This book is actually composed of two very different short stories.
The first story is the one in the blurb, where three cousins inherit their beloved grandmother's business just when they most needed a change in their lives. The second one is about a woman finding out her father's identity after her mother's passing and making up her mind to go find him.
The story about the cousins feels rushed, more like the first draft of the idea before things get fleshed out, but I liked all three and would have liked to explore more of their stories. The second story, I'm sad to say, was boring. It's as rushed as the first story but with less interesting characters.
I think it's a bit funny that the second story is considered the novella when it felt so much longer than the main story. It could just be that I never found much to justify Jessica's actions beyond the overused plot.
Overall, it's a very short book consisting of two extremely short stories and the teaser for another one. You could look at it as an amuse-bouche in between heftier books, or you could skip it and not miss out on much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the read!

The A Chance Inheritance by Carolyn Brown actually is two novellas in one book. The first story is titled the same as the book with three cousins inheriting a bait shop and home from their grandmother. All three of the women are at crossroads in their lives, some more dramatic than the others. Also enjoys the shop and from their memories is more natured like the decreased grandmother. Feisty, hardworking and plain spoken. What will they do with their inheritance is the main question along with a touch of romance. Interesting story but reads more like a prequel to perhaps a new series.

The second story is titled The Third Wish which begins when a young girl finds a bottle, believing it to be a genie bottle. She makes three wishes with two of them taking years to come true. Interesting, and enjoyable.

I have read and loved many of Carolyn Brown’s books over the years, these two are a bit different. I can’t exactly explain why but I do. Perhaps because they are novellas and not fully developed novels.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Three cousins brought back together in the best place of their childhood memories by their grandmother's passing. These girls needed each other to realize that what they really needed was right in front of them. Carolyn Brown always tells such great stories of family and relationships!

Sweet tale of three cousins who inherit their Grandmothers bait shop. Maybe this is the new beginning that they are all looking for. Lovely short story. Bonus story included

The Cornell girls have just inherited their grandmother’s bait shop. They each have decided to stay and continue what every Cornell woman for generations has done, keep the bait shop going! Each of these young ladies have their own issues to come to terms with. But, with the help of each other, their strength shows through.

This is your typical Carolyn Brown story. I enjoy her books. They are a good palate cleanser. I have read quite a few thrillers lately and I needed something different. Now, like I said, it is typical. Nothing is ever new in her books. But I do enjoy the characters, the southern setting and the shortness. Yes, this story is short and sweet and it fit the bill! I needed this type of book to keep me out of a slump and on the right track.

Need a sweet, quick story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

I enjoyed this story of three cousins who have come together to run their grandmother's bait store after inheriting it after her passing. The place they loved going to in the summer with a lot of memories, but of course as they got older like many of us do we have our own busy lives, therefore, visits become fewer and further between. They now have regrets about not visiting more but are determined to continue her legacy through the store. They are all three deep in grief, and everything reminds them of their grandmother. They know Granny Lizzie would not want them to feel down. She would want them to move on with their lives, which is exactly what they're trying to do.
The story was sweet and enjoyable, but I feel a little too short. Maybe it's because reading a grandmother & granddaughters story is making me long for my own grandmother and making me reminiscent of my own memories.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After the loss of their grandmother, three cousins inherit her bait shop business. They have to work together to make it work. And one of the girls finds love in a friend who has been in love with her for ages.

A Chance inheritance is the story of three cousins, Becky, Jodi, and Lainie Cornell as they inherit both the bait shop, Catfish Fisherman’s Hut, and the small home from their Gramma Lizzie. Each is escaping a life where they were unfulfilled and has sworn to be a part of this legacy.

As the cousins work out the bits and pieces of running the business, living together in the small house, and saying a final goodbye to their beloved Gramma, the story leads to all sorts of possibilities for the future.

This is a very short work that seems to just be beginning when it is over at only 6 chapters. I hope that signals the beginning of a much more involved sequel as this is not the usual fare with Ms. Brown. I cannot believe that this is it, and will look forward to seeing this story built up in the future.

Plus Novella The Third Wish

The Third Wish is a novella included with A Chance Inherited. Jessica and her sister Ashley are traumatized at the loss of their dear mother in an auto accident. While cleaning out her home, a box filled with old letters between their mom and a mysterious Eddie are found. Ashley knows her father was a war hero but Jessica has no idea who her father is. These letters are the key and will lead Jessica on quite a journey.

At 13 chapters, this novella is a complete and refreshing story.

