North East romance bookshop The Sinful Spine opens

Part of that is down to the growing conversation around romance books on TikTok, particularly on the sub-community known as BookTok.

Here, readers share and discuss all things book-related, in the form of reviews, debates, video edits and book clubs.

Grace, from Sunderland, runs the account @gracesbooknook7 and says the bookish community of the North East is “such a special place to be”.

Romance – especially books written by women – “touches something in our soul”, she says.

“I guess everybody wants their own love story.”

As for stereotypes around the genre, she thinks they are unfair.

“I think we wouldn’t categorise a movie by one scene, and I think we should apply the same when it comes to a book.

“I think we just need to shout about our love for books and be unashamed of the things we enjoy.”

Sara Mack, from Middlesbrough, is also on BookTok and says she enjoys being part of the community because “it’s nice to connect with local people” who love to read.

“People are getting a lot more open about reading romance books because for a lot of years it’s been a bit of a taboo,” she says.

She thinks BookTok is the main reason for the genre’s increasing popularity because people can post reviews and indie authors can promote their books.

Author McGovern adds the rise of self-publishing is also a factor, as it “has made it so publishers aren’t telling people what they should read, readers are actually choosing for themselves”.