Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc

Packing for a holiday is stressful enough.

You have to decide how many outfits you’ll actually wear (spoiler: probably half), whether you’ll need that extra pair of sandals (you won’t), and somehow convince yourself that this is finally the year you’ll pack light.

Then comes the hardest decision of all.

Which books are coming with you?

If you’re anything like me, choosing a holiday read is almost as important as choosing the destination. A disappointing book can put you in a surprisingly bad mood, while the right one somehow becomes part of the holiday itself.

Years later, you won’t remember what you had for lunch on the third day.

You’ll remember the book.

If You Pack a Big, Emotional Romance…

You’re planning to disappear.

Not literally, although your family may struggle to locate you once you’ve settled into a sunbed with your Kindle.

You’re looking for a story you can sink into. One with layered characters, emotional twists, and the kind of ending that leaves you staring at the sea for five minutes because you need a moment to recover.

These are the books that become holiday memories.

They’re also the reason people come home saying,

“I need another holiday… just to recover from the emotional damage that book caused.”

If You Pack a Romantic Comedy…

You know exactly what you want.

Joy.

You’re looking for witty conversations, awkward first meetings, characters who accidentally fall in love while insisting they’re absolutely not interested, and at least one scene that makes you laugh out loud in public.

There’s something wonderfully freeing about laughing at a book while everyone around you is quietly pretending not to notice.

Holiday reading doesn’t always have to leave you emotionally shattered.

Sometimes it’s enough to close the book with a smile and immediately recommend it to your best friend.

If You Pack Three Books “Just in Case”…

I see you.

You’re not optimistic.

You’re realistic.

What if the first book isn’t what you’re in the mood for? What if the weather changes and suddenly you’re craving a completely different story? What if you finish one in two days?

These are perfectly sensible concerns. No one has ever regretted bringing too many books.

Although they may have regretted trying to explain to airport security why half their suitcase is paperbacks.

If You End Up Buying a Book While You’re Away…

Congratulations.

You’ve become part of one of my favourite holiday traditions. There is something magical about buying a book in a place you’ve never been before.

Every time you look at it afterwards, you’re transported back to that tiny bookshop, that café by the harbour, or the airport where you promised yourself you were “just browsing.”

Books become souvenirs in the best possible way. Unlike keyrings, they don’t gather dust in a drawer. They stay on your shelf, quietly holding onto a little piece of summer.

My Favourite Holiday Reads All Have One Thing in Common

It took me years to realise this, but my favourite holiday books aren’t necessarily the most exciting ones.

They’re the ones that make me slow down. Books where I want to savour the conversations instead of racing to the ending. Stories that make an afternoon on the balcony disappear without me noticing. The best holiday romances don’t compete with your holiday.

They become part of it.

Before You Zip Up Your Suitcase…

If you’re still deciding which romance novel deserves a place in your beach bag, don’t ask yourself which book is the most popular.

Ask yourself something much simpler.

How do I want to feel this holiday? Do you want to laugh? Cry? Escape? Dream? Believe in happy endings again?

The right book isn’t always the one everyone else is talking about. Sometimes it’s simply the one your heart is ready for. And those are usually the stories we remember longest.

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Whenever I finish writing a novel, I secretly imagine someone reading it with sandy feet, sunglasses balanced on top of their head, and an iced coffee slowly melting beside them.

Maybe they’re smiling at a funny conversation in Confessions of a Curvy Heart.

Maybe they’re completely invested in the chemistry of The Billionaire’s Curvy Match.

Or perhaps they’re quietly turning the pages of The Widow’s Curse, finding hope between chapters as the waves roll in nearby.

If one of my stories ever becomes part of someone’s favourite holiday memory, I’ll consider that one of the greatest compliments an author could receive.

Because holidays eventually come to an end.

The best books have a wonderful habit of coming home with us.

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