Darn, this made me cry. But it also made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, so I'll forgive it for the crying part. There's something about Irish women's fiction - there are a bunch of really great authors in the genre, and Emma Heatherington is definitely a member of that group. The Legacy of Lucy Harte is, as it says on the tin, a poignant, life-affirming novel that will make you laugh and cry. I don't really like it when books state things like that in the title - I assume it's a ploy to get Amazon to list it in a certain way, and I find it somewhat arrogant. I'll make my own mind up thank you very much. But darn it, it's right. It is poignant - so very poignant. It is life-affirming - a gentle and kind reminder to live life to the fullest while you have the chance. And it did indeed make me laugh and cry, though it wasn't a full-on laugh-out-loud. It's more of a sweet story than a funny one, but it has its moments.

I enjoyed Maggie as a character - she felt real. She wasn't always good, didn't always make the right decisions, didn't always listen to advice. She drank too much, held on to grudges, wallowed in self-pity and smothered her creative urges. Then she receives the legacy of Lucy Harte, and slowly things begin to change as she steps out of her comfort zone and remembers that there's more to life than real estate. And so we follow her on a journey of self-discovery that is an absolute joy to read.

Regular readers of my reviews will know that I'm very picky about endings. I can't actually say much about this one - I'm not the spoiler type - but I will say that it was very well done. It felt right, even if it did make me cry. Well done, Ms Heatherington, on delivering a story that very much makes me want to read more of your work.

As a teenager Maggie was taken ill and given a new heart - the donor Lucy Harte, a fourteen year old girl who died in an accident.

Seventeen years later Maggie gets a letter out of the blue from Lucy's brother Simon and it couldn't have come at a better time - she is at an all time low after her husband has left her for another woman and she can't get over it - her work is suffering and she is on a downward spiral of partying and drinking

When Maggie meets up with Simon he gives her a box that used to belong to Lucy and in it are some diaries and a "to do list" Maggie gets totally embroiled in this and decides to carry out all of the things on Lucy's list in her memory

A lovely bittersweet story, which I read in one sitting because I couldn't put it down - I loved the characters, although at first I just wanted to give Maggie a good shake! Definitely one worth reading