This is a great read and has a definite permeating southern flavor - I live in the South and there were many things in the book I could relate to. The book started off a little slow and I was afraid I wasn't going to like it, but I became absorbed in this story of family drama and hidden secrets after a little while. I put the slow start down to creating the right atmosphere. There are many things in the South people don't talk about and keep hidden in families, things that influence the course of lives - and that is the situation here. The Bruce family in this book had their share of secrets that affected all their lives. Lila Breedlove is my favorite character in the story, but I also like her brother, Henry. Simply felt sorry for Abigail, though.

The writing is atmospheric and lovely. Definitely a well-written book that will lure you in with the descriptive language and sense of place.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.

"The Sweet Taste of Muscadines" was such a heavy read but wow, it flowed perfectly with a really good plot. Siblings discover secrets about their father after their mother's sudden death. The mix of mystery and family drama made this a book I couldn't put down. The writing is well written and the story flowed perfectly through the dilemma the siblings were facing.

An absolutely fantastic book about family, deception and ultimately reunification. It addresses some difficult topics splendidly and keeps the reader engaged until the very end

What a great debut novel! This book was about a woman who returned home down south after her mother's sudden death. I love a book with lots of secrets, family and a woman learning about herself. Great book!

There have been some really good debut novels coming out lately and this one leads the pack! The entire time I was reading, I felt blessed to get the opportunity to review this family mystery. Thanks so much to the author and publisher.
When their mother Geneva is found dead in her nightgown laying under the muscadine trellis, her three kids, Lila, Henry, and Abigail each react in their own unique way. Lila and Henry have always been the closest, so they travel home together dreading the next few days. Abigail was always her mother’s favorite, so naturally, she is hit the hardest, but her reaction is completely off the wall. Was their mother murdered and if not, why was she out in the middle of the night with a digging spoon sprawled out under the vines? Over the next few days, the kids try to comprehend their mother’s actions, plan a get-together in her honor, and try to understand the contents of a buried can found in the yard.
I grew up in Georgia; my grandpa had a huge muscadine trellis and always made muscadine wine. This book talked to my heart; I could relate to so much of the setting, the characters, and the senses that are described through the lovely and poetic writing style of Ms. Terry. I hope she plans to continue writing; her style reminds me so much of Harper Lee.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The release date is March 16, 2021.

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines initially caught my eye because I'm a winemaker, so I hoped grapes played some role in the story. However, their role is only accidental. The story revolves around three adult children who have just lost their mother. Her body is found where the muscadines grow, where she passed away in the middle of the night. Her reason for being there is unknown to her children and sparks their curiosity.

As they dig deeper into their mother's death, family secrets are revealed that shatter everything they believed to be true.

There were beautiful aspects to the book. The close bond between two of the siblings is precious and the description of the Scottish landscape was breath-taking. But the tragedies that impacted their lives were hard, and I found the younger sister to be a very flighty character. Other than the drama that she provided to the story, she served no real role. Even her older siblings pursue the mystery on their own, leaving her out of things until they've solved it.

I do think that the publisher does a disservice to their readers by not mentioning in their description that a central theme to the book is homosexual love. I predict it will result in very mixed reviews from buying customers.

I do thank both NetgGalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry

A woman returns to her small southern hometown because of her mother’s death. She finds out that the family has past stunning secrets. These secrets change the family when they are revealed.

I enjoyed this book. Many important secrets were revealed. They changed the lives of the remaining family members. I especially liked Part II of the book. It took place in Scotland. Great descriptions.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

This is so well written, and the descriptions of the characters and places just leap off the page. I enjoyed this story from start to finish and the depth that the author was able to give each of the main characters was excellent. I’m not always a fan of “southern lit” but this one had a little more to it and I will look forward to more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Nothing I read about The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry prepared me for one of its main topics: homosexuality. Dare say, if I had known that was a primary subject, I would have not requested the book as that is not a topic of interest to me.
That said, the story is about three children whose mother has just died. The reader is led to believe their father died long ago while in the service. The death of the mother and her wake starts the ball rolling in learning that what they had been told about their father was not reality.
In Part Two, the pace really slows down as two of the children, Lila and Henry, visit Scotland to find out their truth.
In the end, this book was not like anything I expected, and I did not enjoy it.
This is Pamela Terry’s debut novel. She lives in Smyrna, Georgia, with her songwriter husband, where she is working on her second novel.
My review will be posted on Goodreads starting January 10, 2021.
I would like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective opinion.

