KELLIE BLIZARD
With cotton-candy walls and an eye-catching book chandelier, Enamoured Books is designed to be judged by its cover. But any reader enticed to step inside will find it is unlike any other store. Located in Remuera, it is Auckland’s first-ever romance-only bookstore.
A wild dream, made real
The heart behind the operation is 27-year-old Ruby Wallace who, two years ago, decided to take a leap of faith and share her love of romance with the world.
“I exclusively read romantic fiction, but it’s hard to find a good selection of romance books in stores in New Zealand,” she explains.
“I saw these romance-only stores opening overseas. At first, it was a wild dream to open one here. But I love books and I find it so calming to be in a bookstore. I reached a point where I thought, ‘Maybe it’s not that silly.’”
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Fuelled by booktok
It may seem a risky gamble to cater to such a niche market, but the rise of BookTok has shown the power of the romance reader. Colleen Hoover was the highest-selling author in New Zealand in 2023. Her sudden rise to popularity came off the back of the TikTok community, who love to read and want a physical copy of their latest obsession.
Support from her family
While some parents may baulk at the idea of their 25-year-old starting their own business, Ruby says her mum Liss, 52, and dad Dean, 58, were supportive from the beginning. Ruby’s parents ran a successful design agency for 20 years before opening the Turua Gallery in St Heliers in 2019, where Ruby has been the manager for the past few years.
“I could not have done it without them,” she says.
“There were a lot of sceptical people, especially in the concept phase, and it was nice to have them backing me. “Dad was here every day for eight weeks doing the fit-out with me. And Mum would come after she finished work, and would be here till the early hours of the morning helping me sort books.”
A job that sparks something new
Ruby has even roped in sister Lucy, 24, to work a couple of days a week in the store, so she has time to sort inventory or have a moment to herself. It has been a steep learning curve understanding the publishing world and the hours are demanding, but Ruby – who studied criminology and psychology at university – wouldn’t have it any other way.
“There have been moments where I have thought, ‘What have I done? I should go back to a steady, well-paying job,’” tells Ruby, who formerly worked in the criminal justice system.
“But even with the number of hours I’ve had to put into this, I am nowhere near the levels of exhaustion that I was, compared to when I was doing something that didn’t spark joy.”
Building a book-loving community
She is most excited about creating an inviting place for her fellow romance lovers to gather.
“On our opening day, we had people who walked in not knowing each other, and they ended up sitting on the couch together talking about books and making friends. It’s exactly what I wanted – to create a space for community.”
What’s next for Ruby?
Although the doors have been open only since April, Ruby has big dreams for her new venture – and she doesn’t rule out the idea of one day seeing her name on a dust jacket.
“I don’t know if I’m much of a writer, but I think it would be so much fun,” she says.
“Five years ago, I never would have believed I would own a romance bookstore, so you never know.”
