Sloth Goes Places - Montana

 

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 ....

Montana

Ah, Montana, Big Sky Country. This western gem in on my bucket list as it is home to some great natural wonders and state parks. It's also supposed to be quite beautiful. Alas, I have never been, but my favorite book from last week was set there. 

I don't usually struggle with this state for my reading challenge. It seems a popular setting for cowboy romances, though I am always lucky enough to stumble upon a great book set there. 

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Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry
Published by Berkley on August 23, 2022
Age/Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

Goodreads

The four McBride brothers have their worlds turned upside down when their precocious younger sister secretly places an advertisement for a mail-order bride.

Kit McBride knows that Buck's Creek, Montana, is no place to find a wife. Between him and his three brothers--plus little Junebug--they manage all right on their own, thank you very much. But unbeknownst to Kit, his sister is sick to death of cleaning, cooking, and mending for her big brothers, so she places an ad in The Matrimonial News to get them hitched.

After Maddy Mooney emigrated from Ireland, she found employment with an eccentric but poor widow. When her mistress decides to answer an ad for a mail-order bride, Madd​y is dragged along for the ride to Montana. But en route to the West, Maddy is suddenly abandoned and left to assume the widow's name, position, and matrimonial prospects....

With no other recourse in the wilderness, Maddy must convince Kit not only is she who she says she is, but she's the wife he never knew he needed.

This was a such a fantastic start to this series. After meeting four of the five brothers, I am positive their stories will be just as wonderful and hilarious as Kit’s. I liked looking back on life in the wild west, but mostly, I loved the way Junebug schemed. I will eagerly await my return to Buck’s Creek!

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Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
Published by Random House Publinshing on April 12, 2022
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Then. Twentysomething writer Chani Horowitz is stuck. While her former MFA classmates are nabbing book deals, she's in the trenches writing puff pieces. Then she's hired to write a profile of movie star Gabe Parker. The Gabe Parker--her forever celebrity crush, the object of her fantasies, the background photo on her phone--who's also just been cast as the new James Bond. It's terrifying and thrilling all at once... yet if she can keep her cool and nail the piece, it could be a huge win. Gabe will get good press, and her career will skyrocket. But what comes next proves to be life-changing in ways Chani never saw coming, as the interview turns into a whirlwind weekend that has the tabloids buzzing.

Now. Ten years later, after a brutal divorce and a heavy dose of therapy, Chani is back in Los Angeles, laser-focused on one thing: her work. But she's still spent the better part of the last decade getting asked about her deeply personal Gabe Parker profile at every turn. No matter what new essay collection or viral editorial she's promoting, it always comes back to Gabe. So when his PR team requests that they reunite for a second interview, she wants to say no. She wants to pretend that she's forgotten about the time they spent together, years ago. But the truth is that those seventy-two hours are still crystal clear, etched in her memory. And so... he says yes.

Chani knows that facing Gabe again also means facing feelings she's tried so hard to push away. Alternating between their first meeting and their reunion a decade later, this deliciously irresistible novel will have you hanging on until the last word.

A restless young journalist with big dreams interviews a Hollywood heartthrob--and, ten years later, it's clear that their time together meant more than meets the eye in this sexy, engrossing adult debut novel.

This book flashed between then and now, and it was the current timeline playing out in Montana on a nice ranch Gabe had escaped to. Funny You Should Ask was a huge hit for me. It was fun and funny with touches of heartbreak, here and there. I adored Chani, Gabe, Oliver, and Teddy, and was fully invested in their futures. This was such a great take on the celebrity-commoner trope, and I look forward to reading more from Sussman.

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Places We've Never Been by Kasie West
Published by Delacorte Press on May 31, 2022
Age/Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance!

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they'd talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems...like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

A summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

This was a roadtrip book, and Montana was one of several great places they visited out west. What can I say. I am glad there are still some YA authors out there who can write great light and fluffy books I adore. It had the perfect combination of drama, humor, shenanigans, and romance. I loved the characters, as well as the group dynamic, and I found myself grateful for the jump-ahead epilogue (which was very necessary in my opinion). Once again, West left me with a full, warm heart and a smile on my face.

Have you read any books set in Montana?
Let us know in the comments!