The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Lia Carstairs

Ma'am this is illegal. I thought you were supposed to make one love interest more lovable than the other NOT HAVE THEM BOTH LOVABLE. ~~okay but that confession at the end🥺🥺~~

My first 5 star in months I'm so happy omg

The Hawthorne Legacy picks up where things were left off in The Inheritance Games with Avery still trying to figure out why the late billionaire Tobias Hawthorne left her his fortune. Whatever the reason, Avery knows the answer has to do with a certain person... and so the investigation begins.

"I couldn't shake the feeling that this life was never meant for me."

It's just another normal day for Avery Kylie Grambs when the paparazzi are chasing after you trying to get the latest scoop, murder attempts are constantly happening, and your father + the daughter of a billionaire is trying to steal your fortune. And to add on to that, you're dealing with the Hawthorne brothers ~~im jealous~~. *sigh* What a life to have.

I loved Avery in the first book and I loved her even more here like !! the character development !! She goes through some growth by the end of the book and just sfsdfsdfs I loved it. Still really jealous that she has the attention of both Grayson and Jameson😭 Oh and also how she can literally say "Fine, you can take one of my planes." Not jealous about the downsides of being a billionaire though.

Also I really wonder about that quote above. I feel like by the end of this series Avery will no longer be a billionaire in some way, especially with how many times she kept saying that "this life isn't meant for me" ... foreshadowing methinks.

“The trick to being abandoned was to never let yourself long for anyone who left.”

JAMESON I LOVE YOU. In the first book, I was bit iffy with him because of the way he acted but here OMG MY LOVE FOR HIM GREW SO MUCH. He's actually so sweet and caring to Avery, like some scene I was so surprised with Avery sdfsfds he's such a precious cinnamon roll. The moments between him and Avery were everything. *HOT TUB SCENE*

THESE MOMENTS ESPECIALLY WERE SO SWEET:

"I halfway convinced myself that as long as Avery was just a riddle or a puzzle, as long as I was just playing, I'd be fine. Well, jokes' on me, because somewhere along the way, I stopped playing."

!! he actually does really care about Avery🥺🥺

"You don't have to say anything. You don't have to kiss me now. You don't have to love me now, Heiress. But when you're ready... if you're ever ready, if it's going to be me--just flip that disk. Heads, I kiss you." His voice broke slightly. "Tails you kiss me. And either way, it means something."

PLEASE THAT CONFESSION😩😩 my heart cant take it, protect jamie😭

“Grayson Hawthorne was arrogant enough to consider himself bulletproof—and honorable enough to see a promise through to its end.”

You'd think because Grayson didn't have as many scenes as Jameson, I'd love Jameson more obviously, right?? HAHA NO BECAUSE THE VERY FEW SCENES BETWEEN GRAYSON AND AVERY WERE ALSO SO PRECIOUS. Like at this point?? I give up on choosing between the two boys, it's impossible. I just want both of them to be happy by the end of this series😭

LIKE GRAYSON TAUGHT HER HOW TO SKI AND USE A LONGSWORD?? plz I love him so much and the way he's hurting so much over what happened in the past *sobbing*

Also I just loved the side characters so much, Xander and Max especially AHH IM SHIPPING THEM. He made her a life-size recreation of the most lovable droids in Star Wards, how is that not so sweet?? Nash and Libby omg I ship too. I was pretty sus about Nash at first but methinks he's alright now, especially after reading the B&N chapters. Also Thea and Rebecca <333 Bex needs all the happiness in the world. Skye can go die🙂

OH AND HANNAH AND HARRY?? Their love is so tragic, I actually got really emotional over some of the lines😭😭

"Hate me, if you can, for all the reasons I deserve. But don't hate me for leaving while you sleep. I knew you wouldn't let me go, and I cannot bear to say good-bye."

They deserved more cri curse certain people.

Also shoutout to Oren and Alisa for all the damage control and protecting they had to do for Avery when she screwed up ~~a lot~~. They definitely deserve a raise in pay. ~~altho they most likely get a lot anways lol~~

"There are no rules that matter more than winning.”

I know a lot people found THL to be super boring and no plot progression whatsoever but honestly I absolutely adored everything in this book. This is the most invested I've been for a book in literally over 3 months. The mystery was so addicting and the tension !! I'm in love and now cannot stop thinking about this book so THANK YOU JLB <33

I'm so hyped for the finale and really sad that soon I'm going to have part from these guys😭 Pleasee don't break any of the Hawthorne boys' hearts, JLB.

