Books Set in Vermont
Our journey through the 50 states continues with a stop in Vermont!
Book Club Pick – Vermont
Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox
What is Wine and Punishment about?
Book lover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex’s gambling addiction. She’s bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs.
Little by little, Sadie is adjusting to the rhythms of her new home. Fall in Shady Creek is bookmarked by the much-anticipated Autumn Festival, complete with a pumpkin catapult competition and pie bake-off. Unfortunately, the season also brings an unwelcome visitor—Sadie’s ex, Eric, who’s angling for a second chance . . .
Before Sadie can tell Eric to leave, he’s found dead near the Inkwell. When the local antique shop catches fire on the same night, it’s clear the town is harboring at least one unsavory character. Now, with her Aunt Gilda, her friend Shontelle, and the pub’s patrons all in the mix, Sadie must uncover the truth . . . before a killer declares last call.
Sarah Fox on Literary Escapes Podcast
Want to know more about Sarah and her books? Listen to this conversation on the Literary Escapes Podcast!
More Sweet Reads Set in Vermont
Enjoy this additional selection of books set in Vermont, featuring cozy mystery and sweet romance. Perfect for easy reading, these delightful tales promise happy, hopeful endings.
Which one will you choose for a literary escape to Vermont?
Christmas in Twinkle Falls by Freda Ann
Genre: Sweet Romance
Single mother Sophie Beck is hoping that moving to the cozy little town of Twinkle Falls is just what her family needed to get them through a difficult time. As Christmas approaches, Sophie’s days are a haze of cupcake frosting, holiday cheer and preparing for the town’s festivities—but Christmas represents a piece of her that’s missing, a part of her past she must learn to face.
Mysterious, broody Pet Rescue volunteer Liam James helps Sophie find the new addition to their family…their dream dog Shelby, and Sophie can’t deny the impression he leaves on her—and on her children Zoey and Cam.
However, Liam, who is following direct orders from his Commanding Officer to take leave from the Air Force, will only be in town until the end of December. Begrudgingly, his guarded heart is slowly thawed by the warmth of the townsfolk around him, forcing him to reconsider what he wants out of life.
As he spends more and more time at Sophie’s bakery, enjoying her coffee and the festive atmosphere of Twinkle Falls, he begins to realize that it’s not just the coffee that brings him back every morning.
Will it take a magical Christmas for Sophie and Liam to realize that in order to be truly happy, all they need to do is take a chance?
All You Need Is Love by Marie Force
Genre: Romance (some open door scenes)
When Cameron Murphy heads to Vermont to build a website for a new client, she imagines a more relaxing trip than she gets. After wrecking her car by colliding with the town moose, she meets the most handsome hero she’s ever seen. Unfortunately, her savior, Will Abbott, is also the son of her client–and he wants nothing to do with the new website or the city girl creating it.
For all Will cares, Cameron can march her fancy boots right out of town and out of his family’s business. But he can’t seem to get her out of his head. As his family’s dispute heats up, so does the chemistry between the two, leaving them wondering if simple is better after all–especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
The Treehouse on Dog River Road by Catherine Drake
Genre: Romance
Twenty-eight-year-old Hannah Spencer wants nothing more than to change everything about her life. After ten years of living in cities, Nathan Wild has just moved back home to Vermont and doesn’t want to change anything about his.
Recently laid off from her depressing job in Boston and ready for a challenge, Hannah heads to Vermont for the summer to take care of her sister’s kids and do some serious soul-searching. There, against the stunning landscape of the Green Mountains, she embarks on an ambitious project: building a treehouse for her niece and nephew. As she hammers away, she formulates a plan to jump-start her life with a new job out West. But will Nathan-next-door complicate her desire to change course?
A Spoonful of Murder by Connie Archer
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Winter is big business in small-town Snowflake, Vermont. Tourists arrive to hit the ski slopes—and what could be more satisfying after a chilly day of carving powder than a steaming bowl of soup?
When Lucky Jamieson inherits her parents’ soup shop, By the Spoonful, she realizes it’s time to take stock of her life. Should she sell her parents’ house or move in herself? Does she really want to run a restaurant business? And what about her grandfather Jack, who seems to be showing signs of Alzheimer’s?
But her life decisions are moved to the back burner after an icy blonde tourist is found frozen to death behind the soup shop. and Lucky is bowled over when her soup chef, Sage DuBois, is led out of the kitchen by the police. As suspicion and speculations snowball, Lucky decides that the only way to save her employee and her business is to find out herself who iced the tourist–and landed her chef in the soup…
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller
Genre: Romance
When Olivia Rawlings—pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club—sets not just her flambéed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of—the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts.
Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired—to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest.
With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought.
But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee—or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected—it could be even better.
Look Again by Becca Wilhite
Genre: Sweet Romance
Spare me the drama. Photography is my thing. When Dexter Kaplan walks into my life with his swagger and his stupidly perfect hair, I’m determined not to fall for his act.
I took this job at Chamberlain Academy for two reasons. One? It’s stable, and I could use a little stability right now. Two? I’m teaching art and photography, two things I love more than anything else.
Not on my list of reasons? To talk to, flirt with, or even LOOK at the arrogant, former Broadway star theater teacher who acts like he owns all of campus. The Shakespeare line about the world being your stage? Yeah. He takes that one to heart.
When Chamberlain announces they’re finally putting an arts teacher on the faculty council, it’s only me and Dexter vying for the position, and let’s face it, Dexter is beyond charming. But I need that council position for reasons Dexter won’t ever understand.
I’m determined to beat him, but then we’re put in the impossible position of earning the council seat—by collaboration. That’s code for teacher torture.
Once we (begrudgingly) start working together, I begin to wonder if I haven’t been fair to the mysterious Dexter Kaplan. Is all this collaborating going to make me see him in a new way?
Maybe Dex isn’t what I thought. Maybe we both need to refocus.
Maybe we both need to look again.
A Murky Murder by Cindy Bell
Genre: Cozy Mystery
When Bobbie Walker’s beloved uncle, who raised her after she was orphaned at five, passes away, she’s left with more questions than answers. Discovering that he wasn’t really her uncle and that much of what he told her was a lie, Bobbie sets out to uncover the truth. Her only clue leads her to a charming lakeside cottage in the picturesque town of Newfield, Vermont.
But before Bobbie can even get settled, her next door neighbor is found murdered. Driven by her naturally inquisitive nature, Bobbie is determined to uncover the truth. She soon finds that Newfield, with its cute cottages and friendly faces, is brimming with secrets. As she makes new friends, including a lovable goldendoodle, a quirky officer, and two handsome locals, she discovers that just about everyone in town has something to hide.
In her quest to find the murderer and uncover the truth about her past, Bobbie heads straight toward danger. Can Bobbie put together the clues and navigate the town’s web of lies and deceit to reveal the truth before she becomes the next victim?
Join us in the book club!
