Need to boost your mood and vitamin D this winter?
The joy of autumnal jumpers, spooky Halloween, and pumpkin spice lattes quickly lose their appeal, and we all wish for warmer climates. Especially as we enter November and head into the long slog of winter. Yes, Christmas offers a light festive reprieve, but usually I find myself staring at the bleak midwinter and wondering when we’ll ever see the sun again.
Fear not, here’s my top winter-sun destinations for each blustery month, and the books to take with you.
And… If your budget can’t stretch to a far-flung holiday, at least you can read these books and pretend your there… while you turn up the electric blanket to its highest setting.
December – Think Columbia, Brazil and Costa Rica
South America is great place to catch some winter sun. Think Columbia, Brazil and Costa Rica with its gorgeous coastline and rainforests teeming with wildlife. Christmas is both colourful and sacred. Filled with events from midnight mass, to fireworks, and parades. All the lights and colour will certainly banish those winter blues!
Read ‘My Christmas Number One’ for more South American vibes. Set in both Columbia and snowy London, this book follows two opposites-attract musicians recording a hit Christmas song together and end up falling in love. A great read as you get to experience two very different festive seasons as well as the delicious glow of a hot romance.
Cara doesn’t do sexy and she only does ‘Happy Christmas’ under duress. She is, after all, a serious musician, and her stubborn streak is born from her struggle to recover from a serious injury.
Javi lives for escapist fun – in his music, and in his life – especially since he’s always failed at life’s more serious challenges, including marriage and fatherhood.
Javi and Cara are forced to record a Christmas single together, but neither of them have plans to spend any more time with each other than they absolutely have to. With Christmas traditions that couldn’t be more different, and outlooks on life that are worlds apart, the chemistry just shouldn’t work. But the magic of Christmas can bring even opposites together…
January – visit the Caribbean
The Bahamas has stunning beaches and islands, it really is paradise! Make sure you have enjoy a Bahama Mama rum cocktail and visit Piggy Beach—a tropical island inhabited entirely by shipwrecked pigs!
January is the perfect time to visit the Caribbean, and in ‘The Dating Pact’ you can explore all that the Bahamas have to offer on a champagne budget. As plus-size Ellie find herself fake-dating Hollywood royalty Alex King after accidentally gate-crashing his party. Expect laughs and steam in this tropical romance. Preorder ‘The Dating Pact’ now and you can even pack it in time for your January trip!
When Ellie bluffs her way into a high-end party with her best friend, the last thing she expects is to end up going home with infamous actor Alex King, because he’s too drunk to remember what hotel he’s staying in. But when the paparazzi catch them together the morning after, their new friendship suddenly becomes the tabloids’ front page.
Alex needs a plus-one. Not only is his brother marrying his ex, but he’s become the villain in the eyes of the press. With a loved-up date by his side, the public might finally see him as moving on and his new play might finally get the ticket sales it needs to not close down.
But a wedding in the Bahamas, surrounded by gorgeous celebrities, with the paparazzi lurking everywhere, is plus-sized Ellie’s worst nightmare. Even as Alex’s displays of affectionate become more real and less fake, will she lose a part of herself during their pact?
February is a great time to visit Singapore
February is a great time to visit Singapore as it’s drier and still warm. In early February, you can welcome the Chinese New Year in with style with the extravagant lights displays and Chingay Parade.
Pack ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ for a fun and sophisticated read that matches the luxury of Singapore perfectly.
When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details.
One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.
Now… where did I put my heated blanket?
