Cover Image: Love's Legacy

Love's Legacy

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A feisty heroine left to fend for herself after the death of her father. Gets unlikely support from her cousins after many years of estrangement (or not even knowing of her existence)… rather unlikely outcomes yet an enjoyable read with well articulated settings and interactions between all the characters. Quite a large cast but was easy to keep grips on who’s who - and enjoy the banter between the characters. A sweet read which will appeal to regency fans.

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The first thing to say is: I enjoyed this a lot more once I stopped expecting Regency Romance with two capital Rs. Yes, there is a romance, and yes, it’s a regency setting, but there are none of the usual hallmarks of the genre – including the fact that the romance isn’t even the main plot line. Once I stopped expecting Regency Romance, I enjoyed it infinitely more for what is was – an understated historical fiction about a young woman determined to make something of herself, finding her place in society.

The second thing to say is: THEY’RE COUSINS. That’s all I have to say on the matter. Now we can return to the main part of my review.

What this book did brilliantly – which is so rare to find in any historical fiction, let alone regency books – is have a socially conscious, feminist heroine, who actually does something about it (Eloise Bridgerton could never). The bulk of the plot revolves around the two female leads, Patience and Mary, pursuing their own passions and finding a way to use their talents for change and financial independence respectively.

As lovely as the romance and the family reunion was (putting aside the fact that those are the same thing), the individual character journeys were what stood out for me with this one. It’s a bit more Persuasion than Sense and Sensibility, and it’s a better book for it.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

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I really wanted to love this book but it was so much work to read it, that I didn't. I did not like the main character and she did grow throughout the book, but her manner was off-putting. She really was demanding for having almost no option and seemed to have a poor thought process because she kept jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. These opinions are my own.

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This is a lovely sweet regency romance, reminiscent of Jane Austin. It is set in Bath and although slow in places I really enjoyed the interaction between the main characters.

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I was disappointed by this book. It was very clean and gentle that seemed to be at the expense of anything happening at all. The character's were bland and superficial with no real spark about them and any issue's were over nothing more than the odd argument. This was my first read by this author and this is my honest review. I am surprised at how highly it is rated by others. Just to mention this is my favourite genre so should have suited me.

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I am always looking for new authors in the Regency genre and I have definitely found one to add to my list. This is the first time for me reading one of Ms. Kleinman's books and it certainly won't be my last. Ms. Kleiman does an excellent job of bringing the story to life and pulling you in so that you feel as if you are right there. The characters were well-developed and the storyline flowed smoothly. The story takes you on a beautiful journey of two people who follow their hearts and not what society dictates. A beautifully written story that captured my attention from the start and had me captivated till the end and I could not put it down. I am eagerly looking forward to reading Ms. Kleinman's next book. I wholeheartedly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

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Excellent and different romance. Gideon and Patience both have feelings for one another but somehow manage to keep saying the wrong thing or being in the wrong place. As they work out what they mean to each other there is a secret that hangs over their growing interest and threatens it. The honour and secrecy is explored in an interesting way and you really like Patience as she gets things wrong and owns up to it with humour.

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LOVE’S LEGACY by NATALIE KLEINMANN is an enjoyable Regency novel with some interesting characters and a good story.
Patience Worthington and her cousin Gideon, the Viscount Lacey, get off to a bad start due to past family secrets that have come to light and Patience’s rather abrasive nature.
The problem of young girls who have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous men is addressed - a subject that is dear to both of their hearts.
The story takes place in and around Bath with the social gatherings that one expects during this period of history.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Sapere Books. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Sapere books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, I need to preface this by saying that this book is not for me. I am not the ideal audience here, perhaps, and I think that colored things for me. I will not be assigning a star rating to this on Goodreads because I don't think it's fair of me. However, I will review it since I got the ARC and if any readers are similar enough in tastes to me, they might also want to pass on this. Alternatively, readers who with different tastes might find this a delight (I can in fact think of someone to recommend this to, and should she ask, I'll suggest this.)!

(Unfortunately, I have to give a star rating here on Netgalley.)

There was no steam at all. This could easily be marketed to Christian audiences, so take that as you will. Relatedly, there were moments of preachiness. I'm not sure if that's because the heroine is a minister's daughter, but it grated on me.

My biggest issue stems from my disappointment--I love romance novels set in the Regency, and this has a decent plot. However, there's a lot of development that just isn't there for me. There were several confrontations and conversations that just...didn't happen. The characters would state that something had happened and I often sat there thinking, "When?!" There was a lot of telling without showing, so I had a hard time buying into some of the attachments. At 186 pages, it could have been longer and these issues wouldn't be present.

