Overall

After the way the first book ended, there was no way I could resist picking up this one ASAP! I went in expecting plot twists and turns, yet I was still somehow woefully unprepared for what a roller coaster ride this book was going to be!

The Hawthorne Legacy is a twisty, turny, roller coaster ride of a sequel that doubles down on the mystery and riddles, up the stakes as far as danger, and presents a side of the Hawthornes you’ve never seen.

Not gonna lie, I stayed up until 12:30 AM finishing this book, even though I knew I had to get up at 6:30 AM for work. I was exhausted and it was worth it. There was just absolutely no way I was going to be able to put the book down before I knew how it ended!

My Thoughts

- Hold on to your seats, readers, because things are about to get twisty. Plot twisty, that is! Hawthorne House is, of course, full of riddles and mystery, and they have by no means been solved by the first book. Lucky for us, right? I was immediately sucked into the mystery of this second book. I enjoyed the riddles more and the way the secrets slowly unfolded and pieced together . . . sometimes in entirely shocking ways! There were times the plot twists completely surprised me (I didn’t even come close to guessing them!), and I definitely fell for a couple red herrings. Oops?! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, though, and I just had to know how it was going to end!

- As if Avery wasn’t in enough danger in the first book, The Hawthorne Legacy doubles down on the threat. It’s bigger and badder and better than ever! Wait . . . well, something like that. Because being rich is . . . hard? Well, in Avery’s case, we’re going to go with a solid YES on that one. There are still some people with a lot to be gained if something were to happen to Avery. Seems like more people are popping up every day with a stake in the money. And we all know what a good motivator money is, right? Also, revenge. Revenge is an incredible motivator, and the Hawthornes aren’t exactly innocent, now are they?

- This book is absolutely filled with ridiculously adorable and heartwarming sibling bonds scenes. Not that the boys don’t compete over every little thing still, because of course they do. They’re still the Hawthornes. There’s a lot going on in their lives right now, though, and they’re discovering things about themselves and their family that’s shaking up their world view a little. So it’s only natural that they would come together, right? These scenes were so striking simply because of how at each other’s throats they were in the last book and how utterly competitive they all are. At the end of the day, though, they’re still brother’s, and they’re still all each of them has, and family is family.

- There’s a marked change taking place in the Hawthorne ranks, and it’s such a raw, emotional thing to see so many of the characters getting deeper stories. I mean, in a family where everything is puzzles and games and competition, it’s easy to see why they might have just a few teensy emotional problems. The first book gave us a little glimpse at the Hawthornes and all their ugliness, but this book peels back the layers a little bit so we can see the true Hawthornes. They’re not always any prettier (except I guess technically they are pretty, or so we’re told). Still, I absolutely loved the greater character development and getting to see their backstories and what exactly shape the Hawthornes. It’s maybe a little more understandable how they turned out.

- The dreaded love triangle from the first book persists in this book, and it’s kind of painful . . . until it isn’t? If love triangles are your thing, you can probably just skip this part. This one’s for my people. You know who you are. The sort that really just wants to shake Avery and say, Make up your bloody mind, woman! The ones who would really rather dive into a lake of lava than deal with yet another love triangle. I see you all. I know your pain. But it’s okay.

I actually was kind of really happy with the turn the love triangle takes in this book. It definitely played a part in the plot in a big way that I didn’t expect. In a very character-driven, character development way that left me rather satisfied with how it turned out. So I actually have no complaints about the love triangle in this book! Shocking, I know.

- Xander. I have nothing more to say except for that. He made this entire book for me. I know the first book focused a lot on Grayson and Jameson, and this book does, too, really. I mean, they’re kind of the big two for Avery, so that makes sense. Xander definitely has a larger presence in this book, though, and it’s hard not to take notice. He’s got such a big personality, and he’s quickly become my favorite. Unlike the others, there really isn’t much of a reason not to love Xander (though I fear that may be coming, because that’s generally how it goes with my favorites). Getting to spend more time with him and know him a bit more in this book was such a highlight for me.

