SAN DIEGO — A few weeks ago, San Diego's only all romance bookshop opened its doors in North Park. In this Zevely Zone, I show romance readers where to look for love.
If you're looking to sink your teeth into a juicy read or fall in love with a good book, look no further than Meet Cute Romance Bookshop. That's where we found the shop's owner Becca Title reading. "I felt like I knew her, she reminded me of who I was, she had soft lips and greens eyes and body that wouldn't quit," Becca read.
As much as you've heard to never judge a book by its cover, every cover in this shop covers the topic of love. "It's called the Hookup Plan," said Becca while showing me a few of the romance books.
Another book was titled Twisted Love. "Yes, that is a very popular book," said Becca. Is every book in the bookstore romantic? "Yes," said Becca. The bookshop owner who attended Brown University and Georgetown Law School has an interesting background. "I have heard that, yes," said Becca.
After clerking in Federal District Court, she left the law behind. "Normal career trajectory," chuckled Becca who followed her heart to North Park. I reminded her that the word on the street is that bookstores are doomed. "I have heard that too, yeah," said Becca who identifies as queer and wants her store to be the exact opposite of a book ban. "It's the kind of space that I would have always wanted to go to and now I am here every day," said Becca.
Her shop recently went viral on TikTok, which is how Marissa and Mustafa found it. The happy couple got married two weeks ago.
I asked them if they were looking for a good book or love. "Definitely a good book, I already found my love right here," said Marissa. They are from Kansas City and had never entered a romance only book shop before. "No, but when I saw it, I said I have to go because it's the cutest bookstore I have ever seen," said Marissa.
"This is a book that just came out recently," said Alyssa Torres. She is one of the book sellers. I asked her if most customers are men or women. "A lot of them are women but there are a lot of men who do come in too," said Alyssa.
Another book seller, Kyra Purgason, took this job looking to turn the page. "I'm actually a big fan of horror which is funny, but I need something to balance that out, it gets too much," said Kyra. Romance is an escape that can take your breath away, but perhaps most importantly; "It's the best-selling genre in the US. It's been the best-selling genre for a very long time," said Becca.
You can also find Meet Cute Romance Bookshops in Chicago and Los Angeles. For more information about Meet Cute Romance Bookshop in North Park click here.