🌻 Heartland Happily-Ever-Afters: Kansas Romance Reads

Devin Joubert
Sep 24
3 min read

Updated: Sep 25

Welcome to Kansas!

Where sunflowers stretch tall toward the sky and the wind carries secrets across the wide-open plains.

You don’t expect to find love in Kansas… and then you do. Maybe it’s under the Friday night lights of a small-town football game. Maybe it’s while wandering through golden wheat fields at sunset.

Love here is bold. Rooted. Enduring. Kansas love stories are the ones that weather every storm and shine bright like the sunflower fields.

Kansas is where sparks fly over shared funnel cakes, dusty rodeos, and corn maze flirts. Romance here is steady and strong, and sometimes as wild as a wind-swept kiss in the middle of a thunderstorm.

So hold onto your hat—this might be the beginning of your heartland happily ever after.

Tropes:

Strangers forced to work together
Single parent + teacher romance
Grumpy rancher + chatty vet tech
“There’s only one bed in the storm shelter”
High school sweethearts reunited at a wedding

Aren't they pretty?

Let's Meet Our Authors From Kansas!

This page will be updated with videos when they are published on YouTube.

Amanda Wen:

Carmen Shchober:

💕 Fun Things to See in Kansas

(for lovers of wide skies, sunflower fields, and small-town romance)

Charming Small Towns

🏘 Lindsborg – Known as “Little Sweden,” with art studios, boutiques, and festivals. Perfect for a “wander through cobblestone streets, hand-in-hand, and stumble into love.”

🎭 Lawrence – College town with live music, indie bookshops, and Mass Street cafés. Think “late-night concerts and a surprise first kiss under twinkle lights.”

🏞 Abilene – Historic trails, Victorian homes, and railroad charm. Basically “a sweet romance straight out of a sepia postcard.”

🌻 Wamego – Home of the Wizard of Oz museum. Picture “falling for each other while following the yellow brick road through quirky charm.”

🏡 Dodge City – Wild West heritage and rodeo nights. Perfect for a “cowboy-inspired romance, where sparks fly under the arena lights.”

Nature & Scenic Romance

🌾 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve – Waves of golden grass stretching forever. Imagine “two silhouettes walking side-by-side, hearts as wide as the horizon.”

🌻 Sunflower Fields (late summer) – Endless blooms glowing in the sun. Cue “playful twirls and laughter while the sky melts into pink.”

🌊 Lake Scott State Park – Cliffs, trails, and hidden coves. Think “sharing secrets by the water and daring each other to dip your toes.”

🍂 Flint Hills – Rolling prairie hills and starlit skies. A “slow-burn romance beneath constellations that feel close enough to touch.”

🌌 Monument Rocks – Towering chalk formations in the middle of the prairie. Perfect for “kisses that echo through time where earth meets sky.”

Unique Attractions

🎡 Kansas State Fair (Hutchinson) – Cotton candy, Ferris wheels, and live music. Basically “love at first laugh from the top of the ride.”

🎶 Symphony in the Flint Hills – An outdoor orchestra under the stars. The “gentle brush of hands as violins swell and prairie winds dance.”

🥧 Pie Shops & Local Diners – Kansas is pie country. Because sometimes love begins with “a shared slice of cherry pie and a knowing smile.”

🚂 Abilene’s Steam Train Rides – Vintage railcars across prairie landscapes. Perfect for a “train-window romance, with daydreams and stolen glances.”

🏈 K-State or KU Game Day – Rivalries, cheers, and purple or crimson crowds. Imagine “a kiss that makes you forget the scoreboard."

💌 Don't Forget Your Romance Reading Passport!

You can get it here for free. Follow along on the journey as we travel through the midwest on the Romance Reading Roadtrip! You'll also find ways to win some pretty flirty and fun books and bookish items in the Passport, so make sure to download it! :)