What to know
- Romance and horror are sharing shelf space at Union Station as Hopeless Romantic Books and Little Ghosts Books team up for a limited-time pop-up starting this week.
- The collaborative pop-up runs until May 2026, letting readers browse smut, scares, and crossover genres all in one spot.
- The announcement sent book lovers into a frenzy online, with commenters calling it a “dream crossover” and joking about never making it to work on time.
When romance meets horror — or isn’t that every modern love story? Hopeless Romantic Books and Little Ghosts Books are teaming up to host a pop-up starting this week.
Union Station will be housing the smut and horror bookstores under one roof until May 2026.
The two small businesses will occupy the pop-up, allowing customers to browse through both genres.
Hopeless Romantic Books and Little Ghosts Books shared in an Instagram post, saying in the caption that “the rumours are true!”
Hopeless Romantic book seller Syd Tri told Now Toronto that given its small location and high-volume traffic inside Union Station there isn’t a grand opening determined yet, but there are “some secrets brewing.”
Smut and horror book lovers are reacting to the post, and are filled with excitement for the steamy new bookstore collaborative pop-up.
One user commented, “Oh, alright, I’M COMING.”
Another user joked, “Never making it to work or home on time from February to May😭.”
Another wrote everyone’s thoughts: “omg dream crossover.”
Since opening at its home location, 1080 Queen St W., in Oct. 2025, Hopeless Romantic Books sells romance novels across many subgenres and tropes.
Heated Rivalry stars also visited the store.
Read More
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the store is known for its all-pink Barbie Dream House aesthetic, complete with an Instagram-worthy ladder and a viral hidden room with photo ops.
Meanwhile, Little Ghosts Books, open since 2022 at 930 Dundas St. W., showcases new, indie, and queer horror. They focus on a “spooky-but-not-gory” vibe, including dark romance – so the collaboration makes sense.
The store also hosts monthly book clubs, author events, and “Work in Progress” nights. Little Ghosts Books is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Union Station pop-up will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Whether you’re a diehard romantic, a horror fan or both, Union Station’s newest pop-up promises a chapter you won’t want to miss.
