The mystery surrounding the Hawthorne family has not yet been solved in The Inheritance Games… So here we go book two!
Title: The Hawthorne Legacy
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published: September 2021
Pages: 380
Publisher: Blossom Books (I read this book in Dutch)
Rating: 8/10
First posted in Dutch on November 4 2021 and updated on March 24 2025.
The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions – including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.
Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she’s not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture – by any means necessary.
Just like the first part in the series, this book was a quick read. I think I sat down for it twice and then I had already finished the book. The mystery surrounding the Hawthorne family has still not been solved. The mystery has even become bigger. And it can no longer be a coincidence that Tobias left his fortune to Avery. In the first part, we already found out that he kept an eye on young Avery all this time. But the reason why is not yet known. Avery does everything she can to find the answers. Even if that means that she makes discoveries that stir up a painful past.
The sequel starts right where the first part left off. Which is lovely because you can continue reading right away and there are no time jumps in which things are explained. The story continues straight into the action. It is advisable to have the family tree from the first book right next to the sequel while reading (unless you have just finished reading the first one). This is because the author plays with even the smallest details in the first book, which then play a major role in the second book.
In my previous review I mentioned that Avery is anything but my favorite character in the series. In this part I had less of an issue with her. Her actions and thoughts were more in line with each other. At the same time you also saw a growth in her. Someone who still gets irritated by the protocols she has to follow, but she grows into her new position. Because she also knows that there is no way back.
Towards the end I found the story a bit messy because so much happens. Still I would not have wanted to miss Avery’s growth, which is confirmed by a strong ending in which we suddenly meet a completely different Avery than at the start of the trilogy. We meet an adult Avery nevertheless her dry humor and sarcasm are still there. This keeps the story light between the riddles and the many plot twists.
The author’s writing style is also strong in this book when it comes down to the tension and she also pays a lot of attention to the smallest details. As a reader, I love that the author has not only put brain teasers in the book, but also in the storyline. Who knows, as an attentive reader, you might have already solved the riddles before the characters do!
Just like The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy is exciting, full of riddles and a page turner. For anyone who loves mysteries with many riddles and also humor, I can recommend The Inheritance Games-series.
Love,
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