Splitting Heirs

Empire State of Mind #1

by Diane Michaels

A dead-end career. A love life that’s DOA. When fate sends her on a wild goose chase, can she land the deal of a lifetime?

New York City realtor Lauren Bent is desperate for a break. Five years after earning her license, she’s still looking for a major sale and an escape from the shadows cast by her more-fortunate brother and pushy mother. So, when her estranged great-aunt passes away and her wealth comes up for grabs, the struggling property broker sees her shot to turn everything around.

Forced to compete in a contest to prove worthy of the riches, Lauren finds herself in a war with her greedy, self-absorbed family. And between accidentally setting fire to an apartment, lying siblings, and a poodle mistaking her for a hydrant, the beleaguered young woman fears she has no chance to win after Johnny, the bane of her high-school days, is named the tournament’s judge.

Will Lauren’s star-crossed chase for fame and fortune come with a longer-lasting prize?

Splitting Heirs is the lighthearted first book in the Empire State of Mind chick lit series. If you like laugh-out-loud humor, relationship drama, and zany characters, then you’ll adore Diane Michaels’ fast-paced story.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2020

About the author

Diane Michaels is a harpist and author. She balances her fondness for ice cream with her enjoyment of working out and walking through the woods. When she is not spying on the world from behind her harp to collect ideas for her next book, she and her husband make up stories and songs for and about their miniature poodle, Lola.

Reviews

[Emily Portman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Argh, this book! Quite possibly one of the best chick lits I’ve read by a mile. It’s filled with wonderful characters, a very engaging plot and is just the perfect book for a quiet night in. I guess we’re all having a lot of those right now!

A perfect balance of humour and intrigue hit me from the very first page. You know that feeling you get when you don’t even have to read much to know that a book will be truly fabulous? That was exactly what I experienced here, and the pages that followed were just as witty and wonderful. Lauren is such a likeable character and is a real dreamer – in fact, she dreams big, especially where her career is concerned. It was very refreshing seeing a female main character with ambition and determination, and it was really rather contagious.

I enjoyed the book so much – from the hunt to find Aunt Donna’s perfect heir to understanding more about the importance of family, friendship and love, this story simply had everything I’d hoped, and more. The author’s humour, attention to detail and unique way of portraying her characters made this book so special, and I have no doubt in my mind that the next book in the series will impress just as much! A very worthy five stars – I definitely recommend this one for lovers of chick lit and a good old rom com.

You can read my full review over on my blog: https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/06...

[Catherine Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many of Diane Michaels’ previous books, and this one is my favorite so far! I was easily pulled into the lives of all of these characters and the plot set up was entertaining and fun. I highly recommend this summer romp through NYC with Lauren and her family. I loved the set-up for the next book in this series and can’t wait to read it!

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacks soul and depth

I don't get why a mean-spirited, judgemental, underachieving heroine and her nasty, greedy family is supposed to be funny, but whatever. It wasn't. This book was a chore to read.

Being in the heroine's head was painful. She was so unpleasant and jumped to every possible conclusion in any given situation. I couldn't stand her. How does one become invested in a spiteful, superior bitch who chose hate someone without knowing him? And then chose to hold a grudge because SHE couldn't mind her own bloody business?
Not to mention she was the epitome of a doormat when it came to her family. They were all awful people

The only decent characters were perhaps her dad, and Johnny was likeable, if not rather bland. But wtf kind of last fn name is Skeegs?!? Really, was that surname the only option?

The writer needs to tone down the sarcasm. Less snark and simmering anger would be excellent. The cynical tone was non-stop and drowned any shred of heart in this story...if there were any at all. It's not often that I read something utterly devoid of any kind of feeling, so unfortunately this book will stand out in memory by virtue of its lack of soul. At least for a while. Hopefully it will fade into obscurity in my mind like so many other disappointing reads.
This book was neither romantic nor a comedy, and I wish I'd DNF'ed it instead of continuing in the hopes it would improve.

