The awning outside FMC Books, a romance-focused bookstore that opened last summer downtown, is a lure in spring air—the brightly colored titles catch my attention and I’m already reeled in. I step inside, determined to find a fun read worthy of the sunniest riverbank.
It’s no coincidence that the prettiest contemporary covers are in the window of FMC, which stands for “female main character. “When people come in and ask how the shelves are organized, we say, ‘According to vibes,’” said founder and owner Tara Hamma. As I walk deeper into the store, I encounter sports romance, young adult, fantasy, and—deeper inside, where the lights are dimmer and there are no pastels in sight—dark romance.
I love a pretty cover so I plan to return to the front of the store to shop, but first I check out the very back, where couches and chairs form a loose circle in the cozy glow of electric candles. It’s here that the store hosts its nine book clubs. Some focus on a specific genre, and at one, Not Your Mother’s Book Club, the plot twist is that reading an assigned book is not expected.
“We give three-to-five minute book reports and it’s fantastic. You get really good recommendations,” Tara said, noting that areas of disagreement can be fun, too.
When not in use for book clubs, the space in back is open to anyone who wants a quiet place to read. In fact, creating a community space is why Tara opened the bookstore in the first place.
“I grew up in third spaces in Missoula, and we don’t really have those anymore,” Tara said. “I’m raising pandemic kids and their third spaces are online and they don’t have any social skills. I started wanting to figure out how to remedy that.”
After working from home in a male-dominated field for years, she was also ready to see people again—especially women. “There aren’t a lot of spaces for women to gather where they’re prioritized in Missoula,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the community of women who have businesses in and around Missoula—some of the most compassionate and helpful people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
I’m ready to support this small local business, and Tara is ready to guide me to the right book. She asks if I’m a daily reader, and I tell her there’s nothing I’d rather do each evening than read, but my young kids and work responsibilities sometimes have other plans. Also, that extensive world-building is not my thing.
No judgment from Tara, who recommends “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry, a pretty cover from the front of the store. Even if it takes me weeks to read it, that’s just fine at FMC. “If that’s what you’ve got, you should be catered to,” Tara said. “Don’t be intimidated to try, because we’re just a bunch of goofballs and we love recommending books.”
“I’m so grateful for the community of women who have businesses in and around Missoula—some of the most compassionate and helpful people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”