Avery Kylie Grambs, a very risk gamble, is back after the cliffhanger that ended The Inheritance Games. Determined to learn more about the infamous Toby Hawthorne, Avery knows the mystery of why she received the Hawthorne fortune is tied to the long-lost son of Tobias.
She knows this game is far from over and with the help of the Hawthorne brothers, Jameson, Grayson, Xander and Nash, Avery has a shot of piecing the clues together about her birth and childhood. It’s been twenty years since Tobias disinherited his entire family and the crew is determined to understand what happened and how it relates to Avery.
To make things worse, the press is constantly watching Avery and it seems like her enemies only continue to grow. Someone is determined to make sure Avery can’t succeed….and never receives the entirety of the fortune. With time running out and her life on the line, Avery has to decide if being part of this world is worth it.
Wow are we glad that we read The Hawthorne Legacy for our September book club. We had no idea where Barnes was going with the book and we loved that the mystery only became more twisted. Avery was a lot more confident than in book 1 and made sure that she would solve this puzzle. Unlike what Nash said, Avery did not want to be the glass ballerina or the knife.
One aspect we anxiously waited for was the love triangle between brooding Grayson and charismatic Jameson. Unlike in most trilogies, Avery actually made her decision. Without spoiling anything, our book club had mixed reactions to the choice. Although, we think it became pretty clear about half-way through the book.
In terms of the other budding romances, we completely ship Xander and Max! They both had a bigger role in The Hawthorne Legacy and we love their adorable chemistry. On the other hand, we couldn’t stand Libby and Nash, both together and apart. Nash didn’t add too much to the plot, while Libby is so immature and naïve. She’s supposed to be an adult!
Now, the absolute worst people are Skye Hawthorne and Ricky Grambs. Obviously, Barnes wants us to hate them…but poor Avery. She deserves a better family.
Her family is the major reason Avery got pulled into the Hawthorne’s messed up family dynamics. The action picked up and we couldn’t believe all the things Avery had to face, including more threats to her life. Barnes left us guessing until the very end, making us antsy for the last book in the series, The Final Gambit. We need to know how this YA mystery series will end!
Overall, if you haven’t started this series yet and you enjoyed Knives Out, pick it up immediately. Also, if you’ve only read The Inheritance Games, you won’t be disappointed with how Avery’s journey continues.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm All Booked Up - a young adult book blog 
Oo, this is on my TBR and I can’t wait to get stuck in! I’m glad you enjoyed it, fab review x
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Thank you! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
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Brilliant review for a brilliant book x
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Thank you! 🙂
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This was such an amazing book! Great review too!
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Thank you!!
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You’re welcome!
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Everything I’ve read by this author has been SO good – and different! Her Naturals series blew me away!
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We loved The Naturals series!
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Libby and Nash…I’m still not sure what to think of them too, but I’m glad we were able to see more of them here. It’ll be interesting to see where Barnes takes their relationship in the 3rd book
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They are a strange match. We have no idea how Barnes will move forward with them, but we’re excited to see.
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Fantastic review….on my TBR
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Thank you!
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Oh no! Mixed reactions to the love triangle choice. I know I will too then based on your choices from book 1 in this triangle 😭
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Hopefully you can accept the guy she chooses!
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We loved this book! Great review!
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Thank you!
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I haven’t read the previous books in the series but have heard great things about it. Loved your review x
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Thank you!!
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Oh my gosh, I need to get to this series! I’m hearing such amazing things about it, I can’t wait to read it. Another fantastic review!
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Thank you! We think you’ll enjoy the series and can’t wait to get your thoughts.
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Great review! I was wondering where it would go as well and thought Barnes did a great job at keeping the mystery from book 1 going. I hate love triangles so I’m glad Avery makes a choice. I have a soft spot for Xander and wished he was given more to do. I also completely ship Max and Xander!!! Am I the only one that wants to know more about Nash and Alisa (and hopes Libby gets out of the picture 🤣)?
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The mystery aspect was so well done. We noticed in Barnes’s other books too that she likes love triangles, but will have the MC pick fairly early on. Max and Xander would be so cute and yes we need more Xander in book 3.
You’re right. We want more backstory on why Alisa and Nash actually broke up.
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I’ve heard such great things about this book! I still haven’t read Inheritance Games though 🙈. I really need to get on that 😅 Great review!!
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Thank you! We think you’d like it so we hope you give it a try 🙂
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