What happens when two people who have been scarred by life and have faced the whispers of the people around them, come face to face?

Cassidy and Ned are no strangers to adversities. Cassidy has a child out of wedlock and has recently lost her father. When she loses her job as chef in a restaurant as well, in a confused state, she decides to buy an old inn in a small village in England, that had been in her family's name many generations back.

Ned, the local genial landlord, whom everybody in the village adore, lost his fiancé in an accident three years earlier and has lost all interest with life since then, at least according to the villagers. Cassidy tries to make a go of things despite the many adversities she comes across, Ned being one amongst them. Does Cassidy get to realise her dream? Is it possible that she gets to attain a different kind of dream through Ned? How do these already wounded people work with the second lease of life they potentially could get?

This story by Cate Woods is a lovely combination of perseverance and optimism. Cassidy is a representation of the modern woman who has dreams and is not afraid of going after it. Life might knock her down but she will just get back up, dust herself and go down the path she has set for herself. She has her limitations and faults; but her priorities and passions are always the same.

Woods, through her narrative, has transported her readers to this quaint village, making the reader feel they are living there. However, the relationship between Cassidy and Ned is not elaborated upon well. As a result, their relationship appears forced and awkward many times. What we get instead is an in depth view of who Cassidy is as a person.

The story travels with her majorly and we get a blow-by-blow account of her thoughts and decisions every step of the way. Ultimately this is a coming-of-age story where Cassidy gets to finally grow up and attain the maturity to further her daughter's and her life on a positive journey of growth and transformation.

This is a mostly entertaining read which would appeal to you if you like to read stories of empowered women.

This was a super chill read for me. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, but I will admit some of the decisions Cassidy made as a parent did give me pause. She loves her daughter very very much but I felt like she was kind of irresponsible in the beginning. She did grow on me, however, and showed up in a big way by the end of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital ARC

Cassidy was duped to say the least. After her father dies, she moves from America to Dithercott to an old inn. She plans to turn the inn into a restaurant but when she shows up.. the inn isn't what the pictures showed. Luckily, she has a great town surrounding her and helping her achieve her dreams, well all except pesky little Sophia.

I had two main issues, one being, Nora was 9 but was wise beyond her years and her dialogue was too advanced to believe she was 9. My second issue was Nora's love interests, we didn't see her really explore those interests, so when it was time for her to decide, it felt too rushed.

Overall this was such a fun read, it gave me all the Hallmark movie vibes, which I really enjoy.
4 solid stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loving and adoring Cate Woods' book, I couldn't not request "The Accidental Inheritance". It took me some time to read it - so many books, so litttle time, same old, same old... - but it was worth the wait, the book didn't disappoint.
Although I was expecting some more deep from this author, as this book sometimes felt to superficial and simple. Nevertheless, I was rooting for Cassidy, so it's a good sign, right.
One of the weakest points of this novel is, unfortunately, Nora - she doesn't talk like a 9 - year - old, she talks like 9 going on 29, it absolutely didn't ring true for me. And the end - much too open for my liking, I would love an epilogue.

Nevertheless, the plot was brilliant and I loved the idea of it and liked how it progressed. It was a lovely, easy story about second chances, friendship, family and finding your place to live and deiscovering what makes you happy. The romance is not overwhelming, but it's there and it's lovely, the setting is gorgeous and please, don't read this book when you're hungry.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I've never read any books by Cate Woods before but this will not be my last. I enjoyed this one quiet a bit.
There was heartache, mystery, love and new beginnings. What's not to like.
I highly recommend this one and I am sure you will fall in love with this one too.

I love when a book hits you, like this one hit me. I knew it was going to be a fun read but I did not expect it to be this amazing. Will 100% reccomend

Absolutely brilliant book that had me captivated from page one. A great page turner with an uplifting and heart warming story. I will be recommending to my friends

I became a fan of Cate Wood’s writing when I read “The Inn at Tansy Falls” so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it as well.
It was a comfy, cosy read with lots of descriptive writing so you can feel yourself actually being there. I loved all the characters except Sophia, of course! The last chapters where the relationship between Cassidy and Ned was focused on was a good ending although I thought there was more to come. When I “flipped the page” I was a bit disappointed to find it was an excerpt for “The Inn at Tansy Falls”. I would’ve loved to have seen more of their relationship and Cassidy gaining back business, making Sophia remove the one star reviews, as well as getting back at the writer for the awful article in the magazine. Maybe that’s all to come in a next book? 😁

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book and I’m very much looking forward to Cate’s next one!

