I loved how time passed, from Adrian as a young child being attacked by a father she’d never met, to a teenager in high school. It shows that even if you can afford to go to a private school does not mean you are always going to be popular. But Adrian was very smart and knew what she wanted to do with her future, so she became friends with the nerd squad and ending up as lifelong friends and business partners with them.
Then we have Adrian the successful businesswoman, who takes after her mom in some respects but who is also clearly her own woman. Adrian and her mom had a strange relationship but managed to find a way to make it work.
I loved the way it showed that family is important and showed the close relationship between her and grandparents. It also showed how important her grandparents were to the community and how loved they were.
I loved the way it showed Raylan an Adrian slowly entering into a relationship after he has suffered a major loss. It showed how their friendship slowly evolved into a relationship.

From start to finish this was a fantastic read and there is nothing better than a Nora Roberts tearjerker when I want a good book to read. Definitely a must read, this one is a true page turner!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I was so excited for an opportunity to be an ARC reader of a Nora Roberts book. I love Nora Roberts books, so I was pretty excited. Which is why it pains me to give this one a negative review.

Why? Well, a few reasons (semi-spoilers below).

1. I really disliked the main character. Adrian is painted as career-driven and head-strong and both of those are great qualities in a character, but the way she forced her fitness and nutrition regimen on her friends was over the top. She was constantly judging what people ate, constantly forcing them to participate in her fitness videos despite their protests, bringing over weights to peoples houses in a not-so-subtle attempt to get them to work out. That’s not charmingly pushy, it’s obnoxious. Not to mention the way she’s always volunteering other people’s time (“Oh, you need a business manager, Teesha will do it.” Did you ask Teesha before you volunteered her? Nope). Honestly, if any of my friends behaved like Adrian, I’d stop returning their calls.

2. There was very little romance in this romance suspense story. I understand that in a second-change, best-friend’s-brother, friends-to-lovers romance there’s going to be a slow build, but this romance had next to no build. There were hundreds of pages dedicated to the minutia of Adrian’s fitness video productions and her errand running. And maybe two scenes with furtive glances and accidentally-on-purpose touches. There was no sexual tension, no build, none. Then wham, zero to sixty and now there’s sex and they’re in love. If you’re going to give me a slow build romance, there needs to be a build.

3. There was very little suspense in this romance suspense story. Throughout the book there were creepy little murder vignettes stuck in between Adrian’s workout video productions and family dinner parties, but they didn’t seem to build toward anything or fill me with anticipation. Nothing that felt particularly suspenseful. When the suspense portion of the story finally kicked into high gear, our main characters were eating olives on the porch and riding carnival rides while the a lot of the heavy lifting of the suspense plot was carried by a cast of tertiary characters whose names I’ve already forgotten.

Perhaps I’m being too harsh. Perhaps I hold Nora Roberts to a higher standard for quality romance suspense books than others. She is the queen, after all. But this one just didn’t make the grade.

Legacy by Nora Roberts is an outstanding romantic drama with undercurrents of suspense. It has a wonderful storyline that keeps you guessing from page one. The book opens with a dramatic scene of violence. Adrian Rizzo is just a young girl when she survives a horrific attack by her father. This leads to her forging strong bonds with her grandparents that will shape her character and drive connection throughout her life.

Adrian is not ever satisfied with accepting the norms, she pushes herself and those around her to their limits. She has created a world that you will want to revisit again and again. Her loving nature causes her to make choices that bless many lives. While she is very successful financially, you learn that her true strength is in her disciplined work ethic. For Adrian it is the emotional connections that matter more than other extrinsic factors. You fill fall in love with the secondary characters, especially the children. Nora Roberts has created another masterpiece that has it all!

This book spans multiple decades and you are given glimpses of flashbacks of Adrian’s life and those around her to truly bring their stories to life. As mentioned, the book also has mysterious elements of danger woven through that keep you on the edge of your seat. This book will grip you and leave you hoping that Adrian will escape the tragic fate foreshadowed.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

I don’t think I’ve ever not liked a book by this author but her ability to whip out five star books like it’s nothing is really amazing. The author caught my eye, cover was cute, and after reading the blurb I gave it a read.

What did I like? Well this book had all the feels and what an emotional roller coaster ride. Laughter to tears and back again. Amazing ability to create a town full of imaginary people and just make you love everyone in it. There’s even a dog couple... wow!

Would I recommend or buy? Yes to both! I’d love a copy for my shelf! There’s really something in this book for everyone. Suspense, mystery, romance and as you get to the end you’ll realize how aptly named this book is. Five stars! I look forward to more by this author!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

Another great contemporary romance from Nora Roberts, with a little suspense thrown in. As always with Nora Roberts, you dive into the story, and the characters become your friends and family.

