Burn Bright Books

Burn Bright Books is an independent bookstore at 269 Park Ave in Rochester, NY, dedicated entirely to romance novels. Owner Shauna Cox launched the business as an online shop with pop-up events in January 2024 before opening the brick-and-mortar storefront on April 12, 2025. Cox, who left a corporate career to pursue the venture, was motivated by a desire to create a welcoming community space centered on a genre she felt was underserved by other local shops. It is Rochester's first romance-only bookstore.

The shop stocks romance across a wide range of sub-genres, including contemporary, historical, fantasy and romantasy, paranormal, dark romance, LGBTQ+, sports romance, and young-adult romance. Beyond books, the store carries merchandise from local vendors — candles, bookmarks, stickers, apparel, mugs, totes, e-reader accessories, and curated mystery boxes. A monthly book-box subscription is also available for readers who want a regular rotation of new titles.

Burn Bright Books maintains a dedicated local-authors section featuring signed copies and bonus materials from Rochester-area romance writers. The store hosts events such as book-release parties, author signings, and book clubs, and Cox handles event planning and collaborations with self-published local authors directly.

Burn Bright Books fills a niche no other Rochester bookstore occupies: a shop focused exclusively on romance in all its forms. The store pairs that specialty with a strong local bent, stocking merchandise from area vendors and showcasing a hand-painted mural created by a local author's daughter. Cox built a sizable online following — the shop's TikTok account has drawn more than 13,000 likes — before ever opening the physical doors, which helped establish a ready community of readers on day one.

The store sits on the first floor of 269 Park Ave, in the heart of Rochester's Park Avenue district — a walkable stretch of independent shops, cafés, and restaurants between Goodman Street and Alexander Street. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Street parking and nearby municipal lots serve the corridor, making it an easy stop while browsing the neighborhood.