annieb123's Review of Romance the Every Day

by Andrea Kasprzak

Light up your life with 52 practical ideas for romanticizing everyday moments.

Between the pulls of work, family, friends, and the unrelenting speed at which our world churns, it can be hard to find pockets of joy. Romance the Every Day aims to make the far-more-frequent ordinary moments of our lives a bit sweeter with 52 thoughtful and accessible ideas—one for every week of the year.

Ranging from the simple and sublime topic of “Cake” to the adventuresome pull of “Road Trips,” and illustrated with charming watercolor artwork throughout, this guide is full of small and easy-to-implement tweaks that can transform a daily routine into something magical. Inside, you’ll find inspiration such as:

Arranging fresh bedside flowers or leaving a chocolate on your pillow for a delicious surprise to come home to after work.
Lighting a candle and putting on a favorite playlist to accompany you while tackling a daunting sink full of dishes.
Settling in at a bistro table to pretend you’re in Paris with a baguette and coffee.
Writing yourself a love note on the bathroom mirror.
Setting off on a long drive with a cinematic playlist.
. . . and so much more!

Romantic living is not dependent on financial wealth or social status. It is focused on senses, aesthetics, maximizing your resources, and observing the poetry of the present. The perfect gift for someone you love or self-purchase to honor the love in your heart, Romance the Every Day is for anyone seeking to add a bit of optimistic (and delightfully romantic) texture to their life.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Romance the Every Day is a lovely and well curated collection of 52 suggestions for slowing down and luxuriating outside the daily grind, written by Andrea Kasprzak. Released 1st Oct 2024 by Chronicle Books, it's 120 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Daily mental healthcare, self-care, and support are vitally important, especially given the current state of *everything* and the author has compiled a lovely creative list of things for readers which are do-able, relatively simple, and which will bring a whiff of luxury to the every day.

The suggestions run the gamut from meditative thoughtful pauses and routines to get mind and body working, to edible treats, and moments of commune with nature walking and enjoying the outdoors. The book's graphic are restful and calm, enhanced throughout with watercolor illustrations by Katharina Puritscher. They're mostly pastels and full of small cozy details which support and enhance the text very well.

Four and a half stars. This would make a lovely gift, for home use, and for library acquisition.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

20 October, 2024: Started reading

20 October, 2024: Finished reading

20 October, 2024: Reviewed