___

Reviews:

The Inheritance Games: ★★★★★
The Hawthorne Legacy: ★★★★★

Ayman

UPDATE: ok so after much thought and consideration i did over all end up liking this book however my excitement did get the best of me. i believe it’s worth picking up but the book does fall into the 2nd book out of 3 syndrome.

you can tell from the beginning that this whole book is just setting up ground work for book 3 so i’m excited to see how things turn out but not gonna lie all the action happened in the last 40 pages of the book. there was a lot of filler writing

i was hoping to get that excitement rush feeling i got reading book 1 but i didn’t really get that in book 2 but it’s not something i’m mad about since i did end up enjoying this

the description gave me a vibe that there would be more romance in this book than the first one but the believe book 1 and 2 had equal amount of romance as it’s sub plot

kinda confused on who’s team i’m on but at the same time my heart belongs to my mans grayson hawthorne 🙄

Cindy

While I loved the first book, the sequel unfortunately turned convoluted rather than clever, the protagonist was too wishy-washy with her love interests, many likable characters faded to the background, and the romantic development didn’t make sense with everything that the first book had set up. (I’m very salty about that ending!)

⋆

jameson’s annoying

kayla ᥫ᭡

honestly toby, if my family tree was this confusing i’d wanna disappear forever too

lisa (lewis hamilton's version)

jameson and grayson have as much flavor as boiled chicken

Amanda ☕ Steeping Stories ☕

This book was so bad it hurts me. To be so excited after reading
The Inheritance Games and its thrilling mystery and puzzles and delicious hints of romance, only to read... this? This mess of truly stupid plot twists, slow pacing, underwhelming puzzles, and lack of characterisation. Oh, how my heart sunk.

How did Jennifer Lynn Barnes fuck up so bad? Let me count the ways:
➼ Trying too hard to be clever and losing the literal plot. I'll always stand by the fact that it's better to write a realistic and satisfying twist, even if it's expected, than aiming to sucker punch the reader out of nowhere just for the "shock" value. The ending of this book made absolutely no sense: multiple red herrings, twists about minor characters (and a character never even mentioned before!) that had no emotional impact, and glossing over important plot threads to tie them up in a messy, quick knot.

➼ Writing the heroine to be cerebral and clever... at the expense of making her feel like a robot. I couldn't connect to Avery at all in this sequel. I guess I was hoping that, though Avery was really guarded and unemotional in the first book, the author would peel back some of her layers later. Nope.

➼ Not putting in the effort to add complexity to the characters. It's not enough to just introduce a cast of morally grey characters and then... leave it at that. I loved the ambiguity of the Hawthornes when we first met them. Unfortunately, the only character who has a drop of depth in this book is Jameson. It's not enough for a character to be all ~mysterious~ with ~deadly cheekbones~. (I know, I can't believe I'm saying this when I've been thirsting over Grayson all this time. But those cheekbones need to be paired with some actual characterisation y'all.)

➼ Relying too much on the romance to hook the reader. By the end, I was just annoyed. It was clear that the love triangle was there to disguise the fact that nothing much really happens with the puzzles and plot. Do I still think that Avery and Grayson are endgame? Yes, and they'll be the only reason I read the final book (if I do). (Avery met Grayson first... so by love triangle logic this means they'll end up together lol.)

➼ Reducing the best friend to a prop to remind Avery how hot the Hawthorne boys are. I was so disappointed by this. Instead of investing in Max's characterisation and the friendship she has with Avery, apparently the author time-travelled back to the early 2000s when girls couldn't interact in media unless they were solely talking about boys.

➼ Recycling puzzles from the first book and just having an altogether disappointing mystery. I think of my excitement reading book one with sweet longing. The same tricks like invisible ink and secret passages are re-used and I just... got bored.

The first half of the book was decent and I was enjoying myself moderately. But I quickly realised... as these errors cropped up... that I was only invested in Avery's interactions with Grayson (and to some extent, Jameson). I was cringing at things like Jameson's shrug being "devastating" and the secret love letters starting with "Dear Hannah, the same forwards as backwards" (apparently, pointing out that your lover's name is a palindrome is superrr romantic).

