Cold, cloudy, gray skies got you down? Then check out some of these hot island romances to heat up your chilly world.

I think this is my favorite warm weather read for cold days. It doesn’t officially take place on an island, but it takes place in a remote coastal California community that loves surfing. Millie has lost her boring office job and decides to visit her college friend. Fortunately, said friend also has a hot brother that Millie has been crushing on since undergrad. I enjoyed all the surfing in this one - I’m a sucker for a good surfing book. Plus this is a great leading couple. I wanted to be friends with them. Definitely an excellent read for a gloomy, winter day. 

This one is actually set on a island, but it’s in the north Atlantic off the coast of Ireland. All that to say that this one made me colder, not warmer. So many winter storms and snow coming off the ocean. But if you get a nice blanket you’ll be fine. So the premise is that Cleo has journeyed far and wide to find herself. Her boss booked her a work vacation on this remote Irish island. But the cottage owner also told his cousin, Mack, he could use the same cottage. I had a little trouble with this premise - no way would I stay in a cottage with a strange man I’d never met before. Once you get past that, the rest of the book is delightful. I really loved getting to meet all the people on the island. I think I would have wanted to stay in such a nice place. (By myself, though.)

Want to go Down Under for a little fun in the sun? World’s longest plane flight aside, I think this sounds fun. So does the Kelly family - who has planned a great trip to reunite the family after being apart for a while. Unfortunately, when a volcano explodes, they are trapped on their gorgeous island while waiting their turn for rescue. You know me - I’m always up for a fun natural disaster book. And I got to throw in a tropical storm for free. I’m a little sad most of the weather stuff happened on the side and wasn’t the focus (boo!) but overall this was a good read. It definitely made me feel toasty. 

Who doesn’t love a good bad boy? Am I right? I highly enjoyed this one, even though, if I’m honest, it was totally predictable. Rich girl Mac moves to coastal Avalon Bay for college with her rich WASPy boyfriend. Unfortunately, he’s not what she wants. Instead, townie bartender/handy man/tattoo enthusiast, Cooper, catches her attention. See what I mean? How many times have we read this story? That said, I still stayed engaged. Mac is smart and a businesswoman in her own right. Daddy’s money? No thanks. She doesn’t need it. This is a great vacation book. Stick your toes in some sand and get comfy ‘cause once you start this one, you won’t want to put it down. If you enjoyed this one, or if there’s an ice storm and you’re stuck inside for longer, the second book in the series - Bad Girl Reputation - is out as well.

A while ago, I read a neat little romance set in the Pacific Northwest (without any sparkly vampires). That one was called It Happened One Summer and it featured rich girl Piper heading back to where she grew up to fix up an old bar her dad owned before he died. While there, of course, she falls in love with the captain of a fishing vessel. This book, Hook, Line, and Sinker, is a follow-up to that one. Piper’s sister, Hannah, is working towards her dream job by PAing on a movie with one of her favorite directors. When she sees an opportunity, she convinces the director to relocate the shoot to her sister’s town. This reignites the flame with her friend/roommate Fox. I’ll be honest - I think I liked the second book better than the first. It took me a minute to get back into the story, but once I did, I didn’t want to put the book down. You can’t go wrong with either of these.

Alright friends - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the ice and snow stay away. But if they don't, stock up on bread, milk, and a couple of these and you should be fine.

Happy staying warm…

:) Amanda