Sloth Goes Places is a feature where I share books I have tracked from previous Literary Escapes reading challenge hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book.
Today we are looking at books set in ....
Maryland
Published by Dell on June 6, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Goodreads
When a single dad meets the former rock star crush of his youth, everything they thought they knew about happiness and love is thrown into chaos in this hopeful, heartwarming romantic comedy
Billy Perkins is happy. No, for real. It’s kind of his thing, actually. And why wouldn't he be? He loves his job as an independent music teacher and his apartment in Baltimore above a record shop called Charm City Rocks. Most of all, he loves his brainy teenage son, Caleb. Although not the world’s most traditional parent, Billy has plenty to teach his son about art and manhood before Caleb goes off to college.
Margot Hammer, on the other hand, is far from happy. The former drummer of the once-famous rock band Burnt Flowers, she’s now a rock and roll recluse living alone in New York City. When a new music documentary suddenly puts Margot back in the spotlight, she begins to realize how much she misses her old band and the music that gave her life meaning.
Billy has always had a crush on Margot. But she’s a legitimate rock star—or at least, she was—so he never thought he’d actually meet her. Until Caleb, worried that his easygoing dad might actually be lonely, cooks up a scheme to get Margot to perform at Charm City Rocks.
It’s the longest of long shots, but Margot’s label has made it clear that any publicity is an opportunity she can’t afford to miss. When their paths collide, Billy realizes that he maybe wasn’t as happy as he thought—and Margot learns that sometimes the sweetest music is a duet.
I just featured this book yesterday in my Five Star Friday post, and my love is still strong for this one. it was fun and heartwarming, and I think people will really adore all the different relationships highlighted in this story. It was also easy to see the author's love for Baltimore. The city does have a certain reputation, and I believe he was working hard to dispel it.
Published by Berkley Books on May 25, 2021
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Fiction
Goodreads
Sometimes all you need is one person to really see you.
Piper Parrish's life on Frick Island—a tiny, remote town smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay—is nearly perfect. Well, aside from one pesky detail: Her darling husband, Tom, is dead. When Tom's crab boat capsized and his body wasn't recovered, Piper, rocked to the core, did a most peculiar thing: carried on as if her husband was not only still alive, but right there beside her, cooking him breakfast, walking him to the docks each morning, meeting him for their standard Friday night dinner date at the One-Eyed Crab. And what were the townspeople to do but go along with their beloved widowed Piper?
Anders Caldwell’s career is not going well. A young ambitious journalist, he’d rather hoped he’d be a national award-winning podcaster by now, rather than writing fluff pieces for a small town newspaper. But when he gets an assignment to travel to the remote Frick Island and cover their boring annual Cake Walk fundraiser, he stumbles upon a much more fascinating tale: an entire town pretending to see and interact with a man who does not actually exist. Determined it’s the career-making story he’s been needing for his podcast, Anders returns to the island to begin covert research and spend more time with the enigmatic Piper—but he has no idea out of all the lives he’s about to upend, it’s his that will change the most.
I feel like there are lots of setting this this one for Maryland. These quaint and quirky island towns which I would totally visit if they were real. For me, this story was about Frick Island, and lengths they would go to in order to support one of their own. I loved this place and these people, and there were tears. So, a great one for me.
[review]
Published by Independently on November 10, 2021
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
Where the lovelight gleams …
A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.
In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only … there is no boyfriend.
Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.
Friends-to-more is my favorite! I remember loving Luka so much. He was a top notch friend, and his patience as his waited for Stella to figure things out was bar none. This remains my favorite of these series because it was just such a feel-good story, and I like feeling good.
[review]
Let us know in the comments!
Maryland is a state I would love to read more books in. Its such a fun setting to have in a story. I have heard good things about Lovelight Farms.
ReplyDeleteI have a read a few that take place on small islands that belong to Maryland. They are always adorable romances too
DeleteBecause I only started tracking settings this year, I can't recall any MD settings off the top of my head. I've only been to MD once but I did the very touristy thing of eating a crab cake while overlooking Inner Harbor in Baltimore. :)
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DeleteThat is one more time than me. I only drove through. Inner Harbor is a popular spot. Norman really showcased the city of Baltimore in his book (and defended it) which I loved.
Anytime I think of Maryland I always see it as Mary land. It is the land of my people, all the Mary's. And that's my giggle for the day.
ReplyDeleteHA! I bet it was named for some Mary (some English royal?), so I have no problem turning it over to you
DeleteSince reading Tanner and Louise I want to read all the back titles of Colleen Oakley so that might be a good place to start!
ReplyDeleteThat's what happened to me. Oddly enough, I had read an Oakley book a while back. It was solid, 4-stars, but her newer books have been bigger hits with me.
DeleteI don't know if I forgot but I had no idea Lovelight Farms was set in Maryland! 😂
ReplyDeleteThe most visible/popular places in Maryland, to me, are the beaches and Baltimore, so I don't think of farms when I think of Maryland, but there's a lot more to that state
DeleteI don't know if I have read any books set in Maryland or not. I have visited the state when we went to DC but haven't really explored much.
ReplyDeleteMaryland has been a pass through for me. I know a lot of people will stay there when visiting DC because it's a lot less costly. I live really close though. My sister was there, just for a Mets game and came home the same day. That's how close it is
DeleteI have seen all these book on GR. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome
DeleteI think the Lovelight Farms books and the Frick Island one are the only books I've read that are set in Maryland.
ReplyDeleteI think you would be surprised if you tracked it. So many romances on those little islands between MD and VA
DeleteLovelight Farms! I forgot that was set in Maryland!
ReplyDeleteI don't think of farms when I think of Maryland
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