Anthology is an independent bookshop built around people. We started from the belief that the best stories grow out of connection, and ours is shaped by community, friendship and family. We love to spotlight local, independent and female-led businesses, and to give readers a warm space where stories are swapped, friendships begin and everybody feels welcome.

Romance is our speciality, in every flavour: contemporary, romantasy, paranormal, LGBTQ+, dark romance and our boldest category, Pitch Black. Each shelf is curated for mood and pull, so you can find a slow-burning story that keeps you turning pages late into the night.

Not at all. Romance is where we feel most at home, but there's room for everyone. Whether you're drawn to fantasy realms, supernatural worlds, flawed antiheroes or simply a book you can't put down, there's something here for you.

Pitch Black is the most intense category in our shop. It gathers our darkest, harshest and most extreme titles, written for adults who go looking for challenging subject matter. Every one is clearly labelled, so you'll know exactly what you're getting before it reaches your basket.

Dark Romance explores danger, power and magnetic anti-heroes, with the love story still at its core. Pitch Black pushes much further into explicit, disturbing material and has far fewer limits. If Dark Romance is shadowy, Pitch Black is the deepest night.

In most cases, yes. We include content notes on our product pages to help you choose well, particularly for Dark Romance and Pitch Black titles. If you can't find a warning you're looking for, write to hello@anthologybookshop.co.uk and we'll happily check for you before you order.

Yes, and it's a big one. Romantasy is a cornerstone of our range: epic fantasy settings with passionate, high-stakes love stories at their heart. Head to the Romantasy category to explore royal courts, enchanted kingdoms and magic-bound couples.

Plenty. Our Paranormal category brings together vampires, shifters, fae and the humans who end up in their orbit, with fated mates and dangerous attachments along the way.

We do, and we're proud of it. The LGBTQ+ category covers queer love stories in every genre and at every level of intensity, because everyone deserves to see themselves in a great romance.

Yes, lots of them. A good number of our books are on the steamy side, and our product pages include a heat rating so you can pick the level you're after, whether that's gentle warmth or an all-out blaze.

Not every one. Much of our range is written for adults (18+) and deals with mature, explicit or upsetting subject matter, most of all in the Dark Romance and Pitch Black categories. Please read the category description and content notes before you buy.

We do. Signed copies, special editions and limited print runs are some of our favourite things to stock. They're sourced or authenticated, frequently numbered, and packed with a board back for protection in the post. Numbers are small, so they sell quickly.

On selected titles, yes. A pre-order secures a copy from the very first print run, which really counts for signed and special editions that are made in limited quantities.

We send pre-orders out as near to publication day as we can, and the anticipated release date is listed on the product page. Should that date change, we'll let you know by email so you aren't left wondering.

We can often help. If there's a title you're hunting for that we don't currently list, send a message to hello@anthologybookshop.co.uk and we'll try to track down a copy for you, including signed and special editions.

Popular titles are restocked whenever possible, but signed and limited editions often don't return. Save the book to your wishlist or sign up to the newsletter and you'll hear from us as soon as it's available again.

Standard UK delivery usually takes two to three working days, and any faster options are shown at checkout. Pre-orders and made-to-order items are sent according to the dates on their product pages.

The UK is our standard destination, and we also post to a wide range of countries overseas. Once you've entered your address at checkout, you'll see the options and prices that apply to you.

The price depends on where you live and how fast you'd like your parcel, and it's worked out at checkout. The total is always shown before you pay.

Yes, all orders are sent with tracking. When your parcel leaves us, you'll receive an email with the tracking details so you can watch its progress right up to your doorstep.

Start by looking at your tracking link for the newest update. If the delivery is running late or something seems off, drop support@anthologybookshop.co.uk a line with your order number and we'll investigate immediately.

Our orders go out fast, but if you write to support@anthologybookshop.co.uk shortly after buying, we'll do all we can to change or cancel it before it's sent. After an order has been dispatched it can no longer be altered, although you're welcome to return it.

Books that are unopened, undamaged and in their original state can be sent back within 14 days of arriving. Personalised, signed and special edition items may not be eligible unless they were faulty on arrival. Get in touch by email to begin a return.

You can, as long as it's within the 14-day period and the book is unread and fit to be resold. You'll pay the postage when returning for a change of heart, but if the book is faulty or damaged we'll take care of the cost.

We're truly sorry, as this isn't how we want your order to arrive. Send support@anthologybookshop.co.uk your order number and a photo of the damage within 48 hours, and we'll organise a replacement or refund as quickly as we can.

Yes. Our digital gift cards come in several amounts, arrive by email and can be spent on anything in the shop. They're an easy win for the friend whose to-be-read pile is a secret.

Of course. At checkout, enter a different delivery address and add a personal note. Parcels are sent in plain, unmarked packaging, so the book is the only thing that gives the game away.

For selected orders, yes. Where it's offered, you can add our own gift wrap at checkout, designed to make opening your present feel special.

Pop your email address into the sign-up form on our home page, just above the gift cards. We'll share news of events in Bourne, fresh arrivals and updates from the shop.

We certainly hope to. Reader meet-ups, buddy reads and book club selections are all part of our plans, and the newsletter is the best way to hear first when we open our doors.

We'd be delighted to. If you'd like to talk about stocking your books, signed edition partnerships or publishing collaborations, write to hello@anthologybookshop.co.uk with some details about your titles.

We do, because community matters to us. If you share books on BookTok, Bookstagram or elsewhere, email hello@anthologybookshop.co.uk with your handle and a short note about your audience, and we'll get back to you.

Email hello@anthologybookshop.co.uk for general questions, or support@anthologybookshop.co.uk if it's about an order. You're also welcome to ring the shop on 07308 945 491.

Join our newsletter first of all, as it's where news lands first, then follow us on social media for updates between releases. That way you won't miss a restock, a signed edition or an event.