Birthright

By: Fiona Lowe

Narrated by: Rebecca Macauley

Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Australian author Fiona Lowe returns with a juicy family saga, set against the backdrop of Victoria’s high country, about unforgettable characters tangled together by a wealthy inheritance, secrets, and betrayal.

Is an inheritance a privilege or a right?

Does it show love? Margaret, the matriarch of the wealthy Jamieson family, has always been as tight-fisted with the family money as she is with her affection. Her eldest daughter, Sarah, is successful in her own right as a wife, mother, and part owner of a gourmet food empire. But it’s not enough to impress her mother. Always in the shadow cast by the golden glow of her younger brother, Sarah feels compelled to meet Margaret’s every demand to earn her love.

Does it give security? After a poverty-stricken childhood, Anita has claimed the social status she’s worked so hard to achieve by marrying Cameron Jamieson. Although they have a comfortable life, she’s never able to fully relax, fearing everything could change in a heartbeat.

Or does it mean freedom? Ellie, the youngest, has lived a nomadic and - according to her siblings - a selfish life, leaving them to care for their ageing mother. For her, freedom means staying far away from the strings attached to her inheritance, but she needs to consider her young son’s future as well.

As their mother’s health deteriorates, will long-held secrets and childhood rivalries smash this family into pieces?

An addictive and pause-resisting story of the relationships between siblings and of deceit, betrayal, and revenge.

©2018 Harlequin Enterprises(Australia) pty Ltd (P)2018 Harlequin Enterprises(Australia) pty Ltd

So so good.

What family complications! Fiona Lowe did not disappoint me. My favourite Aussie author. The characters were well depicted, some human, and some less so. So many heartaches and wrong turns but eventually worked out. Wish Sarah’s Dad had lived to see it.

1

This was a serious but fun listen, with some characters the kind you love to hate. There was enough misbehavior going around that no character came out unscathed. I enjoyed the story of three siblings and the complex possibilities of an expected inheritance. Lots of plot lines and relationship complications that have your emotions flipping from empathy to anger to heartbreak to exasperation to schadenfreude. There were many loose ends that got tied up in the Epilogue but I found myself wishing I could have seen each character through to the end with the same kind of dialogue, narration, and thoughts that the listener experiences in each chapter. A satisfying novel.
This book is remarkably well written and plotted. The transitions are flawless; the book flows seamlessly. I was so involved in the story that I did not want to let it go. I was sad to see it end. This is my second book by Fiona Lowe, but it won't be my last. How could I have missed this author?

Rebecca Macauley was excellent with the delivery of the story