The Art of Inheriting Secrets: A Novel

This story spoke to me like none other this year. I had the feeling of being a friend to live through all that was happening in the life of Olivia, everything so clearly described that I was actually there. Barbara O'Neal incorperated, wonderfully, a lot of passions of mine making reading an experience--a joy. I enthusiastically recommand The Art of Inheriting Secrets. 5+ stars

As I read this book, and it's one of those books that's really hard to put down. Mystery, romance, a glimpse of history, a daunting, dilapidated what must have been once and still is a beautiful but full of ghosts and sadness English mansion, I thought my goodness this could be a fabulous TV series!

My book club chose this book and it's delightful reading. I highly recommend it.

What do you do when your mother dies and you find out she was an heiress who let her estate decline into ruin? Olivia Shaw travels from her posh San Fransisco life to the English village where her mother once lived, only to discover the hostile villagers are not happy she has arrived. But there are also people who knew her mother growing up, and they are eager to share their stories and ask their own questions. A delight she didn't expect is the Malakar family, who shared a past with her mother. Lady Shaw, Countess of Rosemere, is intrigued by Samir Malakar, a younger man who is as smitten with her as she is with him. The roof thatcher turns out to be a novelist with some accolades he isn't comfortable sharing. As they explore the relationship they uncover clues and get to know each other more intimately. Author O'Neal's descriptions are lush and delicious, whether she talks about landscapes or food. You will be drawn into the fictional world of Rosemere and all the ghosts residing there. The transition from food writer and Editor to nobility is not an easy one, but this author paints the picture of the journey with mystery and humor (and grief that strikes a woman as only the loss of a mother can do). I loved the Oliva Shaw character so much - she's sophisticated but grounded. Any Leonard Cohn fan is automatically a friend to me, and the fact that her mother loved him, too, is poignant. While she wraps her head around the fact that her mother wasn't just a famous artist but also an heiress, Olivia discovers many family secrets she never even knew existed until after her mother died. I cannot recommend this book enough - I am a huge fan of this author. Read every other book she has written!!!

So much to love about this book! I adored Olivia's journey of discovery and rediscovery. The setting was amazing and evocative, the Priory so richly imagined I wished I could explore the rooms and the grounds myself. And the food! Indian food isn't my go-to cuisine, but I loved learning more about it. O'Neal's books always make me want to cook. However, my favorite thing about her work is the relationships. I love the way they develop, and I love the way they're described. There's always at least one passage that grabs me by the throat and chokes me up. In this book, it involved her mother. I also enjoyed getting good and enraged on the heroine's behalf at one point in the story, and her "boyfriend" is a piece of work. So naturally, I fell in love with the real hero, who was an exciting, where-have-you-been-all-my-life, super-sexy keeper! Just like the book.