What are you looking for?

Legacies #1

ALC provided by Must Love Audio

Author: Ava Rani

Narrators: Soneela Nankani and Connor Crais

Thanks, @authoravarani and @mustloveaudio for the ALC.

Malena Amin lives a double life – she’s the obedient, rule-following daughter becoming a respectable Indian family. She’s also the feisty, risk-taking, ‘party girl’ who kicks ass as a pre-Med major and a writing minor. When her tutoring gig (that has been funding her double life) falls through, she sets her eyes on the prize for a writing contest through the school paper. She hits the jackpot for a story when she intercepts an invitation from a secret society on campus! She’ll poke around their meeting and have a story. 

Enter Conrad Hastings, heir to a media conglomerate whose idea of college life is rowing, partying and fun. He’s in a pickle, because his newspaper mogul dad found out he’s been less than diligent in the school paper and failed a course to boot, which ends up in an ultimatum. Luck intervenes when he finds the alluring girl crashing the secret society meeting and he tags along with writing her article.

Soon, they discover a shady business in the underbelly of the university and they have an even better story. But hearts get involved. He’s an infamous playboy and she’s realizing that it’s impossible to keep her double life. 

Narrated in duet by Soneela Nankani and Connor Crais, this was a fun listen. Soneela is amazing as Malena (and as her overbearing mom!). Connor plays the swoony playboy with a soft heart and you root for them to be able to be together. Top narration!

One thing I really enjoyed (even though my Western-raised feminist was blowing a gasket by the minute) is the real, frank depiction of living your life to the fullest when you have to balance the culture you were born into with the one you live in. I felt deeply for Malena and her struggle to be herself and to belong. 

We have an added mystery to the story that’s kinda cozy and makes things interesting. 
For anyone who loves college settings, a risk-taking heroine, a reformed playboy, lavish parties and trips, overbearing parents, secret societies, library spice and finding your person. I can’t wait for the next in the series! 

Representation: FMC is Southeast Asian (India)

Content notes: toxic relationship with parents. Mentions of cheating (not MCs), feelings of inadequacy, kidnapping (off page, not MCs, historical), divorce