LAST CHANCE MATINEE
A Hudson Sisters Novel #1
by Mariah Steward
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 Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
What could he have said?” Cara lowered her voice. “‘Oh, Susa, by the way, did I mention that I was married to someone else when I married you? But she passed away, so we don’t have to worry about those pesky bigamy laws.’
“I don’t know a whole lot about men, but I do know that none of them come with guarantees.” “Well, they should. They should come with grades or little caution cards. ‘Lies without conscience.’ ‘Will cheat every chance he gets.’ ‘Really does think that dress makes your ass look fat.’ ‘Only pretends to like puppies.’”
Cara watched Joe take a bite of his burger and was tempted to whisper, ‘Moo,’ but thought maybe she’d pulled that chain enough for one day.
I bought champagne to celebrate you. He doesn’t matter. You matter… We matter. We deserve a chance, and this is where we begin. You in?
I had the best time. Joe is… The one I thought I’d never find.
My Review:
I enjoyed this engaging story from beginning to end. The writing was entertaining, amusing, and lushly detailed. While the storyline initially seemed a bit complicated, it was easy to follow and pleasurable to read. Upon their father’s death, three women discover they have more family members than they realized – as Papa was a Rollin’ Stone. According to the “ironclad” will, the three women were required to work together on an extensive and challenging restoration project with firm conditions and stipulations before they would earn their father’s large estate. Their project required the sisters to relocate to a quaint little town in Pennsylvania, which sparked outrage for Allie – the snide LA diva sister, although she was most hard edges and always on the verge of outrage. There was a large cast of interesting and vibrantly detailed characters, with each being delightfully unique, easily differentiated, and memorable. My favorites being Joe – for his clever wit and patience, and Des for her thoughtful insights and gentleness. All the characters intrigued me, although I would not want to spend one second of my time with the bitter drama llama Allie.
About the Author
Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas and short stories. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel. Visit her website at MariahStewart.com, like her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuthorMariahStewart, and follow her on Instagram @Mariah_Stewart_Books.
I loved this book, too…and the next, and the next💜 Glad you enjoyed, too.
You had me at “drama llama.”
I want it. This sounds like a unique tale.
I love your review!
Nice review. The book sounds lovely. The cover looks quite old fashioned though.
Very nice