Wanderlust Books
Travelling is amazing, but archair travel has its upsides – with no queues or other discomforts, you’re instantly transported to an exotic location. It’s a lot cheaper, too! Here’s my curated list of wanderlust romance books, categorised by destination. Where would you like to armchair travel?
Oceania
New Zealand
Night and Day
She lives on the other side of the world (Finland). He doesn’t go beyond the corner store.
New Zealand
Night and Day
She lives on the other side of the world (Finland). He doesn’t go beyond the corner store.
New Zealand
Night and Day
She lives on the other side of the world (Finland). He doesn’t go beyond the corner store.
Australia
Night and Day
She lives on the other side of the world (Finland). He doesn’t go beyond the corner store.
Australia
Night and Day
She lives on the other side of the world (Finland). He doesn’t go beyond the corner store.
Europe
Turkey
My Lucky Star
Imagine having a celebrity doppelgänger. Now imagine a hot TV star asking you to impersonate that celebrity to save his career…
Turkey
Night and Day
She lives on the other side of the world.
He doesn’t go beyond the corner store.
TV producer Mia is torn between her work ambition and passion for songwriting. Facing a huge career choice, she embarks on a round-the-world trip to find answers. Soul searching turns into a nightmare when she’s robbed. Stuck in New Zealand with only a guitar on her back, she calls the one local she can think of: an editor she once hired via email.
Izzy spends his days in his basement, working on an ambitious film project. His family wants him back on the dating scene, but Izzy prefers imaginary realms to real people. He’ll join the living when he’s reached his creative goals. Probably.
When Izzy’s solitude is crashed by a woman in trouble, he can’t resist the call to help. Having a fleeting visitor gives him an idea – a fake relationship with Mia will get his family off his back. In return, he’ll be a good host (nothing more) and show her New Zealand is not a crime-infested hellhole. He’ll just have to ignore the instant attraction and creative sparks that fly when they’re in the same room, or boat, or… cave.
Their chance encounter changes everything, but how could it ever work? Mia’s whole life waits for her in Helsinki, while Izzy struggles to leave his basement. They’re night and day. Unworkable.
Opposites attract, but how far would you go for love?
—
This is a steamy romantic comedy, featuring:
- A bearded, passionate caveman with a heart of gold
- Late-night duets and a totally healthy music obsession
- Fake dating
- Glowworm caves
- Riverboat sexy times
- African Grey parrot called Casanova who fires out pickup lines
- Summer heat and snowflakes (yes, in the same book!)
**Content warnings:**
– past suicide
– anxiety / mental health
Scotland
Hidden Gem
Love New Zealand series – BOOK 2
A politician on the verge of a breakdown. A woman who could save him – if he could find her.
Burnt by divorce and newly diagnosed with chronic illness, Marnie resigns herself to a lifetime of loneliness. Tea. Blankets. A remote cabin. But fate intervenes, thrusting her into a whirlwind Cinderella story.
Rising political superstar Jason is on a mission to fix New Zealand’s housing crisis. If only he could sleep. As insomnia starts to threaten his health and sanity, hope enters his life in the shape of a woman. As if by magic, she restores everything. His sleep. His career. His sex drive.
Then she vanishes.
Jason is prepared to scour New Zealand to find her. But as he falls for the woman of his dreams (pun intended), he discovers how much really stands in the way of their happily ever after.
Tough questions about ageing, illness and self-worth are examined in this steamy romantic comedy that will leave you with a warm glow.
—
This is a steamy romantic comedy, featuring:
- A slightly older heroine who gets a makeover
- A private tour of the New Zealand parliament building
- A romantic lighthouse Airbnb
- Political scandals
- Celebrity / influencer antics
- Strong female friendships
- Winter beach sexy times
Nest or Invest
Love New Zealand series – BOOK 1
She’s the single mum dreaming of owning a house. He’s the hotshot developer about to make her homeless.
Single mum Shasa Daniels is heartbroken when she discovers her landlord is selling her rental home to Mac McCarthy, a hotshot developer known for replacing old villas with luxury condos. Determined to stop him, Shasa gathers her friends to outbid him and build community housing instead.
Mac, the man in thousand-dollar shoes, isn’t as financially stable as he makes out. This deal promises to secure his future, until Shasa the eco-warrior stands in his way.
Each will do what it takes to succeed. He barges in on her community meeting. She crashes his improv group. But, Shasa quickly finds out spying on a guy this hot is a lot like playing with fire. Can her newly discovered love of acting, and their on-stage chemistry, bridge the gap between their two worlds?
—
This is a steamy romantic comedy, featuring:
- True enemies to lovers tension
- Sizzling improv / stage chemistry
- A steamy hot air balloon ride
- Heaps of community spirit
- A kick-ass 60-year-old side character with her own side-romance
- Strong female friendships
- Agonising slow-burn 🙂