The Legacies Reviews

the Foster family empire, whose interests seemingly span the globe, commanding equal amounts of respect and fear. With stunning looks to match her highpowered family connections, Morgan is more than ready to strike out on her own as she begins a new life as a freshman at nearby Bradley University.

Despite all the privileges that her affluent upbringing have afforded her, though, Morgan still longs for two very important things she’s never been able to obtain: a strong sense of self, and, of course, true love.

Noah Stephens has been fitted for the cloth for as long as he can

remember. The son of an influential minister, his path toward joining the family

ministry appears set. Growing up without the typical advantages of a family with

considerable material success, Noah’s empathetic heart remains fixed on doing the best he can to serve the Lord by being a blessing to those in need…of course, his heart also longs to find his own way of going about fulfilling his divine destiny in life – as well as learning precisely what that destiny is. Going into his freshman

year at Bradley University, Noah seeks the answers to these questions, at the same time discovering more about the nature of his true self – and his family’s real past.

When their widely divergent paths serendipitously cross, neither Morgan

nor Noah are prepared for the onslaught of emotion, pain, and drama soon to

follow. Unable to fight the powerful attraction between them, the two star-crossed lovers remain bound to one another as they each face unimaginable strife, shock, and ultimate loss in the wake of the unearthing of long-held family secrets. Only time will tell if their bond is strong enough to survive the coming trials that will test their very souls.

The follow up effort to her highly successful debut, Keeping Misery

Company, The Legacies promises to be just as much of a hit with Michelle Larks’

ever-growing legion of readers. Masterful storyteller that she is, in Legacies Larks

has re-fashioned the ages-old Romeo & Juliet tale with a modern-day, urban twist.

Brought together by forces greater than themselves, Noah and Morgan both

contend with seemingly unending family drama and despair, and the two youths,

in turn, rely on a strength that exceeds their own in order to cope with the

incessant cycles of tribulation. With each new startling revelation, the reader will

begin to wonder just how the young lovers are able to remain the picture of

relative calm during the storm while everyone else around them loses their minds

– and nearly everything else – as times grow increasingly tough.

Also, enough cannot be said about Larks’ incomparable ability to weave an

intricate, multi-layered tale, perfectly preserving suspense while tantalizing readers with just enough heat to keep them turning page after page, eagerly anticipating what’s to come next. In addition, she’s able to humanize a salacious tale of greed, power, and sex by relating the real effects of their consequences on the hearts and minds of those caught up in their mix. Such ability is truly a gift, and not one that many authors both possess and wield so skillfully.

The Legacies, rightly so, will go down as yet another instant classic from a

proven author whose time has truly come. No matter how many fans Michelle

Larks has won over with her writing efforts thus far, those numbers will quickly

dwarf in comparison to the soon-to-be-converted as her literary legend continues to grow.

The Legacies

Michelle Larks

Urban Books

July 29, 2008

Trade Paperback

Christian Fiction

5 Stars

When was the last time you started a book you couldn't put down? Well, for me it was last night. The Legacies has a plot line that is so tight even this master detective couldn't predict the ending. The story centers on Morgan Daniels-Foster. She is the daughter of Jernell Foster and next in line to head one of the biggest drug cartels in the US. This unique mob like empire has survived for more than 4 generations and was designed and operated by women. The Foster heritage is so fierce that it puts the Italian mob to shame.

Morgan is having second thoughts about taking control of the 'family business', so she decides to get away from home, attend college, and live a normal life for a while. On the way to Bradley College, they stop to help a fellow student, Noah Stephens, because he is having car trouble. Quickly the two developed a loving relationship based on friendship, fun and the Word of God. Things are going smoothly for the couple until a few weeks before graduation. Noah's mother is in a fatal car accident, both have family secrets exposed, and Morgan's mother is arrested, in other words - all hell breaks loose. Will Morgan and Noah be able to survive the avalanche of problems that seem to continue to pick up steam as stuff rolls downhill?

Larks steps out on faith relating worldly problems with Godly wisdom. Proving she has a true gift from God with this sophomore project. The character development is unparalleled while the secrecy and intrigue will keep you guessing. At times you will yell and scream at the craziness that takes place in the web of deception that the Fosters continue weaving. Money, power, and murder draw you into the plot while love, mercy, and celibacy move you closer to God.

Deltareviewer

Reviewing for Real Page Turners

The character development was great; when the story began Morgan was seventeen years-old and Noah was eighteen, they had the behavior of typical teenagers and their first love. As they became older, the maturity was evident in their behaviors and the manner in which they spoke. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going, another shocking twist took me in a different direction. There were some errors within the galley copy I read, however, I hope Michelle Larks had the book properly edited before it was printed. I believe The Legacies has two genres it could fall under; Urban Christian Fiction and Urban Fiction, and I would recommend it to readers of both genres.

