A Christmas Legacy

by Kathryn Shay

A Christmas Legacy by Kathryn Shay released on Oct 25, 2000 is available now for purchase.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 037370948X
• ISBN13: 9780373709489
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

A winning romance

Fifteen years ago Jay Lawrence, then known as Jacob Steele, left his hometown of Riverbend, Indiana after being betrayed by his father, Abraham, the town patriarch. Legally changing his name, Jay vowed to never return, but his company ComputerConcepts desperately needs cash and Jay stands to inherit a fortune if he meets the stipulations in the will of the recently deceased Abraham. He also wants to insure his two spinster aunts do not lose their inheritance to a gold digging woman who used Abraham as her personal sugar daddy. If Jay fails to stay in town for two months or defaults on working in the bookstore, Kate McMann obtains the estate.Jay believes Kate is the worst kind of woman and plans too not only expose her, but also protect his aunts from her ruthlessness. However, when he meets her, to his chagrin, Jay finds himself attracted to the single mother of five-year old twins. As love blossoms between them, Jay betrays Kate, but will a matchmaker from the grave help them realize what really matters in life?The latest Riverbend Rats tale, A CHRISTMAS LEGACY, is a warm drama that centers on the long-term impact of a broken father-son relationship on other personal interactions. The story line is enjoyable though somewhat melodramatic as the lead protagonist struggles with the concepts of love and mistrust. The return of characters from previous novels is a Christmas present to series fans. Kathryn Shay keeps up the tradition of quality in one of the better long running romantic series on the market today.Harriet Klausner

The prodigal son returns

When Jacob Steele returned home after fifteen years, it wasn't to reconnect with the town that loved him. Instead, his motivation was purely financial. He needed capital and he wasn't above claiming the inheritance bequeathed to him by the father whom he felt betrayed him. Unfortunately for the man who now calls himself Jay Lawrence, the inheritance comes with conditions. These conditions will keep Jay in Riverbend for a month working in the family bookstore. If he decides not to fulfill the terms, the bookstore and the farmhouse he used to cherish, go to the manager, Kate McMann. Jay isn't about to let a woman, whose ambiguous relationship with his father is questionable, get her hands on his inheritance. He sets out to confront her never knowing that she and her twin daughters would change his plans, not to mention his life, forever.Kathryn Shay's installment of the Riverbend mini-series is clearly a conclusion to this diverse cast of characters. She ties up all the loose ends with a strong narrative and wonderful character development on the part of Jay Lawrence. Our hero is clearly a man tormented by his falling out with his father, whom he used to adore. Although he tries to hide his heart from Kate, he finds it impossible to keep from connecting with her and her dreams all the while knowing that he will destroy them. In addition, Shay implements fragments from Jacob's past during his stay at the old farmhouse with the McManns, which stir up wonderful memories of a town he had come to hate. Though Kate is a solid and admirable character, it is truly Jay who makes this book stand out as he finds himself drawn to reconnect with Riverbend family and friends, to doubt his own heartlessness as he connects to Kate and her girls, and to finally come to terms with the imperfections of Abraham Steele.