I can't believe u have never reviewed this book store! I absolutely love Meet Cute! They have a great variety of different genres of romance books, first and second floor, along with lots of goodies! When you walk in you see lots of cute accessories, stickers, notebooks, and pens. They also have everything set up by genre. They're walls have new releases, signed, bargain, romance adjecent, dark romance, special editions, contemporary, classic, and then upstairs there is paranormal and fantasy. Definitely make sure you check every shelf! There is so many choices and so many titles. They also have a sticker wall with so many awesome stickies to choose from. They have display tables that always catch my eye, and stuff hanging on the walls to show upcoming releases, events, and good stuff to know! I love coming here and looking for monster romance and queer romance! read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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So happy to have a dedicated romance bookstore in the San Diego area! The vibe inside is super inclusive, cozy, and vibrant. It's so nice to shop somewhere that celebrates romance novels instead of hiding them in a back corner. The shop is beautifully organized by trope/subgenre, which makes browsing a total breeze. Only giving 4 stars because the shop footprint is on the smaller side, so it can feel pretty crowded when they have events or weekend rushes. Overall, a gem of a shop! read more

Have been meaning to visit here for awhile now and so glad I finally had the chance to! It's located in La Mesa on a cute street with other businesses. When you first walk in, you're greeted by the cutest mural on your right hand side. There's a vending machine for mini art prints for $1 and proceeds go to charity (quarters available at register). Staff here is very nice & welcoming! There is a wide selection of romance novels. I appreciate the bookseller recommendations with the staff's suggestions and descriptions of the books. There's a fun mystery book selection where you don't know what you're getting with short descriptions as well. In addition to books, there's a wide selection of stickers, bookmarks, notebooks, and a small section of earrings, tote bags & socks. They also sell candles & mugs. There is a small upstairs section with more books. And there was a lot of signage for different events. They have going on including book clubs and bedazzling events. Overall, a great experience. Purchased a few items and joined their rewards club. Will be back! read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This store is wonderful! We came in and I bought several books, some stickers, and some other stuff, but what really impressed me was their elevator. There are so many places that make excuses as to why they don't have accommodations, but this place made it work. I give them props for their accessibility which allowed my son to go upstairs to look around with us. The staff was so kind as well. We had a fun time here with all their coin machines too. Great value and bookstore. read more

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The cutest !! The... cutesttttt bookstore! Stopped by on whim and I'm afraid that was a mistake. Love at first glance. This place is small but mighty. I saw there were 2 floors but only had time to quickly browse the first. Love the selection of books, stickers , totes and other merch. A book lovers paradise! There was a selection of marked down items as well as an SALE selection. Some items can be on the pricier side compared to online (or so one might think) but that's the price to Support a small business. Staff is friendly and ready to help shall you have any questions. Picked up the last copy of Heated Rivalry (iykyk). I will be back. With the book club girlies. read more

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Stopped by with my fiancée and this place was such a nice find. It's a cute, cutesy shop with way more than just books. They had tons of fun little trinkets and gifts ranging from $5 and up, hats, magnets, all kinds of stuff that made for great browsing. The book selection was solid and I loved that they had a dedicated Black authors section. Staff was friendly and welcoming too. Great way to experience a local San Diego spot. Would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in the area!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

A romance bookshop hates to see me coming! This shop looks small from the outside but looks are decieving. The front part of the store contains bookseller recommendations, best sellers, and merch such as bookmarks, earrings, and stickers. Further in the back there are romance books split by genre, YA, and adult romance. But! There's also an upstairs which I believe had more romantasy / paranormal romance and more merch such as tote bags and shirts. This place is so cute and has an amazing selection. I can't wait to visit next time I'm back in San Diego! read more

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I've had meet cute bookmarked for a while and was super excited to finally make it out there on our recent trip to SD! I wish there were similar themed bookstores in the bay! The shop itself was super cute, with lots of romance books and tons of book merch, including pins, stickers, bookmarks, tote bags, etc. The store was also bigger than I expected, with a section upstairs as well. I could have spent sooo much time in the store, but we had to rush to get somewhere else after, so I felt like I did have enough time to explore. I did end up picking up a cool magnetic bookmark (with a big and strong magnet, which i love!), a fun bookish sticker, and two maeve chocolate bars. I recently discovered this chocolate brand, and it's soooo good! The artsy package designs and fun flavor names are also top tier. I love seeing it at local shops and bookstores! read more

