Welcome

There’s something about autumn that makes curling up with a romance novel even more tempting. Maybe it’s the changing leaves and sweet pumpkin scent in the air, or simply the excuse to grab a blanket and disappear into a small town for a few hours. In this blog, I’m sharing why autumn (or fall) is the ultimate season for romance novels, and why The Sugar Maple Inn might just be the perfect addition to your cosy-season reading list.

I argue that there aren’t enough British heroines in small-town romances. Often, the heroine of a romance novel belongs there in some way. She grew up in the town, and regardless of whether she has lived there all her life or just come back for a visit, she already knows how everything works. But with my lakeside romance novel, The Cherry Blossom Boathouse, I wanted to show what happens when you drop someone into that world who doesn’t know the rules at all.

A handful of lakeside and waterfront romances where the setting works just as hard as the storyline. From Virgin River to The Cherry Blossom Boathouse, these are the cosy, tension-filled romance reads perfect for spring.

This blog post explores romance tropes like grumpy x sunshine and forced proximity, and why they have such a powerful pull for romance readers. It looks at how tropes work as emotional shorthand, helping us name whether we’re craving comfort, tension, slow-burn romance or a little spicy heat. And because emotional payoff matters, it also includes a quick quiz to help you discover which romance trope you’re leaning into right now, and what kind of romance novel might just nour