Book Recommendations – Our Favorite Travel Romance Books

Book Recommendations – Our Favorite Travel Romance Books

TRAVEL ROMANCE LOVERS, REJOICE!! I LOVE THIS RECOMMENDATION REQUEST and I’m only too happy to oblige, because so many of us LOVE to lose ourselves, not only in love stories, but love stories happening while on vacation. YES PLEASE! Ahhhhhhh yes. Losing yourself in another land, learning the customs, the language, meeting the people, the sites, the sounds, the smells and falling in love with the experience… and even… a person.

Bring on that ecstasy. That elation. That… never wanting to leave.

And then bring on that goodbye.

*clutches heart* *sobs*

Robin asks:

Hi Maryse,

I absolutely love romances that take place in and around travel, and am always looking for new recommendations.

Some of my favorites that I would put into this category (even though they also fit into others) are

Jean: Finished Love in English last night! I LOVED IT! Jumped right into Love in Spanish this morning….. cannot get enough of Mateo! Don’t know what the heck I’ll read after this…. nothing will compare! You guys should have forced me to read this one sooner…. I would have listened… I swear!

Teri: Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle- an amazingly descriptive romantic adventure across the New Zealand countryside with Karinas trademark edgy heroine.

Leslie M: Racing the Sun by Karina Halle. Everyone needs to read it. Sexy Italian hero, great story, beautiful setting, LOVED it.

Mony: ☀️☀️One Hot Italian Summer by Karina Halle looks amazing! On my TBR list! ☀️☀️

Leslie M: You know how we say we love certain things but “only in books”? I just read Heat Wave by Karina Halle (h is in love with her dead sisters widower) and I loved it!!! The premise “sounds” icky but I realized I must love the “forbidden-ness” of it because I’ve enjoyed other books with this trope.

Kristen: Heat Wave by Karina Halle. 2 sisters. 1 man…

Susan: I seriously love everything she writes! You got me started with her books years ago💜❤️

I would also add

Amy: OMG. Serengeti was beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. Heart-wrenching, sometimes difficult, and tear-inducing, but above all else it was beautiful. I can’t even think of what to read next. Another sure sign of a great read. 😉

Kym: Mists of The Serengeti is my most epic read. I have been trying for weeks to get into another book. This one owns my soul.

Lori: OMG. Leylah is my new favorite author. This book. What you said and so much more. I couldn’t put it down because it kept calling me to pick it back up. I loved it. I’ve loved all of her books. <3

Kathy P: You know when you have a nice piece of chocolate and want to save it for when you really need it. That is what I had been doing with the Mists of Serengeti. I bought it when it first come out and have held on to it. I started it and finished it last week. I have never been a highlighter of passages but my highlighter was on fire. I know this is a book that will stay with me.

Lisa M: I just finished The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea. Really good!! I couldn’t put it down. So burn. I read A Deal with the Devil a while ago & loved it as well. Can’t wait for Ben’s story out next!! Love my HEA’s the only books I want to read!!

Susan: I’m pretty sure it is classified as erotica, but it is smoking hot. …Just finished The Wolf Hotel and it’s complete. I’m telling you these are the hottest books I’ve read in a while with a great story. 

R. Renee: My favorite was On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves. I was so surprised by this one. Totally not what I expected!

FLT “I was thirty years old when the seaplane T.J. Callahan and I were traveling on crash-landed in the Indian Ocean.” On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves. So mad at myself for almost missing out on this one…

Patricia: On the island by Tracey Garvis Graves. My sister blamed me because she only had a few hours of sleep. She couldn’t put the book down! 

If you decided to make this new category, I would be so interested to see what you and others might add to it.  What a fun summer of travel romance it would be!! 😊

 

READER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAVEL ROMANCE BOOKS

JR: I loved the People We Meet on Vacation – 5 stars! I especially liked how their story unfolded over time and we had the flashbacks of their previous vacations. I could have kept reading more about Poppy and Alex!

R. Renee: I loved People We Meet on Vacation!

BEST FRIENDS THAT ARE OPPOSITES & THEN THEY FALL APART…


People We Meet on Vacation

BEST FRIENDS THAT ARE OPPOSITES & THEN THEY FALL APART…

“…For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. 

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. 

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together…”

Michele G: …I have to chime in about People We Meet on Vacation….Emily Henry is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors. I adored Beach Read. For me, PWMOV is probably my fave read of the year and that is saying a LOT because I’ve read a ton of very good books this year.

