Readers line up around the block for grand opening of Vancouver’s first romance bookstore

Romance novels are all the rage, prompting hundreds to turn up at a Vancouver bookstore.

Bookworms lined up around the block to attend the grand opening of Vancouver’s first bookstore dedicated to the romance genre on Saturday.

Perfect Match Bookshop previously existed as an online shop and hosted popular book clubs, and now it’s a physical space where fans of all things romance can gather and share their passion for love stories.

“The romance readership and the romance community is so big and all these other cities have gotten their romance bookstores, and I just thought Vancouver deserves that too,” owner Amy Pelletier told CTV News.

Perfect Match is the seventh bookstore of its kind in Canada, catering to a fandom that has exploded in popularity thanks to social media communities like Bookstagram and BookTok.

Pelletier says the appeal of romance novels is the hope, joy and whimsy found on the pages.

“I think just having that space to explore different themes, learn about people different than yourself, in the context of this really joyful, hopeful story is really special,” she said.

Romance fans Natalie Topolski and Nicole Phillips waited in line for an hour to get a first look at the shop.

“It kind of whisks you away, right?” Topolski said about why she loves the genre. “It’s mostly a fun escape.”

“I think I love romance novels because they’re not just about love, they’re often about self discovery and relationships with friends and family,” Phillips said.

The goal for Perfect Match is to turn an isolated hobby into a social experience, Pelletier explained. She said the store will host in-person book clubs, author talks and other events in the near future.

“It’s a special bond to love something alongside somebody else,” she said.

Another aim is to include a wide diversity of stories and perspectives to give representation of all kinds of people.

“My goal is that everyone walks in and finds themselves on the shelves,” Pelletier said. “Everybody belongs in this store.”

Perfect Match is located at 545 East Broadway.