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 ....
Wisconsin
I always tell you guys how I have not really visited the "middle" states, but Wisconsin is actually on our short list for our 2027 vacation as I am making a bigger effort to visit all 50 states in my own country. Sloth has visited and enjoyed lots of cheese in Wisconsin, so I need to catch up.
As far as books, I luck out every year with this state. I wouldn't say I read a lot of books set here, but I easily check this one off.
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 5, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.
Break the rules. Find your joy.
For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she's been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.
Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that she holds dear.
Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? With laugh-out-loud hijnks and emotional heft, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a heartwarming and wise celebration of the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.
The "present" part of this tale takes place in New York, but the main character was originally from Wisconsin. The state was featured via flashbacks.
[review]
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on July 21, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
A trope-filled delight of a rom com about two strangers who enter into a marriage of convenience that becomes anything but convenient.
For better or worse is just the beginning.
Lainey Davis can't wait for the day she'll be able to escape her tiny Wisconsin town. But she’s not even close to covering her health insurance premiums and pricey migraine medication, let alone saving up enough to start over some place new. That is, until Lainey learns that through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, she’s inadvertently squatted her way into owning a marvel of modern architecture.
But Lainey owns only the house. The surrounding property, a lakeside money pit the previous owner used as a front to deal illegal reptiles, has been willed to Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent out the place to fellow architecture lovers. Their assets are tied together, but neither can move forward without the other.
Desperate, Elliot proposes an unconventional arrangement: marry him for health insurance and in exchange, Lainey will allow him to buy her out. Win-win: Lainey will finally have a way out of town, and he’ll own the house designed by his idol. Married in name only and living together while fixing up the property, Lainey and Elliot find themselves unable to keep their hopes, dreams, or bedsheets from getting entwined. And as their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more terrifying: leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.
This book was set in Wisconsin and had lots of midwestern touches. This quirky small town added to the fun.
Published by Thomas Nelson on June 10, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
Sometimes what you think you want and what you actually want turn out to be different things . . .
Rosie Waterman has one dream: to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn't been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does--puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she's been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie's been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?
When she's offered a job as the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance—even though she's only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she'll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the "regional theatre" is actually in a retirement community, and the "actors" are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.
Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn't turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It's not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?
This book took place in a retirement community in Wisconsin. Again, lots of midwestern charm, and the whole premise was just so much fun.
[review]
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