J.R.: I loved the People We Meet on Vacation – 5 stars! I especially liked how their story unfolded over time and we had the flashbacks of their previous vacations. I could have kept reading more about Poppy and Alex!

Michele G: Emily Henry’s comment at the beginning of her new book was that Beach Read was for “her” and this one is for her readers….give it a go…I think you’ll like it …fingers crossed.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Mony: Broken French by Natasha Boyd- I also loved this one. Lovely sensual slow burn romance between widowed, young French billionaire, Xavier, and young American Josie, whom he hires as a teacher/nanny. The story takes place on his yacht sailing the Mediterranean…Xavier is sexy, gorgeous, and closed off…lots of sexual tension. 🙂 5+★

Kathy: If you want a lighter read, then go with Broken French. …I really liked it.

Susan: Loved Broken French!!

J R: Broken French – I’m still thinking about that book!

Kathy: Broken French is calling to me! Just my book catnip!

SUPER-BARGAIN TODAY!!


Broken French: A widowed, billionaire, single dad romance (Mediterranean Series)

SHE’S A NANNY ON A YACHT!!

Take a decadent and sizzling armchair vacation to the South of France this summer … 

Josie thought she was getting a promotion at her architectural firm, but instead her career implodes. She impulsively takes up her roommates’ offer to nanny for a little girl on a mega yacht in the South of France. Even though she can’t stand boats, this seems like fate giving her an opportunity to lick her wounds in a bucket list paradise while she figures out how to get her life back. 

But this little girl she’s arrived to look after has a daddy. A widowed, hot, billionaire of a daddy...”

Mony: Broken French by Natasha Boyd- I also loved this one. Lovely sensual slow burn romance between widowed, young French billionaire, Xavier, and young American Josie, whom he hires as a teacher/nanny. The story takes place on his yacht sailing the Mediterranean…Xavier is sexy, gorgeous, and closed off…lots of sexual tension. 🙂 5+★

Susan: Loved Broken French!!

JR: I highly recommend: Broken French by Natasha Boyd. I was so invested in this story staying up way too late for a few nights in a row to finish it. I wanted to live in it – or at least visit the places they did while cruising around the Mediterranean on a billionaire’s yacht (even if he was a bit too grumpy). 4.5* …I’m still thinking about that book! 

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Michele G: The Float Plan! I loved that one too! I was hesitant going in, but it really snuck up on me. Such a wonderful book….

Leslie M: Float Plan by T Doller: tragic pasts/beautiful sailing & travel setting

Mony: I also liked Float Plan – not just the romance but all the the Caribbean countries they visited. Thanks Michele!


Float Plan

ONE LESLIE M’S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 LIST!

Heartbroken by the loss of her fiancé, adventurous Anna finds a second chance at love with an Irish sailor in this riveting, emotional romance.

Leslie M: Float Plan by T Doller: tragic pasts/beautiful sailing & travel setting

Mony: …adventures on sail boats… …a top read. Loved all the place mentioned from Florida through Bahamas and the more southern islands e.g. Turks and Caicos (learned so much).

R. Renee: Float Plan is swoony!

Michele G: The Float Plan! I loved that one too! I was hesitant going in, but it really snuck up on me. Such a wonderful book….

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Leslie M: come to Alaska with us and join in on The Simple Wild!

Northernstar: A Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker was simply beautiful. I loved the description of the landscape. This story evoked many emotions and I love it when an author can make me feel so much. I lived in the North for many years and K.A. Tucker really got it right. I laughed out loud with the mention of the “honey bucket” – never thought I would read that – (If you have lived or travelled in the far North you know what I am referring to and if not ) you’re not missing anything – LOL.

Kathy P: Just finished The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker. I stayed up late to finish it. Definitely one of my best reads of the year! Visiting Alaska is now at the top of my bucket list!!

FALLING IN LOVE IN ALASKA!


The Simple Wild: A Novel

FALLING IN LOVE IN ALASKA! I LOVED THIS ONE! Here’s my review.

“…at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father...”

MichelleS: If you like Alaska as a setting, and contemporary romance, you might want to try The Simple Wild, by KA Tucker. I totally felt like I was there. So authentic. And not in a wilderness way, but if you lived there kind of way.

Linda: …was totally able to indulge in reading The Simple Wild and laughed and cried and laughed and cried. Oh my heart.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Leslie M: Happy Place by E. Henry. Beautiful story about friendship and 2nd chance romance that is set in my “happy place” (coastal Maine).

