A new bookstore in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood is dedicated exclusively to romance novels and is designed to feel bright, airy, and welcoming. Colorful covers featuring couples decorate the walls, while signs highlight romance tropes such as “Grumpy Sunshine” and “Forced Proximity.” Books are organized by genres like contemporary, historicals, and romantasy, then further sorted by tropes such as “Enemies to Lovers” and “Fated Mates.” A tearoom and wine bar at the back encourages customers to mingle, with tea or pastries available. The owner created the space after feeling lonely in remote tech work, finding comfort and escapism in romance reading.
"Inside the bright and airy space, previously home to Jeffrey's Natural Pet Foods, books are organized by genres like contemporary, historicals or romantasy, and then tropes like "Enemies to Lovers," where characters spar as they fall in love, or "Fated Mates," where characters are destined for each other. The tropes are meant to help readers find exactly what they want, according to Veena Patel, the bookstore's owner."
"“It's nice to have them broken out that way, so if you're in a mood for something specific, you can go straight to that section,” she said. Patel wasn't always a small business owner. She used to be a product manager working in climate tech. She said that she found herself “feeling very lonely in tech” after she started a remote job during the pandemic."
"“Many people were in person, and so they made friends with each other,” she said, “but because I was remote, I always felt a little on the outside.” Romance novels helped with the loneliness, she said, especially since she had grown up reading the genre, with her mother reading classic ones like those published by Mills & Boon."
"“I used to find myself reading a lot, just as a form of escapism,” she explained. “I have a lot of anxiety, and it helps with that, just getting myself out of my head and into a pla"
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