Sloth Goes Places - Ohio

 

Sloth Goes Places is a feature where I share books I have tracked from the Literary Escapes and Read Around the USA reading challenges. 

Today we are looking at books set in ....

Ohio

Ohio is a state I have actually been to. I visited Columbus for a Delta Gamma training and Cincinnati for a Paramore concert. I know, why did I drive to Ohio for a concert when the band did play in the tri-state area? Well, long story short, because my daughter won a meet and greet with the band. It was an easy drive once I was out of NJ and the concert was great. 

Ohio is a state I never have to seek out a book for. I always seem to stumble into one. I almost feel like it's a go-to state for stories set in the midwest. 

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Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce
Published by Delacorte Press on December 3, 2024
Age/Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that's sure to win you over!

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!

Both books in this companion series were adorable. The setting is rural Ohio which is a switch from the big city. You get a bit of a feel for the area though most of the time is spent playing D&D. Regardless, it was lots of fun. 

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Songs of Summer by Jane L. Rosen
Published by Berkley on May 20, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

A young woman crashes the wedding of the summer on Fire Island in search of her birth mother—and gets a whole lot more than she bargained for—in this warm, heart-stopping getaway from Jane L. Rosen

Maggie Mae Wheeler is content with her life. At 30, she has grand plans for her vintage record shop in the charming Midwestern town where she grew up, and is soon to be engaged to her childhood best friend.

But when she discovers a letter she wrote to herself at thirteen, being content doesn’t feel like enough anymore—Maggie needs answers to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Since losing her parents, the only family she has ever known, Maggie decides that finding her birth mother is the best place to start.

Her search leads her to Fire Island, an idyllic summer getaway where her birth mother is attending a wedding. As Maggie observes her biological family from a distance, she sees that they come with a lot of… drama. Torn between diving deeper into their world or returning to her peaceful life and cozy relationship, her decision gets more complicated when a handsome local offers to take her to the wedding — if she will pose as his date.

Is it the magic of the island, the rush of the music, the fun of jumping into the weekend’s events with her fake beau? Suddenly, playing the part of his girlfriend starts to feel way too real, and the words to every love song seem to be about them.

This story starts and ends in Ohio which is where Maggie lived, but a large part of the story is spent on Fire Island. I was so happy that Rosen wanted to write more books in this world and thought Maggie was a wonderful addition to the Fire Island family. 

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The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on April 8, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads

From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she’s as stuck as ever.

With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.

Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts . . . and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along.

This series takes place in a fictional Ohio town that is touched with magic. I loved the setting with its small town vibes and quirky inhabitants. 

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