Kamloops mobile bookstore rolls out spicy romance novels and book bling

A decorative van with a bookstore inside of it is rolling around to markets and wineries in Kamloops, loaded with romance novels and funky book accessories like tote bags, bookmarks and stickers.

The creative entrepreneur behind the one-of-a-kind Love & Lore mobile bookstore is Kristina Mohle, a part time nurse and avid reader of the romance genre.

“Romance is one of the biggest growing genres right now and I think it’s because the dating world kind of sucks,” she said. “It’s a good escape when reality doesn’t always match.”

The van, amusingly called the Love & Lore Smut Bus, has a subtle pink decor with a pink shade umbrella in front. There is a basket of free kid’s books and pins, along with magnets and tote bags for sale.

Inside the space looks like a library. Customers can peruse shelves of books and buy clever reading-related stickers from a retro sticker dispenser.

“I have all different genres under the romance umbrella including fantasy, sports and contemporary summer romances,” Mohle said. “I organize my store by smut level. There is a level one bookshelf that’s great for people who aren’t into too much romance.

“Then it goes up to level five and level five is the darkest, smuttiest books. Think like Fifty Shades of Grey but more. Fifty Shades would now be considered a number four spice level book.”

Mohle got the idea for Love & Lore from a TikTok video about someone in the United States turning a trailer into a mobile bookstore. She had reduced her job as a nurse from full time to part time due to burnout and said she wanted to fill her spare time with something else she loved.

“I love reading and during the pandemic it helped me work through emotions and escape from things,” she said. “The idea was cool and I kind of just jumped on it and got started.”

By January 2025, Mohle had transformed a van into the bookstore and opened a few months later, setting up at various local markets during the warm months.

“This has created quite a community with book readers and helped me meet new people and get out there and enjoy my time outside,” she said. “Most of the time my customers already love romance books but I’ve had people come in that haven’t tried them before and I help guide them.”

Mohle stocks books by local authors and LGTBQ positive books, and makes sure free kid’s books are available to encourage literacy.

“I donate my daughter’s books and encourage kids to take them when they are here,” she said. “It’s the moms that are going to be shopping here, that’s my demographic so why not have kids looking through books?”

One of Mohle’s top sellers is a package called Blind Date with a Book where she wraps up a book and writes a few sentences describing it on the outside. It comes with stickers, a bookmark and pull tabs readers can use to take notes.

She said some customers were never regular readers but get hooked, while others have fallen out of the habit of reading with the rise of social media. She suggests audio books are a good way to get back into the reading habit.

But she said there is something special about the smell and the feel of printed books.

“And the books are so different now because they’re made to look like art so it’s nice to have on your shelf and be able to pull out. Reading in general is just fun and relaxing.”

Go here to find out where the Love & Lore Smut Bus will be set up this year. An online bookstore is also in progress.