Wales


<p>Cupid ghosted you? Dating apps gathering dust? Romance feeling a bit… meh? If real-life love isn’t exactly delivering (hello awkward silences, three-day reply gaps and the dreaded “haha”), it might be time to outsource your love life to books. The kind where fictional men show up, say the right thing and declare their feelings without needing a follow-up text. Frankly, we deserve that level of commitment.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1144" height="1148" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/LOVE-STORIES-CARDIFF-AIMEE.jpg" alt="LOVE STORIES CARDIFF OWNER AIMEE" class="wp-image-4336" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/LOVE-STORIES-CARDIFF-AIMEE.jpg 1144w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/LOVE-STORIES-CARDIFF-AIMEE-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/LOVE-STORIES-CARDIFF-AIMEE-1020x1024.jpg 1020w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/LOVE-STORIES-CARDIFF-AIMEE-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/LOVE-STORIES-CARDIFF-AIMEE-768x771.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1144px) 100vw, 1144px" /></figure>



<p>Enter <strong><a href="https://www.lovestoriesbookshop.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Love Stories</a></strong>, Cardiff’s brand-new romance-only bookshop, freshly opened in the charming <strong>Castle Arcade</strong>. Inside the candy-pink interior, you’ll find shelves stacked with everything from swoon-worthy historicals and slow-burn epics to spicy rom-coms and steamy holiday reads. We caught up with owner Aimee (who skipped neatly from Jacqueline Wilson straight to Marian Keyes at a wildly inappropriate age) to get the lowdown – plus her top five romance reads you should absolutely be devouring right now.</p>



<div style="height:70px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-aimee-why-open-a-romance-only-bookshop">So Aimee, why open a romance-only bookshop?</h4>



<p>I’m a huge romance reader, and when I visited the iconic romance bookshop The Ripped Bodice in New York, it completely blew me away. I couldn’t stop thinking about how magical it would be to spend my days surrounded by books, talking about love stories with people who felt just as passionately about them as I did. Luckily my husband agreed and said,&nbsp;‘Yes, let’s do it.’</p>



<p>After a tough year with some sad bereavements, we both realised how short life really is. It felt like the right moment to stop putting our dreams on hold and actually make one of them happen.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-now">Why now?</h4>



<p>Romance isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s having a proper moment. Romantic fiction and sagas consistently top the bestseller lists, and platforms like BookTok have created this huge, passionate community that’s driving the success of authors like Sarah J Maas,&nbsp;Rebecca Yarros, Emily Henry and Elsie Silver. People are clearly craving connection, comfort and, yes, happy endings &#8211; and who can blame them?</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-do-realise-that-some-people-think-they-re-too-cool-for-love-stories-right">You do realise that some people think they’re ‘too cool’ for love stories, right<strong>?</strong></h4>



<p>I know romance sometimes gets dismissed as fluff, and I completely disagree. How can you sideline a whole genre that makes people feel things so deeply &#8211; that comforts them, excites them, gives them hope? I’d love people to come into the shop and let me help them find a romance that suits them. Whether you’re usually into thrillers, fantasy or literary fiction, there’s always a love story out there that will win you over.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-flying-off-the-shelves-right-now">What’s flying off the shelves right now?</h4>



<p>Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid. This is the hottest book in our shop at the moment. Storyline? Hockey players Shane and Ilya have been on-ice rivals and secret lovers for years, and this book follows the course of their relationship over a ten-year period.&nbsp; Heated Rivalry perfectly encompasses the enemies-to-lovers trope, with so much yearning that it&#8217;ll make your toes curl. So, ready to hand your heart (and your bedside table) over? Here are Aimee’s five romance novels you should be falling for right now.</p>



<div style="height:50px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<div style="height:50px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/71eogxZGAFL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="BOOK LOVERS EMILY HENRY"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Book Lovers, by Emily Henry</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>Emily Henry is the undeniable Queen of the romance genre right now and, for me, Book Lovers is one of her best. This book is a beautiful subversion of the of the ‘cold workaholic’ protagonist getting her small-town transformation trope (think your classic Hallmark movie). Full of gorgeous writing and witty banter, it&#8217;s the perfect introduction to the romance genre if you&#8217;re new here!</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Atmosphere-UK-final-cover1-2-scaled.jpg" alt="Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>From #1 New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones &amp; The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Set against a backdrop of NASA and those that yearn for the stars, Jenkins-Reid writes about the women who dared to dream of space when it was still seen as a &#8216;boys club&#8217;. It&#8217;s a sweeping novel all about sacrifice, ambition, quiet courage, and queer love. Be warned &#8211; if you&#8217;re anything like me, the last 10% will leave you an emotional wreck.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/810eZ8vFHL.jpg" alt="The Devil in Winter, by Lisa Kleypas"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">The Devil in Winter, by Lisa Kleypas</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>I am a sucker for a good Historical romance read, and Kleypas ticks all the boxes. We have the shy wallflower who is paired off with devilish Viscount (Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent is one of the great romance heroes). A comfort read that I will return to for a yearly re-read, it&#8217;s great for romance readers who are fans of the classics. </p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/hbg-title-flawless-2-67.jpg" alt="Flawless, by Elsie Silver"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Flawless, by Elsie Silver</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>Cowboy romances are all the rage right now, and Silver is delivering exactly what we need. Her characters are easy to fall in love with, the storylines equally as addictive. If you&#8217;re looking for a book to get stuck into and completely lose yourself in, this is the one. You know what they say; save a horse, ride a cowboy!</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/71bl1yeHg5L._AC_UF8941000_QL80_.jpg" alt="Neon Gods, by Katee Robert"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Neon Gods, by Katee Robert</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p>If you&#8217;re looking for a spicier option but are new to Dark Romance (books that contain elements of taboo), then I think Robert is one of the best authors to start with, especially for diversity and inclusivity. This is the first in their Dark Olympus series, a modern-day rewrite of Greek mythology, with book one focusing on Persephone and Hades. Escapist, and more than a little sinful, there&#8217;s a reason Dark Romance is one of our most popular genres at the shop!</p></div></div></div></div>



<ul>
<li><em>You&#8217;ll find&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lovestoriesbookshop.co.uk/">Love Stories</a>&nbsp;bookshop at 36-38 Castle Arcade, Cardiff.&nbsp;Open Wed-Sat: 10am-5pm, Sun: 11am-4pm</em></li>
</ul>



<div style="height:40px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<div style="height:100px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/must-visit-welsh-locations-in-sky-atlantics-under-salt-marsh-starring-kelly-reilly/">The must-visit Welsh locations starring in Sky’s ‘Under Salt Marsh’</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/grab-these-festival-tickets-before-they-sell-out/">Music, arts and food – grab these festival tickets before they sell out</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/books/10-joyful-reads-to-boost-your-mood/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uplit and loving it! 10 joyful reads to boost your mood</a></li>
</ul>


Love at first page: Inside Cardiff’s romance-only bookshop

You may also like