Books Set in Virginia
Our journey through the 50 states continues with a stop in Virginia!
Book Club Pick – Virginia
Oops I Kissed Him Again by Cindy Ray Hale
What is Oops I Kissed Him Again about?
An impulsive kiss and a fake relationship. What could possibly go wrong?
When chief of police, Will, pulls sassy Layla over for speeding yet again, the last thing he expects her to do is plant a kiss on him. And he certainly isn’t prepared for the fireworks that explode when their lips meet.
With a robbery in Maple Creek, Will has his hands full trying to track the criminal down. Matters only get worse when Layla’s flower shop is broken into. Not to mention the creepy guys that keep hitting on her.
Can he keep his heart in check around his old crush while keeping her safe?
Layla is determined to keep her matchmaking mother from setting her up with the worst guy in town. So when her mom witnesses her getting pulled over, she spontaneously kisses Will and tells her she’s engaged to him. The hilarious fake romance that ensues is all fun and games until her heart decides to get involved.
When she teams up with Will to track down the thief terrorizing their town, her feelings intensify, and she’s not sure how much longer she can keep him at arm’s length.
Cindy Ray Hale on Literary Escapes Podcast
Want to know more about Cindy and her books? Listen to this conversation on the Literary Escapes Podcast!
More Sweet Reads Set in Virginia
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
Genre: Romance (warning – open door scenes)
Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.
Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.
Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.
Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.
There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.
At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.
Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Genre: Mystery
Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.
When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.
When the Rain Ends by Mary Ellen Taylor
Genre: Women’s Fiction
When artist Dani Manchester learns she’s slowly losing her vision, she becomes unmoored. Her ex-husband died only months before, leaving Dani and her preteen daughter grief stricken. Suddenly, the life Dani built for her family on the Outer Banks feels like a painful reminder of all they’ve lost.
On a whim, Dani sells her waterfront home and buys an old farm inland near the Virginia state line. But Dani’s daughter recoils at the sudden, drastic change. The Outer Banks’ sun-swept beaches, pink dawns, and savage storms are all she’s ever known.
But Dani is resolute, and the pair move to Virginia to embark on a challenging renovation. That summer, their efforts to turn a run-down silo into an art studio bring forth new friends, new loves, and new challenges.
As mother and daughter navigate the fiercest storm of their lives, they learn that instead of waiting for the skies to clear, they can withstand the wind and rain, so long as they do it together.
Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Three Weddings…And a Murder
So far Meg Langslow’s summer is not going swimmingly. Down in her small Virginia hometown, she’s maid of honor at the nuptials of three loved ones–each of whom has dumped the planning in her capable hands. One bride is set on including a Native American herbal purification ceremony, while another wants live peacocks on the lawn. Only help from the town’s drop-dead gorgeous hunk, disappointingly rumored to be gay, keeps Meg afloat in a sea of dotty relatives and outrageous neighbors.
And, in whirl of summer parties and picnics, Southern hospitality is strained to the limit by an offensive newcomer who hints at skeletons in the guests’ closets. But it seems this lady has offended one too many when she’s found dead in suspicious circumstances, followed by a string of accidents–some fatal. Soon, level-headed Meg’s to-do list extends from flower arrangements and bridal registries to catching a killer–before the next catered event is her own funeral…
(This is the first book in a long series of fun mysteries!)
A Heart Restored by Elizabeth Maddrey
Genre: Christian Romance
Opposites attract when a house flipper looking for a fresh start butts heads with a local handyman. The dilapidated mansion isn’t the only thing in need of TLC.
Deidre McIntyre didn’t exactly purchase the gorgeous old home in the Shenandoah Mountains on a whim. The building had seen better days, but she had the skills—and the time—to fix it up. And maybe it would provide the fresh start she was looking for.
Local handyman Jeremiah Crawford has a soft spot for Peacock Hill. The pixie-like Deidre isn’t at all what he expects when he swings by to meet the new owner, but he’s happy to hang around and enjoy the view.
When Deidre’s ex-boyfriend, a popular TV house flipper, shows up demanding a piece of the action, Jeremiah must decide if Deidre—and Peacock Hill—are worth fighting for.
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