Submitted by Naomi L.
Small towns make a great setting for a romance: characters often get thrown into each other’s company, there are plenty of colorful side characters, gossip, and rumors. The towns themselves often take on unique personalities, and it can be as much fun to watch how the main characters interact with the town as with each other.
Here are three small town romances, and a bonus list of even more!
Georgie pays an extended visit to her hometown, after finding herself unemployed and with no clear path forward. Uncertain what she wants out of life or what she'd like to do, Georgie feels lost and directionless. When she finds an old bucket list she wrote when she was fourteen, she decides to start completing the list, along with the help of Levi, the town's former bad boy who still lives with the shadow of his past reputation.
Georgie All Along has all the elements of a great romantic comedy with a lot of heart poured in. It's funny, sweet, and at times moving. It deals with the challenges of figuring out who you are and trying to find your way, and how hard it can be to even know what you truly want. It also dives into the challenges of living someplace where people have known you your whole life, and how hard it can be to have your changes and growth recognized.
Nora and her sister take a trip to a small town that is the setting of a bestselling romance book. Turns out the book took a few creative liberties, and the place isn't the idyllic small town they expected. Nora also has a deep dislike of small-town romances, as in real life she’s often had to take on the role of the big city girlfriend who loses her man to the small town girl. But when she meets Charlie, a New York book editor who is visiting family in town and loves the written word just as much as she does, sparks very quickly start to fly.
Book Lovers both pokes fun, and also is an homage, to all the made-for-TV movies about small town romances. The banter between Nora and Charlie makes this a page-turner, and you can’t help but root for the no-nonsense, hardworking Nora.
This Regency romance is set in a small English village, where the inhabitants become very interested when two handsome and wealthy gentlemen come to the area. While the younger of the two men is quickly captivated by the very spoiled and flighty heiress Tiffany Wield, the older is intrigued by her governess companion, Ancilla.
Full of village gossips, jaunts through the country, romantic misunderstandings, and local dances, the book is a cozy read, with low stakes and a lot of heart. Georgette Heyer was the inventor of many of the tropes and conventions you encounter in the modern-day historical romance genre. Her writing is always sparkling and humorous, and her characters always engaging and nuanced. If you enjoy the genre you should absolutely give one of her books a read, and The Nonesuch is a great place to start!
Check out this list for even more small town romance, including diverse authors and characters!
There's something about a small town as a setting for people falling in love. There's always this feeling of remoteness while also having the nosiest community imaginable trying to get you to see things their way--or help you out of your own way! Here are some great small town romances to check out if you're new to the genre.