Lovely feel good warm read. Very well written. Lovely plot that plays out well. I was hooked from the beginning. It was everything I hoped it to be

American Cassidy Beeswhistle loses her job so takes a chance and buys a pub in England. Her ancestors came from the village but lost their fortune due to gambling. She is horrified when she arrives to find the pub in a hideously run down condition. Can she fulfil her dream?
The Accidental Inheritance is a warm and uplifting novel about fresh starts, set in the English countryside.
After the death of her beloved father, Cassidy rummages through his papers and finds a file on family history. Her ancestors used to own a stately home in England but gambled it away. In a twist of fate, the local pub is currently up for sale so Cassidy sells up and moves country to try to start afresh for herself and her daughter. Her arrival causes a big shake up in the village and she instantly makes friends but also enemies.
I really liked Cassidy's impulsive and hopeful outlook on life. She has struggled to build a career whilst being a single mum but now she sees an opportunity to change her family life for the better. However, she didn't count on the condition of the pub and is frantic about her dwindling financial state. Luckily her new community band together to help but someone is intent on undermining her efforts.
I enjoyed the premise of the book and the use of family history to underpin the plot developments. At first I hoped Cassidy would fall in love with the wonderful vicar but sadly the passion isn't there. It was clear that she and Ned clashing horns had the spark that she needs to find happiness but the path to love doesn't run smoothly. He has a tragedy in his past and his sister is horrendous to Cassidy.
The Accidental Inheritance was a really lovely book and I found myself completely immersed in the plot and characters' lives.

2.5 stars

I feel bad saying it, but I just wasn’t a fan of this. I kind of fell into a reading slump during this book and I really had to bring myself to finish it. There were many times where things that really should’ve been described on the page in the present were told later on as having already happened. I also felt like Cassidy’s feelings for Ned came from literally nowhere other than the fact that she thought he was hot. I just couldn’t find myself getting really invested while reading this. It was a cute concept, and I liked Cassidy’s relationship with Nora as well as the found community they had in the village, but those weren’t enough to really hold my attention.

I really enjoyed this book great story line, great characters. 4 ⭐ from me I would recommend this book to many people within my reach thank for the opportunity to read this book

Review

The Accidental Inheritance
By Cate Woods

General Fiction/ Romance

Description

A chance of a new beginning
Small English village
A surprise inheritance
A hostile Lord of The Manor

This was my first book by this author. I really enjoyed the unique storyline.
It was a fun read with great characters and descriptions that made you feel like you were in the small English of Dithercott.


My only con was the ending felt rushed and I wished there had been an epilogue at the end.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars.

Definitely a quick read for me on this one. Single mom Cassidy has just lost her job and makes a life changing decision to relocate from Sacramento, CA to England in search of a better life for her and her daughter Nora. Why did Cassidy chose to move to England you might ask? Well, turns out that Cassidy’s ancestors had lived in England and had a manor which was lost to the Bamford-Bligh family in a game of dice hundreds of years ago. It was rumored in the village that there was a secret deed that if found would restore the ownership to the original heirs, the Beeswhistle Family. The last thing Cassidy thought was coming was to fall in love with the occupant at the manor Ned Bamford-Bligh. Cassidy faces so many situations throughout this story from having to fix a catfished Inn she bought, neighbors who were not the friendliest, and a snoby rich woman making her life miserable every chance she got. What I loved about this book is that Cassidy faces every challenge that comes her way head on. Instead of giving up right away she always finds a way to come out of a bad situation. Towards the end of the book I felt like there was no closure on what happens next with Cassidy and Ned, what was the outcome of the business at the Inn? Did Nora approve of her mom now dating Ned? Hopefully there is a 2nd book to follow Cassidy and Neds story.

A joyous book that I just could not put down. I loved every second of this story. Woods has a wonderful way with words and a great ability to wrap you up in a nice big hug and take you along for the ride.

