My husband and his six siblings grew up on a sea island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. When he was in high school in downtown Charleston, long before the fancy shops and name brand stores appeared after Hurricane Hugo, King Street was not the shopping mecca it is now. There were stores like the classic record shop and a Woolworth’s with a counter restaurant, as well as lots of antique shops on Lower King. And no one went north of Calhoun Street to shop on Upper King Street. King Street looked nothing like it does today with Anthropologie and Louis Vuitton boutiques.
So when I heard there was a special bookstore opening up on King Street, I was excited and intrigued. There is already a well-known, popular bookstore on King Street called Buxton Books. But as a librarian and a romance author, I wanted to know more. Luckily, a few weeks ago while we were visiting family for New Year’s, we found the store, Sweeter Than Fiction. What I didn’t realize was that it was a bookstore devoted to both romance novels and everything Taylor Swift (I’m not sure how I missed those two huge details!). Of course, the moment we entered the store, my son said to my husband and son-in-law, “This is very pink.” So they left to do something else, leaving me and my daughter to stare in shock at the beauty around us. I’ll let this carousel tell that story.
This charming store is truly devoted to all things Taylor Swift and romance novels. As you can see by the photos, there are lots of books and other merchandise, including tote bags, pen cases, notebooks, water bottles, etc. There’s also a cute couch area where girls can take Instagram/TT photos with their friends. While the books on the shelves are mostly Young Adult/New Adult fantasy/romantasy/paranormal novels, there are plenty of romcoms and other contemporary romances. And the store can order anything else you prefer. Also, they are becoming known for their in-person book signings. I’d recommend you follow them on Instagram or TT (for as long as that lasts) and jump quickly when the signing tickets go on sale. And I can only imagine how crowded this store will be during YA’LL Fest, the city’s Young Adult book festival held every year in November.
If you ever get the chance to visit this lovely city, I highly recommend visiting this bookstore. Also, if you can, please follow and support them on social media. My greatest fear is that these small, independent bookshops won’t be able to compete against the large online retailers. There’s nothing more wonderful than roaming a city street, in a new city, and stumbling upon a jewel of a store that sells romance novels and celebrates everything having to do with Happily Ever Afters. The very idea is Sweeter Than Fiction.
