The Sugarhouse Blues by Mariah Stewart

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Gallery Books, Mariah Stewart, NetGalley

Review copy from Gallery Books and NetGalley

THE SUGARHOUSE BLUES

The Hudson Sisters Series, Book 2

by Mariah Stewart

Gallery Books

May 15, 2018

9781501144929 (trade paperback)

$16.00 (trade paperback)

Description:  From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes more “catnip for women’s fiction fans” (Booklist) in the second novel of the Hudson Sisters series.

Allie, Des, and Cara, each having her own reasons for wanting a share of their father’s estate, meet in the grand Victorian home in which he grew up, only to be greeted by another secret he purposely hid from them: his sister Bonnie. The women reluctantly band together to take on Fritz’s challenge, working with a local contractor to begin the renovations financed by an account Fritz had set up for the task. While the restoration appears to go smoothly at first, it soon becomes apparent that the work will be more extensive than originally thought, and Des, elected to handle the money, needs to find ways to stretch out the remaining savings while searching for new sources of funding.

As strangers linked only by their DNA try to become a family, the Hudson sisters also try to come to terms with the father they only thought they knew. In the process, each woman discovers her own capacity for understanding, forgiveness, love, and the true meaning of family. (publisher)

My take:  Mariah Stewart’s second book of the Hudson Sisters series picked up where the first ended. It’s the story of three sisters who share the same father and have been tasked with restoring his family’s historic theater in his Pennsylvania hometown. They will receive their inheritance if they can complete this huge assignment. First they have to find a way to be comfortable working together.

Two of the sisters share the same parents and have grown up with a sibling rivalry that was more on Allie’s part than Des’s. That resentment seems to grow now that they’re living under the same roof and working on this huge project. Can they work past their issues and come to value what they truly have as adults?

I love the progression of this storyline. The pacing seems just right. Des will find out what can happen when she lets go of her insecurities where relationships are concerned. The story of Des and Seth brought a smile to my face. Adding in the dog rescue facet made The Sugarhouse Blues a gem of a novel for me. I recommend picking up the first book, The Last Chance Matinee, to learn how the three sisters meet and then read The Sugarhouse Blues.

About the author:

Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas and short stories. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel. Visit her website at MariahStewart.com, like her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuthorMariahStewart, and follow her on Instagram @Mariah_Stewart_Books.

 

11 thoughts on “The Sugarhouse Blues by Mariah Stewart”

  2. I have read the first book and have been waiting with baited breath for this next book to hit my bookshelf…I am a big fan of Mariah Stewarts books. She never disappoints with her stories.

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  4. A Pennsylvania setting sounds good and so does restoring an old theater. There is an old theater in a nearby town that was restored. They did a nice job on it.

    Thanks for sharing, Mary.

    Nice post and review.

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  6. I remember loving the look and sound of The Last Chance Matinee when I saw it here, so more about those sisters sounds very good.

    Both books are going on my list! Thanks for sharing this great review.

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  7. Good to know you enjoyed this one as well as Katherine over at I Wish I Lived in a Library. I listened to the first one and I have put this one into my wish list to listen to down the track and just the time I feel like something like this.

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  8. I just commented about this book somewhere else and will say the same thing. I used to read and enjoy Mariah Stewart’s suspense novels a long time ago and then she switched to small-town dramas. I tried the first Chesapeake one and wasn’t that excited about it but maybe I should’ve given it more of a chance. Anyway, I plan on picking up the first Hudson sister book soon based on all the good recommendations 🙂

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