This is hands down the cutest independent bookstore I've ever been to. Meet Cute has been on my list for a while, and I'm so glad I finally made the trip. I've been to The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, which I love, but honestly, Meet Cute has a wider selection and a more spacious, open layout. It feels like every corner of the store has been intentionally curated with romance readers in mind. I especially loved how the books are organized by subgenre, which it makes browsing so fun and easy. Whether you're into second-chance romance, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, or anything in between, there's a whole section just for you. It really shows how much the owners care about the reading experience. Upstairs, there's this cozy conversation space that makes you want to hang out, talk books, and maybe even start a little impromptu book club. On top of that, they carry the most adorable merch: stickers, totes, hats, shirts, keychains, candles, you name it. My best friend and I spent way more time in there than we expected and walked out with some amazing finds. The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming. They chatted with us, gave great recommendations, and even threw in free bookmarks with our purchase, which was such a sweet touch. If you love romance novels or just appreciate a beautifully designed indie bookstore, Meet Cute is absolutely worth the visit. I'm already planning my next trip back. read more

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Such a fun (and deceivingly large) bookstore nestled in a rather unsuspecting neighbor - I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this place! They have a fantastic selection in two stories filled to the brim with books, tote bags, and other souvenirs. I found a lot of their stuff to be pretty spendy (not so much books, but their other merchandise) so didn't buy much, but would love to be able to support them more. I don't live in San Diego, but noticed their sign on the way out about all the authors that have upcoming visits, so I'll be sure to check that ahead of my next trip. read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Amazing mural - picked up a postcard of it too! - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Oh my goodness, the CUTEST independent romance bookstore in San Diego. This place is a book lovers dream, and I highly recommend to check this place out to any book worms visiting the city. Everything inside was so organized and so cute. I loved that they were selling bookmarks, post cards, and other merch from other small businesses as well. I ended up spending way too much time here, just admiring EVERYTHING. I wasn't planning on buying a book when I got here, but as soon as I saw how many signed copies of books they had that were on my TBR, I had to snag them. The staff here were so nice and so welcoming as well and they gave out free bookmarks with my purchase. You can count on me being back here anytime I'm in San Diego. read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Signed copies - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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The employees were incredibly rude and disorganized. The books were mainly romance and 'book-tok' type books, and many of the pins/accessories they had were an absurd price. The employee checking us out neglected to scan a book and gave it to us without having us pay. When they realized their mistake, they chased us down, verbally berated us, accused us of stealing, talked down to us, and treated us as if we were dumb. The tone they took was incredibly demeaning and snarky. As we left we overheard them making fun of us and mocking us. Overall, this experience was overwhelmingly bad. The prices were comparable to a Barnes and Nobles and the selection was no better. read more

Cute little bookstore! Came here for the first time last night for a book bedazzling event. Everyone was super nice, the event was fun, and I also enjoyed browsing their good selection of romantasy and fantasy books. read more

One of my favorite bookstores ever, and absolutely my favorite romance store. The staff is so lovely, they have such cute items, and I am always finding new books! They also have super cute and fun events, and every time I go I have so much fun! read more

Omg love their new spot! So much more space and items to buy! I loved the discount shelf and found many books. The sticker wall is awesome and hard to choose just one. They have bags, bookmarks, hats, earrings, shirts and more along with the books. There's a sitting area upstairs and they have a lift if you need it for accessibility. There was also a decent collection of signed books available. Prices were good and service was great as usual. A must stop for me when I visit San Diego read more

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I had been wanting to come to Meet Cutes new location in La Mesa and I am so glad I did. I went last night to Kaylie Smith's book signing for her new book Enchantra, I had ordered my tickets online which is super easy and even ordered a book for pick up. Make sure to follow their socials for events like these because it happens often. After being in line my group was let in, given our pre-ordered book for the signing and waited to be called to have them signed. I did end up purchasing a tote, stickers and chocolate, everyone was super friendly and the cashier and I were chatting about my favorite series Throne of Glass, it was great. I had the best time, next time I'll have to go to the upstairs portion of the store, so maybe I'll do that for the Book Crawl! read more

I love love love this little bookstore! Everything about this place encourages a sense of community, from author events to an upstairs reading and conversation room. They have a great selection of books. One of my favorite things they do is brown bag wrapping a mystery book--you don't know what you're getting an I love that element of surprise! It's like the grab bag you used to get at craft stores. They also have so many fun accessories--book bags, stickers, notebooks, pens...so many fun goodies and gifts. Pro: super cute store, great selection, helpful staff Cons: none! TL;DR--so happy they moved into DT La Mesa. Go here for books and gifts galore! read more

I love this shop! If you love romance books - it's all about it. All different sections & lots of recommendations if you looking for something new. The stickers here are so cute too! read more

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I saw that there was only 1 physical copy of a book in stores that I had been waiting on for a year. I called and they held it for me all day until I got off of work to pick it up. Thank you, Meet Cute read more