And then that truly stupid end happened. Yikes.

~~~

Grayson: "let's just be fRieNds"

me, in gleeful anticipation: sureee 😉😉 just friends 😉😘 totally platonic pals 😏

~~~

i finally have this book and i'm dying to start it, but fuck me if i remember anything ~~except that grayson looks hella fine in a suit~~

~~~

i just want me more of grayson hawthorne and some sexy puzzles

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Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)

DNF @ 45%
I just don't really care tbh. I really liked the first book but I've come to realize I just have outgrown reading series unfortunately. So I didn't not like this, but I found myself not wanting to pick it up.

*.゜｡: vy hates you !¡ .゜｡*

”The trick to being abandoned was to never let yourself long for anyone who left.”

this book had me crying.

crying tears of pain.. from reading such a fucking shit book.

i had to send my best friend a long ass voice message of me ranting about this book before i wrote my review because it was THAT BAD.

ok look, i get why people may like this but i will not ignore the fact that :

⤷ 1. the characters suck except oren (her head security dude)
⤷ that ending was fucking shit
⤷ the 5829955 plot twists at 70% mark??
⤷ the romance is unnecessary and cringe

like?? the first book was good. i tolerated the characters but i liked the writing and the plot but this?? what the fuck was this??

the first half of the book was just boring and slow. then like a section of the book was avery trying to figure out if she wants jameson or grayson. like bitch. this isnt a fucking episode of the bachelor here please stop.

PLOT ˎˊ˗
i cant say without wither spoiling or getting mad so… just know that its a shit ton of mystery duh and uhhh good plot twists but it was all crammed at the ending and was too much that it got messy

i thought how everything related to each other was cool but like it was so rushed that it was underwhelming. at this point if avery was a fairy, i would believe it -_-

if everything was spaced out it wouldve been a lot better but like our girl avery was having boy problems so all the real problem had to be put on hold for little miss heiress

ROMANCE ˎˊ˗
this book wouldve been so much better without romance.

ive said it and ill say it again. LOVE TRIANGLES ARE NOT CUTE. THEY SUCK. THEYRE ANNOYING. THEYRE STUPID. and if anyone was to write a love triangle at least make the characters likeable. AT LEAST ONE.

also, what was with the hot tub scene like.. what in the ”to all the boys i loved before” is this?? please spare me from any scary flashbacks thanks ;-;

i personally prefer avery and grayson just cause jameson is a fucking annoying little bitch and if i have to hear him say ”heiress” one more fucking time i might just have to go to jail for his murder

just why exactly did this book feel like half of it was avery trying to figure out what boy she wanted. im still confused like…. you have all this crazy shit going on and people are trying to kill you and youre trying to figure out who you see standing on a cliff with you when you close your eyes??

bitch. imagine me. pushing you off the cliff <3

CHARACTERS ˎˊ˗

avery : i hate her. theres nothing much to say. she reminds me of a pick me girl. she’s annoying, stupid, and all things bad so, i really dont fucking care about her oops??

grayson : shouldve gotten the girl. kinda a closeted simp. idk i liked him till i kinda didnt.

jameson : just… die. im sick of seeing his face. i hate him. he’s annoying. i would probably puke if i saw his face lol

libby : why is she still relevant?? someone ship her away cause she keeps pulling the ”i will protect you” card like… youd be the first one crying hun

oren : my favourite. man deserves everything. he should take a vacation cause protecting avery isnt worth it

ummm and the rest either were annoying or just not relevant enough for me mention or both <3

CONCLUSION ˎˊ˗
i regret reading this book. its ruined the whole series for me and when the third book comes out i will have to remember this very moment so rip to me ;-;

ok bye <3

joory

2021 come sooner

EDIT:
WE HAVE A TITLE AND A RELEASE DATE OMG HAWTHORNE LEGACY IM SO EXCITED HOW AM I GOING TO WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER

EDIT:
just.....a mess idk what was going through the authors head when she wrote this

Nash (all too unwell)

I made my decision
Grayson
I love u ❤️💖

But Jameson
Ily too but Grayson is >>>

jessica

lets be real - this sequel is complete and total filler. but its fun filler, so that helps.

the plot doesnt really progress much in this (see the line above), but there are more clues and puzzles and secrets. so if you were drawn to the quirky mysteriousness of tobias hawthorne and his family in ‘the inheritance games,’ then i think you will enjoy this installment. just expect more questions than answers.