Cate Woods is a new author to me and I have to admit it was the gorgeous cover that first drew my attention to this book. It’s so bright and inviting that it makes to delve in straight away and with an intriguing title my interest was certainly piqued. Well, all I can say is that The Accidental Inheritance was an absolute delight from start to finish. It had a strong storyline throughout that had this reader rooting for a positive outcome for Cassidy and her young daughter Nora following a spur of the moment life changing decision. The characters, the setting and the plot were all so perfect and cliched as it may sound this really was a warm hug of a book that would brighten anyone’s day. The cover alone would be enough to do that.

Cassidy Beeswhistle regularly makes spontaneous, important life changing decisions on a whim which lead her to question her choices and none more so than when she buys a village pub, The Beeswhistle Inn, in the English village of Dithercott. OK, so plenty of people do this or at least we see people in reality shows on tv do this but having been born and bred in America buying a pub in a different country that you have never been to really is a different ball game. Cassidy had convinced herself that the move would be the answer to her daughter Nora’s unhappiness at school and her own personal problems.This seemed a bit radical to me but as Cassidy mentions herself, the inn ‘had shone out to her like a beacon of hope in the middle of a dark and desolate night’. Cassidy quits her job at a restaurant where she had been a talented chef, yet she hadn’t made any real progress on the career ladder and soon both herself and Nora find themselves in a new country where she hopes she will be finally able to build a future. Little does she realise that the images on the internet of the inn in all its resplendent glory are far from reality and the pair arrive to find that the inn is a complete disaster zone nowhere near fit for starting a successful business that was supposed to change their lives in a positive way.

I felt desperately sorry for Cassidy, she had been duped in a big way and the rug definitely pulled out from under her. The village itself and the descriptions of it were just fabulous with timbered cottages, a medieval church, beautiful flowers and the quintessential geese wandering on the green and also Dithercott Manor - the Beeswhistle ancestral home in the background. This was in such stark contrast with what Cassidy was facing and to say she faced a uphill battle would be an understatement but I admired how she pulled her sleeves up and set to work. She wasn’t going to admit defeat especially considering how she came to be there was connected back to something she discovered in her late Dad’s possessions. I loved this element of the story and how it tied into Ned’s story, the current resident of the manor.

Cassidy has plans to turn the inn into a gastropub and she has the knowledge and where with all to do this but soon events taken on a slightly sinister turn with unexpected and unexplained things happening culminating in an event that really anyone else would have just said that’s it I’ve had enough I’m off but I think Cassidy wasn’t ready and didn’t want to admit that she was potentially a failure. Despite what locals Ian and Bettina and Sophie Bamford Bligh believe about Cassidy and the Beeswhistle Inn I just wanted to applaud Cassidy and support her and urge her on because there is always light at the tunnel and even when the chips are down one must always keep moving forward and strive to reach your goal.

When Cassidy learns of a possible inheritance connected to Beeswhistle Manor from Ron and Dale at the Buttered Crumpet, the local café, a new strand of the story opens up. Although it’s not the sole focus of the book, rather it’s nicely balanced with Cassidy’s own personal journey to get the inn up and running. What she learns does linger in Cassidy’s mind and brings her into contact with Ned and when she first encounters him over an issue with Nora, things do not get off to a good start. Ned comes across as rude, coarse, arrogant, abrupt and unfriendly. When we learn of his story you do understand why in a small way but it’s no excuse for how he treated Cassidy upon their first meeting. She finds him surly and infuriating. Yet when she speaks to some of the new friends she has made she learns not to take Ned at face value that once he was full of fun and laughter and gave everything he could to the village but his circumstances changed. You can see there is a slight stirring of feelings from Cassidy for Ned but is it reciprocated or is she just better off keeping going with her plans for the inn even if plenty of sabotage seems to be afoot?

I’ve read so many books on the lighter ends of the women’s fiction genre and at some point they do become a bit mundane and run of the mill and dare I say it predictable. But I found this engaging story to be the total opposite. The author kept the reader guessing until the last possible moment and to be honest given all the unsettling events thrown in Cassidy’s direction I questioned whether she would have been better off just throwing in the towel, admitting defeat and subsequently scuttling back to America with her tail between her legs? But Cassidy, is an admirable character and despite all the trials and tribulations she goes through and the storms she attempts to weather you are rooting for her from beginning to end and applauding her courage and tenacity to peruse a dream that at times seems very far from reach.

