Another wonderful book by Tricia Stringer! Highly recommend to others to start reading this, in fact pick up the entire catalogue of her works. All are fantastic!

Another very well told story from Tricia Stringer, this author really knows how to dig deep into family and bring a story to her readers that is compelling and filled with all of the emotions, this one starts with a death and a will that will cause an explosion of feelings and hurts, can the woman that are part of this family work through this and find happiness again? Come along for the journey and meet Hazel, Alice, Felicity and Greta but don’t plan on doing anything else till the book is finished.

It is Felicity’s fiftieth birthday and she has worked hard to make sure the party is perfect in her fabulously renovated home, she has her husband Ian and daughter Greta by her side but things turn around when her father Franklyn dies changing everything, life as Felicity knows it is gone her world falls apart very quickly.

Hazel is Franklyn’s wife and Felicity and June’s mother and Franklyn’s death is leaving her very relieved instead of distraught like everyone would think. He has been a very hard man to live with for all of these years. When his will is read it is toxic to say the least and not only makes her realize what a bully he was but he destroys other lives as well.

Alice sees Franklyn’s death notice in the paper and finally she can try to make peace with her long lost sister Hazel, turning up at his funeral was maybe not the best thing to do but it was her only way to make contact and there are many truths and secrets that need to be uncovered for them to even think about a future.

Greta, Hazel’s beautiful granddaughter is engaged to Joe, she is caring and loving and when the family explodes as it does she is there to play peacemaker and do her best to keep the family together through some very hard times, can hearts be mended after the way they have been broken, can they once again become a loving happy family?

I loved this story from start to finish four strong woman whose lives are turned upside down and I loved getting to know them as I turned the pages, the emotions flowed happy, sad, anger all of them, there were happy tears as well, MS Stringer has a beautiful voice for story- telling and this is one that I would highly recommend, a beautiful story, another one for the keeper shelf.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

The Family Inheritance is another enjoyable novel by Tricia Stringer. This family saga, set in South Australia, centres around Felicity Lewis and follows the heartbreak and drama experienced by Felicity and her extended family. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

This is an exquisitely written story. Such vivid description that makes you feel like you’re there. Stringer has a way of drawing you into the plot and building love-hate relationships with characters, that switch and change throughout.

A story of family issues, love, marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, shame, joy and hope.

With the death of the family patriarch Franklyn comes his will containing conditions that are shocking to the family. Revealing things that have the potential to tear the family apart. He is a manipulative, controlling and a bully even in his death!

It is full of family drama where lies and secrets are revealed throughout the book keeping the reader captivated and wanting to know more. The woman are strong and relatable in the way they deal with the challenges they are faced with. I laughed, I cried, I felt every piece of emotion from these characters.

Such an enjoyable and relatable read that outlines real life issues and family drama that potentially many families see themselves going through.

Book blurb...
A toxic will plays havoc in the lives of three generations of women when they discover they have been living a lie. A keenly observed story of the danger of secrets, the legacy of betrayal and the power of family from a bestselling Australian author.
Sometimes an ending is really a beginning ...
Felicity Lewis's fiftieth birthday party in her newly renovated home, loving husband and daughter Greta by her side, is going off with a bang when disaster strikes. Her father, Franklyn, with his usual impeccable timing, has keeled over and died.
For some members of the family, his wife Hazel for example, Franklyn's death is not the great loss it first appears to be. But when his toxic and inexplicable will is read out, it becomes clear that long-buried secrets are about to surface, starting with the astonishing reappearance of Hazel's long-lost sister.
Indeed, Franklyn's death sets in motion a chain of events that will cause three generations of Gifford family women to question everything they hold dear - their relationships, their loyalties, even their identities. Until, that is, they choose to fight back against their dark inheritance ...
A clever, sympathetic and thought-provoking look at how a legacy of lies can seep through the generations and poison all it touches, and how the truth can set you free.

My thoughts…
A reader can always depend on Tricia Stringer to deliver a well-plotted story that revels its secrets at the perfect time. (I can’t say the character’s timing for certain bombshells was so great, but that was the point and certainly a fabulous opening hook.)

While I did guess where the plot was going, this was not detrimental to the story, nor to my enjoyment.

Another recommended read from much-loved Aussie author, Tricia Stringer.

The Family Inheritance is a well written family saga that tells the story of four strong women.

Felicity Lewis is hosting and celebrating her 50th birthday which has been meticulously planned at her beautiful Adelaide home. Her parents haven’t yet arrived, but then she receives an unexpected phone call from Hazel her mother telling her that her father Franklyn is dead.

At the funeral Alice, an estranged relative appears which angers Hazel, Franklyn's wife. Once the will is read there is shock around the room and it seems Franklyn is manipulate and controlling even in death. Secrets are revealed that shatter the family but will it break them apart? Felicity's world is turned upside down by further devastating events and she strains to hold it together.

Greta who is Felicity’s daughter begins to question her own relationship with her fiancé Joe Will she be able marry him and also pursue her dream of becoming a pilot?

The strong female characters are very relatable and real and you are drawn into their heartbreaks, love and friendships. I loved Greta & Alice’s character’s. Recommended read, unputdownable.

This book is a multi generational book about the females of this family. You are following felicity, hazel, greta and alice. The book was enjoyable enough but nothing special. Lots of family dramas as to be expected. Lots of great relationships and lots of not so good relationships. The men in this book were horrible but it seemed to be the point and seemed to be what shaped alot of the women and their relationships with one another. I liked the beach setting later on in the book, but i didnt find much else very memorable about it. Nice writing, not very diverse characters but they were well fleshed out and flawed. I think with so many books like this out there, there really needs to be something substantial that makes a book stand out and i dont think this book had it. Thank you to netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

The Family Inheritance is the latest offering from Aussie favourite Tricia Stringer. Tricia's talent extends across a range of genres from historical through to contemporary and her readers are always guaranteed some wonderful escapism. On this occasion Tricia gives us a multi generational, heartbreaking family drama - from Hazel in her 70s, her daughter Felicity celebrating her 50th, to Greta the 20 something granddaughter. So, already you can see, there is sure to be something for everybody to relate to.

‘There was comfort in them all being together.’

Tricia consistently delivers drama that is always engaging and leaves the reader wondering what they would do in such circumstances. The women, of this particular family, find their world turned upside down after the grandfather, Franklyn, passes away and leaves a most contentious will. This certainly opens a can of proverbial worms that brings into play the varied personality traits of both the women and men of this family. Can they rise above and see this as an opportunity to reevaluate their lives or will it destroy their family? Secrets and lies abound aplenty.

“Your anger that day was greater than your fear and it propelled you forward. Make your love greater than your hate.”

One thing to appreciate is the light Tricia shines on issues such as inheritance and wills, cystic fibrosis and anxiety issues. Both through certain characters' stories and in her endnotes, Tricia draws attention to what it might feel like and where people could find help for these range of topical issues.

This book is cleverly crafted around the passing of the controlling patriarch and the fallout when, from the grave, he attempts to cause division and devastation. With a family laden in secrets, readers are sure to be engaged to discover life changing results.

‘Four women across three generations, two of them sisters, but all connected by the tangle of often tenuous threads that made up their family and a past that .. threatened ... to destroy them.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Massive thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin fur an ARC of this book to read and review. My first book by Tricia Stringer and yet another fantastic Australian author !! The Family Inheritance opens with the death of the family patriarch , Franklyn and deals with the fallout from his will. Franklyn ,A controlling figure in life , causes a lot of angst for his widow Hazel , their two daughters Felicity and June , and granddaughter Greta , after his death . The book deals with a lot of serious topics really well . I particularly loved the way Felicity’s anxiety was bought to life with the anology of horses trotting and cantering. I’m really looking forward to reading more by Tricia Stringer !!

