X&O Books, a romance-focused indie bookstore, will be opening this summer at 25712 Northwest Freeway, Suite I, in Cypress, Tex. Founder and owner Kara French told Community Impact the store will feature a combination of mainstream romance titles and local and Texas-based indie authors, while its main genres of focus will include contemporary, western and romantasy.
Additionally, French said customers will be able to shop from a "713 shelf" with local spotlights and a shelf of recommendations from her husband, or Mr. X&O, as she calls him. "Supporting independent authors and artists remains an important X&O Books priority," she added.
The new bookstore will include a lounge and bar area serving wine and dirty sodas. French noted that as a Cypress native she wanted to create an elevated space for women in the community.
"This is what happens in your mid-40s--suddenly you have time and you might want to linger a moment," she said. "Or you need to sit down, because these knees need a break. I always felt like while I loved book shopping in the larger chain stores, there was not really a place to sit down and be with other like-minded romance readers."
In April, French posted on Instagram: "I've been a romance reader my entire life. Even before it was cool. I was the kind of kid who always had a romance book in her backpack and strong opinions about character development. After a really tough few years, I started dreaming. I couldn't stop thinking about a place where women could come in, pour a glass of something good and find their next favorite romance read. I realized no one had created it in my hometown. So... I decided to."