Typical Nora Roberts. I loved Legacy while I was reading it; couldn’t put it down, was caught up in the story, and couldn’t wait to see what happens next. But the further away I get from it, and the more I think about the story and the characters, the more meh I feel about the whole thing.

Adrian is incredibly pushy. Making all of her friends such strong, independent characters just takes away from the realism. I find it highly unlikely they would put up with Adrian planning their entire lives for them. She walks into peoples’ lives and assumes she knows what would be best for them. Sure, she’s somewhat subtle about it, making hints and suggestions about everything from workout routines to moving or buying a house rather than outright forcing them into things. But it’s all a bit much for me. Even the fact that she researched the other kids at her new high school and selected friends based on how they could help her just seems so calculated.

I appreciate the breadth of time Legacy covers as it makes everything that happens more believable. That’s the thing about Roberts; she manages to make the craziest, most insane propositions feel totally possible while you’re reading. As a result, I’m always hooked and feel almost addicted to the story, unable to put it down. It’s never until later that I start to pick the story apart and second guess my original opinion. I initially rated Legacy four stars as soon as I finished, but I’m dropping that to 3.5 stars on reflection. Still easy-to-read and enjoyable, definitely thrilling, but probably not fantastic.