Ah this was such a perfect continuation to the series. And I’m happy to say that for the first time in…ever?…I actually liked the second book more than the first one.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the plot of the series but would like to know more: In The Inheritance Games, we have Avery who’s been living with her older sister ever since her mother died. She gets invited to the will reading of a man she didn’t know, Tobias Hawthorne, who is also a billionaire. When the will is read, it’s revealed that Tobias has left everything to Avery. Well, on the condition that she spends a year at the Hawthorne Estate. Confused about why a man she never knew and has no relation to would leave her his entire, Avery and Tobias’ grandsons set out to find the reason behind it all. They follow clues and uncover lies and overall, the book was just incredibly interesting and the idea, wholly original.

In the second installation of this series, the book continues almost exactly where book one ended and Avery’s gunning to prove that something she’d found out in the first book is indeed true. There’s no shortage of the usual mystery and thrill in this book. There’s many clues to be unearthed and followed, many lies to be revealed, betrayals to be known and more.

The book, just like it’s first one, hooks you in from the very first page and considering it’s a series, keeps you hooked I preparation for the last book as well. There’s hints dropped that pave the way for the third book while there’s always twists and turns to keep you intrigued.

The writing, as always, is immaculate. I’d know considering I read book one of The Naturals series a while before this series and I was instantly in love. Jennifer’s mind creates such original wonders. I can’t wait for the third book to come out next year!!

As the second book of the series, I can't explain much about the synopsis of the book. This series starts with a girl whose fate change in an instant when a billionaire dies and leaves Avery his entire fortune and Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. But solving the mystery turn out to be a thrilling game because Tobias himself was a living puzzle.

✨ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭
I just love this DAMN book! I was binge-reading The Inheritance Games and The Hawthorne Legacy and THANKS GOD I did that. Because the ending of the first book will make me die if I couldn't read the next book.

Tbh, when I start The Hawthrone Legacy, I already prepare myself for the second book syndromes, because I love the first book. But OH MY GOD this book. I love it as much if not more!

5 reasons why you should read this book:
- If you love puzzles, riddles, clues, and solving mysteries like me, then this book is meant to be your next BFF
- The setting is so interesting and the author did well describing them. The Hawthrone Manor is like a playground for mystery lovers - with all secret passages, hidden rooms, and unexpected clues
- Each of the characters (even the side characters like the bodyguard) is so fun to read
- The family bonding! Four brothers with each of them have their own "cleverness" 😘
- Xander.. Xander.. Xander..

I have said it before and I'll say it again, Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a literary genius. Somehow, every story that she writes sucks me in and I can't get it out of my mind, no matter what I try. This one was no different.
I loved seeing the characters again and really enjoyed Avery as she handled everything thrown at her. I am still a huge fan of Xavier, but wish that more engineering was shown like the first book.
Overall, I recommend this to fans of the first book. You will not be disappointed.

5 Stars

*I received a copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

5 Reasons You Should Read This Book
- If you love fast paced books filled with suspense, puzzles and family drama this book is for you!
- Love Triangles and dark brooding men (swoon right?😉)
- The romance, secrets and friendships! The relationship between the Hawthorne brothers is my absolute favorite.
- Fans of One of Us is Lying are bound to love this trilogy as much as I do!
- Conclusion to this book leaves you content but excited for the next. If you loved the first book you just have to read this one!

Mini Review : (a few of my thoughts)

I’ve been seeing this book all over Bookstagram for the last few months and all I can say is it definitely lived up to the hype! The second book of a series doesn’t always live up to the first but that was not the case with this series! I really enjoyed reading this book alot more then The Inheritance Games. This had more angsty, romance and action, which set it at a fast pace then the first book. The ending leaves you completely content and satisfying , while the beginning leaves you in completely suspense that leaves you on the edge of your seat. This is the perfect Young Adult Mystery novel.

