I think there may be a narrow audience for this novel (at times the story/plot-line felt very scattered and it can be difficult to sit with the protagonist in her losses, her apparent passivity), BUT, I found the read very much worthwhile and was left hopeful that the author had brought her protagonist though her dark days and into a more stable situation finally. It was a tough road to walk, but I'm glad I did.

Eliza is suddenly widowed and left penniless by a husband with surprising secrets. It’s 1964, a challenging time for a 57-year-old woman with no marketable skills to survive. After a brief wallow, Eliza signs up for business classes and moves into The Sweet Vidalia, a curious motel with even more curious residents. There, she learns to stand up for herself and create a way ahead that works for her.

I was underwhelmed by the story and couldn't connect to Eliza's character. Some of the many storylines here held promise but skimmed the surface of emotion, moving on to something else quickly.

Imagine finding out a secret about a loved one that turns your entire world upside down. That’s exactly what happens in Sweet Vidalia when Eliza’s husband suddenly passes away. After her husband Robert passes, she finds out that he has been living a double life. Faced with the fallout from Robert’s choices, Eliza is left to pick up the pieces of her old life and start anew.
I genuinely enjoyed this book so much. Honestly, much more than I initially expected. The after a dramatic opening the next several pages did not hold my attention as much as I had hoped, but the book soon found its rhythm and I was hooked. Sweet Vidalia focuses on main character Eliza’s life after the death of her husband and her discovery that he had been keeping secrets in their marriage that would change the course of her life. Due to Robert’s actions, Eliza has to leave her home and essentially start from scratch to build her life in a room at the Sweet Vidalia. Along the way she meets new people, makes new friends, and learns some lessons while she builds a new life that is hers alone.
The characters are the part of this book that truly stand out for me. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with characters that feel as much like real people as the characters in Sweet Vidalia. They all, even the minor characters, felt so human. I could picture all of these individuals in my mind with their various qualities and quirks. They possessed both good and bad, as well as right and wrong. I could find qualities in all of them that I loved and qualities that I wasn’t so crazy about. The characters were really the star of this whole book.
While the characters were the real stars of this book, I also really enjoyed the plot. It had the predictable elements of an individual starting over, but it was also so unexpected. There were several instances where the book took some really surprising twists and turns that, surprisingly, felt completely organic to the overall story. These twists added a bit of drama, while still feeling genuine and not at all forced. I never felt as though there was conflict for conflict’s sake in this book.
My only real critique of this book was that I thought it was a little slow to start. The opening scene is very dramatic but afterward there is a bit of a lull before the story gets going again. After the lull, though, the story is really amazing. I am still finding myself thinking about the characters and Eliza’s story days after I finished the book. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that likes character driven books. I believe that I would also recommend it to people that enjoy historical fiction. Overall, I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book. I want to thank Little, Brown and Company for providing a copy of Sweet Vidalia to me via NetGalley for review. Any opinions offered in this review are mine alone.

In 1964 Texas, Eliza Kratke finds her life upended after her husband's death. She ends up living at the Sweet Vidalia Inn, with an interesting assortment of residents, and works to remake her life.

I wanted to read Sweet Vidalia because I love historical fiction, love the 1960's time period, and found the retro motel setting intriguing.

This is such a lovely novel - warm, leisurely, compassionate. I recommend it heartily for other fans of historical fiction, and especially for other readers who also enjoy the mid-century time period and southern fiction. Five enthusiastic stars!

weet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin is a richly atmospheric novel that blends Southern charm with a gritty tale of crime and resilience. The story captures the essence of small-town life in the South while following a compelling protagonist navigating personal struggles and a dangerous mystery. Sandlin’s prose is evocative and immersive, painting vivid scenes that pull readers into the setting. While the pacing can be slow at times, the character development and attention to detail make it a rewarding read for fans of literary mysteries.

I’d rate it 4 out of 5 stars for its engaging characters and vivid storytelling, though the slower pacing might not appeal to everyone.

Sweet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin is the story of Eliza a 57-year-old woman whose life changes suddenly. We journey with Eliza through 1960s Texas as she faces the challenges of building a new life. I enjoyed Eliza's story but I didn't particularly love the writing style.

All in all, a good read. 3.5 stars for me and rounding up to a 4 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of Sweet Vidalia in exchange for an honest review.

I will be frank: I was disappointed by this book. The title was promising and the summary sounded good. The beginning was good too. But after that, it got...so...slow. At the start of the book, the protagonist's husband dies and she finds out that he had another wife, who has a claim to the house the first wife lives in so it cannot be sold. This is not a spoiler because it happens at the beginning. There are many ways this book could have gone. It could have been about the two wives meeting and having a good deal in common. There could have been light moments. There was none of that. It could have told the story of someone who overcomes many obstacles and prevails in the end. There was a little of that. It just meandered so slowly that I lost interest. There was a great deal of promise that was not delivered. I would give this 2.5 stars, mostly for character development, which was a strong point.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

When Eliza’s husband dies suddenly, she knows he has been keeping secrets from her. What she doesn’t know is the extent of those secrets, including another wife, and indebtedness. Eliza has to start over, enrolling in night school, doing laundry for neighbors in her residential motel, and trying to patch together a life. The setting was 1960’s Texas, where there was much economic hardship. Eliza’s perseverance was admirable, but the story was just okay for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I like this book in many respects but I also had some difficulties. I found myself having to reread sentences at times, as the flow of words didn’t quite jive with me - I’m well aware this could be a “me” problem but it did make it difficult to read and really get lost in the plot. Some of the analogies also did not land for me. However, I did like the overall story, it’s not like anything I’ve read before. You can feel the main character’s struggles and her fight to get her life back. I still recommend this, especially since it could just be my ability to read it and nothing to do with the writing.

