Allie and Des are sisters. It's not until their Dad passes away that they discover he had a whole other family - a wife and Daughter, Cara. The same is true for Cara. She had no knowledge that her Dad had another wife and two daughters. Surprise!

To make matters more interesting, their Dad put a provision in his will that the three girls MUST work together to restore and old theatre in his hometown. If one of the girls refuses or backs out, no one will get anything. This is an all or none deal.

This was a lovely story. It is a lesson on compromise and placing the needs of others first. The three ladies don't always get along. By working together they come to realize the importance of family.

This is book one in the Hudson sister's series. I'm glad I got in on the ground floor of their story. I look forward to seeing where life takes these three ladies.

ARC from Gallery Books, via Netgalley. Publish date: out now.

Three sisters who didn't know they were sisters end up at the hearing of a will and their lives are turned upside down! One sister was raised by an attentive mom who gave her all the love she needed and she grew up to be a business owner and an upstanding citizen. Two other sisters are raised by an actress who was barely a mother. These two are complete opposites - one is floundering and isn't sure what is next and the other went the opposite direction and is determined and likes to plan. I loved that these sisters didn't know about the other and they are given a challenge that is entertaining.

From the beginning I loved this one. The author wrote it with such ease to read and each of sisters was unique enough that I couldn't get confused and could just enjoy the story. I loved that they head to a small town and get to enjoy small town life while learning the secrets their father kept from all three. It was just the right amount of family drama and secrets and all the things rolled into one.

If you read a lot of romance and wish it had a little more plot and a little less sexy times this one is right up your alley. If you read a lot of family drama and wish it was a little less drama - this one is for you!

I was most excited to start this book knowing that there was going to be more to come - it is going to be hard to wait for it!

Three sisters are brought together by a shocking family secret and their father's last wish.

Hollywood agent Fritz Hudson was leading a double life, with one marriage producing Allie and Des and the other producing Cara. Until they are called in to hear their father's last will and testament, Allie and Des know nothing about Cara, and vice versa.

The will includes a generous inheritance for the three women, but there's a catch - they must go to their father's hometown of Hidden Falls, Pennsylvania, and restore the old theater where Fritz fell in love with the stage and with Allie and Des' mother, Nora. If any one of the women walks away from the project, none of them receive a penny.

As the three sisters become acquainted with Hidden Falls, they come to discover a side of their father they never knew.

"The Last Chance Matinee" is a heartwarming read, full of surprising secrets, humor and lessons about what it means to be a family. Allie, Des and Cara have little in common except DNA, so the task of restoring the theater isn't going to be an easy one. Allie, in particular, is a California girl who can't stand Hidden Falls and is chomping at the bit to get the theater fixed up and go home to her daughter Nikki. Des is a single gal who's been living in Montana and is passionate about rescuing abused and neglected dogs. Cara is a down-to-earth divorcee who runs a yoga studio in New Jersey.

Throughout the course of the book, the three of them start to warm up to each other, with the help of their aunt Bonnie (or "Barney," as she likes to be called). And when sweet, bubbly Nikki comes for a visit, the walls between the sisters really start to crumble.

This book has a little bit of everything you'd expect from women's fiction, and then some. There's a heavy dose of romance (might I add, clean romance, which is so refreshing!), true-to-life humor, shades of mystery, and a lot of real talk between the sisters about relationships, life priorities and more.

I love stories about small towns, and in that regard, "The Last Chance Matinee" did not disappoint. There's the one tavern in town, the town council meetings held in the back of the police station, the chit-chat at the gas station, the not-so-discreet gawking when an out-of-towner shows up, and so much more. The way Stewart portrays small-town life is charming, and never derogatory (unless Allie has something to say about it!).

Hopefully I haven't given too much away, but I don't think I have. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of "The Hudson Sisters" trilogy, and can't wait to read the next one!

Unfortunately I was unable to get to reading this book before it was archived but as other readers have given it four stars and rave reviews I will be sure to read it in the near future.

I’m so glad I started this series! Allie and Des find out they have a half-sister… and the trio is required to cooperatively restore an old theatre in order to get their inheritance after their dad’s death. Restoring a theatre – what fun!

Watching the three characters learn about each other and grow in themselves was great. Stewart develops the characters evenly, even though the story is told through Cara’s eyes. The introduction of Allie’s daughter shows Allie’s heart – at a point in the story I had just about had it up to here with her! And Stewart’s illustration of Des’s flair for fashion gives positive personality to this third sister – and adds another light, fun aspect to the story.

