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The Full Legacy
‘The Full Legacy’ – Lesbian fiction with a hint of the supernatural.
Available in Kindle, paperback and audiobook
London 1993 - Gill is wary of love. Since the death of her partner, Corinne, she has put all her energy into building up her photography business, being a good and reliable friend, and avoiding relationships at all costs.
When she meets the enigmatic Turner Shaw at a party she is shocked at the force of attraction she feels for this beautiful and charismatic new woman.
Against her better judgment, and despite rumours that Turner is both married and sleeping with the partner of one of her closest friends, Gill quickly finds herself drawn into a passionate affair with the mysterious stranger.
As news of the relationship spreads and suspicions about Turner grow, Gill finds herself having to take a stand against some of the people she loves best. And as tensions escalate, old loyalties are tested and cracks begin to appear in what has always seemed to be a stable and supportive friendship group.
Then tragedy strikes and Turner appears to be at the heart of it.
And Gill finds that she must gamble everything for a woman she loves, but doesn’t trust.
Based on her 1995 short novel, ‘The Legacy’ and now re-edited into full length novel format, ‘The Full Legacy’ is a rollercoaster lesbian romance from Jane Retzig, author of ‘Boundaries’, ‘The Photograph’, and 'The Wrong Woman'.
Available in Kindle, paperback and audiobook
London 1993 - Gill is wary of love. Since the death of her partner, Corinne, she has put all her energy into building up her photography business, being a good and reliable friend, and avoiding relationships at all costs.
When she meets the enigmatic Turner Shaw at a party she is shocked at the force of attraction she feels for this beautiful and charismatic new woman.
Against her better judgment, and despite rumours that Turner is both married and sleeping with the partner of one of her closest friends, Gill quickly finds herself drawn into a passionate affair with the mysterious stranger.
As news of the relationship spreads and suspicions about Turner grow, Gill finds herself having to take a stand against some of the people she loves best. And as tensions escalate, old loyalties are tested and cracks begin to appear in what has always seemed to be a stable and supportive friendship group.
Then tragedy strikes and Turner appears to be at the heart of it.
And Gill finds that she must gamble everything for a woman she loves, but doesn’t trust.
Based on her 1995 short novel, ‘The Legacy’ and now re-edited into full length novel format, ‘The Full Legacy’ is a rollercoaster lesbian romance from Jane Retzig, author of ‘Boundaries’, ‘The Photograph’, and 'The Wrong Woman'.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2014
6 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Jane Retzig
11 books37 followersHi, my name is Jane Retzig and I really hope you enjoy my books.
I've been a huge fan of lesbian fiction ever since I discovered that I loved women, and in the 1980's and 90's I could regularly be found in 'Silver Moon' and 'Gay's the Word' Bookshops in London, happily working my way through the shelves of lesbian writing there.
My first novel 'Boundaries' was published in paperback in 1994 by 'The Dimsdale Press', a tiny and slightly quirky Lesbian Small Press who also published novels by popular lesbian fiction authors Jane Fletcher and Christina Smythe. Everything at 'Dimsdale' was done on a shoe-string. My launch party consisted of a cup of cappuccino at Bar Italia in Soho, and I frequently ended up carrying huge box-loads of books around London on public transport to cut down on distribution costs.
It was good fun. And over that first year, I was delighted to see 'Boundaries' reach the 'Lesbian Fiction Bestsellers' lists in independent bookstores across the UK. My second book, 'The Legacy', a novella, was published in 1995 and also sold well.
Sadly, changes in the economy and book market in the UK meant that many of our much-loved independent bookstores closed in the late 90's, so 'Dimsdale' lost most of their major outlets and reluctantly ceased trading, leaving me without a publisher.
Life intervened for me at that point too and I took a fairly prolonged break from writing. Then the e-book revolution tempted me out of retirement. I re-issued 'Boundaries' in April 2013. 'The Photograph' (October 2013) was my first new book to be published this century... which makes me sound really ancient!!!
Since then, I've issued a further eight novels. 'The Full Legacy' was a full length re-write of 'The Legacy', which I always thought was too short to do full justice to the characters.
'The Wrong Woman Quartet' was initially inspired by bullying experienced by myself and a group of my close friends, but became a four book series following the lives and loves of the central characters.
'The Retreat', was a novel about two best friends who fall in love with the same woman.
'A Tale of Two Sisters' was set in the two heatwave summers of 1976 and 2018.
And 'Alstrom', my final novel is a second chance at love/homecoming story about a reclusive rock singer.
