What exactly do dead squirrels have to do with romance? Well, you might be surprised. Author Lisa Schnedler is sharing her story today and I think you're going to like it. ;)

​“You did it wrong,” one of my friends counseled. “You never get three dogs all the same age.”
I wish I had known—that my three “babies” – a rescue Maltese, a mixed-breed dumped on the side of the road, and my son’s childhood Boston Terrier—all in the same age range—would have to be put to sleep, one each year, for three years. And it wasn’t just the pain of putting them to sleep. It was the months and months of poor health, vet visits, and the pain of watching your companion want to live—and not be able to.
My husband had had too much of this.
“Let’s not get a dog until you retire.”
But, six months after the suffering ended, I had had enough. Enough of coming home to an empty house. Enough of walks alone. Enough of not having my warm friend under my feet as I worked at my computer. I had had enough!

When you're all set to yearn for a life of hair-tucking and quaint gestures, it's hard to settle for gluten-free pizza. Or is it? Author Karin Beery is chatting today about her "not romantic" husband. See what you think.

​I knew when I met my husband that he wasn’t classically romantic. He’s a bit of a redneck—he considers camouflage a “neutral” pattern—and had never read a romance novel nor watched a rom com. I didn’t have high hopes for grand gestures.
I was right to be skeptical. He bought me roses once when we were dating. Since we’ve been married (almost 18 years), the only flowers I’ve received were a Crayola-colored bouquet of daisies from the grocery story.
As a life-long reader of romance novels (seriously, I started reading them in middle school), part of me grieved. I wanted hair tucked behind my ears, poetic professions of love, and romantic getaways to quaint bed and breakfasts. 

Do you believe in love at first sight? Instant attraction? Author Toni Shiloh is chatting with us today about whether or not she believes. See if you agree with her assessment.

Insta love is one of those tropes you instantly love (see what I did there) or automatically hate. I think a lot of people feel it’s unrealistic, but honestly, it was very much a thing for me.
Now I’m not going to say I instantly knew I would marry my husband the first time I ever met him, but there was this instant connection when we met.
I met him when I moved to England for my first job in the Air Force. Ours was a workplace romance because he worked same career field. However, two weeks of being together and falling in love, he got orders to deploy.

Does an anniversary have to be perfect to be romantic? I think you'll discover the answer is a resounding "no." Especially in stories like the one author Shirley Gould shares today. I got a kick out of it, and I think you will too! Also, make sure you scroll all the way down for her new book, which releases 7/25.

​Not everyone gets their happily-ever-after ending, but I did. I was abundantly blessed to be married to J.R. Gould for forty years. He was a man’s man with an amazing personality and a winning smile. His ability to proclaim the Word made him a sought-after evangelist around the world. Displaying stellar leadership skills, he was elected to lofty positions among the ministers of our church organization. As a missionary he was exemplary, winning thousands to the Lord. My tall, dark, and handsome man was also hopelessly romantic. He treated me like a queen. We celebrated our anniversaries in special places around the globe such as Paris, Hawaii, Jamaica, Puerta Varrata, and Cancun.

How do you love someone when you can't be together? Is that a strange question? Not for guest author, Jennifer Arrington. Today, she's giving us a look into a Real-Life Romance situation when she couldn't be with her husband. I think you're going to love this story as much as I do!

​In January of 2021, I went in for a double mastectomy. A large caveat to this frightening surgery was that I had to go in alone; COVID protocols allowed zero guests. I remember being more afraid of flying solo than the actual surgery.
My husband had been by my side throughout my original breast cancer surgery, a lumpectomy in 2019. He held my hand and cracked jokes and kept me distracted from the fear the entire time. The last thing I remember was his presence; the first face I focused on afterward was his.
So, having to go through this more significant surgery without him felt overwhelming, and he knew and understood this.

Can you remember the last romantic gesture you received? How about the one before that? In all honesty, a lot of us probably can't go back too far in remembering. And yet, the romance is still there, even if it's not in the forefronts of our mind. So what makes our love lasting? Guest author, Iola Goulton, is chatting today about her relationship with her husband, and what takes it from the red-hot romances to lasting love. Read on!

