WanderLust Mobile Bookstore, a romance-focused, mobile bookstore, will make its debut appearance tomorrow in Madison, Wis., the Cap Times reported.
The bookstore, built out of a renovated school bus, will set up shop at Giant Jones Brewing Company at 931 E. Main St. The mobile bookstore carries an inventory of around 1,000 titles representing plenty of romance sub-genres. Local writers and BIPOC authors are emphasized, and there is also a selection of books on sexual health and wellness. Local authors E.H. Lupton and Beatrice McKinsey, along with artist Ben Mehlos, will make appearances at the opening.
Owners Allison Couture and Marie Nitschke have been friends for 15 years and first talked about opening a romance store in 2024. Initially, the idea was a joke, until the day "we just looked at each other and locked eyes and were like, we're doing this," Couture told the Cap Times.
Nitschke and Couture plan to take WanderLust to places like farmers' markets, coffee shops, festivals, and book clubs. Remarked Nitschke: "We'd really like to showcase people in our community who are writing romance novels."