The Accidental Inheritance was a fabulous read and I adored every minute of it. I could have kept reading for many more chapters as I was so caught up in everything. Admittedly, I did find the ending a bit abrupt given how well the plot had been developed I didn’t want things to conclude so suddenly and I found a little bit more development was needed. I sincerely hope this is not the last that I will read of these characters and the brilliant setting as I feel there are many more stories to be told with perhaps the introduction of new characters, the continuation of Cassidy’s story or maybe focusing on a character mentioned in the story who didn’t get much time centre stage. Anyway, I have my fingers crossed that there will be more tales from Dithercott but in the meantime I urge you not to let this little gem of a book pass you by. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

What a lovely read. It was light hearted and written in such an easy to read way. I didn’t want to put it down. I really liked Cassidy and rooted her on from the start. I could easily picture the quaint village and its residents. It’s like I was there. The Dithercott Estate and the beautiful grounds, the Beeswhistle Inn, the church, the vicarage and the post office. Even the route Cassidy runs each day. Cassidy is definitely the star of the book, but I liked and felt like I knew the quirky townsfolk. And loved to hate Sophia for all the trouble she causes.

While there is a little bit of a love triangle, this is really about digging deep and making it. Cassidy kept encountering obstacles and she pulled up her boot straps and found a way to work through it. I loved how she was always thinking of her daughter first and I really wish I could have tasted a few of her dishes.

If you are in need of a feel good book, this is definitely for you. I can’t wait to see what Cate writes next.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Readers will fall head over heels in love with Cate Woods’ enchanting contemporary romance, The Accidental Inheritance.

Cassidy Beeswhistle is in desperate need of a fresh start and a change. Having lost her boyfriend and her job within seconds, Cassidy needs to figure out what she’s going to be doing next with her life, so she decides to explore her beloved late father’s link to the English village of Dithercott and to a lost deed to a gorgeous stately home that could end up being hers! On arrival in this rural idyll, Cassidy is given a warm welcome by the locals and she is immediately blown away by the breath-taking beauty of Dithercott. However, there is somebody in the village who is not exactly overjoyed about Cassidy’s arrival: lord of the manor, Ned Bamford-Bligh…

Ned might look like your quintessential Prince Charming, but he is planning on giving Cassidy as wide a berth as possible. Ned cannot deny that he finds himself drawn to Cassidy, however, the new arrival to Dithercott could pose a threat to his family’s legacy and he is not about to give up his home without a fight. Ned is not about to surrender to Cassidy so easily, however, he quickly realises that he might have a problem keeping her at arm’s length as the more he gets to know her, the more he finds himself falling head over heels in love with her.

As Cassidy and Ned continue to grow closer and closer, could a future be on the cards for the two of them? Or will the discovery of the lost deed end up pushing them apart forever?

Feel-good contemporary romance does not get any better than this! Cate Woods will steal every reader’s heart with this witty, emotional and uplifting romantic tale that I found myself devouring in a single sitting. With a fantastic heroine readers will love, a gorgeous hero they will swoon over and plenty of fun, humour and mischief, Cate Woods’ The Accidental Inheritance is an unmissable romantic treat that will tick every single box!

Cassidy Beeswhistle is a single mom from California who moves her daughter to England to run a pub that was in her family over a century ago.
This is more than a Rom-Com! It is a woman’s personal journey to becoming the best person and mother she can be!
I loved all of the characters in this small town! The Flints, Angelina, Ned and Nora were amazing. And Sophie was the one you love to hate! I could really picture living in Dithercott and hanging out with Cassidy at the pub. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Cassidy loses her job as well as her boyfriend, leaving her to want to start fresh in her late father's village. But looking for the missing deeds to his manor and restoring its ownership may also lead her to find love.

Cassidy is a strong main character and very likeable throughout. Woods writes a heartwarming narrative with a description for you to imagine every scene as you read. This was a lovely read and one I would highly recommend for great escapism to give you that warm feeling inside.