About two years ago, Tyann Bjorkman saw a video on TikTok profiling a romance-only bookstore. As an avid romance reader, the idea of a genre-specific bookstore was like one of those songs you can't get out of your head. As she replayed the thought over and over, she wondered if she could create something similar in North Idaho.
So she called one of her friends, another romance fanatic who previously worked in the banking industry, to talk it over.
"That's important to the story, she never calls me," Ashley Yates says with a laugh. "She asked me if this was a crazy idea and if it would be well received, and I was quickly like 'Um, yes!'"
Yates' support was a promising sign for Bjorkman, so the pair quickly began brainstorming what their perfect romance bookstore would look like.
"Immediately we started looking for spaces and got really lucky when we found this one. It was like the universe opened all the doors for us, and we went from that phone call to signing a lease within two weeks," Bjorkman says. "Very quickly we realized how much of a community there was."
The space they rented right off U.S. Route 95 in Hayden was completely empty, so it took about six months of renovation before It's A Love Story Books & Cafe could open. In that in-between time as they built their space, Bjorkman and Yates began their business by selling "blind dates with a book" — readers only find out what the book is after they buy it — on TikTok.
"We started the operations out of my house first, so I jumped up on TikTok, and we kind of built a small community there," Bjorkman says. "I got bored one day, and I went live as I was practicing wrapping the blind dates to be ready for the store. People liked it, so then I created a listing on TikTok. ... It helped us buy everything we needed to get in [the store]."
When the bookstore finally opened in June 2024, it was a romantic's paradise. Dark bookshelves lining the walls are filled with romantic stories ranging from steamy sports trysts to shadow daddies and their magical love. The center of the store is filled with large comfy chairs meant for customers to relax with a coffee and their new book.
With the strong social media presence that started before there was even a brick and mortar location, the North Idaho bookstore now gets customers from all over the country, Yates says. However, it's the folks who live nearby and keep coming back that make this all worth it for the owners.
Most romance novels are written by women, and most of the people who read the genre are women, Yates explains. So today, most of the bookstore's customers are women, too.
"This allows a different experience, because you walk in here and you truly may walk out with a new friend," Yates says. "The amount of friendships we've seen happen is so cool. I love the community that we're building here."
While Yates and Bjorkman are huge fans of romance, they haven't always been comfortable sharing that with those around them. Ten years ago, they say it felt taboo to talk about enjoying the genre.
"I mean, fantasy has always been OK, reading about dragons was always OK, but for whatever reason, if you wanted to read a romance book, that was silly," Yates says. "There was always this embarrassment."
Yates says that feeling of shame was often caused by judgment from those in older generations less willing to openly talk about romance and sex.
ROMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Tyann Bjorkman and Ashley Yates see romance novels every single day — here are a few recently released and upcoming novels they recommend.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn - Out June 3
One Dark Kiss by Rebecca Zanetti - Out June 24
But in the last few years, romance has surged to the top of the genre pool. According to a report from Book Riot, the largest independent book site in North America, as of mid-2024 romance was the most popular and bestselling genre.
That popularity hasn't diminished, and as more genre-specific bookstores like It's A Love Story pop up, they're going toe-to-toe with big-name stores that seem to only carry the most well-read books of the moment.
"What's beautiful about these smaller, niche bookstores is we are able to stock so many titles by indie authors because we have dedicated an entire storefront to it," Bjorkman says. "That's one of the biggest comments that we hear from shoppers, is that we have books they can't find anywhere else because we have more shelf space for them."
While it's too early for the pair to release any specific details, they plan to spread the love and open a second location in 2026. ♦
It's a Love Story Books & Coffee • 8927 Hess St., Suite A, Hayden • Open Mon-Sat from 9 am-6 pm; Sun from 10 am-4 pm • Instagram: @itsalovestorybooks • 208-772-5053
