Mystery, action and a HOT romance! (Warning: recommended for 18yrs+)

Book blurb (please scroll down for the review): What Krista Lucas finds when she arrives in picturesque Camden, South Carolina, is beyond all expectations. Her biological father, a man she never knew, has left her a large house in town and beautiful lakeside wooded acreage. How he came to own the property is a mystery Krista needs to solve for her own peace of mind.

Jake Thornton maintains that his family owns the house and land, and he can prove it with a document his own father left.

… Or can he?

Jake isn’t the only one with an interest in the property. His three brothers are ready and eager to develop the land, and nothing is going to stop them.

Including Krista Lucas.

With Krista’s life in danger, whose side will Jake take? His family … or Krista? Will the truth be discovered in time?

Early readers have said that The Lakeside Legacy has it all: suspense, danger, mystery, romance … and love.

The Lakeside Legacy is the first book in the South Carolina Romantic Suspense series.

WARNING: This book contains graphic sexual descriptions.

Review:

I LOVED The Lakeside Legacy. It is more than a love story. It has everything: romance, mystery, action, suspense and sensual scenes. Not only is there a great romance blossoming between Krista and Jake, it is like a Romeo and Juliet scenario. These two strong characters are from opposing families where the house and land surrounding the lake are concerned. Both believe that they are the proprietor, and both believe they have the proof.

Initially, Krista is oblivious to another claim for the ownership of the land, believing it to be her inheritance. And so, after moving to South Carolina to her new home and being befriended by Jake she feels that she is moving forward with her life. Her feelings for Jake become apparent and the possibility of romance is close.

I love the way in which Jean Jennett builds up the love scenes. This really takes the intensity to an almost unbearable pleasure as it is so good. And at a moment when Krista feels comfortable to love again, after what happened to her in Manhattan, Jake’s family and the developers have other plans, making any chance of a romance impossible.

Jake’s family and developers are quite relentless and will do all they can to get Krista out of the picture. But what is Jake to do? Does he stand by his family, to claim the house that he was once raised in, the land that could be developed, or does he choose to protect Krista?

There are some dark, fearsome moments with threats and attacks towards Krista that really put the reader on edge. The suspense is quite intense and the reader has no clue as to what will happen next. The following excerpt is written in context of when Krista is alone on a dark evening. Most of the townspeople are being entertained at a festival and she decides to walk on into the town alone.

“She didn’t notice a pickup truck parked a block up the street, didn’t see it roll forward with its lights off, and didn’t see a man jump out of the passenger side at the end of her driveway.”

The Lakeside Legacy provides a great deal of mystery: who does the house/land really belong to? What will become of Krista? What happened all those years ago between their fathers? Who will the property be left to and how will this affect Krista and Jake’s feelings for each other?

This novel also holds a smaller mystery as to what happened in Manhattan with Krista. As the novel continues and unfolds the reader is given an insight every now and again into what happened. This makes the reader understand why Krista does not run from this threatening situation. In some way she is facing her own demons. After what happened in Manhattan, she is not going to let this one ride. She is defiant and will fight for her rightful inheritance until the bitter end.

One of my favourite aspects of this book is that, although the reader is provided with Krista’s point of view, we also have an insight into Jake’s. This allows the reader to connect strongly to both of them and understand both claims. The reader sympathises at times with Jake’s predicament, whilst still annoyed that he befriended Krista in the beginning.

I love reading about significant background characters, even if they only show a brief appearance. And Frank Arcola is a great character who I would have liked reading more about. It would be a shame to elaborate much more without spoiling the story but he is a very strong and meaningful part of the story. I also liked reading about Jake’s brother, Nick, who was someone to confide in, someone to talk to, and someone who could try to put the other brothers straight. I was hoping to read a little more of him towards the end.

I clearly enjoyed this book very much. Whereas most authors tend to concentrate on the one genre in particular, I found that there was always an element of meaningful action and love in The Lakeside Legacy. There is never a dull moment. And the sexy scenes in The Lakeside legacy are fantastic. It is a great suspense. I’ll look forward to reading the next book in the South Carolina series.

I would like to thank the author, Jean Jennett, for providing a copy of The Lakeside Legacy in return for an honest and fair review.

You can find The Lakeside Legacy on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker