Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Janet Metzger does a great job narrating this story. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Its 1964 in Texas and Eliza's husband has just died from a heart attack. Despite the sudden loss, Eliza is further devastated to learn that her husband is a bigamist. Navigating her new life, Eliza learns very quickly how to adjust and survive. A large part of that is her life at her new home, the Sweet Vidalia Motel where Eliza starts over and rediscovers who she is.

Overall, this is a well written domestic drama about a woman worn down by life and how she survives. I did enjoy this story and admired Eliza's strength. Definitely an enjoyable read!

I really enjoyed “Sweet Vidalia” by Lisa Sandlin. This is a haunting and thought-provoking novel about a woman who has to suddenly reinvent her life in 1960s Texas; this will stay with me a long time. I appreciated the themes of redemption and reinvention as well as the main character Eliza’s ability to meet others where they are at. She is a resilient and quietly fierce character. Parts of the book are laugh-out-loud funny as well. I can understand the comparison of the writer to Elizabeth Strout and Anne Tyler. However, I didn’t understand why some characters disappeared without their storylines being resolved. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Great narration by Janet Metzger which also really fit with the main character. Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the eARC.

Sweet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin
This is a novel of strength and resilience.
Eliza is my hero!
In 1964, Eliza loses more than she ever imagined when her husband dies suddenly. In the pit of complete despair, Eliza finds deceit and lies. Her whole world is upended in ways she never imagined.
As Eliza struggles to rise from the wreckage that her life has become, she rebuilds herself, taking classes and finding a new direction on her own. She discovers friends all around her and faces things where most people would have given up. She is a force of courage and kindness. This was an awesome story!
The narrator, Janet Metzger, did an awesome job in bringing Eliza to life using her voice. It was just so real with her tone of voice and connection with the characters.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
4/5⭐️

I listened to an audiobook and the narration was absolutely awful and ruined the entire story for me. A printed version might sit better.

If you love a comeback story and a middle age woman whose husband’s secret rocks her world as she knows it.
This was just so fabulous on audio and I highly recommend it. Eliza is the character you will root for with her spunk, her never quit spirit and her compassionate heart.

This book will quietly make you think… what would you do?

You know, I don't usually like this kind of thing. (What kind of thing? Well, historical fiction, coming of [middle] age, slow burn, kind of thing.) But this really worked.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Oh this was good Lisa! I was so not sure what to expect with the story, and WOW! It was so good. I could not put it down. It was wonderfully written story,