I have been reading JoAnn Ross' books for several years and enjoy her romance/women's fiction books. This one is very different, but oh so enjoyable. It is a dual timeline story with an historical fiction storyline, and the present story being about family, secrets and reconciliation. Jackson Swann, a photographer who has worked in very dangerous places, has died and left behind a mess. He has three daughters, all from different relationships, who do not know about each other. He owns a vineyard, that only one of them knows about. It belonged to his parents, and when his father died, his mother deeded it over to him. She still lives there and is looking forward to meeting her other two granddaughters. He has left the vineyard to his three daughters and the vintner who has run the winery for years. As the girls, Tess, Charlotte and Natalie get to know each other, they also hear their grandmother’s rich stories of life in WWII France and the wounded American soldier who would ultimately influence all their lives.

This was a wonderful story with huge secrets that have the possibility to make or break these young women. Tess knows about her father, but calls him her sperm donor and has never had a relationship with him. Charlotte loves her dad, but wishes he had not left her and her mother. Natalie is the only one who still has a relationship with her father. She knows the vineyard and her grandmother, but not her sisters. I liked meeting these young women and watching them develop a relationship with each other and their grandmother. There is some romance that adds to the story, but it is not the main thing. I really enjoyed the WWII storyline as well. It told of how their grandparents met and the danger they were in. It was also interesting to read about the difficulties getting married and coming to the US, something I really hadn't read about before. Overall, this was an enjoyable story. The two storylines were woven together well. I liked the themes of family, forgiveness, reunion, love and survival.

This is an enjoyable happily-ever-after story about building family, forgiveness, and love. Three half-sisters, all with different mothers and unknown to each other, brought together after the death of their father. Jackson Swann was a conflict photographer and, mostly unknown to two of his daughters. He was also the owner of a famous winery which his daughters have now inherited. A 96-year-old grandmother who participated in the French Resistance against the Nazis.

I enjoyed the cast of characters and formed an emotional investment in them. However, the story itself could have used more development. While I liked the interaction of the sisters, the acceptance and forgiveness aspects of the story moved much too quickly.

While classified as historical fiction, the story is actually a romance with a bit, a very little bit, of WWII history sprinkled in. After all, WWII stories are big sellers right now. I liked the grandmother but felt her story was “gimmickly.” Young French girl meets handsome American pilot. Helps him escape. They fall in love and live happily ever after.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a romance, but not if looking for a historical fiction.

I truly enjoyed ‘The Inheritance’ by JoAnn Ross. Parts historical fiction and romance, ‘The Inheritance’ was a sweet slow-burn of a story with many layers to it. Told in present-time and flashbacks, this story did drag a bit (and the ending was a tad abrupt), but Tess, Charlotte, Natalie and their grandmother shine so brightly as they forge connections and grow individually, that it is easy to look over. Full of family intrigue, mystery, and strong women, ‘The Inheritance’ is a pleasant, compelling read.

4.5 Stars

A juicy family drama that is even more addictive than your favorite streaming binge, JoAnn Ross’ The Inheritance is a compulsively readable page-turner from a master storyteller.

When celebrated conflict photographer Jackson Swann died, his three daughters – from three different mothers – were shocked to their very core when they discovered that they are now responsible for the family vineyard in Oregon. Tess, Charlotte and Natalie have got lives of their own and certainly haven’t asked to be in one another’ lives, but with life forcing them together, the three women find themselves with no other choice but to head to Oregon and figure out what they are going to be doing with their errant father’s legacy.

Tess was once a successful child TV star who is now at a crossroads in her life. Suffering from an identity crisis, Tess doesn’t know who she really is when the cameras have stopped rolling and the curtain has gone down. Having spent a lifetime resenting Jackson, she is now grieving a man she never had much time for in the past. Will her half sisters help her through this difficult time? Or will being in such close proximity only serve to worsen relations between them and widen the chasm that divides them?

