Customer Reviews

The Legacies (Urban Christian)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We are all predestined to do something in our lifetime, planned before the conception of our life. It is our duty to follow what God has in his master plan, even if it is not what we believe to be the right direction. The Legacies by Michelle Larks is a written testimony of God's will finally being done.

Growing up in a family where certain laws are in place which include; who is to take over control of the family business, to not get too close to anyone outside of the family and other such rules would prove to be very difficult for Morgan Daniels-Foster. She was an only child with a legacy she had to fulfill after she completed college; a legacy she had been groomed for since birth. On her way to college she comes across a young man, Noah Oliver Stephens and his parents, stranded along the side of the road. Noah grew up in the church, and was expected to stand beside his father in the pulpit. Noah and Morgan, each running away from their future, even if is for a little while, trying to be what they consider to be normal for a time. Was it by chance they met, shifting what was already in store for them? Or was it already a part of God's master plan?

Two young people from two different walks of life, falling in love for the first time, Noah the preacher's son and Morgan, the next in line to run her family's drug trade business. Are they still compatible or will their lifestyle differences be too much, and will they have to let go what they share?

The character development was great; when the story began Morgan was seventeen years-old and Noah was eighteen, they had the behavior of typical teenagers and their first love. As they became older, the maturity was evident in their behaviors and the manner in which they spoke. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going, another shocking twist took me in a different direction. There were some errors within the galley copy I read, however, I hope Michelle Larks had the book properly edited before it was printed. I believe The Legacies has two genres it could fall under; Urban Christian Fiction and Urban Fiction, and I would recommend it to readers of both genres.

Jennifer Coissiere

APOOO BookClub

Morgan Daniels-Foster was excited about going away for college. She knew this would be a challenge since she has been groomed for the family business since she was born. Morgan grew up in a family that kept to themselves. They rarely dealt with people outside of the family. Every single detail of Morgan's future was planned for her. That was until she met Noah Oliver Stephens.

Noah's future was basically the same except his life was headed towards the pulpit. His dad was a minister and his mom just knew he was going to follow in his dad's footsteps. Noah had other plans, and just didn't want to break his parents' hearts. When the two freshmen crossed paths by an unfortunate circumstance, their future plans changed and tragedy hit both of there families. Two young people with different lifestyles fall in love. Both have a strong faith in God, but will their upbringing push them further apart or pull them closer together?

I thoroughly enjoyed how Michelle Larks developed the main characters Noah & Morgan. Through their lives, you could see how they matured from the first time they met when Morgan was seventeen and Noah was eighteen. As they matured in age, you could read how their dialogue changed. Every time you would think that the plot was becoming predictable, it would change and make the plot a lot more interesting. The Legacies was indeed a great read.

Reviewed by Jackie

for Urban Reviews

The story of two young people both healthy and blessed with a bright future but burdened with the fact that their families want them to carry on the family business.

Noah Stephens respects the fact that his minister father wants him to follow in his foot steps; but deep in Noah's heart, he doesn't know how to tell his parents that ministering is not for him without hurting their feelings.

Morgan Foster has been groomed for her position as the head of the family's drug empire since birth. Morgan's mother Jernell encouraged education on her daughter, but it was enforced that the Foster women keep outsiders at a distance...hence; no friends ...Morgan was very close with her cousin Brianna. Morgan was torn between not letting her mother down and living a normal life without having to look over her shoulder.

Noah and Morgan meet on their way to attend the same collage and struck up a friendship that turns into true love.

At first they don't think they have anything in common but boy their worlds about to collide bringing, death, heartache, and pain.

The legacies they've both been wrestling with suddenly materialize as secrets and lies...and are they really who they think they are???

Personally I thought this was an excellent read! Ms. Larks did I fine job with character development and storyline consistencies.

A number of messages were apparent to me; one that stood out the most was secrets.

The secrets that were revealed in this novel were as real as they come. Family members always think that not telling is best...as Ms. Larks pointed out in this story secrets have a way of coming to light at the most unsavory time causing pain and destruction to the innocent.

Many Kudos to Michelle Larks I loved this read!!!!

Locksie

ARC Book Club Inc.

I enjoyed reading this book by Michelle Larks. This was my first time reading work by this author. I most definitely will be reading more books by her.

In spite of everything (turmoil) that was going on around them, I found it refreshing how Noah and Morgan grew into responsible adults, even to the point of being able to share an apartment (platonically) showed the pure love they shared. This also showed Noah's love for Christ and that he placed God first. By Noah being who he was, he was able to help Morgan in her struggles.

The Legacies is a unique work of Christian fiction that's filled with family secrets, regrets, and a warm feeling of what true love is. Pure and unspotted.

Within the "GodFather" twist, A true love story was born.

