As you may have guessed from the names of some of our teas, I am a huge fan of romance in all its forms. Whether a vintage campy vampire classic, or swashbuckling romantasy adventure, I love to make all of my reading experiences extra swoony by building rituals around my books that help to spark the imagination. If you think that sounds a bit extra, then you’d be totally correct.

Read on for some romance book recs and my favourite accompaniments to make that weeknight escapism extra-immersive.

The Book

First thing’s first…the book! There are too many good romances to put on this list. I’m impartial to period dramas, vampires, werewolves, romantasy, romcoms, and everything in between. Here are just a few relaxing and swoony favourites to get you inspired.

The Love Hypothesis

Ali Hazelwood

As a woman in STEM myself (we will not be exploring the niche archaeology romance genre quite yet), this book ticks so many boxes. Not only is Ali the queen of romance, she’s also the queen of STEM (and Star Wars). We stan a queen who rocks too many hats.
This delightful read has scientists, fake dating, and academic political intrigue. What more does a book need?

Icebreaker

A.L. Graziadei

Sooooo I love ice hockey. I watch it, I dabble in playing it (poorly). Which leads me to the whole genre of sports romances and ice hockey romances - the answer is YES.
Icebreaker is a swoony YA queer romance that I loved. It’s a coming of age story which tackles mental health issues in a tender and respectful way. There are fun hockey game scenes. Oh, and it’s a slow burn rivals-to-lovers story. Chef’s kiss!

One Last Stop

Casey McQuiston

This book sounds totally whacky, but is actually wholesome and swoony AND hot. One of the main characters is a displaced 1970s Chinese punk lesbian, who totally has my Chinese heart. I WISH I was that cool.

There is a chance meeting on public transport, extreme amounts of yearning, a time travel mystery, an awesome found family, and a thoughful homage to the 1960s/1970s queer New York communities - especially people of colour, who were pivotal to the civil rights movements.

The Tea

To really set the mood, I usually pair my books with a cup of tea. I have three recommendations for your romance reading ritual - a dreamy herbal blend, a naughty chocolate tea, and a comforting nighttime blend. Must account for different romantic tastes!

Daydream

This one is a dreamy, herbaceous and minty blend of lemon verbena and peppermint. It looks and tastes completely whimsical, and has a bit of a floral finish. I would pair it with a period drama, or something sweetly cottagecore. It was inspired by magical realism, and is perfect for the daydreamer.

Romantasy

I love this tea, and you will too if you’re a smut-reading chocoholic. It is a decadent blend of roasted fairtrade cacao husk, with organic pink rose petals. It tastes like a romantasy book club - chocolate cake, rose bubble baths, and comparing of notes.

Starry Night

This one is the perfect nighttime blend for tucking yourself in under a blanket and indulging in a swoony read. It is a classic relaxing blend with chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, calendula and passionflower. If you’re after a floral and woodsy warm hug in a mug, Starry Night might help.

The Music

Don’t forget to set the mood with some reading music. Here’s my lo-fi romance playlist. Follow and save this one for when the mood strikes!

The Place

So you’ve got your book, your tea, and the musical vibes. Don’t forget to set yourself up in a romantic reading spot! For inspiration…

• reading in the bath 
• cozy fireplace armchair
• eReader under the stars
• picnic in the garden
• train in the countryside
• quiet little coffee shop
• a window reading nook

The Extras

So if you’re a bit extra like me…I’ve got some romantic little extras for you. For a full sensory experience, why not immerse yourself with a reading candle, some incense, perfume, massage oils, or a bath melt?

Aromas

I use scents as part of my reading ritual. Some of these are romantic, and some are purported aphrodisiacs. I just think they smell nice, but try for yourself and see!

My favourite romantic scents:

• neroli 
• sandalwood
• rose
• jasmine
• ylang ylang
• ginger
• clary sage
• cinnamon
• patchouli