Steamy Lit Romance Bookstore
A romance-only bookstore on S MacDill, built by a Navy veteran out of a subscription box. Book clubs, signed copies and a Halloween party with one costume rule.
- Address: 2832 S MacDill Ave, Unit C, Tampa, FL 33629
- Neighborhood: Palma Ceia / South MacDill
- Category: Shopping
- Phone: (813) 724-1002
- Hours: Monday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Tuesday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Wednesday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Thursday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Friday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Website: https://steamylitbookstore.com
Steamy Lit sells one genre and commits to it: romance. Contemporary, dark, historical, otherworldly, signed and special editions, even a Spanish-language shelf. It sits at 2832 S MacDill Ave, Unit C (33629), and when it opened in 2024, more than 100 readers lined up and the store sold nearly 500 books in its first hours.
Founder Melissa Saavedra, an immigrant from Peru and a Navy veteran, started Steamy Lit in 2021 as The Steam Box, a romance subscription box. The store now runs book clubs and events, and on Saturday, Oct 31 it hosts a Halloween party from 6:30 to 8:30 PM ($25): dress as a book character, and bring the book to enter the costume contest.
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11 AM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 7 PM, Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM. Phone (813) 724-1002. Instagram @steamylitbookstore. Worth it if you want staff who actually read the genre, not a two-shelf romance corner.