This Bookstore in Remuera ONLY does Romance
There is something delightfully unbothered about opening a bookstore devoted entirely to romance. Not half a shelf wedged between cookbooks and crime but an entire store, in pink, dedicated to love stories, longing, fantasy and flirtation. Founded by Ruby Wallace, Enamoured Books in Remuera was created as a space where romance readers could enjoy the genre without the usual raised eyebrow.
Coming up to its first birthday, Enamoured describes itself as a “romantic haven” and invites readers to “take yourself on a date” while browsing for their next fix. And there are plenty of options for that fix. Enamoured stocks everything from rom-coms and contemporary romance to romantasy, queer love stories, dark romance and young adult titles, alongside sexual wellness books, gifts and a clever “Blind Date With A Book” option.
“Opening Enamoured was my dream, but what has happened over the past year has been even bigger than I imagined,” Wallace says. “We’ve created a space where people can talk about romance books openly, ask questions, and explore the genre without shame. The community that has formed here is incredibly special.”
That community seems to be one of the store’s real strengths. Wallace notes that, “We’ve seen people make friends at our events while standing in line, browsing the same section, or chatting about their favourite books. Some of the regulars who now come in together actually met here for the first time.”
It also helps that the broader market is moving firmly in Enamoured’s direction. Romance is not a tiny corner of publishing hanging on through nostalgia. Circana reported in June 2025 that year-to-date US print romance sales were up 24 percent on the year before, with 51 million units sold over the previous 12 months, more than double the level of four years earlier. Publishers Weekly reported that in 2025 romance sales rose a further 3.9 percent to almost 44 million units, and noted that adult fiction has continued to be lifted by romance and BookTok-fuelled demand. In other words, Wallace has not built a shop around a guilty pleasure. She has built one around one of publishing’s most commercially powerful categories.
Enamoured caters to the fact that people are not just shopping for books. They are shopping for mood, ritual and identity. Wallace puts it neatly: “At Enamoured we always say we want people to romanticise their lives. That might look like taking an hour to sit with a coffee and a book, treating yourself to a story that makes you feel something, or simply finding a space where you feel seen and understood.”
To celebrate a year of catering to our love affair with romance, Enamoured is inviting readers to its first birthday on Saturday 11 April. From 10am to 5pm, the Remuera space will play host to a styled in-store coffee cart experience created with Babylon, giving readers the chance to browse with a coffee in hand and fully commit to the mood. The first 50 customers to buy a romance title will receive curated goodie bags filled with books and products from brands including Karen Murrell, Maebel, Saint Beauty, No Ugly, The Beauty Hub and Babylon, while limited-edition Enamoured tote bags will also be available on the day. There is also the chance to win back the full value of your book haul. We love that.
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