4.5

First, can we all freak out together that this duology is now a trilogy? HECK YES!

The Hawthorne Legacy was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. And I am so blessed to have gotten the chance to read it early. This is the kind of series you drop everything to read, which is exactly what I did.

There wasn’t a thing about this book that I didn’t love. Getting back in the Hawthorne mystery was just as fun as starting it. Avery is still the queen of my heart, but Grayson and Jameson remain my favorites! Seeing these precious babies work together and solve this mystery was so fun. The secrets we learn along the way had my jaw dropped 99% of the time.

The romance didn’t exactly go in the direction I wanted it to, but I am still happy with it. There were some pretty cute moments. Let me tell you, these Hawthorne boys are swoon-worthy.

We get a lot of answers in this book, which makes my heart pretty happy. But we also get another mystery or two. I have no idea how book 3 is going to top this one. But I am excited to find out. The Final Gambit is going to be a WILD ride, and I am here for every second of it.

So I will end this with a simple statement, READ THESE BOOKS!

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond and Jennifer Lynn Barnes for providing me with a complementary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint! Its predecessor The Inheritance Games was one of the best YA mysteries (if not the best) that I’ve ever read.

Since I loved The Inheritance Games so much, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing the two novels. Although I didn’t enjoy this novel as much, I remain incredibly impressed with Jennifer Lynn Barnes and her writing. Not only does she have a writing style that keeps me interested and compelled, but it is also clear just how much brain power goes into her stories. I read a fair amount of YA mysteries and something that usually bothers me about them is that the main characters almost always do something completely stupid for reasons I never understand. While the characters in The Hawthorne Legacy do frustrate me sometimes, it always because they were emotionally reacting to something in a way I didn’t like, not because they were being unnecessarily foolish.

I read a few reviews before sitting down to write this and some people have complained about the pacing of the story because a lot of the action happens at the very end. While I agree that pace at the end of the book picked up quite a lot, I was perfectly fine with the pacing of the rest of the novel. The reason I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ mysteries is because she keeps my brain churning in the most satisfying way throughout the novel, and there was no lack of that here. I never felt like the book was going “too slow” because my thoughts never stopped moving.

Something that I think I should mention in this review, just in case some of my readers are like me when it comes to tropes: this book was a love triangle going on. This was hinted at in the first book, but explore more in this installment. I’m someone who normally can’t stand love triangles, but somehow Jennifer Lynn Barnes made it work for me. I’ve never rooted for all sides of a love triangle before, yet that’s what I found myself doing here. I honestly think that no matter what the outcome of the triangle will be, I will be fine with it. It’s amazing that Jennifer Lynn Barnes was able to pull it off so well.

I was so nervous going into this book because most of the reviews on Goodreads were really low, but I really enjoyed this book! It does fall into the middle syndrome book a bit, and the pacing was a little crazy towards the end, but I still had no much fun reading The Hawthorne Legacy that those things can be overlooked.

It was so nice to see all the characters again, Jamie and Grayson especially. I was so invested on who she was going to choose (I don’t even know who I would choose), and I was pretty satisfied in the end; though I’m not sure if that decision will be changed in the third book. In fact, all the side characters were great, and I’m definitely invested in the sister and oldest Hawthorne brother plot line, Avery was just a clever as book one, and I really enjoyed learning more about her life before arriving at the Hawthorne mansion. Her desperation to find her birth father was gripping and believable, and it helped with the pacing of the book a lot.

So while I didn’t love this as much as The Inheritance Games, this book still kept me on the edge of my seat and I will for sure be picking up the third book!!

This starts off right where The Inheritance Games ended, with finding Harry/Toby. I was happy to see a bit of a recap of book one, but in a way that didn’t feel like you were just reading the same information. We clearly see a divide in teams, but I also found that it showed Avery’s lack of picking sides. It felt like she was constantly bouncing between brothers and sharing information. I felt like it was another way Barnes decided to show Avery’s fear of commitment and loss.

Once again there were multiple twists and turns here. I found myself guessing this time and being right, but later on being shown how that was misdirection. I actually really liked that. Feeling like you’ve finally figured everything out, getting comfortable in the patterns of the story, then WHAM lies! It felt like there were even more players in the game this time – wanting answers and sabatoging.

I loved the element of “will they/won’t they” that’s here again. And I’m not just talking about the boys. I felt like I was constantly wondering “will they find Toby or not”, “will they find out what the mom’s secrets are”, and “will we ever figure out who we can trust!”. I can happily say that we get answers to all of these, but I’m also suspicious. I felt like everything was wrapped up nicely, but I don’t trust it 🤣.

Overall, this was a well written mystery with satisfying twists and answers. At no point did I feel frustration from character’s actions (maybe an eye roll or two, but that can’t be helped). I highly recommend this series.

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

The Hawthorne Legacy is the second book in The Inheritance Game series. I am a sucker for puzzles so I knew I wanted to read this series. It's a quick and thrilling read. I devoured both books in a matter of days. The Hawthorne Legacy sets up the next book perfectly and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

We follow Avery as she desperately tries to find all of the clues "The Old Man" left behind. She wants to know why she's the one who inherited everything. This novel is filled with puzzles, adventure and a new secret around every corner. The supporting characters bring different personalities to the table. The different relationships they bring to the table with Avery really keeps you on your toes. Are you team Jameson or team Grayson??

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good puzzle or who enjoys unraveling secrets upon secrets.

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Books, Jennifer Lynn Barnes and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

3.5 🌟
Gosh, i don’t know.
I liked this book just as much as the inheritance games which wasn’t too much but wasn’t the worst either. I’m just so over the fact that there’s a love triangle and Avery is still debating between the two when there is literally no competition whatsoever.
Can we agree Jameson is the better option? I’ve outlined why in my review for the inheritance games.
But seeing how Avery acts I’d rather much have her with Grayson and take Jameson for myself.
This book isn’t even romance but i have to mention the situation with Avery and the two Hawthorne brothers, because its mentioned more than the plot itself.
What i really enjoyed was that we got to see more of Alexander and even more of Max.
Literally the only people who carried this book was Jameson, Xander and Max.
While Grayson and Avery had their grumpy sessions going on.

Now onto the games, the action only started nearing the end. Everything seemed to just come one after the other. I think this book was more of a build up to the final book. It was good, but had its flaws that i couldn’t get past. I can see this being enjoyable for some, and it has upped my excitement for the final book.

Thank you to publishers and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a 3.5 star review, and not even because it’s a bad book. The plot was wonderful, and the extra details built upon were wonderfully believable. I enjoyed reading this mystery almost as much as the first one in the series and goodness gracious I’m so glad I was able to get my hands on this ARC (thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Books).

However- the love triangle pissed me off. And so did Avery in this book. She talks big game, but when it comes down to it she rarely makes big moves. Avery has acknowledged multiple times that she’s aware she’s just a pawn in one big chess game, and that she intends to take control of her own life, but repeatedly does nothing in advance. We never see her plan steps ahead, we never see her ruthless cutting edgy side that she’s supposed to have. Avery just seems average, even more so in this book than the one before. I’m hoping it all changes in the third one. The plot and the mystery as a whole is still wonderful, and I’m still looking forward to the next book but this one was just a little annoying.

The plot wasn’t enough to push through Avery’s shortcomings as a “clever and ruthless” character, and what’s more, the Hawthorne boys felt more and more like bad boy caricatures as time went on. There was just so little to them. I know almost nothing about any character’s dreams and hopes besides Avery, and as I’ve just mentioned, hers falls a little short. Her supposed ambition is always hindered by their supposed charm. And if Avery is as smart as she’s built up to be, why even let yourself fall for someone media trained before they were seven?