and i think thats why i didnt quite love this one as much. the first book ends on a massive cliffhanger with a certain goal in mind. however, that goal isnt met and the cliffhanger isnt resolved until the very end of this book. i just found that to be too long of a wait. sure, theres stuff in between - like i said, more puzzles and clues - but i found the pacing to be very slow in that regard.

overall, a lot more of the same for this sequel. i think if you pick this up with the mindset of just going along for the ride, rather than expecting results (like i did), then this will be an enjoyable book!

↠ 3.5 stars

Emily May

Finished this one just to finish it.

I just felt like Barnes couldn't keep the exciting puzzle-solving tension going through this book. The plot became convoluted and messy, and I found it harder to suspend disbelief for. Also, I'm over both Grayson and Jameson at this point.

megs_bookrack

**4.5-stars**

The Hawthorne Legacy is the second installment in the hugely popular Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

This rags-to-riches inheritance mystery offers Readers a lot of riddles, a lot of intrigue and a lot of romantic drama. It's like a tiny bit The Princess Diaries meets a lot of Knives Out.

This story follows Avery Grambs, who after the death of her mother, really struggled to get by. She moved in with her half-sister and was working hard just to complete high school. She dreams of a better life.

In an unbelievable turn of luck, Avery received word that eccentric billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne, has just passed, leaving Avery the vast majority of his fortune. The strangest part is, Avery has no idea who Tobias Hawthorne is. She's never even met him.

The kink is that Tobias had a pretty big family that he has snubbed with his surprise bequeathment to Avery.

Now poor Avery has to live in Hawthorne Manor with the very same grandsons who were all but cut out of the elder Hawthorne's will. That isn't awkward at all.

While the first book, The Inheritance Game, gets you up to speed on all that, this second book builds on the mystery of Avery's windfall, as well as a building of the relationships within her new world.

And keep in mind, this is an entirely new world for Avery. She is now in the realm of the uber-rich; the jet-setting elites who she has never interacted with before. With this comes a new set of challenges, including PR-issues, something Avery never would have thought of before.

If only that were her biggest issue though. Someone out there isn't happy with Avery's new found fortune and is willing to try anything to get her out of the picture. Permanently.

There's also a bit of a love triangle happening. The Hawthorne family is full of handsome and charming young men, such a plus for our Avery.

Two of the boys in particular, Grayson and Jameson, are attracting a lot of her attention and thanks to the power of DNA-testing, it's not creepy at all.

I had a lot of fun with this continuation. The Hawthorne Legacy may not be perfect, but it's pretty freaking fun.

I need answers; so excited for the next book. Where's this going from here!?

I am so intrigued with what the truth is behind this family. I love the continuation of the use of riddles and games, as well as Avery getting the chance to team up with the brothers to solve different aspects of the mystery.

I know a lot of Readers aren't fans of love triangles, but I think this one is great. It's not overplayed. It feels natural. There's no catty fighting, or behind the scenes backstabbing. Avery is genuinely feeling a connection to both boys. Girl, I get it.

I'm so excited for August so I can get my hands on the third book. I need answers!!!

If you haven't picked up this series yet, and love a fast-paced, fun-filled YA Mystery, you should absolutely start this series now. It's completely addicting!

ru

men should apologize for not being jameson hawthorne

Katarina Mikulovic

I need the sequel right now ... is there a date already?
Ps: i love Grayson hawthorne and i really want then to end up together

Ali Goodwin

Ahhh such a good sequel to The Inheritance Games! I will be not so patiently waiting for the third book to come out in August

laura

edit: THIS! COVER! LOOKS! AMAZING!!!!

✨it's Xander for me✨

everyone else: Grayson or Jameson, that is the question…

(ShaKespEare iS shOoK~)

Yall fight over them all you want...

Xander is mine anyways~

Xander > Grayson > Jameson > Nash (almost forgot about him heh)

tellacnders

absolutely mindblowing

JAMESON WINCHESTER HAWTHORNE

Grace (Bookworm Supreme)

Oh my gosh, that was SO GOOD. THAT’S how you write a sequel!! 😩😩🤌🤌

“Est unus ex nobis. Nos defendat eius."
She is one of us. We protect her.”