All my books are available in kindle, paperback and audio. And the music of Alstrom is also available via all major streaming services.
I think that's just about all. Except to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who's taken the time to write to me or post reviews. It's always great to hear from you. I really do value your comments and feedback.
Thank you
And Happy Reading!
Jane (janeretzig@gmail.com)
I've been a huge fan of lesbian fiction ever since I discovered that I loved women, and in the 1980's and 90's I could regularly be found in 'Silver Moon' and 'Gay's the Word' Bookshops in London, happily working my way through the shelves of lesbian writing there.
My first novel 'Boundaries' was published in paperback in 1994 by 'The Dimsdale Press', a tiny and slightly quirky Lesbian Small Press who also published novels by popular lesbian fiction authors Jane Fletcher and Christina Smythe. Everything at 'Dimsdale' was done on a shoe-string. My launch party consisted of a cup of cappuccino at Bar Italia in Soho, and I frequently ended up carrying huge box-loads of books around London on public transport to cut down on distribution costs.
It was good fun. And over that first year, I was delighted to see 'Boundaries' reach the 'Lesbian Fiction Bestsellers' lists in independent bookstores across the UK. My second book, 'The Legacy', a novella, was published in 1995 and also sold well.
Sadly, changes in the economy and book market in the UK meant that many of our much-loved independent bookstores closed in the late 90's, so 'Dimsdale' lost most of their major outlets and reluctantly ceased trading, leaving me without a publisher.
Life intervened for me at that point too and I took a fairly prolonged break from writing. Then the e-book revolution tempted me out of retirement. I re-issued 'Boundaries' in April 2013. 'The Photograph' (October 2013) was my first new book to be published this century... which makes me sound really ancient!!!
Since then, I've issued a further eight novels. 'The Full Legacy' was a full length re-write of 'The Legacy', which I always thought was too short to do full justice to the characters.
'The Wrong Woman Quartet' was initially inspired by bullying experienced by myself and a group of my close friends, but became a four book series following the lives and loves of the central characters.
'The Retreat', was a novel about two best friends who fall in love with the same woman.
'A Tale of Two Sisters' was set in the two heatwave summers of 1976 and 2018.
And 'Alstrom', my final novel is a second chance at love/homecoming story about a reclusive rock singer.
All my books are available in kindle, paperback and audio. And the music of Alstrom is also available via all major streaming services.
I think that's just about all. Except to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who's taken the time to write to me or post reviews. It's always great to hear from you. I really do value your comments and feedback.
Thank you
And Happy Reading!
Jane (janeretzig@gmail.com)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 1, 2016
The worst book in my reading history. The plot was as boring as some Chinese sapphic novels I used to read. I also was disappointed because the ending has failed to fulfill my expectations in reading sad or bad ending. *flipping table*
June 14, 2015
Lesbian romantic thriller. If at least 2 of those 3 words strike your fancy, you might want to check this book out.
The wonderful thing about living in the 21st century is that indie authors can put their work out there, and it they are clever with social media they can draw in some readers. The Full Legacy is a perfect example.
It wasn't historical (at least, I am not ready to call anything set in 1993 historical) but it did capture the period well without fetishizing it. There were answering machines with cassette tapes, the occasional brick mobile phone, and Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon. But there were also timeless elements such as parties, jobs and family. It was a time where acceptance of gays and lesbians was tentative, and most would not put GLBT rights high on their list of important issues. In this regard, the author really captured the tightness of the lesbian community, and whether this tightness was out of desire or necessity, I have no doubt that there were many parties depicted like that of the opening scene. BTW, this party includes a 'how many lesbians does it take to screw in a lightbulb' joke, a bit of self deprecating humor is never a bad thing.
As for the thriller portion, it was slow creep and it takes a bit for the reader to realize that something fishy is happening. If you don't read book blurbs, you might get deep into the book before you start realizing that some weird shit is happening. And with all good thrillers, you really don't know who to trust.
Audiobook comments - (I received a free copy from an AudiobookBlast promo in exchange for an honest review). Production quality of this audiobook was decent. It clearly didn't have the budget or production value found with big-publishers. However, the narrator a good job, and with practice she could become a regular on the narrator circuit. There were a few spots where volume went dodgy and sometimes the narrator was difficult to understand when she seemed to swallow the words. I feel like an ugly American making such a comment, but there you go.
And now for unsolicited marketing advice from Katie - I would encourage the author to tie the audiobook and and Kindle version of the ebook into a Whispersync deal. I don't know many people who would give up a precious audible credit for a relatively unknown indie author, but they might consider paying 0.99 or 1.99 for an audiobook deal, especially if they can get the Kindle book at discount as well.
