Finding Love on Vacation by Jana Richards
- Liz Flaherty
- May 21
- 5 min read
In my novel Her Best Man, Sarah and Will find themselves sharing a cabin on a cruise ship. The forced closeness hastens their romance, and helps them fall in love forever. In real life, holiday romances happen with great frequency. How often have you heard this story; two people meet on vacation in a tropical paradise or a romantic city, and fall in love. People are more relaxed during a break, more ready to take a leap of faith. Sometimes this love affair is a moment in time, a brief interlude to be remembered fondly upon return to the real world. But sometimes it’s the beginning of a lasting relationship. How do you tell the difference? Is it even wise to let yourself fall for someone while on vacation?
It goes without saying to be careful when considering a liaison with someone you’ve never met before, especially in a foreign country. If you do make a connection, Keen.com offers a four point plan to discover if a vacation fling can turn into a real relationship.
Make sure he’s single and available. Keen.com says that “Plenty of men get good at being single during business trips’. Look him up on the Internet, and make a speedy getaway if a search turns up a wife or girlfriend.
Examine his values. Connect with him on social networks to discover how he presents himself to the world. You’ll also discover whether your values can co-exist. If he loves the night life and you want a family, this relationship probably isn’t going anywhere.
Reconnect. You can keep in touch by phone and over the Internet, but real connection happens in person. Don’t quit your job, but meet for a weekend. Is there still a spark?
Transition to the Long-Distance Relationship. If you pass the first three steps, it’s time to move to the long-distance relationship. Keen.com says: “Alternate visits to your place with visits to his part of the world. Introduce him to your life first, then to your friends, then to your extended social network and finally to your family. Follow the same pattern with his world for best results. Enjoy your time together and make use of your time apart to understand what it was about the magic encounter you had on vacation that changed two lives forever.”
Sometimes a vacation fling doesn’t work out. What seems like magic on a tropical beach loses its shiny luster in the "real" world. Kim Gamble met Alex on vacation in Greece. But when he followed her back to New York City, the relationship wasn’t the same: “We had a passionate reunion for a week, but soon — without alcohol and sunshine — the initial thrill began to fade. Once we were confined to my small apartment, navigating the thorns of daily life, our relationship became prematurely serious and painfully pedestrian.” Ms. Gamble writes in Marie Claire: “Oddly, it reminded me of the vacations my family used to take — how at the beach I'd pay to have my hair braided Bo Derek-style. It was a look I could pull off on the sand, but once back home, waiting for my school bus in the snowy Pittsburgh winter, the braids looked absurd. I was starting to suspect that bringing Alex home was the starry-eyed equivalent of wearing cornrows in January.”
Though Ms. Gamble’s affair didn’t work out in the end, I’m sure she didn’t regret the experience. What might be truly regretful is having a connection with someone while on vacation on not acting on it.
Whether it works in the long term or not, if you’re single and available, leave yourself open to falling in love. Even if your vacation fling doesn’t turn out to be your soul mate, you’ll always have the memories.
Have you ever fallen in love on vacation? Did that relationship last once you got home?
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When Sarah gets dumped at the altar, she doesn’t expect to discover that the best man is the best man for her.
Sarah Stevens experiences a bride's worst nightmare; being dumped at the altar. When she goes on the Caribbean cruise meant to be her honeymoon in order to lick her wounds, she discovers her ex-fiancé has sent his brother, Will Marshall, the former best man, on the cruise as well. Everyone on board thinks they're newlyweds, and Sarah is too embarrassed to set them straight. How is she supposed to share a tiny cabin with a man she barely knows? How is she supposed to pretend that she and Will are on their honeymoon? Even worse, how can she keep from falling in love with him? Sarah discovers the best man for her really is the best man.
Universal Book Link: books2read.com/Her-Best-Man
Excerpt:
"Do you Brad, take this woman Sarah, to be your lawful wedded wife?" Will Marshall waited expectantly for his brother's "I do". So did the bride, the rest of the bridal party, and all the guests assembled in the church. A few seconds passed, and then a few more, and still Brad remained silent.
A murmur reverberated through the church. The minister cleared his throat.
Will couldn't see Brad's face, but he caught the tremor that shook his brother's shoulders. He glanced at the bride and their gazes locked for a second. He'd only met Sarah Stevens the previous evening at the rehearsal and didn't know her, but he easily read the anxiety in her eyes. She stood completely still, her body rigid as if bracing for a crash. The only movement Will detected was a slight quiver of petals and ribbons as her bouquet of red roses trembled in her hands. Will shifted his attention away from Sarah and stepped beside Brad. He touched his brother's shoulder.
"Are you all right?" he whispered.
Brad stood up straighter. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." He turned to the minister. "Can you repeat the question?"
Will returned to his place. The minister nodded, his smile attempting to reassure the congregation that he'd dealt with nervous grooms before. "Okay, let's take it from the top. Do you Brad, take this woman Sarah, to be your lawful wedded wife?"
"I…I…ugh."
The noise that came out of Brad's mouth was a cross between a person being strangled and a cat trying to dislodge a hairball. Will was shocked. Calm and steady Brad was the last guy he expected to fall apart at his own wedding.
"I can't do this." Brad dropped Sarah's hand. "I'm sorry, but I can't marry you."
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When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal.
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren and two senior cats named Layla and Leelou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com
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Ooh! Ouch! I hope his brother is a better partner than her fiancé ended up being!
Thanks for being here today, Jana!