As a romance author, it has never occurred to me to set a love story in New Jersey.

To be fair, as a native New Yorker, my snobbery about the Garden State is a birthright. Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road notwithstanding, the industrial landscape of places like Newark—those belching sulfurous smokestacks—doesn’t exactly evoke feelings of lust or enduring affection.

But I was wrong.

As an adult, the more I’ve explored the state, the more I must concede that New Jersey has truly beautiful corners and is, dare I say, underrated? There are sweet stretches of shore, quaint towns, freshwater lake districts where people travel between vacation homes by boat, lavish mansions—some home to movie stars and moguls.

And now there is Pendry Natirar, which—to play on the immortal words of Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi—is giving love a good name.

This romantic resort, which opened its doors in October 2024, is both brand new and historic. Set on 90 acres surrounded by lush parkland, the property was originally built by philanthropist Kate Macy Ladd in 1912. In 1983, the King of Morocco took ownership for twenty years. Then, in 2009, the onetime carriage house was converted into Ninety-Acres, an elevated locavore eatery that sources its ingredients from the adjoining ten-acre farm.

The new hotel blends original elements of this hilltop mansion—with its intricate millwork and limestone—with new additions in the same romantic spirit of the place. At the top of a long drive lined with deco lamps, guests pass through an ivy-covered brick entryway into a lobby that both evokes a bygone era and today with high ceilings, ornate rugs and large palm plants. “Each Pendry property deeply embodies its surrounding destination,” says Maurtel Day, director of spa and recreation here. “At Pendry Natirar, you feel this even more because of the history of the property, centered around a restored Tudor-style mansion and situated on a sprawling…estate.”

Though lovely for friends and singles too, the destination feels designed for amorous couples. Duos cozy up around fireplaces in the main common areas before tall windows overlooking bucolic grounds where a trio of hiking trails awaits.

The 66 guest rooms—21 of which are spacious suites—can boast large terraces and enormous bathrooms with twin sinks, MiN products and egg-shaped tubs (the contemporary answer to a clawfoot). The bedding is plush, so lovers may wake up in the embrace of crisp white pillows and bliss. The grand ballroom is a dreamy wedding venue, with exposed brick and a living plant wall.

But it is the spa where romance most obviously abounds. A grand staircase leads down to the relaxation area, a true escape from the stressors of the world. Guests loll on loungers in the Himalayan salt room or by the co-ed plunge pool—with champagne upon request. In place of standard almonds and apples, snack offerings include indulgent, but healthy dark chocolate, addictive dried strawberries and tea served with honey from onsite beehives.

That’s not the only ingredient sourced onsite. Steam rooms are hung with fresh rosemary plucked from the resort’s gardens. And the spa’s signature Harvest Ritual incorporates farm bounty with Red Flower clay. “Our self-guided thermal mud rooms…often transform into a romantic couples' experience,” explains Day. “They feature aromatic essences from plants and herbs grown on our own Natirar farm.”

Pendry Natirar is clearly a place to retreat for the kind of all-encompassing wellness derived from taking a well-earned break with someone you love.

So, while in my last book, I sent my main characters all the way to the Caribbean to fall for each other, maybe next time, they don’t need to travel so far. Instead, it’s straight to Jersey for a love affair. After all, baby, we were born to run.