambridge, and Rodney's "has that covered," she said. She did, however, talk to Rodney's owner Shaw Taylor about vintage clinch covers from the '70s and '80s, and they floated the idea of collaborating on an event that would celebrate vintage romance covers.
Asked about plans for nonbook items and sidelines, Kanter called "bookish merch" another passion of hers. She's particularly excited to collaborate with other independent, women-owned businesses and to support local vendors and creators.
When it comes to events, Kanter has plenty of ideas. While nothing has been officially scheduled yet, she would like to host things like size-inclusive lingerie pop-ups, boudoir photo shoots, pole-dancing classes, LGTBQ-friendly speed dating, paint-and-sip nights, and Drag Story Hour. She expects to host a lot of book clubs, and someone reached out about hosting a Dungeons & Dragons night at Lovestruck.
"I want to be a convener," Kanter said. She intends to curate events that "celebrate the love of storytelling" and bring "joy and diverse perspectives into the space."
And while no opening date has been set, Kanter has been considering ideas for a grand opening celebration. She imagines one that would span multiple days and feature giveaways, activities, and visits from local authors.
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| Rachel Kanter | |
Prior to founding Lovestruck, Kanter's only bookstore experience was "as a regular customer and enthusiastic patron." Her background was in teaching; she has taught high school English and worked at a number of education nonprofits.
Having gone to grad school in Boston, Kanter and her husband returned to Cambridge last year. Around that time, a "very beloved local coffee shop" was closing, and Kanter thought someone should reopen it. Then she began to toy with the idea of reopening it herself as a cafe and bookstore with a focus on romance.
Last summer, when Los Angeles's Ripped Bodice opened its second location, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the news was "affirming," and Kanter began researching the bookselling business in earnest. She went to the Paz & Associates bootcamp, worked with consultants like Kerri Budryk of Brookline Booksmith, who specializes in gift and nonbook items, and Tim Huggins, founder of Newtonville Books and former CFO of Brookline Booksmith, who now offers business and financial advice to bookstores as a "CFO for Hire," which he will continue with Lovestruck.
Kanter has learned a great deal from established booksellers, and one of the "total joys of this process has been how welcoming and collaborative other indie bookstore owners are." When she started out, she was a little concerned about being "the new kid in town," but she found herself amazed at "how welcoming everyone has been." The "collaborative spirit" among booksellers has been "unlike anything I've ever experienced."
Touching on the Harvard Square community, Kanter said people in the area "have been so receptive to this." Though there are already several well-established bookstores in the area, "there is space for more," and her store will be part of an encouraging trend of independent retail returning to Harvard Square. Community members and romance readers alike have been "enthusiastic and excited." --Alex Mutter