Amazing, amazing experience with the staff in this store! It was by accident that we found this place and I can't express how happy we are that we did. We were looking for a specific book, signed copy and find out that they have it. We called and the associate stayed with us on the phone until we created the account, placed the order and got a confirmation for it. Great customer service. The book arrived as scheduled, on time and as ordered. We had a great experience, and planning to visit the store next time we go to San Diego. Really looking forward visiting the store. read more

This is my friend's favorite bookstore, so when it moved close to me in downtown La Mesa, I had to visit. It's an entire bookstore dedicated to ROMANCE, which is such an amazing idea. The space is so cute and right on the downtown strip, so it's perfect for stopping in after brunch. It's also perfect to explore if you're not sure what you want to read - they set it up with lots of topical sections so that you can find a new favorite book even if you're not sure what you're looking for. For instance, you can find romance that involves sports, romance with a nonbinary main character, romance with a friends to enemies trope. My favorite is the entire section dedicated to LGBTQ+ romance. They have a reading area upstairs to sit and do a preview of your books. The whole shop is adorable and really well designed. Definitely stop in! read more

One of my favorites!! I absolutely love everything about this store. They have a HUGE variety of books, stickers, and general bookish things. I find things here that I've never seen or heard of, which can be rare if you're very involved in the bookish community. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful! We didn't realize how late we had stayed until it got to be past their closing time and the staff were extremely nice about it. If you are questioning the price of the media, I would try to keep in mind that this is a small, locally owned business and not a mass corporation. The prices here will not match up to Amazon or Barnes because those prices are meant to be the cheaper, more convenient option. SHOP LOCAL! read more

I've come to Meet Cute on multiple occasions, and I have to say that it is probably one of my favorite bookshops of all time! I'm mainly a romance reader, so to have a bookstore cater mainly to those readers is incredible! The selection of books they have is elite, and they have tons of cutesy stickers and bookish merch in store as well. Let's just say, I have never left this shop empty handed! The staff is always so charismatic, knowledgable, and so, so kind to all of their customers. They also have a rewards system that earns you points with each purchase, and those points add up to a cash value that you can redeem towards your next purchase. Shopping small is always the right answer!! This is a mandatory stop for me when I'm in San Diego. So whether you're looking for your next romantasy, feel like picking up a surprise blind date with a book, or are looking into reading romance for the first time, do yourself a favor and stop by Meet Cute! They will definitely have something for you (or something they can order for you)! read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Very well thought out bookstore! It is a niche market but growing exponentially - just check out the feature article about Romance Bookstores in the NYT on July 7, 2024 Meet Cute is on the cutting edge of a GenZ trend. I think there is something for everyone unless you are a super macho hetero conservative Caucasian Male. And even then who knows, you may be secretly into lesbian romance, lol! I finally stopped in because I lucked out on a parking spot right out front. The sales staff were very welcoming and helpful. I was bedazzled by the sheer variety of books within the romance genre. I ended up choosing a signed copy by a local Asian American author who was featured in the last San Diego Book Crawl. Lots of cheeky gifts for you girlfriends, from hats and bags to earrings and stickers. It was fascinating to see what's trending. Highly recommend stopping in to check it out! read more

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Loved coming here! Spent too much money. The selection was amazing. Signed books, special additions, and adorable trinkets. Could live here. Wish I lived closer. So big on the inside, don't let the outside trick you! read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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An adorable book lovers' shop! It is clear that so much love and care has gone into creating a beautiful and comforting vibe. The decor is gorgeous and the selection is lovely. read more

This is a cute, locally owned romance bookstore. I loved the huge selection of romance books! The have two stories filled with options. They also carry stationary options and candles/gifts. The cost of the books were comparable to most other bookstores. They also have a bookclub which would be awesome if I lived nearby. Such a cute spot! read more

This is the cutest independent bookstore and I had so much fun finding a new book and picking out way too many stickers and bookmarks. As the name suggests, Meet Cute specializes in romance, but they have plenty of other genres and sub genres to choose from. For a small space, there is no shortage of merchandise and I had a hard time limiting my purchase (so many cute tote bags and other little treats.) The prices were reasonable and the staff friendly and helpful. I will definitely be back the next time I'm vacationing in San Diego. read more

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This bookstore was so cute inside. My boyfriend had a good time looking at the bookmarks and stickers. I spent way too much and only saw half the store! 10/10 will make a return trip. read more

I loved this cutie bookstore! It's such a gem of a spot in North Park, and as a romance reader I could spend all day in here. Whatever niche of romance you're looking for, the staff here will have you covered. It's LGBTQ+-friendly and you're in good hands if you want to ask any questions! Love the decor, and the cute souvenirs for sale. Wish I lived nearby to attend their events! read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Out front! - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Loved coming to this bookstore. The store specializes in romance novel hence the name. Selection various from YA romance to Fantasyromance ie 4th Wing. The staff is super friendly and willing to take the time to help you figure what books you maybe interested. I have lengends and lattes que'd up in my reading line. I ended up purchasing bookmarks and stickers for my little one. Highly recommend coming here and supporting your local bookstores. read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Front of store - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Obsessed with this shop! They have such a good selection of books for market prices! The employees were also super helpful!! I love all the little knick knacks and stickers they sell as well read more

