Lit Wicks: Jill Shalvis

Welcome to Lit Wicks! This is where we pair an author’s backlist with candles to really immerse yourself in the reading experience. All of the candles featured in these post are from Etsy, which means there is often worldwide shipping and that you’re supporting independent crafters and sellers. The Etsy candle rabbit hole is one I have gone down many times.

This month, I decided to go with Jill Shalvis’ books as inspiration. There are a lot of books to pull from and we’ve featured her titles in Lit Wicks: Outdoorsy Heroes and Lit Wicks: Recommended Holiday Romances. What I like about her series is they do a great job creating a sense of place in a cozy, safe, and welcoming way.

If you’re curious about what other authors have received the Lit Wicks treatment, check out our category page. And if you’d like to suggest an author’s backlist for a future Lit Wicks column, please email me!

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Animal Magnetism series: The covers in this series have a common thread: animals. Obviously. Many of them have adorable dogs, though I believe one has a cute kitten.

I’m sure none of you want a candle that smells like a wet dog, but how about puppy breath?

And if you tell me puppy breath isn’t a thing (a good thing!) I’m going to have to ask you to leave, go round up some puppies, boop their snoots, and smell their breath.

Candle: Lake Life Company — Pug Life™: Puppy Breath 12oz. ($18)

Now this one doesn’t really smell like puppy breath, but it has a sweet vanilla scent.

Candle: Hello You Candles — Blue Sky 9oz. ($23)

This particular candle is inspired by All I Want in this series because I remember Elyse being excited by the pilot heroine. This is a fresh scent with notes of salty air and musk. The shop also has several customization options, if you’re giving this one as a gift.

Cedar Ridge series: Taking place in Colorado, this series does a great job projecting what you’re getting into based on the cover.

There’s a dude with climbing gear and mountains in the background for Second Chance Summer. Then, some snowy slopes and a guy carrying skis for My Kind of Wonderful.

Seasonal themes with outdoorsy men. I’m here for it.

Candle: Rainy Day Candle Studio — Rocky Mountain High 8oz. ($15)

I know it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but I love the label and the pop of green in the text. I’m a sucker for aesthetics.

The scent of this one seems very “green” as it has hints of pine needs, cedar wood, and moss.

Candle: Vintage Created — Ski Lodge 9oz. ($9.99)

I have to admit something, I’ve never stepped food in a ski lodge, but I am obsessed with ski lodge and winter lodge related candles. My dream is to one day go to a ski resort and soak in a jacuzzi, surrounded by the snow and mountains.

Heartbreaker Bay series: Most, if not all, of the Heartbreaker Bay books are set in San Francisco, but please correct me if I’m wrong. Hot Winter Nights might be set elsewhere, given the snowy cabin on the cover.

The books also always feature couples looking pretty adorable.

This means that my inspiration comes from an overall cuteness and San Fran.

Candle: NESW Wax Co. — San Francisco 8oz. ($14)

The description of this candle talks about how the rain in San Francisco really brings out the scent of flowers. If you like floral smells, this might be for you with its hints of jasmine, lily, and white grapefruit. The shop also has a lot of place-themed candles in case you’d rather get one inspired by your hometown or state.

Candle: The Cheeky Nose — Be My Valentine 9oz. ($16)

I wanted a “sweet” candle for this series because of all the embracing, smiling couples on the covers. As the label says, this candle has notes of sweet cream, white chocolate, and berries. Even though I’m not a huge white chocolate fan, this one sounds delicious.

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Do you have a favorite Jill Shalvis book? Which scents would you pair with it? Let us know in the comments below!