Moonlit Vine, a bookstore and bar, opened in Beech Grove, Ind., on June 20, the Indianapolis Star reported. Located at 614 Main St., Moonlit Vine carries a general-interest inventory with an emphasis on romance and fantasy. The bar side of the business serves beer, wine, coffee, and a variety of snacks. Owner Paige Maudlin runs a Desire and Diversity Book Club, which focuses on romance by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors, and future event plans include local-author showcases as well as a midnight release party in October for book 6 in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
"I really want Moonlit Vine to be ingrained in the community," Maudlin told the Star, "from holding special events that raise money for certain causes to helping local schools with their reading programs, or having Moonlit Vine be a place for the community to feel safe and welcome."
A lifelong reader, Maudlin had always dreamed of opening a bookstore, but it "felt like one of those things that would always stay a dream and never be reality." That was until October 2025, when she was walking on Beech Grove's Main Street and saw a "For Lease" sign on an ideal space.
"I recently moved to Beech Grove in January of 2025 and fell in love with Main Street," Maudlin recalled. "I knew if the universe gave me the opportunity, this would be the perfect place for a bookstore."
Currently Maudlin still works full-time, and as a result Moonlit Vine is open on Tuesday through Friday evenings and all day Saturday. The bookstore and bar has been well-received by the community so far.
"[T]hey're thankful to have a space like Moonlit Vine in their community," Maudlin said. "Hearing that from so many people has really been rewarding and makes all the hard work worth it."