Southern belle Charlotte has always done what was expected of her. She never put a foot wrong, always obeyed the rules and put other people first. All she has ever wanted was to be a proper wife and she had put all of her dreams and ambitions on the backburner to support her husband’s political ambitions. But the rug is well and truly pulled out from under her feet when she discovers that her beloved father has died, she has two half sisters and that her husband has fallen head over heels in love – with another woman!

Natalie is the daughter of Jackson’s mistress who has always known about Tess and Charlotte. She has spent a lifetime dreading the day they found out about her existence – and now that day has finally arrived. Tess and Charlotte are hardly going to welcome her with open arms, but will she find the family she has always wanted at Maison de Madeleine? Or will Natalie be alone and disappointed once again?

As the three sisters come together in the family vineyard, they soon fall under the spell of the family’s rich and illustrious history and the powerful wartime love story that will reveal their legacy and its power to change all of their lives for the better.

JoAnn Ross’ The Inheritance is an emotionally satisfying, uplifting and highly engrossing tale about old secrets, past regrets, new beginnings and second chances I couldn’t read fast enough. Master storyteller JoAnn Ross sprinkles her story with plenty of pathos, humor, warmth and heart and will leave readers spellbound and completely captivated by the lives and loves of the people she evokes.

A beautifully written tale about the ties that bind, family loyalty, coming home and life’s unexpected surprises, JoAnn Ross’ The Inheritance needs to be added to everyone’s auto-buy list.

THE INHERITANCE is a wonderfully written historical romance set in the present day with reminisces of the past (especially during WWII in France.) Tess, Charlotte, and Natalie are sisters who share a father but have different mothers, live in vastly different places living vastly different lives, and only meet after their father dies. His will pulls them all to the family vineyard to get their inheritance. The three women start out wary of each other but become sisters in truth and at heart.

Tess, Charlotte, and Natalie are taken from their current lives across the country and even in Paris. Two of them meet family they never knew existed and they all deal with past issues. They each had different relationships with their father, as did their mothers. (Tess, the eldest, thought of him as little more than a sperm donor.) Throughout the story, they experience trials and deal with emotional issues that show how much they have in common. The sisters come to embrace the vineyard, their grandmother, the workers, and even the small town.

The vineyard is central to the story, but the supporting characters add layers to the rich plot. THE INHERITANCE is full of emotion, romance, and growth. There’s an epilogue that takes place eighteen months after the story ends and hints at the happily ever afters without the reader being able to really enjoy that happiness. I wish the story would have gone on a little longer to show us those HEAs. Still, this novel is a terrific book that will keep readers turning the pages to find out what happens to the sisters.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

This story has a grandmother relating her life in the French resistance to her three granddaughters. The girls have been summoned to her winery because her son has died and the sisters must live there for a year to get their inheritance. I love the switch between WWII and the present. It is easy to follow both time lines. Only one of the sisters has had a relationship with their father, the other two were abandoned with their mothers in his earlier life. A good story of family and the multi generations is one of my favorite themes. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to HQN Books, Netgalley, and JoAnn Ross for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

This is yet another example of a historical fiction novel with dual timelines that I enjoyed. Not only do we have the conflict between the Swann daughters, but we also get to find out more about their grandmother’s stories of life in WWII France and how her legacy ends up being an influence to all of them in ways that they probably wouldn’t expect. The conflict stems between the daughters because they all have different mothers. So while one daughter – Natalie Swann (the one their father kept) knew about her half sisters, the other two – Tess and Charlotte – did not. They only find out about one another when they hear that their father passed away, and have to make it to the Maison de Madeleine in order to work through their father’s final wishes. It may be a bit sad to some that Tess and Charlotte weren’t there when their father died, and I feel like maybe Jackson Swann did that on purpose so that there wouldn’t be any fighting over his deathbed, but I think it would have been nice to see them actually see their father one last time. Maybe.

Family dynamics is always something that I like to read about in novels, especially historical fiction novels. There’s something about having a dysfunctional family with very different lives and very different viewpoints trying to come together during an important event. Even if they aren’t dealing with an important event like a death in the family, it’s still interesting to see how they all interact with one another. How one feels for one person versus another person, who is the ostracized member of the family, shunned by all. The dynamics here makes it even more interesting because two of them don’t even know about the other daughters that their father had, and then we have the one daughter that knew about them but never got in touch with them. We also have the father not wanting to confront either daughter so he has his attorney do it instead.