Very well written , I thoroughly enjoyed her take on southern culture. Being as I am a true southerner , I loved the family dynamic , which I could see my own family in this novel.

This was my first NetGalley read and I was thrilled with the luscious cover and the mystery I saw among the trailing leaves and the blue-purple door. The story inside the cover didn’t disappoint, rich with descriptions that made my senses come alive - the smells of the earth and the sea, traditions and memories, the sultry humidity of the Deep South. Everything about this book evoked feelings. Lila’s emotions resonated deeply as she wrestled with what was real and what had been fashioned from a web of untruths. Henry was the brother we all wish we had. Abigail was over the top in every way, so true to her upbringing and, eventually, true to herself. It is said there are thin threads that connect us all. The threads are both metaphorical and literal throughout “The Sweet Taste of Muscadines.” Once a thread is pulled, life has a way of unraveling and re-weaving itself. This book is sweet in the re-weaving and settles gently across the shoulders as a well-woven shawl.

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What's more southern than muscadines? Family secrets waiting to be unburied, of course.

Lila must go back to her home town of Wesleyan, Georgia after the news that her mother has died. A town she never quite felt home in, she is not looking forward to the trip but knows she must go. For one, she has to find out why her mother was in the muscadine arbor at night, where her body was found.. As after most southern deaths, what is uncovered changes the lives of Lila and her brother and sister forever.

This book wants everyone to know how very southern it is. As a southerner some of it felt like going home but some felt over the top. Like, there was only so many times I could be told that Wesleyan was a small town. I did think that the family mystery was interesting and enjoyed Lily and her brother's trip to Scotland to uncover the truth. I thought the ending was abrupt, however, and would have liked more from that part of the story.

This is a beautiful heartfelt family drama. A recommended purchase for collections where women's fiction and southern stories are popular.

I was enticed by the beautiful cover, so I chose to request this book from Netgalley. I am glad that I did because this is a well-written book with such descriptive passages that sometimes it felt like I was reading poetry. This is the story of family secrets that span a generation and two different continents. Lila is happily pursuing her life on a little island off the coast of Maine when she is summoned home because her mother was found dead. Henry, her brother, has his own life in Maryland and a partner there whom those in the hometown of Georgia have yet to meet. Abigail, the youngest daughter and the one who kept herself under the thumb of their domineering mother Geneva, hardly knows what to do with herself and takes some rather extraordinary steps to express her newfound freedom. This is a family drama about secrets that need to be uncovered, even if it means traveling to Scotland to unravel the truth. The suspense is slow-building but worth waiting for the ending. With themes of resentment, forgiveness, acceptance and family, this is a story that resonated with me and had me reflecting on my own southern upbringing as I read. The author did a fantastic job of portraying the south and the style of life there, a life that is insular and uncomfortable with anything new or different. Lila and Henry go to Scotland to uncover the truth and find a lot more than they expected. This is a book that cannot be read quickly because there is so much within its pages that are written from the heart and touch the soul. Fans of contemporary women’s fiction will enjoy this book as will book clubs.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is one of those rare books that you want to read fast to find out how it ends but you also want to read it very slowly so that you don't miss any of the beautiful writing. Believe me when I say that the writing is exquisite. Not only are the characters well written and believable but the scenery is so well described that you feel like you are there -- sweating in the sun in the south and cold on the windswept island in Scotland. This book was my last read of 2020 and will be on my top 12 books of the year (out of the 215 books that I read.)

