Bookstore Romance Day 2026

Dear Romance Readers: Join us in-store at Curious Iguana for a day full of love… It’s Bookstore Romance Day, of course! On Saturday, August 15, we are welcoming 3 local romance authors to the Iguana for in-store book signings and meet & greets. In addition, we’ll have our highly desired Blind-Date-With-A-Book display full of wrapped books for your delight. Come out to support local authors and find your soulmate in a book!

Signing Schedule

11am-12pm – Emilia Renay, Bluejay Odyssey and Hunt for the Homeworld (sci-fi romance)

Emilia Renay is the author of Bluejay Odyssey, a fierce advocate for the realistic representation of disabilities. Emilia draws inspiration from her own experiences overcoming medical adversity. But while her journey has been filled with incredible obstacles, Emilia is much more than her medical history. She is an avid reader, a lover of storytelling, and someone who believes in the power of imagination to change the world.

When she’s not writing, Emilia can be found painting or drawing. Creating the art seen in the series. Bluejay Odyssey is her debut series, and she’s excited to share the stories of characters who, like her, refuse to be defined by their struggles.

1pm-2pm – Mary Cain, Hustle, Bang, Score (contemporary romance)

Mary Cain grew up on the Chesapeake Bay surrounded by a cast of extraordinary women who inspired her and taught her there was no limit to her potential. She studied fashion design and graduated with a bachelor of fine arts, before luring the hero of her real life love story back to her sleepy little harbor town in Maryland. Living life at a slower pace, the characters that had been lurking in the depths of her imagination pushed their way to the surface. Her stories blend the ardent lives of every day folks and the unconventional troublemakers and heartbreakers who cross their paths.

3pm-4pm – Anna Applegate & Helen Domico, Blooms of Darkness (romantasy)

Anna Applegate and Helen Domico met at James Madison University and lived in the same dorm sophomore year. Twelve years later they reconnected over their love for reading fantasy romance books. What started as random conversations, turned into daily conversations about books and life. One day Anna had an idea for a book, asked Helen if she would want to join, and they never looked back.  

When Anna and Helen are not writing, they are avid readers — Helen with her red wine and Anna with her sweet champagne.  

Anna and Helen love to connect with their readers and are most active on Instagram. They can be found at @‌authorannaapplegate and @‌authorhelendomico.

Curious Iguana is proud to be an official sponsor for Bookstore Romance Day. It is a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community. Learn more here: https://bookstoreromanceday.org/