One of the reasons I love Nora Roberts' books is that I am constantly amazed by her character development. That's true here. The book begins when Adrian is seven years old, and we read scenes throughout her transition to adulthood. I love seeing the history that makes the character into who they become and creates the foundation for the choices the character makes. Adrian's motto is to stay fierce, and she does that as a strong woman.

Over time, we get to know not only Adrian, but also her mom Lina, and her core friends Maya, Teesha, Hector, and Loren. The bonds of friendship are so close, especially with Teesha.

The plot has a great mix of family, friends, and suspense. There's amazing Italian food balanced with a focus on fitness and nutrition that I found motivating. And there's even a great dog love story! This is a romance and so much more.

TW: murder, school shooting, abusive relationships

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Nora is one of my favorite authors, and I've read a ton of her books. However, I found this to be one of her weaker offerings. There were moments where the story didn't really flow as well as I am used to with her books. That being said, it's still a Nora Roberts book, so it's still quality reading.

I haven't read much Nora Roberts (under that name), although I've read quite a bit of her "In Death" series, so I was excited and kind of wondering what to expect when netgalley gave me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
The story spans a lot of years - from Adrian's childhood to her life as an adult, and I loved all the parts. She is a strong character with strong opinions and a great desire to succeed. I loved her grandparents, her dog, and her friends - and I loved watching all of their lives unfold. I think this was a lot more a story of family and community than the description reads - there is some suspense (after all, she has a stalker), but the friendships were more important.
Added bonus, it made me want to exercise :)

Note: I received a copy of this from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy Nora Roberts' standalone books and this one was no different. I was instantly engrossed in the story and easily related to the characters. I actually wish I could join Adrian's streaming workouts, dine at Rizzo's and snuggle up with Sadie.

Raylan's loss was heartbreaking and it hit a nerve, having had my employer endure the loss of employees due to an active shooter situation. Also, who wouldn't want to star in their own graphic novel?

I found Adrian's relationships with her mom, and her friends very believable and relatable.

This was a story that I hated putting down and couldn't wait to pick it back up. The only thing I disliked was not having enough time to read it straight through and taking too long to read it.

Since this was an ARC of the book, I overlooked a number of grammatical errors that I am sure will be fixed before it goes to final print.

Another great stand alone from Nora.

I enjoyed this romantic suspense story. It was a story of complicated relationships between generations. Lina, Adrian's career driven mother has never been there for Adrian since she was always traveling. Lina also left her hometown and her family. Adrian persevered, since she had the love and attention of her grandparents. Adrian decided early on that she would make something of herself like her mother did but would do it on her own. Adrian gathered up some friends in her new high school to shoot workout videos like her mother did only with her own twist. Her videos became very popular. After her videos received so much attention online she started receiving threatening poems in the mail from an unknown sender. Throughout the years she received one a year and then they started coming more regular and were even more threatening. She confided in a old friend about the poems. Who is doing this to her and why I was touched by the relationship Adrian had with her grandparents and enjoyed the way the love story unfolded. I would highly recommend this book.

3.5 Nora Roberts Stars
This woman could write the phone book and I would read it. Ms. Rpberts was my entry to romance so many years ago. This had a feel of mystery and some romance. The competition between mother and daughter was very well done.

I’m always excited when I get the newest book from a favorite author. Legacy by Nora Roberts did not disappoint. Adrian Rizzo was raised by a single mom whose ambition and creation of her fitness empire overshadowed her relationship with her daughter. After a violent incident with her father, their relationship is estranged further. In high school, Adrian makes a move that propels her career. Raylan is the boy whose mom works for Adrian’s grandparents. He is a comic book author (which I found fascinating). Of course, he and Adrian get together. And they both have big, wonderful dogs, who also become romantically involved and it’s just so sweet. Adrian is surrounded by a group of people who love her, protect her and uplift her. Adrian also has an enemy who is determined to destroy her.

Nora Roberts writes fantastic romantic thrillers. She balances the romance with the thriller so well! If I had one negative to this story it would be that she gave away the suspect way too soon! I would have liked more suspense.

Overall, if you are a Nora Roberts fan, this is a good book. If you’ve never read Nora Roberts, this is a good place to start. I enjoyed Legacy!

Thank you to #netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced e-copy of #legacy!

Adrian Rizzo was seven years old the day her father barged into her home and nearly killed her, her mother, and her caretaker. This was the first time she had ever laid eyes on her father. After the incident, Adrian went from the hustle and bustle of life in New York to a sleepy town in Maryland to spend time with her grandparents. She had the time of her life.

