This was book #1 in the Vasser Legacy series. The story was good although predictable and the writing was average. The ending was not complete--meaning if you don't read the next in the series you won't find out the conclusion to the main story. Because of that, I won't be reading anymore in the series. I think that is a cheap shot--there are better ways to get people to read your book series. 360 pages ( )

I really enjoyed this family saga. Grant/Quinn were really the heart of the story for me & the characters I most invested in. The close runners up are Madison & Kennedy. Madison & her relationship with Cyrus is deliciously twisted & I look forward to seeing where Madison's allegiance to him takes her in the next installment of the series. I'm quite interested in Kennedy mostly because she is so little mentioned in comparison to the other siblings but is often mentioned to be most like the ill-fated Win. Charlene is still very one-dimensional for me but she has potential. I honestly never became invested in Linc/Lynette. Linc is fairly flat as a character as a counter to his brother Grant & Lynette is always referred to as a "girl" not a woman (as the other women in the story are) so I had some difficulty seeing her as a woman involved with a 27-28 year old man. Their angst was all related to her parents & felt like over-wrought teenage drama. I wasn't sure what the author was trying to convey (was it ingenue vitality & innocence because she's a prima ballerina or some "just legal" status?) but it just felt off in the telling.

The murder mystery (or murders, really) are a compelling angle of the story & even if the details to the triple homicide seemed a bit pat, I liked it. Grant being the "elder statesman" sibling at 28 was only working for me because of the way he is portrayed (even if it still felt like a stretch). I was flat out appalled that Madison had been keeping Cyrus' secret for 17 or so years because it clearly worked out to her being told when she was barely 10 years-old. I felt it was far afield but I'm taking it as just another facet of their twisted relationship. More than anything, I just want to see what the knowledge of the circumstance will bring out in the characters next. Ideally, these characters would be older to add some credibility to the plot points but I was able to bypass that in the characterizations. More than anything, I just want to see what the knowledge of the circumstance will bring out in the characters next. And finally, who left Madison that note at the end? I can't wait to find out & what the Queen will do when she finds out. ( )

5.0 out of 5 stars Family feud with a twist, June 15, 2013
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This review is from: When Empires Fall (A Vasser Legacy Novel) (Kindle Edition)
This is a great read! Money, murder, power, and greed. It has it all. It's a story that spans several generations of a family who own a high end hotel empire, but the main story is about the New York part of the family. Four siblings who are dealing with relationships, a socialite mother, a grandfather who murdered his own father to gain power, plus a self-destructive dad.

Jennings character development and story arc is excellent. You find yourself in visual contact with each character, either urging them onward or telling them to get a life. This is a character driven story with many individuals, but you won't be confused. Each character has been laid out in full flesh and bone, unique personalities and motives. "When Empires Fall" is not a disappointment. I give it 5 stars ( )