[Note from Frolic: We’re so excited to have author Libby Hubscher guest posting on the site today. She has your next great reads: destination romances. Take it away, Libby!]
The first time I ever flew on a plane, I was a senior in high school travelling to Scotland to spend spring break with my older sister. She was studying abroad at St. Andrews and the visit was a perfect excuse for international travel. To save money, my mother and I flew into an airport that was on the other side of the country and took several buses to get there. When I wasn’t lugging baggage from airport terminal to bus terminal to other bus terminal, I spent most of the journey staring out the window in awe of just how green the fields were while dreaming of what might happen in a magical new place. I’d envisioned meeting an intriguing (maybe royal) local college student and sneaking off to a pub, after which we’d start a long-distance love affair replete with provocative letter writing. At the very least, I would return to school with serious story material to share with my friends. Instead I skulked around hiding my face while my mom attempted a very bad Scottish accent. Nervous about unfamiliar things, I ate bread and cheese almost exclusively and used my spending money to buy a Spice Girls album. I still had a wonderful time, but I craved more. I wanted the kind of adventures I’d read about.
Travel offers the promise of so many thing—the excitement of new people and places, different types of food and music, and sights to behold. Add love in the mix, and it is no surprise that destination romance novels are beloved. They instantly transport us to amazing destinations and offer all of the pleasure of the experience, with none of the luggage wrangling or flight delays. And with so many of us staying home these days, they are the perfect way to satisfy our wanderlust.Â
I’ve collected my absolute favorite destination romances that deliver on stunning scenery, new experiences, and, best of all, love to share with you. They’re perfect for anyone who is craving the novel and needs an escape.
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras
Destination: Key West
With a fake relationship between an out-of-town influencer and a local paramedic/rescue diver hero (seriously!), messy and wonderful family dynamics, and the fabulous backdrop of Key West, this book is an absolute winner. Sweet, sultry, and guaranteed to make you smile.
Ever After Always by Chloe Liese
Destination: Hawaii
This is the story of a marriage in crisis with a wife and husband who have drifted apart—hopes and pressures of starting a family, anxiety, and quiet have come between them—and how they find their way back to each other on a family vacation. Heartfelt, deeply moving, and oh so sexy, this book is the perfect getaway full of feelings.
Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu
Destination: Delhi
One woman’s weeklong trip to Delhi for a family wedding turns into a captivating exploration of identity, belonging, family bonds, and old flames in this magical book. The sights, the sounds, the love stories (and there were plenty) …I could not get enough.
Float Plan by Trish Doller
Destination: Caribbean Sea
A woman drowning in grief after losing her fiancé takes to the seas in the sailboat he left her. What starts as a solo journey ends up as so much more when she pairs up with an Irish sailor for the voyage and falls in love again. Heartwarming, captivating, and special, this emotional romance will transport you.Â
A Rogue to Remember by Emily Sullivan
Destination: Italy
This debut historical romance will not only whisk you off to Italy, it will take you back in time. Childhood friends and first loves torn apart by secrets reunite and rekindle their smoldering romance over a perilous journey back home. I call this one a spy and his fake signora, and it is sensual, gorgeously written, and sigh-inducing.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Destination: Hawaii
I would be remiss if I didn’t put this penultimate destination romance on the list. When a bride and groom get food poisoning, the best man and maid of honor—who detest each other—end up on their luxury honeymoon instead. What ensues is a magical combination of side-splitting scenarios and sexual tension that make it next to impossible to put this book down.Â
About the Author:
Libby Hubscher is an author and scientist. She studied biology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and holds a doctor of philosophy in molecular toxicology from North Carolina State University. Her work has appeared online and in textbooks, scientific journals, and literary journals. Her short story “The Unwelcome Guest” was long-listed for the Wigleaf Top 50 in 2018. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two young children, and a menagerie of pets.
Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher, out now!
Marin Cole has never:
Seen the ocean
Climbed a mountain
Taken a risk on love
….But if her sister’s plan works, she just might do all three.
Ever since her journalist mother died on assignment, Marin has played it safe, refusing to set foot outside the state of Tennessee. Her wild-child younger sister, Sadie, has trotted the globe as a photographer, living off of art and adrenaline.Â
When Sadie returns from a tough assignment abroad and looks a little worse for wear, Marin reluctantly agrees to a sisters’ spa weekend on the tropical island of Saba. But her lifelong fear of travel is affirmed when Sadie misses the flight, Marin’s luggage gets mixed up with another passenger’s, and an episode of turbulence sends her hurtling  into the lap of Lucas Tsai, the handsome stranger who stole her sister’s seat.
For the first time in a long time, Marin has to step outside of her comfort zone as she explores the island with Lucas and learns what she’s been missing out on. With each breathtaking new experience, Marin gets closer to her real self, the man she’s falling for, and the heart-wrenching truth about why she’s there in the first place.
