Book Lovers Bookshop, a romance-fiction specialist in Edinburgh, has been named Independent Bookshop of the Year 2026 at the British Book Awards. The store, which opened in August 2024, was selected from an initial shortlist of 76 bookshops across the UK and Ireland, later narrowed to nine regional winners.
Judges Praise Inclusivity and Curated Range
The judging panel commended the shop for being "exceptionally inclusive, with a superbly curated range that celebrates romantic fiction in all its forms, particularly from underrepresented voices." They added: "Book Lovers Bookshop is such an affecting story. It has a very clear focus, ambition and identity and has quickly made its mark. They've demonstrated great determination, hard work and creativity."
First Romance-Only Physical Bookshop in the UK
Located on Melville Terrace in Edinburgh's Southside, Book Lovers Bookshop is the UK's first physical bookshop dedicated entirely to romance fiction. It was founded by American-born Caden Armstrong, who moved to Scotland to study publishing and identified a gap in the market. The shop opened after a successful crowdfunding campaign and stocks a wide range of romance subgenres, including contemporary, historical, sports, paranormal, and romantasy. It champions independent, self-published, and traditionally published authors, with a focus on underrepresented voices.
Beyond book sales, the store has become a community hub, hosting author events, book clubs, and festivals such as the First Date Festival, which features writing workshops, panel discussions, and book signings.
Reaction to the Award
As part of the award, the bookshop received £5,000 from Gardners, the sponsor of the British Book Awards. In a social media post, the store expressed gratitude: "We had the most magical day yesterday as our team attended our very first @thebritishbookawards and was awarded the UK's Independent Bookshop of the Year Award for 2026! We only opened a year and a half ago, and when I opened this shop, I did it because I wanted to create a space for romance books, readers and authors to be celebrated. I never imagined we would end up here. Truly."
The post thanked assistant manager Anna, the booksellers, Gardners, publishers, authors, and readers, concluding: "This award isn't just for our bookshop, this award is for romance publishing and all of the wonderful people that make our industry so beautiful and bright."
