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Friday 26 February 2016

Book Review: Langston's Daughters by Juliette Harper

Last Updated: 31 May 2021

Langston's Daughters by Juliette Harper book cover

AD* | Kate, Jenny, and Mandy. Langston Lockwood’s daughters.

His tyranny drove them away. His suicide draws them home. They inherit his land, his millions, and his mysteries.

Meet the women of the Rocking L and the men who come into their lives. Together, they begin the journey to discover the truth about The Lockwood Legacy. From the pain of the past, they find the strength to build a dynasty.

Langston's Daughters is the first book of the four-part Lockwood Legacy series by the duo writing under the pseudonym of Juliette Harper. It follows the three Lockwood sisters, Kate, Jenny and Mandy, as they return to their childhood home deep in rural Texas, following their father's death.

An introduction

As this is the first book of the series, it's little more than a set-up for the following books. I haven't read the other books, but if you want to get any sense of completion and have read a full narrative, there's not really any way around buying the boxset!

Because of that, Langston's Daughters can't really be described as a stand-alone novel. You're left partway through the action on a cliff-hanger, poised to find out what happens next. Now, I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of cliff-hanger endings. In my opinion, a book (regardless of whether it's part of a series or not) should be self-contained. It should have its own beginning, middle and end and yes, fair enough if it has threads tied in which are picked up in the next book, but each book of the series should also have its own story arc which finishes at the end of the individual book. The problem with the book is that it reads as a part of a larger work that has just been chopped up into separate books to get more money out of readers.

Easy, quick read

Despite the fact this book is little more than a set-up for the rest of the series, I still enjoyed it. It's quite a short book and a very easy, quick read (I read it in an afternoon) so it's understandable that parts felt quite rushed. The story as a whole seemed to progress very fast - for example, one minute a character was adamant she wouldn't do something, next she completely changed her mind. That made the story hurtle on to the end at a breakneck pace!

The characters were one of the best parts of the story. All three Lockwood girls were individual, yet shared some key traits that made it instantly obvious they were related. Plus they were all interesting in their own right - I enjoyed reading about each of them and the way they adjusted to the events that took place in the book. Each girl had a love interest who fitted their personality perfectly. Some of the romance also felt a little rushed, but I get the feeling they will be explored further in the rest of the series.

I've never been to Texas (I've never even been to the US) but this is one of those books where the setting speaks for itself. I could easily imagine the rolling landscape of the ranch and surrounding countryside perfectly, and it's obvious that the writer knows the landscape inside out.

Rating: 3 stars

A super quick western chick-lit and a good introduction to the series, Langston's Daughters is available to buy now (paid link; commission earned).

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 

Have you read Langston's Daughters? Let me know in the comments below!

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