The Valentine Legacy (Legacy Series #3) Book

The Valentine Legacy was a delightful read. It was also my first Catherine Coulter novel and definitely will not be the last.

Wit and humour were both used wisely and timely to build chemistry between Jessie Warfield and her love, James Wyndham. There was an absence of emotional intensity and dramatics and even without this, Jessie and James were still appealing characters. Their heartfelt bickering and eventual passion was a fun journey involving plenty of comical moments and light trials and tribulations.

Since the gist of the story was the development of Jessie and James's relationship, the lack of a plot places much of the focus on them. There were moments that were tedious, overused and downright exasperating. Particularly, the "old-Jessie versus new-Jessie" comparisons. He may not realize it yet but he loves Jessie just as much as she loves him, a love that Jessie has nurtured from childhood into adulthood. Even though their antics were at times ridiculous, most times they were hilarious and this captured their chemistry well and showcased their suitability for each other.

The plot was a simple one involving a bad memory from Jessie's past, which is recovered during a bad fall where she hits her head and is knocked out. Ever since, her lovemaking with James triggers a memory which leads them to solve a mystery and to cure her nightmares. They do so with help from familiar characters who are just as charming as the main ones. Along with mad guys, there are enlightening moments where James finally realizes that he truly loves Jessie.

The ending left a great feeling. Everything fell into place steadily and satisfyingly like the end of an emotional roller-coaster ride.