I came from a country town in Australia and I love the sense of community that’s still so woven into the fabric of society in country towns. That enjoyment drove me to write the award-winning Hope Creek Series, which has all the elements of small town romance I admire. The importance of a strong sense of identity within the community, support from townspeople in keeping each other’s secrets or in rallying around to try to help each other in times of crisis. The willingness to stand by a mate despite the mate being flawed.
The Dream Harbor series is a collection of stand-alone novels set in Dream Harbor, and I love that the small-town romance series has recurring characters that I was interested in and felt as though I’d bonded with.
One of the classic tropes used in this series is especially evident in book one (Pumpkin Spice Café in Dream Harbor) and it’s a trope I love. The author has made the most of these opposites-attract characters to produce some very witty banter that had me laughing out loud.
There’s a lot of personal growth of Laurie Gilmore’s characters, and I felt the romance was truly heartwarming.
The first book of the viral Dream Harbor series by #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Laurie Gilmore! 🍁
TikTok Made Me Buy It - Winner of the TikTok Shop Book of the Year 2024, Sunday Times and USA Today bestseller. As seen on Good Morning America!
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When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Cafe in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs.…
Whilst I enjoy the overall feel of the community spirit and support in small-town romances, I also appreciate laugh-out-loud moments.
Kristan Higgins incorporated humour masterfully, so I was laughing one moment, then being moved to tears by the emotional depth, which had me empathising with characters who were real. The characters were flawed but so loveable that I was rooting for them to find their happy ever after endings!
I found my emotions see-sawing a bit as I read this book, but this made the payoff of the happy ending all the sweeter.
Sometimes the best man is the one you least expect…
Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there….
Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief—and best friend of her former fiancé. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it's not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting…
She’s hiding from pain. He’s lost everything but his dog. When fresh air and second chances bring them together, can they rediscover true love?
If you enjoy kind-hearted heroes, small towns, and more humor than heat, you’ll adore this contemporary Alaskan romance! A Darling Handyman is the feel-good first book…
I don’t mind a little bit of spice in romance books, but I also enjoy the sweeter romances that RaeAnne Thayne writes.
I agree that they have a real Hallmark flavour to them, and while I don’t write that style, I loved the Haven Point series. I find this author’s focus on families very satisfying; I love the relatability of her characters and the deep dive into the emotional connections between them.
I also like the way she handles more sensitive topics such as grief and depression. I think it’s really important to include such very important topics in romance novels, as I think the way the characters handle the situations they face can be an inspiration sometimes for readers who are going through similar dilemmas.
'A rising star in the romance world.' bestselling author Debbie Macomber
The first book in the New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne's Haven Point series.
A fresh start is all Eliza wants for Christmas...
Nothing short of a miracle can restore Eliza Hayward's Christmas cheer. The job she pinned her dreams on has gone up in smoke and now she's stuck in an unfamiliar little town for Christmas.
Enter Aidan Caine. He can help Eliza find the perfect Christmas project - the renovation of his lakeside guest lodge. Soon he sees how quickly he could fall for her.…
I’m Australian, and I really enjoyed this series that was based in a fictitious coastal town in Australia because the setting was so similar to a coastal setting close to where I grew up.
I thought that Joanne Speirs did very well navigating the difficult relationships some of her characters had, and believe that most readers will really connect with the characters and the obstacles they must overcome. Themes of healing and community were central to this series, and this is obvious from the very first book, Second Chance Love in Point Perry, where Erin comes to Point Perry for a fresh start.
I found Joanne Speirs has an engaging writing style that was very easy to read. Each story in the series is interesting and well-crafted.
After a devastating tragedy shakes Erin's world, she returns to her hometown of Point Perry seeking solace and a fresh start. But just as she begins to find her footing, an unexpected visitor and an old enemy threaten to upend her life once again. Tom, a devoted single father and beloved teacher, is no stranger to turmoil. His ex-wife, now a Hollywood starlet, has descended upon Point Perry for her movie premiere, stirring up trouble and putting Tom's priorities to the test. As the town buzzes with excitement over the event, Tom must also navigate a strained relationship with his…
When thinking of small-town romances, the Virgin River series has been a highly successful book and a very successful TV series.
It ticks all the must-have points for a small-town romance. I liked nurse practitioner Melinda’s adventurous spirit as she moved from LA to Virgin River, and I thought the slow-burn romance between Melinda and Jack was well done. In this series, Robyn Carr tends to introduce the central character for her next book towards the end of the current book. It was very well done, and I found myself invested and wanting to read the next book to follow the next character’s journey.
I also liked that the books in the series dealt with medical emergencies and serious medical topics such as addiction and infertility.
When recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees an advert for a midwife in the remote town of Virgin River, she decides this is the perfect place to escape her heartache.
However, her hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is uninhabitable, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. But when a tiny baby is abandoned on a front porch, Mel must decide whether to…
Return to Hope Creek is the first book in the rural/small town romance Hope Creek Series. It follows the journey of Stella—one of three foster sisters who grew up in Hope Creek. The subsequent books tell of Callie’s and Morgan’s stories, but each book is a stand-alone romance.
The series tropes include second chances, secret baby, friends-to-lovers, and enemies-to-lovers, and the stories have a very strong theme of family connections, community support, love, and healing. As the series progresses, there are also elements of suspense with Callie needing to help solve a murder and Morgan tangling with some very unsavoury people as she searches for answers regarding the disappearance of her uncle.
Charlotte Rose’s quiet life on a remote island is forever changed the day Michael Cordero, injured and bleeding, steers his ketch, Shearwater, into her cove. Charlotte tends to Michael’s wounds, using the skills she’s learned caring for her husband and son, who are away fishing for salmon. As Michael recovers,…
The House on Mountain Laurel Lane
by
Eileen Goudge,
A widow and mom of two struggles to let go of the past and embrace the future in a powerful novel about friendship, love, and taking risks by New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge.
Ever since her husband Sean’s death, Jo Myers just can’t move on. Until she receives…
