When the warm weather arrives, summer romances come out to play, along with skirts and sandals. More people create dating profiles, attend singles events and are more willing to try new things, as well as meet new people.

“In winter you literally can’t see anybody because we’re bundled up in scarves and hats just trying to say warm,” says Christine Hart, a Toronto-based relationship expert.

“So attraction is harder to gauge. In the summertime however, when sun-kissed faces appear on the patios and people are in a better mood, the conditions are better for romance.”
Sometimes in our eagerness to shed hibernation habits and catch up on romantic interactions, however, people expect a passionate experience akin to that of The Notebook. Unfortunately, real life summer lovin’ can be infinitely trickier to handle.

To make the most of your summer romance, ELLE Canada offers Hart’s expert insights to help you play it cool amidst the summer sizzle.

Summer romance DO: Talk about expectations

Although many people believe that talking things over is the kiss of death for any kind of romance, Hart insists that a direct line of communication is really a preventative measure.

“What we get into trouble with is assumptions,” she says. “We assume that people are looking for the same things as us. Guy meets girl and assumes he’s the only one she’s seeing, which of course is not always the case.”

Geoff, a personal trainer, ran into exactly that problem while vacationing in Hawaii a few years ago. “I met this amazing woman and we really hit it off. Then one night I saw her out with another guy, which I wasn’t expecting. Suddenly things felt a lot more serious.”

Of course in the movies, when two people fall in love, everything magically comes together in the end, but as Hart warns, reality is not so scripted.

In hindsight, Geoff believes that having a conversation upfront about expectations would have avoided some of the awkwardness and kept things as light and airy as the warm summer breeze.

For more insightful tips about how to handle a hot summer romance keep reading on the next page...