A Change Inheritance is a simple and heart-warming story about three adult cousins who inherit their grandmother’s home and her bait shop business. Decisions are made and all three want to continue to run the business as their grandmother did and live in her house. With a little romance on the side this is a great short story. My only complaint is that it wasn’t longer.
The Third Wish, another short story, is also in this book. As a child jessica made a wish to meet the father her mother would not identify. After her mother passes away his identity is revealed in a box of letters between him and her mother and she decides to make the trip to meet him. This story is about finding love in unexpected places.
I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I usually fall in love with Carolyn Brown's cover and the I fall in love with the story. This one confirmed the trend and made me smile and root for the characters.
A heartwarming and compelling story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

EXCERPT: From the novella 'The Third Wish'
Ashley and I found the old bottle washed up on the beach the night of her birthday. It was most likely a tequila bottle, but I was convinced that it was magic and that if we rubbed it hard, a genie would come out the top in a puff of smoke and grant us each three wishes. I shut my eyes and rubbed the bottle.
'Oh. My. Goodness!' Mama squealed.
My eyes popped wide open, but all I saw was a sunset reflected in the water. 'What is it, Mama?'
'I saw the genie. He smiled at me and waved as he headed for the smow-cone shop down the strip.'
I glanced over at Ashley. She was my idol, and more than once I wished that I was like her and Mama - petite, gorgeous brunette, graceful - but I was tall, blonde, brown-eyed and clumsy.
'I saw him too,' she nodded. 'And we each get three wishes.'

ABOUT 'A CHANCE INHERITANCE': What do a runaway bride, a free spirit, and a corporate exec have in common? Besides all being down on their luck, Lainie, Jodi, and Becky are Lizzie Cornell's granddaughters. Upon inheriting their grandmother's home and family bait shop, the three cousins return to Catfish, Texas, grieving Lizzie's passing and hoping to find the fresh start they all need.

Turns out cohabitating together and running the Catfish Fisherman's Hut isn't at all like the idyllic summers they spent as children on the banks of the Red River. The days are long and hot, the tourists demanding and rude. And then there's Chris, a local river guide who seems to have eyes only for Becky.

But Lizzie's death has set in motion a chain of events that will cause a new generation of Cornell women to come together. And thanks to this chance inheritance, some local fishermen, and the love of their Granny Lizzie, the Cornell cousins discover that sometimes an ending is really the beginning of a brand-new happily ever after.

MY THOUGHTS: Nowhere does it say that A Chance Inheritance is a short story, nor is it mentioned that this book also contains a novella, 'The Third Wish'.

A Chance Inheritance is an enjoyable short story, but felt incomplete, like it was still waiting for the ending to be written. There needed to be more. There was definitely enough material available for a novella, if not a full blown novel. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters, brought together by the death of their grandmother, and the way they pulled together to grant her dying wish.
But The Third Wish is definitely the star of this show. It's a cute and sassy story, again featuring a death - this time of Ashley and Jessica's mother. While the sisters are going through their mama's things following her death, Jessica comes across a bunch of letters that just may lead her to knowing her father, and an unexpected romance.
It is worth knowing that the short story and the novella take up only 80% of the book. The remaining 20% is an excerpt from Sharon Sala's recently released ed novel, The Next Best Day, also published by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

⭐⭐⭐.5

#AChanceInheritance #NetGalley

I: @carolynbrownbooks @sourcebookscasa

T: @thecarolynbrown @SourcebooksCasa

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #novella #romance #shortstories #smalltownfiction #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Hi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!

Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.

I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.

I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list.

Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Chance Inheritance by Carolyn Brown for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Great to read 2 wonderful stories by Carolyn Brown. They're both about the love and strength of a family. The locations are small towns which offer support and help to their inhabitants. Where everyone knows your name, keeps track of your business but protect each other at all costs. If you get the chance to read it I know you will enjoy it

Although I received a free ARC eBook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Thoughts

A Chance Inheritance By Carolyn Brown embodies the best and worst parts of not only how losing a loved one affects their family but how it also affects friends as well.

Three very different women, cousins Lainie, Jodi, and Becky find themselves not only inheriting grandmother Lizzie Cornell’s Catfish Fisherman's Hut but also a chance none of them expected to get, finally living life on their own terms.

Super short and filled with the good vibes I have come to enjoy every time I open and read a book by this author.

Third Wish is a bonus read that is also short but an oh so yummy romance.

[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Three cousins returned to the South for a homecoming that was bittersweet and full of surprises. They were met with a mixture of emotions, from joy to sorrow, as they reconnected with family and friends. The reunion was a reminder of the past, but also a celebration of the present and a hope for the future.