I love how open Cara is to new friendships with her sisters and the small-town neighbors watching them restore the theatre. Reading the story from Cara’s viewpoint was an exercise in optimism, hopefulness and adventure. And as I sit here writing this, I’m thinking I really can’t wait for the next book … so I’m signing off and checking the internet for Book Two’s pub date.

https://randombookmuses.com/2017/04/17/review-the-last-chance-matinee-by-mariah-stewart/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1974310549

A delightful, easy read. Good characterization and vivid descriptions of a historic, but abandoned theater. I was upset that it ended without answering the many plot turns, but then learned that there will be other books as it is to be part of a series.

It turns out the celebrated and successful Fritz Hudson had some very big secrets. Unbeknownst to his three very different daughters (or their mothers) he had a family on each coast. After his death, the reading of the will brings the three wary women together. Naturally, there are stipulations to their inheritance, and renovating the old theater in Hidden Falls, Pennsylvania, while living in the old family home is the biggie. All three, Cara, Des and Allie, hope to find more about their father and those family secrets while they are there. The small town atmosphere is described very vividly, as is the condition of the formerly bustling theater. Another thing I really liked was that it didn't suffer from a one character for this book, one for another. Although it wasn't hard to figure out that this was Cara's book overall, Stewart takes care to introduce and maintain relationships with everyone. In fact, the arrival of Allie's daughter for a week long school break was a fun breath of fresh air. I found the story so engrossing, that I was surprised to suddenly reach the end. I will definitely be looking forward to the next story set in Hidden Falls.

I can't wait for book 2! A series much more about family dynamics and remaking your life than traditnal romance. Yet the romance is there and delightful. Only complaint is that the story Ended!

Allie, Des and Cara are sisters but they didn’t know it. Unbeknownst to them their recently departed father had a family on each coast. Allie and Des are the daughters of Nora, an actress in California. Cara is the daughter of Susa, a free spirit from New Jersey. Both mothers are also deceased and had known nothing of each other. Fritz had been too cowardly to confess before he died. He left that to “Uncle Pete”, a childhood friend of his and his lawyer. In his will, he left his estate to the three girls on one condition. They had to go to his hometown of Hidden River, PA and restore the long closed theater where he and Nora had once acted. Once there they met Fritz’s sister Barney and stay with her in the Hudson family home. I thought the characters were well developed and true to life. The daunting task ahead of the girls has its funny moments. I enjoyed the interaction between the character and the description of small town life. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. Like another reviewer said, it left me looking for more pages, and I deducted 1 star for it, It implied future books and I can’t wait to read them.

When does the next book come out? I mean, I know that this first one JUST came out, but the next one will be soon, right?
I just loved this book. Three sisters, Cara, Des, and Allie didn’t grow up together. As a matter of fact, only Des and Allie did; they had no clue that Cara existed and Cara knew nothing of their existence. They got this bombshell at the reading of the will after their father’s death. He also decided that for ANY of them to receive their inheritance, they must ALL work together to renovate an old theater from the town that he grew up in.
At breakfast with my best friend this morning, I told her I had started a really good book. She always likes to hear about books that I like and as I described it to her, I said that I would totally be friends with Des and Cara in real life, and I would! They were SO relatable. This story was told in such a way that I felt like I was there. I wanted to book a ticket and head straight to Hidden Falls. I wanted to find an old theater to renovate. I wanted to smack the hell out of Allie. All of it! I wanted it all!
Thank you SO much Netgalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’ll be checking weekly for the next one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1958913654

This was a fantastic first book in a series. I am so looking forward to book two and book three. Cara, Allie, Des and Joe are great characters. I guess we will learn more about Seth and Ben in the next two books. This is not a situation I would ever hope to have happen to me but it is being treated wonderfully. I did not want to put this book down. This story flows so beautifully. I loved this. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster blog tour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

While March has been a bit dreary, one of the highlights was getting the opportunity to read a newly released book and participate in my first book blog tour. Thankfully, it is a book that I enjoyed reading during these bleak March days.

If you are looking for a fun, frothy piece of romantic escapism, then you should check out The Last Chance Matinee. It combines three sisters (one meeting the other two for the very first time), Hollywood, pleasant & quirky small towns, and several hints at romance. When the Cara, Allie and Des learn that in order to receive their hefty inheritances they must live together and rebuild their hidden family's art-deco theater, they balk at the idea. However, Stewart weaves the story well. With interesting characters and an engaging plot, readers will be able to put off their agendas and escape into a fun read.

This book is the first in a series of three, with this book focusing mainly on Cara's story. It reminded me of Nora Roberts' bride quartet, so if you liked that series, you will enjoy this one as well. I am excited to know there are two books in the trilogy being published in the future! Pick this one up for a fun, fast spring break read!

