The Art of Inheriting Secrets
by Barbara O'Neal
4/5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐
When Olivia Shaw’s mother dies, the magazine food editor is astonished to learn she’s inherited a centuries-old English estate—and a title to go with it. Olivia is still grieving and recovering from a serious accident, but she has to leave her native San Francisco to unravel the mystery.
Olivia now understands why the manor, magnificent even in disrepair, was the subject of her mother’s numerous paintings. What she doesn’t understand is why her mother never mentioned it to her. Although personal problems and her life back home beckon, Olivia finds herself falling for the charming English village and its residents.
This was a delightful story and an easy fun read. The story just leads you along, and the prose is beautiful.
"It was, at last, a dry, fine morning, the light a pregnant yellow that angled at a long slant from the east, shimmering over the open fields and glazing the grass on the rolling hills."
I loved that sentence, who calls light pregnant? so great...
Later on, Olivia has a glass of wine and says,
"I swirled and tasted, and it was light and dry and fruity. 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."
Lovely - beautiful imagery - I want all my wine to taste like that!
Upon dipping into one of the local delights , she writes
"His lips were pillowy soft yet firm, warm and lush, and I could not help but open my mouth, wanting to drink him in as if he were a potion, a potion that tasted of candied fennel from the dish on the table,"
Great imagery- and the whole book is like this, I just drank in the great word ppictures!
The story also has a great arc, with villians and heroes, and things to overcome.
The characters are all well-drawn, and they are introduced at a leisurely pace, so it's easy to keep them straight.
I highy recommend this book, and I think I'll be finding more from Ms. O'Neal in my queue!
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