The Accidental Inheritance by Cate Woods

Published March 27th 2023 by Bookouture

About the Book: A surprise inheritance. A hostile lord of the manor. A chance at a new beginning…?

When Cassidy Beeswhistle loses her job and her boyfriend within seconds of each other, it’s time for a change. Discovering her beloved late father’s connection to a tiny English village, it seems like the perfect place to start again. Especially because there’s a secret ‘lost deed’, which – if found – would return the village’s gorgeous manor house to its rightful heir: Cassidy…

On arrival in Dithercott, Cassidy is blown away by the rolling hills and glittering lake, and the local villagers welcome her with open arms – all of them but one, that is… The current lord of the manor, Ned Bamford-Bligh, is tall and fiendishly attractive with his olive skin and jet-black hair, but he is also gruff and standoffish – and he has no interest in entertaining the new girl in the village; especially one who is potentially after his home, with its ivy-covered turrets and sprawling gardens.

Despite Ned’s frosty welcome, Cassidy is drawn to his piercing, hazel-eyed glare and she’s determined she is to uncover the demons that keep him locked away behind the manor’s imposing stonework. Before she knows it, an undeniable spark builds between them…

Just as Cassidy is feeling at home in Dithercott – and in the arms of Ned – he shows up on her doorstep clutching an old roll of parchment. Is this the discovery she’s been waiting for? And if it is, will its contents bring Ned and Cassidy closer together, or push them apart…?

A heart-warming, laugh-out-loud story of home, friendship, family and finding love in the most unlikely of places. The perfect curl-up read for fans of Sarah Morgan, Milly Johnson and Jenny Colgan.

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cassidy Beeswhistle is at loose ends. She recently lost her job and her boyfriend on the same night. She knows she needs to do something to support her and her nine year old daughter, Nora, but finding a chef job that will work around the time she needs being a single mother is not easy. Her father, Joe, recently died and she is asking for him to show her a sign. When she finds some papers in his desk she is shocked. Her family is descended from nobility. One of her ancestors, “Bertie” Beeswhistle gambled the ancestral home in a game of dice and lost it to his friend, Henry Bamford-Bligh. While doing an online search for more information, she finds that the Beeswhistle Inn in Dithercott was for sale. Was it fate? Cassidy buys the inn and she and Nora head to the small village of Dithercott in Sussex. When she finds the Inn is in ruins, she digs in and with the help of locals begins to renovate it and get it ready to become a gastropub. Things do not go smoothly for Cassidy, but she is able to get others on side, all except Sophia Bamford-Bligh and get the Beeswhistle up and running. Will this be the home she has been searching for?

I loved this story. Cate Woods does such a great job developing her characters. I loved Cassidy and I wanted to hop on a plane to help her out. She was a wonderful chef (I really wanted to try the food she was creating), a wonderful mom, and a great friend. My heart broke for Nora. She was such a sweetheart and see her treated badly by others was heartbreaking. I loved that she found her people at her new school in Dithercott. All the characters we meet in the village were also well developed. There where some quirky ones, some snotty ones, ones who wanted to help, others who wanted to be friends and help out, but all that I wanted to get to know. I loved that they all came together to help Cassidy. The Beesfest was a hoot, with activities like “Welly Wanging, Crockery Cricket and Splat-the-Rat” it sounded like so much fun. There were a few romance scenes, but that was not the main plot of this story. It was all about family, friendships, new beginnings, finding home, and following your dreams. And yes, there is a dark and brooding Lord, who plays an important part in the story and also adds a touch of swoony scenes. All in all, this was just a fun read, with some serious issues dealt with, a great setting and wonderful characters. I definitely recommend, The Accidental Inheritance.

Buy Link: Amazon

About the Author: Cate Woods made the most of her university degree in Anglo-Saxon Literature by embarking on a career making tea on programmes including The Big Breakfast, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and French & Saunders. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a Channel 5 weather girl, she moved into the world of magazine journalism, then ghostwriting and now writes novels under her own name. She has written two best-selling romantic comedies – Just Haven’t Met You Yet and More Than a Feeling – and a festive novel, The Christmas Guest, under the name Daisy Bell. Cate lives in London with her husband and two children.

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