Grump & Sunshine, a bookstore in downtown Belfast specializing in romance novels, is relocating to Portland, according to owner Cassidy James Taylor.

While Belfast has at least two other bookstores — Left Bank Books and Craig Olson Books, which are both downtown — Grump & Sunshine has offered a more niche selection with its focus on romance tales.

Its last day will be Oct. 2.

“As much as we’ve loved having the store here in Belfast, and I’ll deeply mourn losing my community here, we’ve reached the top of the potential that we could reach in Belfast,” Taylor said Wednesday. “Moving to Portland would open a lot of doors for us and give us a bigger audience. It was a business decision.”

Since moving into the storefront at 159 High St. in May 2023, Taylor, who is 28, has also hosted talks

See Full Page