Hey Hope!
I’m writing to you currently on a Sunday night reflecting on my weekend, and I realized I’ve taken in a lot of story content. By that I mean, I finished reading Pride and Prejudice (we’ll have to discuss that later!), binge watched all of Netflix’s new show Emily in Paris, and read another romance novel called In Five Years. So naturally, I’ve been feeling a bit of wanderlust and a huge boost of serotonin from cheesy happy endings.
HP, before this weekend, I hadn’t finished a book in almost two months! Getting to sit back and relax this weekend and fill myself up with various stories of romance and travel made me excited to share with you some of my absolute favorite book recommendations for those who (like us) enjoy a good love story in a place far far away. If you’ve ever even toyed with the thought of finding yourself in love in a foreign place, well... this post is for you!
For this list, I’m including mostly young adult books that have to include a few things for me:
They take place in a foreign country OR includes a self discovery trip of some sort
They have *at least some* form of romance
Not TOO cheesy
Good writing!
Makes my heart flutter like nobody’s business AKA I rated it 5 stars on Goodreads :)
Let’s get to it!
1. THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren
To start us off strong, we have one of my absolute favorite books of 2019. The book follows Olive, a woman who considers herself very unlucky in love and in life. Her twin Ami, on the other hand, seems to be the luckiest person alive. She wins free trips, has the picture-perfect fiance, and is about to have a picture-perfect wedding… until she gets food poisoning and can’t go on her all-expenses-paid honeymoon
trip to Hawaii. So, Olive (the maid of honor) and Ethan (the groom’s brother) are sent by Ami on the trip together. Except *omg* they hate each other! What? Who could’ve seen that coming.
BUT, I’m telling you, HP this book is just the cutest thing. The characters are so funny and charming. Not to mention it takes place in Hawaii and they get to discover the island together as well as find out more about themselves and each other. Super quick and fun read. I even had my mom and my sister read it right after me last year so I could talk to them about it, and all three of us gave the book five stars on Goodreads, which is rarity in itself for us. Definitely check it out!
2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna and the French Kiss is one of those books that I could reread forever. And I’ve read this quite a few times already. This book takes place in Paris during Anna Oliphant’s senior year of high school. Anna, originally from Georgia, is sent to Paris by her rich father to the School of America in Paris, AKA SOAP. Anna is instantly anxious and overwhelmed, but quickly finds herself a cute British/French/American boy named Etienne to put her at ease. He shows her around Paris and helps to make the city feel like her own. If I’m ever in a reading slump, this is what I instantly gravitate towards.
This book is fast paced, beautifully descriptive, and immersive in a way that few young adult books are able to capture as intensely as Stephanie Perkins. Anna is funny and relatable, and an aspiring film critic. No better place to be when you want to study film for a living when you’re in a city known to be a global center of culture and art! If you feel the urge to indulge in a little romanticism of life and the opportunities of adolescence, this book is most definitely for you.
3. The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary
HP, I really think you’d like this one. The Flat Share takes place in London, where one of our main characters, Tiffy, is looking for a new flat after a devastating break up from a long time boyfriend. She finds a good deal with a man named Leon, who has the complete opposite schedule of Tiffy. He works nights and she works days. They figure out a schedule that Leon can have the apartment during the day when Tiffy is at work, and Tiffy gets the apartment nights and weekends, when he’ll go to his girlfriend’s apartment. I know. Don’t pay too much attention to that. I never liked the girlfriend. Anyway, they don’t ever even have to see each other! You may be wondering: how is this a romance if they never see each other?
...I’m glad you asked!
They write notes to each other and leave them around the apartment. Is that not the cutest thing you’ve ever heard? I don’t want to give too much away, but trust me, this is one of those books that you remember months later how warm and fuzzy it made you feel.
4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Pack your bags ladies and gentlemen, because WE’RE HEADING TO PARIS! ...again. Okay not really but this feels about as close as I’m going to get right now, and I can live with that because I. Love. This. Book. Just One Day follows Allyson, an American who goes on what I believe is a senior year trip, where she meets a Dutch actor named Willem. They instantly click, and spend Allyson’s last day in Paris together. But they never exchange information, and unfortunately they lose each other, thinking all hope is lost of ever seeing each other again.
Something I love about this book is that honestly the Paris trip in itself is maybe one fourth of the book if we’re being generous. The real meat and potatoes of this story for me was seeing Allyson deciding her future and who she wants to be. We follow her first year of college and her journey of self discovery, trying to find Willem and reconnect is kind of just a bonus. If I’m being honest, normally I hate anything that distracts from a romance-heavy story, I just think it turns into pointless filler sometimes. But I loved the character of Allyson and seeing her mature before the reader’s eyes all while trying to find her lost love. Beautiful. Fantastic. Amazing. Read it!
5. The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Hope, I can’t even lie. I'm ecstatic to talk about this book. This is one of-if not my all time- favorite books. First of all ladies and gentlemen, take a look at that cover and tell me that is not the absolute most breathtaking cover you’ve ever laid your eyes on. YOU CAN’T! Ugh okay I’ll relax but honestly where to begin. This beautiful novel takes place in the Italian Alps in the early 1900s following Ciro and Enza, who live in neighboring villages. Each chapter switches perspectives, from young Ciro who helps out in the church in exchange for food and shelter, and Enza, who is the eldest of many children in her family, and the most passionate and family-driven individual by far.
All Ciro and Enza want is to protect those they love and do whatever they can for other people, putting themselves last every time without fail. It’s endearing and amiable to a fault. They both meet only for a fleeting moment in Italy when they are children, and then reconnect in their twenties when they find themselves in America. They both see America as the land of opportunity that can protect themselves and provide for their loved ones back home. Neither shy away from hard work and put their souls into everything they do. And not to mention, this is based on the author, Adriana Trigiani’s grandparents’ love story!
This story will make you feel more connected to all the immigrants who came to America searching for a better life, and it is one of the most beautifully tragic, loving, and all consuming stories I’ve ever read. I’ve recommended this book to literally anyone who will listen, and I find something new that makes me love it even more each time I pick it back up. (and if you're still curious about how I feel about this book, I'll put in some visual evidence below. Ha!)
That’s all from me for now, but let me know if you want more book recommendations in the future! I absolutely love books that make me able to romanticize the heck out of life. I truly think it’s a part of what makes me who I am. I’ve grown up with books like these since I was just thirteen or fourteen years old, and each time I read them, they give me a new perspective on life as I get a bit older, as well as what feels like a warm hug coming back home. If you decide to pick up any of these books, let me know your experience and thoughts on them!
-maddie :)
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