A Chance Inheritance by Carolyn Brown contains two sweet, short, door-closed, southern romances. The aforementioned title, a novel that was originally published in 2021, and the second title, The Third Wish, appearing for the first time. While I usually love all the "feels" in Ms. Brown's books, these two stories, while both enjoyable reads, left me wanting and somewhat unsatisfied.

A Chance Inheritance is about 3 female cousins, Lanie, Jodi and Becky Cornell, who inherit a bait and beer store and a small house in Catfish, Texas, on the Red River, from their beloved Grandma Lizzie, a place where they spent many memorable summers as children. Granny Lizzie's will states that she hopes at least one of them will become the fourth generation of Cornell women to run the successful business, and yes, there's definitely a chance for romance for at least one cousin. All three cousins decide to stay and run the business, but as I stated at the outset, I wanted more of an HEA ending than the possibility of one cousin finding love. A 3-star read for me.

The Third Wish was a bit more fleshed-out, with the heroine, Jessica, and her older sister, Ashley, mourning the recent death of their beloved mother. The two girls had different fathers, Ashely, at least got to meet hers, but Jessica never knew who or where her father was, and her mother would never say, so she grew up wanting to know his identity, and, after discovering a box of letters while cleaning out her late mother's closet, she's sets off to find him. What follows is a bittersweet enemies-to-lovers romance that while heartwarming and emotional, simply seemed to all happen at the speed of light--way too fast to be believable. So, it gets 4-stars for an enjoyable read and a well-written heroine, making the combined rating of these two stories 3.5 stars.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of these novels. The opinions stated are my own.

To me, there’s nothing better than starting off a new week, new month, and a new year with a new Carolyn Brown book.
I laughed out loud at the name of Chris’ boat and I loved how he had always wanted Becky so he didn’t waste anytime.
The ending was abrupt and I was unprepared for the story’s shortness. I thought it was a full length book with a short novella at the end.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I enjoy this aiuthor as one I found through Net Galley. Her stories are heartwarming and fun to read. This is a story of three cousins who inherit a family business during difficult times in all their lives. The book is a short read but interesting as their lives intersect and each makes life changes related to the inheritance and their lives together. A pleasant short read .

Three cousins inherited their grandmother's family bait shop. They all have been dissatisfied with their former jobs and life. They are now going to live there and run the shop together. Becky the oldest has reconnected with someone that had a crush on her in their teenage years.

The Third Wish is about Jessica making a wish at eight years old. The first came true and she's still waiting for the other two. She doesn't have any clue who her father is and when her mother dies in an accident, she finds letters written from her father and decides to seek him out. Along the way she meets a man that seems to want to keep her from her father; or is he interested in her! Great story.

A CHANCE INHERITANCE – Carolyn Brown
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1728249711
January 10, 2023
Contemporary Romance

Catfish, Texas – Present Day

Three cousins, Lanie, Jodi, and Becky Cornell, head to deep south Texas to claim an inheritance from their late beloved grandmother. As A CHANCE INHERITANCE opens, Lanie is a runaway bride. She just can’t marry her fiancé and the only thing running through her head is her grandmother’s voice. Lanie decides that she will head to Texas and join Jodi and Becky, where they will run their grandmother’s business, Catfish Fisherman's Hut, a bait shop/general store.

Becky is the one in charge and she takes over managing the business. While Jodi and Lanie don’t want to admit it, Becky has some good ideas. But soon the cousins realize that running the business is much different from the idyllic summers that they spent with their grandmother as children. Yet, they plan to continue their grandmother’s legacy and get advice from long-time customers. Meanwhile, Becky is reconnecting with Chris Adams, a local river guide. He’s there whenever she turns around. Are they finding love?

A CHANCE INHERITANCE is a short novel at 125 pages with three main characters, so readers will not get deeply into each character. But we do get a sense of the three cousins. Laine thought she had found love with her fiancé, but she soon realized she was going along with what he wanted and not what she needed. Becky has ignored romance until now, so will she be receptive to Chris? Jodi is glad to be starting over in Catfish.

As usual, Carolyn Brown provides readers with intriguing characters who get you to root for them. The cousins bicker a little amongst themselves, but they truly love and care for each other. If you love a good read that will make you smile and chuckle along the way, then don’t miss A CHANCE INHERITANCE.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Carolyn Brown writes her typical sweet Texas love story. It's nice to read a book with some nice clean fun. I find her books somewhat predictable, yet engaging. I am always rooting for the underdog. As always, I look forward to the next book by Ms. Brown.