I really enjoyed reading this book. Eliza is a character that changes so much throughout the story. I felt connected to her in many ways. In the beginning, I really felt her love for her husband as she tries to save his life. Then the bottom drops out of her life as she discovers betrayal of the worst kind. We are taken on a journey as she learns to stand up for herself and become a new woman. The Vidalia hotel is the perfect setting for Eliza’s changing life. The hotel becomes a character itself as we meet the residents living their lives within the rooms, each neighbor teaching Eliza how to cope with different parts of her new life. I definitely recommend reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company

This book introduced me to an author I had not read before. I thought this book was thoughtfully written to teach some valuable lessons about taking charge of one’s life and that it’s never too late to start over and begin to live again. As someone who is now Middle Ages, I appreciate being able to read about older characters in such a positive light.

Newly widowed Eliza Kratke must come to terms with her new life and the secrets that have been hidden from her during the thirty years of marriage to her late husband.
Rediscovering herself and new possibilities, Eliza still finds it difficult to leave her past behind.

Such a gut-wrenching novel from the very first chapter. Beautifully written but a bit disjointed in some chapters. At times, I didn’t feel as if I were reading about a housewife in the 60’s but a modern woman.

Overall, it is a welcome change from the usual novels I tend to gravitate toward.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet Vidalia was a gripping ride through the aftermath of a double tragedy for a middle-aged woman. Her husband's secret leaves her struggling to make ends meet as her grown children face their own struggles and she finds the strength to forge her way forward. Highly recommend.

I didn't know what to expect with this book. I had nothing to go off except for the premise. But it's really good. It's a unique story, well written, and believable characters. I look forward to more from this author in the future

I really enjoyed the idea of this book, but found the writing to be clunky and lacking emotion. The characters were interesting but I felt they could have had more depth, and found the dialogue between the main character and other characters to lack emotion as well. The plot also fell flat for me and nothing else was interesting enough to make up for it.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I would like to start by thanking Net Galley and Little, Brown and Company for an advanced copy of Sweet Vidalia written by Lisa Sandlin. All opinions are my own.

Sweet Vidalia takes place in Texas, 1964. This is a book about love, deception, contradictions, loneliness, and rising above difficult times.

Eliza is a woman in her mid-fifties who has a comfortable life, until life as she knew it never truly existed the way she lived it. She and her children uncover secrets they couldn’t believe existed. Eliza was a strong woman who was determined to recreate her life on her own. She meets various people throughout her journey of self-healing. Eliza was a kind person to those she met, one who gave great advice and shared valuable wisdom.

This book was a bit slow paced at times, but I did enjoy the story overall. Eliza had me hoping she would overcome her hurdles. I appreciated her drive to push forward and the courage she had to do what she needed to do for herself, by herself. The ending was rather a surprise.

This book is out for publication on December 3, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Little Brown & Co for the opportunity to read this charming book.

When Eliza Kratke’s husband dies unexpectedly, she learns that not only is there no money in their accounts and she has loan sharks at her door, she finds out the worst news of all. Apparently Robert had used their savings and taken out a second mortgage on their paid off home, to purchase a home for his other wife. What?

Yes Robert had actually married another woman with whom he was having an affair and secretly ruined his current wife’s life to do so.

Eliza couldn’t be more dumbfounded but somehow manages through losing everything and moves to a residence motel, goes to business school and makes a new life for herself.

She is a delightful and sympathetic character that you root for from the getgo. Her big heart, positive demeanor and kindness go a long way to turn her life around. She makes friends - not all of whom are good - and rallies.

Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.

Sweet Vidalia follows 50-something Eliza as she tries to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. Unfortunately, her husband led a bit of a double life and left her with debt and few resources, so she must basically start again from scratch. She moves into a residential motel called the Sweet Vidalia and enrolls in a certificate program to be able to support herself. Eliza has grit and perseverance despite quite unfavorable odds.

This book was more of a character study, of Eliza and those she comes in contact with, than any kind of plot-driven story. I kept wishing for more to happen, and for things to move a bit faster. As it is, it's not a long book, but it was slow going for me because there wasn't enough there to keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

Sweet Vidalia is a super sweet book. Loved it.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I was immediately drawn to "Sweet Vidalia" by Lisa Sandlin because of its fantastic cover. After reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read it, and I'm so glad I did! The story is set in the 1960s, and it follows Eliza Kratke, who has been happily married to Robert for 30 years. When Robert unexpectedly passes away, Eliza discovers that he has been keeping many (huge) secrets from her. This leaves her feeling lost and having to completely reinvent her life in her 50s.

I was captivated by the book from the first few pages. Lisa Sandlin did a fantastic job of portraying Eliza's journey, and I found myself rooting for her and becoming deeply invested in her story. I admired Eliza's resilience and determination. "Sweet Vidalia" is a 5-star book that I truly loved, and I am looking forward to reading more from Lisa Sandlin in the future!