I enjoyed reading about the past just as much as I enjoyed reading about the present. If anything, with the way that their grandmother told the stories, I felt captured by the past, so immersed in her stories that I would want to read a whole novel just about the grandmother alone. It was nice to see the lives of each daughter though, don’t get me wrong. Nothing is as it seems in their lives, and they are going through some moments of crisis and insight into who they are. I think Ross did a great job merging everything together into one cohesive story.

The Inheritance by JoAnn Ross takes us to the Willamette Valley of Oregon where three women have just inherited a winery. Three sisters are getting a chance to learn about each other, their father, their family, and their heritage. They may also find love while in wine country. I thought The Inheritance was a well-written story with good pacing. Ms. Ross is a descriptive writer. This allowed me to visualize the characters and scenes. I thought the characters were realistic and developed. I like it when the characters have flaws because it makes them relatable. The characters were likeable as well. I enjoyed the scenery of Aberdeen, Oregon. It sounds like a beautiful area. Interspersed among the present-day chapters were sections that took us back to World War II. Madeleine, the sisters’ grandmother, talks about her adventures during the war and how she met their grandfather. There is foul language in this story (just FYI). I liked reading about these four resilient women. The Inheritance is a story about forgiveness, overcoming tragedy, endurance, overcoming adversity, and love. Be prepared to stay up late once you begin reading The Inheritance.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't one I fell in love with. I had a very difficult time getting into it.
I do, however, very much appreciate the opportunity to read this book.

The Inheritance is a terrific story from JoAnn Ross principally about family, but also covering love and loss, blended with some fascinating WW2 history. I thoroughly enjoyed my time following the three sisters as they go from strangers to loving and supportive siblings.

The tale begins as Jackson Swann, photographer and the father of three daughters who each have different mothers, is approaching the end his life and his battle with cancer. Sitting on the patio terrace of the chateau de Madeleine the grey stone house in Oregon's Williamette Valley that his father Robert Swann built for his wife Madeleine, a war bride, he has many regrets that he is musing over as he gazes at the 260 acres of vineyards and the gorgeous blossom trees. Most of the details the reader learns of Jack comes from others' memories though he leaves videos for each daughter.

His eldest is Tess, a former child TV star and author. Jack had a very brief marriage with her mother and played no part in her life, thus Tess refers to Jack as a sperm donor. Tess is nonchalant when Donovan Brees, her father's lawyer, tell her of her father's death and her inheritance. But needing to make a decision about her writing, Tess decides that Oregon might be just right for her. Tess knows of one of her sisters' existences but not the other.

Brought up by her mother, Charlotte is a Southern housewife and rarely saw her father. Jack and Blanche are still married as Blanche sees no reason to divorce. Charlotte married the politically ambitious Mason, so Charlotte ditched her dreams of becoming an interior designer. When she learns of her father's death, she also discovers her husband is an adulterer, so going to Oregon seems like a grand idea. Charlotte had no clue that she had sisters before learning about Jack's death.

The youngest daughter Natalie Seurat is the sister who saw more of Jack. She is a talented photographer, like her dad and is grieving the loss of her mother, Josette when she learns of Jack's death. She's always known about her sisters and wanted to meet them.

It was fascinating to read about the sisters' varied relationship with Jack as well as the forming of their own as siblings. None of them expected to inherit though there was a caveat on this. They also had the opportunity to spend time with Madeleine. Dotted hither and thither are flashbacks to Madeleine's time with the French Resistance which were riveting. As each sister is at a crossroads in life their time in Oregon affords them the thinking time they need. Charlotte is pondering the fate of her marriage and makes some realisations involving her husband. Tess is wondering what's next after her successful teen series and Natalie is pondering whether to risk a friendship for something more.

