The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Book Review

Hello friends! I'm back with another book review to share! Today, I’ll be reviewing The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Last year, I'd seen this book mentioned several times on Book Twitter and I thought it would be the perfect book to read next. I love books that involve mysteries and since I wanted something different to read, in addition to the premise of this story, it intrigued me and I knew I had to pick it up! Also, just look at the gorgeous cover, it's absolutely stunning!

About the Book:

Title: The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Release Date: September 1, 2020

Series: The Inheritance Games #1

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 384

My Rating: 4/5 ⭐

Summary:

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why– or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch– and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

My Thoughts:

This was a very enjoyable mystery! As a Nancy Drew fan, I was excited to figure out the mystery of the Inheritance Games. I was still recovering from a reading slump when I was picking up my next read. Originally, I was intrigued because of how short the chapters were within this book and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. It made it super easy to read and I constantly thought to myself, "Just one more chapter." I liked how they were brief, but included enough information that I could easily loose track of time reading. I loved the puzzles in the story and I think it all flowed together very well. In addition, the connection to how everything transpired throughout the story and why Avery ended up with the fortune left me guessing until the very end and it left me completely shocked.

For the characters in the book, there were quite a few faces to remember, but luckily, I was able to keep track of everyone when it came to main and supporting characters. Avery was a very interesting characters, going from nothing to becoming the heir to a fortune! She was a very down to earth kind of character, curious, but also cautious. Just like the Hawthorne grandsons, she was curious as to why a stranger, who she had never met in her entire life, would leave her everything. This throws Avery into a very different game and a slightly more dangerous world. Money always comes at a price whether it's the publicity of inheriting billions or something slightly more sinister and life-threatening...

For the four brothers, they're all very interesting and are very unique when it came to solving this mystery. First you have Nash, the oldest. He had the personality of a cowboy with a savior type of personality, especially when it came to Avery's older sister, Libby. Grayson, who is just slightly older than Avery, was very weary of her. He believed she was a con-woman who somehow tricked their grandfather into giving her the family's inheritance. Jameson, who's in the same grade as Avery, believes Avery was his grandfather's last hurrah. As they work together to solve this strange mystery together, the closer they become. The youngest Hawthorne is Xander. He's a slightly goofy, but he's incredibly smart and an inventor. I loved how all of these character's interact with each other and how each of their stories led to the Hawthorne mystery being solved. They all played an important role within Tobias's game and I believe that it brought not only the Hawthorne family together, it also has a found family type feel that I really enjoyed.

While reading, I feel like there was a minor love triangle between Avery with Jameson and Grayson. Even though Avery spent most of her time with Jameson trying to solve the Hawthorne mystery and their romantic interests did bloom. Halfway through/near the end, I did noticed that Grayson was slowly becoming more of a love interest and I'm honestly curious to see which relationship Avery chooses to pursue in the next book. This book left off on a major cliffhanger! I couldn't believe how it ended and I'm so curious to read what happens next! Overall, this was a fantastic story and I can't wait to see what happens next in, The Hawthorne Legacy.

If you’re interested in checking out Jennifer’s pages, the links are below along with places you can get The Inheritance Games.

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Thank you all so much for reading.  I hope you enjoyed my review/suggestion. Until next time!