“Welcome, ladies, the next few weeks will decide your future. But before all that, let me introduce you to my son, Nicholas. To one of you, he’ll be a future husband. To the rest, a nightmare who will haunt your dreams for whatever time you have left.” Born into privilege, Victoria Hamilton has endured a life of opulent captivity. Disallowed to associate with any men outside her kin, she … her kin, she ventures beyond her gilded cage vicariously, through the art books she adores and the adventures of her dear friend, Tamara. Nevertheless, this staid existence has left her naïve and wildly unprepared when Victoria is finally allowed to debut into society…a debut unlike any other, with no place for the weak.
The arrogantly debauched Nicholas Cavendish, Earl of Lullington, knows he must marry on his thirtieth birthday to inherit his controlling father’s dukedom. The five women selected for him will undergo depraved trials no genteel woman should ever be made to suffer. But for Nicholas, what begins as a means to an end quickly becomes a matter of the heart, thanks to one woman—the brave, beautiful and achingly innocent Victoria.
Sentiment and secrecy make for poor bedfellows, with the Cavendish family legacy being the biggest, most dangerous secret of all. And despite all she’s endured to win her place by his side, Victoria may find Nicholas is truly the one in need of saving.
Book Two – Tainted Reason available January 2019
Book Three – A Father’s Insistence available April 2019
For more information and blurbs both books can be found on Goodreads.
A. Zavarelli rated it FIVE STARS
I have so little time to read anymore but when I do I love a good dark romance. Legacy of Succession was dark romance at its best. Anna Edwards gave us a chillingly twisted read that I couldn’t stop thinking about even when I put the book down. The characters haunted me and had me questioning their fates all the way up until the very end.
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Thrilling, dark, twisted, suspenseful. Wow, a page turner that kept me reading to the very end in one sitting. Engrossing characters, a twisted and dark plot, guaranteed to keep you reading till the end. Loved it. Definitely recommended, but be warned if you don’t like it dark, this is not the book for you.
Victoria was kept naive and Nicholas was easily controlled. I had a hard time getting into the book because the men were so blatantly misogynistic. I understand that buying and selling women and children still goes on in this world, but this would have been so much more effective as a dystopian novel. I spent the first half or more of the novel wondering what in the heck I was reading, who these people were, and how they got away with these things. It covered the gambit of depravity. And to be honest, I only read as much as I could stomach and then skipped to the last couple of chapters so I could find out what happened between the main characters in the end.
This is clearly a story that idealized Stockholm Syndrom, and I don’t know if I’ll ever understand how a woman can write something like this in our world. There are so many women and children kidnapped, stolen from their families, and forced into sexual slavery. This story showed the ugly side of such a situation, but so many of the characters just made me ill. It was a difficult book to read.
That being said, I’m more interested in what happens with the brother because that’s a story that could get intricate and involved. Children with special needs who are neglected but have a level of autistic genius like he has could make for an amazing story.
This story was a roller coaster of emotions. A secret society where woman are treated as possessions and are just chattel for the men. In years of torture and rules, one woman takes a stand and captures the heart of the next successor. This story is not for the faint of heart and dark themes run throughout this story but the way that the words are written help gloss over the horrors and I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened next. Victoria is the type of woman we should all strive to be. Nicholas finally becomes the man that his mother saw in in when he was born. Together they vow overcome the archaic society. In the center of madness, they find true love.
I devoured this book! Staying up super late, or is it early? Why do I start books like this before sleeping?
The storyline sucked me in so hard. The characters are well, not gonna lie, I did want to beat Nicholas up the side of the head and tell him to grow some balls. Also may have wanted to harm some others – Slowly, really slowly lol.
Some of the ‘history’ and such of the society did seem too far fetched and completely unrealistic- but this is fiction so sky is the limit! Cannot wait for book 2!
I loved this book! This is the first book in this series and I can’t wait to read more! I love how Ms. Edwards is able to pull me in right from the beginning of the story and kept me engaged until the end. The characters are awesome and really made the story for me. This is about a corrupt family in London where Nicholas is next in line to inherit the title. Problem is he now finds himself in need of a wife. Each woman is put through some tests in order to be considered. I won’t say to much after this so it doesn’t give anything away but I highly recommend reading to find out. There are some twists and turns that left me sitting on the edge of my seat. This is a must read!
This is a first book by this author for me. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters within. There was darkness, depravity and romance. The anticipation to see how far the author would push the limits in this dark erotica had me turning the pages to see where it would take me. Spellbinding and intense!
Dark-Demented and a Damned good read
I have to say despite some minor flaws in the plot line this story was engaging from the beginning to the end – it was one of those reads you just can’t put down – Full of some great plot twists and turns and multiple breath holding, fist clenching “OH NO” moments -be prepared- as Legacy may result in a book hangover
Let’s start with our heroine -Victoria – she is everything I look for in a female lead – Strong – Snarky and not about to back down. I loved how she was portrayed -there is a strength to her that resonates throughout the story – you can’t help but shout “you go girl” every time she gets back up.
Then there is our lead male -Nicholas – I still don’t think I like him – he lost his gonads a long time ago (honestly I think Victoria and another character I can’t mention may have them) and I personally do not believe he ever found them nor is he worthy of a woman like Victoria but then again who knows how this will turn out – Oh wait I do
This book is dark, twisted and the Legacy of Succession itself is cruel, violent and depraved. What does it say about me that I loved it and couldn’t put it down! Perhaps it’s the hope that goodness and love can overcome the very worst evil….
Victoria is one hell of a feisty character, but I feared for her and her inability at times to keep quiet, but she was such a strong woman in the face of her worst nightmares come to life. Nicholas is a playboy, seemingly uncaring and uninterested, he is doing what his father expects. However, there is much more to him and I warmed to him more and more as the story progressed, it’s not just his future at stake.
I have read and enjoyed some of Anna Edwards other series, but I do like the dark side, so don’t know why I left it so long to read this! Be warned, this is dark and the author does not hold back. If that is your thing, then I highly recommend it!
Rating 4.5 stars
Loved it..
This is a page turner. Loved the plot and the twists in that plot.
This book is good for readers who are into dark romance and who don’t have and aversion to chauvinistic brutality. The characters take a painful journey and arrive where they least expect.
Unnerving, dark and suspenseful….
And what a legacy the main characters of this dark and shocking tale have to encounter and endure…. this was a deliciously wicked book, which managed to perfectly balance – cruelty, avarice and depravity with humour, selflessness and an unexpected love story..
The author has a wonderful imagination, creating a diverse mix of characters: some kind and generous, some despicable and murderous; mostly they are flawed; and all are multifaceted and believable… the protagonists are the worthy stars: she is a strong willed but naive young woman and he is a powerful and driven man…both are frustrating at times and both show courage and loyalty, but neither has control over their destiny, and their future, and that of the others caught up in their world, is a precarious and an uncertain one…
This is an unnerving and suspenseful romance; I was captivated by the the main characters’ stories and whilst the book ends without a cliffhanger there are clearly many more individuals who will be faced with equally daunting and deadly challenges in the coming instalments..I look forward to reading more…I received an advanced copy of this book from the author.
I really enjoyed this and read it in one sitting
I’d been wondering whether to read this or not, so when it was chosen as a Book of the Month read over in the Dark Erotica group I hit the one-click button. I’d mistakenly thought this was a historical read from the blurb, but it’s very much contemporary, though chock full of secret societies and their strictures.
I’ve not read anything by this author before, though I have heard positive things about her work, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wanted an edge of the seat, anxiety inducing read where I hated the hero until he saved the day and made me love him instead. Whilst I didn’t get quite as edgy a read as I’d hoped for, it still held my attention and I read this in one sitting (thank goodness for lazy Sunday afternoons!)
Victoria is the daughter of a Viscount, and whilst she’s led a very privileged life, it’s also been a very sheltered to the point of isolation existence. It comes as somewhat of a shock when she is taken to Oakfield and told she will have to partake in several trials. Trials that will decide her suitability to marry the Duke’s heir, Nicholas. Even worse than failing the trials is what awaits her if she doesn’t get chosen as the bride.
I liked Victoria’s feisty nature, some reviewers found her immature and felt she threw tantrums, however she was 21 or 22 and had very little true life experience. Her actions and reactions felt believable given her age and upbringing. I did think she went from a very placid little girl at the start of the book, to a headstrong and sometimes foolhardy heroine once she was initiated into Oakfield. However, who knows how we would react in the same situation, if she has a temper like mine she would find it VERY difficult to hold her tongue, LOL!
Nicholas had some times when he was creepily evil and emotionally removed from what he was doing, but mainly he came across as being just as trapped as Victoria was. We saw far too much warmth and caring from him for me to find him dark or evil. In fact by the end of the book he was having to fight for freedom and life just as much as Victoria was.
The Duke and his faceless cronies were the truly evil characters in this and there were some very dark themes/situations that Victoria had to endure. For me the fact that it wasn’t the hero/antihero abusing the heroine, and some of the darker scenes were from Nicholas’ perspective, lessened the darkness. However that’s not to take away from it being a really good read and I’ve read so much dark stuff lately that I think I’m almost becoming immune to it!
The only real criticism I have of the book is that there wasn’t a lot of romance in it. I felt their chemistry but I struggled to believe that they had formed a bond or connection. There wasn’t enough ‘alone’ time together, I appreciate the plot made this difficult but the declarations of love felt very rushed.
Despite the fact that the girls are treated almost as sexual objects, the steam level of the book was fairly low. However it was perfect for the story, which I would recommend to both lovers of dark romance and those looking to dip their toe in darker waters.
I absolutely adored Legacy of Succession
I read this book in one day I just needed to know what was happening next !
Like always Anna Edwards has out done herself with this awesome book
My only warning is to say this is a dark romance please don’t read if you don’t like dark books !
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book in the series and what happens with William…