The Hawthorne Legacy is the sequel to The Inheritance Games- which I read earlier this year and really enjoyed- and continues the storyline after that shocking ending. I can’t really explain much without spoilers, but there’s loads of twists, lots of development in the romance and many challenges Avery and the Hawthornes have to face.

When I started this book, I was quite worried that it was going to fall into second book syndrome and end up being a big disappointment. For some reason, the enjoyment The Inheritance Games gave me felt like a one-time thing and I wasn’t sure if this book could replicate that. But I’m so glad that I was proved wrong and that The Hawthorne Legacy turned out to be even more entertaining than its predecessor! 🤩🤩😏😏

Starting with the characters. Obviously our main circle of characters is Avery and the Hawthorne brothers, as well as others like Alisa, Libby, Max, Thea, Rebecca, etc. There’s so much to unpack in terms of characters, so I’m gonna try and go through them separately.

~ Avery: Avery isn’t my favourite heroine ever- there are better ones out there- but she’s still a nice character to follow! Her motivations are always reasonable, she’s pretty well-developed and it’s easy to root for her. I also feel like she went through lots of development in this sequel, which was nice to see. So, not my favourite character ever but I still like her! 😁👍

~ Grayson: Okay, Grace, CALM DOWN. Sorry, trying to get too overexcited here. BC I FREAKING LOVE GRAYSON 😍😍❤❤ He basically checks all my boxes in terms of book boyfriends:

Hot ✔
Cold demeanour ✔
Super intelligent ✔
A businessman ✔
Ruthless ✔
HOT 🔥🔥 ✔

I LOVE his interactions with his brothers and Avery- ESPECIALLY Avery- and I love how we get to see a bit of his cold demeanour stripped away in the book. AAAAAHHHHH he’s just amazing. #TeamGrayson FOR LIFE!! 👊

Some amazing Grayson quotes:

“This was the Grayson I’d met weeks ago: dripping power and well aware that he could come out on top in any battle. He didn’t make threats, because he didn’t have to.” ~ fangirling!!! 😩😩

“Grayson was Not Pleased - and no one did Not Pleased like Grayson Hawthorne.” ~ hehehehe

“Grayson Hawthorne was arrogant enough to consider himself bulletproof—and honorable enough to see a promise through to its end.” ~ 😏😏

~ Jameson: Okay, I didn’t like Jameson in Book 1- like, at all- BUT he’s definitely grown on me since then. He’s no way near Grayson in terms of amazingness, but he’s still hot, okay??? 🤭🤭 Definitely an interesting character and he and Grayson compliment each other as brothers. Soooo, I still don’t love him, but I’m getting there.

~ Xander: I really like Xander! A fun character who definitely balances out Grayson’s coldness and Jameson’s cheekiness. He always adds some much needed humour, and I can also imagine him being super cute hehehe 😏😏🤣🤣

~ Nash: eh. Not really a fan of Nash tbh. I saw potential in him in TIG, but he hasn’t really grown as a character or anything since then. Also, he didn’t play a HUGE role in this book, so I just haven’t really grown to love him. We’ll see if that changes in The Final Gambit 😕😕

So overall, definitely a great cast of characters who I have come to really like!

Secondly, the writing. Ahhhh, it’s so good. JLB’s writing is SO fun and easy to read and it just makes you want to devour the book in one sitting. Imo there was definitely an improvement in her writing from TIG, and I’ve just grown to love it sm. If you need an author whose writing is super fun and will help you fly through books, then I would definitely recommend JLB’s work!! 😁😁💕💕

Next, the plot. IT WAS AMAZING Y’ALL 🤩🤩🤌🤌 There were SO MANY twists and turns that I was just left reeling so many times!! It was paced PERFECTLY- fast enough that you were still invested, but slow enough that you could still keep up. Honestly, I was just frantically turning the pages to see what happened next, and if I could’ve stayed up all night reading it, I totally would’ve (but I do need my sleep, unfortunately). So yes, LOVED that!! 🎊🎊

Lastly, the romance. The romance was just SO GOOD. In Book 1, i wasn’t an ENORMOUS fan, but it got so JUICY in this one. I honestly think this is one of the best love triangles I’ve ever read- if I hadn’t been spoiled, I would literally have no idea who she’d end up with. If y'all are wondering… STILL #TEAMGRAYSON. ILY GRAYSON <333

“Your silence on the issue of people trying to kill you is deeply disturbing.”

Overall, LOVED THIS. It was SUCH a good sequel and even better than The Inheritance Games imo!! If you haven’t read this series yet, you need to pick it ASAP. It’s just so good 😩😩🤌🤌

~ 4.5 stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahhhh this was SO GOOD 😩😩🤌🤌 Honestly even better than The Inheritance Games!! 🎊🎊 RTC!

Layla

