Unusual and complex story revolving round a father/husband's dying wishes.
Never really took off for me ,tho I stuck it out to see how it was resolvec.

I read this book, about three siblings meeting at their father’s Victorian seaside home following his untimely death to discuss the division of his estate, as I was on my way to meet with my two siblings at my parent’s Victorian seaside home to discuss the division of their estate. Wow… to say this one hit close to home would be an understatement.

When Jonathan Coulter passes away following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease, he leaves his three adult children, Liv, Noah and Chloe, in charge of deciding how his estate should be divided, other than a small stipend to go to his carer. The fact that Jonathan is survived by his ex-wife and partner, neither of whom are mentioned in the will, only adds further complications to the siblings’ decision. What follows is a fascinating exploration of a huge range of human emotions – grief and loss, expectation, hope, jealousy, greed, resentment, and fear as well as love. It is all very raw and feels very real. All three siblings have their own views on how the estate should be divided – who has the most need vs. who has had the most help in the past vs. who has other people relying on them, etc., etc.

Each of the characters is very well drawn, and all have their own personal strengths and weaknesses which makes them very relatable. I know that a lot of people would think that they would never behave in this way over the division of a loved one’s estate, but when the weight of expectation clashes with reality at a time of huge emotional upheaval there is really no way to predict how anyone is going to react, be they family or otherwise. This really could be any family and my own recent experience makes me wonder whether the author has drawn on real events for this story. I thought it was very well observed, and I would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

This is the story of Jonathan who has MND and his family which consists of his ex-wife Eloise, his current wife Megan and his three children; Liz, Chloe and Noah.
He is cared for by Lisa who knows the full extent of what he goes through with his illness and his family.
A story that was slow to get started and a bit mundane but picked up after a while. The last quarter of the book was the best and worse preserving for.

The Legacy is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read this year. The story revolves around three siblings trying to agree on the outcome of their late fathers estate. It’s such a story of family dynamics and values and the differences in opinion around right, wrong and entitlement.

I really enjoyed the book and thought it handled a very difficult topic very sensitively.

My thanks to Netgalley for my copy of The Legacy. This is a really interesting and absorbing family drama with many facets that brought out many emotions whilst reading. Having some knowledge of MND I feel that this was dealt with well too. I struggled to like the characters at first but as time passed I realised the stories behind their actions, I actually shed tears for them towards the end. I was so invested in the plot I couldn't put the book down but ironically didn't want it to end. Totally recommend.

The Legacy wasn’t what I expected, I thought that it might have a darker side but in all fairness this sort of situation could bring out the worst or the best in any family. What is fair when it come to carving up the estate of Jonathan Coulter, who deserves the lions share ? Who has already had some ? Should they forfeit some of there share? What of the first wife ? didn’t she get her share on the divorce settlement?? We all like to think we would be fair but then again it’s a dog eat eat dog works and you have to look after number one so which of Jonathan’s children will think of the first wife and mistress or how they can get the spoils for themselves!
#Netgalley #Amazon

Firstly this book should not be compared to One Split Second - it is written with a totally different premise. It is a slow burn, character driven, multi-layered story. It is not action packed, nor should it be. This story is of more slowly developing, complex characters, all dealing with grief and their own situations in one quite intense weekend. There are some strange decisions made by Jonathan, the deceased father, to keep the reader intrigued and keen to understand his actions. Constant underlying questions played around in my mind.
I don’t feel the characters were written to be likeable, more to engender characteristics that may be magnified, due to different ways of dealing with loss. The three children, all totally wrapped up in their own lives, all with strong feelings about their father’s young mistress and also about their mother Eloise/ her position in their family. As siblings do, they battle and argue, snipe and are selfishly tunnel-visioned.
The characters were portrayed effectively and I enjoyed seeing how Caroline Bond made us dislike them and their selfishness. Whilst running alongside the grief-stricken Megan, the mistress, wandering ghost like around the house and being inconsequential to the proceedings. An uncomfortable read at times, but provoking feelings in the reader is a skill well-used here.
The end of the book neatly wraps up the individual stories and I took great satisfaction from that.

The instructions in Jonathan’s will ensure that after his death his children have to face each other and come to terms with the way he has lived his life in his final years.
The story focuses on each family member to explain both their back story and their current feelings. I am conflicted about this book – sometimes it’s an interesting read, sometimes so obvious and stereo-typed.

It is well written and easy to read.

The Legacy by Caroline Bond is an emotional account of the illness and death of Jonathon, the father of the family and how his death affects those around him. However, it’s not at all doom and gloom and is actually very uplifting.. Jonathon’s legacy is for his three children to become executors of his estate and decide how the inheritance should be distributed. A further complication is that he now lives with Megan after divorcing his wife, the children’ mother.

And so the scene is set! The siblings set out to agree the terms and their old sibling rivalries and resentments emerge. They have to overcome their prejudices and misconceptions to come up with a fair arrangement.