R. Renee: I’m reading Happy Place and I’m obsessed with it. I guess I didn’t realize it but broken relationships that play out on page is catnip for me. I look back at several of my all time faves and this seems to be a theme. It’s making my soul happy while crushing it. Is there a better feeling than that? 🤣

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE!!


Happy Place

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE & SO MANY IN OUR CREW LOVE IT!

A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends…

R. Renee: I’m reading Happy Place and I’m obsessed with it. I guess I didn’t realize it but broken relationships that play out on page is catnip for me. I look back at several of my all time faves and this seems to be a theme. It’s making my soul happy while crushing it. Is there a better feeling than that? 🤣

Rochelle: One click Happy Place …Thanks R. Renee❤️❤️❤️

Leslie M: Beautiful story about friendship and 2nd chance romance that is set in my “happy place” (coastal Maine).

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Jen C: A Place in the Sun by R.S. Grey – I’m reading this one at the moment (80% in). And it’s a Bed and Breakfast, not a diner! IT’S SO GOOD. This author has totally become a must read for me, I’m just going through some of her back catalogue whenever I’m in the mood for a RomCom.

Ashley: A Place In the Sun by R.S. Grey. It’s Georgie’s book (we met her Settling the Score: The Summer Games and she stole all of the scenes she was in, so I was super excited when she got her own book!).

Cheryl: …excellent, funny, smidge of angst book…

RECLUSIVE ITALIAN SAVES HER…


A Place in the Sun

RECLUSIVE ITALIAN SAVES HER…

“...Seeking refuge in the picturesque seaside village of Vernazza, Italy, Georgie’s only plan is to lie low, gorge herself on gelato, and let the wine and waves wash her troubles away…that is until she wakes up in a bed that belongs to the most romantic-looking man she’s ever seen. 

Gianluca. 

After going out of his way to rescue her, the former London financier turned mysterious recluse makes it clear that despite acting as her white knight, he has no plans to co-star in her fairytale…”

Jen C: A Place in the Sun by R.S. Grey – I’m reading this one at the moment (80% in). And it’s a Bed and Breakfast, not a diner! IT’S SO GOOD. This author has totally become a must read for me, I’m just going through some of her back catalogue whenever I’m in the mood for a RomCom.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Julie O: One of my favorite Kristin Ashley books is HEAVEN AND HELL. I don’t think many people read it but Sam is the hottest H alpha in my 5.

Kate: Read most of KA’s books. I love Tate (he was my first 😉 ), but my favorite by far is my Sammy. Sampson Cooper of Heaven and Hell is just the one for me!

Lori: I LOVE Heaven and Hell! It’s up there in my all time favorite Kristen Ashley books list. Sam Cooper!

Cody: KA is home for me too. When I don’t know what to read I always turn to her. You will love Heaven and Hell, I think it was my favorite of hers.

SPORTS STAR ROMANCE!!


Heaven and Hell by Kristen Ashley

SPORTS STAR ROMANCE!! SHE TRAVELS TO ITALY & MEETS HIM…

“…Out of the blue she sees Sampson Cooper, her celebrity crush. A man the whole world knows is decent, loyal, good. All of these very unlike her now dead husband. He’s sitting at a table right next to hers. And she catches his eye.

Terrified of the interest Sam shows in her, Kia still finds the courage to go out with him. Not long after, she shares her dark secrets, and Sam shares that he’ll stop at nothing to gain her trust...”

Kini: The most under appreciated KA book is the fantastic Heaven and Hell. It’s a stand alone. And it’s got all the usual KA elements. There’s just something about Kia and Sam that gets me every single time. It’s my go to comfort book. I’d vote Sam as my number one KA man.

Lori: KA, anything by her is fantastic. Heaven and Hell is one of my favs. The h, in an abusive marriage, for years thought about the H, a famous sports star, a fantasy, to escape her reality. After the death of her husband, they meet by chance, and off their story goes. Sam is awesome, super hot, protective but of course has his own issues to deal with.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Kathy P: Samantha Young’s Here with Me  …It takes place in Scotland and has that gothic romance feel. I definitely recommend this one.

TRAVEL ROMANCE!!


Here With Me (The Adair Family Series Book 1)

TRAVEL ROMANCE!!

“...After narrowly escaping death, police officer Robyn Penhaligon leaves behind her life in Boston in search of some answers. Starting with Mac Galbraith, the Scottish father who abandoned her to pursue his career in private security. To re-connect with Mac, Robyn will finally meet a man she’s long resented. Lachlan Adair. Hostility instantly brews between Robyn and Lachlan...”