This is my first Mariah Stewart book and I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Chance Matinee. This would be the first book in the Hudson Sisters series and I'm eager to read about the other sisters.
The story is about three sisters - two by full blood, the other half blood who was a complete mystery and secret until the reading of their father's will. The sisters from the first marriage are shocked to find out that their father had secretly married another woman and had a child. The third daughter, Cara, was the "lovechild" and seemed to have received most of their father's attention throughout the years. This of course, led to some jealousy with the other two sisters but throughout the book they try to work through their shared shock and develop sort of an understanding between them.
The story seems to center mostly around Cara as it's written through more of her point of view. And out of all the three sisters, I liked Allie the most because she seemed very hurt and confused yet deep down was a very loving and courageous woman. Hopefully the next book in the series will be about Allie!
The synopsis of the book is that the three sisters must restore a decades old theater in order to receive the generous inheritance of their father. They travel and temporarily live in the quaint town of Pocono Mountains thinking they can just hurry up and finish remodeling the theater and then go back to their lives. Well, in their situation, the sisters start to develop a friendship and bond and discover many secrets and details about their ancestors along the way. There's definitely at least one central mystery in the story which would probably be resolved in the upcoming series.
Overall, The Last Chance Matinee is a wonderful book that is engaging, easy to read, and has a few laughs added in. There's also one prominent romance and another one that might lead into a promising relationship. The sisters personalities are quite different yet there are similarities as well. You get a sense that they want to learn more about each other but the author didn't quite put that insight into the book. I'm eager to learn more about all the sisters and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the installment.

'The Last Chance Matinee' by Mariah Stewart, a novel about half-sisters forced to live under the same roof and undergo a huge renovation project together to follow the conditions of their father's will, was a truly enjoyable read, and I'm so grateful to be able to participate in the blog tour for this title :)
Click on the link to my full review of 'The Last Chance Matinee.'

I loved this one- the first in a new series.

When Fritz dies he leaves instructions in his will that his daughters must renovate an old theatre that belonged to the family. They are shocked to discover that their father married twice and they have a sister they didn't know existed. She was also unaware that she had more family.

They move back to the family house to investigate the theatre and put plans in place. It was lovely to meet the characters and their Aunt Barney is a wonderfully interesting character. She knows everyone in the small town. The three sisters have to leave their old lives behind for a year whilst they get the theatre back on it's feet and they are all escaping from certain issues.

There is a hint of a lovely romance in its infancy and I look forward to hearing more. The next book follows one of the sisters story and I can't wait to read more.

Shame on you Mariah Stewart for publishing this half-finished book. And shame on me for falling for it. When I got to the end, I kept trying to get to the next page because surely this isn't the way the book ends. No resolution for anyone or anything. The book just leaves you hanging -- waiting, I'm sure for the next one in the series. Not me. Fool me once......

Originally posted on The Book Nympho

Cara, Allie and Des Hudson adored their father Fritz but when he died, all of them questioned whether they really ever knew him. Allie and Des were his children from his marriage to late film star Honora Hudson but Cara was from his secret relationship with Susa Pratt who he married without divorcing his wife. Now their inheritance hinges on the restoration of Fritz's hometown movie theater. The sisters have a year to pull it off and all of them must participate.

Two things attracted me to this story: Fritz's secret family and the notion of three sisters in these circumstances forced to work together. I've experienced revelations of this type in my own family history and the dynamics of the sisters confronting each other for the first time had to be interesting. This story doesn't disappoint as each of them couldn't be more different.

Most of the focus, but certainly not all, was on Cara whose story cracked your heart. How awful to have your husband cheat on you with your best friend, leave you and then plan a big wedding in your small town? I loved her spirit and resolve, especially her attitude towards her new sisters. When she meets building contractor Joe Damanski, it marks the beginning of a warming of her broken heart.

Each of the sisters has an interesting backstory that I'll leave to you to discover. I'll just say their issues are relevant and realistic. The beginnings of the renovation of the theater is fascinating and I'm excited about the coming development. Hidden Falls is a very small town and you get the best and worst of those aspects. The sisters' education about a family they didn't even know existed was also interesting, mostly the pursuit of those discoveries.

This is the beginning of what feels like a very promising series. Each of the sisters are intriguing on their own and together they make for rich and layered stories. I'm looking forward to their continued journeys, which are set up wonderfully in this first book. While I've collected all of the books in the Chesapeake Diaries series, I've not read them and this is my only experience with the author. I'm glad I started here and now I can go back and read the other books while I wait for the next in this charming series.