A dead-end career. A love life that’s DOA. When fate sends her on a wild goose chase, can she land the deal of a lifetime?
New York City realtor Lauren Bent is desperate for a break. Five years after earning her license, she’s still looking for a major sale and an escape from the shadows cast by her more-fortunate brother and pushy mother. So, when an estranged great-aunt passes away and her … passes away and her wealth comes up for grabs, the struggling property broker sees her shot to turn everything around.
Forced to compete in a strange contest to prove worthy of the riches, Lauren finds herself in a war with her greedy, self-absorbed family. And between accidentally setting fire to an apartment, lying siblings, and a poodle mistaking her for a hydrant, the beleaguered young woman fears she has no chance to win after Johnny, the bane of her high-school days, is named the tournament’s judge.
Will Lauren’s star-crossed chase for fame and fortune come with a longer-lasting prize?
Splitting Heirs is the lighthearted first book in the Empire State of Mind chick lit series. If you like laugh-out-loud humor, relationship drama, and zany characters, then you’ll adore Diane Michaels’ fast-paced story.
Book 1: Splitting Heirs
Book 2: Last Resort
Book 3: Home Cooking
Book 4: Keyed Up
Book 5: Date Bloomer
more
“Splitting Heirs” by Diane Michaels was a cute, sweet, and funny story featuring an interesting plot and likeable, quirky characters. The conflict over who would inherit main character Lauren’s deceased great-aunt’s sizeable estate took precedence over her romance with former high school nemesis Johnny, but even so, I felt like I got to know both Lauren and Johnny pretty well, and they had a strong connection by the end of the book. It was easy for me to root for them to end up together despite the obstacles that stood in their way.
The relationships between Lauren’s relatives were quite complex, and it often seemed like they didn’t like each other very much, with the exception of Lauren and her cousin Emma. Most of them came across as rather selfish and greedy, and truth be told, I wouldn’t want to have to share a Thanksgiving dinner table with them! Emma and her best friend Troi were a lot of fun, however, and very different from the rest of the family. I’m looking forward to getting to know Emma better in the second book of this series.
Overall, I enjoyed “Splitting Heirs” and recommend it for all fans of chick lit or romantic comedy.
*ARC provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is my first time reading something by Ms. Michaels and boy did I enjoy it! The storyline and plot were set up nicely making this a fun and engaging read. The characters were wonderful and fun to get to know. I was hooked right from the start and just couldn’t put this book down! This book was filled with lots of laughter, family, and friendships and not to mention a little romance on the side. The perfect book to read relaxing by the pool. I enjoyed it immensely and will definitely be looking for the next treat from Ms. Michaels!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book grabbed my attention immediately with it’s gorgeous cover and unusual premise. The story did not disappoint. Lauren was a fascinating main character, and I loved following her on her journey. At times, I laughed at loud. Very enjoyable.
Diane Michaels has released yet another wonderful story.
I am a fan of her Ellen the Harpist series of 3 books and I enjoyed Splitting Heirs too.
Splitting Heirs tells the story of a family of colorful characters, an un-successful real estate agent and a handsome gentleman from high school, the last will and testament of a well-to-do aunt, and a series of unusual activities and tasks to determine the beneficiaries.
You will not put this one down until you see how everything plays out.
A delightful summer read.
Highly recommended.
When Aunt Donna dies, this dysfunctional family comes together for the funeral, burial and reading of the will. Lauren’s aunt was a favorite of hers even though she had not visited her in years. With Aunt Donna’s passing come fond memories but becoming reacquainted with her aunt’s property manager, her high school nemesis doesn’t help with her feelings of grief. He is now a good looking, kind man but Lauren only remembers high school and tries to dismiss the feelings she may be developing for him. When the will specifies that each family member must participate and succeed at several different quests to qualify to earn the inheritance, everyone wonders if these tests will bring the family together or permanently fracture the tenuous relationship they already have with each other. This is a story of a family coming together for what seems to be a series of unfair trials that must be accomplished by each person. The story was fantastic with carefully crafted characters. This is my honest, voluntary review of an advanced reader copy of this book.
A family in New York hell bent on inheriting their aunt’s fortune. The story is told by Lauren and her ups and downs with her family, as she finds out that most of them care more about money than their family. Throw in a crush for a former class mate who is one of the people deciding who will inherit, life becomes really complicated.
A tragic-comic story about a family torn apart by a possible inheritance. None of the people are really bad, but the possibility of riches brings out their worst.