This writer is not for me. I can't see myself risking another of her books.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat! I had missed Diane's books since reading the Ellen the Harpist series (and even Pet Peeves), and so devoured this book in one day. I loved Lauren, the protagonist, but her crazy family took some time for me to appreciate. Can you say dysfunctional family? The story revolved around resolving an inheritance following the death of Lauren's Great Aunt Donna. Aunt Donna had become estranged from her family and in her Will set out a series of quests for the family members to complete before the distribution of the estate. Lauren believes receiving at least a share of the estate will jump start her fledgling career in real estate, but all of the Piccolo family members have their reasons for wanting to inherit. Family secrets come out disrupting the process. A wild card was that one of the people leading the quests was not only Aunt Donna's right hand man, he had also been at Lauren's high school and their history was a major complication. The book was so funny and poignant at the same time. I highly recommend it and look forward to Book 2 in the series

[Vikkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what a book!! I don’t know how my review will do this book justice but I’m going to give it a go. I have to start by the gorgeous cover, it’s cute and makes me want to read this book.
I haven’t been disappointed, I have been completely pulled in and have devoured this gorgeous story in just one sitting. I’m actually ashamed to admit that I haven’t read any of this author’s previous books. This one has been so good, I’m eagerly adding more to my TBR.
I have loved the characters and family dynamics in this one. It’s all very real and relatable. Each character in this one make the book perfect.
I love this author’s writing style, you get pulled in and then it’s completely impossible to put down. This has been an enjoyable read but I’m gutted I have to wait for the next book. I need it now!! I really don’t think I have the patience to wait.
There is nothing negative I can say about this gorgeous read! It is a fantastic read which I have loved from start to end. Highly deserving of hundreds of stars.

[Judy Samson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splitting Heirs by Diane Michaels
This is a sweet read, easy to follow and totally reminds me of the mayhem that occurs when death presents itself in a family. The harsh words, resentment, entitlement, greed, but for many the fond memories along with regrets. The funny mishaps and the road to solving who gets the fortune and a little romance on the side had me enjoying this book even more than I thought I might. I received this complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers for an honest review. I would highly recommend buying or reading this book.
JKSlovestoread/JudyKU/LuvsKU/Judy Samson

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Michaels has released yet another wonderful story.
I am a fan of her Ellen the Harpist series of 3 books and I surely enjoyed Splitting Heirs as well.
I know you will not be able to put down this light summer read.
You will meet a family of colorful characters, an un-successful real estate agent and a handsome, dog-walking gentleman from high school, the last will and testament of a well-to-do aunt, and a series of unusual activities and tasks to determine the beneficiaries.
Highly recommended.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a fun and easy read. The family dynamics are believable and you can’t help but get caught up in it all. I loved the bit of romance thrown in too. Can’t wait to read Emma’s story and hear more about Lauren and Johnny in the next book. Highly recommend. I was given this book for free through Voracious Readers Only to review.

[Sue Degoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a few of Diane Michaels books. Her quirky, snarky, light and fun style of writing keeps the reader engaged. This opening book in her series has me very anxious for the debut to the sequel!!!

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything by this author and I have been definitely missing out. This is such a great summer read. It has a easy to follow storyline and characters and situations that will make you literally laugh out loud!! You will love Lauren and be cheering for her during this book!!
Thanks to Hidden Gems for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Danielle Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick, fun summer read. The characters were entertaining and I started to connect with them by the end. The family drama reminded me of the movie Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and their madcap adventures. Good prevails in the end.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowser! Talk about family drama! The characters felt real so you felt their sorrow in losing their sister/aunt, angst is the distribution of assets, and happiness at the end. Makes me want to visit New York again! A fun and entertaining read!

Thank you to the author for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren and Emma and the rest of their family learn of Aunt Donna’s sudden death and the possible inheritance many of them may receive. And Lauren meeting Johnny who she hated in high school

[Book Savy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good!

Sometimes it felt like the protagonist was going out of her way to be petty or find someone to blame for a problem. But I can also understand some of this by how the rest of her family is and how she may have been raised.

The romance was fairly cute, and I liked this book overall

[Luisa Baudino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice read from Diane Michaels and an exciting first in a new series! I love when the story has quirky and meddling family members and Aunt
Donna is just the leader of an incredible pack of crazy funny characters! Almost as weird and fun as Johnny’s dogs, with Stella as their leader obviously. The dynamic and chemistry between Johnny and Lauren is palpable and incredibly enjoyable and the weird challenges to determine the heir are just as quirky and lovable as Aunt Donna. After seeing Lauren blossom and find Johnny I cannot wait to see what awaits our beloved Emma!

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and interesting characters. There are ones to root for and ones to not root for. Great turmoil and angst to get to the conclusion! Many twists and turns. Great characters to follow to the inheritance. Including a fun romance with its own set of complications. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. I have read several of Diane Michaels’ books, and enjoy her breezy style of writing. I particularly like that she can transport me fully into many different worlds - musician, artist, real estate lady and more.
In Splitting Heirs, I could definitely identify with the family interactions; sibling rivalries, family grudges, vying for approval, and trying to make your own way with and despite family support/judgements. Lauren goes through several self transformations which are completely recognizable in my own ‘I think I’ll do better if I try to do this differently’ kind of way.
The rush of new love, as well as despair with fighting with the ones we love, is well captured.
I’m glad the author mentions the current global situation in the end notes, because that was running around in my head while reading. ‘Social distancing!’ I kept shouting in my head. Ms Michaels called it a love letter to NYC - and I love that.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Empire State of Mind series and follows the main characters Lauren and Emma and the rest of their family as they learn of Aunt Donna’s sudden death and the possible inheritance many of them may receive. Lauren works for her parents in their small time real estate business. Her mother’s wishes are to make as much profit as possible and she has passed that on to Lauren, leaving her dreaming of making it big and selling multi-million dollar properties. But she is struggling to make any commission or sales to make any money. Emma has no money problems, having married a millionaire and living in the sort of apartment that Lauren would love to sell. Her husband is away for business a lot and she is lucky that he allows one of her friends to stay in the apartment with her.

Aunt Donna’s death has caused long-held family disputes to finally be uncovered, as her will is read. Branches of the family have fallen out with each other years before and even Lauren and Emma, who used to visit their Donna regularly, despite their parent’s wishes against this. But neither of them have been in touch with her for a number of years and her death is a shock and brings up a variety of feelings and memories. Lauren hopes she may inherit a bit of money to help her situation, but when the will is read, it brings up a whole different scenario than any of the extended family expect. The whole family will have to complete a series of quests, to find out who is the most suitable person to inherit Donna’s estate.

The appearance of Johnny, a boy from her high school, who she hated for making her fail a class, brings about more problems for Lauren than she could ever imagine. Being forced to face what Donna’s estate was really all about and a possible relationship with Johnny, amidst lots of ill feeling from her fellow family competitors for the estate, makes her re-evaluate what it is that she really wants from life, both work life and her personal life. Her aunt Donna had changed from wanting to just make a profit from real estate, to provide low cost rentals and affordable housing for locals, as well as helping in many other charitable ways around New York’s poorer areas.

A great tale of family disputes, greed and the need for profit and always wanting a better life for yourself and your family, against the use of profits to help those more in need and provide help to those that need it. Not everything is about earning as much as you can. Thinking about the needs of others and putting charity and those less fortunate than yourself, at the top of the list. A very unusual method of judging who might be worthy to receive Donna’s inheritance and the quests they were all sent on, were amusing and unique. Parts of the book are amusing, whilst others may make you examine how you treat friends and family and if that argument was really something you can never forgive. Very thought provoking in parts and a lovely overall read. I have picked up a few more of this author’s books to read, since I really enjoyed this one. I would recommend their books to all! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fortune hunt in 🌇NYC: pit kin against kin & victor gets the spoils💰

3.5🌟stars
The characters here are largely an extended family who find the will of a wealthy NYC property-owning relative puts them through a set of tests that will determine who inherits the fortune. I must admit, some of the competing family members just confused me because there were so many to keep track of. Gerald? Gerald who and what is his role? I could never remember!

But I did like lead Lauren, an apprentice real estate agent having trouble hitting her stride in the world of Manhattan Upper West Side real estate. Her challenges with renters, sellers and buyers added some whimsical notes to the story. She's also got a conscience about not spending enough time with her dearly departed Great Aunt Donna and some romantic twinges, fits and starts when she finds herself reunited with Johnny, a guy she really disliked in high school. Lauren has a hard-driving mother, a seemingly scatter-brained father and a brother who chooses inventing a new diet pill over a more altruistic approach to medicine. Other family members also have their foibles and all-out greed seems to top the list!

The series of excursions and tests set up to determine Aunt Donna's heir did not really grab me but they were vehicles to highlight the personalities of the individual family members (sorry, Gerald, you are still a mystery to me!) and to throw Lauren into Johnny's proximity.

The romance is largely sweet talk, longing looks, and kissing. The inheritance competition reveals bit by bit the true nature of Aunt Donna's life's work in later years and, once you know that, the competition's outcome becomes pretty clear.

The premise was interesting but I never got invested in the contest. I would have gone for more about the adventures of dealing in real estate with idiosyncratic clients.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Javon50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Aunt Donna dies, this dysfunctional family comes together for the funeral, burial and reading of the will. Lauren’s aunt was a favorite of hers even though she had not visited her in years. With Aunt Donna’s passing come fond memories but becoming reacquainted with her aunt’s property manager, her high school nemesis doesn’t help with her feelings of grief. He is now a good looking, kind man but Lauren only remembers high school and tries to dismiss the feelings she may be developing for him. When the will specifies that each family member must participate and succeed at several different quests to qualify to earn the inheritance, everyone wonders if these tests will bring the family together or permanently fracture the tenuous relationship they already have with each other. This is a story of a family coming together for what seems to be a series of unfair trials that must be accomplished by each person. The story was fantastic with carefully crafted characters. This is my honest, voluntary review of an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Bookoholiccafe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in New York, we get to know Lauren who is telling us the story of her life and the problems she has with her family.

Lauren's family inherit their wealthy Aunt Donna’s fortune, and this reveals that everyone in the family care more about money than anything else. The story is about normal good people and how the possibility of getting rich changes them and can turn them into dark people and brings out their worst.

The book can be comic since the Author has a great skill to describe the situations in a funny way, but the true story sounded really tragic for me.

The story was well crafted, the characters were fully developed, and what I really enjoyed was the Authors way of twisting the situation and making it funny.
It was a fast paced, funny and a feel-good story.

Many thanks to Emily @aquintillionwords for the ARC

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[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Splitting Heirs" by Diane Michaels was a cute, sweet, and funny story featuring an interesting plot and likeable, quirky characters. The conflict over who would inherit main character Lauren's deceased great-aunt's sizeable estate took precedence over her romance with former high school nemesis Johnny, but even so, I felt like I got to know both Lauren and Johnny pretty well, and they had a strong connection by the end of the book. It was easy for me to root for them to end up together despite the obstacles that stood in their way.

The relationships between Lauren's relatives were quite complex, and it often seemed like they didn't like each other very much, with the exception of Lauren and her cousin Emma. Most of them came across as rather selfish and greedy, and truth be told, I wouldn't want to have to share a Thanksgiving dinner table with them! Emma and her best friend Troi were a lot of fun, however, and very different from the rest of the family. I'm looking forward to getting to know Emma better in the second book of this series.

