Samantha Haroian spent nearly a decade crunching numbers as a tax accountant before burnout pushed her toward a very different kind of ledger: the one she keeps behind the counter of Hearts on Fire, a romance-only bookstore she owns in downtown Boise. The idea had been simmering since around 2018, and Haroian planned to open the shop in October 2025. Now it is becoming a gathering spot for the Treasure Valley's self-described hopeless romantics.
Haroian decided to turn her passion for reading into a business after hitting a wall in her accounting career, according to The Arbiter, Boise State University's student news outlet, which reported her story on November 9, 2026, after the Idaho Statesman's September 18, 2025 report about Haroian and her planned bookstore. A turning point came when she visited the Ripped Bodice, a romance-only bookstore in Culver City, California, and was struck by how many people showed up — a moment that convinced her a dedicated romance shop could actually work in Boise, per the same account. She has also said the lingering stigma around the romance genre was part of what motivated her to open the store in the first place.
Filling a Gap in Boise's Indie Bookstore Scene
Before Hearts on Fire existed, Haroian had already identified a hole in the local market. In earlier coverage of the store's planned opening, she told the Idaho Statesman that “the Boise area has lots of fun indie bookstores that I love, but their romance sections just aren't super deep.” That reporting also described the shop's planned home at 218 N. 9th St., tucked between Ward Hooper Vintage and The Mixing Bowl in a space that had previously housed Olivin, an olive oil and vinegar taproom.
Hearts on Fire is now described as a romance-only bookstore in downtown Boise that was founded in 2025. A separate Arbiter report on used bookstores noted that the shop currently sells new titles, though Haroian has said that could change. “Right now I'm selling new… [But] that may be a future thing I incorporate,” she said, according to that Arbiter report.
Building More Than a Customer Base
On its own website, Hearts on Fire frames its mission in communal terms, stating, “We're here to build more than a customer base — we're building a community.” Haroian has said she hopes customers walking through the door find exactly that: a cozy, safe place to browse and linger, and a sense of belonging among fellow readers. Per the store's FAQ, its book clubs meet every two months.
Haroian has pointed to the emotional pull of the genre itself as part of the draw. She has said romance readers find comfort in the promise that, no matter how twisty the plot gets, the story will typically end with a happily-ever-after. That promise, paired with the stigma she's long wanted to push back against, shapes much of the programming the shop builds around its shelves.
A Book Club Pick With a Local Spotlight
Hearts on Fire hosts cozy events throughout the year, and the next one lands Wednesday, when the shop welcomes the Certified Freaks book club. The group will be reading “Meet Cute Magic” by author Morgan Elizabeth, who is expected to provide surprises for attendees, according to the Arbiter's reporting. The club describes itself as open to any hopeless romantic in the Treasure Valley.
Part of a Bigger Romance Boom
Boise's new shop is launching into a genre that's been surging nationally. Industry tracker Circana reported in June 2025 that year-to-date print sales of romance books were up 24 percent compared with the same period in 2024, with 51 million units sold in the preceding 12 months — more than double the volume from four years earlier. Circana also found that romantasy and sports romance were among the genre's fastest-growing subjects, each posting triple-digit growth.
Boise isn't the first place to bet on a shop built entirely around the genre. The Ripped Bodice, the Culver City store that first caught Haroian's attention, was opened by sisters Bea and Leah Koch on March 4, 2016, after they raised more than $90,000 on Kickstarter, according to the Los Angeles Times. That shop built its own following with a monthly comedy show, a book club, and author readings — a community-first model that mirrors what Haroian is now attempting to build in downtown Boise.
