State of Romance: Love in the Sunshine State
This week, my family is college hunting in our home state of Florida. Let's kick off State of Romance with Betina Krahn's The Book of True Desires. This Victorian "Indiana Jones" adventure unfolds on the sweeping veranda of the Plant Hotel in Tampa. The hotel is now the University of Tampa — my alma mater.
Florida native Darlene Marshall loves pirates, and they take center stage in her books. I asked Darlene to describe her books, "Smuggler's Bride is my 'Cracker' novel (native white Floridians are known as Crackers after the early settlers), and is set mostly in the backwoods. It's where I discuss proper methods for cooking and serving possum. (g) The Bride and the Buccaneer is a 'road' book that takes the hero and heroine on a treasure hunt that meanders around the northeast part of the state during its Territorial days."
Florida's white sand beaches inspired Roxanne St. Claire to pen the Barefoot Bay series (Barefoot in the Sand, Barefoot in the Rain, Barefoot in the Sun and Barefoot by the Sea) followed by the Barefoot Bay Billionaires series and the Barefoot Bay Brides. Shirley Jump features Rescue Bay in her Sweetheart Sisters series with The Sweetheart Bargain, The Sweetheart Rules and The Sweetheart Secret. Shannon Richard takes to Florida's Country Roads with Undone, Undeniable, Unstoppable and Unforgettable.
South Floridian Heather Graham turns to romantic suspense with Hurricane Bay while HEA's own Joyce Lamb spotlights a transplanted journalist in Caught in the Act.
No list for Florida would be complete without Caridad Scordato's (aka Caridad Pineiro) Latino romance with Now and Always, Faith in You, Better Than Ever, All My Love, The Perfect Mix and Feliz Navidad.
Can you recommend any romances set in the Sunshine State? Use #stateofromance on Twitter to add to our list.
Next week we look for romance in Indiana, the Hoosier State.
Kim Lowe is an Air Force veteran, Air Force spouse and romance book blogger at SOS Aloha. You can reach her at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.