Kathy P: Samantha Young’s Here with Me … It takes place in Scotland and has that gothic romance feel. I definitely recommend this one.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Jan: Have you tried Rosalind James? Nice romances, often set in lovely locations like New Zealand. I recently read and liked Sexy As Sin set in beautiful Byron Bay Australia (and the US). I also liked Kiwi Rules about an Afghanistan vet who lost part of his leg, and also her rugby series, starts with Just This Once.

SPORTS/TRAVEL ROMANCE!!


Just This Once: A Rugby Romance (Escape to New Zealand Book 1)

SPORTS/TRAVEL ROMANCE!!

“...She just needs a vacation. Three weeks in New Zealand to sort out her life, figure out what she wants, seems just right. Oh, and to relax. She should definitely put that on the agenda. She certainly isn’t looking for a sexy fling with a professional rugby player, no matter how attractive he is. Hannah doesn’t do casual. But maybe just this once ...”

Jan: Have you tried Rosalind James? Nice romances, often set in lovely locations like New Zealand. I recently read and liked Sexy As Sin set in beautiful Byron Bay Australia (and the US). I also liked Kiwi Rules about an Afghanistan vet who lost part of his leg, and also her rugby series, starts with Just This Once.

Mony: Jan, I’m still enjoying Rosalind James…loved Kiwi Rules & about to read Stone Cold Kiwi, the next book in that series…Many of her books on my TBR list!

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Ann: …can’t you just imagine someone in isolation and befriended online, or someone stuck in another country? Here’s my personal 5 star lose all track of time and reality books.

Nay: After I read The Great Alone last year, I was actively searching for similar books. I don’t know if anything will ever top it as my favorite book set in Alaska, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

Maryse: OMG I LOVE THE GREAT ALONE!!!!

Mony: Detained by Ainslie Paton, Aussie author. Really loved it! First chapters – Mystery Guy & female reporter stuck in a Shanghai airport detention room – clever & hot. Characters “real”, dialogue tight – kind of book I like. Also, story unusual & set in China & AUS…

Maryse: I FIVE STAR LOVED THIS ONE!!! Here’s my review.

Melanie: I absolutely fell in love with this book! Thanks for your amazing recommendations as usual Maryse! I honestly didn’t want this to end!!

Laina: Love single mom stories! Until It Fades is one of my favorites.

I’m sure there’s lots of others that I’ve 5 starred that are worthy of your list, these are the books I reach for when I’m in a book slump, the ones I remember even years later.

Michelle S: On the Island was one of the first few books I found on your blog (Aug 2012). I still consider it the “perfect summer by the pool read”. That’s why my recommendation for you sometime during this blazing hot season by the pool is…. “Beyond The Sea” by K. Andrews. It’s got the “lost at sea” thing going on, but with two GUYS and IT WORKS. It soooooo works. It was Fabi’s fabulous find and I loved it. The cover is so cheesy. Just totally ignore that cover. 4.9 stars for me (I can’t remember their names, but I remember everything else!).

Fabi: OMG!!! Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews… THIS is a FANTASTIC book. 5 stars, hands down

BEST FRIENDS THAT ARE OPPOSITES & THEN THEY FALL APART…


People We Meet on Vacation

BEST FRIENDS THAT ARE OPPOSITES & THEN THEY FALL APART…

“…For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. 

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. 

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together…”

Michele G: …I have to chime in about People We Meet on Vacation….Emily Henry is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors. I adored Beach Read. For me, PWMOV is probably my fave read of the year and that is saying a LOT because I’ve read a ton of very good books this year.

J.R.: I loved the People We Meet on Vacation – 5 stars! I especially liked how their story unfolded over time and we had the flashbacks of their previous vacations. I could have kept reading more about Poppy and Alex!

Michele G: Emily Henry’s comment at the beginning of her new book was that Beach Read was for “her” and this one is for her readers….give it a go…I think you’ll like it …fingers crossed.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

FORBIDDEN LOVE/TRAVEL ROMANCE


Love, in English by Karina Halle

FORBIDDEN LOVE/TRAVEL ROMANCE ALERT! I LOVED THIS BOOK LIKE CRAZY!! In fact, here’s my 5-STAR review

“He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three. He speaks Spanish. I speak English. He lives in Spain. I live in Canada. He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos. 

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything. 

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the damn truth.”