​I am an avid reader, and romance is my favourite genre. Yet ask me my what my favourite book is, and my answer is likely to be the Bible (always a good choice). Why? Because every novel I’ve ever read mysteriously vanishes from my memory the minute I’m asked the fateful question.
 
I have the same difficulty with romance, romantic moments, and romantic memories.
 
Despite reading one hundred or more romance novels a year and being married for almost thirty years, ask me to write a blog post about something in real life that I found romantic, and thirty years of chocolates and flowers and fun days with my husband vanish from my memory. It’s not that he never does anything romantic, and it’s not that I have a bad memory (honest!). 

How did you fall in love with your significant other? Better question: how do you keep falling in love? That's what guest author, Jessica Wakefield is chatting about today. I think you're going to agree with a lot of her sentiments. Read on.

​Real life romances are always unique. Recently I had three of my nieces for a sleepover. Add to my own two girls, I had five girls ranging from ages six to twelve in my house. It was noisy to say the least, fun watching the girls laugh and play together, but noisy. In the morning it was just me and the girls. My husband had gone to work when we saw a cockroach (it was one of the biggest I’ve seen in years), and not a single one of us could kill it. There was lots of screaming. I told me eldest to run across the road and ask our neighbour if he’d help. He’s a grandfather and I figured he’d be a good source of assistance. Sure enough, he came over and dispatched the cockroach. I told him he could tease me about this for the rest of my life. He laughed and said it wasn’t a worry. In fact, he said, that’s how his daughter met her husband. She had knocked on the door across the road, needing help with a spider, and he came over and the rest is history.

Would you consider a video game a romantic gesture? Author Sara Beth Williams is chatting about a time when her husband surprised her with just that. And how she found it romantic indeed. Read on.

​My now-husband and I met at a Christian concert event in 2005 where he and I along with several other college students spent a weekend camping and enjoying contemporary Christian music. There weren’t any huge romantic gestures, btu there was absolutely an inward pull toward one another.
 
Ove the years, we’ve both made romantic gestures toward one another, like when I bought NFL tickets for our first year anniversary (and they were stolen off our porch) Or when he bought Toby Mac concert tickets for my birthday, or Switchfoot concert tickets for our anniversary.

We’ve been open about what we like and want to see from one another. I am a huge proponent of communication, and I believe that ‘expecting’ your spouse or significant other to know everything you want is unrealistic and unfair for everyone involved. 

Is it the big gestures or something else that really gets your heart racing in the romance department? I'm very much in agreement with fellow author, Carolyn Miller, who is sharing some fun experiences her husband blessed her with ... which has in turn helped her create more romantic characters. See what you think.

​When my now-husband and I first started dating I was impressed by his romantic gestures. I still remember when he first asked me out that he quoted Shakespeare to me (Henry V’s speech to Katharine – I know you want to know!), something which stunned and impressed this high school English teacher. (I’m someone who struggles to remember the names of her characters in her current work-in-progess, let alone swathes of Shakespeare!) I remember being impressed by the moonlit walks on the beach, the flowers, the jewellery, all of the sweetnesses.
Now, twenty-five years of marriage, four kids, and lots of adventures later, I’m still a huge fan of those gestures most would deem romantic, but now I have a deeper appreciation of other things. Like when he takes care of cooking dinner without complaining. (Hey, he’s a better cook than me) Like when he wants to spend time with me, even if it means doing stuff that mightn’t be his favorite thing to do. 

2023 got off to a shaky start in some ways.
I caught a cold/sinus gunk shortly before Christmas and kept it all the way through. Not a fun way to celebrate the holidays. I finally started feeling better in time to start back to work. But I started back to work with two days of an online tax seminar. I went from getting up between 7:30 and 8 and lazing away at breakfast to having to be at the office by 7. Big difference.
By the end of those days, I was spent. Mentally and physically.
Imagine my joy when I walk into my house and find the ceiling fans dusted and dinner started.