Along with learning the wine business and family history, romance also finds its way into each sister's life. Charlotte is the wariest of the three in this regard as she still has cold feet from previous dalliances. JoAnn Ross's characterisation is first-class on this compelling tale and I relished in her Gideon character too, who is running the vineyard, finding him charming and personable as he gets to know Tess better and explains about winemaking. The epilogue ties everything off neatly and I highly recommend The Inheritance, a sweet story with a weighty storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley, HQN Books and the author, JoAnn Ross for the complimentary copy. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.

Three sisters, one father and a world of secrets! Jackson, long time war photographer, passes away. He leaves an inheritance to his three daughters, Charlotte, Natalie and Tess. Tess is the oldest. She has not seen her father in years. And she has no idea that she has two sisters, plus a grandmother. Then there is Charlotte. She has some contact with her father but she is completely in the dark about her sisters and grandmother as well. Natalie is the youngest and she has spent summers at her grandmother’s famous vineyard and she adores her father. So, needless to say, there are some huge family issues!

These three sisters all come from different backgrounds but they are all creative, unique and highly intelligent. They all come with different problems and hang ups. I loved each and every one. I think Tess is my favorite. She is more independent and tough. But all three are excellent. Add in the grandmother and her history and you have a great read!

Need a wonderful family drama…DO NOT MISS THIS ONE! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This book was a good mix of women's fiction, historical fiction and a little bit of romance. It was interesting to get to know the sisters in the wake of their father's passing and all of their different personalities and struggles. It was a good story as it unfolded, especially with the historical fiction aspect with their grandmother. I really enjoyed JoAnn Ross' writing, as I have before, which made the read fly by - but in some aspects it did feel like things were a little rushed or not fully fleshed out. I did enjoy a lot of the character development that happens and where everyone ended up but would have liked a little more depths to some parts.

When Jackson Swann dies, his three daughters are about to inherit his family’s winery. The conflict comes when all three daughters must come to the vineyard to hear the terms of his will and meet their grandmother.

Tess, the first daughter is bitter, never having Jackson as a father figure in her life. She wants nothing to do with his will or her inheritance. Will Tess’s views change once she meets her new family?

Charlotte had known her father somewhat and is stunned at his passing. Can her trip to the vineyard bring her peace and comfort after leaving behind her failing marriage?

Natalie has fond memories of the father who helped raise her and has always known of her two half sisters. After losing her mother and now her father, will she finally find be able to face her sisters?

This novel by JoAnn Ross is to date my favourite book of the year. I loved how diverse and how complex each of the sisters’ characters were. You could feel their pain and their confusion come right off the pages of this brilliant novel. I honestly kept checking how many pages were left because I did not want the story to end. The emotions of the characters were so real, and I could just sit back and imagine what each sister was going through. I also loved their grandmothers’ story and how it was told throughout the book. I was so excited for what she would share next of her journey through the war and how she came to America. I would have loved this to be a three part book series on each sister so I could stay with their stories a little longer. This is one book you do not want to miss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I was gifted and would like to thank Harlequin Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The Review

A truly inviting and emotional read. The author has captured a captivating blend and balance of history and contemporary women’s fiction. The narrative delves into the history of WWII from the perspective of a WWII French Resistance Fighter, setting the backstory of not only the main character but the complex history of the person who was the catalyst for the protagonists to come together.

Yet it was the emotional struggle of the three sisters that really sold this narrative. Having watched people close to me lose their parents in recent years and dealing with the fallout afterward amongst their siblings, this narrative did an amazing job of hitting the emotional core of that process while adding an extra element of personal turmoil as each sister not only dealt with their own strained relationship with their father but the discovery of their sisters as well. I always enjoy reading works that push the boundaries on what family truly means, and how the bonds we build with one another mean more than anything else. The added elements of romance and character buildup that each sister experienced made this a brilliant story to engage with.

The Verdict

A remarkable, thought-provoking, and emotional read, author JoAnn Ross’s “The Inheritance” is a must-read novel of 2021. The perfect amount of intrigue and history to balance out the romance and personal relationships each sister had to force themselves to build amongst each other made this such an engaging story to get lost in.

A generational novel, The Inheritance by JoAnn Ross is a wonderfully crafted book.