Amy: Leslie, I’m so jealous you’re reading Love, In English for the first time! Holy freaking moly, I absolutely LOVED that one. SO much emotion and turmoil and swooniness, and I don’t think I had even one single complaint. And the cover…ohhhh the beautiful cover. Everything about it was just… *dreamy sigh*

Maryse: Ahhhhh yes Love, In English. OMG that bus scene and the Lana Del Rey song KILLED ME. LOVED IT SO HAAAAARD!!!!

Leslie M: I finished Love, in English this weekend and of course it was awesome-sauce. Yup! Everything is big fat swoonfest when it comes to Love, in English.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

HE TRAVELS TO NEW ZEALAND TO SEE HER AGAIN…


Where Sea Meets Sky: A Novel

HE TRAVELS TO NEW ZEALAND TO SEE HER AGAIN…

“…He can’t get Gemma out of his head, even after she has left for home, and finds himself throwing caution to the wind for the first time in his life.

It’s not long before Josh is headed to New Zealand with only a backpack, some cash, and Gemma’s name to go on. But when he finally tracks her down, he finds his adventure is only just beginning. Equally infatuated, Gemma leads him on a whirlwind tour across the beautiful country, opening Josh up to life, lust, love, and all the messy heartache in between...”

Teri: Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle- an amazingly descriptive romantic adventure across the New Zealand countryside with Karinas trademark edgy heroine.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SHE BECOMES A NANNY IN ITALY…


Racing the Sun: A Novel

SHE BECOMES A NANNY IN ITALY & FALLS FOR A BAD BOY RECLUSE…

“…After a frivolous six months of backpacking through New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia, she finds herself broke on the Mediterranean without enough money for a plane ticket home to California. There are worse places to be stuck than the gorgeous coastline of southern Italy, but the only job she manages to secure involves teaching English to two of the brattiest children she’s ever met.

It doesn’t help that the children are under the care of their brooding older brother, Italian ex-motorcycle racer Desiderio Larosa…”

Leslie M: I just finished Karina Halle’s Racing the Sun. LOVED IT! 4.5**** It was perfect slow burn, low angst (which usually bore me) story with hot, broody & grumpy Italian H. Even his name made me swoon. Signor Desiderio Larossa aka Derio.

Racing the Sun was a slow burn but NOT boring story with a broody, sexy Italian hero with a tragic past (but they didn’t dwell on this so much that it made entire book depressing…I can’t handle that).

It had just enough emotion to make it interesting, but you dont ugly cry through the whole thing. The h was fabulous and funny but not OTT. There are adorable kids (his sibs he is guardian of) and the descriptions of Italy are to die for. I cannot stand books that over descriptive and this one was perfect. Watching the h melt the heart of the H was true romance.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

HE’S HER AGENT’S EX HUSBAND… oops!


One Hot Italian Summer: A Single Dad Romance by Karina Halle

SHE’S GOT WRITER’S BLOCK & HER AGENT SENDS HER TO ITALY…

“…A writer who’s blocked–I’m a total cliche. Lucky for me, my agent has a cure that’s an even bigger stereotype–a month at her villa in Tuscany, with nothing to do but find my muse. 

When he walks right in the front door, adorable son in tow, it feels like fate has finally done for me what it does for every other cliche’d girl I’ve seen in the movies. Except that he’s completely off-limits. In this case, business and pleasure can never mix. 

Because Claudio is my agent’s ex...”

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

FORBIDDEN LOVE IN HAWAII


Heat Wave: An Age-Gap Forbidden Romance

FALLING IN LOVE IN HAWAII (BUT IT’S FORBIDDEN LOVE!!)

“…he’s a grump. Kind of an a$$hole, too. And gets under Ronnie’s skin like no one else.

But the more time Ronnie spends on the island of Kauai, falling in love with the lush land and its carefree lifestyle, the closer she gets to Logan. And the closer she gets to Logan, the more she realizes she may have pegged him all wrong. Maybe it’s the hot, steamy jungles or the invigorating ocean air, but soon their relationship becomes utterly intoxicating.

There’s just one major catch. The two of them together would incite a scandal neither Ronnie, nor her family, would ever recover from.

Forbidden, Illicit, Off-limits – sometimes the heat is worth surrendering to, even if you get burned…”

Leslie M: My fave story that has beachy theme (but isnt lighthearted) is Heat Wave by Karina Halle. I LOVE Heat Wave!!! Great story and I felt like I was in Hawaii.

AWESOME book and she is a chef!! Sort of forbidden-ey. She is crushing on her dead sisters hub. Who happens to be a hot Aussie. *swoon* 

Kylie: Heat Wave was great. My favourite out of Halle’s contemporaries, I think.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

ONE OF MY 5-STAR FAVORITES!!!


