Lit Wicks: Romantic Memoirs

Welcome to Lit Wicks! This is where we pair an author’s backlist or book theme 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, we’re focusing on romantic memoirs, namely Sarah’s favorites that she mentioned in this post. If there’s anything I know about Sarah, it’s that she loves books that create a wonderful sense of place, and I’m hoping these candles do just that for your reading experiences.

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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Paris Letters by Janice Macleod is one of Sarah’s comfort re-reads!

The author quits her job and travels around Europe. While international adventures and introspection play a large part, so does letter writing as the name suggests!

Macleod turns letter writing into a way of making money while she’s in Paris. In fact, you can see her beautiful, illustrated letters in her own Etsy shop.

Wax melt: Little Llama Wax Co–Love Letters 3oz. ($5)

Yes, I know this isn’t a candle, but it’s close enough. Macleod’s letters are a labor of love, if you couldn’t tell by looking at the images. And love definitely plays a big part in Macleod’s journey. As a bonus, how cute is that packaging?

Candle: BriarWick–Pen to Paper 8oz. ($15.50)

This candle’s scent is supposed to create an atmosphere of calm to get some writing done. It has notes of sugarcane, bamboo, and rainforest mist.

Up next is Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard.

Paris! Lunch! Sarah warns not to read this while hungry and I do not blame her in the slightest, as food and cooking are a central theme in this memoir.

My first inclination was trying to find a pain au chocolat candle, of which I could find none. It’s positively criminal, I tell you.

Candle: BookishBarnett–Together in Paris 6oz. ($12.99)

Though this is Anastasia-inspired, the scents in this one capture a very romantic, Parisian feeling. And I say this as someone who has never been to Paris. Sarah has, maybe she can chime in! This candle has notes of jasmine, black currant, vanilla, and sandalwood.

Candle: Shop Simply Farmhouse–French Baguette 12oz. ($14.87)

The description of this candle includes the phrase “butter melting over a crunchy crust.” My mouth is already watering. I’m very tempted to buy this candle to see if it really captures the scent of a warm, fresh baguette.

Romance is my Day Job: A Memoir of Finding Love at Last by Patience Bloom is next up on the list!

Bloom is not only a romance reader, but she also served as a Harlequin editor. To me, this memoir belongs in the category of “books for book lovers.”

There’s a lot of comparison to working in and reading romance versus the reality of romance. Anyone who is dating in these trying times knows what I mean.

Candle: North Ave Candles–Chapters and Charms 12oz. ($26)

Not only is the outside patterned with an adorable bookshelf, but as the candle burns down, you’ll discover little foil packets. These packets contain adorable bookish charms; three per candle. This candle smells of teakwood, earl grey, and old book pages.

Candle: Lane Zabel–Romance Author 8oz. ($8)

I don’t think this candle smells like all romance authors, but this one has notes of almond, plumeria, and rum. Do check out the rest of the shop, as the scents are named after romance tropes!

Lastly is My Grape Year by Laura Bradbury, and additionally My Grape Escape .

We have wine! We have some home renovation!

Bradbury goes to Burgundy, France as an exchange student. The follow-up finds Bradbury questioning her career path and longing to return to France. Spoiler: she does.

Candle: Birch House Candles–Wine Cellar 11.5oz ($28)

At first, I went searching for a Burgundy wine candle, but that only gave me candles that were burgundy in color. This one is a good substitute; it has fruity hints of plum and fig.

Candle: Armani’s Aromas–Paris Love 10oz. ($18)

While the main setting of My Grape Year isn’t Paris, I was really taken with the scent description of pink champagne, tulips, and water lilies. It’s fresh, floral, and effervescent and definitely reminds me of being a young adult and just wanting all the romantic adventures I could handle.

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And that’s it for this edition of Lit Wicks! Which candle duo and book pairing was your favorite?