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The Art of Inheriting Secrets
The Art of Inheriting Secrets: A Novel | Barbara O'Neal
15 posts | 20 read | 29 to read
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.
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Lynnsoprano
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Pickpick

I did something I rarely do: I stayed up late to finish this last night. What a wonderful story! Great characters, and a study in relationships. The last couple of books I‘ve read have dealt with self-discovery, and this definitely fits that description. This writer is becoming one of my favorites.

38 likes1 stack add
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Lynnsoprano
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How have I missed this until now? I really like this author, and this is proving hard to put down. It has everything I love: English countryside, food, a mystery, interesting relationships. Can‘t wait see where it‘s all leading.

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Allthebookclubs
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Pickpick

Another great story woven by Barbara O‘Neal. I loved the imagery and how all of the characters were connected. I‘m not one for “princess books” but the story telling here made it worth it. Book 35 in 2021

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ItsAnotherJen
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Pickpick

Great story! It had a little bit of everything. Romance and mystery. The story slowly built and came together. The main character really evolves throughout. I give it 4 stars!
First book of the year is done. Off to a good start! My goal is to read slowly this year. To savor the act of reading. No pressure to hurry and finish and get to the next book. I've dropped a few lbs. already! Moving more, being more active, doing less sedentary tasks.

95 likes1 stack add
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Blackink_WhitePaper
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Mehso-so

After her mother‘s death Olivia, an American food magazine editor discovers about her enormous inherited property with an abandoned mansion in England.She try her best preserve it while solving the past mysteries. It‘s interesting in the beginning, but later part has more misery than mystery.Best part is delicious description of food. If u r a foodie/ cook u can relish this book. Suitable for a light reading. 3🌟

#bookspin #joysofjune #readathon

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 4y
Nute Pretty photograph!🌸 4y
Blackink_WhitePaper @Nute thanks 😍 4y
28 likes4 comments
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Booktastic
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Pickpick

This is the 2nd book I've read by this author this month and I really enjoyed them both. I get attached to the characters and want the stories to keep going! I will definitely pick up more of her books.
#ffstrainwrecks #fictionfeudsociety

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kathleck
Pickpick

I loved this book! Love the storyline, characters, the villainous sub story - all of it. Highly recommend and I am going to binge read Barbara O‘Neal novels now....

kathleck I can‘t give this story enough superlatives. 5y
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DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

Another review from this week-a new novel from an author who never fails to help me escape & make me drool over food descriptions. When her mother passes away, food writer & editor Olivia Shaw inherits a crumbling estate & title & heads to England to learn about her unknown past & solve the clues her mother has left her. Family drama, mystery, food & romance. Paired with a book-inspired Strawberry-Coriander Lassi for my book tour review. Link👇🏻

Linsy What a yummy looking drink! 😋 6y
Trollkonstnaren Sounds like the book has everything 6y
rubyslippersreads Gorgeous photo, and the book sounds great. 6y
122 likes10 stack adds4 comments
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BookNAround
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Pickpick

Another beach bag book, this one has a woman inheriting a title and a crumbling manor house in England from her mother. She‘s surprised by all of this and determined to find out more about her mother and the family she never knew. There are some dark undercurrents here but in general it‘s an easy and engaging read. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-art-of-inheriting-secrets-by.html

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Mrscastro
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Love this author! Was so excited to see this new release!

CoffeeAndABook Just reading it. I was so excited for it to finally get published. I‘m liking it so far but it‘s very different from her other books, isn‘t it?? 6y
Mrscastro @CoffeeAndABook I just really get into Barbara ‘s writing. There hasn‘t been a book of her‘s that I haven‘t loved. Happy reading. Would love to hear your thoughts on this book when you are done. 😊📖 6y
CoffeeAndABook Hi!! I‘m through reading now! And I can‘t believe I‘m saying this but I didn‘t love the book that much 🤷🏼‍♀️ I have read almost everything Barbara wrote, as B. O‘Neal as well as under Barbara Samuel. It didn‘t really feel like she wrote it, only the foody stuff reminded me of her. It wasn‘t bad or anything, I just always felt a certain kind of magic in her books, even if the plots were sometimes a little contrived & didn‘t at all in this one👇🏻 6y
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CoffeeAndABook And the last few chapters bothered me especially, there was so much going, just drama following drama, no real inner growth... But all that said, I was still well entertained, liked getting to know some of the characters, the evocative descriptions of food & atmosphere. I just have such high expectations when it comes to this author. 🌸 What were your thoughts?? What‘s your favorite book of hers? Would love to hear 😁 6y
Mrscastro @CoffeeAndABook Thank you for updates. I haven‘t started this yet. I will up date you when I do. Sorry to hear you didn‘t care for this one as much. Sometimes it makes it hard when you have so many previous great novels to compare too. It would be hard for me to pick a favorite from Barbara‘s previous novels. Loved The Lost Recipe for Happiness, The Secret of Everything, How to Bake a Perfect Life. 6y
CoffeeAndABook OMG!!! I‘m so so sorry if I‘ve ruined the book in any way for you😬 somehow I had the impression you‘d already read it!!! Ugh, I feel so bad now! At least I didn‘t put in any real spoilers... Maybe I can make it up to you by giving you a recommendation for a book of hers I really love, it‘s called The Scent of Hours. And another called The Godesses of Kitchen Avenue 🌻 🙋🏼‍♀️ 6y
Mrscastro @coffeeandab Oh no worries. Thank you for the other recommendations. 😊 6y
13 likes7 comments
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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyJuly18 #delicate @TK-421

