#BlogTour A Wild Legacy by Celeste De Blasis

It's my turn on the BlogTour A Wild Legacy by Celeste De Blasis, the third book in the Wild Swan trilogy.

About the Author

Millions of readers have fallen under the spell of the lush, enthralling and bestselling novels by Celeste De Blasis. Tales of adventure and romance set against the sweep of history—all are storytelling at its finest. After graduating from Pomona College, Celeste devoted her life to impeccable research and spellbinding writing.  A native Californian, Celeste grew up on the historic Kemper Campbell Ranch in the Mojave Desert, where she lived until her death in 2001. 

About the book

Lexy Culhane follows in stunned silence as her father bundles her younger brothers onto the train in a midnight flight away from the only life they have ever known. It seems impossible to her that her gentle, loving mother could have shot a man.

Despite the shock, Lexy soon grows to love her new home at Wild Swan, the grand horse farm in Maryland run by her formidable grandmother, Alexandria Falconer. It is from Alex that Lexy has inherited her fiery and rebellious spirit, and which eventually leads her headlong into a career as a crusading reporter during the final days of the frontier wars.

When Lexy meets enigmatic fellow reporter Hawk MacKenna, she feels she has finally found her soulmate. But Hawk’s life is shadowed by a mistake from his youth, and still haunted by her mother’s actions, Lexy struggles to trust him. When her relentless curiosity about his hidden past comes between them, Hawk leaves for the battlefields in the West and Lexy accepts an invitation from distant relations in England. But when she is offered a chance to stay, she faces a test—can she choose between building a new life in this foreign land, or returning to face the pain, and the love, that she left behind?

A stunning, dramatic and heartfelt story by beloved storyteller Celeste De Blasis, set against the backdrop of the most turbulent age of American history. Perfect for readers who love Poldark, Outlander and Daphne du Maurier.

A Wild Legacy was originally published as A Season of Swans.

Review

This is the third book in the Wild Swan trilogy, which used to be called A Season of Swans.  All of the books can be read as standalone novels, however because it is a family saga readers might be interested in reading about the origin story of the family and how they overcome the obstacles in their way.

This part of the trilogy focuses on the granddaughter of the admirable and strong Alexandria Falconer. Lexy is still struggling to understand the actions of her mother, which changed her childhood and her destiny in a way. Personally I thought there should have been more appreciation for the possibilities she was allowed to experience and profit from, instead of wallowing too much in the choices of others she can't control. The question is whether she can overcome her emotional turmoil and grasp some happiness.

Reading a De Blasis is like a blast from the past, because this genre has sort of sunken into shadows. Family sagas were very much one of the main viewing pleasures in the 80s and 90s. Think mini TV series - overly dramatic scenes set in beautiful surroundings with tune stopping dialogue. A very specific type of escapism that lost its appeal somewhere along the decades as readers became eager to have a more serious, relatable and down to earth experience.

Now the genre has been swallowed up and split into multiple sub-genres, which appeal to a variety of demographics. Chick Lit, pure romance, romcom, erotic and so on. The bonkbusters, bodice-rippers and family sagas took a backseat to a more diverse approach to the topic of family, love and relationships. I think there is a resurgence, which suggests that Blasis might get a second wave of appreciation for her work, even if she isn't here to appreciate it herself.

Buy A Wild Legacy at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Bookouture pub date 8 Dec. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Waterstones. Buy on Apple, Kobo, Google.