Inspy Romance

Inspy Romance—Fall in Love With a Good Book

Fun Dates

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February is the month where it’s okay to talk about all things love, hearts, and romance.

But I love love, so I refuse to contain my happiness to one month.

Romance is not dead. Love is not a thing of the past. Commitment is still a wonderful bond that we should seek with the Lord, our friends, our family, and our spouses.

Today, I’d like to celebrate fun dates. You know, those enjoyable adventures we share with those we hopefully grow to love or already love.

I’ve been on many wonderful dates with my husband in the last eight years, and some of our best times together were on road trips or vacations. We work well as a team, and I love seeking out new and wonderful things with him.

Contemporary Christian romance books take us on some of the best dates. You know, since we get to follow the characters wherever they go, that means we can go on a fictional date with them.

Cool, right?

In my most recent book, Protected by the Cowboy, Micah takes Laney out on the ranch. Micah is color blind, so Laney describes the beautiful colors she sees to him. She wanted to share another layer of God’s gift with him, and I believe that’s a wonderful way to spend a date. She was able to share the intricacies of the scene around them in a way we often take for granted.

I compiled a short list of some other interesting dates I’ve come across in Contemporary Christian romance lately. I’ve also added in a few interesting dates from my own books.

In Where the Heart is by K. Leah, Bristol and Gavin go to an art crawl in Nashville. I live in the southeastern United States, and I enjoyed the setting for all of these books. An art crawl sounds like a great date for these college students.

In Summer to Remember by Tara Grace Ericson, Danielle and Mark go to a Comic Con. They both enjoy comic books and science fiction, so it was the perfect date for these characters. I also loved the shirts Danielle wore with funny sayings on them.

In my book, The Billionaire’s Destined Bride, Cole takes Sophia to Blake Island off the coast of Washington in the Pacific Northwestern United States. They have a picnic on the beach and watch Orcas in the bay.

In my book, Remembering the Cowboy, Noah takes Camille to a special place by a creek every year on her birthday where they have cupcakes and talk about what they hope the next year holds. These characters were friends when they were younger, and their history added more meaning to this recurring date.

In my book, Living Hope, Jake takes Natalie fishing where they eat sandwiches in the canoe and watch the sun set. Later, he finds out that it was her first date ever making it extra special for both of them.

In my book, Beautiful Storm, Marcus takes Tori to a county fair, a high school football game, and a drag race. These were all things that Tori had never experienced before, but since Marcus was the guardian of his four siblings, Marcus and Tori had to conform their dating experiences to accommodate the kids.

Throughout my small-town Unfailing Love series, the characters often end up at Rusty’s, a local restaurant with live music and a casual friendly atmosphere where they could all hang out together. Rusty’s became the meeting place for the group of friends to share special announcements like engagements and pregnancies as the series unfolds. Since many of the couples started their relationships there, it held a special significance for everyone.

Fun fact: Rusty’s is based on a real place in my hometown called The Barn. My husband and I used to have dates there, and now we take our daughter there almost every Friday night for dinner. The waitresses adore her, and they’ve all become sweet friends.

Dates represent the time we grow together and learn about each other in new relationships, but they’re also the foundation of a strong relationship later.

What is the best date you’ve ever been on? Or do you recall an exceptional date you read about in a contemporary Christian romance book? I’ll be giving away one ebook copy of my new release, Protected by the Cowboy to one special commenter. I’ll choose a winner on Monday, February 22, 2021.

Mandi Blake (18 Posts)

Mandi Blake was born and raised in Alabama where she lives with her husband and daughter, but her southern heart loves to travel. Reading has been her favorite hobby for as long as she can remember, but writing is her passion. She loves a good happily ever after in her sweet Christian romance books, and loves to see her characters' relationships grow closer to God and each other.


Comments

  1. Never really had a real date on a bus tour I went to the movies and saw Dirty dancing not sure you would call it a real date.