APOO Rating: 4.5 Stars, Amazon Rating: 4 Stars

THE LEGACIES by Michelle Larks

Urban Books, July 2008

304 Pages, Paperback, $14.95

ISBN: 1601629672

Genre: Christian Fiction

RAW Rating: 4 (out of 5)

The Burden of Legacy

As THE LEGACIES begins, readers are introduced to Noah and Morgan, two very different characters, who meet by chance, but share remarkably similar burdens. Both are about to embark on their freshman year of college and feel bound to follow the path their parents have plotted for them. Noah is the son of a pastor and has spent all of his life deeply involved in the church. The expense of college is a strain on the working-class family, but Noah's biggest pressure comes from the expectation that he should follow in his father's footsteps and pursue the ministry after graduation. Morgan, on the other hand, has always been pampered. So much so that she arrives at Bradley University in a limousine. She, too, is expected to follow in the footsteps of a parent. In her case, upon graduation, she is expected to take the helm of the mysterious, yet less than savory, family business. Fate causes the two to cross paths and a romance quickly emerges. As the story develops and Noah and Morgan try to find their way, it becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems on the surface.

Michelle Larks has crafted a thoughtful tale about the burden of legacy, and the characters in THE LEGACIES demonstrate how people are often compelled to carry the weight of family history throughout their lives like unwanted baggage. Christian themes are woven into the story like a whisper; a refreshing change from the sometimes too "in-your-face" preachy approach that has become common in this genre. As Noah and Morgan struggle to discover the plan for their lives, it is easy to relate to their joys, difficulties, and mistakes. Even the secondary characters were multi-dimensional, and with few exceptions, they were all more complex than they originally appeared. The complexities of the characters, coupled with the constant uncovering of new layers of truth, led to a story that was engrossing,well-paced, and full of twists and turns. Ultimately, THE LEGACIES is a moving story that reminds readers that we are bigger than the generational blessings (and curses) that follow us, if only we allow God to work freely in our lives.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay, RAWSISTAZ.com Â

The Legacies by Michelle Larks

Morgan and Noah are from two different worlds; Morgan's family business is extremely lucrative and affords her a posh lifestyle while Noah comes from humble beginnings. Yet the two of them meet and realize that they have more in common than they both think when they find out that they are both living out the dreams of their parents and not their own. Morgan and Noah's relationship is put to the test when Morgan can no longer keep her family secrets to herself.

The Legacies kept me turning pages, wanting to see how the drama of the story would unfold. There were a few storylines that I would have liked to see developed more, but that in no way took away from the quality of the story! The Legacies is a definite book for your library collection!

4 stars

Tamara G.

Atlanta, GA

Literary Lovers Book Club

Reviewer - Sidne, The book Clus Reviewer

This book is another "Thumbs Up for author, Michelle Larks.

The story is centered around characters Morgan, the college student of an influential wealthy family in Chicago and Noah, the college student from a blue collar working Chicago Christian family.

Can a girl that has a nanny and carrys her own American Express card since high school develop a meaningful relationship with a Church boy from the low income section of Chicago.

After college each child is expected to inherit the family legacy. Both are willing to accept their inheritance for the love of their parents even though they both have second thoughts about the lives their parents have planned for them. As thier friendship becomes romantic Morgan feels one day in time she will have to share her legacy with Noah.

Will Noah accept himself into her family and take his place. Can he continue to Love her despite her family business. Should she risk losing his love. After a tragic happens in Noah life, he makes the final decision to accept his legacy and become a minister. Morgan knows for sure she will lose Noah. She cannot be head of the family business while portraying a minister's wife.

Fraught by a series of events in her life and family secrets from both sides of their family, just may be enough to send them their seperate ways or will thier love abide.

This is Christian Ficton in its FINEST!! Trust and Obey in the midst of obstacles. A excellent read for teenagers and young adults.

Wonderfully Different Christian Read!, November 6, 2008

By	T. D. Brown "W.D.'s Mommy" (Pikesville, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This is my second Michelle Larks book and I loved it! I read a lot of Urban/Christian books and this very different story was so welcomed and needed. Ms. Larks was able to weave a story-line that actually had me thinking I was watching a movie (which by the way, is not a bad idea ;-)

I would have given this 5 stars easily; however, my copy had so many grammatical and/or typo errors it could have become distracting had the story not been so compelling. One would think that a company like Urban Christian would have editors to catch these errors before going to print.

I am now a Michelle Larks fan for life - bring on the next book!

Exciting Legacies, September 25, 2008

By	An Island Leo... "Debsowie, Maryland) - See all my reviews

I really enjoyed this novel. It was my first time reading one of Ms. Lark's books, and I do plan on checking out others she has written. The storyline was amazing; I loved the way she captured the "family business" by allowing us to see how emotionless and ruthless one has to be in this business. Morgan and Noah's romance was adorable and without them becoming intimate, helped them to see the real heart of each other. The twists towards the end were page-turning and believable. I wish there was a part 2! Great read!!