This book was all over the place. The mystery just keeps on getting worse. Every plot twist was underwhelming and predictable. The story dragged, but at the same time, I felt like too much was happening. The only thing worse than the mystery is all the romance. I loathed that ending. I don't know what the author is trying to do here, but they're failing in my opinion. I'm reading the finale when it comes out, but I'm going to make sure I go in with low expectations.

Also, just so we're clear, averygrayson>>> averyjameson because Jameson is so irritating to me for reasons I cannot explain, and Grayson isn't. Plus the former has more chemistry in my opinion? But JLB is obviously not on the same page so I'm not going to delude myself into thinking Grayson has an actual chance considering the pitiful way he was sidelined in this book and the fact that there is only one book left in the series.

☀︎El In Oz☀︎

4.5/5

“Allow me to let you in on a Hawthorne trade secret, Heiress: There are no rules that matter more than winning.”

This book was in the same vein as the first one- a fun mystery with lots of drama and hints of romance. It’s a light book and honestly really cozy. It has a certain feel of safety in it if that makes any sense…

The plot was as good as the first book. With more secrets and riddles and plot twists I loved how every level of the mystery was slowly unraveled and how we actually had to travel to places this time to figure it all out. It was engaging and really fun to read. I admit the plot does add a lot without totally progressing, but it’s so fun I can’t help but love it. I hope the third book does have a clear finale type direction but either way I suspect I’ll enjoy it.
But what was up with the disk?????

“Close your eyes. Picture yourself standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The wind is whipping in your hair. the sun is setting. You long, body and soul, for one thing. one person. You hear footsteps behind you. You turn. Who’s there?”

Avery is the same as she was in book 1. She’s cool I guess but she’s somewhat indecisive and her romantic choices are less than ideal I shall say (getting into that all later). I admire her courage and all but I’m still pretty indifferent towards her I suppose.

The side characters, like Libby, Nash, Max, Xander, and Oron were perfect. I wish we had more of Xander as he’s sidelined a lot and he’s such a cinnamon roll but alas. They aren’t fully developed but I truly enjoy how they still are all unique and have their own separate personalities. It’s fun to have a larger cast.

Jameson…… no. I used to really like him but I can’t get behind him now. There’s something about how he acts that I really can’t stand now and he just seems so off to me? He truly annoyed me and we got far too many scenes with him in this book for my health 😕

“Good.” Grayson Hawthorne actually smiled—and then he caught himself smiling, like it was forbidden for his lips to do that in my vicinity.

GRAYSON MY FAVOURITE BROTHER WOW. He was so sidelined in this book for absolutely no reason and I despise that fact. He clearly is a better match for Avery and all around a much better character. Plus the B&N exclusive chapters from his POV????????? HE DESERVES SO MUCH BETTER. Currently sobbing because he truly deserves the world and I adore him. also he taught Avery how to use a long sword guys HE TAUGHT HER HOW TO SWORD FIGHT C’MON. Superior ship from that scene alone.
He also just is very complex and has many layers and is the most realistic character or most lifelike to me, and I feel like the author really didn’t spend as much time with him in this book as she should have to make him get even more depth. That being said he’s still mysterious and I adore him <3

I am in desperate need for the finale because this series is just so much plain old fun :))

The Inheritance Games ★ ★ ★ ★ .5

Larissa Cambusano

4.25 ⭐️ no because why did i tear up? “i have two” GOODBYEEEE!!! also i do be feeling really stupid w this series when i can’t figure out a single riddle or puzzle 🤡 we love being a whole clown.

if jameson isn’t endgame, i might just lose my mind.

side note.. the thing i’d do for a nash & libby book <3

Isabelle Reads

“In the past six weeks, I’d been shot at, blown up, kidnapped, and paraded around as the living, breathing embodiment of Cinderella stories. To the world, I was a scandal, a mystery, a curiosity, a fantasy.”

so I know a lot of y’all didn’t like this book.
HAH.
I LOVED THIS TWISTY, MYSTERIOUS, FRUSTRATING BOOK WITH ALL MY BOOKISH HEART.

you’re welcome :))

buddy read with le bestie
Booktastically Amazing! ❤️

let’s start with the plot.
(the publisher’s blurb is absolutely pathetic so i've gotta do actual writing *gasp*)

It’s been three weeks since Avery Grambs and the four Hawthorne brothers have solved Tobias Hawthorne’s puzzle. The grand riddle that involved Emily Laughlin, knives, and glass ballerinas, the one that made the brothers face their past and pull their broken pieces back together.
