Sneaky Book Hangover. This is one of those books that has a way of sneaking up on you, in all the good ways. In the beginning, we're thrust into the world of a food editor who has just arrived in England after only recently finding out that she has inherited a full English estate and title. Throughout the book, we discover things as she does, and through the first half of the book what we discover is mostly that she is falling in love with both the countryside and its resident thatcher. The "secrets" come mostly in the back half of the book, and they are tragic yet beautiful. While the timing of my own reading of this could have been better (reading a book about falling in love with the English countryside over July 4...), this really will make a great read anytime, but particularly (for my own tastes) as a late summer read - which means its release in mid July is timed nearly to perfection.

Barbara O’Neal has such a way with words. “The Art of Inheriting Secrets” is so much more than the typical “woman inherits house, visits town, restores house, falls in love and moves into house” novel. Every scene felt authentic and real, making it very easy to visualize. There is a thoroughness in every meal mentioned, and it left me wanting to taste each one.

Each chapter left me wanting to know what happens next, and while there was closure when the book came to an end, I’d love to be able to read a follow-up novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.
Despite this being a romance novel, which I generally don't read, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
Olivia Shaw leaves her home and job in San Francisco, for what she believes will be a couple of weeks, after inheriting Rosemary Priory and it's sprawling property in a village in England and a title (Lady Olivia) that starts off as an embarrassment. She is reeling from the death of her beloved mother and cannot understand why on earth her mother never told her about her background.
After much agonizing, she decides to end her longtime, not very happy relationship with her fiance in SF and start working on the restoration of Rosemary Priory, which after 40 years of neglect is a daunting and enormously expensive task.
Not everyone is happy with her appearance out of the blue; there have been shady financial dealings by persons trying to dupe her and her ex-fiance is out for every penny he can get from her.
But she has fallen in love, not only with her new home, but a younger man as well...head over heels in fact. She also wants to delve into the secretive history of her and her mother's family. What happened to her uncle, and why did her mother flee to the US?
The lush descriptions of the mansion, the village and the beautiful surroundings are so real you can feel the rain or sun on your face. And oh my...the food! It made me run to the kitchen to plan an Indian meal, make some chai and actually dash out and get a pound of strawberries!
I have to admit I skipped over the love scenes, but that's just me - it was a lovely read and highly recommended.

While going through papers after her mother's death, Olivia finds increasingly urgent lawyers from a solicitor in England. Her mother never mentioned anything about the papers so she follows up and finds not only has she inherited a huge estate, but also a title! Too bad the estate hasn't hasn't been kept up for more than 40 years other than what the tenants managed to do. Olivia is not exactly welcomed to the village, but eventually makes inroads by saying she is not selling the property, but will try to restore it. The manor has 35 rooms, most of which are in a state of disrepair, however, Olivia perseveres. She finds a key that her mother left and remembers the treasure hunts her mother sued to create for her. l Once again Olivia has a treasure hunt. A perfectly lovely book.

I don't expect to like every book I pick up, but I was really disappointed that this one just didn't work for me. The cover is absolutely stunning and drew me in, but I just found the whole work to be a bit tedious. The descriptions in this book are numerous and instead of relishing in the details, I just wanted the plot to move forward. With that being said, I intend to check out a few of the author's other works to see if they're more to my liking.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Barabara O'Neal for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

When Olivia Shaw travels to England to see a Manor House that she has inherited, she has no idea what she's in for. First off, she didn't even know that her mother owned this house and the land around it. Then, as she begins to investigate this inheritance, and to talk to the townspeople [who insist on calling her "Lady Shaw" the Countess of Rosemere], she discovers more and more pieces of a most interesting puzzle, which includes Grant, her fiancée in America; Samir and his family, who know a lot of the history of the estate; and a treasure hunt left by her mom, with clues to guide her along the way. Oh, and did I mention that Samir's sister Pavi is a chef, whose most delightful and mouth-watering foods tempt Olivia, who is editor of "Egg and Hen" magazine, and will tempt you as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip through the renovation of Rosemere and the rebuilding of Olivia's soul.

