HEALTH HORIZONS : PSYCHOLOGY : The Best Places to Kiss in Southern California

You say your week’s been filled with work deadlines and domestic crises, and now, come Saturday night, your beloved expects you to become Mr. or Ms. Romance?

Here’s help for the harried: “The Best Places to Kiss in Southern California,” a $10.95 paperback guide that can make you look creative faster than you can say, “Wanna go out?” Updated and expanded this August, the guide lists more than 300 sites from Santa Barbara to San Diego, Palm Springs to Malibu--hotels, restaurants or attractions--field tested for atmosphere, soft lighting and lack of plastic tablecloths.

Shaena Engle put in grueling hours finding the Los Angeles entries, inviting dates to sample the ambience and share a smooch at numerous restaurants and other sites. Then, with co-author Deborah Brada, who checked out the San Diego entries, and Paula Begoun, the publisher at Beginning Press, they narrowed down the choices.

Here, Engle’s personal top 10, rated on a scale of one to four lips--four of course being best.

Gondola East Getaways, 5437 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, (310) 433-9595. (4 lips). ($50 an hour for two people.)

Huntington Library and Grounds, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, (818) 405-2100. (4 lips).

Camille’s Restaurant, 13573 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 995-1660 (3 lips).

Il Cielo, 9018 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, (310) 276-9990. (3.5 lips)

La Chaumiere, 2055 Avenue of the Stars, Century Plaza Hotel, (310) 277-2000. (3.5 lips).

Miller’s Acorn Ranch, 23360 Lake Manor Drive, Chatsworth, (818) 888-2099. (3 lips).

Papa Louie’s, 2911 Main Street, Santa Monica, (310) 392-4664. (3 lips.)

The Reef, 880 Harbor Scenic Drive, Long Beach, (310) 435-8013. (3 lips).

The Cellar, 305 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 525-5682. (3.5 lips).

J.W.s, Anaheim Marriott Hotel, 700 W. Convention Way, Anaheim, (714) 750-8000. (4 lips).