Mists of The Serengeti

FALLING IN LOVE IN AFRICA AFTER TRAGEDY…

“…When a bomb explodes in a mall in East Africa, its aftershocks send two strangers on a collision course that neither one sees coming. 

Jack Warden, a divorced coffee farmer in Tanzania, loses his only daughter. An ocean away, in the English countryside, Rodel Emerson loses her only sibling. 

Two ordinary people, bound by a tragic afternoon, set out to achieve the extraordinary, as they make three stops to rescue three children across the vast plains of the Serengeti—children who are worth more dead than alive...”

I 5-STAR LOVED THIS ONE LIKE CRAZY!! HERE’S MY REVIEW

Lisa: for anyone who has yet to read Mists of the Serengeti, just do it. It is easily one of the best books I have ever read. I wouldn’t even call it angsty…sure, I cried really hard, soul crushing tears, but not sad tears (if that even makes sense). I wept mostly because it was just beautiful!

R. Renee: Mists of the Serengeti has had my stomach in giant knots the whole way through.

marina: LOVED, LOVED Mists of the Serengeti. Will stay with me forever. 

Julie N: I loved Mists of the Serengeti too! It’s my favorite read of 2017! I loved it so much that I’m trying to talk my husband into taking me to Africa. 🙂

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SHE’S ON VACATION WITH HER EX…


The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea: A Grumpy-Sunshine Billionaire Romance (The Grumpy Devils Book 2)

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE… OR IS IT?? SHE’S ON VACATION IN HAWAII WITH HER EX… and his brothers!

“…The Bailey family includes Six’s rude older brother, Joshua—a hot-nerd doctor who has hated Drew since the moment they met and once suggested she’d steal the family silver.

Drew is determined to win the Baileys over and give this thing with Six a fair shot…but Joshua is making that difficult. Not simply because he is in her way at every turn, but because—as one tropical adventure leads to the next—she’s beginning to wonder if obnoxious, odious Joshua might be the brother she actually belongs with…”

Lisa M: I just finished The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea. Really good!! I couldn’t put it down. So burn. I read A Deal with the Devil a while ago & loved it as well. Can’t wait for Ben’s story out next!! Love my HEA’s the only books I want to read!!

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

HER CHILDHOOD CRUSH WORKS AT THE RESORT!


Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn

ON VACATION & HER SISTER’S WANT HER TO FIND LOVE & HER CHILDHOOD CRUSH WORKS AT THE RESORT!

“…As she dodges suitors and her sister’s pranks, Tessa finds an ally in the oh-so-dreamy Myles, her childhood crush who just so happens to work at the resort. But Myles is dealing with some family conflict of his own. He’s elated at being reunited with Tessa, but his father’s refusal to acknowledge his interest in the family business and relegating him to only grunt work casts a dark cloud.

As Tessa and Myles help navigate their way through their families’ antics, they begin to realize that their past feelings may have a future...”

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

READER RECOMMENDATION!!!


The Wolf Hotel Series by K.A. Tucker

READER RECOMMENDATION!!! WE LOVE THIS AUTHOR!!

“I ran from home to escape heartbreak, only to deliver myself into the hands of a wolf. Henry Wolf, that is. Heir to a luxury hotel chain. Infamous playboy. Arrogant jerk. And my new boss.

Why he wants me, Abbi Mitchell—a girl who lacks experience on every front that would matter to him—as his personal assistant, I cannot fathom, especially when I keep screwing up in the most spectacular way…”

Cindy: On book 3 of this series 📚 Loving it! …book 2 is great. Surprising

Susan: K.A. Tucker also writes other books under the name Nina West. I’m pretty sure it is classified as erotica, but it is smoking hot. …Just finished The Wolf Hotel and it’s complete. I’m telling you these are the hottest books I’ve read in a while with a great story.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

STRANDED TOGETHER AFTER A PLANE CRASH!!


On the Island: A Novel

STRANDED TOGETHER AFTER A PLANE CRASH!! THIS IS ONE OF MY 5-STAR FORBIDDEN LOVE/AGE GAP forever favorites… (here’s my review)

Patricia: My favorite forbidden love story is “On the Island” by Tracy Garvis Graves. The love story between TJ and Anna stuck to me for a very long time.

Grey: I am… On the Island. Yes, Maryse… that island, a bunch of us are buddy reading it. And oomph, the pretzel tummy feels are happening. I had to put it down last night, or else I knew I wouldn’t go to bed until I finished it. Now, I want to pick it up again, but I have to at least pretend, to be a productive member of society… #FirstWorldProblems!

