Heart Swell Books, "a cozy, warmly lit romance bookstore and bar," is hosting its grand opening party today, October 16, at 2700 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 100, in Tucson, Ariz., Tucson Weekly reported. "We want people to take off work," said co-owner Shelbie Webb. "It's an all-day event, an all-day affair with tons of different activities and things going on."
She added that the bookstore's location "has been fantastic for us, even though we've only been open a week. We've got our die-hards that did come to several of our events that have been waiting for this moment of our brick-and-mortar opening, and then a lot of people either going to Luna or Prep and Pastry, or just kind of driving on the side of the road and seeing that we exist."
Although the storefront is new, the Heart Swell concept dates to summer 2024, when Webb, co-founder Chelsea Blue, and two friends decided to open a romance books pop-up called Friends to Lovers, which debuted at Slow Body Beer Co. and then began showing up at events all over town.
"It was incredible, the response we got with no marketing done at all," Webb said. "We quickly learned that romance readers, and just this community in general in Tucson, were really looking for this type of thing."
The selection at Heart Swell Books "runs the gamut of subgenres and content, including historical, fantasy, paranormal, young adult and an expansive LGTBQ+ selection. The variety attracts a broad customer base, consisting of mostly women but also men of all ages," Tucson Weekly noted.
Webb said that contemporary romance novels, which occupy the store's largest shelf, are its most popular picks: "Those are probably our bestsellers, and there's something in there for everybody too."
To build community, the owners have outfitted the space with tables and chairs, a sofa, a record player, and a bar menu offering beer, cider, wine, mimosas, canned cold brew, and several spritz options. "We want to be more than a bookstore," Webb said. "That's the exact quote we use all the time. The hope is that people come and hang out in the store, instead of just coming in and buying a book and leaving."