  2. One of the best dates I ever went on with hubby was when we were first dating and we went to the county fair. He rather gamely smiled through the exhibits and me getting so excited during the evenings rodeo. He stole my heart for sure when he got me cotton candy and stole our first kiss on the merry go round.

  3. Hi Mandi! My husband is color blind, so I have spent dates (outings) describing the world around us. Especially in our beautiful Michigan falls when the leaves are vibrant in red, orange, and yellow. Growing up along the shores of Lake Michigan, the best dates are leisurely evening strolls along the beach watching the sunset. Our community has delicious pizza and a carousel. I also enjoy concerts in the park and exploring museums. Dates that are inexpensive. Best wishes. Stay safe and warm.

  4. One of my favorite dates was going to a military ball in college. I went with 3 other couples and we made dinner for the guys before we went. It was a full day of fun.

  5. I enjoyed Claire and Noel’s mountain picknick with a deli basket he prepared in Valerie Comer’s Wild Mint Tea.

  6. The most expensive dates I’ve been on was a trip to Disney World. Not that it was one of the best, but it was the most expensive, and thankfully I wasn’t the one paying. I think a nice walk on the beach would be a great date, though. The money doesn’t matter, it’s the person you’re with that does.

  7. My hubs planned a whole weekend in Atlanta for my 40th birthday and it includes a day at Stone mountain, dinner at Ruth’s Chris and a horse and carriage ride through the park! 💕

  8. A movie date is nice, but I prefer being able to talk with my date. I guess you cold discuss the movie after watching.

    Also, my husband and I have been married for about 8 years, and we’ve only seen two movies together at a theater. So, I’m a bit out of the loop on movie dates.

  13. I agree with you. The company makes the date. However, I think Disney world would be a fun date. The rides are okay, but I love the live performances and seeing the beautiful shops and buildings.

  15. I haven’t really gone on any dates, but I loved going on dates with my parents. A special time to hang out with them.

  16. Love this! My favorite date was the first with my now husband of almost twenty years. It’s a LONG story, but we “met” online back in 1998 when it wasn’t a thing and we weren’t looking for love. (I was a senior in high school and we met in a chat room about preparing for college.) The day before the actual “date,” we met for the first time in person at a trashcan in front of EPCOT at Disney World. The following day, we were supposed to meet up for a day at Magic Kingdom. I was 45 minutes late (by accident) and he almost left! Thankfully, it all worked out and we spent the day riding rides and pretending not to be nervous. It was awesome!

  23. I have never been on a date myself. Like Renate I believe we, here in Michigan have the most gorgeous colors in the fall! I have always thought it would be fun to map out the color indicators and drive around the state for a personal color tour, be it for a date, with friends or family. I love describing the colors to someone who doesn’t have the benefit of seeing them! What a precious gift!

  24. My husband and I went on a hike and then we had a picnic, during the summer, and we took our pup Honeybear with us also. It was very nice. Have a Great rest of the week and stay safe.

  25. I’ve had many fun dates with my husband over the years, the ones I really enjoy is when we can get away for a few days together with nothing to do but enjoy our time.

    The first date was when he picked me up from the Grayhound station where I had just moved from Illinois to Oregon to be with him (we were already planning on being married). Since the city we were living in (separate houses, of course) was a 2 hour plus drive, we stopped at KFC to eat dinner. I thought it was really sweet that he brought a chaperone along because he wanted to protect my reputation. Maybe that sounds old fashioned, but I’ve always loved the respect he’s given me. On the drive back, we talked about a lot of things, held hands in the car & just enjoyed each other. It will always be a memorable “first date” & one I treasure :-)

    I love to read about fun & unique dates in books. They always coax a smile to my lips!

  26. Since my husband and I met at a conservative Christian college, we were only allowed to hold hands on his dating outing. We went to the coast and took a boat ride where we saw whales and fed seagulls crackers. My now husband was the only one with the patience to wait for a gull to take a cracker out of his hands.

    Since my love language is Quality Time, my favorite dates are when we just talk at dinner.