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SUPER-BARGAIN TODAY!!


Broken French: A widowed, billionaire, single dad romance (Mediterranean Series)

SHE’S A NANNY ON A YACHT!!

Take a decadent and sizzling armchair vacation to the South of France this summer … 

Josie thought she was getting a promotion at her architectural firm, but instead her career implodes. She impulsively takes up her roommates’ offer to nanny for a little girl on a mega yacht in the South of France. Even though she can’t stand boats, this seems like fate giving her an opportunity to lick her wounds in a bucket list paradise while she figures out how to get her life back. 

But this little girl she’s arrived to look after has a daddy. A widowed, hot, billionaire of a daddy...”

Mony: Broken French by Natasha Boyd- I also loved this one. Lovely sensual slow burn romance between widowed, young French billionaire, Xavier, and young American Josie, whom he hires as a teacher/nanny. The story takes place on his yacht sailing the Mediterranean…Xavier is sexy, gorgeous, and closed off…lots of sexual tension. 🙂 5+★

Susan: Loved Broken French!!

JR: I highly recommend: Broken French by Natasha Boyd. I was so invested in this story staying up way too late for a few nights in a row to finish it. I wanted to live in it – or at least visit the places they did while cruising around the Mediterranean on a billionaire’s yacht (even if he was a bit too grumpy). 4.5* …I’m still thinking about that book! 

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.


Float Plan

ONE LESLIE M’S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 LIST!

Heartbroken by the loss of her fiancé, adventurous Anna finds a second chance at love with an Irish sailor in this riveting, emotional romance.

Leslie M: Float Plan by T Doller: tragic pasts/beautiful sailing & travel setting

Mony: …adventures on sail boats… …a top read. Loved all the place mentioned from Florida through Bahamas and the more southern islands e.g. Turks and Caicos (learned so much).

R. Renee: Float Plan is swoony!

Michele G: The Float Plan! I loved that one too! I was hesitant going in, but it really snuck up on me. Such a wonderful book….

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

FALLING IN LOVE IN ALASKA!


The Simple Wild: A Novel

FALLING IN LOVE IN ALASKA! I LOVED THIS ONE! Here’s my review.

“…at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father...”

MichelleS: If you like Alaska as a setting, and contemporary romance, you might want to try The Simple Wild, by KA Tucker. I totally felt like I was there. So authentic. And not in a wilderness way, but if you lived there kind of way.

Linda: …was totally able to indulge in reading The Simple Wild and laughed and cried and laughed and cried. Oh my heart.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE!!


Happy Place

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE & SO MANY IN OUR CREW LOVE IT!

A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends…

R. Renee: I’m reading Happy Place and I’m obsessed with it. I guess I didn’t realize it but broken relationships that play out on page is catnip for me. I look back at several of my all time faves and this seems to be a theme. It’s making my soul happy while crushing it. Is there a better feeling than that? 🤣

Rochelle: One click Happy Place …Thanks R. Renee❤️❤️❤️

Leslie M: Beautiful story about friendship and 2nd chance romance that is set in my “happy place” (coastal Maine).

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

RECLUSIVE ITALIAN SAVES HER…


A Place in the Sun

RECLUSIVE ITALIAN SAVES HER…

“...Seeking refuge in the picturesque seaside village of Vernazza, Italy, Georgie’s only plan is to lie low, gorge herself on gelato, and let the wine and waves wash her troubles away…that is until she wakes up in a bed that belongs to the most romantic-looking man she’s ever seen. 

Gianluca. 

After going out of his way to rescue her, the former London financier turned mysterious recluse makes it clear that despite acting as her white knight, he has no plans to co-star in her fairytale…”

Jen C: A Place in the Sun by R.S. Grey – I’m reading this one at the moment (80% in). And it’s a Bed and Breakfast, not a diner! IT’S SO GOOD. This author has totally become a must read for me, I’m just going through some of her back catalogue whenever I’m in the mood for a RomCom.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SPORTS STAR ROMANCE!!


Heaven and Hell by Kristen Ashley

SPORTS STAR ROMANCE!! SHE TRAVELS TO ITALY & MEETS HIM…

“…Out of the blue she sees Sampson Cooper, her celebrity crush. A man the whole world knows is decent, loyal, good. All of these very unlike her now dead husband. He’s sitting at a table right next to hers. And she catches his eye.

