Every romance author I know keeps a secret list. It isn’t a to-do list or a TBR pile. It’s a list of places where we can almost feel a love story waiting to happen.
Mine keeps growing, so I’m finally putting it in writing. Some of these places are the backdrop for stories I’ve already imagined. Others I just want to stand in, notebook open, and see what happens.
1. Paris, France: The Obvious Choice (and I Don’t Care)
Yes, it’s a cliché. But clichés become clichés because they work. I want to sit at a café near Canal Saint-Martin, walk the bridges at dusk, and get lost in a bookshop where the owner pretends not to notice that I’m eavesdropping on strangers for dialogue.
Story seed: Two rivals at the same publishing house are forced to share a tiny Parisian apartment during a book fair.
2. Santorini, Greece: Sunsets That Do Half the Work
The white walls, the blue domes, the caldera views. Any love scene set here practically writes itself. I want to know what the air smells like at golden hour and how it feels to climb those endless steps with a coffee in hand.
Story seed: A destination wedding planner who doesn’t believe in love meets the groom’s brother, a skeptical travel photographer.
3. Kyoto, Japan: Quiet, Slow-Burn Magic
Kyoto is where I’d go to write the slow burn. I picture stone lanterns, old teahouses, and the hush of bamboo groves in the early morning. It’s a place where two people could say very little and mean everything.
Story seed: A burned-out chef and a tea master’s granddaughter, and the cherry blossom season that changes both of them.
4. Amalfi Coast, Italy: Second Chances by the Sea
Cliffside roads, lemon groves, and tiny seaside towns that look painted onto the mountains. This is where I’d set a second-chance romance, the kind where two exes run into each other years later and the sea breeze makes it impossible to stay angry.
Story seed: A divorced couple reunites to sell their late grandmother’s villa and rediscover why they fell in love.
5. Edinburgh, Scotland: Rainy Days and Bookish Hearts
Moody weather, medieval streets, and a whole city that loves literature? Yes, please. I want to wander the Old Town, hide in a cozy pub during a downpour, and find out what happens when two strangers share one umbrella.
Story seed: A shy bookstore owner and a grumpy visiting professor stuck in a city-wide book festival.
6. New York City, USA: The Meet-Cute Capital
Subway delays, rooftop bars, Central Park in autumn, a crowded bookstore on a Saturday. Every corner of New York is a meet-cute waiting to happen. I want to take it all in and write a love story that’s as chaotic and hopeful as the city.
Story seed: Two neighbors who’ve never met, only heard each other through the walls, finally cross paths on the worst day of their lives.
7. Palawan, Philippines: Close to Home, Far from Ordinary
I’m saving this one for the hometown pride. Limestone cliffs, hidden lagoons, and water so clear it looks unreal. Island-hopping and sunsets on a quiet beach are perfect for a story about two people who stop running from their lives and start running toward each other.
Story seed: A city girl on a work retreat and a local boat captain who knows every secret cove.
8. Bali, Indonesia: Healing Hearts and Fresh Starts
Rice terraces, morning yoga, and temple ceremonies. Bali is the setting for a heroine who has given up on love and a hero who is quietly healing from his own heartbreak. I’d love to sit in a café overlooking the paddies and write the pages where two guarded people finally let each other in.
Why I Travel for My Stories
I can research a place online, but a Google search can’t tell me how a city feels. It can’t tell me what music drifts out of a doorway, how the light hits a street at 6 p.m., or what a character might notice when her heart is racing.
Setting is a character in every good romance. When I stand in a place, I notice the small things that make a love scene feel real, like the sound of rain on a window, the taste of a street snack, or the awkward silence while waiting for a train.
Your Turn
Where would you set a love story? Tell me in the comments. I might add your pick to my list, or even write it into my next book.
Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and keep believing in happy endings. 💕
I wrote this with a general list of dream destinations. If you tell me your actual places, your pen name, or the tone you want (more playful, more dreamy, more personal), I can tailor it. I can also put it in a file if you’d like.
