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Is it just me, or are the four sexiest words in the English language, “Come to my cottage?” Because right now, it seems like absolutely everyone is lusting after a quiet, romantic and, crucially, horny night in a cabin in the middle of the woods. The boys in Heated Rivalry. Benedict and maid Sophie in Bridgerton. Rachel Weisz's ageing professor and her younger boy toy in Vladimir. I think it's high time someone finally asked the big questions: When did the cottage become the ultimate romantic getaway? And why are we all so obsessed?
Of course, escape-to-the-cottage-for-a-little-romance is hardly a new trope. A quick glance back through the history of love stories and you'll find countless examples of love blossoming within the wooden walls of a remote cottage. Take, for instance, Holiday Inn, The Holiday, The Lake House, The Notebook, The Summer I Turned Pretty. There's also the upcoming Every Summer After, an adaptation of Carley Fortune's popular romance series set at a Canadian lakeside cottage (Heated Rivalry fans, take note). But the cottage is certainly having a major moment right now. So, let's dig a little deeper into each of the latest sexy cottage sojourns, shall we?
Showrunner Jess Brownell explained the difficult decision.
First, there's the obvious: I mean, the cottage is practically a main character in Heated Rivalry. When Canadian Shane invites his Russian situationship Rozanov to his picturesque cottage in Muskoka, Canada, it quickly becomes code for a new level of intimacy between the two rival hockey stars. Rozanov's eventual acceptance, a growled “I'm coming to the cottage” over the phone that has since gone viral on TikTok, is code for “Fine, let's admit we might actually have feelings for each other and take our sexy situation up an emotional notch." And it's a beautiful thing to behold. It's hardly surprising that Airbnb reports that searches for cottages in Muskoka are up by 40%.
Then we have Benedict and maid Sophie in Bridgerton, who fall for each other while he recovers from a wound at his remote, rural “cottage” (read, mansion). Later, when the pair are pining after each other back in Mayfair, Benedict can't help but link his cottage to the dream of a relationship with her. Instead of sending her a sexy note or even a sexy pic, his romantic gesture is a dreamy sketch of the rural getaway. “Our cottage,” he labels it sweetly. The picture becomes the daydream she clings to while toiling away for his family.
Justice for real middle-aged bodies.
In Vladimir, Rachel Weisz's unnamed character practically lures Vlad, the hot young prof and star of her sexual fantasies, to her cabin in the woods under the pretence of an innocent little writing retreat. Naturally, she ends up chaining him up. Luckily, he's into it, and the pair actually get it on for real after months of daydreaming. Unfortunately, this is more of a twisted romance and things (spoiler) literally go up in flames in the end.
In each romance, the cottage is a place that promises isolation. It's a place where they can truly be alone, and, crucially, away from the prying eyes of judgmental society. Whether you're dreaming of getting it on with a maid, a closeted hockey player or a man half your age, anything goes at the cottage! So, for each pairing, the cottage becomes a symbol of their shared fantasy of the relationship (and, of course, the sex) they crave.
For the boys in Heated Rivalry, the cottage is a safe space to explore a potential romantic connection. Once they're tucked away in the Canadian wilderness with only the loons, canoes, and maple trees to witness them, they can unfold into each other without the anxiety and angst that comes with their “real” lives. It's a huge stepping stone towards finally admitting this might be more than sex.
For Benedict and Sophie, the cottage becomes a sort of magical respite from the rigidity of the Ton's social rules. With only a kind, non-judgmental couple on hand to serve them, Benedict separates Sophie from her maid status and treats her simply as another human being. Plus, the seclusion of the cottage means that he can strip off and take a dip in the lake, where Sophie just so happens to spy him. What a sexy situation! It could never have happened in Mayfair, could it? The cottage also becomes Benedict's only hope for a marriage with Sophie before they manage to trick the queen and Mayfair lords and ladies into thinking Sophie is nobility.
And, of course, annoying old society is also a big factor for Weisz's character. She knows that her colleagues wouldn't look too fondly on her having an affair with the young, married Vlad. And perhaps that's part of the fun for her. By bringing Vlad to her cottage, she brings him to a place where her fantasies might just finally be possible.
But the cottage isn't real life, is it? And each couple must, eventually, leave their respective cottage and figure out whether their relationship can face the test of reality. I'll just say this: they have varying levels of success. But ultimately, they'll always have the cottage.