I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing. pub date 07/17/18

Positively lovely story about a woman who finds herself thrown into British aristocracy when she inherits an estate (and a title) when her mother passes away. Barbara O’Neal has an amazing way with words, especially when describing Rosemere and the surrounding village. One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was watching Olivia’s relationships develop with the new people in her life. I ended this book wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This ia a very lightweight novel, billed as a romance - I would call it chick-lit. The unlikely story is of an American woman who inherits an estate in England (and a title!), when her mother dies, and goes over to sort it out. There is a steamy romance and lots and lots of food - recipes, restaurants, cooking, ingredients, etc. All sorts of mayhem is included; missing persons, fires, bones, deaths, car accidents, art and literature, dubious ancestors, mysterious pasts, corruption, double crossing, a silly treasure hunt, etc. etc. There are many irrelevant characters and the main characters are off the shelf. The image of an English village and country estate is highly romanticised (well, it would be, wouldn't it!) Olivia overcomes all of these obstacles and there is a happy ending, of course. There are many books out there with the theme of inheriting a mystery from the past, so the plot is not original. I did read to the end, so I gave it an extra star.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author.

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.

Olivia's mother has just passed away and she has inherited a centuries old manor house in England called Rosemere Priory. It has been abandoned for 40 years but still holds onto some secrets.
I loved the cast of characters. From dreamy Samir, to his sister Pavi, who owns a fabulous Indian restaurant in town, to the lush English countryside.
Barbara O'Neal creates such beautiful imagery of springtime in England, a crumbling old manor house and wonderful spicy Indian food.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about new love and old family secrets. I look forward to the next Barbara O'Neal book.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for review

This book blew me away, It’s been a long time coming to have a new book from Barbara O’Neal. The story of Olivia, the background of India and of course the delicious words for the food that was showcased in the story did not disappoint. The love story of Samir and Olivia is a beautiful song while the English house she inherits is one everyone will want to be a part of. Thank you for the advanced copy - I can’t wait to reread the story when it comes out

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.

Barbara O’Neal’s stories are always as beautiful as they are poetic. She possesses a writing style I admire and is an expert at weaving tales I can’t put down and crafting characters that, depending what they do, reward and frustrate. They are the best and stick around long after the final page. THE ART OF INHERITING SECRETS is a gem. Fans, new and old, will fall in love with the book’s layers and textures, and Olivia’s journey into a world she never fathomed belonged to her.

I loved the new relationships, mystery and romance of “The Art of Inheriting Secrets,” I was intrigued and happy by how the story evolved, can you imagine working as a writer in San Francisco and then inheriting not only a family manor but also the title that comes with it, and the problems.

The romances were loving and complicated, and Barbara Samuels always does a wonderful job including all types of relationships, and people in them and they are wonderful.

My favorite part was the treasure hunt that Olivia’s mother sent her on after her death, it was definitely eye opening and in someways fun.

The only part I didn’t like was the ex-boyfriend who didn’t want to go away, to me it didn’t add anything to the plot and disturb the main story. I would have like more of the English mystery instead.

I definitely would like a sequel to find out what happened to the manor and all
Village characters and cats.

"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 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."

Just take book, add English estate, and I'm sold...

This is an amazing book. I loved it. The descriptions were so vivid and beautiful - everything from scenery, to food, to artwork, to people. When Olivia's mother passes away Olivia is shocked to discover she has inherited an estate and a title in England. Olivia travels from San Francisco to England and begins to learn about her mother's past. I highly recommend this book as well as this author. I will definitely read any other books written by this author.

For some reason, I just could not get into these characters, Maybe it was that they seemed so naive about everything.. maybe the profiles on all of the dating sites... it just wasn't a good fit for me.

This was such a great story! I wanted to read it slow but couldn’t. I loved the mystery and the bit of romance! It reminded me so much of the old Phyllis Whitney and Mary Stewart books I use to read. I didn’t want it to end! I would definitely recommend this book!! I’m going to look for more of her books!