They think the games are over.
But Tobias Hawthorne isn’t done with his grandsons.
Not by a long shot.

In Xander’s final letter, he lays out the next puzzle: Find Tobias Hawthorne II. At first glance, it seems impossible. Everyone thinks Tobias Hawthorne II, the Hawthorne brothers’ wayward uncle, has been dead for twenty years. But if he’s dead, why does Avery remember playing chess with him? Betting him for breakfasts every other morning? Why does his name keep showing up in her past?
Avery and the Hawthorne brothers give in and decide to play one last time.

Can they find Tobias Hawthorne II, when Tobias Hawthorne II doesn’t want to be found?

*inhales deeply*

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

YES. A MILLION YESES. I LOVE IT ALL.

ESPECIALLY YOU GRAYSON. LOVE YOU SM. AVERY X GRAYSON FOREVER. <3

*exhales cause oxygen unfortunately is a thing*

soooo we’re gonna just break my traditional review structure and just mash everything together because 1) I can’t say a lot without serious spoilers (i’m literally not joking there is so much mystery and drama that MUST NOT be spoiled) and 2) I have no self control when it comes to my dark, cold, businesslike Grayson Hawthorne 😍
I know a lot of y’all are #TeamJameson (don’t worry, we can still be friends), but can we just talk about Grayson for un momento.

“This was the Grayson I’d met weeks ago: dripping power and well aware that he could come out on top in any battle. He didn’t make threats, because he didn’t have to.”

“Grayson Hawthorne was arrogant enough to consider himself bulletproof—and honorable enough to see a promise through to its end.”

“Grayson was Not Pleased - and no one did Not Pleased like Grayson Hawthorne.”

I need every Grayson Hawthorne quote on my Quote Wall.
I NEED this man.
PLEASEEEEEE-

alright, alright, I’ll shut up now.

The rest of the characters (even Jameson 🙄) were all well developed and very enjoyable. Libby x Nash are still an absolutely adorable example of older-siblings-fall-for-each-other, Zara is still furious at Avery for inheriting everything, Skye and Ricky are still characters I’d love to punch in the face, and Xander is still brilliant and the only sane Hawthorne.
also, Xander X Max??
wasn't expecting it, but HECK YEAH am i down for that.

The Avery/Grayson/Jameson love triangle. I love the drama. Very angsty. A+. And I do kinda understand the direction that went. I get it. I really do.

BUT MY FINGERS ARE STILL CROSSED THAT THAT ALL CHANGES MS. BARNES THANK YOU.

anyways. now i have to wait way too many days for the Final Gambit.

*sighs sadly*

i look forward to fangirling with y’all when the Final Gambit comes out <33

My reviews on Goodreads for the trilogy:

Inheritance Games review

Hawthorne Legacy review

Final Gambit review

Ratings:
Star Rating: ★★★★★
If This Book Was a Movie Rating: PG

Recommendations If You Liked This Book:
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Cousins by Karen McManus

Madita

Right from the beginning we had tension tension and more tension.

I loved the new riddles this story had as well as how we got more of Xander in this book. I could tell how much Avery had changed and how much she started loving solving these riddles and I really liked it. Jameson and Grayson were... there. They were self destructive like in the first book but still important to the story.
I am still team Jameson for anyone wondering.

Okay so since I really loved the story and plot line I was expecting a few plot twist like the last time during the their act of the book.
Let me just tell you that there were one too many plot twist in the end and somehow everyone was related and no one was related and now I need a family tree drawn out because I am confused.
Oh and I hated Max for saying "fax" instead of fuck.

Also: I think this book could have definitely been the end of the story since the main big riddles were solved but during the plot twist more things were revealed that were not part of the main story to build up the third book.

esha

I need this book. NOW.

How will I survive till 2021 without Jameson Winchester Hawthorne?
This man could kill me and I'd say thank you.

sam

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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The Hawthorne Legacy was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, just like The Inheritance Games was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020. There’s a lot to love about this duology; from the character dynamics to how it constantly keeps you on your toes. It also requires a lot of brain power (not really, but if you’re like me and live in detective mode then you better pay attention to EVERYTHING).