It’s a thoroughly enjoyable story with believable and very human characters trying to find a solution that serves everyone and reflects Jonathon’s wishes. I recommend it and thank Netgalley and Atlantic Books for the complimentary copy.

Not a rip roaring plot but a book about people their re@cations and interactions. Jonathan dies of motor neurone disease and leaves behind a will of kinds asking his family to divide up his estate. The three children from his marriage to Eloise who he divorced must decide. Each of their stories emerges along side that of his ex wife, current partner , Megan and his carer. A study in human nature.
Well executed

Caroline Bond writes a thought-provoking tale of vulnerability, family resentment and tough decisions.

Jonathan Coulter dies following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease. He has planned for his death though his only bequest is a £5,000 gift to his carer, Lisa. Everything else he owns he leaves to his three executors, his three children, to be decided between them.

The characters in The Legacy were pretty vile, nevertheless, they are drawn extremely well; they are multidimensional, well rounded and felt extremely real. The situation they find themselves in is entirely plausible and is a credible drama. A family coming together after death is something most can identify with and the author explores the family dynamics brilliantly. A first-class, powerful read.

I read The Legacy in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to Corvus, Caroline Bond, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

After Jonathan Coulter dies following a battle with MND, his will declares that he wants his three adult children to decide how to split his estate, forcing the bickering siblings to spend a weekend in each other's company at their father's home, with their father's girlfriend of five years and (inexplicably) their mother. Ought they to leave anything to the woman he left their mother for? What should they give to their mother, his wife for 35 years, but not his wife at his death? And with these questions raised, more tensions are unearthed as each of the siblings has to put aside their own personal troubles for a moment to deal with the practicalities of death.

For all that they seem pretty awful, the characters in this book are drawn extremely well - they feel very real and well rounded. The situation they are in too seems entirely plausible, a potentially real drama without any unnecessary sensationalism that just relies on character and emotional depth to keep the reader's interest to the end.

I’m really torn with this book because I thought the characters were fairly awful and failed at every opportunity to redeem themselves but I was completely caught up in the “ what will they decide” element. I could re-write the ending to suit what I wanted to happen but that’s not going to happen so will give it a four star rating if a little reluctantly.

The legacy is a poignant, moving read that delves deep into the psyche of family relationships! Wills, inheritance and a fractured family causes tensions, arguments and angst!
Three siblings are tasked with apportioning their late fathers will, this is complicated by having an ex wife and a current partner,one weekend to decide their fate or lose everything!
Tensions run high, assumptions are made, opinions vary, resentment abounds and bitterness and guilt a plenty!
Why has their father put them in this position? How will they decide to fairly distribute the estate? And most importantly honour their fathers last wishes. A father that had always been in control now in the throws of the ravaging, debilitating condition of motor neurone disease graphically but sensitively described.
Ultimately a decision is made and family dynamics are strengthened and life choices made/ altered or changed.
A thought provoking read.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

The Legacy is very well written and realistic book about a dysfunctional family sorting out their fathers will after his death.

It is a story of family, secrets, love, loss and grief and I recommend it to readers who enjoy family drama.

I really enjoyed this book, from the first page I was drawn in and wanted to know how things worked out. It was interesting to meet the characters and to learn their stories and the interaction between them was well written. A family coming together after a death to sort out the finances is something most of us can identify with and the author explored the family dynamics very well. Also the story did take some unexpected twists

When Jonathan dies after being ill with motor neurone disease, his children gather to hear his will. He had left their mother for Megan, a younger woman, and the children have not forgiven her breaking up their family. Jonathan has planned his death with the help of his carer and the children find out that his will is unusual.
They meet several weeks later at their father and Megan's home. The home they grew up in. They have to decide how to carry out their father's wishes and as the weekend unfurls old sibling rivalry comes to the fore.
I enjoyed this tale.

I’ve never read anything like this, it was a very clever plot. A father leave money to his children, but they all have to agree on what to do with it or they will lose it all. I’m not sure how I would respond in this situation. The children didn’t know everything about their dads life, but as they do it makes it even harder for them to agree what to do with his inheritance.
Such a clever book, with an important message. What is important in life? How well have you brought up your children? Would they do the right thing? Would they agree? I’m not sure many people would be sure of the answers to these questions. This is what makes this books so amazing. Who knew how it would work out?

They say 'where there's a will there's a relative' or in this case 3 siblings who must learn to agree with each other and fast. When Jonathon died suddenly from MND his statement of wishes was read to his children who are tasked with deciding how to share out his estate before the funeral can take place.
This is a great novel that explores the complexities of family relationships the grown up siblings , Jonathon's estranged wife ,their mother and Meghan the partner who he left his marriage for . The plotting and machinations of the three children (for that is what they revert to being ) in deciding on the best split of the assets whilst mourning the loss of a parent and ultimately the family home makes for fascinating reading. There are also unanswered questions thrown into the mix why was his recent carer left a sum of money and why has no provision seemingly been made for Megan his current partner?

A tightly packed and well scripted family drama that had me on the edge of my seat, turning pages frantically. Well worth a read