The best part of being on holiday is pretending you have a whole other life – one that includes balmy days on the beach, tall cocktails at night and blissful romance under the stars. And that’s just your average Thursday. If you really want a holiday romance worthy of a million-selling page-turner, here are my top five tips to keep it silly, saucy and (hopefully) stress-free when you get back to Blighty.

1)     DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A RIGHT ARSE OUT OF YOURSELF

Bridget Jones. Becky Bloom. Shirley Valentine. These are characters who don’t worry about saggy bikini bottoms or crazy beach hair: these are characters who throw themselves head-first into the fun and think about the consequences later. Are you really going to have an epic holiday adventure if you keep worrying about what’s sensible? You’ll end up with an accountancy textbook rather than a chick lit novel with that approach, so let your hair down and make your mantra: what if?

2)     DON’T OVERLOOK THE QUIET ONES

The waiters have all the smooth chat up lines, the muscled guy on the beach is confidently giving you the eye, but don’t miss that quieter guy, reading a book by the pool or sipping a beer at the bar. Not only will he be a better longterm bet (if that’s what you’re after) but you know what they say about the quiet ones… Case in point: Mark Darcy.

3)     TAKE AN UNPREDICTABLE FRIEND.

She might not be the friend that you to take to Sunday lunch with your rents, you may not lend her your best suede handbag but you can count on this friend to get any party started. We’ve all got one – you’re picturing her as you read this, right? All good chick lit novels need some surprising, jaw-dropping twists so take your slightly out-there mate and see what kind of a cliffhanger ending she can help you find.

4)     ‘UM, I DROPPED MY PHONE IN MY DRINK LAST NIGHT!’

If you’re as excited by the thought of taking home a boyfriend as you are by taking home third-degree sunburn, leave your mobile right at the bottom of your suitcase. If you can’t take his number and you can’t ‘remember’ yours, this holiday fling will stay where it belongs: far far away.

5)     PSSST: THIS ISN’T REAL LIFE

So maybe in your hometown you’d never dare wear that neon bright sarong or stride up to the hottest guy in the pub and ask what he’s drinking. Dorothy: we’re not in Kansas anymore. Going on holiday is the perfect opportunity to experiment with a little reinvention. The best thing about reading a chick lit novel is that it takes you away from real lie and ou suspend disbelief for just a few pages while you get lost in the story. So get lost in your own story this summer – only you decide how it will end!

POPPY DOLAN’s romantic comedy story for SUNLOUNGER 2 is called CONNECTING FLIGHTS and set in San Sebastian.