Title: The Last Chance Matinee
Author: Mariah Stewart
Publisher: Gallery Books
Series: The Hudson Sisters #1
Pages: 432
Format: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley
Description:
From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes the first novel in her all-new series, The Hudson Sisters, following a trio of reluctant sisters as they set out to fulfill their father’s dying wish. In the process, they find not only themselves, but the father they only thought they knew.
When celebrated and respected agent Fritz Hudson passes away, he leaves a trail of Hollywood glory in his wake—and two separate families who never knew the other existed. Allie and Des Hudson are products of Fritz’s first marriage to Honora, a beautiful but troubled starlet whose life ended in a tragic overdose. Meanwhile, Fritz was falling in love on the Delaware Bay with New Age hippie Susa Pratt—they had a daughter together, Cara, and while Fritz loved Susa with everything he had, he never quite managed to tell her or Cara about his West Coast family.
Now Fritz is gone, and the three sisters are brought together under strange circumstances: there’s a large inheritance to be had that could save Allie from her ever-deepening debt following a disastrous divorce, allow Des to open a rescue shelter for abused and wounded animals, and give Cara a fresh start after her husband left her for her best friend—but only if the sisters upend their lives and work together to restore an old, decrepit theater that was Fritz’s obsession growing up in his small hometown in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Guided by Fritz’s closest friend and longtime attorney, Pete Wheeler, the sisters come together—whether they like it or not—to turn their father’s dream into a reality, and might just come away with far more than they bargained for.
My Thoughts:
This book follows three sisters who are very different but have one thing in common their father Allie and Des Hudson who are from their father's first marriage who lived in California, and then there is Cara who is part of his second marriage in New Jersey. The girls no nothing about their step sister and she knows nothing about them. When their father Fritz dies he leaves a will that explains to the girls the truth which lead them all to wonder how much they really knew their father. In order to inherit from the will the girls have to rebuild a theater in the town Fritz grew up in. If they don't succeed or walk out then no one inherits from the ironclad will. As Allie needs the inheritance to help her after her career has come to a halt. With Allie's life falling apart she seems at odds with her sister and step-sister. Cara is need of a break to hide out while her ex-husband has left her for her friend and everyone seems to have known except for Cara.
As the girls settle into Fritz's family hometown getting to know the locals and learning more about their father and his sister and his family. Wondering why Fritz made his home life horrible just to learn the opposite was true. Will the girls be able to form a relationship of sorts or is there too much damage inflicted by Fitz? Allie seems to be the worst off she comes off like a spoiled brat whose itching to ditch this will idea and run out on the other two the only thing keeping her there is the iron clad will. Slowly, Allie comes around not all at once but slow bits at a time and the others learn the thing hurting her the most is not being with her daughter Nikki. Cara seems to get along with Des even though Cara grew up poor and Des grew up in California with a father who did extravagant things while Cara's mother wouldn't allow Cara to be spoiled. Des has her own demons in the lieu of being a normal kid Des's mother Nora shoved Des infront of a camera until Des finally got away from it all. She suffers from her own parental issues. Allie seems to be jealous of the life Des led and can't believe her sister never wanted it.
I love watching the girls learn about their aunt and their father's family and the memories of the house and theater. Definitely great book for people looking for history, and women's fiction. You feel like you are following along with the girls and learning more about the 3 Hudson girls and the life they led. They also learn about the Hudson family, and learning about Hidden Falls The girls are so vastly different from one another which is great and helps you appreciate each one in their own way. The author really hit on something here which is a great story of women and families and how you can't always leave home even when you do home is still there to remind you of your roots. Can't wait to see what is next for this author definitely a huge fan of this story!
About Mariah Stewart:
Mariah Stewart is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous novels as well as several novellas and short stories. She lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors county life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel. Visit her at
mariahstewart.com and follow her on
Facebook.com/AuthorMariahStewart and on Instagram @
mariah_stewart_books.