The wonderful thing about living in the 21st century is that indie authors can put their work out there, and it they are clever with social media they can draw in some readers. The Full Legacy is a perfect example.
It wasn't historical (at least, I am not ready to call anything set in 1993 historical) but it did capture the period well without fetishizing it. There were answering machines with cassette tapes, the occasional brick mobile phone, and Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon. But there were also timeless elements such as parties, jobs and family. It was a time where acceptance of gays and lesbians was tentative, and most would not put GLBT rights high on their list of important issues. In this regard, the author really captured the tightness of the lesbian community, and whether this tightness was out of desire or necessity, I have no doubt that there were many parties depicted like that of the opening scene. BTW, this party includes a 'how many lesbians does it take to screw in a lightbulb' joke, a bit of self deprecating humor is never a bad thing.
As for the thriller portion, it was slow creep and it takes a bit for the reader to realize that something fishy is happening. If you don't read book blurbs, you might get deep into the book before you start realizing that some weird shit is happening. And with all good thrillers, you really don't know who to trust.
Audiobook comments - (I received a free copy from an AudiobookBlast promo in exchange for an honest review). Production quality of this audiobook was decent. It clearly didn't have the budget or production value found with big-publishers. However, the narrator a good job, and with practice she could become a regular on the narrator circuit. There were a few spots where volume went dodgy and sometimes the narrator was difficult to understand when she seemed to swallow the words. I feel like an ugly American making such a comment, but there you go.
And now for unsolicited marketing advice from Katie - I would encourage the author to tie the audiobook and and Kindle version of the ebook into a Whispersync deal. I don't know many people who would give up a precious audible credit for a relatively unknown indie author, but they might consider paying 0.99 or 1.99 for an audiobook deal, especially if they can get the Kindle book at discount as well.
March 14, 2016
This was an unexpectedly good find for me. Sometimes I just buy books on a whim just because it's in audio. There's not an amazing selection of lesbian books in audio so I do take more chances.
What I loved most was the almost gothic feel this book had. There are mysteries within mysteries and sometimes I just couldn't guess what's going on. The author kept my attention by constantly alluding to a deep dark secret or some horrible event to come by giving hints but never coming out with anything concrete until the end. I liked also the restrained feeling, maybe that's why I felt it had the feel of a gothic? Characters are not all what they seem.
I liked that there was a romance as part of this book even if it's not strictly a romance. Gill follows her instinct about Turner even if everyone is saying she's not trustworthy. And I liked that Turner is kept vague about who she is in her characterization.
Narrator did an amazing job.
I would definitely buy another of this author's books.
What I loved most was the almost gothic feel this book had. There are mysteries within mysteries and sometimes I just couldn't guess what's going on. The author kept my attention by constantly alluding to a deep dark secret or some horrible event to come by giving hints but never coming out with anything concrete until the end. I liked also the restrained feeling, maybe that's why I felt it had the feel of a gothic? Characters are not all what they seem.
I liked that there was a romance as part of this book even if it's not strictly a romance. Gill follows her instinct about Turner even if everyone is saying she's not trustworthy. And I liked that Turner is kept vague about who she is in her characterization.
Narrator did an amazing job.
I would definitely buy another of this author's books.
January 9, 2016
Another excellent read from this author. She has a remarkable talent for parachuting a reader directly into a particular time and place. This was a sensitive and mildly spooky story with an ending I was unable to predict. Well written and engaging, I found it difficult to put down. Each of the characters was well crafted and the back story greatly added to the unfolding drama. Highly recommended.
July 29, 2020
I was falling in love, and it hurt like hell.
This was all right. A mystery-esque, paranormal-ish, sort of romance? Though, the things I liked about this book had nothing really to do with the mystery, the paranormal elements, or the romance, really. I liked the setting; 90s London. I guess I just haven't read a book like this in a while, with this particular kind of lesbian socialising and friendship circles, and landlines and answering machines still being a thing. It's a weirdly specific thing to enjoy but hey. I did! I also really liked our main character, and some of the thoughts and insights she had about depression and self-image and confidence and death and guilt were just really spot on and relatable. I won't spoil, but the particulars of her relationship with her current roommate and her gf who passed away was really kind of fascinating. I guess I enjoyed the romance, though it honestly didn't figure very much in the book. I liked how eerie and kind of sinister everything about Turner was for a while, even while we (and Gil) were still enthralled with her.