If you read for the mystery plot, please pick this up. It’s so well planned, and everything ties together in a thick ribbon and I can’t wait to see where the loose ends lead me to next. But if you like me, depend wholly on characters to keep you focused, this book was a little bit of a let down. Still an enjoyable read, but I think my expectations were set too high after the first one. The Hawthorne Legacy is already out!! So go get ur copies ♥️

Rating: 4/5 dna tests

Format: ebook. I’d like to thank the author and TBR and Beyond Tours for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

To sum up:
Picking up where we left off in book 1, Avery has more questions than she started with. Trying to find her place in Hawthorne House and uncover secrets from her mother’s past, this book is full of non-stop action, twists and secrets, and steamy romance!

What I enjoyed:
Ophh, What a wild ride! I thought it would be difficult for the author to maintain the same kind of momentum they did in the first book, but somehow she pulled it off! I had a really hard time putting this book down. The secrets get more complex, the stakes are higher, and the romance more steamy! I loved getting to know Avery and her past more in this installment. I thought the mystery was compelling and the character development really solid!

What was meh:
Sometimes the action/plot felt a little bit melodramatic but honestly, that’s part of the fun of these books! You’re supposed to gasp and swoon, so just enjoy it haha

Overall, I thought this was a gripping and entertaining read! I’ve been devouring mysteries lately and this one did not disappoint. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Even after the events of The Inheritance Games, Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are still trying to figure out the late Tobias Hawthorne’s motive behind leaving all his fortune to a random girl. In The Hawthorne Legacy, Jennifer Lynn Barnes exposed more Hawthorne family secrets, bloodlines, and games. It’s always about a game, or multiple games happening concurrently. There was no knowing what the Hawthornes are thinking.

Without going into spoilers, the four Hawthorne brothers and Avery embarked on another game that Tobias Hawthorne has left them. As in all mystery books, The Hawthorne Legacy continuously surprised me with the revelations. Two Hawthorne brothers were thrown curveballs while Avery finally has some questions regarding her birth answered. My only reservation was the identity of the “final boss” but in the grand scheme of things, that person’s role isn’t as significant as everything else that was happening.

As Avery tries not to die, there were the lingering feelings she has for Grayson and Jameson. These two boys are polar opposites. Grayson’s quieter, more stoic and keeps things to himself. On the flip side, Jameson is vibrant and charming. If you’re wondering about Avery’s decision in this love triangle, you’ll get an answer. For the most part, I was more concerned about solving the puzzles than this thing between them. It was tough to read because both Grayson and Jameson are interesting characters that I can support. Watching any one of them get hurt would be upsetting.

Xander appeared quite a bit in The Hawthorne Legacy. He might be the youngest but Xander’s mind work quickly during games and it seemed like he was always on the ball. When he popped up out of nowhere after a couple of times, one can only wonder how he got his information. The last Hawthorne brother, Nash, turns up whenever it’s related to Libby, Avery’s sister. If you’re wondering about the awkward tension between Nash, Libby and Alisa, yes, it’s still there. And still awkward.

When Jennifer Lynn Barnes announced that The Inheritance Games wouldn’t just be a duology, I was so happy! Exploring a lush, sprawling estate filled with hidden tunnels and secret compartments feels like a dream come true, even if it’s vicariously through a fictional character. Because I’m not a huge fan of the love triangle trope, my mind automatically focused on the mystery aspect instead of the romance. However, I have to say that both boys have their own merits, and if I’m Avery, it would be a tough decision to make.

Overall, I had an enjoyable time! The Hawthorne Legacy continued to reveal more secrets of the Hawthorne family. Avery is still overwhelmed with the wealth and fortune that she had unexpectedly inherited. Adding onto that are finding out the truth of her birth and the love triangle. I can’t wait for The Final Gambit, I wonder what it will entail.