I stumbled on Meet Cute by accident and this is the cutest romance focused book shop I've ever seen! They have such a unique collection of romance novels from heterosexual books to LGBTQ friendly ones in an array of romance genres (contemporary, historical, paranormal, etc). It has such a cute vibe and they try to introduce the visitors all the latest romance literatures on the market. If you love romance novels, this place is worth a visit! read more

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Now THIS is a bookshop! Even if romance isn't your preferred genre, if you're any sort of bookworm, this shop is definitely worth browsing around. It's so darling and I can tell a lot of care and love was put into the arrangement and curation of books and book-related goodies. Provides a diverse array of romance (or even romance-adjacent) titles across all genres, whether you're looking for paranormal or friends-to-lovers or BIPOC stories, queer or heterosexual--they've probably got it, and then some. Great if you're looking for something new to read. I love all the art as well, I spent way too much time looking at stickers, and perusing the "blind date with a book" section. Everything about this indie bookstore is adorable! Give it a visit! read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Adorable romance trope themed candles! You can tell that someone who loves the genre wrote these captions haha - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Meet Cute is an adorable, romance-only bookshop nestled in the North Park neighborhood. I'm a book lover, and visiting this bookshop has been on my to-do list for quite some time. They offer a great selection of romance novels across different genres such as contemporary, fantasy, dark romance, and even YA. The shop is quaint and charming, featuring reading accessories like stickers, bookmarks, and unique candles. I particularly love their mystery books, which are wrapped and hidden, with only a brief summary on the cover. Picking out a mystery book was fun, and I was quite happy with my choice. However, I wish they had a more extensive selection of fantasy books, as I've read most of what they had in store. Also, the staff could have been friendlier and more willing to assist customers. One thing I love about Barnes & Noble is the consistent greeting and welcome upon entry, along with readily available help. Aside from that, it was nice to finally visit the bookshop. I noticed that they typically offer a bag with purchases, which I wasn't offered. I would have appreciated receiving one of their logo bags after my purchase. read more

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This was the first bookstore I visited in the San Diego area and I really enjoyed my time browsing the wide variety of romances that they offered, and wow was there a wide variety! The employees were very knowledgeable in romances and they were very accommodating when I was wanting to preorder a book. Also I've found every book I have needed when I went in, so that's a great thing! This bookstore also has some really fun totebags, stickers, and other merchandise that I was excited to check out. They also had a table for blind dates with a book, which I was really scared to buy because I was afraid that I had already read the book or owned it. But overall, I would recommend checking out this bookstore if you are a romance reader. Prices were great, as they were new books. I can't wait to visit again! read more

Would not recommend this place on poor customer service and first time experience. I read the previous review response that its a rule to not greet customer because staff isn't in the front and that's not an excuse. I noticed the inconsistency of how I was greeted compared to other customers. In addition, I was interested in buying stuff but I was treated as if I wasn't going to buy anything. read more

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop - Proof, so the owner states not everyone is greeted as they enter. So people won't be disappointed when they walk in. - Bookstores Near Me - La Mesa, California

So sad. My book club tried going to the Chula Vista location google maps did us wrong. So then checked yelp and it did say open in La Mesa so we drove out here and super sad. Can't wait to come back and review with my book club. read more

I follow them on TikTok. When I went to San Diego for a convention, I was excited to take a side trip to visit the store. I was smitten by the ambience and blown over by the selection. The people behind the counter were helpful when I had a particular request to fulfill. I walked out fully satisfied with a stack full of books. I wish I had a store like this closer to where I live. read more

Hmmm I wonder if "Jack M" the independently wealthy Yelper reviewed this place yet. lol I walked by at 9:00 am today after I dropped my dog off at Pet Palace for his coiffing. lol I am on an Asian Author book binge this year, read everything by Amy Tan and I saw a book that appealed to me in their window that reminded me of one of my favorite old-time Hollywood actresses, Anna Mae Wong. Fast forward after walking up from my house I went inside and grabbed the book. It was nice and air-conditioned with pink and lavender everywhere. Lots of ladies in the store walking around looking at books or standing in line to make their purchases. It's a romance bookstore, I think it's unique and cool. Not all books are romance like the one I bought but I loved the atmosphere. As long as people are reading and not looking at their mobile devices, well that's fine with me. They have a mailing list and book events, one that is coming up on June 24th, hustle over to Verbatim Books and check them out during the Book Faire. read more