Friends to Lovers
Jamie Fortin
PHOTO: Jamie Fortin, owner of Friends to Lovers Bookstore in Alexandria. Photo courtesy of Friends to Lovers Bookstore
Friends to Lovers Bookstore, the Old Town shop dedicated to romance books, has reopened in a new permanent location at 301 Cameron Street. A larger, brighter, first-floor storefront welcomes the public with a slew of grand reopening events to thank loyal customers and other fans of the romance genre.
“We are ready to move forward and do better,” says owner Jamie Fortin, thankful to turn November’s devastating fire into a blessing. “We’ve proved the [romance bookstore] concept works,” she explains while reflecting on how the overwhelming support of customers kept her dream for Friends to Lovers a reality despite the unexpected setback.
This reopening is the start of a second chapter for Fortin, who faced heartbreak and tragedy when the store’s first location and inventory were destroyed by fire and smoke damage just three days after its grand opening. Her story quickly went from the exciting fanfare of being the first romance bookstore in the DMV to devastation and uncertainty.
Customers and romance book lovers immediately rallied behind Fortin with donations to a GoFundMe campaign and then enthusiastic support at the store’s temporary pop-up location on N. Saint Asaph Street and through online sales at bookshop.org. She was able to restock her inventory, continue to pay staff, and start the search for another permanent location, securing a space previously held by PS The Hive on Cameron Street. Staff, friends, and others have rallied again for Fortin to help transform the new space from a ladies clothing boutique into a bookstore — along with painting a new shade of the store’s signature pink on the walls.
Fortin says the larger space will enable her to expand on the store’s events and to increase the number of partnerships and pop-ups with other small local businesses. She’ll continue with the store’s popular themed author events and book release parties, and also has plans to debut book clubs in May.
The bookstore features all major subgenres of romance, including historical, small town, “romantasy” (mash of romance and fantasy), queer, sport, contemporary, artsy, and more.
Grand Reopening Events – April 1 through April 6
Friends to Lovers’ temporary location closed March 28. Reopening events at the new Cameron Street location started April 1st. A full list of events and other updates can be found at @friendstoloversbookstore.
The store’s ticketed Grand (Re)Opening parties on April 3rd and 4th are already sold out, including its sneak-peek event on April 1st for donors to its GoFundMe campaign. Fortin does encourage customers to put their names on the waitlist since they may increase the capacity for these events. Local vendor Spark Social House, a brand-new queer bar in the District, will serve non-alcoholic drinks on the 3rd and 4th.
Curses of Lavender Book Release Party with local author Isabella Stofka is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd. Free tickets are available.
Over the weekend of April 5th and 6th, all local book lovers will have an opportunity to celebrate at non-ticketed events.
Saturday features Champagne Brunch with tastings by Wine Gallery 108, flower bomb giveaways while supplies last from Old Town Flower Gal, and literary inspired ice cream sandwiches from Brain Freeze.
Happy Sunday with free coffee drinks by Cafecito Monroy, and Bring Your Dog Day along with pet portraits by Alexandra Schmeling for those who reserve spots.
Thankful for Community
Friends to Lovers is more than just a brick-and-mortar storefront, according to Fortin. It is a vibrant, interactive community for those who love to share their passion for romance books and all its subgenres. She sees her store as a welcoming space where people who celebrate love can come together for events, book releases, author readings, and book clubs, and to meet and make new friends with similar interests, she explains.
“It’s a community space, and we are excited to share it with those who have put so much love into it,” she says. “It’s been an honor to have so many people build this community and we are ready to do a lot more good.”
Fortin felt the love when she needed it most after the fire, and she posted heartfelt messages on Instagram thanking her supporters and customers. With this new location and continued support from the romance book community, her Friends to Lovers bookstore is on its way to a happily ever after ending.
