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A Rather Lovely Inheritance (Penny Nichols #1)
by
C.A. Belmond
After her Aunt Penelope dies, historical researcher Penny Nichols is astonished to learn that not only is she a bona fide heiress-but she's also been invited to put her research skills to work. This time, the history she's researching happens to be her very own. What she discovers about Aunt Penelope-a pair of wills, double lives, secret histories, and a family tree of vul...more
Paperback, 376 pages
Published
January 2nd 2007
by NAL Trade
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And this is a rather lovely book, too. Penny Nichols is a historian and researcher for a Hollywood television production company currently on the French riveria filming a story. She is summoned to London to handle an inheritance for her English-born mother. She encounters wealth, stealth, and a rather lovely man. A sweet book with wonderful characters, riches, and love. Moving back and forth between the French riveria and London is also not too shabby a life for a struggling historian. Very enjo...more
I picked up this book simply because I liked the cover art (kudos to Helen Chapman). The first chapter made me wonder if this was going to be chick lit (which I don't care for, since the main characters tend to be shallow and annoying), but instead I became really charmed by Penny Nichols and her adventures.
I was a bit thrown by the mention of the Penny Nichols mystery stories, since I knew there really was a series of novels with that name written in the 1930's - my mom owned Penny Nichols and...more
I was a bit thrown by the mention of the Penny Nichols mystery stories, since I knew there really was a series of novels with that name written in the 1930's - my mom owned Penny Nichols and...more
I received the first three books in this series from author C. A. Belmond from a wonderful publicist at Penguin. The third book A Rather Charming Invitation was released on February 2nd. I've just finished the first book A Rather Lovely Inheritance (since my reading OCD prevents me from reading series books out of order), and I was thoroughly enthralled by Penny Nichols, the heroine of the book.
In A Rather Lovely Inheritance, Penny Nichols is a freelance set designer for small budget historical...more
In A Rather Lovely Inheritance, Penny Nichols is a freelance set designer for small budget historical...more
This was an ok book, for what it is: a wish-fulfillment story mixed up with a not too difficult to figure out mystery. The “plot twists” are rather telegraphed; you see them coming a mile away. I liked the heroine, I liked the hero, in a mild sort of way. And the author kept on insisting that there was chemistry between the two of them, although I can’t remember the last romance/chick-lit novel I read with such a low level of sexual tension. We receive the hoped-for happy ending, which is really...more
Cute and Fun. Makes me wish I had European relatives...
I quite enjoyed this. I had picked up another book in the series on sale, not realizing it was part of a series, and begun reading it.
i decided that I needed to read the first one first. It is quite a charming tale....Penny Nichols, a historical researcher is working on s "historical" movie about Josephine Bonaparte when she gets a call from her mother saying her namesake, Aunt Penelope has died and Penny needs to attend the will reading. She discovers that the inheritance has been split between...more
i decided that I needed to read the first one first. It is quite a charming tale....Penny Nichols, a historical researcher is working on s "historical" movie about Josephine Bonaparte when she gets a call from her mother saying her namesake, Aunt Penelope has died and Penny needs to attend the will reading. She discovers that the inheritance has been split between...more
This book was a total surprise and drew me into the story immediately! Penny Nichols, a historical researcher for film documentaries, and who has a rather complicated family tree, is summoned to London for the reading of a will. Her great aunt Penelope, for whom she is loosely named, has died at age 90. She had only met Aunt Penelope once, when she was 9 years old, and can't imagine that she has been left anything at all. Once there she develops uncousinly feelings for her cousin Jeremy, the law...more
This is a book that I repeatedly picked up on the table at the bookstore. Only to put it down again because of my large collection of "to read" books already on the shelf at home. I finally read it and enjoyed it.
Some months later I discovered that there are two follow ups to this novel. I had been doing a lot of intense school reading and was looking for a "light" series to read in between "deep" novels and at bedtime. So I picked this up again through the paperback swap, not realizing I had a...more
Some months later I discovered that there are two follow ups to this novel. I had been doing a lot of intense school reading and was looking for a "light" series to read in between "deep" novels and at bedtime. So I picked this up again through the paperback swap, not realizing I had a...more
I listened to the audio version of this book and what a treat! It's read by Katherine Kellgren, a narrator who has won many awards for her readings. She does a fabulous job with all sorts of entertaining accents for the various characters and she really gets into the drama of the story.
