When Olivia Shaw’s mother dies, the sophisticated food editor is astonished to learn she’s inherited a centuries-old English estate—and a title to go with it. Raw with grief and reeling from the knowledge that her reserved mother hid something so momentous, Olivia leaves San Francisco and crosses the pond to unravel the mystery of a lifetime.One glance at the breathtaking Rosemere Priory and … Priory and Olivia understands why the manor, magnificent even in disrepair, was the subject of her mother’s exquisite paintings. What she doesn’t understand is why her mother never mentioned it to her. As Olivia begins digging into her mother’s past, she discovers that the peeling wallpaper, debris-laden halls, and ceiling-high Elizabethan windows covered in lush green vines hide unimaginable secrets.
Although personal problems and her life back home beckon, Olivia finds herself falling for the charming English village and its residents. But before she can decide what Rosemere’s and her own future hold, Olivia must first untangle the secrets of her past.
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I absolutely loved this book and I’m one of those people who doesn’t finish a book unless I really like it. I start about 20 a week. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It has a very different plot, the setting and descriptions were wonderful, and the characters, excellent. Not one thing not to like about this one. Kudos!
The Art of Inheriting Secrets is a wonderful read and one I highly recommend.
Not only did this book have a charming English village filled with interesting characters, a crumbling manor house and lots of secrets, it had Olivia who I adored. I felt like I knew her and was rooting for her the entire book.
Barbara O’Neal’s characters and descriptions are top notch and immerse you in the story and atmosphere quickly, making you want to stay there and for the book to never end.
Pick this up and read it, you’ll be glad you did!
I love Barbara O’Neal’s books, she always has great stories and wonderful characters. She has a love story, a mystery and always something to do with food, and this one with art as well.
This story takes place in England. But Olivia Shaw and her mother live in San Francisco, where Olivia is a food editor for a magazine, and her mother,an artist. Olivia after a bad car accident, went to stay with her mother to recuperate, but soon after, her mother dies, and Olivia is told of an inheritance she has in England, her mothers native country. She has inherited a centuries old English estate, Rosemere and a title that goes with it. The estate had been abandoned for 40 years, Her mother had told her nothing about her past so this was a huge surprise, and a mystery to discover what happened to make the family leave. She needs to decide weather she wants to try and and renovate, or sell, the property. This was a fun and challenging decision.
This book has so many wonderful story lines, with a romance, the mystery of her mothers childhood, a run down estate, clues in artwork and some good food stories, to mention a few.
I cannot wait for her next book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book.
Favorite Quote:
Life had washed me here on this strange errand. Maybe the best thing to do was to just let it show me what it had in mind.
My Review:
This was my first exposure to the clever and stealthy genius of Barbara O’Neal, and I was quickly hooked by her thoughtful and surreptitious storytelling. Her first-person narrative was evocative, atmospheric, and compelling while her divinely descriptive and nuanced writing style was a feast for all senses, however, be warned, her intricately detailed foodie scenes were a bane for my diet. Her word voodoo was strong, I swear I could taste the spices and smell the garlic. The premise was unique and engaging with several well-woven and intriguing storylines just oozing with mystery and confounding clues that kept me tethered to my Kindle late into the night.
This is the first book I have read by Barbara O’Neal. I was interested in the plot summary and I loved the book cover. I totally enjoyed this deeply developed story. The plot is very engrossing and kept me on edge waiting for the next event to take place.
The main character, Olivia Shaw, has so many things to deal with. Her treasured dog dies, then Olivia is in an auto accident and took months to recover, then her beloved mother dies, leaving Olivia in mourning questioning all in her life. If that was not enough, she then finds papers in her mother’s house that indicate that he is an heir to a title in England. Once in England she finds that there are secrets everywhere and it seems the more she finds out, the more she does not know.
Her saving grace is that she finds someone that she can trust and almost immediately they know they are meant for each other. The romance that blooms between Olivia and Samir was wonderful. I felt their love and was so hoping that the story would have a happy ending for them.
The story is a mixture of romance, mystery, the spiritual blessing food can give, strength of character and responsibility to ancestors.
I received this book from NetGalley.com and Lake Union Publishing. I want to thank them for allowing me to enter the world of this story, which I enjoyed so much. I wrote this review freely of my own will, with my own opinion of the book not influence by receiving the book.
I enjoyed this book. I love the characters. Some I would want to be friends with. Sit down and have a meal and talk to. I am hoping that maybe (please) Barbara O’Neal will re-visit these characters and place in a future story.
When I first started reading it, I very much liked The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O’Neal, but in the end some things just didn’t jive with me and I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped to.
