As someone who likes “empowering people through books,” Kelsey Orlecki says she is “leaning into her dream” having opened The Book Boudoir, a romance-only book store on a second floor mezzanine in Manchester Square. The space itself has dark floral wallpaper, plush seating and neon signage. Shelves and tables of books wait on display, just waiting to be recommended.
Orlecki’s goal — beyond bringing in some great reads — is finding the perfect book for each customer. I felt like I was being given a book prescription on my visit, with questions like, “Do you prefer a dark or lighter story?,” “What are your trigger warnings?” “Where are you going to read this book?” “How do you want to feel reading it?” I left with a stack chosen just for me. The team encouraged me to flip through each one, start reading a few pages, and gave me what felt like a movie-preview description of each title.
Despite being one of the highest grossing genres, the romance genre is often shrouded in mystery. Readers of romance books sometimes feel shame or embarrassment when their latest title is discovered by others. The trend is changing, especially since COVID, when book sales started increasing and the romantasy genre (fantasy mixed with romance) really started taking off. Now there are booktoks and bookstagrammer communities on social media of readers sharing their favourites and leaving reviews online in video form.
This is only one of three romance-only bookstores in Canada, and it’s got quite a following, both in person and online, thanks to staff tailoring suggestions for everyone in a judgement-free zone.
“We’ll find exactly what you need without shame or questions,” Orlecki says of her team, who are avid readers themselves. With indie titles that are hard to find in most mainstream bookstores, The Book Boudoir could satisfy the curious reader.
The Book Boudoir
Queen Mary Park | Second Floor, 10716 120 St NW, Edmonton | @bookboudoiryeg
