Romantic Settings

 Romantic Settings

by Sharon Bryant

Magical romantic moments can take place anywhere, but sometimes a special place or type of setting strikes us as being particularly romantic.

When I think of romantic settings, beautiful sunny beaches with breaking waves creating their own rainbows, snow covered cottages with warm log fires,  and beautiful old cities like Rome and Kotor come to mind. I also think of the majestic fjords of Norway, the beauty of Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and the lush tropical islands in the South Pacific.

The Role of Settings in Romance Novels

Of course, great romance novels can be set anywhere, but the places where your characters meet, interact and fall in love should enhance their experiences and the vicarious experiences of your readers. For example, in Jane Eyre, Thornfield Hall's gloominess is used to magnify the reader's understanding of the extent of Mr Rochester's depression before he met Jane. It is also used to heighten Jane's shock and sense of betrayal when she finds out that Mr Rochester is already married. The house provides a sense of menace that heightens the reader's experience.

The atmosphere created by a place or item can change depending on the time of day and the emotions your characters are experiencing. For example, in "The Scoundrel's Daughter", Anne Gracie uses a beautiful kidskin bible with a mother-of-pearl cover to heighten our understanding of Alice's past marriage. She was devastated when she discovered her husband's infidelity. and now, many years later, she is gradually moving on from this. Older, wiser, penniless and widowed, Alice feels comfortable regifting the barely touched bible to her new goddaughter, Lucy. "Now it seemed a perfect gift, releasing her from the unhappy memories it evoked and entering a new beginning with a new owner."

Sometimes, setting is used to stop your characters reaching their goals such as when forced proximity is used to keep the hero and heroine together. In Michelle Douglas' "Secret Fling with the Billionaire",  Cleo dives into a canal boat to escape the press and has little choice but to accept Jude Blackwood's offer of refuge. She finds her growing feelings for him much harder to keep to herself. At other times the setting symbolises what is about to happen such as when Mr Rochester first proposes to Jane in a rising thunderstorm.

Settings and the Psychology of Love

Settings and how we react to them influence our life experiences. Psychologists talk of a "psychology of love setting" as a specific environment conducive to the development of romantic feelings. Physical intimacy, novelty, deep conversations, shared experiences and positive feelings all play a part. Each of these features in great romantic novels.

Valentine's Day has just passed. I hope you had a lovely day. Did you go somewhere special and romantic with a partner, friend or family? If yes, where did you go?

What is your favourite romantic setting - your special place where you experience romance?

I love to love: My husband and I still celebrate Valentine's Day.

I love to laugh: Romantic comedy is one of my favourite genres.

I love to learn: More about the world and the people in it.