My Five Favorite Destination Romances

One of my favorite books of all time, this sumptuous and transportive novel takes us through several glamorous locations (New York, LA, the south of France) as it follows the white-hot love story between single mother Solène and worldwide pop star Hayes, roughly 20 years her junior.

Having never been to Japan myself, this novel made me feel as though I intimately know the streets and nightlife of Tokyo through the eyes of its complicated female protagonist. We follow her as a forbidden affair breathes new life into her everyday after years of becoming increasingly invisible to an indifferent husband and stifling social group.

An absolutely perfect historical romance, this novel is as much about the protagonist's struggle to protect her family's business and her own agency in a hostile environment as it is about the (gorgeous) love story at its center. This book is feminist, impeccably researched, and totally immersive in its sense of time and place.

One of the classic love stories of the past few decades, this book continues to be a favorite of mine for its note-perfect portrayal of teenage obsession, and for its lush rendering of the northern Italian countryside in the laziest days of summer.

This novel grabbed me from the first page and continues to linger with me nearly two years later. In some ways, it almost feels like two books: the one before and after our protagonist travels to a Caribbean island. Once there, everything seems to slow down, and you're drawn into a vibrant, sensual story that challenges as much as it transports.