Six months ago, before the soft opening of her independent bookstore, Courtney Stookey said she was inspired by a particular book to follow her dreams of opening a romance-only bookstore.
Now, Lovebound Library is expanding, and Stookey credited the ability to do so to the readers and fans who have been supporting the store since it opened.
The bookstore, located in Salt Lake City’s Maven District, announced Saturday — Romance Bookstore Day — its plans to expand to the space directly behind it.
The expansion will extend to a space that previously was a medical spa and most recently the clothing consignment store Re-finery, which moved across the street earlier this month. The expansion will double the store’s size.
The new area will be called “Lovebound Lounge,” and will serve as a space to house a full seating area, room for more merchandise and events, a public restroom and an expanded back room for more inventory, Stookey said.
The front of the store will remain the same.
“I feel so, so lucky that the community has just been showing up every week, seriously, every day. It just blows my mind,” Stookey said. “The fact that we even get to do this, and hopefully our customers and readers know that we absolutely wouldn’t be able to do this without all of the support that they’ve already shown us.”
Stookey said that, in a way, the Lovebound Lounge will make running the store easier for her and her staff, but it’s also a “thank you for showing up for our first six months. Here’s here’s how we’re able to give back.”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Lovebound Library owner Courtney Stookey in her bookstore on 900 South in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
The store has been catching attention far and wide, with visits from famous romance authors and mentions in national media, including The New York Times. This week, the store shared that it would start carrying bookish merchandise from California-based Rebel+Fleur; it already carries other merch from such creators as Salt Lake City’s gigi&bo.
Stookey said the store is planning on staying open during the expansion, but customers should check the store’s Instagram account for updates. A grand reopening is scheduled for Sept. 7, once the expansion is done, with a signing from a local author — the first in that space.
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