neighbor books — Local services in McKinney

This is everything I’ve been wishing for the past ten years! The sweetest couple saw a need and filled it and we are beyond grateful. Each time I come in, there is more to see as they are growing thoughtfully and organically as they get to know their customers.

This is a small business that just opened, so I’m really surprised to see negative reviews. We all want small, independently owned businesses to thrive, and reviews can break them. Especially when they aren’t really warranted.

Environment: Someone mentioned lack of seating, which is so surprising. Especially compared to say, B&N which only has limited seating at the Starbucks. There are a variety of comfortable seats up and downstairs (mostly upstairs). There are places to work, comfortable bean bags to read in and my personal favorite- a couch with a table where there’s usually a puzzle out to work on.

Being a book STORE, I think it’s pretty cool that they even have spaces to read. That risks their stock, (especially in the kids section) which is a choice sacrifice to better their customer’s experience.

Inventory: Some reviews mentioned low inventory. I haven’t been affected by this. Yes, there’s 1-2 copies of some books, but we’re not stocking a classroom. 1 is all I need. Also- the place has only been open a few weeks which is not long enough to learn the demands of their customers. They have great traffic through there (which is awesome), and that means books are flying off the shelves as fast as they can get them in.

Pricing: Pricing is fair and there are a variety of options. The lowest cost of a book we’ve purchased is $4.99.

I’m attaching a few photos so you can see what a beautiful space this is, but it’s best to see...

Let me start by saying I'm sincerely hoping to edit my 3 star review as the business progresses and give it a better rating in the future. Also: I am an AVID reader and love bookstores.

Neighbor Books is located in downtown and has an incredible space. The original floors and stairs with the ambiance and music are the ideal setting for book browsing and reading. They offer fiction, non fiction, children's, cooking, art, religion and more.

They have upstairs seating with chairs, tables and even an extra raised "loft" area with a table and chairs and a few bean bags that look out onto the street and create great natural lighting. (I'm 5ft and didn't have to duck to get up there but anyone taller than like 5'2 would, watch your foreheads lol.)

Downsides (which I hope improve as the business grows): The seating options are not great. No, it's not a library and I get that, but if I were to stay and read a bit, better seating would be great.

They advertised coffee on their Facebook ad (see picture) but it's a drip style coffee on a small stand that is only available if you sign up for their membership.

There is A LOT of unused space. Most of the books (there may be more in storage) do not have more than one copy on the shelves or two at most. They could also add books upstairs, create themed areas, or add more decor to make the space more engaging.

Though the atmosphere was nice, I was there less than 15 minutes and had the sense that while the store was cute, it was also lacking.

The store has GREAT potential and lots of...

Absolutely love this place! So excited to have such a cool, independent bookstore in such a great location.

The building is beautiful. The book selection has been awesome - it seems to be so well thought out and curated. My wife and I have found several beautiful copies of books we’ve been looking for and our 3 year old found several books in the kid section she wanted as well! The music is GREAT! What they play changes from weekdays to weekends to fit the mood (great place to come and read during the week and a great place to come and sing to some really great songs while you shop and socialize during the weekend). The owners have been unbelievably kind, welcoming, and knowledgeable and they personify everything good that is downtown McKinney!

Welcome, neighbor books! We’re so glad...