Being a lover of romance novels, I’ve come to accept certain narratives as fact. For example: if I move to a small town in the middle of nowhere, I will immediately fall in love with the local sheriff while we solve a mystery together. Also, there’s a perfect boy from my past just waiting to find me again when I move back home and I’m down on my luck. And finally, if I ever decide to run a quaint country inn in the middle of nowhere, some hot (possible CIA agent) will come to stay, fall in love with me, and never leave.
I have yet to test any of these actual situations, though when I saw this contest floating around the Internet last week (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2986554/Win-inn-Owner-historic-Maine-inn-holding-essay-contest-winner-gets-property.html), I realized my time had come. Janice Sage, owner of the Center Lovell Inn in Maine, is giving away her business to the winner of an essay contest. Yes, you read that right: she’s giving her inn to whoever can write the best 200 word essay on why they want to own and operate a country inn. Sage won the inn herself back in 1993, and sees this contest as an opportunity to pay her good will forward. Applicants have to send in their essays by May 7th, and there’s a $125 fee to enter. Which feels like small potatoes when you could win an entire business—not to mention an adorable, historic old inn.
All this could be yours: The owner of the Center Lovell Inn and Restaurant in Maine is holding a contest, with the winner getting to take over ownership of the historic inn built in 1805.
I’m calling it: this is a romance novel waiting to happen. I better get typing. In the meantime, I’ll read a few inn-based romances for a little inspiration. Here are three of my favorites:
The Boonsboro Inn Trilogy, by Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts’ novels are like a cup of your favorite tea: warm, satisfying, and you pretty much always know what you’re going to get. In this case, predictability is not a bad thing—Roberts is one of the most famous living novelists for a reason. Her Boonsboro Inn series hits on a lot of her familiar tropes, including three hot hero brothers, love interests they’ve known for years (but are only now falling for), and, yes, a ghost or two. But the love stories are sweet and organic, and Roberts’ love for Boonsboro Inn (she based it on a real inn that she owns!) shines through on every page. Plus, she includes so much detail about renovating an inn, I won’t need to do any research when I win the Center Lovell contest.
Head Over Heels, by Jill Shalvis
I rave about Jill Shalvis books a lot, and for good reason—she’s definitely one of the best contemporary romance authors around these days. Her novels, set in the fictional town of Lucky Harbor, are fun and cute, with hot heroes and complicated heroines. But while her series take us all over the coastal town, the first three books are firmly planted at an old inn that three sisters inherit together. Though the first two books are great, my favorite is Head Over Heels, which focuses on Chloe, the free-spirit in the family. She has to decide if she’s ready to settle down, and how exactly she fits into life at a quaint inn. Also, she has to decide what to do with the hot, straitlaced sheriff who suddenly finds her very intriguing. It’s really just a bonus that this book combines two of my favorite romance tropes: the inn and the sheriff.
Deacon, by Kristen Ashley
Have I mentioned my insane love for Kristen Ashley yet? I’ve bought every single one of her books. Seriously, I’ve probably paid for her mortgage four times over. As far as I’m concerned, Ashley represents self-publishing done right. She has a distinctly hilarious style, insanely over-the-top alpha heroes, and feisty heroines who love to throw sass and tend to have big hair. Plus she’s insanely prolific, releasing full-length novels every few months. I’m not going to lie: if Ashley ever started a cult, I would be her first member. So when Deacon came out last year, I devoured it. The story follows Cassidy Swallow, who follows her heart and buys a cabin motel business in the mountains of Colorado. She spends years pouring her sweat, time, and money into it, ditching her loser boyfriend and eventually building a successful business. From the start, she has a returning mysterious guest who always pays in cash and uses a fake name. Of course, she ends up falling for him. Like every Ashley novel, this one is filled with steamy sex scenes, and a taciturn hero you can’t help falling for.
Are you going to throw your hat in the ring to try and win the Center Lovell Inn? Let us know in the comments!
