Book Review #84: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Hello Dear Reader!

Welcome to another book review, this time on a traditionally published book that was recommended to me by one of my own fans! I’m really glad she did recommend this to me, because I have been in a bit of a reading slump, and I think this book has brought reading back to life. Full of mystery, puzzles, and complex relationships, The Inheritance Games was hard to put down when I needed to get up and do chores.

But before I get into the review, here’s the back-cover summary: (from Goodreads)

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 conwoman, 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.

Now, on to the review!

The Inheritance Games follows the story of Avery Kyle Grambs as her life is turned upside-down after receiving the entire fortune of billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, a man she’d never met. Now the youngest billionaire in the world, Avery is tossed into an adventure full of puzzles, mysteries, paparazzi, and the need to survive within the secret-riddled Hawthorne House.

Avery is one of my favorite protagonists to date. Smart, quick-witted, and observant, being able to see inside her mind throughout the book was an absolute joy and part of the reason why it was hard to put the book down when I needed to. Balancing this logic in her is the love she holds for those she cares about, particularly her older sister, Libby. Surrounding Avery is a whole cast of characters including the four wildly different Hawthorne brothers, a silent and deadly bodyguard, her very own stoic lawyer, an older sister who shows her love through baking, and a plethora of people who have their own secrets and I personally find hard to trust.

Much of the book takes place in the state of Texas, more specifically in the ginormous Hawthorne Mansion. Equipped with a small bowling alley, a salon, multiple libraries, a solarium, an armory, multiple wings and more, this mansion is full of secret passageways that lead to even more secrets and mysteries, making it the perfect setting to go exploring and play around in. While many rooms and secret passages were revealed during The Inheritance Games, I have no doubt the mansion has much more to offer in future books. It’s just that big!

I absolutely loved reading this book, especially since it caters to my personal love of puzzles and mysteries. The Mysterious Benedict Society is similar in that the characters solve puzzles throughout, so it really brought a nostalgia factor for me. I also liked how it wove in a love story while keeping the mystery as the main driver of the story. It made for a really good subplot AND a love triangle that I feel okay with. The mystery itself also had a ton of layers to it, and I just could not predict what would happen next, which I enjoy in a good mystery book! While I do wish some of the other brothers, namely Nash and Alexander, had a bit more screen time, I bet I’ll see them more in the next books of the series!

So, The Inheritance Games rating:

5/5 and recommend if you like big mysteries that involve solving puzzles with a rather tragic romantic subplot and plot twists.

Thanks for reading!