Overall, I enjoyed "Splitting Heirs" and recommend it for all fans of chick lit or romantic comedy.

*ARC provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Ceri Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an original and well written novel, which I have really enjoyed.

The plot is original as it follows two life changing events in Lauren's life and explores the impact of them on her mental and emotional wellbeing. The first is meeting (or re-meeting) Johnny, and the second is the death of her beloved but somewhat neglected great aunt Donna.

The two plot points are intertwined perfectly and serve the reader well as it helps us to really get to know Lauren and see her develop as a character. I could really identify with her as grew through the book and ended up on a completely different trajectory and life path than we first thought.

Though dealing with the somewhat serious issues of love & death, the tone and style of the writing is lighthearted and there are lots of funny moments in the book.

This has been an entertaining and thought provoking read as it's left me feeling totally empathetic towards Lauren and wondering what I would do in her shoes.

Undoubtedly a five star read and a must buy for fans of fun, original romantic fiction!

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quest for the best heir

Lauren Piccolo has real estate running through her veins. Daughter of agents, she is also the great-niece of one of Manhattan's most successful and compassionate real estate moguls.When that great aunt (Dorothy) dies suddenly, the family is thrown into a quest. The prize? Aunt Dorothy's millions. Along the way, the true nature of family members is revealed.
This is an excellent book that gently leads us through the lives of the Piccolo family and helps us learn about a whole life Aunt Dorothy lived without her family's support or knowledge.
Interesting characters and realistic descriptions make this a delightful book to read.
I loved it!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free review copy from Hidden Gems in exchange for my honest review. As always, I try to avoid any spoilers and plot synopses and just focus on my review itself.

This was a fun summer read. Lauren's family is dysfunctional with a capital D and it leads to some interesting encounters between them. As someone with my own zany family, I could relate!

The plot moved, the characters stayed true to their development from the beginning, and secrets were slowly revealed as the book moved forward. This was fun chick lit that didn't take itself too seriously yet still told a good story.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read book following a family who are sent quests to complete in order to be in the running for a part of their late aunts inheritance. The story outlines the best and worst parts of a family unit whilst going on a journey to find ones true self and desires. Romance thrown in and some great memorable characters. This is book 1 in a series and I am interested to read book 2 as it’s set from another characters perspective. It will be interesting getting another take on the characters through someone else’s eyes. Great holiday / going to work read.
Received a complimentary copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family in New York hell bent on inheriting their aunt's fortune. The story is told by Lauren and her ups and downs with her family, as she finds out that most of them care more about money than their family. Throw in a crush for a former class mate who is one of the people deciding who will inherit, life becomes really complicated.
A tragic-comic story about a family torn apart by a possible inheritance. None of the people are really bad, but the possibility of riches brings out their worst.
An entertaining book, as the author still keeps the descriptions fairly funny.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading something by Ms. Michaels and boy did I enjoy it! The storyline and plot were set up nicely making this a fun and engaging read. The characters were wonderful and fun to get to know. I was hooked right from the start and just couldn't put this book down! This book was filled with lots of laughter, family, and friendships and not to mention a little romance on the side. The perfect book to read relaxing by the pool. I enjoyed it immensely and will definitely be looking for the next treat from Ms. Michaels!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, it was cute and well written. The family dynamics are unmistakable and relatable to most families. I wish the premise was deeper, I wish the 'quests' were something more, more involved, larger, more as a way for the characters beyond Lauren to grow. I wish we got more of a push/pull between Lauren and Johnny. I feel so much more could have been done with the characters, but the story is fun to read. It is definitely a good book for anyone looking for a quick read, for something to help avoid the current world crisis we are living through.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is OK. I tend to love anything set in NYC. The writing is strange though. Lots of jargon. Hard to describe. It was difficult to read. Could be great if you like that kind of thing, but in balance it’s not my fav.