Meet Bianca Duarte | Bookshop Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bianca Duarte and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bianca, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Love in Print: A Romance Bookshop started with a single idea of opening up a bookstore. At the time, which was a few years ago, I was only thinking of it as a generic indie bookstore. I wanted to appeal to everyone and have something for everyone, to whoever stopped by but I soon realized that I wasn’t passionate about that. I wouldn’t be able to recommend the best literary fiction book or sing high praises to the most recently released memoir because that is not what I read – that was not my forté. What I did read was Romance, and a lot of it. I back peddled and started coming up with a plan to open up the San Fernando Valley’s very first romance bookshop. A romance only bookstore is not a new concept, however, opening it up in the Valley is. Bringing my passion to where I was born and raised was a no-brainer. Seeing that I could do something with my passion of reading books, I was excited to start. After launching the eCommerce website back in May of 2024, I knew I had to keep going. I started doing Pop-Ups around the valley and have received so much positive feedback. My next step is to evolve it into a physical brick & mortar space, and bring that into the Valley. I want to create a community from a reader for readers with book clubs, author signings, readings. It would a judgement free zone to read whatever romance your heart desires. Happily every afters are always guaranteed with Love in Print.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Back in 2018, graduated with a Master’s of Science in International Business Management from Kingston University in London. I was the first person in my family to do so. To date, that is one of my biggest accomplishments. It was never an easy road for me, mentally. I suffer from depression, and I’m not ashamed to admit that but during this specific time, I was at an all time low. I was away from my family and friends and business was a foreign concept to me as I was coming from a Bachelor’s of Arts in Film and Media Studies. I had no idea what I was doing and the stress was getting to me. I spent nights doing homework and crying and feeling like the world could swallow me up any moment. I’m sure I’m not alone in those feelings. The community in my program was what helped me pull through. I will forever be grateful to my lovely classmates and housemates because we were all experiencing the same type of homesickness. They were there for me as I hope I was there for them as well.

Once I came back from the UK, with a fresh new degree, and a new therapist, it was time to job hunt. That was stressful. It wasn’t until 6 months later, and thankful it wasn’t longer than that, that I landed a job. I became a marketing assistant at a woman’s apparel brand and have steadily grown to become the current eCommerce Manager. Being here has taught me so much about the eCommerce space, making the transition to opening up Love in Print just a tiny bit easier.

The moral of the story is to find your community. Because I have experienced that my entire life, I want to extend that to others. With the creation of Love in Print, community is what I am thriving to build.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First things, first… coffee! My current favorite coffeeshop is Lee’s Coffee House in Lake Balboa. Their cold foam lattes are everything. Or House Roots in Granada Hills because I want to bathe in their sweet lattes.

Next, we would definitely have to visit one of my favorite workout classes, The Bar Method in Studio City. It brings me joy because I can pretend I’m a ballerina for that next hour.

If we’re feeling hungry after, my favorite restaurant is currently Sugarfish so that is a must. But, I am obsessed with the Shrimp Cocktails from Mariscos Corona in Van Nuys. If we’re not doing dinner, then a movie it is. Whether it’s Regency in Van Nuys, Regal in Sherman Oaks, or AMC Dine-In at the Westfield Topanga Mall, I’m truly not picky.

I’m a true homebody and all my friends know it but a trip to the bookstore will get me out of the house quicker than anything. Outside of the Valley, I’m in love with Underdog Bookstore, and Lost Books. They are seriously like a home away from home.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be where I am without my family and friends. They have supported me from the beginning, always telling me to keep going and never letting me fall too hard. My mom, Lili, has helped me with my Pop Ups since I have started and has not let me do it alone. She’s the sweetest most caring angel ever and I literally do not know what I would do without her. I truly believe I wouldn’t be here with Love in Print if it weren’t for my mom. Speaking of Pop Ups, because of the Downtown Burbank Cultural Market, I have a permanent spot every Sunday. They took a chance on my booth and I can now bring all the romance books to locals and it’s the best feeling ever seeing people’s faces light up when they encounter a pop up romance bookstore

I also wouldn’t be where I am now if it weren’t for my fellow romance bookstores as well, such as Heartbound Books in Anaheim, CA , The New Romantics in Orlando, FL, Lady Lair Booktique in FL, and Burn Bright Books in Rochester, NY. They have been instrumental in my growth and their support is everything.

I also wanted to shout out The Ripped Bodice in CA & NY. They were the very first romance only bookstore to open in the country and without them, who knows where we would be.

Website: https://loveinprintbooks.com/

Instagram: @loveinprintbooks

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@loveinprintbooks/

Other: https://bookshop.org/shop/loveinprintbooks

Image Credits
Jan Delos Santos