But in the end, the larger elements of the plot just didn't work for me, with the whole mystery/ghost thing, and I sort of just found myself going 'huh???' at the end. It's not that I didn't understand what happened, I just don't think all the connecting links were written well, and I also just... didn't care that much to be very honest. The beginning was very good, and I really like the author's style, and how Gil narrated her story, but by the end I was just like. What was the point.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Elizabeth Shelley, which was pretty good. The production quality was poor, but it honestly didn't impede my enjoyment much. It helps that I just generally enjoy British accents, no matter where they're from.
This isn't the first I've read from this author, and I'm definitely willing to give her another try. This one just didn't completely work for me.
This was all right. A mystery-esque, paranormal-ish, sort of romance? Though, the things I liked about this book had nothing really to do with the mystery, the paranormal elements, or the romance, really. I liked the setting; 90s London. I guess I just haven't read a book like this in a while, with this particular kind of lesbian socialising and friendship circles, and landlines and answering machines still being a thing. It's a weirdly specific thing to enjoy but hey. I did! I also really liked our main character, and some of the thoughts and insights she had about depression and self-image and confidence and death and guilt were just really spot on and relatable. I won't spoil, but the particulars of her relationship with her current roommate and her gf who passed away was really kind of fascinating. I guess I enjoyed the romance, though it honestly didn't figure very much in the book. I liked how eerie and kind of sinister everything about Turner was for a while, even while we (and Gil) were still enthralled with her.
But in the end, the larger elements of the plot just didn't work for me, with the whole mystery/ghost thing, and I sort of just found myself going 'huh???' at the end. It's not that I didn't understand what happened, I just don't think all the connecting links were written well, and I also just... didn't care that much to be very honest. The beginning was very good, and I really like the author's style, and how Gil narrated her story, but by the end I was just like. What was the point.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Elizabeth Shelley, which was pretty good. The production quality was poor, but it honestly didn't impede my enjoyment much. It helps that I just generally enjoy British accents, no matter where they're from.
This isn't the first I've read from this author, and I'm definitely willing to give her another try. This one just didn't completely work for me.
May 4, 2020
I think Jane Retzig is one of the best writer of the lesbian fiction genre. That said, I always find it a bit challenging to follow her book, so not perfect but really good. The Full Legacy is one of my favourite, even if not as much as "Boundaries".
October 5, 2015
An enjoyable freebie sent by the author. A suspenseful romantic tale set in 1990’s London follows the events of Gill, a photographer haunted by her past and her encounter with Turner, a mysterious stranger with a questionable past. We delve into the clique of a closely knit group of women possessing love triangles, torn loyalties and dubious alliances. I felt suspicious of Turner at first, only to learn of her complex and dark past. Shocks and surprises are in store (2 deaths, a betrayal and a confession), particularly in the last third of the novel, where we learn the truth about Turner. Possessing dark elements, the tale had heart which tempts me into taking another punt at a second Retzig tale. A different and engaging listen.
September 2, 2014
I'm so very surprised by how much I liked this book. It was nothing like what I expected.
I was on a mission to find a book that sounded interesting enough to try by an author I'd not heard of before that's part of the Kindle Unlimited program and picked this one. Yay me for choosing this one!
If you like a book with some great twists, give this one a shot.
I was on a mission to find a book that sounded interesting enough to try by an author I'd not heard of before that's part of the Kindle Unlimited program and picked this one. Yay me for choosing this one!
If you like a book with some great twists, give this one a shot.
February 22, 2015
Loved it
I choose five stars because the book kept my interest from start to finish. I read it in a day couldn't put the book down its a great book a must read.
I choose five stars because the book kept my interest from start to finish. I read it in a day couldn't put the book down its a great book a must read.
January 15, 2020
The Full Legacy is suspenseful romantic story set in 1990’s in London. The story follows the events of Gill. Gill is a photographer haunted by her past and her encounter with Turner. Turner is a mysterious stranger with a questionable past. There is a clique of a close knit group of women who have love triangles, torn loyalties and dubious alliances. Turner made me feel suspicious of her at first. Then, I learned about her complex and dark past and thought differently about her. There are surprises in store with two deaths, a betrayal and a confession. In the last part of the story the truth about Turner comes out. The story had a Gothic feel to it. It seemed like there was mysteries on top of mysteries. It was fairly enjoyable read.
October 30, 2021
Fairly confusing story
Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this book… I don't really understand so much about what was happening & was going on at several points in the story & the conclusion didn't make things much clearer in the end.
Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this book… I don't really understand so much about what was happening & was going on at several points in the story & the conclusion didn't make things much clearer in the end.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews