Fall Reading Challenge: The Legacy of Us by Kristin Contino (Chrissy’s review)

 

The Legacy of Us
written by Kristin Contino
published by SparkPress, 2015

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange  for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book: I enjoyed this book. It was a great story that had me hooked until the very end. It wasn’t a “I can’t put the book down until I’m finished” hooked, but it was a “I am engrossed in this story and I want to see how it ends” hooked.

The Legacy of Us starts with a found cameo and leads Liz, and the readers, to a family story that even Liz’s mother didn’t know. I loved that the “reading” of the journal morphed into the narration of Liz’s grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s stories. It was fascinating to read. I thought Liz was a perfect character to find the cameo and journal. She was a romantic at heart, an artist, and the only that could truly appreciate the cameo and the story behind it. All the characters were well developed, and I liked their decisions throughout the story. I was glad that Cate held her ground. I thought Justin was sweet.

All in all, The Legacy of Us is a great romance story that is heartbreaking yet refreshing.

Would I recommend it: I would. It is a good women’s fiction read.

About the book: Liz Moretti thought she knew almost everything about her grandmother, Ella, from her love of “The Golden Girls” to the perfect pound cake recipe. But when Ella passes away and Liz finds a cameo locket with a marriage proposal engraved inside (from a man who was not her grandfather), she realizes that sometimes a person’s secrets are discovered only after they’re gone.

On top of losing Ella, Liz’s career as a jewelry designer is stagnant and her love life lacks sparkle, too. When she reconnects with the one who got away, Liz thinks maybe things are finally starting to look up. But after a few drinks and a trip down a flight of stairs, Liz wakes up to realize the cameo is gone. Her ex offers to look for it, but so does Justin, the intriguing new guy in her apartment building.

While dealing with her feelings for two very different men and generally trying to reinvent her mess of a life, Liz finds answers and solace in Ella’s diary. The story of the cameo, and the relationship between her grandmother and great-grandmother, an outspoken socialite from Italy, inspires Liz to grow up and accept responsibility for her missteps. Eventually she must choose between the life she thought she wanted and the promise of something better.

 

About the author: Kristin Contino grew up in a world of writing and reading, which evolved into a career as a freelance writer, editor, and women’s fiction reviewer. Kristin enjoys spending time with her family and loves travel, photography and dreams of moving to her favorite city, London. The Legacy of Us is her debut novel.