Dark Legacy (Legacy Series #1)

Anna DeStefano
Rating: *****
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Synopsis:

In Book One, Dark Legacy, you dive into Maddie Temple’s spiraling madness as she hunts for the twin sister whose misfiring psychic gifts have come close to destroying Maddie’s world before. Only this time, Maddie’s own psychic gifts are growing beyond her control and her dreams are becoming more and more volatile. Sarah is taking over more and more of Maddie’s sleeping and waking world.

But who is controlling Sarah? The doctors who are supposed to be caring for her in a long-term mental health facility, where Sarah’s lived for 10 years in a coma?

Dark Legacy is a race to understand the symbols and mysteries of Maddie and Sarah’s shared dreams, before it’s too late–before the government perfect the “dream” weapon they’re creating out of the Temple Legacy, and before the Brotherhood of Watchers tracking the Temples’ activities decides to terminate the threat their growing powers are becoming in the government’s hands.

Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The length was good and the story developed quickly. This book had all of the elements I look for in a good book: mystery, intrigue, and well placed romance (as opposed to a romance that exists for the sake of romance). Being partial to military tactics and general strategy, I loved how the author developed the storyline based on a secret government weapons development program. It is like Tom Clancy for women. Following the story of Dr. Madeline Temple, the author creates a vivid world that engrosses the reader from the first page. Madeline’s slow break with reality is deftly written and follows the storyline without being predictable. The author introduces new clues to the mystery slowly in a way that moves the story along without being cliche. These clues are frequently coupled with a new development in Madeline’s development as a psychic.

At times the storyline becomes a little confusing but this is necessary to drawing the reader deeper into Madeline’s break with reality. The mastery of this technique is that the reader begins to lose track of what is “reality” and what is a “dream”, in a way sharing the experience with Madeline. In many ways, the storyline starts to feel a lot like the movie “Inception.”

I often cringe at an author’s attempt to weave romance into a mystery/suspense novel. However, in Dark Legacy the romance is essential to the story. It is well placed and well done. The romance is not a sidebar to the story , it has a relevance to the story and without it, the book would not succeed. At times you question the readiness with which Dr. Keith accepts Madeline’s abilities and the situation at hand but, thankfully, this does not detract from the actual storyline. It does make the romance a little less believable but the author has crafted it well and it works.

Overall, this review feels as though it falls short of my highly favorable opinion of this book. I highly recommend Dark Legacy as a page turner you won’t want to put down.

Something Borrowed

Emily Giffin
Rating: ****
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Synopsis:
Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a 30-year lawyer living in Manhattan, and her best friend Darcy as they navigate the balance between friendship and love. Rachel and Darcy have been best friends since grade school. Now adults, out-going Darcy is engaged to Rachel’s good friend from law school, Dex. On the night of Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, Dex and Rachel uncover unrealized feelings for each other and begin a secret summer affair just months before Dex is to wed Darcy.

Review:
I enjoyed this lighthearted and cautiously funny account of love and friendship. Told through Rachel’s viewpoint, it is easy to identify with her struggles with her friendship with Darcy, a job she hates, and the realization that she has very real feelings for her best friends fiance. This is a great weekend read, book club book, or poolside reading. Flirty and fun, the book inspires the best of summer as it regales tales of weekend adventures in the Hamptons and nights out on the town. The book never loses sight of it’s core focus on friendship. The reader is given glimpses into the world Rachel and Darcy shared as girls in Indiana without betraying the individuality of each character as an adult. This is important as Rachel outgrows her old insecurities and tries to build her new found identity without sacrificing her friendship with Darcy. Rachel’s struggle with these changes are personified through her relationship with Dex. As she becomes closer to Dex, Rachel begins to question what role she will play in her friendship with Darcy. Rachel never wants to lose Darcy’s friendship but she clearly wants to redefine her role within it.

The characters are likable and believable. The story is well developed and connects with readers on at least two levels- friendship and the struggles of coping with an unrewarding job. As the book progresses, Rachel’s perspectives change, allowing the reader to grow with the story. By the end of the book you find yourself rooting for Rachel to quit her job and embrace her new identity.