The Inheritance by Ali Vali
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I went back and forth between three and four stars way too long before ultimately deciding I was going to round up. Why the big internal debate? Allow me to explain…

The best thing about The Inheritance is that it has the fantastic feel of a traditional Ali Vali romance. You’ve got your gallant, sexy, family-oriented (and usually rich) dark haired butch who quickly and completely falls for the strawberry blonde femme who is strong, has a sharp tongue, and is sexy as hell. They always have sizzling chemistry and funny and sweet banter. The family usually plays a big role in some way, too. And business. All of that was present in the newest book.

The Inheritance was also missing the thing that has really bothered me in the past couple of stand-alone romances I’ve read by Vali – the rush ending/resolution. With this one, there was a lot going on and some of it did get wrapped up quickly but I didn’t feel like we were pushing a page limit or that the author just decided it was enough. I was given the time to believe in the partnership development and connection.

Now for the things that prevented the book from being a 5-star for me. There were a couple of times where I felt that plot twists were just over the top. My BS meter was pinging so hard my Kindle was shaking. But, those bits didn’t last long and even though I rolled my eyes and grimaced, I didn’t feel like quitting. The other thing that got me was the switching of POVs mid-scene with no warning. I know some authors and readers are cool with this but nothing – and I do mean nothing – will rip me out of a scene faster than being yanked out of one head and dropped into another. It causes me to stop, figure out if I’m losing my mind, backtrack a few sentences or paragraphs to see if I missed something, readjust to the new mental setting, and then start over where I got caught off guard. I really wish that didn’t happen. Particularly because it tends to happen during emotionally intense scenes because the author is trying to show all the feels from everyone. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.

So there you have it. I absolutely recommend The Inheritance for all you Ali Vali fans. It’s sweet and funny and the best stand-alone romance by the author I’ve read in a long time. Makes me want to reread Carly’s Sound again. *sigh*

Thanks to BSB and NetGalley for the chance to take an early crack at it!

You can download a sample or purchase a copy of The Inheritance by clicking here.