Legacy by Jeanette Baker... A Review

Legacy by Jeanette Baker...

When a distant relative bequeaths a Scottish castle to Christina Murray, the beautiful college professor is off to a distant land to claim her inheritance. It is there that she meets Ian Douglas, a breathtakingly handsome man who may hold the key to the secrets of Traquair House...and to her heart. As Christina enters the elusive passageway to love, her all-too-lifelike dreams reveal that she is tied to three ghostly ancestors: Katrine, a spirited Jacobite, in love with an Englishman...Jeanne, a Renaissance wife accused of witchcraft...and Mairi, the medieval maid Who shares a forbidden passion with England's king.

Destined to become the curse's next victim, Christina travels through time to unveil the mystery of her family. But she soon discovers that her assumptions about Ian and their, newly found love, as well as her own life, may have put her in grave danger....

Do you love Historical Romance? Does just the mention of Scotland make you imagine foggy cliffs and mysterious men? Ladies, do yourself a favor and pick this one up! I can't resist a Scottish romance, but when you add an ancient curse, ghostly ancestors, and a bit of time travel, then I'm totally sold! And as soon as I started reading Legacy by Jeanette Baker I fell in love with her writing. Her characters are well developed, the setting is painted beautifully onto the page, and the story just takes you by the hand and leads you away...

The story begins with Christina Murray receiving a mysterious letter from Lady Maxwell along with a plane ticket to Scotland. When she arrives, she finds Lady Maxwell on her deathbed, and one look at Christina was all she needed to finish her life. Fear gripped Lady Maxwell as she looked upon Christina's face, and she died. At this point I was wondering if it was coincidental, but we are soon to find out that Christina is the spitting image of one of the cursed ancestors of Traquair House. And the real reason for Lady Maxwell to want to meet Christina was soon to be revealed - Lady Maxwell's husband willed his estate, the castle, Traquair House, to Christina. What comes along with Traquair House is the curse...

As the story unfolds, the stories of the other three women, Christina's ancestor's that were doomed by the curse, are also revealed. We are transported back in time and place, and treated to what seems like 4 stories, as each woman steps forward to share their forbidden love and life with the reader. The stories are woven seamlessly together, and are passionate, sexy, and painful. And each story stays within its historical context, as Jeanette Baker immerses us in the sights and sounds of the day. I loved being transported back, and almost didn't want to come back to the present. Christina must resolve to solve the mysteries behind all their lives so as not to suffer the same ill fated curse.

I rate this delicious! A multi-layered story that doesn't loose it in the details. Equal parts of mystery and romance, I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope to add more Jeanette Baker novels on my shelves! I want to thank Sourcebooks for the review copy of this Cassablanca Classic Romance!