Veena’s review of Sugar House Blues (The Hudson Sisters, Book 2) by Mariah Stewart
Contemporary Romance published by Gallery Books 29 May 18
Fritz grew up in a prominent banking family during summers in a small town. He left it all behind for the bright lights of Hollywood, where he became father to two girls. He fell in love again and set up another family in Delaware with one daughter. Imagine the surprise when his two families come together at the reading of his will to find each other and to find an aunt, their father’s sister, whose existence they had no knowledge of. Now under the terms of his will, they are forced to live together in their father’s childhood home with their aunt and to restore an old theater that belongs to the family and which once was the heart of the town. Small-town living, complex family relationships, and a lost treasure are just the tip of the iceberg that makes this book so readable.
So the girls did a stellar job of finding the right contractor to put the heart into the old theater. Cara and Joe also fall in love along the way, but just when it seems like things are on schedule and they’ll have no problems meeting the terms of the will, a freak summer storm does a fair amount of damage. This next chapter of the story picks up from right where the first book ended. The girls now have to figure out how to effect repairs, keep the character of the place, and stretch their budget to meet their needs.
The girls get creative on how to raise funds and stretch their money as they contact the local preservation society and university art departments, etc. The town’s mayor, Seth, has made no bones about his attraction for Des, going so far as making his friends take the rescue dogs she’s rescued. Des struggles with a tattooed Seth, who does not fit her idea of boyfriend material, against the college professor who does. Seth is delightful and I think I had a similar reaction to Des when Seth is so blithe about a barbecue involving the entire town.
Even as Des and Seth are the central characters of this book, Allie’s struggle with alcoholism and depression, as well as her deep love for her daughter Nikki, add a lot of depth to this story. An exploration into Aunt Barney’s broken heart and her second chance at love are refreshing side notes that make the story come alive. Allie’s exploration of her long hidden artistic self and her attempt to take a more actively personal role in the exploration are elements that I’m sure we’ll see more of as the series continues.
I really enjoyed the change of pace, and seeing each sister emerge out of her own shell and go after what she wants is very energizing. Nikki is a breath of fresh air, and I’m definitely rooting for her to find the family treasure. All in all a great middle book which leaves readers waiting anxiously for the finale.
Grade: B
Summary:
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
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
