After surveying the damage caused by a massive storm to the beautiful domed fresco ceiling in the old Art Deco Sugarhouse Theater, Desdemona Hudson is frustrated. It is one more problem and one more delay in the massive restoration project that the three Hudson sisters had vowed to finish. Like any renovation project on an old building, they quickly found there is always more work to be done and fewer funds to get it done.

The sisters have split the tasks and it is up to Des to organize the funding for the work, while her half-sister Cara will handle overseeing the actual work. Still, thinking about it only made her realize that it would be a long time before she could go back home to her home in Cross Creek, Montana and brought forward negative feelings about their father and his will.

Franklin "Fritz" Hudson, former Hollywood agent mandated that in order to inherit his estate, his three daughters had to work and live together in the old family home restoring the theatre in the small town of Hidden Falls, Pennsylvania.

This catch in her father's and their arrival at the family home reveals a number of family secrets, including that there are two families - Des and Allie by his wife Nora, and then Cara whose mother Susa may or may not have been his legal wife. In addition, they soon discover their father's sister Bonnie, called Barney, who is living in the home and happy to have them all with her. Each of the sisters had their own reasons for working together for the money, but can they continue to stay together to get everything finished? How can they get the money to cover all the additional expenses and restore the beautiful ceiling?

THE SUGARHOUSE BLUES is the second book in New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart's Hudson Sisters series. Stewart's many fans are sure to be happy with this continuation of the series with each novel revealing more about each sister; yet, it can also easily be read as a standalone story with a bit of romance.

The storyline in THE SUGARHOUSE BLUES is relatively simple, yet is fully intriguing as lots of little mysteries and family secrets get revealed. The dialogue between the characters is realistic and humorous as the story pulls you into the warmth of living in this small southern town in the heat of summer. While the sisters all have the same father, they all have distinct personalities, talents, and ways of dealing with their issues and concerns.

Fans of Stewart's many novels and those who like contemporary women's fiction are sure to find much of interest in THE SUGARHOUSE BLUES. It is a great summertime read but can be enjoyed anytime. Check out how Des changes her perspective on her sisters as well as a certain male friend. So, sit back with a cool drink or glass of wine and enjoy! Looking forward to reading what happens to Allie in the next book in the series!