GREAT FALLS — Romance readers have a new place to find their next favorite story in downtown Great Falls.
Watch the full video below:
Bound to Be Good Books, Great Falls’ first romance-only bookstore, is now open at 413 Central Ave., Suite A.
Owner Erin Helms said the idea started before there was a storefront. She had been selling “blind date with a book” bundles at the farmers market and local vendor shows, where books are wrapped and readers pick based on a few clues instead of the cover.
The more she talked with readers, Helms said, the more one genre kept standing out.
“The romance genre was the one that was outselling by far,” Helms said.
That response helped push the idea from a farmers market table to a full bookstore.
Romance has been growing in recent years, helped in part by online reading communities like BookTok and Instagram. Independent bookstores are also seeing renewed interest, with readers looking for local spaces, in-person recommendations and community connection.
Helms said romance is broader than some people may think.
“Romance isn’t just the Fabio covers anymore,” Helms said. “It’s definitely a whole genre in itself.”
Bound to Be Good Books carries romance across several categories, including young adult, darker romance, indie authors and local authors. Helms said she hopes the store can fill a space in the local book community and help readers find titles they may not see on every shelf.
A few blocks away, Cassiopeia Books said another downtown bookstore can be a good thing for readers.
“I think it’s important to have as many options as possible,” Ciara Ashcraft, a manager at Cassiopeia Books, said. “It gets more people reading, it gets more books out in the community.”
Helms said she is excited to bring one more space for readers to Great Falls. She will also continue bringing her blind-date books to the farmers market throughout the summer season.
The grand opening runs from 4 to 9 p.m. on July 3, then continues right after the Fourth of July parade on July 4.
After opening weekend, Bound to Be Good Books will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