The Art of Inheriting Secrets is about 38 year old Olivia Shaw who has been the editor of a highly respected magazine when she gets into a car accident and has to take time off work. As if that hasn’t hit her life hard enough, her mother then passes away and Olivia finds out she is the heir to an estate in England named Rosemere. A very old and very crumbly estate. She travels to England from San Francisco and she starts falling in love with the small village and the people in it. However, things aren’t always what they seem, and she has a lot of secrets from her mom’s past that she must unravel as well if she ever hopes to find peace and figure out what to do with Rosemere.
As I got further into this book I realized that this is not just a women’s fiction book with mystery, it is also a romance novel. So there are a couple sex scenes that are on the graphic side (for me anyway) that were a little TMI for my liking and I ended up skipping over them completely.
I also think this book could have been much shorter; and the secrets aren’t all reveled until pretty much the last 5% or so of the book. I wouldn’t mind this normally, but I thought there was some filler in between I could have done without and things could have moved a bit faster. Also, the explanations were very confusing to me and unfortunately I didn’t fully understand exactly what had happened.
One other thing that really frustrated me was that one revelation is entirely glossed over by Olivia when she finds out something big. She just continues speaking to someone about something else entirely without even touching on how much surprise she should have been feeling. I’m sure this won’t bug everyone, but it really bothers me when things that should be touched on just get completely passed over.
On the bright side, O’Neal’s writing is truly beautiful and I did love how she described everything. I was also really loving the crumbly mansion and family secrets aspect, along with Olivia’s friendships with the villagers (mostly 3 in particular).
Another thing to note is the descriptions of food in this book are MOUTH WATERING. Like they are completely legit, and reading this book made me hungry.
Final Thought: I feel like this review is fairly negative, but I don’t mean it to be. I just couldn’t get past the romance aspect slowing the mystery down for me and the very confusing conclusion. I definitely recommend checking this book out if you are a fan of romance with a mystery aspect. It just caught me so off guard that I couldn’t get past it. There isn’t even that much romance, at least as far as sex scenes go, so check this out if it sounds appealing!
I loooved this book. The words, the colors, and the flavors. Olivia and Samir jumped off the pages and into my heart. Rosemere is not only a home, but is family and heartache and rebirth. I did not want this book to end and truly hope there is a sequel.
The Art of Inheriting Secrets was almost magical in its storyline. I enjoyed the beautiful imagery throughout the novel. Shortly after her mother passes away, Olivia learns that she has inherited the English estate Rosemere Priory and a title along with it. Olivia travels to see the estate. She finds out that the manor is falling apart and needs a lot of work done to it. And she realizes that there is a whole mystery to why her mother never told her about the estate. The more that she explores her mother’s things, the more secrets she discovers. Olivia struggles with all of the things that need taken care of, both with her mother’s house back in California and with the estate in England. She forms new friendships as she works her way through the property, paperwork, and finances of everything. The characters all around Olivia are presented in a way that makes you wish you could live in the village among them. The story line follows Olivia and her new friends as she works her way through the challenges of her new ownership of the Rosemere Priory and the decisions she must make. The imagery of the artwork, food, and flowers surrounding Olivia on her journey are wonderful. The story explores the past and the secrets of those who lived in the estate in the past.
Barbara O’Neal’s clever title begins an intriguing journey for readers that unfolds layer by surprising layer. Her respected masterful storytelling blends mystery, art, romance, and mayhem in a quaint English village and breathtaking countryside. Brilliant!
This book was such an unexpected treat for me. The characters and descriptions were so rich I could imagine them as if they were right in front of me. The main character was complex and layered which made her fun to get to know. She was on such an amazing journey and it was fun to go along with her each step of the way as she discovered her mother’s past and her own heritage, uncovering more secrets along the way as she moved toward finding her place in the future.
This was my first by Barbara O’Neal, and I am enamored with the way she writes, especially her descriptions. This was a beautifully written story that swept me away,
#TheArtofInheritingSecrets #LakeUnionPublishers
What a fabulous story! I loved discovering Rosemere and England along with Olivia. The imagery is just stunning. I really enjoyed the bit of mystery in this book, and the unveiling of the secrets. The characters are all amazing, even the ones I didn’t like. This was the first book of Barbara O’Neal’s, and it certainly won’t be my last.
The Art of Inheriting Secrets is an exciting book that I devoured in one day. The author‘s writing style is captivating drawing the reader into secrets, mysteries and unbelievable plot twists. A woman who never knew her family history inherits an estate, a title and a life she never expected. This book is a fast paced story that kept me intrigued until the end. I was somewhat disappointed that all the storylines didn’t quite seem to be complete but maybe there is hope for a series. I look forward to reading more books by this author and have already researched and purchased a few more of her books. Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for making this book available for me to read, enjoy and review.
This book pulled me right in and would not let go. Olivia is a powerhouse of a young woman who inherits a very old estate that she never knew existed.
