I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

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.

This wasn’t all that great. It wasn’t that bad either. But it was one of those books that don’t really leave a long lasting impression; it didn’t really leave an impression at all. It was just...there. I started and finished—and in the end it was a relief. It was just missing a spark that makes a book shine.

When Hollywood agent Fritz Hudson passes away he leaves behind secrets that come out of hiding. For Fritz left behind two families on opposite coasts who had no idea that the other existed and the three daughters he leaves behind find out about one another in a lawyer’s office. Allie and Des Hudson were products of his first marriage to an actress, Honora, a relationship that ended in tragedy. As his relationship with Honora was unraveling, Fritz was falling in love with Susa, a New Age Hippie that brought him such peace and gave him a daughter named Cara. But now with Fritz gone, he has the three sisters come together to hear what his terms are for their inheritance. The terms are clear- the sisters are to move to Fritz’s hometown in the Pocono Mountains and restore an old theater there that Fritz was obsessed about. All three must show up or else the inheritance is forfeit. Can Des, Allie and Cara find a way to turn their father’s dream into a reality or will they walk away from it all?

I absolutely adored this book. THE LAST CHANCE MATINEE had everything I love in a book-Captivating characters, a well thought out storyline that left me eager for more and some twists I sure did not see coming. With each page I flipped, I was drawn more and more into the story about three different sisters that had to work through a lot of shock and more when they find out about one another. I love Ms. Stewart’s writing and her books are always a winner with me. In her new series, we are introduced to the Hudson sisters, three siblings who had no idea about the other. Allie and Des are products of Fritz’s first marriage and have issues that they are dealing with. Cara is a woman who is trying to expand her business and try to move ahead in life after the shock of her marriage dissolving so suddenly. All three main characters are as different as can be, but they work so well together. Add in some surprise characters that helped flesh out the backstory of Fritz’s youth well, you get a well-rounded story that will leave you breathless.

Ms. Stewart delivers a great story that is based in part about a story that ran through her family as a child about two families who didn’t know about one another. That connection made the book so much more to me in my opinion and I enjoyed how she weaves that plot monkey in a way that leaves the reader clamoring for more. The characters are well written, so much so I enjoyed all three sisters immensely as each has their own strengths they bring to the renovation. There are a few twists that I thoroughly enjoyed and didn’t see coming.

THE LAST CHANCE MATINEE is a fun, enjoyable story that you will not be able to put down. I loved how the author captures all the differences in the sisters and it meshes wonderfully together in this book. I read this in two days and I am eager to see where the author goes next in the series and which sister is up next. THE LAST CHANCE MATINEE is a story not just of sisters, but also of family or working through things that may have knocked you down, but you still got some fight left in you. If you haven’t read Ms. Stewarts books before, this is a perfect introduction to her writing. I highly recommend this authors books and hope you can grab THE LAST CHANCE MATINEE as it is fabulous. I am sure you will enjoy it just as I did.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

A father dies and leaves a will with a strange requirement to inherit. This is what Cara, Des and Allie find when their father dies. One of the strange things is that Des and Allie are sisters who know nothing of Cara and Cara knows nothing of them.

The will stipulates that in order to inherit, the three must restore an old theater in the town of Hidden Falls. With a million dollars set aside to use to restore the theater, can the sisters become united and learn to work together to get this done?

Allie has a daughter and is divorce and has her own set of problems. Cara is divorce and owns a yoga studio. Des has never married and loves to help abused and wounded animals. The three find an aunt they never new they had and a town where their family has a long history.

This is a great story; my only problem is that the end of the book doesn’t really resolve anything. If you want to know what happens, you need to read the rest of the books in the series. I love series but I like when each book could be a stand alone even with an on-going overall problem that needs resolution.

You will be glad this is the first of a trilogy as you won’t want your time with the three sisters to close at the end of this story. The Last Chance Matinee provides the same kind of escape for an afternoon that a good movie does! Looking forward to book two!

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley and the publisher.

Cara is devastated to hear her father has passed away. She is shocked and confused that her father’s close friend and attorney has followed her father’s odd, yet explicit wishes. Her father traveled often, and unbeknownst to her was diagnosed with terminal cancer, succumbed to the disease and then cremated without her knowledge.

She understands that her father’s attorney, known to her as Uncle Pete, was only doing her father’s bidding. Still reeling from her mother’s death, Cara feels utterly alone and honestly a bit confused. She is given instructions to come to meet with Uncle Pete regarding her father’s will.

When she arrives, she meets Allie and Des. Apparently her father has an entirely different life than the one he shared with Cara – these two strangers are her sisters.He simply had two wives, one on the east coast and one on the west coast that he managed to keep separate until his death.

The only way any of them will inherit his sizeable estate is to follow his directions explicitly. It specifies all of them must live and work together in his hometown in Pennsylvania to restore the theater that has been in their family for generations. Each of them is harboring secrets from the others but they all could really use the money – one far more than the others. So they begin the rocky road to restoration on the aging building as well as themselves.

I love the diversity of the characters and settings in this novel. The women are so different from one another, the two sisters raised together don’t even really like each other. It is easy to empathize with them for the odd situation they are thrust into.

Stewart wisely highlights her characters that bring her story to life making it a page turning gem. Every chapter had me reading “just one more” deep into the night. There is only one complaint I have. The loose ends are not tied up. This is the first book in a planned trilogy so I am anxiously awaiting the second and third books, and I don’t mind a cliff hanger or two, but none of my questions were answered by the end of the book. I need more closure to be satisfied with the ending of a book I adored.

Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman

I really enjoyed this new set of characters from a beloved author. Great plot, Fantastic, well-drawn female characters. I want to read more.

When famed Hollywood agent Fritz Hudson passes away, two families get the surprise of their lives…Fritz had a west coast wife and two daughters, Des and Allie, and an east coast wife and one daughter, Cara. Both wives have predeceased him, but the two sets of daughters have no idea the other exists. Until the reading of their father’s will. To inherit his sizeable estate, the three women must move to Hidden Falls in the Poconos area of Pennsylvania and renovate the old theatre that was once the heart of the town. All go, all stay and see it through…or no one inherits.

This is the first book in a new series, giving the sisters future opportunities for plenty of adventures during the lengthy process of revitalizing the building. As they navigate getting to know one another and decide project responsibilities, they meet their aunt and the Hidden Falls locals. When Allie’s daughter Nikki joins them and falls in love with the town and the project, the stage is set for some fireworks between Allie and her ex in coming stories. Des, who rescues and fosters unwanted dogs, must find a way to help the local canine population when they find three strays living in their theatre. And Cara must decide if she can let go of the pain of her husband leaving her for one of her good friends.

If you want a pleasant read, The Last Chance Matinee is a good afternoon’s entertainment and the start of an intriguing series.

The Last Chance Matinee was soo good!! I could not put this book down when I was reading it !!

Normally I'm one for these types of emotional stories, but I felt no connection with any of the characters. It did not hold my interest

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

A fascinating look at three sisters who suddenly find out when he dies that their father isn't who they thought. What he was was a man with two families who were not aware of each other. This story caught my attention from the beginning. I thought it was a well-written, well-crafted story with complex characters and a steady, compelling story line. I thought the remodeling of the old theater was a great backdrop for the story. I also liked that the romance developed slowly but steadily. This was a great introduction to the series and to the characters whom I assume will be the stars of the upcoming books. This was a new author for me and she didn't disappoint.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

After Cara’s Hollywood agent dad passes away, she is shocked to learn that he had two more daughters with another wife. Now, their dad has attached major strings for the girls in his will: in order to inherit his money and other possessions, Cara, Allie, and Des must work together to renovate the old theatre in his hometown. The theatre has been closed for decades and will require substantial work, and if the three of them don’t work together to restore it, they will all be cut out of his will.

This was a sweet, feel-good story, good for when you just want to escape the problems of the world. Some of the secondary characters seemed unbelievably good (always upbeat, doing things to help others, etc.), but as the series goes on, I expect we will see them in a more three-dimensional light. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out!

Have you ever dreamed of a “secret” family? Perhaps of someone showing up on your doorstep one day claiming to be your long lost sibling or auntie? That is exactly what happens to Cara, Des and Allie in “The Last Chance Matinee (The Hudson Sisters Series Book 1)”. Their father, Fritz, dies after a short bout with cancer. Later, their Uncle Pete divulges the specifics of Fritz’s will telling Cara that she has two sisters that she knows nothing about and unbeknownst to Des and Allie they have a sister they know nothing about. The details of Fritz’ will are a shock to them all.

I am surprised that none of the three sisters found out about the others throught out their lives… that Fritz never let anything slip or that none of them found a receipt, note, or reference to the other(s). That would be a hard secret to keep for years.

My only issue with the book was that Cara had never divulged her mother’s final words, “Tell him I’ve always known, and it’s all right…” to her father. That would have been one of the first things I told my father if I had been in a similar situation and I would want to know what in the heck she was talking about.

I can’t wait to read the next installment(s) of this series. I look forward to finding out what happens with the theatre and what ensues as the sisters get to know each other and the other inhabitants of the town. Will some or all of them make this their new home?

I especially loved the small town in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains where most of the story takes place. It is an idyllic town where folks really care about other and take care of their own. They love each other and watch out for each other.

Release/Publication Date: June 2, 2017

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance

Cover: Perfect!

Source: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thanks you!

Rating: 4

A good read. I enjoyed every page but in the end didn't feel compelled to find out more. It was a definite first book of a series in that it set the stage without having a lot of plot in and of itself.

Greatly enjoyed this story of three sisters who must live together and renovate an old theater in order to receive the money (lots of money!) their father left them in his will. That fact that the three sisters are from two simultaneous marriages - the two older sisters never having known about their youngest sister and vice versa - adds some interesting twists and complications. Very readable and fun. (I was disappointed, though, when I realized it was the first part of a series.)

Mariah Stewart has such a way with words. She is a must read for me. The Last Chance Matinee is the start of a new series, and I can't wait for the next book! So charming and heartwarming! Loved getting to know the three sisters and their new found relation to each other. Mariah Stewart really knows how to get to the heart of a family.

The Last Chance Matinee is a book about family secrets that leads three sisters to renovate an old theater as part of their inheritance. Cara grew up believing she was an only child and that her father adored her mother and couldn't live without her. Which was true, for the most part. Her father Fritz did love her mother but he forgot to mention a little family secret. Allie and Des, are children of famous parents whose lives seems to have broken and scattered. They have remained distant from each other but nevertheless hearing that their father kept a big secret revealed only in death still managed to hurt them. Now Cara, Allie and Des, needs to work together to restore a family heirloom in the form of an old theater as a requirement for them to receive their inheritance. An inheritance that's enough to solve of all life's problems for them. Along the way though they discover that sometimes the greatest gift their father ever left them is the gift of sisterhood.

The Last Chance Matinee will intrigue you, keep you turning the pages and become invested in the lives of these women, rooting for them to finally get their happiness. Well done and well crafted, a true heartwarming page turner!

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.