The bookshop aiming to spice up romance reading

A bookshop that claims to be the largest in Europe specialising in adults-only romance novels opens this weekend.

The Spicy Librarian in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, has more than 2,500 titles stocked and aims to put a spotlight on romance sub-genres while providing a safe space for book lovers to relax.

The founder of the shop, who only wanted to be called D, said she had been an avid reader since she was 14 and was inspired to set up the bookshop after buying from independent stores in the US.

"I walked into my first independent romance shop in America, which you don't see in Europe typically, and I left an hour later having bought seven books and having made a new friend," she said.

The Spicy Librarian will be hosting a range of events like monthly book clubs, community nights and an indie author subscription club.

"I want people to feel at home, I want them to walk in for the first time and feel like they've been here a hundred times before," D said.

Ali Maynard-James, part of the team behind the store, said what they sold was very different from the traditional Mills and Boon-style romances and focused on "spicy romantasy" and "dark romance".

"These characters are not here to be rescued, they actually drive the narrative. They're making their own choices, they're setting boundaries and navigating really complex worlds," she said.

Maynard-James added that readers connected with the female characters because "they're layered and they're flawed and we're all like that".

Indie author J Rose said it was "such an honour" to have her books featured in the shop as independent authors "don't usually have the recognition that traditional published author would have".

"You often find me at home in my pyjamas and it's very lonely, so knowing that people are coming in and picking up pieces of my soul essentially, is such an incredible feeling," she said.

Rose added that independent bookshops were "so important" and The Spicy Librarian was "curated for readers, by readers" and provided a way to share passions.

Romance novelist Florence Keeling, born in Coventry, writes under her name as well as using the pen name Charlie Dean and the darker romance material as Tanya Mounts.

She has written romance books for about 10 years and said that the genre was becoming more popular as readers embraced "spicy" books with confidence.

"We all like spice, we're all human, we all like affection and I just thought 'let's give it a whirl'", she said.

"One of the things I wanted to concentrate on in the Tanya books is an older, female character. But she's the one in charge, it's her life.

"She's not just some simpering maid in the corner waiting for the man. She's taking control of her life."

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