It’s filled with great characters and beautiful scenery. It makes you feel like you are right there. I throughly enjoyed this book. It has something for everyone. Romance, history, mystery and intrigue. It’s one that you won’t want to put down until the very end and it will stay with you long after you finish.
I look forward to more of this author’s work.
Thank you to #Lake Union #NetGalley for the honor of reading this book.
A big 5 stars from me.
Barbara O’Neal has written an amazing story in The Art of Inheriting Secrets. This book had so much that drew me in. There is the mystery, the drama, the romance and the discovery of a future that wasn’t planned.
The main character is Olivia Shaw. She has lost her mother and has inherited a secret her mother kept from her, her whole life. An English estate that has been in the family for centuries.
The Mystery:
Her mother leaves her an English estate that Olivia had never known existed. It’s dilapidated, has been abandoned many years and is in serious disrepair. Olivia travels to England to settle her mother’s affairs and finds that she WANTS to remain there and restore this estate. Then comes the mysterious clues her mother has left….a “treasure hunt” of sorts. Olivia is searching for clues to find out why her mother left and never went back.
The Drama:
Olivia has left behind a long term boyfriend….how does he fit in or does he? What does he think she owes him?
The Romance:
What’s an old English estate without some romance thrown in? Have to have that! With a hunk of a guy, at that!
The Future:
How is this mystery going to be solved and what does that mean for Olivia? Who will be there for her as she searches for the answers?
Barbara O’Neal writes in such a descriptive way. I could “feel” the emotions of Olivia. I could “taste” and “smell” the foods that were described, but I think the best part was I could “see” the beautiful countryside and the scenery in the English countryside in and around the estate.
There are so many passages in the book that stood out for me and I wanted to include a few in my review because they represent the descriptive talent Barbara has :
“It was also the first glass of wine I’d had in weeks, and it hit my tongue like a dance troupe, tapping all my taste buds, waking me up.”
“There is another famous quote from Tagore,” he said, holding my face. “‘I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times, in life after life, in age after age forever.’ That’s what this is, you and me.”
“And she set all this up, the treasure hunt, so that I would have something to do other than fall apart over her death. She knew I would be lost, so she gave me a place to find her.”
This is a book I totally enjoyed. It is a beautiful and stunning story that had me turning the pages and trying to figure out what all the clues pointed to and how Olivia would find her answers.
Thank you Lake Union and Barbara O’Neal for the privilege of reading such a wonderful story.
I really enjoyed this book! The author did an amazing job in her descriptions of Rosemere Priory, the landscape, and also the food (because of course there was going to be talk about food – the main character, Olivia Shaw, is a food editor). You will not want to read this book on an empty stomach! I found Olivia to be a very likeable character and you could feel the depth of her pain over the loss of her mom. There was so much going on in this book that I didn’t want to put it down – mystery (why didn’t her mom tell her about Rosemere Priory and all that goes with it?!), romance, and drama (ghosts, fires, ex-fiance’s). What I enjoyed the most was Olivia’s perseverance to unravel her mom’s past and to rebuild Rosemere Priory. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley – my opinions are my own.
The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O’Neal is like the grown up version of The Secret Garden. O’Neal provides rich descriptions of the secret property that Olivia Shaw inherits from her mother. The property is an English estate shrouded in mystery. Olivia sifts through clues left behind by her mother in order to determine who was responsible for deaths that occurred on the estate decades ago, and what led her mother to America, and to never once discuss her past life with her daughter.
I really felt immersed in this story and the varied emotions of the story teller, and there are many. Olivia has recently lost her mother suddenly, and hasn’t been able to process her loss, when she finds paperwork that entails British lawyers and an inheritance. Arriving in England she discovers that she is heir to a title, as well as an enormous crumbling estate. The mystery of her mother’s secrets encompasses her emotionally, as she delves into a treasure hunt, unlike any that her mother created for her during childhood. She feels an obligation to find the message her mother left her, in death.
I loved the descriptions of the village, the aristocracy of the region, and the secrets that the estate held. As she came to care about those that shared her land and the Indian family that was somehow linked to her past, she finds the answers that are hidden in the art that defined her mother legacy.
A beautifully written novel, so rich with tradition, art and food. Something is here for every type of reader.
A beautifully written story about love and secrets. Olivia is reeling from the loss of her dear mother. She has a great job in California and a fiancée. Then she finds out that she inherits a large home in England along with a title! There are many secrets, long buried, that she will need to figure out. Her mother has sent her on a treasure hunt. She finds herself, love and the life she always wanted.
As you read this book, you are immediately transported to the English Village. The author does an amazing job of describing things so thoroughly whether it is countryside, a house in disrepair or the food shared throughout the book.
I love when you can close your eyes and you are instantly in the book. Ms. O’Neal writing absolutely did this for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC.