The Fleuria Begins New Chapter With Airstream Bookstore in Costa Mesa

Lauren Harvey
Jul 27
4 min read

The Fleuria is the third mobile romance bookstore to take root in Orange County.

The Fleuria book truck made an appearance at the grand opening of the Fleuria Airstream at the Lab Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa. The new bookstore is the first permanent location for Fleuria. Photo by Lauren Harvey, Culture OC

Stephanie Pao’s heart wasn’t in her marketing career. She spent her days helping others achieve their dreams, but what she really wanted to do was chase her own.

“I knew I wanted to do something for myself, and books have been something that have been part of my life since I was a kid. Who doesn’t want to open a cute little bookstore?” Pao told Culture OC. “But when I started looking into it, it seemed like a really scary and big commitment to sign a lease for many years, and rent’s really expensive. So I thought maybe something on a smaller scale.”

Pao flirted with the idea of opening an online store or creating a pop-up concept. Then, she serendipitously crossed paths with a vintage truck she couldn’t get out of her head. Soon, the South Bay resident purchased her own: a 1968 Volkswagen that is now home to her mobile bookstore, the Fleuria.

Los Angeles’ first mobile romance bookstore, the Fleuria has hosted events and built a passionate community across Southern California since March 2025. Pao has even started to host audiobook walking club, which is exactly what it sounds like: a gathering of bibliophiles who listen to their respective audiobooks while embarking on a scenic walk.

But now, the Fleuria is putting down roots in Costa Mesa. On Saturday, June 13, Pao opened the Fleuria Airstream at the Lab Anti-Mall, penning a new chapter for the bookstore while still referencing its mobile origins.

“It felt like a really good in-between step,” Pao said of taking over the parked airstream. “It’s like a brick-and-mortar store, but it’s a small footprint and something that I could easily transition to. It’s a good stepping stone into something larger, but not so scary that it feels like a huge risk.”

The Fleuria is the latest installment in what is now a trilogy of romance bookstores in Orange County, joining Heartbound in Anaheim and Mystic Box in Huntington Beach. As of June 2026, there are almost 500 romance-dedicated bookstores across the country, according to Romancing the Data.

Just like the Fleuria, Heartbound and Mystic Box began as less stationary concepts – Heartbound as a pop-up shop and Mystic Box as an online subscription service for special-edition books.

“Starting out as a mobile bookstore or pop-up bookstore, you can gauge the need in your community and your target audience or your target market,” said Jenika Morillo, who opened Heartbound with her mom and sister in August 2024. “You can see how well you’re going to sell your brand, sell your books, and how much they value your business before committing to something long-term. Because once you transition from a pop-up to a more permanent space, your obligation will become more permanent as well.”

The Fleuria Airstream has already succeeded in courting new readers to the romance genre. Anaheim resident Sophia Huang, 27, was excited to save money on books, open up space on her bookshelf and connect with other readers when she arrived at the airstream’s book swap event on Sunday, July 12.

“I actually don’t read that much romance. For me it’s a little bit out of my comfort zone, so I’m really excited,” Huang said of the event. “It’s a perfect opportunity to try a new genre out.”

The inside of the airstream, shoppers can browse for books and other items. Photo by Lauren Harvey, Culture OC

While romance is the Fleuria’s focus, Pao also stocks her shelves with curated fiction, ranging from Caro Claire Burke’s “Yesteryear” to Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary.” The airstream tends to attract a different audience than the book truck, Pao noted.

“I think it’s like the general passerby who maybe sees this idea and wants to support it, but they're not trying to find a super niche romance book,” Pao said. “But they do want to get a book that they’ve maybe heard of.”

Morillo also changed her inventory after Heartbound moved into its physical store. Specifically, she saw an increased demand for “trad books,” or traditionally published books, as opposed to indie books. Still, Morillo makes an effort to spotlight self-published authors.

“We’re trying to always push indie books out, because self-publishing is such a difficult lane to be in, but it’s also a beautiful lane to be in,” Morillo said. “There are a lot of marginalized voices that get spotlighted more when we carry indie, and that’s what we’re trying to push with our community.”

The Fleuria Airstream hosted a book swap for customers to trade books with each other. Photo by Lauren Harvey, Culture OC

Pao continues to run her book truck and host events across Southern California. As such, she’s hired a bigger team of booksellers to help bring her vision to life. The dual operation allows her to continue to expand her geographic reach, even as she settles in a more fixed space.

The book truck just launched its Summer Reading series with Beachwood Brewing in Long Beach. On Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, attendees can browse the truck for their next reads and spend an hour reading alongside other book lovers.

On Bookstore Romance Day, a national celebration taking place Aug. 15, Heartbound will host 12 authors of in-store book signings. Customers will also have the opportunity to get free tote bags and advanced copies of forthcoming books with their purchases.

As romance continues to dominate bestseller lists and more bookstores dedicated to the genre crop up around the country, the movement is also beginning to blossom in Orange County.

“Because (romance is) more popular now and it’s more out there, there has been more openness with the community to be more curious about it,” Morillo said. “There was always money in romance, but it’s now getting the flowers it deserves.”