The Modern Romance series is all about passion and escape in the most glamorous, international settings. This month, our eight Modern titles form the Jet-Set Billionaire series and all take place in different parts of the world.

Read more about the inspirations behind each book!

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Kelly Hunter (Outback Australia): There’s something iconic about Outback Australia. It’s one of the world’s remote, wild places. It demands fortitude, perseverance, and a sense of humour as dry as the dirt underfoot. It favours honesty and observation of the smallest moments over subterfuge and being only half awake. What a perfect place to set a story.

 

Abby Green (Rio de Janeiro): Hi guys! When my Hero and Heroine start the day signing their divorce papers in the glittering and sexy city of Rio de Janeiro, they don’t expect that by lunch time they’ll still be together, and sequestered on a luxury private island off the coast of Brazil for their own safety. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, the wild and rugged tropical island is the backdrop to the passionate reckoning they’ve been avoiding for a year. They almost got away with their marriage of convenience, but it’s about to turn very inconvenient. I hope you enjoy being transported to paradise with Caio and Ana.

 

Natalie Anderson (Fiji): When given the challenge to write a romance in a ‘jet set’ location, there was one place that instantly sprang to my mind: Fiji—the heart of the Pacific and the ultimate passionate destination!

With the clearest azure waters, its an archipelago comprised of hundreds of beautiful islands with golden sands, coral reefs and gorgeous turtles in deep lagoons… yes, there’s a reason Fiji was the setting for that ultimate 1980s Brooke Shield’s movie, The Blue Lagoon.

I live in New Zealand and Fiji is our gorgeous, tropical neighbour and is where many of us go for our honeymoons including—you guessed it—ME!

Yes, twenty-two years ago my handsome husband and I were lucky enough to spend a week on a tiny island in Fiji and yes, it was everything you imagine and more. Fresh cut tropical fruit, palm trees, plunge pool, hot days, balmy breezes, peace and privacy. It really and truly was paradise. So ‘returning’ to Fiji to write this story was such a pleasure. And to be able to up the luxury factor even more was wonderful… because no, hubby and I did NOT fly about in private luxury helicopters, nor did we stay on a private island with an entire luxury resort all to ourselves… but I can tell you it is definitely a place in which love blossoms ❤

So please come along on Carrie and Massimo’s journey to Fiji—and follow their journey to falling in love and finding their happy ever after…

Bula Fiji—I can’t wait to visit you again too.

 

Dani Collins (Miami): My editor actually suggested I set this book in Miami which suited me very well! With the pandemic, we haven’t been anywhere for two years, but I’ve always wanted to visit the Florida Keys. I used the excuse to spend way too much time viewing images of green blue water and mangroves and, of course, gorgeous yachts. My heroine in Cinderella for the Miami Playboy, Bianca, was also feeling cooped up. She’s a whistleblower in hiding so she’s excited to set sail, not realising that Everett has discovered her Big Secret. I won’t spoil anything except to say they see more of each other than they do of the keys. *wink*

 

Pippa Roscoe (Svardia/Sweden):

I don’t know whether it’s Viking tv dramas, Norse mythology, or the stunning landscapes, but I’ve been desperate to visit the Scandinavian peninsula for ages. For obvious reasons, that’s not been possible recently, but when I started my latest Royal trilogy, there was no other place I could imagine it being. When Princess Freya is forced to travel to Sweden to confront the man who broke her trust and her heart, she did not expect to get snowbound in his cabin! Immediately she is bewitched by the stunning woodland snowscape, as wild and untameable as the man she finds herself trapped with. I hope that you enjoy reading about the Royals who rule Svardia, a beautiful Kingdom on the northern edge of the Scandinavian peninsula.

 

Jadesola James (Abuja/Seychelles):

The Royal Baby He Must Claim begins in Nigeria’s sprawling, cosmopolitan capital, Abuja — spends a bit of time near the quiet coastal town of Badagry, and in true presents form, whisks our Princess Kemi off to the East African paradise of the Seychelles for an unforgettable honeymoon.

It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world — a collection of tiny islands dotting the balmy, sapphire-blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Lush flora and fauna and extraordinary landforms accommodate travellers in everything from spa robes to bathing suits to hiking boots, and lovers from all over the world use it as a by-word for luxury.

Luke and Kemi spend a great deal of time rather simply on the beach, fishing, eating fresh local fruits, and enjoying the spectacular rock formations there– giant, otherworldly granite boulders that are famous hallmarks. They’re craggy and smooth at the same time, different sizes, can be climbed, camped under, and are perfect hiding places for canoodling couples. The spirit of the place definitely gets into Kemi, and it’s the perfect setting for her to fall hopelessly in love! To me, that’s the most luxurious thing about these getaways– the opportunity to linger in a world of beauty, to absorb it until it becomes a part of you.

I was happiest for the opportunity to showcase so much of my beautiful Africa in this book, and to take my readers there! I hope that as I explore the continent even more in future stories, you’ll be just as enchanted as I was — and Kemi was — with the Seychelles Islands.

 

Sharon Kendrick (Bali):

Bali is a paradise – that’s a given. It ticks every box on my wish-list with its glittering beaches, crystal waters and brightly-coloured flowers.  Imagine sun-drenched luxury with a deliciously laid-back vibe, where you can sip cocktails to your heart’s content.  What’s not to like?

But there are always serpents in paradise.  Everyone knows that.  The dark heart of a place which stop it from being perfect.

Kitty, my heroine – falls in love with the island and is swept off her feet by Santiago Tevez – a man whose physical beauty conceals a heart of pure stone.  She’s probably being crazy, but chances like this don’t come very often in a lifetime.  One night of passion – what could possibly go wrong…?

 

Kim Lawrence (Sicily):

When I think of romantic settings Sicily always ticks all the boxes for me!

An island with sun (sun earns an extra tick especially when my view is rain and more rain) shimmering sea, a stunning coastline, palm trees, banyan trees, a melting pot of architecture, food and culture, even a volcano! It felt like the perfect backdrop for the sparks to fly between Soren, sexy Italian hero with his Viking blue eyes and Anna the heroine of Innocent in the Sicilian’s Palazzo. Creating the Palazzo where they fall in love brought home to me on a very grey day that writing really is the best job!

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By Lauren Gardiner