Finally, I know this is an anachronistic modern thing, but the primary couple were first cousins, and I really did not enjoy that at all.

Again, not for me. If you like your Regency romances without the sex scenes and are comfortable with religious overtones, this might be a great read.

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"Love's Legacy" is a Regency romance. The story was told in a distant point of view, where we're told what everyone is thinking and doing, but we never got inside someone's head. The characters were both bland (with little distinct about them) and superficial. From the moment they met, Patience and Gideon offended each other and would act coldly toward the other until, suddenly, they were all friendly again though usually nothing had been resolved. Each was too proud to apologize or to explain a misunderstanding. For example, Gideon withheld even the most general explanation about why he warned her away from a bad guy. Patience refused to trust his judgment and even though she didn't like the guy, she kept him as a friend to defy Gideon's attempt to 'control' her. We're told that they sometimes got along and managed not to offend the other for a week or two, but the actual scenes mostly showed them in conflict. Then, at the very end, nothing had really changed but one kiss convinced Patience that this was true love and suddenly they're in perfect accord.

Patience had two suitors that she got along with very well, and she went to them when she needed help or advice. But she rejected them because there was no "spark" (um, fighting?). Incidentally, the main characters all had very modern views, which brings up the numerous historical inaccuracies. For example, characters tended to just show up at people's doors without writing to tell them that they were coming. Patience just showed up on her uncle's doorstep (from whom her family was estranged) in the evening, without sending a letter ahead about her visit, and with no plans to stay at an inn. She simply assumed he'd read the letter from her father (though she didn't know what it said) and provide her with a home and financial support. Wow! Then there was a scandal that, um, wasn't a scandal that's at the root of their family conflict. (Her mother pursued her best friend's betrothed before she knew they were betrothed, then immediately backed off when told and wished them happy. She was disowned even though the people who waited to tell her were at fault.)

There was no sex or bad language.

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If you’re a fan of Jane Austen you’ll love this, though I do feel some of the characters are slightly lacking. I appreciated how the author showed the thoughts and emotions of several characters, including the villain, however was disappointed that the villain seemed to just fizzle out and it just seemed out of character, and a bit of a let down. The main storyline was interesting and all the characters quite likeable. I wouldn’t say I couldn’t put it down, but it was an interesting enough read

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This was a gentle, pleasant read. I did find it dragged a bit and found myself losing interest in the story.

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

Natalie Kleinman takes her readers back to Regency England with a superb romantic tale of secrets and scandal: Love’s Legacy.

Patience Worthington’s life changes forever when her reverend father dies suddenly. With no money and no home, Patience is all alone in the world and doesn’t know which way to turn. Who is going to provide her with a roof over her head when all that she had in the world has been lost forever? Patience is running out of options and in desperate need of support decides to throw herself at the mercy of her estranged uncle, the Viscount of Worthington Place. Only, Patience is in for further shocks when she arrives at the estate and discovers that her uncle has died and that the current viscount is her dashing cousin, Gideon.

Gideon is well aware of the rift between the two families, but with his cousin all alone in the world, he offers her a place to stay at Worthington Place. However, when the true reason behind their estrangement is revealed, Gideon and Patience begin to clash and unable to accept her cousin’s charity for another second, a determined Patience bids farewell to Worthington Place and goes to seek shelter with her late mother’s relatives in Bath.

In Bath, Patience’s beauty quickly wins her plenty of admirers and she soon becomes the toast of the town. When she crosses paths with Gideon, the two of them decide to draw a line under what happened at Worthington Place and a tentative friendship soon develops. Although what neither one of them was expecting was that their fledgling bond could blossom into something far deeper than either one of them ever imagined. However, dark secrets from the past might just put in jeopardy any hope they had of forging forward into the future together…

Natalie Kleinman is a wonderful writer of Regency romances. She has a great affinity with the 19th Century and writes with flair, style and panache about the Regency era. She effortlessly evokes the fortunes of her characters and creates emotional and dramatic tales that keep readers entranced from beginning to end.

Love’s Legacy is a heartfelt, entertaining and captivating Regency tale that has a smart and determined heroine and an honourable hero who is positively swoon-worthy.

A Regency delight that is simply irresistible, Love’s Legacy is another enchanting historical romance by Natalie Kleinman.

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