Grayson is still definitely one of my favourite characters because obviously, HAVE YOU MET THIS MAN? I don’t like how she treated his character in this book though - she put him in an unnecessary position many times, painting him in a bad light in some scenes. Also, I know it’s mentioned multiple times that the Hawthorne family is from Texas, meaning they have the southern drawl but honestly that’s so unappealing. In my mind, they’re all British. Literally just picture them with British accents.

Okay anyway, I really do like this series - it’s just this book in particular that was a huge letdown. Where do I even start? The pacing was a huge issue for me. The inconsistency of it bothered me so much. It’s like, if I had listened to this on audio, then the first 60% would be on regular speed and the last 40% would be on 2.5x speed. I don’t think this would’ve been a problem if she hadn’t tried to squeeze in all the major plot stuff into the last 10 chapters (this book has around 90 but they’re super short and since it’s an arc it may be subject to change).

A lot of the stuff that happened in the last few chapters were pretty random and also unrealistic. Sometimes, some of the things that happened felt way too convenient. I wasn’t exactly on the edge of my seat like I was for book one. Then there’s also the issue of how there were way too many plot points in this book to begin with. Yes, most of the questions from book one are answered in this one but there was an awful lot of new stuff being added and instead of majorly building on what we already had, we got a lot of additional content.

Based on a lot of the other early reviews, this book is either a hit or miss - there’s barely any in between. I think because I really liked book one, I had a lot of high hopes for this one. But it was a little bit of a mess. But i still do think this series is worth checking out, at the very least.

»
the inheritance games | ★★★★☆

Chelsea Humphrey

OH BOY. I was not expecting to dislike this book at all, much less as greatly as I did. 😩
The Hawthorne Legacy didn't really answer any of our questions from book one, but brought in a thousand new plot points that I didn't care about, while mostly focusing on the love triangle where *sarcastic surprise* of course my ship sank. The characters still feel one dimensional to me, and I don't feel as if I got any closer to knowing who they are and what makes them tick. Initially expecting to sail right into the final book in the trilogy, I think I may just end my journey here as I've lost steam and the will to find out any answers that I thought I needed. {sob, sob}Also? I smell a shift where this trilogy will turn into another spinoff series, kind of like Maureen Johnson's
Truly Devious books have done.

Lucy Tonks

I READ IT AND I LOVED IT!
I know this might be an unpopular opinion BUT
I liked this one even more than the first one!! It just had everything taht I needed and read it at the perfect time! I haven't been able to read a book so fast in such a long time.
RTC.

____________________________________

YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER FOR THIS??😭😭😭

the inheritance games ended like that and i have to wait six whole months?! what's this kind of torture?! i wanna be reunited with jameson and grayson. they are mine ~~unlike the rumors you might hear from one particular demon that thinks she is an angel~~

also that cover? GORGEOUS
i like this cover even more than the first one (but i may be a bit bias since blue is one of my favourite colors)

booksnpenguins (wingspan matters)

Sometimes all a girl really needed was a very bad idea.

for me, it ends here, folks.
i'm more than okay with letting this series go.

loved the first book, found this one okay at best.
plot was definitely too messy, too many characters had something to do/say/inquire about and there was one too many filler chapter i didn't care about. i was almost tempted to skim pages to be honest, and the only thing that kept me from doing it was the fear of missing anything grayson hawthorne related.
long story short, i wasn't as invested in this sequel as i was about the first installment.
i also feel like this worked well as a final book and can't fathom what the third one might be about without dragging the story to a point where it'll be obvious this cow needs no more milking.
well, it was nice till it lasted, i guess?

Title	:	The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)
Author	:	Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rating	:
ISBN	:	0241480744
ISBN-10	:	9780241480748
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Hardcover
Number of Pages	:	380
Publication	:	First published September 7, 2021
Awards	:	Goodreads Choice Award Young Adult Fiction (2021)

The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) Reviews

The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) Reviews

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