A read full of eccentric characters. Eliza is full of strength and resilience and builds herself a new life while living in a 1 room motel. But karma along with her new friends help her through the adjustment period and land her a job she never expected and a real place to live. A new life that made her sacrifice worth it.

1964 Texas. Sweet Vidalia is a motel. Its lackluster appearance does not fall short to the other individuals that reside there. To Eliza, Sweet Vidalia is home. It’s where she has to start over and rediscover who she is.

Building her life again, brick by brick, Eliza Kratke nears 60 and grapples with the sudden death of her husband Robert. She also has to come to terms that Robert was living another life with another woman. A life Eliza knew nothing about until his death.

Eliza devoted her life to Robert and her now grown children. Now seemingly with nothing, she enrolls in the local community college, meets some interesting characters along the way and becomes gainfully employed.
A kind woman, she forms relationships that are heart warming and doesn’t dwell too much on her past.

The plot is very basic and there are few major character development arcs, but overall I enjoyed this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for allowing me to read and review Sweet Vidalia.

“Sweet Vidalia” by Lisa Sandlin is a story about a woman in her 50s who experiences unimaginable grief and hardships. She loses her husband suddenly and then finds he was married to second wife and leaves her penniless. The book speaks to her struggle finding her way back and the difficult journey it took for her to get there. Ultimately her inner strength and character help her to persevere. For me the story was hard to read and a bit unrealistic. I do think it was beautifully written and for some there will be lessons learned about forgiveness.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown & Company for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet Vidalia started out with an interesting story. The feeling of wanting to know more was intriguing. What did the husband do, what was the marriage dynamic, what happens next. However, half way through I felt that several aspects of Eliza's life were being covered. I found this hard to follow. Some tried to wrap up in how she was able to overcome, but other aspects such as her children and where they stood in helping her really fell flat with me. I think the concepts that it covered are great for a story however, I felt that none of the stories except that it turned out ok were really seen fully through. The names of the daughter and mother being so similar was also very confusing. I enjoyed the book but was a tough read for me because every story seemed a bit hard to follow.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Have you ever had that surreal moment when you question if your life is really what you think it is? After the unexpected death of her husband in 1964 Texas, Eliza begins to realize that what she took as the truth was layered in lies and betrayal. Sweet Vidalia is an absolutely beautifully written and poignant novel about rediscovering the life you’ve lived. Trying to find her new norm taking classes and living out of The Sweet Vidalia Residence Inn opens Eliza’s eyes to a whole new world, one in which she finds healing and her own identity. Lisa Sandlin writes a powerful novel with a message that transcends age and decades.

Review is posted on Goodreads and final review will be posted on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

"Sweet Vidalia" is about a middle-aged woman who is ousted from her life by a heartbreaking deceit. The reader joins her journey as she takes business classes, forges friendships, and learns to trust her self and abilities in a hotel full of young people. The setting of 1960s Texas is compelling as are the people she meets and where she ends up. Highly recommended for the writing and story. My favorite read so far in 2024. Thanks to NetGalley for the gift of this ARC.
#SweetVidalia #LisaSandlin

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Sweet Vidalia. This is Eliza's story of survival following the death of her husband. A great story of putting on foot in front of the other and carrying on.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Sweet Vidalia is historical fiction about a widow in the 1960s, Eliza. In the beginning scenes, Eliza loses her husband, Robert, and is shocked to learn that he had another wife and was a bigger mist. Never having been on her own. And her children grown and moved away, She begins to find herself and to make her own way in life. She has a wonderful dog, and they move into a motel called the Vidalia. She meets many offbeat characters, and there are more than meets the eye. She saves her money and gets herself out of a hole that she did not dig herself into. She reminds me of my grandmother, the women of that time who didn’t think to complain, rolled up their sleeves and got things done. Anger isn’t useful for them, but hard work acceptance is. I found myself rooting for her.

Reading Sweet Vidalia was such a life-affirming experience. After Eliza Kratke's world is turned upside down by the knowledge of a husband who betrayed her, she begins a long journey to find the life she wants. Eliza's experiences with poverty, loneliness, and struggle send a strong message about what women were able to achieve even in the sixties, a time when women had few resources to rely upon.

I strongly reacted to how little this character had going for her. Eliza is in her late fifties and has no education beyond high school. She raised two children on a meager household income and then found herself destitute. Eliza's pride kept her going, and so did her sharp mind and strong character. Eliza made friends, did things for herself, and found profound experiences and growth. I was rooting for her on every page. This is a novel for women of all ages. I remember the time and the struggle. I admired Lisa Sandlin's ability to capture life for a character like Eliza.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book, which will be published on December 3, 2024.