Three sisters with differing knowledge of each other, must make choices based on their mutual father's dictates after his death.

Tess, Hollywood child star who has had the least amount of time with her father. She doesn't want to know him or anything about him. She's doing just fine, thank you.

Charlotte, her father's Princess who can't figure out why daddy left. She can't believe she has two half-sisters and has other issues that seem to be bigger than her father's death..

Natalie, who got the most time with her father and is resentful he didn't let her know he was dying. She knows his background and is authentically grieving his passing.

Gosh....I loved this story. The backgrounds of the sisters were all so different, yet when it came to meeting each other, they just got along. Maybe not at first, but as they began to feel more like family it was wonderful to see..

Coming together reluctantly at a winery that their father inherited from his parents. Meeting their elderly grandmother and hearing her story of bravery, love, compassion, and loss. I loved seeing them work their way around each other and the other characters in the story, as each of them began to feel the inevitable change that was coming.

Flashbacks to WWII and the occupation of France by Germany as told by their French grandmother was mesmerizing. You could feel the terror as she told the true stories of her time in the French Resistance and meeting the man who she thought of as her destiny.

Each of the sisters had issues they had to work through, and the time they got by meeting in Oregon at their father's winery redirected their lives.

A great Women's Fiction novel.

Terrific story of family, love, loss, and healing, combined with some fascinating WW2 history. I loved seeing the three sisters go from wary strangers to loving and supportive siblings as they got to know each other, their grandmother, and their family history.

The story opens as Jackson Swann, conflict photographer and father of three daughters - from different mothers, nears the end of his battle with cancer. He has many regrets, not the least of which are his shortcomings as a father. In the end, all he can do is give them each other and the family they never knew. In the little bit of Jack we see, it is evident that he is driven by his need to show the starkness of the conflicts he photographs. As much as he would like to be the kind of father his father was, he can't change who he is. Most of what we learn of Jack comes through the memories from other people, except for the videos he leaves for each daughter. I liked the honesty of his last words to each one.

Tess is the oldest daughter, born from Jackson's very brief marriage with her mother. Jackson played no part in her life, causing Tess to refer to him as simply "the sperm donor." A former child TV star and currently a bestselling author of books for teens, Tess isn't interested when Donovan, her father's lawyer, comes to tell her of his death and her inheritance. However, with a case of writer's block and a looming decision about her writing, Tess decides that an Oregon getaway might be just what she needs. Tess knows of Charlotte's existence, but not about Natalie.

Raised by her high society, Southern belle mother, Charlotte rarely saw her father. Jack's relationship with his wife was volatile at best, and Charlotte would retreat in the face of their arguments. The best thing Jack did for Charlotte was encourage her to pursue her dream of interior design and never forget her passion for her work. However, her mother's influence remained strong, and Charlotte found herself putting her career on the back burner when she married a politically ambitious man. On the same day she learns of her father's death, she discovers her husband is cheating on her. Suddenly, escaping to Oregon sounds like a swell idea. Charlotte had no idea she had sisters before learning of Jack's death.

Natalie is the youngest daughter and the one who saw the most of Jack. Like Jack, she is a talented photographer, though she focuses on the lighter side of life. Natalie is still grieving the loss of her mother when Donovan tells her about Jack's death. She's always known about her sisters and wanted to meet them, but now she's nervous about it. Will they like her, or will they resent the amount of time she got to spend with Jack?

Madeleine is Jack's mother. She is a French war bride and former resistance fighter whose husband turned his family farm into a vineyard and built a French-style house to make her feel more at home. Though devastated by her son's death, Madeleine is thrilled to have all three of her granddaughters under one roof. She immediately makes them feel welcomed and loved.

Gideon is the widowed father of a teenage girl. When Jack's father died, leaving the vineyard and winery to him, Jack immediately hired Gideon to run the place for him. As the story opens, Gideon worries about his job if the winery ends up sold.