Love, healing and forgiveness are strong themes in this complex and thoroughly engrossing story. Central characters Felicity, her mother Hazel, daughter Greta and estranged aunt find their lives turned upside down following the death of Hazel’s controlling and thoroughly unpleasant husband Franklyn.
The story is intensely emotional throughout. I really felt for Felicity, who more than any other character in the story really went through the wringer, experiencing the depths of despair before healing and discovering her inner strengths. Hazel, Greta and Alice also have their moments. I loved all four of these women, while wondering why Hazel’s other daughter June was such a bitch.
I binge-read this story. It’s beautifully paced and revealed just enough at the end of each chapter to have me desperate to read the next to find out how things would unfold. I’ll definitely be putting this book on my keeper shelf so I can reread it again.

Overall I enjoyed this novel. However I found the attitudes of a couple of the characters really annoying, enough to actually consider putting the book down. I did keep reading to the end and things did improve a bit. The premise of the novel is good, the patriarch of the family dies and leaves some conditions in his will that are controlling and devastating for the family. The family are laden with secrets and many of them come out in the course of the novel. It is well written and holds your attention. I’m sure it will appeal to Tricia Stringer’s many fans. Thank you to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

As Greta’s partner Joe would say...there is always a drama in her family.
Felicity is ready to celebrate her 50th birthday in the house she has put her heart and soul into renovating over the past 6 months. She has been so immersed in this that she hasn’t foreseen the collapse of her marriage....the very night her father dies.
And it is her father Franklyn that sets shock waves through the family with his will.
I loved this new novel of Tricia Stringer’s, I think it may be my favourite of hers yet. With Franklyn being so manipulative and bullying, I enjoyed disliking him so much. The three generations of women in the family have to get past his lies and deceitful ways to uncover the truth. Will acceptance and forgiveness prevail?
And delightful story with many emotions, really enjoyed this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Felicity Lewis was celebrating her fiftieth birthday, along with the completion of their renovations with her husband Ian, daughter Greta, sister June and family, and a lot of friends. Felicity’s parents hadn’t yet arrived and she knew it would be her father holding things up, but she didn’t expect the phone call from her mum, Hazel, during the festivities, which said her father was dead. Franklyn had been in ill health for some time, but no one had expected it quite so soon.

With the funeral over - Hazel’s long estranged sister Alice had appeared! - and the will to be read, the shock which echoed around the room was devastating. It seemed that Franklyn was going to continue to manipulate and control his family from the grave. The long-held secrets that Franklyn chose to partially reveal, shattering his family members, wasn’t everything. There was more to come, and before it was all over, the women of the family – Hazel, Alice, June, Felicity and Greta – were confused, hurt, disillusioned and heartbroken. Would the revelations break the family apart – or make them all stronger?

The Family Inheritance by Aussie author Tricia Stringer was a wonderful story of a family under immense stress; of betrayal by a person who wasn’t who he seemed; of lies and secrets slowly revealed. My favourite characters were Greta, and Alice. The author wrote the characters with depth; they were convincing – and I really didn’t like Felicity! I always enjoy Ms Stringer’s writing and this one was no exception. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Family Inheritance by author Tricia Stringer was a read that revealed surprises and ensured a few tears. The characters drag you in emotionally, and you can't help but hope that they get a well deserved break. Twists and turns kept my eyes fixed to the happenings within the book. Another top novel by author Tricia Stringer.
Review copy received from Harlequin MIRA via Netgalley

This was another wonderfully written novel from Tricia Stringer - she never disappoints! I loved how relatable the characters were and how Tricia really captured all the feelings and family drama that unfortunately often flare up when loved ones pass away. I found myself unable to stop turning the pages as themes of greed, heartbreak, love and friendship all unfolded and I was laughing and crying with the characters the entire way through their stories.. Another brilliant novel written by a great Australian author that you need to add to your #TBR list!