Terrified of the interest Sam shows in her, Kia still finds the courage to go out with him. Not long after, she shares her dark secrets, and Sam shares that he’ll stop at nothing to gain her trust...”

Kini: The most under appreciated KA book is the fantastic Heaven and Hell. It’s a stand alone. And it’s got all the usual KA elements. There’s just something about Kia and Sam that gets me every single time. It’s my go to comfort book. I’d vote Sam as my number one KA man.

Lori: KA, anything by her is fantastic. Heaven and Hell is one of my favs. The h, in an abusive marriage, for years thought about the H, a famous sports star, a fantasy, to escape her reality. After the death of her husband, they meet by chance, and off their story goes. Sam is awesome, super hot, protective but of course has his own issues to deal with.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SHE MEETS HIM ON HER FLIGHT…


Managed (VIP Book 2)

SHE MEETS HIM ON HER FLIGHT…

“...I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I was upgraded to first class on my flight to London. That is until HE sat next to me. Gabriel Scott: handsome as sin, cold as ice. Nothing and no one gets to him. Ever. He’s a legend in his own right, the manager of the biggest rock band in the world, and an arrogant ass who looks down his nose at me. I thought I’d give him hell for one, long flight. I didn’t expect to like him...”

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

MOVING TO ALASKA


The Great Alone: A Novel

MOVING TO A REMOTE CABIN IN ALASKA…

“…In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own...”

MichelleS: Wanted to read this based on feedback from others. It didn’t disappoint. I still remember it, and that’s always a good thing. I don’t read that much contemporary or women’s fiction, but this was a good one.

Fona: “The Great Alone” has to be one of my all time favorite books. I listened to it on audio and was so amazing! Lots of tears but oh the ending. 

I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH!! Here’s my 5-STAR review.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SHE KISSES A STRANGER ON THE JUMBOTRON!


Not You It’s Me (A Boston Love Story Book 1)

SHE KISSES A STRANGER ON THE JUMBOTRON!

“...When a random radio contest lands her courtside tickets to the hottest playoff game of the season, Gemma thinks her luck may finally be on the upswing — at least, until the dreaded jumbotron kiss-cam lands on her and her date, who’s too busy ignoring her to notice… Thankfully, the sexy stranger sitting next to her is more than willing to step in. One kiss. Two strangers. No strings attached. Or… so she thinks.

Turns out, kissing Chase Croft — Boston’s most eligible bachelor — may be enough to convince even a girl who’s given up on love to let down her guard one last time…”

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SURVIVAL AFTER A PLANE CRASH…


Uncharted: a survival love story

SURVIVAL AFTER A PLANE CRASH WITH A STRANGER!

“…He was a total jerk from the first moment we met. I took one look at the stranger in the airport terminal and knew he was exactly the kind of man my mother spent seventeen years warning me against. Gruff, grumpy, and far too good-looking to stare at without experiencing heart palpitations. Thankfully, I’d never see him again.

Or so I thought.

I couldn’t have known our plane would crash. I couldn’t have predicted we’d be the only survivors. I couldn’t have ever, in my wildest dreams, anticipated that the jerk from the airport would become my only source of solace in the darkness…”

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

A STRANGER IN AN AIRPORT…


Detained

A STRANGER IN A SHANGHAI AIRPORT…

“...Confined in a cold, dull room in the depths of a Shanghai airport, a journalist chasing a career break and a businessman with a shadowy past play a game of truth or dare — deliberately not exchanging names...”

Mony: Detained by Ainslie Paton, Aussie author. Really loved it! First chapters – Mystery Guy & female reporter stuck in a Shanghai airport detention room – clever & hot. Characters “real”, dialogue tight – kind of book I like. Also, story unusual & set in China & AUS. Bit too long at end but I wanted to read it in one shot. Love finding books that punch their weight above their GR rating. This was one of Ann’s “personal 5-star lose all track of time and reality books.”

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

SHE SAVES A HOCKEY STAR FROM A CAR CRASH!


Until It Fades: A Novel

SHE SAVES A HOCKEY STAR FROM A CAR CRASH!

“…one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed date, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has rescued: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works. For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes...”

I FIVE STAR LOVED THIS ONE!!! Here’s my review.

Melanie: I absolutely fell in love with this book! Thanks for your amazing recommendations as usual Maryse! I honestly didn’t want this to end!!

Leslie M: I LOVED Until it Fades and I normally hate slow burn. But THIS is how slow burn should be done.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

➔➔➔  Love this trope? Browse more travel romance book features and reviews on my blog. 😀

Share this post:

Sign up
and download your free eBook.