Initial Thoughts
I was so excited to be chosen for this tour. I had been wanting to read this series for a while now and being on tour for the second book was a perfect opportunity. I loved the fact that the first book is compared to Knives Out and I couldn’t wait to puzzle out the mysteries and riddles.

Some Things I Liked
The mysteries. I loved the riddles, puzzles, and clues in this story just as much as I loved them in the first book. I love to try to solve the puzzles in mystery stories and Jennifer Lynn Barnes makes the reveals so good but also not obvious at all. I commend her ability to keep me guessing.
The romance. This series is the first series I have ever read where I actually like the love triangle element. Grayson and Jameson are both so good and I can’t imagine who Avery is going to choose.

Series Value
I think this series could probably end with this book. Do I want it to end here? Absolutely not! I want Jennifer Lynn Barnes to write infinitely more stories about this family and their eccentric ways. I am very excited that there will be a third book and I’m excited to see if all of the open items are tied up.

Final Thoughts
I loved this book. I read both book 1 and this book in the span of about 48 hours. This series is not one to sleep on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I was the glass ballerina or the knife. A part of the puzzle. A tool.”

Avery is just a pawn in this confusing game, but she won’t give up until she figures out why she was chosen. There has to be something more to it. I applaud her perseverance and strength in a time where most people would shut down or be taken advantage of.

“I have a secret...about the day you were born”

Secrets tend to be a big part of this series, and it doesn’t slow down this second book. Secrets can destroy lives, but they can also rebuild them. It all depends if you are willing to take whatever comes at you when the secrets are revealed.

“Et unus ex nobis. Nos defendat eius.”

Loyalty is another theme that runs through this book; Whether you are family by blood, by friendship, by a sense of duty, or by love. It is the number thing that motivates the characters in this story.

“Heads, I kiss you” His voice broke slightly. “Tails, you kiss me. And either way, it means something.”

Everything has always been a game, until it wasn’t. Love is a strong emotion. It can make you do horrible things, but it can always make you do incredible things. Love can be used to manipulate another person, and occasionally it can mean something....something big.
•••••

This book had me in its grip since the beginning and I didn’t put it down until I finished it. Thank you @tbrbeyondtours & @authorjenniferlynnbarnes for the gifted eBook.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ARC!

I am a huge fan of amateur sleuth and cozy mysteries, so The Inheritance Games really fit the bill and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was one of my favorite YA mysteries that I read this year.

I'm so sad to say that this book did not hit the mark in the same way as the first one :(

Here's what I liked:
- The MAIN plot points were interesting
- The stakes were high
- The settings were fantastic!! I wanted to travel to some of them
- MAX!! The best side character
- The writing was engaging and easy to speed through

The things that didn't really work for me were:
- WAY too many sub plots!! It made it really hard to follow along and I felt really stupid while reading. No one wants to feel stupid in a cozy mystery. I want to be hand held like Agatha Christie did in her books.
- The romance. It felt unnecessary and forced at times. And suffered from a poor communication trope. And maybe some Stockholm Syndrome.
- the ending had me very confused. It felt like a stretch

Overall, I got SOME questions that I had from the first book answered here, some not answered at all, and many new questions and confusions.

TOP 5 REASONS TO READ THIS BOOK

1) One of my most favorite elements of the story was the setting itself. In the first book, the story is a lot more contained and the events mainly take place in or around the Hawthorne Manor; but by the second book, we see a lot more places. Despite that, the Hawthorne Manor was a truly fascinating setting, with its exuberant hallways and hidden rooms, and secrets as alive as its residents.

It's a place full of so lavish and beautiful when the author describes it, with hidden messages on paintings, full of hidden patterns and puzzles rife with the personality of its designer, the elusive Tobias Hawthorne.
If you enjoy these kinds of settings, you'll love the vibe of this bo0k.

