Lovestruck Books coming to Harvard Square
A new bookstore is readying itself to open in the heart of Harvard Square this fall. Lovestruck Books, a romance bookstore, is in the early stages of construction at 44 Brattle St. in Cambridge, and the owner is waiting on permitting for a possible cafe and bar area to accompany the romance-stocked shelves. Owner Rachel Kanter lives in Cambridge, graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is a former elementary and high school English teacher. Romance sells more than any other fiction genre, and more brick-and-mortar stores devoted to it are opening around the country. California’s the Ripped Bodice, the first romance bookstore in the United States, opened in 2016; now there are over 20 around the country. An opening date for Lovestruck is still up in the air, and the store will center books by women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ authors. Kanter aims for the place to be not just a bookstore but a community hub, offering a range of steamy reads, as well as a sense of belonging. For more information, visit lovestruckbooks.com.