Alexandria’s Old Town is about to get a little more romantic with the opening of Friends to Lovers Bookstore on November 14. Owner Jamie Fortin, a lifelong reader, felt the DMV was long overdue for a dedicated romance bookstore.
“I’ve been a reader my entire life, and have always wanted to start my own business,” she says. “Once the idea of a romance bookstore came to mind, it felt obvious to me. I love the history of Old Town, and the vibrant small business community in the area.”
The bookstore’s shelves will feature historical romance, small-town love stories, and “romantasy” — a romance-fantasy crossover popular on BookTok.
“Romance is one of the most popular genres, with some of the strongest staying power,” she says. “Yet it remains one of the least respected genres.”
Books like Pride and Prejudice or Twilight are romance classics, yet the genre rarely gets credit for the depth it adds to stories, even in novels like Dune or Fight Club.
In her store, Fortin wants to make romance the “main event,” where the preferences of women and LGBTQ+ folk are celebrated without shame.
“Once I started talking to folks about it, I knew it’d be a success. I think a lot of us have been hoping for this kind of store for a while,” she says.
She hopes Friends to Lovers can be a judgment-free zone where romance lovers can find connection, community, and the chance to celebrate their favorite genre with pride.
103 S. Saint Asaph St., Alexandria
Feature image courtesy Jamie Fortin
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