The Hudson sisters bid us adieu in... THE GOODBYE CAFE by Mariah Stewart!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining ranks with other readers throughout the blogosphere as we unite with Simon & Schuster to bring you the scoop on the latest release from Mariah Stewart.  It's the third and final book (maybe?) in her Hudson Sisters series, and while reading them in succession would obviously be the ideal, I was jumping into this one from book one, but despite that bookworm hole, it still felt relatively easy to catch up.  Speaking of which, let's catch up with the girls, shall we?  Today's book of choice has arrived...

The Goodbye Café

The Hudson Sisters series, Book 3

by

Mariah Stewart

9781501145124

Gallery Books

About the book...

California girl Allie Hudson Monroe can’t wait for the day when the renovations on the Sugarhouse Theater are complete so she can finally collect the inheritance from her father and leave Pennsylvania. After all, her life and her fourteen-year-old daughter are in Los Angeles.

But Allie’s divorce left her tottering on the edge of bankruptcy, so to keep up on payments for her house and her daughter’s private school tuition, Allie packed up and flew out east. But fate has a curve-ball or two to toss in Allie’s direction—she just doesn’t know it yet.

She hadn’t anticipated how her life would change after reuniting with her estranged sister, Des, or meeting her previously unknown half-sister, Cara. And she’d certainly never expected to find small-town living charming. But the biggest surprise was that her long-forgotten artistry would save the day when the theater’s renovation fund dried up.

With opening day upon the sisters, Allie’s free to go. But for the first time in her life, she feels like the woman she was always meant to be. Will she return to the West Coast and resume her previous life, or will the love of “this amazing, endearing family of women” (Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author) be enough to draw her back to the place where the Hudson roots grow so deep?



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Though this story belongs to the whole family, it does circle a bit more around Allie and Barney...and what a tale to tell!  Poor Allie was in a pickle between fighting her own demons, addressing the situation with this Ben fella (what a bonehead!), and her daughter's sudden desire to stay after the theater is finished.  I couldn't fathom what new straw would appear and be the one to break her...though she has more backbone than she seemed to know.  It was great to watch her become comfortable in her own skin, even addressing those issues that she attempted to hide, and realize her own potential.  It also warmed my heart when things moved from grousing to cordial in the man department...*ahem*...but, umm, yeah...I'll let you discover that part.  Anywho...

The great big mystery that surrounded Barney and the dessert maker dropped us a clue here and there as to what created such a rub between them, allowing the plot to thicken quite nicely, and build to a final reveal of sorts by book's end. Oh, it's not what you think (or maybe it is, depending on what's in your head), but rest assured while it could be quite the scandal, our gal Barney has it all in hand just as she always does.  Really, how can you NOT adore her character?  She's there for EVERYONE, always knows what to say or do, and pretty much NOTHING throws her for a loop.  I mean, can I be here when I grow up?  Seriously?

All in all, it was a wonderful conclusion to what's been an amazing series.  It gave us satisfying ends for our leading ladies three (and sorta four, and maybe five, and...okay, I'll stop) as well as the potential for new beginnings long after we turn the final page. ♡  For me, it also felt like a little piece of home because the setting of the book is actually in the surrounding area of where I was born and partially raised...haven't been up there in FOR-EV-ER, but it's still nice to reminisce, and reading about places I've been, lived, or seen, gives it another layer of "personal".

    

Recommended for Women's Fiction and Contemporary Romance fans.

For more fun with the Hudson family, be sure to check out books one and two of the series!

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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, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Instagram.

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Special thanks to Hannah at Simon & Schuster for the eARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the series, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday, March 26th, 2019, via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the other sites participating in this blog tour as it makes the virtual rounds!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!