DECATUR, Ga. — A new bookstore will spice up West Ponce de Leon Avenue this fall.
Kiss and Tale Romance Bookshop, opening Sept. 6 plans to offer readers a variety of romance picks and other genres, and provide a community space for customers to talk about their latest reads.
Sisters Jen and Molly Kamrath worked in the film and television industry and spent time reading during the actors’ strike in 2023. Jen Kamrath had read “A Court of Roses and Thorns” and eventually learned that Molly and a friend were reading the series too. They found community with each other while reading and talking about the same series.
In 2023, Jen Kamrath noticed a romance bookshop opened in New York City, and after seeing a social media post of their space, thought to herself, “Why am I not doing this?”
The business started with Jen Kamrath running an Etsy shop of book-related stickers, PopSockets and other items, and blossomed into being a vendor at festivals with her sister. They announced the bookshop on social media in 2024.
“Welcome to Kiss and Tale Romance Bookshop,” the Facebook post says. “Although we’re just embarking on our journey here in Atlanta, we’re thrilled to invite you along as we work toward opening a brick-and-mortar bookshop where romance enthusiasts may find their happily ever afters.”
In the process of looking for a physical space, the Kamraths did pop-up events, with the first one being the Decatur Book Festival in 2024. Molly said the successful experience excited and inspired them to open a bookshop.
“I think we feel really fortunate to be here in Decatur, because it’s such an art-forward, very liberal sort of space where I feel like they support a lot of arts culture, and there are several bookstores already here,” Jen Kamrath said.
By January, the sisters started making plans and secured a space this summer.
Kiss and Tale Romance Bookshop will offer a variety of books, as well as stickers, Kindle grips, T-shirts, and wares from local artists. The owners also plan to host events like author talks and book clubs. They are looking forward to building a community.
“For us, this is judgment-free,” Jen Kamrath said. “We want to be that space where people feel at ease looking, talking and selecting the stuff that they enjoy reading, regardless of what that is.”
“Come on in. Everybody’s welcome,” Molly Kamrath added.
The sisters are partnering with other local businesses in Decatur and creating more community buzz.
The space used to be offices and the Kamraths plan to take down the office walls to open up the space, install new floors and paint it. The shelving has arrived and is ready for a few thousand books.
Kiss and Tale Romance Bookshop is located at 340 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 202, above Mellow Mushroom. There is parking behind the building and as a lift to get to the second floor.
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