Customer Reviews

The Wyndham Legacy (Legacy Series)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I try to avoid the kind of "romances" where abuse is supposed to pass for frustrated love. Unfortunately, I didn't avoid _Wyndham Legacy_. There's no need to mince words. I hated this book. Marcus was a spiteful, childish jerk, and the "Duchess" had the backbone of wet spaghetti. I hate watching people allow themselves to be abused, and this chick was just such a dishrag. I couldn't finish this book and will never read another Catherine Coulter "romance."

I cannot believe I actually finished this book! I struggled through it. Marcus, Earl of Chase, is demeaning in character. He is cruel and say the most hurtful things to someone who does not deserve to be hurt in such a manner. Duchess, an independent woman (and made to be believed an intelligent person)accepts this form of verbal abuse. She keeps the hurtful words within herself until she's fed up and resorts to physical violence. (Oh, that's rich for a romance novel). This story was so disappointing that the mystery of the "legacy" is lost within the plot. Three-quarters into the book is when the romance (if one could call it that) begins. But lets not forget a forced marriage, a marriage to a first cousin, a man who HATES his wife, and a man who hates that his wife is pregnant to his child. But the man does get his way when his wife miscarries. Nothing is mentioned in the book if she conceives again, but even if its mentioned in the other books, I don't think I'd really care. This book does not strike me as romantic...I believe it struck me more of a book of depression or hatred. Oh and to think I bought the complete trilogy. Dare I start on the next book?

I have read this book twice. The first time I thought it was ok but on the second reading, I wondered why my standards had slipped so on the first reading. Marcus is cruel and says studid things -- repeatedly. His dignity crashes completely under what could be considered a justifiably outrageous situation with the will. But the things he says are so very outrageous and mean spirited. He was not an admirable character. However, I did understand his frustration with the Duchess, whom I also came pretty much to dislike. If I read one more time about how still she became and then became even stiller, I think I would have screamed, actually, I did scream. What was there about her to fall in love with much less like unless it was the physical (which is what drew in Marcus). She never talked to Marcus, never shared a bloody thing with him about herself and this was supposed to make her a sympathetic character? We were supposed to feel for her because she "saved" him? Mostly I found them both to be idiotic.

My main conclusion was that this was a "thin" book that was transformed into a novel with the use of verbose (and completely out-of-character for the time) servants, redundant description (why say it once if you could say it twice) and inane analogies.

I could just hear Ms. Coulter's editor in the background "make it longer so we can charge more." "Filler, filler and more filler. This is going to be a hard back and it has to be a certain length!"

This is definely not a recommend. Read the modern books, they are far more believable.

I agree with both the positive and negative commentary for this book. Overall though, I believe while it may not deserve 5 stars it doesn't deserve 1 or 2 stars only!
The beginning was a bit disturbing to me..Marcus the newest Earl of Chase was a complete idiot! He acted like a foolish child and deserved to be coshed! Duchess herself was a bit odd and I can see how some would see her as a complete weakling. While all that did bother me at first, I was happily disproven as the book continued and the characters grew. The only real problem I had was how close Marcus came to raping Duchess...but I suppose that would be for you the reader to decide.
I think it takes great talent for an author to round out her characters so very nicely. Marcus, you will discover is not such a bad bugger after all but is a bit immature for his age and has a quick temper. Duchess, well:) she finds her confidence and her own strength and I'm sure you will love her in the end.
The BEST part of this books are the characters! Mr. Badger, Mr. Spears, Miss Maggie are so very wonderful! You will enjoy their spirit and mischief even if you find you don't like Marcus and Duchess!
The romance is enticing.
The mystery is superb.
The characters even better.
If you can brave out the first more rougher part of this book you will definitly enjoy yourself!

Marcus, Earl of Chase has inherited the earldom after his cousins and uncle die, leaving no other male heir, thus the estate is entailed to Marcus. Marcus relunctantly accepts the earldom and the responsibility of his 'bastard' cousin, the Dutchess, illegitimate daughter of his deceased uncle.

But Marcus finds that his earldom is in jeopardy unless he marries his cousin, the cold and aloof Dutchess. Yes, Marcus will own the entire estate and all of its riches; but there is just one problem, Marcus hates the Dutches.

I may be cynical, but this supposedly romance novel was anything but romantic. Marcus was emotionally and mentally abusive, so much so that I found myself crying for the Dutchess (Josephina). How she found the courage or possibly the stupidity to actually marry Marcus and put up with his abusive antics is beyond me. Well, it is not totally beyond me. We woman today put up with more than she did with Marcus for less than a fortune. Maybe that is why I found this novel depressing, less than amusing, and downright frightening to think that others considered this novel a love story!!

This is just an okay romance. The first part when Marcus wanted to take care of Duchess and second half when they were at Chase Park was more engaging. As expected, Marcus was quite a jerk until Duchess was hurt, the more serious her injuries, it flashed out more feelings he had for her. As for Duchess, she was quite annoyingly frigid in her responses, not enough initiatives to say what was on her mind until being thoroughly enraged by Marcus. Still, it was had for the reader to understand when they started to feel for each other. Marcus seemed not to care much about Duchess' feelings by continuing to see his mistress, by saying all the hurtful things and using her body to satisfy his lust and then scorned her after. But it must be frustrating to deal with Duchess too; she built a wall around herself. There were some romantic moments towards the end, but it felt kind of too late in a way. Furthermore, the peppering of political characters during that time throughout the story could be confusing and distracting to the story. The ending felt like an anti-climax too, who cares about the outcome of Maggie's romance, which was barely mentioned earlier anyway. Also, I found it a bit stretched for Trevor to smuggle two unconscious human beings out of the mansion without rousing anyone.

It's been a while since I've read a book I had to give up on half way through. The er...hero? Marcus is an abusive and immature man. Mocking his wife when she tries to get him to stop raping her, verbally abusing her after she does everything to help him, flaunting his mistresses, blaming her when she gets pregnant. This wasn't a romance. It was a study on the minds of abused women. Putting up with abuse in the name of love...ugh. I was to disgusted to continue reading, although I skimmed the last few pages and rolled my eyes at his inevitable declaration of love. Disturbing.

Normally, I really like Catherine Coulter, but this book was just plain weird. The characters were utterly incomprehensible, and Marcus was posibly the most petty, meanspirited man ever. There was nothing in this book to justify the two falling in love, and the plot was so dull I can't even remember it. I like Marcus and Duchess much better as minor characters in other books. If you want to read good Coulter, try The Nightingale Legacy or the Bride trilogy.

I'm an avid fan of Catherine Coulter, and this book, along with the other two in the Legacy Trilogy, is the reason why. Packed with colorful characters (who could ever forget the Duchess?), an amazing plotline, and a romance that will warm even the coldest heart...who could ask for more? The Duchess, as she is known, had no control over being the bastard daughter of the Earl of Chase, no more so than Marcus had over being forced to marry her after the Earl's death. But the two did marry, and what a match they made. Their verbal sparring is witty and fun, and will have everyone laughing out loud. Don't miss this gem of a book, or the subsequent ones, "The Nightengale Legacy" or "The Valentine Legacy"...they'll be forever implaned in your hearts and minds.

I totally agree with the reviewer from Anchorage, Alaska. This is one of the silliest books I have ever read and I cannot believe I plowed through the whole thing. Somewhere along the line, I have bought the next edition, The Nightingale Legacy, and I don't know whether I can stand to go through it or not.Sorry, Ms. C. I'm sure you are a best selling author, but your historical romances, at least that one, are for the birds. I'm currently reading The Target and it is a little bit more interesting and believable. Marcus, in the beginning was not remotely believable.