From one of my current reads for review. This quote has today's word in it rather than being about delicacy. Olivia is inspecting the English estate that she inherited, along with a title and plenty of family secrets...

I think for many Americans, our reference to stately English manors comes from shows like Downton Abbey or the BBC Pride and Prejudice, or other series and movies.😆💙

mcipher Oh, I‘m excited for this!! She‘s one of my very favorite authors. 6y
Laura317 This sounds right up my alley! Stacking. 6y
86 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Yeah, it's been a week.😬I think I'm too physically & mentally tired to even be excited it's Friday. But on the plus side, my neighbor caught me as I was coming home & gave me a beet burger she made to try. So I fried it up for dinner & ate it over a 'salad' of spiralized zucchini dressed with dill & tarragon vinegar & some tofu sour cream & lemon on top. It may sound odd, but it was delicious.😋With one of my current reads for an upcoming review.

ephemeralwaltz Yummy! Sounds like a perfect summer dish. 6y
DivineDiana Sounds delicious to me! 😀 6y
Soubhiville I think it sounds perfect! 6y
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Chrissyreadit I wish I lived next door to you. And that I enjoyed cooking. 6y
mabell Sounds good! And is that a sur la table dish? 6y
MVD1968 Sounds good and I'm a book hoarder to. 6y
DebinHawaii @ephemeralwaltz It really was! 🤗 6y
DebinHawaii @DivineDiana It all went together well and was really good! 😋 6y
DebinHawaii @Soubhiville It was! 😉 6y
DebinHawaii @Chrissyreadit Hah! Maybe if you lived next door I could get you to enjoy it! 😆👍 6y
DebinHawaii @mabell I think it is a Pier 1 dish. I bought a few different white bowls from them for blog pics. 🤔 6y
DebinHawaii @MVD1968 Yay to book hoarders! 📚📚📚😆📚📚📚📚There are lots of us here! 6y
MVD1968 Yes they are and I'm proud to be one. 6y
mabell We have a set of dishes that looks very similar from Sur la Table. #dishstalker 😆 6y
125 likes1 stack add14 comments
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DebinHawaii
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It's been one of those Fridays where I meant to ease into the weekend but just have not been able to do that yet. It started out promising with a coffeeshop breakfast this morning (on a serious eggs Caprese kick), but I barely got a chapter of the tagged book (an #ARC for a July book tour review) in before I had to get a bunch of work done. It's now 1:30PM & I'm finally home, but with things to do before I can relax. #HappyAlohaFriday 🌺🍍🌴

rubyslippersreads That looks yummy! 6y
Ashley_Nicoletto You eat the best looking stuff. 🤤🤤 6y
Stacy_31 That looks amazing! 6y
107 likes3 comments
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BookNAround
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My husband had to send me a review book that didn‘t arrive before I left for the summer. And a bunch of other books I might have splurged on also arrived. 😁

LikelyLibrarian Beautiful picture 💙 6y
71 likes1 comment
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DebinHawaii
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Yes, it is Wednesday and yes, I did have avocado toast at my local coffeeshop aka satellite office--I just had to do something for a client before I posted the pic and I barely got to look at the tagged book which is for an upcoming book tour review before I had to get started on some work. It's one of those weeks.😬But, doesn't the coconut milk look pretty in my cold brew before it settles? The pic doesn't do it justice-it's like a ☕️lava lamp.😆

LeslieO That looks so yummy! 6y
JanuarieTimewalker13 I love coconut milk in coffee!! It looks delectable!!!👌🏽 6y
DivaDiane How cool! 6y
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Suzze Almost everything looks delicious! The bread, the drink, everything but the avocado. 😛😛 6y
DebinHawaii @LeslieO Really yummy! 😋 Me too--it adds just the right amount of sweet and creamy!💜 @DivaDiane 😎 @Suzze But that's the best part! 😋😜😆 6y
Pamwurtzler Looks like the drizzle is on point today! 🥑🍞 6y
tammysue All yummy! 👍🏻😋 6y
KB253 It's never good when the wallpaper starts peeling @DebinHawaii 😉 6y
109 likes8 comments