Felicity Lewis is turning fifty, it’s the night of her birthday party and she’s hosting it at her home at West Beach in Adelaide. She lives with her husband Ian; she just spent six months renovating their house and its picture perfect. To say her birthday party was a downright disaster isn’t exaggerating, her mum Hazel and her dad Franklyn are running late. Hazel finally calls and Felicity has no idea her world is never going to be the same and her life is going to be turned upside down. Franklyn has died, he lay down to have a nap and passed away in his sleep. We discover Felicity’s husband Ian is a selfish man, he has been planning on leaving Felicity for months but he hadn’t got around to telling her yet, he leaves her despite Felicity’s father just passing away and she's an emotional wreck and a crying mess.

Hazel Gifford has kept her feelings hidden for years and she’s not at all upset her husband has died. Being married to him hasn’t been easy and she had to accept early in their relationship when a woman marries her husband he's the head of the household and he controls everything. We now have a name for what Franklyn did to Hazel and it’s called mental and physical abuse, he wanted her all for himself, he removed anyone who got in his way, her friends and especially close family. Even from the grave, Franklyn still made sure he was still in control and the reading of his will was full of startling revelations for the entire family.

As you read the story you discover lies and deceit has been a part of the family’s past and for generations. Greta Lewis is Hazel’s granddaughter she begins to question her own relationships, she’s shocked her parents are separating, she had no idea how unhappy her Nana was, how her Pop treated her and is her own boyfriend Joe controlling? A woman called Alice attended her grandfather’s funeral, her Nana’s reaction to seeing her was extreme anger and it makes the whole family’s situation even more dramatic.

Tricia Stringer has written a story full of surprises; it really makes you think about all aspects of life including relationships, love, family, death, greed, and on what grounds can you contest a will? I had a real giggle about middle aged men wearing Lycra, you really don’t know where to look and it’s so funny. Five stars from me and thanks to Harlequin Australia for my copy.

This is the second book I have read by Tricia Stringer and I feel very safe in her hands. The Family Inheritance is a book full of family drama, heart break, betrayal, love and friendship. It tells of four women, Felicity who is celebrating her 50th birthday, Greta her 24 year old daughter who is engaged and having doubts about her partner Joe, Hazel (Felicity's mother) who lives firmly under the thumb of her domineering husband and Alice, a lonely widow in her 60's who has lost her husband and is childless.
In a tragic series of events these women are brought together and then burst apart in a tidal wave of tears and anger. As they push apart to deal with their demons, Alice and Greta seem to hold the key to bringing them all back together again. I was totally engrossed in the drama that played out and the very real and relatable issues that each of them faced.
This is great chick-lit, it is told with humour, despair and compassion. I laughed out loud in parts and quietly sniffled into a tissue in others. The only thing stopping it being the full five stars was how quickly the loose ends all came together in a satisfying, but almost too sugary ending.
Thank you Harlequin Australia, HQ &MIRA and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

There’s nothing like a family squabble to set the juices flowing. But in THE FAMILY INHERITANCE, main character Felicity is handed more than her fair share of drama in the opening scenes. I really could not put this book down and raced back to the pages at every opportunity. I’m not sure if it's because there are so many connections I could make due to experience, age and gender, or that the easy flowing style and undulating narrative pace of Tricia’s novels just keeps the perfect amount of intrigue to whet my appetite. Either way, this book is a winner for me. A story about a legacy of lies and its effects on a family is hard to trump.
Felicity is celebrating her significant number birthday and all is well. Her newly renovated home is shining like a diamond and her adult daughter, Greta and close-to-retirement husband, Ian are there beside her. But straight away we are thrown into Felicity’s drama — her difficult father, Franklyn, and mother Hazel have not arrived — and from the beginning her father’s menace is sensed. We soon discover that the women in this family fare the worst. The act of Franklyn’s death and the conditions he has enforced in his will, serve to keep his family tightly in his grip even after his death. But Felicity’s life moves from one agonising shock to another, and soon the person she believed herself to be is in question.
Her mother, Hazel is the terrific model of a long-suffering wife who has been controlled by the actions of a misogynist husband. While Hazel’s guilt at finding release in her husband’s death is an unusual but understandable sensation, it’s the immediate reaction of eldest daughter, June, that urges Hazel to display her inner fortitude. Hazel is irritated by June’s sudden reverse role position — her ‘mothering’ and control that mirrors Franklyn’s behaviour. Hazel refuses to be subjected to social exclusion in old age, or to continue to be told what to do. Vastly different to her relationship with Franklyn, a new friendship with the sweet and supportive Jack blooms. But a chasm driven between Hazel and her daughter Felicity grows wider.
Felicity’s daughter, Greta, becomes the driving force of the narrative as she witnesses the social and emotional pressures the women in the family are forced to adhere to. She struggles with doubt in her own relationship— her desire to fly, is at odds with her lovely fiancé Joe’s insistence on financial security and marriage. As Greta’s family continue to fall apart, she sees her mother and grandmother have been caught in the vacuum of her grandfather’s arrogance, and that it will drive the older women into financial poverty. But Greta becomes the glue to keep them together, the go-between who navigates the paths between each member of her family and the fallout they have suffered —she desperately tries to mend their severed relationships.
The light in this entire story for me is Alice. This beautiful older woman is so open and welcoming to the family she has been a recluse from for her adult life. I loved her portrayal as independent but insular, living a quiet life on the outskirts of town, peaceful and serene. But it’s Alice who gently works to reunite with Hazel, and has the inner strength to pull Felicity from despair.
The men in this story have a lesser role, but their influence is noticeable. I would have liked a little more of Tony, the builder friend of Felicity’s, but it’s the women’s relationships that this story develops. Felicity’s husband and his actions were predictably irritating and reprehensible — perhaps just a little too close to truth than I cared for.
Most importantly, this book explores the restrictions women can be faced with from the time of marriage onwards. It looks at the various financial concerns they face in relationships and then at every stage of their lives. Its sensitive address of financial abuse, of elder abuse and the significant economic disadvantages that older women face and fall victim to, is clear and compelling. Sadly, this is not just something that happened to generations of the past.
There is no doubt that THE FAMILY INHERITANCE perfectly displays the expertise of Tricia Stringer’s writing. She’s a wonderful author whose books are a delight in every way. These characters are vivid, the day-to-day life concerns are simplistic, yet highly emotive, and this type of family relationship could be happening to a family next door —in fact, more than likely, it probably is!

Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

#NetGalley #TriciaStringer #HarperCollinsAus #TheFamilyInheritance

This is the first novel I've read from this author, and I wouldn't mind reading some of her other books after reading The Family Inheritance.
The story begins at Felicity Lewis' 50th birthday celebration when she finds out that her elderly father Franklyn has passed away.
Her mother Hazel is secretly relieved of her husband's passing, as he was a bitter and controlling man.
Felicity's sister June has always been closer to their father, and takes after him with her abrupt and harsh mannerisms.
Felicity's niece Greta is a lovely young woman who is shocked at the news of her grandfather's passing.
When the will is read, it is not what each of the women were expecting., and even from his grave, Franklyn shows his controlling nature..
Felicity finds out some shocking information, and when she returns home to discuss it with her husband Ian, he drops a bombshell by announcing that he wants a divorce. Felicity is devastated and at first, she keeps the news to herself, too ashamed to tell anyone. When Greta finds out about her parents, she is supportive and tries to help her mum.
Greta was my favourite character as she seemed very caring and always happy to help others.

This story has a lot of family drama and secrets and lies. Each of these women are courageous and head strong in their own way, even when faced with the most challenging of times. It is an enjoyable story and deals with many issues including death, power, greed, forgiveness and relationships.