As a romance author, I pull a lot of inspiration from my travels. My husband always says that shared experiences strengthen bonds and I believe that wholeheartedly—which is why I think travel romances just work. Romance as a genre isn’t necessarily known for lush setting descriptions, but travel romances are sort of the exception to the rule, and I eat it up every time. If I close the book feeling like I’ve just got back from a vacation, it’s a five-star read for me.
I have a soft spot for a good road trip romance and this one is seriously not talked about enough.
Two strangers—who are, of course, total opposites—miss their cruise ship and are forced to journey home together, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-style. It starts in Costa Rica but covers the Southern U.S. all the way up the east coast. And you better believe that Lauren H. Mae puts all that forced proximity to good use. The tension. The pining. The rummy bears.
Give this one a try if you’re in the mood for a book that covers a lot of ground and has a lot of heart.
Two stranded strangers agree to travel together in order to return home, but when a slew of misadventures derail their plans, it might mean a chance to fall in love . . .
A sexy, opposites attract romance, ideal for fans of Emily Henry, Beth O'Leary and Christina Lauren.
'A steamy, sweet, rummy bear-fueled comedy of errors' Abby Jimenez
'Lauren weaves a beautiful story of self-discovery, loss and love in Wish Lists and Road Trips. My heart is so full. All the stars and more for this stunning, emotional romance' Helena Hunting .........................................
I recommend this book to everyone. I seriously cannot praise it enough. I know absolutely nothing about sailing, but this book completely transported me—I felt like I was right on board the Alberg with Anna, sailing the Caribbean.
Trish Doller’s descriptions took my breath away. You can really feel how she poured her passion for sailing into this book and she handles the main character’s grief beautifully. On a more personal level, I also adored the German American rep.
Since the loss of her fiance, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief - until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone.
But after a treacherous night's sail, she realises she can't do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it's never too late to chart a new course.
Bright but unassuming Marilyn Jones has some grown-up decisions to make, especially after Mama goes to prison for drugs and larceny. With no one to take care of them, Marilyn and her younger, mentally challenged brother, Carol, get tossed into the foster care…
I discovered this book last year thanks to BookTok and immediately fell in love with it. But I’m not the only one! Just this past month, it found its way onto The New York Times bestseller list two years after its initial publication.
The setting of this one is a little more contained than the previous two books on this list: most of the story takes place on Martha’s Vineyard. K.L. Walther lovingly captures the nostalgia of a warm, seaside, ice-cream-melting New England summer. This one’s also sort of a coming-of-age novel, sitting right on the cusp between young adult and adult.
"The feel-good summer read of my dreams!"-Alicia, Goodreads Reviewer "Boy, did it also give me all the summer feels."-Larissa, Goodreads Reviewer "This book is bound to become a favorite of all who love contemporary romance."-Kelly, Goodreads Reviewer "If beachy contemporary romances are your jam, then trust me-you do NOT want to miss this book."-Jessica, Goodreads Reviewer Meredith's family's annual game of assassin at Martha's Vineyard during a summer wedding is the perfect chance to honor her sister's legacy, and finally join the world again. But when she forms an alliance with a cute groomsman, she's at risk of losing both…
This is the book that inspired me to write romance.
It’s worth picking up for the setting alone—Julia Whelan’s attention to detail is astonishing and made me really, really wish I could attend Oxford—but the story is also beautiful and totally heart-wrenching. I go back and reread probably once a year because there was just something about this story that really struck a chord for me.
With this one, though, I always suggest looking at content warnings: there is something very central to the plot that I know can be difficult for some readers.
She could never have guessed what the year would hold...
'A pure delight . . . will stay with you long after you're done' TAYLOR JENKINS REID
Gazing up at the dreaming spires of Oxford, American student Ella Duran can't believe it: she has finally arrived at Oxford University.
A new life starts, and not even Ella's handsome lecturer Jamie Davenport can distract her from her classes. But, as the term goes on, Ella can't deny the growing attraction between them - an attraction that soon turns to love.
And when Ella learns of Jamie's life-changing secret, their relationship becomes…
Emmitt’s plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of purchasing their dream home. Disappointed, he’s surprised to discover her subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo.
In his search for a meaningful life in Japan, and after quitting his job, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law…
Serengeti National Park is one of those places I’m not sure I’ll get to visit in my lifetime, and in my opinion, that’s exactly what makes books like this one so special.
I love when I finish a book feeling like I’ve been there. Farah Heron’s descriptions of Tanzania are absolutely stunning. I also love the idea of second-chance romance on vacation, sort of forcing the characters to find common ground and work through their problems. Definitely worth the read.
The highly acclaimed author of Accidentally Engaged delivers a delightful rom-com of one woman trying to shed her perfect image at a destination wedding with hilarious—and moving—results, perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory.
Jana Suleiman has never really fit in—everyone always sees her as too aloof, too cool, too perfect. The one time she stepped out of her comfort zone she ended up with a broken heart and a baby on the way. Aaaand lesson learned. Now she’s a bridesmaid for a destination wedding in Serengeti National Park, and almost everyone she knows will be there. Her…
Margo Anderson has sworn off commitment. Alongside her best friend Jo,
she runs a viral podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching
feelings. So when Jo surprises her by deciding to get married and takes
up a sponsor’s offer to host an all-expenses-paid wedding trip on
Catalina Island, they have the whole internet to answer to.
In a
scramble for content to appease their disappointed listeners, Margo
cooks up a social experiment: break all her own dating rules, just to
prove that it’s a bad idea. And she’s found the best man for the job in
the groom’s best friend and her old high school nemesis, Declan Walsh. The more time they spend together, Margo can’t ignore their obvious spark. But can she let go of the
rules to let him in?
Nine Stories Told Completely in Dialogue is a unique collection of narratives, each unfolding entirely through conversations between its characters. The book opens with "God on a Budget," a tale of a man's surreal nighttime visitation that offers a blend of the mundane and the mystical. In "Doctor in the…
Me and The Times offers a fresh perspective on those pre-internet days when the Sunday sections of The New York Times shaped the country’s political and cultural conversation. Starting in 1967, Robert Stock edited seven of those sections over 30 years, innovating and troublemaking all the way.