Myra Rutledge,

Birmingham, Al

http://www.christianwriter.biz/

This book was an okay read. A little drawn out and somewhat unbelievable at times. There was just too many lies and secrets for one book. I'm just starting to get into Christian Fiction. This is the third one I've read and so far my least favorite. The story focused more on Jernell and the family business rather than the relationship between Morgan & Noah. Big Mama's character was way over the top (cold and ruthless); and the idea that a smart, intelligent young women would consider or be pressured into continuing the family's illegal drug business was not realistic to me. Many times I found myself wondering why they didn't just become legitimate business owners and pass that legacy on to the younger generation instead of forcing a violent & criminal lifestyle upon the women in the family. Sure many of the women enjoyed the lifestyle they lived but it seems they would have been okay with whatever Jernell & Big Mama said or did. I found myself struggling to finish this book and when I did reach the end, my conclusion is that it was just 'okay'. Loved Noah and Reverend Samuel's characters.

This book was very good. First book by the author and it kept me interested throughout the whole thing!

This is my second Michelle Larks book and I loved it! I read a lot of Urban/Christian books and this very different story was so welcomed and needed. Ms. Larks was able to weave a story-line that actually had me thinking I was watching a movie (which by the way, is not a bad idea ;-)

I would have given this 5 stars easily; however, my copy had so many grammatical and/or typo errors it could have become distracting had the story not been so compelling. One would think that a company like Urban Christian would have editors to catch these errors before going to print.

I am now a Michelle Larks fan for life - bring on the next book!

I really enjoyed this novel. It was my first time reading one of Ms. Lark's books, and I do plan on checking out others she has written. The storyline was amazing; I loved the way she captured the "family business" by allowing us to see how emotionless and ruthless one has to be in this business. Morgan and Noah's romance was adorable and without them becoming intimate, helped them to see the real heart of each other. The twists towards the end were page-turning and believable. I wish there was a part 2! Great read!!

Morgan Daniels-Foster comes from money - and not just any old kind of money either: the money she comes from has money of its own to burn. Such is the life that's been provided to her by the inimitable Jernell Foster, matriarch of the Foster family empire, whose interests seemingly span the globe, commanding equal amounts of respect and fear. With stunning looks to match her high-powered family connections, Morgan is more than ready to strike out on her own as she begins a new life as a freshman at nearby Bradley University. Despite all the privileges that her affluent upbringing have afforded her, though, Morgan still longs for two very important things she's never been able to obtain: a strong sense of self, and, of course, true love.

Noah Stephens has been fitted for the cloth for as long as he can remember. The son of an influential minister, his path toward joining the family ministry appears set. Growing up without the typical advantages of a family with considerable material success, Noah's empathetic heart remains fixed on doing the best he can to serve the Lord by being a blessing to those in need...of course, his heart also longs to find his own way of going about fulfilling his divine destiny in life - as well as learning precisely what that destiny is. Going into his freshman year at Bradley University, Noah seeks the answers to these questions, at the same time discovering more about the nature of his true self - and his family's real past.

When their widely divergent paths serendipitously cross, neither Morgan nor Noah are prepared for the onslaught of emotion, pain, and drama soon to follow. Unable to fight the powerful attraction between them, the two star-crossed lovers remain bound to one another as they each face unimaginable strife, shock, and ultimate loss in the wake of the unearthing of long-held family secrets. Only time will tell if their bond is strong enough to survive the coming trials that will test their very souls.

The follow up effort to her highly successful debut, Keeping Misery Company, The Legacies promises to be just as much of a hit with Michelle Larks' ever-growing legion of readers. Masterful storyteller that she is, in Legacies Larks has re-fashioned the ages-old Romeo & Juliet tale with a modern-day, urban twist. Brought together by forces greater than themselves, Noah and Morgan both contend with seemingly unending family drama and despair, and the two youths, in turn, rely on a strength that exceeds their own in order to cope with the incessant cycles of tribulation. With each new startling revelation, the reader will begin to wonder just how the young lovers are able to remain the picture of relative calm during the storm while everyone else around them loses their minds - and nearly everything else - as times grow increasingly tough.

Also, enough cannot be said about Larks' incomparable ability to weave an intricate, multi-layered tale, perfectly preserving suspense while tantalizing readers with just enough heat to keep them turning page after page, eagerly anticipating what's to come next. In addition, she's able to humanize a salacious tale of greed, power, and sex by relating the real effects of their consequences on the hearts and minds of those caught up in their mix. Such ability is truly a gift, and not one that many authors both possess and wield so skillfully.

The Legacies, rightly so, will go down as yet another instant classic from a proven author whose time has truly come. No matter how many fans Michelle Larks has won over with her writing efforts thus far, those numbers will quickly dwarf in comparison to the soon-to-be-converted as her literary legend continues to grow.

The Legacies by Michelle Larks

Morgan and Noah are from two different worlds; Morgan's family business is extremely lucrative and affords her a posh lifestyle while Noah comes from humble beginnings. Yet the two of them meet and realize that they have more in common than they both think when they find out that they are both living out the dreams of their parents and not their own. Morgan and Noah's relationship is put to the test when Morgan can no longer keep her family secrets to herself.

The Legacies kept me turning pages, wanting to see how the drama of the story would unfold. There were a few storylines that I would have liked to see developed more, but that in no way took away from the quality of the story! The Legacies is a definite book for your library collection!

4 stars

Tamara G.

Atlanta, GA

Literary Lovers Book Club