Lila, her brother Henry and her sister Abagail grew up in Wesleyan, Georgia with their mother. Their beloved father died when they were very young and they were raised by an often-disapproving mother. Both Lila and Henry left home as soon as possible while Abagail stayed home and lived a life as a best friend to her mother. Lila moved to a remote island in Maine and Henry to NYC. When they receive a call from Abagail that their mother has died, they both reluctantly return home. When they find out more about her death - that she died in the muscadine arbor with a digging spoon in her hand, they work to find out answers to the questions around her death. The more they find out, the more confused they become until their search threatens to destroy the foundation that their childhood was built on. As their search takes them to Scotland, they re-discover the importance of love, family and forgiveness.
"Maybe home is more something you carry inside you than the ground on which you stand."


I read this book on Kindle but have a hard copy book on order. I need to read it again and underline all of the beautifully written phrases. The writing was so beautiful that a lot of the book will end up highlighted. This was a debut for this author and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks to net galley for a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

A debut novel of a woman returning home after her mother’s death,Very well written it involves family difficult mother daughter relationship secrets that were hidden.There is a mystery involved I was up late reading this book look forward to more by this author.#netgalley#randomhouse

A stunning debut. Do not let the title of the book fool you; The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is a riveting tale of mystery, secrets, and a family drama that centers around the aftermath of adult siblings losing their mother. Beautifully written, descriptive, and well-developed characters. This immersive novel is a page turner. The family secrets and their quest to find truth was very engaging and the book effortlessly integrates themes of grief, loss, resentment, and acceptance. Haunting and heartfelt. This mystery will appeal to a wide range of audiences. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

“As with so many of the women in my family, there were no subtleties in my sister's life; all her choices, from adjectives to earrings, were outside and theatrical. It's possible that the seeds of this behavior were planted by maternal ancestors desperate to be heard, otherwise mutely invisible women in hoop skirts who learned early to manipulate by drama, exaggerating whatever means of communication they could grab in their lily-white fists in order to solidify their gauzy shadows and prove that they mattered. I’d spent most of my childhood observing this particular brand of femininity, unable and willing to participate. Now I found it almost profane.”

This debut novel caught me by surprise. In every sense it was better than I expected. The writing (see quote above) was extraordinary and so wonderfully evocative of the American South. At times, I could almost taste the sweet tea and feel the hair on the nape of my neck curling in the humidity.

In this story, prodigal daughter Lila returns to her small southern hometown in the wake of her mother's sudden death--only to be upended by stunning family secrets.

Lila never quite felt at home in Wesleyan, Georgia, especially after her father's untimely death when she was just a child. Both Lila and her brother, Henry, fled north after high school, establishing fulfilling lives of their own. In contrast, their younger sister, Abigail, opted to remain behind to dote on their domineering, larger-than-life mother, Geneva.

But as Lila and Henry uncover more about Geneva's death, shocking truths are revealed that overturn the family's history as they know it, sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives.

Fans of southern fiction and family sagas will be sure to enjoy this novel!

This debut author hits it on the nail when writing about family drama when a adult sibling group loses their mother and are left pick up the pieces. This book will having you turning the pages to see what secrets are discovered and what becomes of them. Are they able to discover the truths or will they be left without answers? This heartfelt novel is one add to your TBR list!

This is a crazy mystery at least I think its a mystery. I think her mother was killed though it looks like natural causes. The mother didn't want a funeral, so her children are just having a reception for her like an Irish Wake and the mother had asked people if they wanted to, to send flowers. So the family home where they are having the reception is wall to wall flowers! A lot of secrets are discovered too. It's not just a mystery; it's also more family relationships and how they affect us. At first, I found Geneva a completely unsympathetic character and I do think she caused a lot of difficulties that didn't need to be, but at the end I began to see things from her POV and understood Geneva better. Though I don't agree with it, I could see how she must have felt. A good book I recommend it!