Legacy of the Heart is a delightful novella collection, ranging from historical to contemporary, each story loosely connected by the same locket across generations. I loved this element of the locket and how it came to be in each woman’s possession. This was a creative technique that worked well to anchor the set as a whole but also enough that each author’s style and strength was given room to flourish.

The stories cover a range of time periods (two historical, three contemporary) as well as tropes – love at first sight, marriage of convenience (one of my fave novellas in the collection!), enemies who fall in love (another fave story!), coworkers who have given up on love, and best friends who fall in love (another of my fave novellas!). The romances are all sweet, though a couple of them do add a little extra heat to their kisses (and I'm not complaining!)

I also had fun trying to figure out as I read who in each story was going to get the locket next. Honestly, I could keep reading about the locket and its next recipients for a couple more collections (at least) – and I want to know more about its original owner too (or at least the character who first gave the locket to Violet). Perhaps a prequel collection is in order?!?

Bottom Line: If you love a mix of historical and contemporary, this is the perfect collection for you. Each story gives readers a taste of each individual author’s style and voice, so it’s also a great way to ‘meet’ some authors you’ve perhaps never read before. The stories are all unique and sweet, with tender romance, humor, and lots of heart. A great weekend read!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

A fun collection of novellas all tied to a single heirloom locket passed down through generations.

The first two stories take place in 1890s and the following three stories are contemporary, so will appeal to both historical novel readers and modern romance readers.

Each story flows together very well. They’re all well-written.

Thanks for a great read.

A wonderful read I really enjoyed it and recommend giving it a try it’s really enjoyable and well worth reading hope u enjoy it like I did

I enjoyed the stories in this collection and seeing the locket pass from one character to another. The first two stories are historical, and the last three are contemporary. I liked the setting of the first story, with an eligible society daughter interested in seeing more exhibits than the horticulture one deemed acceptable to young ladies, and her unlikely friendship that springs up with a cowboy from the Wild West show. However the dialogue was pretty stilted, the insta-love unrealistic, and the characters repeatedly fixated on his partial Native American heritage.

The collection vastly improved with Stacy Henrie's novella which had vibrant characters, interesting banter, and a compelling narrative. The small-town sheriff thought he was corresponding over a year with the lovely lady he met at the Chicago World's Fair, but it turns out that he mixed up her name with her plainer sister's. They don't discover the misunderstanding until she arrives to marry him, and a marriage of convenience results. I'm always intrigued by how a couple falls in love while in such close circumstances but also withholding- or attempting to ;) His bride fits right in, helps him with his duties and befriends the neglected youngster he has been reaching out to. Their blossoming romance based on friendship develops sweetly and some dangerous outlaws bring action to the plot.

The first contemporary story by Tina Radcliffe was fun and quirky with the antique shop passed down to a niece who learns that her aunt's long-ago broken relationship with the owner and landlord of the building it's in has put the future of the shop at risk. The building owner's nephew who is also his lawyer comes to town to foreclose but ends up solving the mystery of the relationship and falls in love with the town himself. I appreciated the genuine and friendly nature of the main characters and their friends in the tight-knit community. The retro vibe was fun and I loved how in her antique shop the objects of an older era are valued instead of disregarded or discarded.

The next story by Terri Reed has a doctor and a nurse who work well together professionally sparking a friendship outside of work and discovering their chemistry and attraction for one another. I liked how well they respected each other and the fun they had together. The conflict of the plot is that Penny has a hard time trusting her own heart to love and Brad is only in the town on a temporary contract, with his next job already lined up in Chicago. Even though they alternate between closeness and avoiding each other, they are honest about their feelings and I appreciated that they allowed each other space to figure out their own hearts and futures.

The final story is another fun one with a creative premise- Logan, the attractive fireman who always keeps relationships short has a pact with his best friend Georgie who is a girl to attend all weddings as each other's date. She has a tomboy sense of humor and isn't a twig, and is about ready to give up on finding love. She wins a drawing for a wedding dress complete with a trip to NYC with her groom-to-be and a photo shoot, so Logan volunteers to be her stand-in groom so she can claim the dress. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and also some tender and vulnerable ones as they are drawn into situations that make them realize how much they care for each other, and not just as friends. A perfectly wonderful friends-to-lovers romance!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions expressed in this review are my own)

These five novellas span time, following a locket that is passed along from story to story. The first two are set in a historical period, while the last three are contemporary. Each story has a different spin on how the romance develops between the two main characters.

Heritage of Love fell flat for me. It's set at the Chicago world fair in 1893, and revolves around the prejudices of the time. The characters and their stories sounded interesting enough, but seemed a little two-dimensional. It was also a case of love at first site, so that may have diverted my interest. I would have liked to be more invested in this story, but it didn't happen for me.

By Any Other Name was adorable. I liked that this story built onto the first one, following the second sister and her experience with the locket. I enjoyed the matchmakers in this small western town and the efforts of the sheriff to avoid them. A case of mistaken identity leads to a happily ever after. This was more of a practicality growing into true love story. The secondary characters really help make this story so delightful!

Forget Me Not switches to a contemporary story of an antique store's owner and the lawyer who has been sent to evict her. The characters were charming with an unexpected tie to the past. This was a sweet story and probably my favorite. I loved both of the characters personalities and their interactions. A satisfying love story!

The Lost Locket introduces us to two characters who aren't looking for love but find it anyway. Neither of them have love on their radar but sometimes love can't be denied! Cute story and I enjoyed the characters having fun together.

Winning the Fireman's Heart launches us into the story of two very good friends who have not been so lucky in love. Their story follows them as the realize that their true love has been right in front of them the whole time. Witty dialogue and a humorous incidents!

Great summer read! Sweet and innocent romances aimed towards Christian readers!

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Legacy of the Heart is an excellent anthology of five inspirational romance novellas. Two are historical and the other three are contemporaries. Some of them are closely tied together, others are not. Still it would be encouraged to read these in the order that they are in the anthology. Each author’s voice and style stand out in the anthology making this a delightful read. All five are interesting and a pleasure to read.

In Heritage of Love by Danica Favorite is a story that happens at the Chicago World’s Fair. It is the perfect setting for wonderful experiences which in the case of Violet and Johnny is love at first sight.

Stacy Henrie’s By Any Other Name is a story that follows the first book. This is Iris’ (sister of Violet) story. My favorite of five by a favorite author. It may be a novella, but Ms. Henrie gives a vivid setting and well-developed characters.

Tina Radcliffe’s Forget Me Not is a contemporary story with ties to the past. Because of the history the couple learn, they find that they should take a chance on the growing love between them.

The Lost Locket by Terri Reed is tied to Forget Me Not because Penny is Maddy’s sister. Enjoyable story between Nurse Penny and Dr. Brad.

Winning the Fireman’s Heart by Sherri Shackelford concerns Penny’s friend, Georgie and firefighter Logan Snapelli. This has one of my favorite story-lines of friendship to true love. Well-done, it is my favorite of the contemporary stories by an author that is newer to me.