The story itself is a lot of fun. At the center is Penny Nichols, unexpected heiress of aunt Penelope. Before she can blink she is knee deep in romance and danger. There is a mysterious old car in a garage in Fran...more
The story itself is a lot of fun. At the center is Penny Nichols, unexpected heiress of aunt Penelope. Before she can blink she is knee deep in romance and danger. There is a mysterious old car in a garage in Fran...more
I really liked this book. It went beyond plain old chick lit with romance, mystery, and even some history! The main character, Penny Nichols is a historic consultant for d-level historical dramas when she finds out she inherited something from her great aunt. The story progresses from there. There was a bit of dragging at the beginning (why was a whole chapter devoted to her name, for instance) and I was thrown for a loop when she had the hots for her cousin (who I knew wouldn't be her real cous...more
A light, fun read recommended by my favorite local bookseller - Jane at Fireside Books. Penny Nichols is a historical researcher working on a film in France when she gets a call that her aunt Penelope has died. At the reading of the will she discovers she's become an heiress, to the dismay of others in her family tree. She also discovers a mystery left behind by her aunt that will take her across France and an opportunity to find the love of her life.
Penny is a very likable character. She's app...more
Penny is a very likable character. She's app...more
Feb 18, 2009
Fran
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
almost anyone who likes Europe
Recommended to Fran by:
????
This is an intriguing little book that first feels like it is going to be "chick lit" but then shows itself to be a little bit of everything. An American woman who peripherally works in TV is left an inheritance from a maiden English aunt. There is a semi-mystery about the family, and one cousin siccing "bad guys" to steal part of the inheritance. But it also has lovely descriptions of European coastal towns and fancy London hotels the type of which I have never stayed in. (Not Bayswater in othe...more
I liked this book, but it didn't catch me and keep me reading the whole way through. The main character, Penny is lucky to inherit something special from her great aunt. Penny is someone who you can't help but like. She is eager to please and easily loves delving into the mystery of her family's past. I was not so crazy about the other main character, Jeremy. He seems very temperamental and not so likable for me. The story has some humor with the typical greedy, rich side of the family after the...more
This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for ages... it had a cute cover, so I bought it one day and neglected to read it! Anyways, I started it a few days ago and am already done- it is a great story with a few interesting twists and turns. It takes place all over Europe, so the description of the landscape and surroundings is hard to beat! I love the main character, as well as her cousin Jeremy and the storyline between them is great. All surrounding an inheritance that was left to her by he...more
A cute little mystery, though at times I got frustrated with the heroine. Too much crying. But it takes place mostly in Europe and I love reading about the places they visit.
I'd describe this book as "nice" and the two sequels in the nicest possible way. I really like the characters, and immediately purchased the next two on finishing this one. The plot is enough to hang the character development on.
That's where the books shine. As the hero and heroine negotiate their relationship and the hero in particular discovers things about his background, the emotional steps never miss.
It is kind of wish fulfillment type reading. The two things that end up making this four st...more
That's where the books shine. As the hero and heroine negotiate their relationship and the hero in particular discovers things about his background, the emotional steps never miss.
It is kind of wish fulfillment type reading. The two things that end up making this four st...more
So I really enjoyed this book! I thought that it was really cute and really fun. This is the style of books that I like to read. It has some romance, some mystery, and some of the old-fashioned stuff. I love the idea of this...an aunt leaving you her fortune, but you have to figure out what it is she really wants you to have. I loved the characters in this book. I wish there would have been more romance, but who knows what happens in book 2?! And again, I really loved the history and old-fashion...more
A 'rather lovely' book: very pretty writing, enjoyable characters and even though I could guess a lot of what was happening, I was liking it so much, that the time passed quickly. I found I really didn't want to go to bed, but to continue reading. Finished it the next day and wondered what would happen to the characters...I'm obviously going to have to read the sequel. This is a great segue from Little Women--the story has a quaint and sentimental feel that isn't sappy, but rather a little old f...more
I ran into "A Rather Lovely Inheritance" by chance and I must say it is now one of my all-time favorite novels! It's main character, Penny Nichols, is a historical researcher working on a film in France when she gets an urgent call. Her aunt Penelope has just died, and Penny's presence is required in London for the reading of the will. What she discovers about her eccentric aunt, a pair of wills, double lives, secret histories, and other relatives, makes for an entertaining, charming, adventurou...more
I'm wavering between 2 and 3 stars on this one. It was very fluffy, more than I even expected.
The best thing about the book was the narrator. She was cute and endearing, even when she made stupid mistakes.
Jeremy didn't appeal to me very much at all. It seemed like he was suffering from multiple personalities: sweet and teasing; total asshole; distant and aloof. I supposed the author was trying to make him a complex character, but it didn't work out. It seemed more like three different characters...more
The best thing about the book was the narrator. She was cute and endearing, even when she made stupid mistakes.
Jeremy didn't appeal to me very much at all. It seemed like he was suffering from multiple personalities: sweet and teasing; total asshole; distant and aloof. I supposed the author was trying to make him a complex character, but it didn't work out. It seemed more like three different characters...more
This was a fun, light-hearted read. Very little nutritional value, kind of like having popcorn for dinner: tasty, but leaves you feeling vaguely guilty and not entirely satisfied. (And, despite how this review might sound, I'm really not a literary snob: I'm a fan of YA, graphic and some fantasy novels and tend to reread Harry Potter novels when I don't feel like starting something challenging.) Still, definitely fits the category of a stressless and relaxing diversion. Good for a lazy afternoon...more
Belmond's story emphasizes enjoying every day for what it has to offer and escaping the drudgery of scrabbling to stay fiscally solvent. This is much easier to accomplish having inherited an obscene amount of money (10 million pounds, or so). A couple of witty one-liners and some nice description of clothes and scenery, but mostly two protagonists with nonexistent chemistry and a transparent plot. I finished with the impression that Belmond is uncomfortable with dialogue since she relies on desc...more
This was one of those books that leaped into my bag at the local library sale as other shoppers were nudging me to move along. It is engaging, entertaining and perfectly delightful but will probably not linger with me any longer than one half-scoop of sorbet would.
It is everything that other reviewers have said it is: charming but predictable. Maybe that is all we need for a light, girlie, summer read when it is 87 degrees and the humidity is 90 percent.
It is everything that other reviewers have said it is: charming but predictable. Maybe that is all we need for a light, girlie, summer read when it is 87 degrees and the humidity is 90 percent.
I enjoyed this novel and am eagerly awaiting book 2. Its a light mystery that reminds me of D.E. Stevenson's books with a touch of Elizabeth Caddell. Set in England and France, the novels follows Penny Nichols as she inherits an antigue car, a flat in London and gets reacquainted with her "cousin" Jeremy. While exploring the inheritance, Penny and Jeremy discover long lost secrets about their families and explore new directions for their lives.
May 20, 2010
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of Elizabeth Cadell
Shelves:
romance
A rather lovely little romantic mystery. Penny Nicholls inherits a nice bit of property from her great Aunt Penelope and the adventure begins!
We have the property inheritance story line with all of its twists and turns, the subtle romance story line re: Penny and her cousin(??)Jeremy. All of this wrapped up in a modern fairy tale.
Oooh, I want someone to leave me a posh London flat and a share of a villa in the south of France!! Oh yeah, and a fancy antique car and a possible Da Vinci painting!
An...more
We have the property inheritance story line with all of its twists and turns, the subtle romance story line re: Penny and her cousin(??)Jeremy. All of this wrapped up in a modern fairy tale.
Oooh, I want someone to leave me a posh London flat and a share of a villa in the south of France!! Oh yeah, and a fancy antique car and a possible Da Vinci painting!
An...more
A friend in book club loaned me this one, with the caveat that "it's a beach book." Now, that's not a bad thing, but I did find this a bit too formulaic for my tastes. The heroine was appropriately spunky, but the whole thing reminded me of the old Nancy Drew mysteries (particularly since her mother wrote the books about Penny as a girl detective). It was a nice way to spend a quiet afternoon, but that's about it.
Pleasant 'American girl finds romance in Europe' story. Liked that she is a historical researcher for film industry- an interesting & unusual occupation for a change. The family politics & secrets made for nice complications. I was reminded of the film version of A Good Year (have not read the Mayle book). Good atmosphere of England, France & Italy. Nothing special- just a nice read.
So I wish I was the girl in this book - she's a film researcher, on location in France when she finds out she's inherited a flat in London and tidy sum of money from a great aunt she saw once when she was a kid - coming attached is the ex-cousin who is a brilliant London lawyer and the owner of their great aunt's house in the South of France...see why I'm wishing?
If this were a play, it would be described as "a frothy confection". Although the book is written by an American, it has a rather British sensibility, and the writing is better than average. I found it to be a delightful and charming romance with a little bit of mystery thrown in - a nice read for those days when you just want to enjoy something.
This is a light enjoyable read. For some reason I kept thinking it was set in the 20's rather than modern times, but I enjoyed the mystery aspect of it as well as the bit of romance. The author could have wrapped up the ending a little quicker.. towards the end it seemed to drag on. I would have given this 3 1/2 stars if that was possible.
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“You must live every day as if it counts, which means to love all of it. Never let a single one go by without noting the color of the sky, the song of the bird, the face of the one you love best. And don't let yourself get talked out of the things you really care about, don't put off what you want to be.”
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Feb 03, 2009 08:33am