An entertaining book, as the author still keeps the descriptions fairly funny.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a fabulous book! Engaging characters, cute love story, dogs (need I say more?), and all set in exciting New York City. I’ve long been a fan of Diane Michael’s work, and this book is right up there for me with her wonderful book, Pet Peeves. Michael’s writing is intelligent, witty, and fun, and it’s impossible not to get drawn into the drama. Highly recommended as an entertaining read to get absorbed in.
Entertaining and interesting characters. There are ones to root for and ones to not root for. Great turmoil and angst to get to the conclusion! Many twists and turns. Great characters to follow to the inheritance. Including a fun romance with its own set of complications. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was a quick, fun summer read. The characters were entertaining and I started to connect with them by the end. The family drama reminded me of the movie Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and their madcap adventures. Good prevails in the end.
Fortune hunt in NYC: pit kin against kin & victor gets the spoils
3.5stars
The characters here are largely an extended family who find the will of a wealthy NYC property-owning relative puts them through a set of tests that will determine who inherits the fortune. I must admit, some of the competing family members just confused me because there were so many to keep track of. Gerald? Gerald who and what is his role? I could never remember!
But I did like lead Lauren, an apprentice real estate agent having trouble hitting her stride in the world of Manhattan Upper West Side real estate. Her challenges with renters, sellers and buyers added some whimsical notes to the story. She’s also got a conscience about not spending enough time with her dearly departed Great Aunt Donna and some romantic twinges, fits and starts when she finds herself reunited with Johnny, a guy she really disliked in high school. Lauren has a hard-driving mother, a seemingly scatter-brained father and a brother who chooses inventing a new diet pill over a more altruistic approach to medicine. Other family members also have their foibles and all-out greed seems to top the list!
The series of excursions and tests set up to determine Aunt Donna’s heir did not really grab me but they were vehicles to highlight the personalities of the individual family members (sorry, Gerald, you are still a mystery to me!) and to throw Lauren into Johnny’s proximity.
The romance is largely sweet talk, longing looks, and kissing. The inheritance competition reveals bit by bit the true nature of Aunt Donna’s life’s work in later years and, once you know that, the competition’s outcome becomes pretty clear.
The premise was interesting but I never got invested in the contest. I would have gone for more about the adventures of dealing in real estate with idiosyncratic clients.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Argh, this book! Quite possibly one of the best chick lits I’ve read by a mile. It’s filled with wonderful characters, a very engaging plot and is just the perfect book for a quiet night in. I guess we’re all having a lot of those right now!
A perfect balance of humour and intrigue hit me from the very first page. You know that feeling you get when you don’t even have to read much to know that a book will be truly fabulous? That was exactly what I experienced here, and the pages that followed were just as witty and wonderful. Lauren is such a likeable character and is a real dreamer – in fact, she dreams big, especially where her career is concerned. It was very refreshing seeing a female main character with ambition and determination, and it was really rather contagious.
I enjoyed the book so much – from the hunt to find Aunt Donna’s perfect heir to understanding more about the importance of family, friendship and love, this story simply had everything I’d hoped, and more. The author’s humour, attention to detail and unique way of portraying her characters made this book so special, and I have no doubt in my mind that the next book in the series will impress just as much! A very worthy five stars – I definitely recommend this one for lovers of chick lit and a good old rom com.
Splitting Heirs by Diane Michaels
This is a sweet read, easy to follow and totally reminds me of the mayhem that occurs when death presents itself in a family. The harsh words, resentment, entitlement, greed, but for many the fond memories along with regrets. The funny mishaps and the road to solving who gets the fortune and a little romance on the side had me enjoying this book even more than I thought I might. I received this complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers for an honest review. I would highly recommend buying or reading this book.
JKSlovestoread/JudyKU/LuvsKU/Judy Samson
A very nice read from Diane Michaels and an exciting first in a new series! I love when the story has quirky and meddling family members and Aunt
Donna is just the leader of an incredible pack of crazy funny characters! Almost as weird and fun as Johnny’s dogs, with Stella as their leader obviously. The dynamic and chemistry between Johnny and Lauren is palpable and incredibly enjoyable and the weird challenges to determine the heir are just as quirky and lovable as Aunt Donna. After seeing Lauren blossom and find Johnny I cannot wait to see what awaits our beloved Emma!
Lauren Piccolo has real estate running through her veins. Daughter of agents, she is also the great-niece of one of Manhattan’s most successful and compassionate real estate moguls.When that great aunt (Dorothy) dies suddenly, the family is thrown into a quest. The prize? Aunt Dorothy’s millions. Along the way, the true nature of family members is revealed.
This is an excellent book that gently leads us through the lives of the Piccolo family and helps us learn about a whole life Aunt Dorothy lived without her family’s support or knowledge.
Interesting characters and realistic descriptions make this a delightful book to read.
I loved it!