Romance bookstores are popping up all over the country. The speed at which the genre has gained traction and communities of fans has led to people taking notice. Even the NY Times writing an article explaining the recent boom in the fastest-growing fiction genre. Among the bookstores mentioned in the article is Orlando's new bookstore, The New Romantics, owned by Orlando local Jane Rodriguez.

I spent time with Jane to discuss her newest venture into the entrepreneurial world and the space she has created. A space that has already gained momentum on social media, so much so that as we sat and talked, faces were pressed up against the glass, eager to know if the store was open yet. From the large windows letting any passerby view stacks of colorful books and the purple flower planters out front, you can see this is a space that will lure people in, even if they aren't romance readers; something Jane wants to change. That sentiment is embedded in the name she chose for the shop. For Taylor Swift fans, the name immediately sparks the melody of one of her songs (arguably the most underrated songs from the 1989 album). However, as a Swiftie herself, Jane found a deeper meaning in choosing that as the name for the shop.

“The name came about because I wanted to attract more romance readers. Romance can be a shamed genre or something that people won't give a chance, but TikTok and Booktok have introduced people to it, and I want to keep introducing people to it. There are so many sub-genres, we can help them find exactly what they may feel like reading,” explained Jane.

For some background, since 2020, Jane has been running her own business. Originally from Miami, she spent time in California in higher education but returned to Florida during the pandemic. She ran her own business, working on several projects, including helping other women open businesses. As an avid reader, she had a longstanding dream of opening a bookstore in the back of her mind amidst her other pursuits. Opportunities would arise, but nothing that she felt she could immediately jump on. It stayed in the back of her mind as a goal, but instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity before she launched her idea, she started taking steps to build the brand that would ultimately become The New Romantics.

Community is a buzzword most new businesses throw around to try and attract loyalty and a following, but for Jane, the local Orlando community quite literally helped her build the dream before she had even signed a lease on a space. She created a business plan, created a social following and conversation, and began documenting the journey from the very start. Documenting the dream itself, putting it into the online feeds for others to attach their excitement to it, created a vast community backing her brand for months before she ever announced she had a space.

"Other romance bookstores that I had followed, I only found out about them after they were open, not prior to them opening, so I think that has allowed the people who have been on the journey with us to have a sense of ownership because they've been watching, and seeing me talk about looking for a place to open a bookstore so it makes it feel like it belongs a little more to them. There is an actual, real community aspect to it,” Jane shared.

Building the community behind the dream was important to Jane as she, like many, felt the pangs of disconnection in her personal life. As someone who worked remotely, she longed to get back out into the city and immerse herself more with others in the community, which led her to get a job inside the East End Market in Audubon Park. This positioned her across the street from the JoyBird Books, which she ultimately took over.

Creating a safe space for women to enjoy the sisterhood and build friendships is important,” Jane said. “I've been living in Orlando since October 2020, and I have never felt a stronger sense of community than I have in the last six months. Now, I have friends here. I lived remotely online and started working at Gideons in 2022 just to get out of the house. It is important to be able to create a space where women can come hang out and make friends."

When you enter the space, there’s no way to describe it other than a “girlie” reader wonderland filled with colorful books, cozy sitting areas, and all types of merch that will be hard to leave on the shelves once you enter. Coffee tumblers, stickers, bookmarks, scented candles, soaps, tote bags, reading accessories and more all line the bookshelves as perfect add-ons that represent over 20 small women-owned businesses.

“Other than being a romance bookstore and standing out for that reason alone, being woman focused, Taylor Swift inspired, very much “for the girls” energy is what differentiates us. Our demo is women and we target women,” Jane related.

Doubling down even more on being a community-driven space, New Romantics will host author chats, book releases, book signings, and book clubs. This is in addition to the Book Box subscriptions that exist on the website, where each month subscribers get the book of that month along with a box of goodies like bookmarks, stickers, a Mini-Book Version of the Book Club Books, and other curated items. It also grants special access to in-person meet-ups.

In addition to all those events and offerings, Jane and her team will continue to host community-building events and collaborate with other businesses with events that may not be book-focused but will help build friendships and community.

And if you ask her what’s the best book she has read in the past six months, she didn’t hesitate at all to name Julie Soto’s “Forget me Not”.

The Grand Opening is December 7th and 8th, but soft opening hours have been popping up on her IG stories and there are plans to be open on Small Business Saturday. Follow her on Instagram and Threads @thenewromanticsbooks.

The New Romantics - 3018 Corrine Drive Orlando, FL