Cupid's Bookshop, a 600-square-foot romance bookstore, opened recently at 106 Grape St., Philadelphia, Pa. The Philadelphia Inquirer was on the scene April 24 for the launch in Manayunk's Incubator Space, where "hundreds of people--including some who traveled from Pittsburgh and Brooklyn--browsed monster romances, queer rom-coms, and historical bodice rippers, between noon and 6 p.m. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker even stopped by during a scheduled tour of Manayunk."
The new bookshop is owned by Tina Long, a Manayunk/Roxborough resident and longtime fan of the genre, who said, "I have always loved romance, but it's always been frowned upon--until recently.... I think most people would be practical and say that's the craziest career to go in to right now with the economy. But I think it's important to have more places with judgment-free zones where you can be openly in love with silly romance books [about] dragons, aliens, faeries and feel safe."
A former fashion and publishing professional, Long said that when burnout at her job hit, her husband, Anthony, encouraged her to turn her reading passion into a project: "He's been super supportive, helping out where he can--he's my very own book romance."
She told the Inquirer that she wanted the store to fully embrace the romance genre's reputation for being big, bold, and occasionally over-the-top: "I really wanted a place when you walk in you're like, 'This looks like it's all about campy romance.' I don't want customers to hide what they like. It's fun to read and talk about your silliest book boyfriend or girlfriend."
Long told Philly Voice: "I love escapism. I love that it's all in your mind, imagining whoever that character, that love interest is, and it's in your brain. And everyone's so different, even if it's the same book, everyone has a different idea of who that person is."
In an Instagram post after the grand opening celebration for Cupid's Bookshop, Long wrote: "Words cannot describe how appreciative we are of all of you that waited and showed up to our grand opening on Thursday. From the surprise pop in by Mayor Parker to all the kind words from all that came--we are so excited to build a romance community here in Philly."