What It’s Really Like Being a Romance Bookshop Owner

How I Fell Into This World

I ended up owning a bookshop after I fell into the romance genre in 2019, during a time of grief and infertility. To be honest, it was an accident. A romance book happened to be on the top Amazon charts, I bought it… and fell in love with the genre. From that moment, I knew I wanted to do something with this newfound passion.

Since deciding to go for it, my bookshop has been a labour of love, sweat, and tears — literally. Now, it’s a dream come true. I spend my mornings surrounded by books, authors, and community, and being self-employed means I get to spend the rest of my day with my son, making memories and having fun.

Readers often glamourize owning a bookshop. If you’re a reader, I bet you’ve imagined how amazing it would be. And don’t get me wrong — it is a dream. But like any dream, it comes with challenges and common misconceptions:

• Misconception 1: Bookstore owners spend their days reading books. Wrong. We probably get to read far less than you think. Most of our days are filled with admin, opening boxes, updating inventory, talking to publishers, and other day-to-day tasks.
  
• Misconception 2: Bookshop owners have read every book in the shop. Absolutely not! My yearly reading goal is just 15 books. At that rate, it would take me around 66 years to read the books currently stocked in the shop — never mind any new releases!
  
• Misconception 3: We keep our cool in front of authors. In reality, I’m lucky to have great relationships with so many indie authors and publishers. But believe me, I still fan-girl hard whenever I speak to them.
  
  

The Dream vs. the Reality

Before I opened a bookshop, I imagined spending my days packing orders, adding cute freebies, sealing wax on every parcel with handwritten notes… the works. I didn’t stop to think about the time all this would take.

The reality? I spend most of my days answering emails. Every morning, I open at least 30 messages, which can feel overwhelming at times. What surprises me most, though, is how fulfilling it is to see the community grow and to speak to so many amazing authors. My mind has opened to new sub-genres I never even knew existed.

The “romance movie magic” comes from moments like standing in front of fully stocked bookshelves (our Red Brick shop may have closed, but the memory lives on) — Belle vibes guaranteed. I just need a ladder.

The less glamorous side? Missing parcels, staying up until 2 a.m. to pack pre-order releases, and frantically chasing shipments to ensure pre-orders reach readers on time.

The Emotional Side

Every “ka-ching” from a website sale fills my heart with joy. Seeing readers tagged in posts sharing their new favourite book or author discovered through Happily Ever After is incredible.

I’ve cried many times throughout this journey. The last time was opening a parcel from an author who sent her book stock… and two hand-painted art pieces. I was completely touched.

As a self-proclaimed people-pleaser (working on this through therapy), I always feel pressure to make everything perfect. Negative comments or whispered words behind my back affect me, but I’m learning to let them go and run HEA with as much authenticity as possible. Self-doubt is real, but the love from the community always outweighs it.

The Community

The romance community always surprises me — it’s welcoming, friendly, and full of passion. I was drawn in back in 2019 and never want to leave. I’ve made lifelong friends, love chatting about books, sharing recommendations, and understanding why someone loves a particular story.

HEA is part of something bigger. I don’t just want it to be the go-to place for romance books — I want it to be a place for friendship, family, community, and even self-love. Love starts from within, and that’s a mission I’m bringing to the shop.

The Hard Parts Nobody Sees

Owning a bookshop is not all cozy corners and literary joy. Behind the scenes, it’s hard work. Admin tasks are immense: with over 400 authors on our books, we manually send monthly sales reports and payments, and updating stock requires emailing every author again. These time-consuming tasks fill most of my working day.

Burnout is real. When you’re passionate about something, you want to throw everything into it, but there’s a cost. Setting boundaries, taking breaks, and carving out time for myself and my family has been vital.

Juggling life, family, and business is another challenge especially when the house and kitchen table is constantly filled with stacks of books. I hope 2026 will be the year I find balance and peace. Then there’s the financial risk. Running a brick-and-mortar store and hosting events comes with ever-increasing costs — rent, wages, business rates, bills. Event deposits can reach tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds before tickets are even sold. It’s risky, but when it works, the reward is incredible. Seeing an event full of readers, authors, and joy makes it all worth it.

The Magic Moments

At our first Leeds popup event, I stood at the back of the room listening to people chatter, buy books, and laugh. That’s when I thought: yes, this is why we do it.

The community side of the business is vital. As a 35-year-old, it’s not always easy to find friends, especially when you work for yourself. Hosting events gives people a chance to meet like-minded souls, share joy, and belong. I hope our bookshop gives people happiness, warmth, friendship, a place to belong — and, of course, an ever-growing TBR.

Closing

So if you can, please support indie bookshops. We’re out here trying to bring joy, connect communities, and compete with the big guys like Amazon.

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a bookshop, I hope this gives you a little insight into the love, sweat, tears, and magic that goes into running one.

If you’re part of the romance community, I’d love to know what keeps you coming back? Leave a comment below, let's chat