Burn Bright Books opened in April at 269 Park Ave., in Rochester, N.Y. The Rochester Beacon reported that the shop "provides a niche most other bookstores in the city don't have--a romance-only book catalog and merchandise."
Owner Shauna Cox's original inspiration came a few years ago when, "after a long day of wrangling her three kids, including a newborn," she was scrolling through TikTok and found a video by Meet Cute Romance Bookshop, La Mesa, Calif., the Beacon noted, adding that she was intrigued by the realization that, "on the other side of the country, a group of women were documenting the beginning of their romance bookstore."
"I really wanted a space for women," she said. "Romance gets such a bad rap. I wanted to make a safe space for people to explore romance and everything that comes with that." Suffering from postpartum depression while working a corporate job, Cox immersed herself in the world of romance fiction, which eventually prompted her decision to launch a bookstore. "I did this for myself, and I want to show my kids that. I'm in my mid-30s, and I managed to start a business."
Cox bought a guidebook on how to open a bookstore and spoke with other romance bookstore owners. Burn Bright Books opened as an online-only store before hosting occasional pop-ups, and now the bricks-and-mortar location is a reality.
"I'm a one-woman show," she said. In addition to book orders and shelf-stocking, she handles her own social media, outreach to local businesses for collaborations, events planning, and the business side.
The bookstore's website notes: "At Burn Bright Books, we believe that every love story deserves to be shine bright. We will strive every day to provide a community space where we can celebrate love in all its forms; where every person can find themselves among the stories and where everyone feels welcome no matter what."