Small-Towns in Small-Town Romance
Small-town romance is my favourite niche in the romance genre. That’s probably not a surprise to you if you’ve read any of my books!
What is it about small-town romance that I find so enticing?
Small Towns
Small towns are fun. Many towns aim to have festivals and events that bring the people together. They have to work hard to keep people from being lured away by big city jobs, so they go out of their way to create fun things to do.
Both Phail and Bloo Moose have Christmas festivals. There’s a summer festival in Phail as well that pulls in people from surrounding areas. Towns tend to celebrate diversity and they bring that energy to their festivals and events.
When a town is able to develop an identity, it can help with tourism, too. Tourism is often the lifeblood of small towns, so bringing in people is important.
In Bloo Moose, people come for the lake and all the activities on or in it – no matter what the season. Phail is just building up to bring in the tourists with a few events. Piper has a lot of ideas for that. And the gorgeous autumn leaves in Vermont always bring in people!
Small towns tend to have B&Bs instead of hotels, or even motels. In Bloo Moose, Darby runs the B&B while Jim and Carl run the one in Phail. B&Bs have a more personal touch and guests can get the flavor of the town by spending a few nights there.
The People of Small Towns
In a small town, there’s a chance you’re going to know everyone – or at least know OF everyone. There are always people looking out for you. And there are probably a few people waiting to spread some gossip about what you’re up to. In a small town, secrets are difficult to keep!
Megs and Mario take care of the gossip train in Bloo Moose. Troy appears to be at the core of it all in Phail.
Every small town has a few people who work hard (often behind the scenes) to make sure the town is thriving. Jaz is one of those people. Troy and Marcus, too.