  27. One of the really different dates I’ve read in books was where the hero had built the heroine a gazebo type area and then he took her there on a date. That was really sweet I thought.

  28. As I said never really dated. I myself would rather go to the cricket especially a shield game (4 days) plenty of time to chat and watch.
    We were on a bus tour and this guy and I were probably the only 2 under 50 or even under 30! It was more we were thrown together but nice. We also more by chance ended up walking round the dock in Hobart. It was Australia’s bicentennial 1988 and at the wharf a few of the Sydney – Hobart yacht’s were still there including the winner and there was going to be a tall ships race to Sydney in time for Australia Day and they were arriving while we were in Hobart (had about 3 nights there). We spent time walking around the ships around 6am for a walk. It was so peaceful at that hour.

  29. My favorite dates are when my husband plans (he’s the vacation planner in the house) a weekend getaway for us. It’s not as big a deal these days–my kids are almost all adults–but a few years ago, a weekend away was HEAVEN.

    We’ve done Chattanooga and Atlanta (I wanted to go to IKEA). Yep, I also live in the Southeast.

    These days, we prefer cruises (it’s longer AND I don’t have to worry about meals or cleanup).

  30. Your mentioning “Rusty’s” reminded me of “Mug Shots” in Carolyne Aarsen’s Family Bonds series. It’s definitely important for most of her couples’ stories, and it features at least once in her books (and in more than one of her series!). Also, it’s a place that I’d love to visit, haha. As for “exceptional dates”, I love the ones she features in her books, but I especially love the ones that involve nature (treks through the woods or riding horses and admiring the mountain view).

  31. All getaway with my hubby are exceptional :) we love outdoors and spend a lot of time hiking and relaxing on the beach <3

  33. I would say my first day with my husband. We had our date on St.Patrick’s Day. We met at a Pizza Hut. He wore a green suit with a green shirt and tie. At that time, he was about 5″1″. He looked like a leprechaun. After we ate, we decided to go see a movie. We ended up seeing Crocodile Dundee. It was a wonderful evening. He was a complete gentleman the whole evening. He did not even try to hold my hand.

  37. Some of our best dates have been the free ones. Where we’ve happened upon a festival and ended up having a great time. Or happened to meet up with friends and then spent the evening talking together.

  38. I have never been on a date with a man but I love my sister dates! We do all kinds of things together and the best was when we went o Austin Texas and did a Segway tour. It was so much fun!

  39. The most extravagant date my sweetie and I have been on was for her birthday. I told her to be ready at 10:30 that morning, dressed to the nines! To get ready, she went shopping for a new dress and got a beautiful black dress with orchid print. I was able to find her a matching orchid corsage. I rented a limo for the day and we drove from our house in the suburbs up to Washington, D.C., Had lunch at a restaurant that was a DC landmark. After lunch, our limo took us to the Kennedy Center where we had box seats for a Shakespeare play that I knew she would enjoy. After our limo ride home, we decided that we didn’t want to be done with the day yet so we took our own car to a nice local restaurant.

    I found out later that I had apparently made life difficult for some of the men at church when their wives asked when they’d be getting a date like that! LOL!

  40. One of my best dates was to NY. I have always wanted to go to the Christmas Spectacular but never made even though I lived an hour away. One of my friends at church asked me on a date and I had no idea what we were doing until days later. We watched the show and went ice skating and then to dinner. It was also my first time I’ve skating because I felt like the ballerina I was not. It was a blast. I was very encouraged.

  42. My husband and I went on many picnics when we were dating. That was my favorite type of date…just the two of us with no distractions.

  43. We’re pretty traditional in our dates. Before getting married and having kids we would do more active dates like playing tennis or such, but now we’re exhausted from the kids. Ha!

  50. My husband and I went to Chattanooga for the weekend to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It was a wonderful weekend!

    Also, cruises are fabulous.

  56. I would LOVE to go zip-lining! I’ve asked my husband many times if we can go. I think he may be a little intimidated by the height, so it may not end up being a date for me. I may have to go it alone haha.

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