2) If you love family drama, long-buried secrets, conspiracies, backstabbing, and betrayals, this book is perfect for that. The story follows the Hawthorne family post the death of their sort-of patriarch and his very controversial and confounding will, in which he leaves all of his multi-millionaire fortunes to a teenage girl named Avery, and the deal that she has to live in that Manor for a whole year before she can take full ownership of that money.

The Hawthorne family is big, with three daughters and their sons, Xander, Grey, James, and Nate, all of whom don't know who or where their fathers are and have been raised together by their grandfather. There are tons of plot twists and revelations one after the other that will make your head spin (sometimes not in a good way), but it will always keep you hooked.

3) There are quite some interesting character dynamics and relationships that are explored here, and I had a fun time with them. One of the most noteworthy is obviously the relationship between the Hawthorne brothers. They're intensely loyal to one another. They have their own strange language and code words and understand each other. They're always there for each other, but also have this electrifying antagonism, or maybe that's not the right word- mischievous, maybe?- a vibe that pops of the page. I don't really have the words to describe it, but it's very intriguing.

4) Everything about this is whatever The Inheritance Games had, but 10x leveled up. It's got way more action, with guns firing and bombs exploding. The heat and the angst and the romance are on high flare, and there was not a single boring second of it.
If you know me, you know that I love the soft character moments just as much as the action, so I really appreciated when the author showed us the quiet moments as well. One complaint I had with the first book was that even with so much chaos happening with the protagonist, Avery, we did not see any sort of mental toll that it took on her, but it was remedied in this book. A whole lot of terrible things go down, and I loved seeing Avery clearly deal with it. We see her weak, and then we see her grow stronger.

5) It was a well-done and satisfying conclusion. Even though I was not the most pleased with the unnecessarily bumpy route it took, I loved the way it ended. What I mean to say is, a lot of the time the story got very overwhelming and overly complicated, misleading us with shocking revelations, and then there would be another twist that would prove the earlier information wrong, and that would just overturn and really confuse the thought process in our head.

I know that sounds too negative, but I think that was just a personal preference. The last 10 or 8 chapters were so much fun, and when I realized where the book was headed, I could not stop flipping the pages. I was pretty glad, mostly because I just like being right and the couple I shipped finally sailed off in the most perfect way.

This book is the complete opposite of a cozy mystery, so if you're into car chases and rich millionaire families and secret passageways, this will be entirely your cup of tea.

I’ve been DYING to read The Hawthorne Legacy since reading and adoring The Inheritance Games.

This book was a wild ride. From the first few chapters we are tossed back into Hawthorne House, with all of its lies, secrets, and dangers. The stakes are higher, the consequences more dire, and the questions more numerous. Buckle up.

Avery has grown so much as a character throughout these books. We see a lot more of her emotional turmoil in this book than in the first. It’s definitely darker than book one.

There were a lot of plot lines and side characters in this book that definitely confused me a lot. I have a soft spot for Xander and his hilarious commentary.

The romance definitely escalated in this book! I was here for it. Now I will be impatiently waiting for the last book.

I read lots of twisty books, so in general it takes a lot to surprise me. But that is exactly what The Hawthorne Legacy did. It surprised me good. From the latter half of this book on, I saw absolutely nothing coming. And it was brilliant. The Hawthorne Legacy is about family--those we are related to by blood and the family that we choose. It's about bonds of blood and bonds of love, and the complicated legacies that they leave behind. Barnes gets the ball rolling with mystery, big reveals, and romance and I was here for every minute of it. I was definitely more of a Grayson/Avery shipper after The Inheritance Games but man did I love seeing more of Avery and Jameson in this second installment. I also loved seeing more family complications and the mystery that is Tobias Hawthorne the Second and how that relates to Avery. Lots of back and forth just keeps you wondering until the truth is revealed at the very end. What Barnes does with this novel is a very risky gamble (fans of this series will understand what I did there) that paid off in spades and I honestly couldn't put this book down. The Hawthorne Legacy is everything a second book should be, full of twists and turns that leave you breathless at its conclusion.