I loved watching the relationships develop. Each of the sisters had a different kind of relationship with her father. I liked seeing them sit down and share their experiences, gaining insight into Jack and his issues. None of them expected to inherit anything and were stunned to discover that they would share ownership of the winery with Gideon. The only caveat was that they had to stay through the harvest before any of them could sell their share to Gideon. With that requirement, each of them became more invested in the business's success and brainstormed ideas of changes they could make.

Another big part of remaining in Oregon was the chance to get to know Madeleine. Sprinkled throughout the book are flashbacks to her time with the French Resistance. Her progression through the ranks kept me intrigued, and more so when she rescued the American pilot who would later become her husband. The narration of their escape into Spain had me glued to the pages until they were safe. Madeleine's story provided a burst of inspiration for Tess, who needed a new direction for her writing.

Each of the sisters faces a turning point in her life, and their time in Oregon gives them the space and support to make their changes. Tess has reached the end of her long-running teen series and wonders what to do next. Before settling on telling her grandmother's story, she also considered a wine-themed murder mystery. I enjoyed seeing her bounce ideas off Gideon as he taught her about the vineyard and winery. Charlotte faces the end of her marriage and realizing that she allowed her husband to chip away at her self-confidence and self-worth. I loved watching her rekindle her love for design and how the support of her family boosted her confidence. Her joy at arranging the celebration of Jack's life lit up the pages, and also using her skills to improve the winery. I loved the scene where she told off her husband. Meanwhile, Natalie looks at whether to risk her friendship with the man she secretly loves.

Along with learning the wine business and family history, romance also finds its way into each sister's life. For years, Natalie has been in love with her father's lawyer, Donovan, but hesitates to make a move. Their friendship is solid, and she doesn't want to lose it, but neither does she want to lose out on the possibility that it's returned. As outsiders, the reader can see that Donovan is just as conflicted. I loved seeing Natalie take matters into her own hands and had to laugh at Donovan's reaction. Charlotte is the wariest of the trio, still reeling from what she sees as her poor judgment. However, she isn't entirely man-averse as we see her show an interest in the man helping with the winery renovations.

Most of the romantic attention goes to the growing feelings between Tess and Gideon. They connected from the first day Tess arrived. I enjoyed seeing his amusement at how she would plot murders as he explained various steps in winemaking. It wasn't long before the sparks flew between them. I laughed out loud when Gideon's daughter pushed him to ask Tess out, even advising on the type of date it should be. I liked that both Tess and Gideon are mature enough to be honest about their feelings. I loved the scene at the restaurant as Gideon nervously but eloquently told Tess how he felt, and Tess's reaction made me grin.

I loved the epilogue, which showed the sisters eighteen months later. The changes in their lives are remarkable and something none of them had foreseen. I do wish that there had been more time spent on Charlotte and Natalie's romances. I loved the nod at the end to the author's Shelter Bay series, one of my all-time favorites.

Wonderful story of finding yourself and the family you never knew you had - or wanted!

Three half sisters forced to come together by a father they really didn't know - form a bond with each other and the grandmother they didn't know existed.

Wonderful story about finding oneself and family you didn't know existed or that you didn't even realize you wanted or that family was what you truly needed!

I wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing. However, the story took forever to unfold and I just lost interest. I did think the dynamic between the sisters and their grandmother was interesting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin books for the free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Inheritance by JoAnn Ross is a captivating historical romance that sweeps you away to another place, another time. A dual timeline story that is told in the time of World War II and the present. The present involves three half-sisters coming to terms with their father’s death. The WWII story is about their grandmother and the French Resistance. Fascinating, to say the least.

This was my first book by author JoAnnRoss and I admit she captivated me from page one.

As a woman who grew up with 6 brothers, I find stories involving sisters fascinating as I never had that bond with anyone.

This story has a dual timeline story that allows you to delve into the family's past while still being involved in the present time with the characters. I enjoyed the author's ability to draw e in and hold my attention with well-formed characters that are interesting, flawed, and likable.

The thing that stood out for me in this book was how the story took me on a journey of love, hurt, betrayal, forgiveness, and healing. I rode a rollercoaster of emotions reading this story and I would take that ride again gladly.

If you are looking for a book to take you on a journey you won't forget this s the book for you.