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 ....
Minnesota
Published by Dream Press on November 25, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
Fake dating a hockey player for Christmas wasn’t on my bingo card.
Clare Johnson’s job is handling PR for the Dallas Stampede—not getting tangled up with one of the players. But when Mitchell Drake—charming forward, fan favorite, and very off-limits—asks her to pose as his girlfriend for one week in small-town Minnesota, she reluctantly agrees. What’s the worst that could happen?
Mitchell’s had six months to get over his very public broken engagement, and his family is done waiting. The last thing he needs is pitying smiles and whispered gossip. Clare is smart, sharp, and strong enough to hold her own with both fans and family—the perfect fake girlfriend.
But holiday lights and snowy nights have a way of blurring the line between pretend and real. Clare fits too easily into his world—bonding with his grandma, winning at pond hockey, and looking unfairly good in his flannel. The more time they spend together, the less fake it feels.
Full of small-town holiday magic, meddling relatives, and sizzling chemistry, Checking It Twice is a hockey romance about second chances and falling in love when you least expect it. Perfect for fans of fake dating, one-bed tension, forced proximity, and happily-ever-afters wrapped in Christmas lights.
Because sometimes the best gifts aren’t under the tree—they’re standing right in front of you.
This was a fun fake dating book. The holiday vibe and visit to the hero's small hometown were among the standout elements.
[review]
The Autumn of Ruth Winters by Marshall Fine
Published by Lake Union Publishing on November 5, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
In this heartwarming story about second acts and second chances, a no-nonsense retiree, very much set in her ways, must learn to adapt and make peace with her past in order to build a fulfilling future.
Ruth Winters is retired, widowed, and resigned to spending the rest of her life alone in her suburban home. She likes her routine and uses it to avoid having to spend time with other people. She probably wouldn’t call herself fulfilled, but it’s too late now to go chasing happiness.
Then three things happen at a beloved niece makes a big announcement, an old flame reaches out, and her estranged sister receives life-changing news. Ruth finds herself reconnecting with people she thought were long gone from her world, as she is forced to reconsider her expectations for this phase of her life.
None of this fits into Ruth’s routine—in fact, the whole thing just blows to bits. But when Ruth starts to pick up the pieces, she discovers that maybe it’s not too late to make something new after all.
Ruth was someone who seemed really set in her ways, but when push came to shove, she showed she had the capacity to pivot, grow, and change.
[review]
Published by Berkley on May 12, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
A football star and a diehard fan entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—might be the right play in this new romantic comedy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter.
Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyotes football. So when she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain, she is distraught—and disgruntled. All she did was shove Coyote Carl away when he made a move on her, but everyone else just saw a woman attacking their team’s beloved mascot. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.
When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of their PR nightmare, he thought that meant saying a few words on the team’s behalf. Instead, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. Duffy pelts him with fiery jabs but is also clearly diehard about the Coyotes—color him intrigued…and attracted.
The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. A strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, he’s surprised to discover being with Duffy is much easier than he thought, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. Harboring this secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.
This one takes place in the Twin Cities and involves the local football team. I thought the premise was hilarious and Painter did a great job wringing the fun from it. The hero was top-notch, and I adored the heroine and her family.
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