Romance and the heart of Wales

What do you know about Wales? Not a lot?

That’s okay, grab a cuppa and a Welsh cake and let me tell you. Oh, and there’s a link to a recipe for these yummy little cakes, if you fancy making them yourself, plus two more traditional Welsh foods.

Tucked into the western edge of Britain, Wales is a small nation with a mighty spirit. Bordered by England to the east and the Irish Sea to the west, it’s a place where ancient myths linger in the hills and the sound of the Welsh language drifts through market squares and mountain valleys alike. Castles crown headlands, stone chapels sit quietly in the countryside, and winding lanes lead to harbours where fishing boats bob against a backdrop of ever-changing skies - usually rain-laden ones, if I'm honest! We get a lot of weather in Wales!

Though compact in size, Wales carries a powerful cultural heartbeat. Music, poetry, legends and storytelling are woven into everyday life, celebrated in village halls and grand festivals with equal pride. There’s a warmth to the welcome here, a sense that community truly matters and that heritage is something to be cherished rather than shelved. It’s a country that holds fast to its roots while embracing the present.

St David's Day

On the first of March we celebrate our patron saint, Saint David,  or Dewi Sant, as we know him. As a Welsh romantic fiction author, I find that this day always stirs something in me, and I’m more aware of being Welsh on this day, more than on any other day of the year – unless it’s when Wales beat England at home in rugby. But that’s a whole different ball game (pun intended), and at the moment it’s as rare as feathers on a mouse, so let’s move swiftly on…

Saint David was an actual person who lived in the sixth century. He was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop. He founded monastic settlements and churches across Wales and beyond, including the cathedral that now stands in St Davids, the smallest city in Britain.

Legend tells us that while preaching to a large crowd, the ground beneath him rose up to form a hill so that everyone could see and hear him clearly, and his philosophy of  “Do the little things” is particularly relevant today I believe.

The traditions

St David’s Day is steeped in customs. One of my oldest memories of school was learning the Welsh National Anthem and dressing up in  traditional Welsh costume: the girls in tall black hats and red cloaks, the boys sometimes wearing waistcoats and neckerchiefs – or more likely a replica Welsh rugby jersey these days! Adults usually wear a daffodil buttonhole, as I write this in the middle of February, I can see loads of them in my garden.

Welsh food

Some of our most famous dishes are Welsh cakes, bara brith and cawl.

Welsh cakes are small round spices cakes, often with currants in them. They’re something of a cross between a thick pancake and a flat scone and are baked on the stove top on a griddle, rather than in the oven. Bara brith (the translation is speckled bread") is  a tea loaf  made by soaking dried fruit, like raisins, sultanas and currants, in hot black tea, usually overnight, before baking with flour, sugar, and spices. It’s often served slathered in butter. And cawl is a slow-cooked stew typically made with lamb or beef, leeks, potatoes, swedes and carrots. Very warming and quite filling.

Here are the recipes for all three, if you fancy giving any of them a go:

Welsh cakes, cawl, bara brith.

The perfect setting

Well, I would say that, wouldn’t I!  From sweeping beaches and rugged cliffs, to rolling hills and quaint market towns, Wales offers the kind of setting where love stories and the communities that support them naturally unfold.

And that’s exactly why many of my books are set here!

I’ve written a few books set in Wales. My most popular is the Tanglewood series and the location for this fictional village is South Wales near border with England.

The Foxmore series is set in North Wales, on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, with its impressive mountains and hidden valleys.

The third, the Applewell series, is set on the stunning west coast.

And I've also written a series set in the heart of the South Wales valleys under my psuedonymn LiZ Davies, which is the Sweet Meadow Park series.

Each of these fictional communities was inspired by the real heart of Wales – the landscape, the people and the close-knit communities they live in. But the landscapes aren’t just backdrops; they’re characters in their own right!

Going back to St David, his message of "Do the little things" feels especially fitting for romantic fiction, because love is rarely about grand declarations alone. It lives in the small things, like a cup of tea made without being asked, a reassuring hand squeeze or a shared joke after a long day. Or in my case, my husband listening to me endlessly whittering on about my characters or plot holes!

In my novels, the greatest transformations don't often happen dramatic gestures ,but in those little things, those moments of care and courage that build lasting love.

And I'm not the only author who sets their gorgeous romance novels in Wales. Why don't you take a look at:

Luisa A. Jones's WW2 sagas

Sue MacDonagh's Art Cafe series

Darcie Boleyn's Cariad Cove books.

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About the Author

Lilac Mills writes heartwarming romance inspired by life in the Welsh countryside, her love of simple pleasures, and the beauty of everyday moments. She’s the author of over twenty feel-good novels, and also writes as Liz Davies and Etti Summers. Meet her here.

All Lilac Mills books