This story is set in the 1960s. It is not a page turner but I'm not sure it is meant to be. The story is a kind of "coming of age" of an adult woman. I thought it was an enjoyable read and recommend it!

I would like to thank Lisa Sandlin, Little Brown and Company and NetGalley for the ARC. Any review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This book was not what I was expecting, but it was definitely something that kept me reading! The Book follows Eliza Kratke. She finds out her life is based on lies by her husband. Based in 1964 when things were so different for women.She finds strength in herself. Doing what she has to in order to survive. Going back to school, meeting young people at both the Sweet Vidalia Residence Inn and the business college. This character shows She has a backbone made of iron. She also acts compassionately with characters that need it. It was definitely worth reading!

Set in 1960s Texas, SWEET VIDALIA follows Eliza, who has recently suffered the loss of her husband—and, in the aftermath, also faces a devastating betrayal. As she struggles to pick up the pieces, her world turned completely upside down, Eliza soon embarks on a journey of healing and self-discovery. Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I thought Eliza was such a well-crafted character, and so easy to root for. I also really enjoyed the writing style. The pacing was a little slow at times, especially in the beginning, but I think it does a good job of setting up the rest of the story. If you love historical fiction (particularly set in the 1960s), strong female characters, and slice-of-life stories, SWEET VIDALIA is the book for you! I would certainly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC.

I can['t imagine having to rebuild you life after 30 years of marriage and the death of a husband.
The secret would have ruined me. She was a strong woman during that time. I loved how Eliza did not want to burden for friends and children but I really feel in today's time period people are more open to these challenges and want to help.
You couldn't help cheering for her tenacity to survive and start again while finding herself.

Delighted to include this title in the December edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

The sudden death of Eliza Kratke's husband should have been the biggest shock, but learning there isn't enough money in their account to pay for his burial and having another woman show up at the funeral home claiming she's his wife...those are much bigger shocks. Starting over at 57--in debt and with crippling arthritis, Eliza relies on her experience growing up during the Great Depression. She rents her house and moves into a short-term hotel, taking classes and making friends with a motley assortment of classmates and neighbors. As she rebuilds her life, she reclaims it.

Entertaining, poignant, and uplifting. #SweetVidalia #NetGalley

I loved the audio version of this book and the narrator did a wonderful job! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and Eliza was a character that won my heart! She was faced with so much tragedy but was able to make a good life out of it all. This book was a roller coaster of emotions showing Eliza on a journey of self discovery. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from the author. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nicely written book. Loved the way the main female character continues forward after the death of her husband. Will recommend to others.

I really enjoyed the book Sweet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin!Eliza Kratke is a 57 year old living in Texas in the 1960’s.She is blindsided when her husband Robert dies and she finds out he has been hiding secrets fromher.She builds a new life in the Sweet Visalia Residence Inn and enrolls in business college.The book follows her adventures.I found the book very insightful and well written!I enjoyed it immensely!I plan to read more of her books! Thank you Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!

One crisp February afternoon, Eliza Kratke’s life changes in an instant. When losing her husband isn’t enough, shocking secrets of his past come piling on. Forced to power through, Eliza moves away from the only life she’s known for 30 years and calls the Sweet Vidalia Residence Inn home. In an effort to make ends meet, Eliza enrolls in business courses at a local college. While there, she meets a crew of unlikely characters; some becoming almost like her new found family.

From the start, Sweet Vidalia felt like a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt deeply for Eliza; cheered her on, became cautious of those entering her bubble, and felt constant anger towards Robert.
The trajectory of her life and the events she faced felt very authentic. I found myself deeply curious as to what would become of Eliza and those around her.
At times, the pacing of the novel felt rushed; jumping right ahead to new events in Eliza’s life without closure in other areas.


Thank you to Little, Brown and Company, NetGalley, and Lisa Sandlin for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review

In a Texas town in 1964, 57-year old Eliza Kratke gets a series of unpleasant surprises when her husband of 30 years dies suddenly. Robert had taken out a mortgage on their paid-off ranch house for one thing. Remember, back in 1964, a woman couldn’t have their own credit or get a mortgage, but a man could, and could take out a mortgage on the family home without the wife knowing a thing about it. Eliza’s next surprises are that Robert had another family and that his second, bigamous wife has managed to put a lien on the house so that Eliza can’t sell it. Her cherry-on-top surprise is that Social Security surviving spouse benefits won’t start paying out until she reaches age 60. Eliza hasn’t held a job for decades. Now what?

Amazingly, it’s an encounter with a repo man that jars Eliza out of her shocked stupor. She sells everything she can and moved to a tiny efficiency apartment in the Sweet Vidalia Residence Inn. It’s on the wrong side of the tracks, but its residents are mostly students. Of course, they think she’s ancient, as do the other students at the business school where she decides to go to get qualifications for a job, but she slowly manages to make some unusual friendships with people at the Inn and from school. More importantly, she learns to take care of herself, identify what she’s good at, and take advantage of those skills to make a new life. Not at all the kind of life she’d imagined, but you have to grow up sometime, and she’s done it in her late 50s.

This is a book I forgave for a sometimes meandering plot, with some threads that didn’t get resolved, because of its humor, warmth, and insight.