While in high school, Adrian decides to follow in her mother's footsteps and take a crack at publishing her workout and yoga routines. Like her mother, she's an instant success. Adrian seems to have fans wherever she goes, but year after year she continues to receive disturbing poems from an unknown sender. At first they would come once a year, but now the poems are escalating and Adrian is receiving multiple poems a year. Are the poems just meant to frighten her, or is there something more at play? Adrian fears one of these days that "the poet" will act on his/her promises.

I'm a huge fan of Nora Roberts and she's done it again with Legacy. She has a great way of combining suspense, romance, family dynamics, and relationships all into a nice package. If you're a fan of Nora Roberts, you'll definitely want to check out Legacy!

Nora Roberts absolutely never disappoints, and this new novel has it all - romance, suspense, very appealing settings, and multiple characters, all of whom leave an impression and contribute to the plot. Adrian and Raylan's story takes its time, but this long journey is well worth taking. No one does romance or relationships between friends and family better. Highly recommended.

Nora Robert’s has done it again. Another well crafted book-some mystery, some romance-even a dog romance, wonderful dialogue and characters, We get to meet Adrian as a child. We watch her grow, develop life long friendships and relationships. We see her friendships evolve as well as her relationship develop. My favorite scenes were those with her Popi and her dog Sadi. A throughly enjoyable read.

I absolutely LOVE that Nora Roberts is now starting to reflect real life in her novels. There is diversity on multiple fronts that are not the focus of the story, but just a reality within a person's life, friends, and social circles. I'm so excited to see this in a mainstream authors writing!

Anyways, Legacy follows the life of Adrian Rizzo. Daughter of single-mother Lina Rizzo, who got pregnant as a naive college girl and turned that into a fitness empire starting with her Yoga Baby videos paired with great business acumen. Although she's not the greatest mother, Lina has provided Adrian with a privileged life. One Adrian was able to use to create her own fitness reputation separate from her mother's empire.

But success can always come with some crazy attached to it. Right after her first successful fitness video release, when she was seventeen, Adrian started receiving life threatening poems. Fourteen years later, the poems frequency has escalated and what was just the assumption of a crazed fan now becomes much more. With the assistance of a private investigator, Adrian tries to move past her fear and continue to live her life. Who knew that this would take her down the road to a romance with one of her best friend's brother.

Raylan has been a cursory part of her life since she first became friends with his sister when she was ten. Now, after life had turned his life in and unexpected direction as well, they are reunited. Who would have thought that the event that led to her meeting Raylan and his sister would also be the inspiration for a crazy person to begin stalking her.

Amazing! Legacy is a story about a girl/woman named Adrian Rizzo. The story begins when she is seven years old and faces one of the worst traumas of her life. After this traumatic event, she spends the summer at her grandparents' house where she makes lifelong friends. From there she grows into an amazing young woman that knows what she wants and does everything to succeed. This is a story about family and friends and love and loss. It has a mix of a number of genres including thriller and romance, and it handles it all so well.

At first I was thinking that starting the story when she was so young and taking so much time to get to the present made the story go slow, but it didn't take long for me to change my mind on that. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down. I loved the Rizzo's. I loved Adrian's relationships with her friends and her neighbors and her mother and her grandparents. I especially loved the relationship between her and Raylan. They were both such amazing characters and I was happy to see how things turned out for them.

A great story, that made me laugh and made me cry! I would highly recommend this story to others. I have always been a fan of Nora Roberts and she didn't disappoint with this story.

I really liked this book. The characters are likeable and the story keeps you interested. Thank you for letting me acquire this book.

Legacy by Nora Roberts focuses on a mother daughter duo that has a traumatic experience that is brought to the surface by a terrifying and consistent threat. Following the life of the daughter, Adrian, you see her grow up from an 8 year old to an adult. From those times you see her relationship with her mother evolve, and you get a variety of different points of views from family and friends.
Legacy follows the path of Robert's previous books as it is mysterious and romantic. As a Nora Roberts fan I was not disappointed and loved that it focused on the mysterious aspect with romance sprinkled in.

I enjoyed how Roberts spread the whole tail throughout Adrian’s lifetime. That way you really get to know her life experiences, and that provides a larger understanding of her motivations. It was nicely woven together to show a complete story of everyone’s relationship and how they all fit together to make a family. Roberts provided enough mystery sprinkled throughout the story, and vivid details to keep you reading. The plot line is similar to other Nora Roberts books I have read however, that did not diminish what was written. It provided a feel good story.

In my opinion this book started out slow - in fact I wasn't even sure I would continue reading it. But I am so glad that I did read it. I was quite surprised by the storyline - not something I was expecting. If you like a bit of family, drama, and suspense it is definitely worth reading.