Penelope “Penny” Livingston has had a hole in her heart since the day she gave her baby up for adoption. As a teenager, she knew she couldn’t accept the responsibility of taking care of a baby, but she’s never gotten over giving her away, either. She starts the search to find her daughter, if only to assure herself that her child is happy. What she really wants is to be a part of her daughter’s life.

Penny’s search leads her to Claire, who just happens to be an almost exact match of the child she’s looking for. Claire shares the important birth facts as her daughter does, and Penny is content to accept that Claire is her daughter, just as Claire is happy to accept Penny. The two share a bond, even after it comes out that Claire is not Penny’s biological child.

Larry O’Neill, the baby’s father, is the only person who knows the truth Penny seeks. Their baby was never put up for adoption; instead, she was raised by his babysitter turned wife and himself. This is news that he’s desperate to keep to himself in order to keep himself clear of all legal ramifications. Will he ever let the truth come out?

Legacy of Lies by Laurie Larsen is a heartbreaking tale. While I wouldn’t consider it really a romantic tale, it has great suspense. Following Penny along with her investigation, and seeing how far Larry would go to cover up the truth, kept me on edge. The characters are drawn out through the whole story in a tangled web of connections. When the truth finally comes out, I was torn with what to feel for Larry, while his deceptions made me angry, his reasons for most of them were valid. Legacy of Lies is full of emotions that I felt through the story, and the ending left me happy with how things turned out.


Reviewed by: Kristen