Title: The Pie Sisters
Author: Leigh Brown & Victoria Corliss
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Book Blurb:
For the Lane sisters, Shelby, Yeardley, and Lily, returning to Aunt Nola’s cottage on Canandaigua Lake for a birthday celebration is like going home.
Now adults, it has been years since their last visit. Eager to escape the realities of their day-to-day lives, the girls jump at the chance to go back. What ensues is a journey that leads the sisters to a better understanding and deeper appreciation of family and home.
Excerpt:
The afternoon sun nearly blinded Shelby as she looked both ways before crossing through the intersection. A few more minutes and they would be pulling into Nola’s driveway.
“I remember the first time I ever drove this road myself,” she recalled, capturing her sisters’ undivided attention. “Nola was teaching me to drive so I could take my test when we got back home. I was so scared. But I did okay, if I do say so myself.”
“You’d be the only one to say so.”
From the passenger seat, Yeardley could not resist teasing her.
Shelby scowled fiercely. Yeardley repented. “On the other hand, you were always a very conscientious driver. Still are.”
“Hey guys, look.”
From the back seat, Lily pointed to the road ahead of them. Excitement lit up her face as Shelby powered the rental car up the gradually inclining road toward its flattened peak.
“Wait for it,” Lily murmured, and the girls held their collective breath. For all of their differences, in this one thing they were united: the awe-inspiring first sight of Canandaigua Lake. It never failed to take their breath away.
“There it is!”
From their crested vantage, the girls could see the lake spread below them, all fifteen and a half miles of blue/green patchwork puddle. A few sailboats dotted the surface, struggling to find a breeze, while speedboats with water skiers in tow circled around them. Like a cowboy throwing a lasso, thought Yeardley. Along the shore, a ring of miniature white squares and the occasional circular trampoline float marked the swimming areas of individual cottages. One of them was Nola’s.
Through her open window Shelby breathed deeply, the scent of honeysuckle welcoming her back. She felt lighter already.
“Ready?”
“Ready!!” Her sisters yelled in unison.
Shelby put the car in gear, driving until the sound of crushed stone beneath the tires signaled their arrival at Nola’s. They crunched down the tree-lined driveway, past the green lawn, freshly mowed, to the gateway that was a two-car garage. Shelby pulled into the open bay next to Nola’s cherry red Camry and parked.
Set back from the lawn, Nola’s vegetable garden was thriving. Rows of tomato plants hung heavy with green and red fruit like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Heads of lettuce tufted abundantly from the ground as well as peppers, cucumbers, onions, and chives. Nola’s green thumb still had the magic touch.
At this time of year, all the plants stood tall and full, their leaves creating a thick veil of green. Behind the garden, nearly obscured from view, stood the cottage. It was more of a house really, fully insulated and winterized with cedar shingles and green trim around the windows and doors. “Cottage” was an affectionate term from the throwback days when Shepardsville provided a summer escape for city residents from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
For as long as Nola could remember, the Hamilton family had always lived here. Her grandfather, Oscar, had built the cottage himself. Like most of the waterfront homes in the area, the house had two porches. One on the back or street-side, that served as the main entrance. But the front porch was the pièce de résistance, overlooking the vast of expanse of lake just a stone’s throw away.
Yeardley leaned across her sister to the steering wheel, and pressed firmly on the horn. “We’re here!” She was out of the car before Shelby or Lily had released their seat belts. “Aunt Nola, we’re here!”
Bags in tow, the girls made their way to the cottage, holding up as Nola stepped onto the porch. Behind her, the screen door sprang back into place. Nola wore an apron, and a smudge of flour on her cheek that hid the fine lines of her welcoming smile. Her hair, auburn like Shelby’s, gleamed red with silver streaks as she opened her arms wide for one of Nola’s famous bear hugs. “My beautiful girls, you’re here!”
“Aunt Nola!” Dropping their bags to the ground, all three flew into her arms, little girls once again.
“I’ve missed you!”
“You look fabulous!”
“What’s that wonderful smell?”
Nola laughed, trying to make sense of all the chatter flying around her. “Hold on a minute, let me get a good look at you first.”
One by one she examined each girl closely, framing their faces between her hands.
“Okay, troops, let’s take it inside. You’re all in your old rooms.”
As if Nola had flipped a switch, the group chatter resumed, and the girls rushed inside, eager to see their old rooms. Lily reached hers first. At the top of the stairs, it was right next to Nola’s. When she was little, this was important in case she fell out of bed or had a nightmare. At the first peep from next door, Nola had been at her side ready to kiss any bumps or scare away any monsters.
Down the hall from Lily, Shelby ran a finger across a row of books arranged tallest to shortest. Thirteen, fourteen, she counted silently. It would take more than a week to read all these. Maybe she should stay longer. A giggle burst from her lips as she considered the possibility. How crazy would that be?
Throwing the window wide, Yeardley could not stop smiling at the sight of her beloved lake. How had she ever left? Everything about the place was special; the sunrises and sunsets, the sound of crackling bonfires at night, the fresh smell of morning after an evening rain storm. The people, too. Nola, naturally, the Harpers who owned the local hardware store, and Miss Jean who ran the soda fountain at the pharmacy. The Greenes of course. And Jackson. She closed her eyes, remembering her childhood sweetheart, but it hurt to think about him. It had been so many years since he had broken her heart.
“Shelby! Yeardley! Lily! Dinner!”
From the bottom of the stairs, Nola listened as three pairs of flip-flopped feet hurried to meet her. Tears sprang into her eyes, as she remembered footsteps past.
“Not now.” She scolded herself, quickly brushing away her tears before the girls saw them. “When the time is right, I’ll tell them.”
Yeardley reached Nola first, breathless and flushed with excitement. Something smelled wonderful. Yeardley’s stomach rumbled.
“Hurry up, girls,” she yelled to her sisters. “Last one to the table is a rotten egg!”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?
As children, we fell in love with the Little House on The Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Reading them then was the equivalent of binge-watching television today, we couldn’t get enough!
What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?
One word: sisters. Whether you are one, have one, or wish you had one, you’ll love reading about the Lane sisters and their complex, complicated sisterhood. Throw in a beautiful lake, old loves and some fun in the sun adventures, it is the perfect summer read.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally.
Runs August 1 – 31, 2024
Drawing will be held on September 2, 2024.
Author Biography:
Rhode Island writers Leigh Brown and Victoria (Vikki) Corliss are friends who became co-authors in 2009. Soon after, they published their first novel, Second Chances, followed by The Pie Sisters in 2015, and The Pendulum’s Truth in 2018. Stay tuned for their yet untitled fourth novel coming soon in early 2025.
Social Media Links: