Probably one of my favorite books for the year. I enjoy Mariah Stewart's Chesapeake Diaries series, but wasn't a fan of another series, so I came into this with mixed feelings. Those feelings turned to joy because of the quality of this book is excellent. The characters are complex and fully evolved, with rich back stories, and the setting is just as much of a character as the actual people. I cannot wait until the next one comes out next year. :-)

One of the things I noticed as I wished this story hadn't ended was that it has a series name: The Hudson Sisters #1. Yay! I don't have to leave my new friends forever! And while I am talking about the ending, relax, it isn't a cliff-hanger. Everyone is safe. I just miss them.

You can look up the blurb to see what the book is about. I try to concentrate on my feelings about the story. What I noticed most of all, was the lack of conflict and yet I kept wanting to read more. I suppose the conflict is the undertone of how the characters ended up owning a theater. They had to spend the time getting to know each other and see how they fit into the scheme of things. But there was no great adventure, no one is in grave danger. Yet through each of their perspectives, you see their birth order and history.

It was because of the description of the story on the blurb on NetGalley dot com that I picked this up to review. I am so glad I did. It is quite an interesting story. I look forward to book two so I can see these women and watch them remake a theater together.

I was excited to see that Ms. Stewart is kicking off a new series. I believe she has used this story line before about a man who lives a double life. Never the less it comes as a real shock upon the death of their father when his daughters find out about each other and the other family their father had kept a secret from them. As is typical of a first book most of it is dedicated to providing the background and setting up the story which makes it pretty slow going. I hope she'll pick up the pace in the subsequent books and give us some romance and help solve the mystery that seems to be swirling in the background.

The three sisters Cara, Allie and Des are all very interesting characters with their own baggage when they come together. Not only do they find each other but they also learn that they have an aunt they never knew about. As the three sisters bond not just with each other but with their aunt Bonnie and start to work on restoring the beautiful art deco theater that is their legacy and the task that they must complete if they wish to inherit their father's fortune. Allie's daughter Niki is a bright ray of sunshine who does her own bit in helping her mom and aunts bond.

Why did their father who had more talent than his wife give up acting to become his wife's manager? What is the mystery surrounding his sudden marriage and departure from Hidden Falls ? especially since it seems that he was in love with some one else as evidenced by the hidden cache of letters that Cara finds. Is there a mystery behind the fall and death of Barney's finance Gil? So many questions but no answers in sight yet.

There are three handsome men, friends all who are prominent in the town of Hidden Falls; the chief of police Ben, the tattooed mayor Seth and of course Joe of the construction company who is working closely with Cara to project manage the restoration of the theater. Clearly romance is brewing between Joe and Cara but it's very slow paced. I'd like to see how Ms. Stewart develops the stories that she's hinting at in her future books.

The Last Chance Matinee is the first book in Mariah Stewart's new Hudson Sisters series. Set in bucolic Hidden Falls, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Poconos, the reader joins in the journey of the three Hudson sisters as they navigate an unconventional family reunion.

Upon the death of their father, renowned talent agent Fritz Hudson, the girls meet with his best friend and attorney Pete Wheeler, for the reading of their father's will. What they expected was that the will would be straightforward. What they didn't expect was to learn that their father had two families, one on each coast. With his first wife, actress Honora Hudson, he had Allie and Des. With his second and simultaneous wife, free spirit Susa Hudson, he had his youngest daughter, Cara.

Although the will does leave his vast wealth to the three of them, it comes with strings. They must go to his hometown of Hidden Falls to restore the historic Sugarland Theater. And they all must work together until the completion. If one leaves, they all lose out and his money goes to charity. They are to stay at his family home with his sister Bonnie (Barney).

As the three women arrive in Hidden Falls to take on the project, their stories are revealed and we meet their Aunt Barney and the charming residents of the town. The characters are richly drawn. The setting is beautifully described. The story is captivating. My only complaint is I now must wait for book 2. I enjoyed this book and do recommend it.

The death of a parent is devastating and often we discover things we never knew about them, but the secrets Fritz Hudson unveiled from beyond the veil would shock three young woman and send them into a reluctant journey of discovery of self, family and a chance at new lives that will forever change them to their very cores.

It seems that Fritz led two lives, had two wives, two families and never did they have an inkling that the other existed. Cara grew up in a loving environment, an only child with a father who had to be gone for months at a time. Her mother has passed, leaving her a cryptic message and her marriage vows have been betrayed, leaving her divorced, burned and deeply in debt.

Living on the West Coast, two sisters are virtual strangers even though they share the same blood. Des was once a child star, now she is a woman who lives to save abused animals, an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. Her desire is to build no-kill shelters, but even she doesn’t have the money to do so. Her older sister, Allie is a brittle, status conscious woman who has recently divorced, with her teen daughter being spirited away by her ex with the promise of a better life, one that Allie must help pay for. Financially she is going under and saving face and pretending to be fine is getting impossible. Her biggest plus on her side is the fact that she is an amazing mother. Too bad she is dying inside to be away from her daughter, turning to vodka to try to cope.

The catch to inheriting their father’s millions? The three must work together to restore a grand theatre, an historical monument to a time when life was simpler, and the sparkle of the stage was not tarnished. It is all or nothing, three of them work together to completion or the money disappears. Can they learn to work together and accept the fact that they are blood? What will they discover when they get to the small town of their father’s birth?

Mariah Stewart has painstakingly laid a solid foundation for her newest series, a heart-warming romantic tale set in a small town filled with warmth and love. Love interests are introduced, the sisters begin to know each other and for the most part, there is truly little dark conflict or subject matter. If you like you romance to slowly simmer over time, enjoy watching characters dramatically change and find their father’s strange requirements to inherit his fortune fascinating, to say the least, grab THE LAST CHANCE MATINEE and Happy Reading!

I received an ARC edition from Gallery Books in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Hudson Sisters - 1
Publisher: Gallery Books (March 21, 2017)
Publication Date: March 21, 2017
Genre: Women's Fiction
Print Length: 432 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I have absolutely fallen in love with this new series from Mariah Stewart! It's truly one of the best women's lit books I've read in a long time. I'm a huge fan of Ms. Stewart's Chesapeake Diaries series and was curious about this new trilogy. I'm now hooked and craving more about this dysfunctional yet mesmerizing family.

When three sisters are brought together after the death of their father to work on the restoration of an old theater they find themselves not only working on the restoration but also working on their relationships. Relationships among themselves, other family members and the townspeople.

Definitely a book I recommend to everyone.

The above book blurb explains the plot well, therefore I’ll just tell you why I recommend this story and am looking forward to the next book.

I loved the setting and the pace, but the characters of the three sisters are well rounded and fleshed out, which makes them relatable. I liked all three and even the secondary characters were interesting and intriguing.

If you’re looking for straight out romance, you might be a tad disappointed because the story focuses more on the relationships of the sisters and their life. Highly recommending.

Melanie for b2b

I really enjoyed this book, one of the best I have read this year. A great first book to begin a series. Intriguing characters, wonderful storyline. A few twists along the way. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

A glorious read which left me wanting more at the end. Thank goodness this is the first book in the series which will be released this March. I absolutely want to read the next ones. I fell in love with all the characters, even with snarky Allie! Cara, Des and Allie are new found sisters, Cara and Des from one family with their father and Cara with the other. Neither knew that their father had two wives. Their father, Fritz who was extremely wealthy, died and in his will none of his children would inherit unless they worked together to renovate his hometown's theatre. So, they all gather, and discover they also have an aunt they knew nothing about. A delightful story and I cannot wait to see how it develops further!

A great women's fiction novel that left me wanting more. I can't wait to read more of this author's works.

I absolutely loved The Last Change Matinee, the first book in the Hudson Sisters series! I have to admit I was jealous of the sisters' (potential) inheritance- a golden age theater in need of a renovation! The sisters have a lot ahead of them - most notably the obstacles they have to overcome in their relationships with each other.
I look forward to the next installment of the Hudson Sisters series, and will happily recommend The Last Chance Matinee!

What a wonderful new series by Mariah Stewart. The Hudson Sisters are drawn together in the Pocono Mountains die to the death of their father. Alex and Des are sisters and Cara is their half sister from a long unknown affair. His will stipulates the girls will work together restoring an old theater in order to inherit his money. All the girls are devastated by death and the money will come in handy as they are facing various problems in their lives. The Hudson sisters are very different and it will be interesting as the series continues to see how they bend and compromise. I this Des is my favorite as she is kind hearted and generous of spirit.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was immediately drawn into this story of three sisters who didn't know about each other and the secrets their father kept from them. The author was very descriptive with scenery, the theatre they must renovate, and the historic buildings in Hidden Falls. I'm very excited for the next installment in this series. I did feel like this book had a bit of an abrupt ending, so I'm eager for book 2.

The first in a series about the three Hudson sisters. Growing up, Cara, Des, and Allie did not know that their father was living two lives. It is not until his will is read that they learn that they are half-sisters, and that to inherit they must work together to restore the abandoned Art Deco theater in his home town. In Hidden Falls, Pennsylvania, they find another surprise: their father's older sister Barney. Settling in is an uneasy process, but over the first few months of the restoration project they learn more about each other, about their father, and about their family history. Cara, reeling from a recent divorce, also finds the beginnings of a new love.

This starts out looking a lot like a romance novel, and there is a romance, but it is much more the story of three women finding family and themselves. The story will continue in the remainder of the series.

Recommended.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of "The Last Chance Matinee" by Mariah Stewart in exchange for my honest review. The genre of this book is Women's fiction.
I find that the author describes a dysfunctional family, with characters that are flawed.
After Fritz Hudson's death, his family is called by his laywer/friend to discuss the terms of the will. What is intriguing, is that we find out that Fritz Hudson had two families, on other sides of the country. With one wife, he has two daughters, and with the other he has one daughter. This revelation is a shock and surprise to his daughters. The sisters find out that there is a stipulation in their father's will that challenges them to fix and reconstruct a building used for theater that is part of his estate. In addition the sisters have to live in the family home, where there is another surprise waiting, their Aunt Barney, who they never knew existed.
If the three sisters don't complete this together, or if one leaves than the inheritance is lost.
Each of the sisters have their own issues and complicated lives.
The three Hudson sisters decide that they will try to fix this theater.
I find that the author writes about betrayal, lies, secrets,loyalty, friends, family and hope. There is an element of surprise and mystery as well. This book doesn't have a conclusion, and the author is supposed to be writing other books in this series. I look forward to reading more in this series.

An excellent story about three estranged sisters who come together at the death of their father to bring an old theater back to life. This is the first of three stories about how the sisters find the joy of family and romance in their lives. I will be looking forward to the next tale in this series.

I loved this book and these characters! At first, I wasn't sure of the premise, by it worked well, and I look forward to the next book in this series. I can't wait to find out what happens with these sisters. The book is a fast read and I kept wanting to get back to it when I had to do something else. I am sure I have read some Mariah Stewart but it has been awhile and now I am not sure what took me so long to get back to her books.

This is the first book in a brand new series . Let me introduce you to the Hudson sisters . Who after their father dies , find out about each other . They are reluctant to even meet each other and even more reluctant to do their father's dying wish . To remodel an old matinee that was their fathers joy. Will they get to know each other and will they start to love each other and remodel the stage  and survive each other .
  This is a story of love and redemption and finding what sisters truly mean to each other . The story starts out with their father dying . Fitz was in love with two woman one on the west coast as self indulgent movie star who only thought of herself . Then he falls in love with a free spirit on the east coast who he loved with all his heart . The daughters are brought together after he dies . To connect and do what he has asked . They all have their own baggage that they bring to the party. As you read you get to know each of them and you watch them grow and actually start to care for each other .
 Cara is a freshly divorced woman who is watching her ex marrying her best friend . She is carrying around a lot of guilt and feels like its all her fault .  Then there is Allie , who is divorced and has a daughter who would like to spend time with her dad then her. She also has a little problem with alcohol . She is also just a little jealous of her little sister Des who ended up being a child star . All she wants to is rescue animals and giver them loving homes . When you start reading you think that man these characters are spoiled and have such immature problems . But as you dive in you really get to see these characters and you really start to care for them and you will laugh and cry with them .
  To me this book was just a little slow at the beginning but once you got the girls together it goes by fast . You can see them starting to bond and starting to care for each other . The book flows well and you will get caught up in their stories . There is a romance wrapped up in this book also . The first of the three romances the author was setting up . Over all I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the second book to come out .

Good summer chick-lit reading book. Well thought out characters

A very enjoyable read about three sisters who were left an old theatre in their Father's will. There are quite a few tensions initially as their Father had two families, and neither family knew about the other. Fritz, their late father, was an agent and originally married a starlet who had drink problems - they had two daughters, Des & Allie. The relationship failed and they lived separate lives when he met, and married Susa (without divorcing his first wife) - they had a daughter, Cara.

So Cara, Des and Allie get a shock when they meet and the will is read, but to get the money left to them they have to renovate an old family theatre in their Dad's hometown of Hidden Falls. So they all, reluctantly, move there and find they also have an aunt Barney (Fritz's sister) that they knew nothing about and slowly start to renovate the theatre and get to know one another.

Two of the sisters, Cara and Des, are willing to try to get on and get to know one another, but Allie is a complete pain and not a nice person, even her 'proper' sister doesn't particularly get on with her. The only person she's nice to is her 14 year old daughter, Nikki. She's divorced, having to sell her house and her daughter is spending the majority of her time with her ex-husband as it's more convenient for school, but she is so bitter about it all, drinks a lot, and is just a very hard person to like. I hope she mellows a bit in the future books.

This story is primarily about all the sisters and the relationships they start to develop with each other and their aunt Barney, and Allie's daughter, Nikki, who visits - who is an absolute delight! There is a romance developing between Cara and Joe too that is very slow burning and mainly later in the story - Joe is managing and renovating the theatre for them.

This is just the start of the series and you can see where the other books are likely to go with Des and Allie and respective guys who are in this first book. There are so many loose ends that this definitely feels like the first book in a series and I really wanted to go straight on to the next book as I did feel as though I was left hanging with lots of unanswered questions - which is why I knocked a star off my rating.

But I really enjoyed the story and the setting of Hidden Falls and can't wait to see the Sugarhouse Theatre being brought back to it's full glory in future books and finding out more about the sisters as the stories develop. Wonderful start to a new series. Please don't leave us waiting too long for the next book though!