[4.5 rounded up]

“When you’re the matriarch of the richest family in southern Massachusetts, everybody wants a piece of you.”


This was a compelling premise and a suspenseful read.

And if you are interested in a suspenseful read that doesn’t have death in it or a murder to solve, this would be a great option for you!

After her grandma’s sudden death (okay ONE death…), almost 18-year-old Lily is sent on a ‘treasure hunt’ for her supposed inheritance.

Some have said this book has The Goonies vibes (which is actually referenced in the book) or is similar to The Inheritance Games. I haven’t seen the former or read the latter, so I can’t speak to whether those are accurate comparisons.

However, I just googled The Goonies and I see it’s described as a group of misfits who find a map and go on a treasure hunt, so (minus the pirates), yes, it does appear to be similar.


Lily is a loner and jealous of her cousin, Daisy (who is essentially the Spare), and her group of friends.

“I’d rather be alone than feel alone with friends who only care about my last name and how much money is in my bank account. Which is currently, like, none.”


Part of the treasure hunt seems to be Gram bringing people into Lily’s life and creating an unexpected group of friends, bonded by the hunt and the danger that it puts them through.


I liked the premise of this book and the context of where the treasure hunt starts. If you haven’t noticed yet, flower names are the theme in the Rosewood family. Hyacinth was the first matriarch and managed to create an entire town (with the family namesake). Then there was Petunia, then Iris (Lily and Daisy’s grandma). Iris had twin sons named Arbor and Alder.

The setting of a town kinda ‘ruled’ or ‘reigned over’ by the Rosewood family creates a close-knit community (with flowers planted everywhere). Lily’s dad and uncle ended up getting a lot of the townspeople into some financial trouble so when Gram dies and the family fortune appears to have ‘disappeared’ it sends the entire town into a hubbub.

“Not only are we up against whatever tricks Gram has in store for us, but now we also have competition? If we don’t solve her clues fast, someone else could get to it first.”


One thing that I didn’t like was the map. Lily ends up having to find three other people with pieces to the map. I wish the map had served more of a purpose than just bringing the four people together. There weren’t really any clues to be found in the map, and they didn’t really need it to solve the clues. I think it should have played a bigger role.

The clues the teens follow are also story-specific so it’s not something the reader can ‘figure out’ alongside the characters. It can be done either way in books, and sometimes it’s fun to be try to solve a riddle or something, but it worked out just fine to merely be a spectator in this story.


I wouldn’t say that I was shocked at any point in the story and I could kind of predict most of the ending. Again, it was okay in this book. It’s a YA book so it makes sense that the author isn’t going to create an overly complex plot line. It didn’t make it less enjoyable for me to read. I was still curious what Gram was up to and how it would all play out.


A major thread in this book is friendship. Reed writes in her acknowledgements, “While The Rosewood Hunt is a story about many things, at its heart, it’s about the friendship that blooms during an unexpected journey.”

(Again the connection to flowers!)

I have mixed feelings about the friendship vibes. With the exception of Gram and Daisy and Lily’s relationship, almost every other familial relationship in the book was strained, negative, or non-existent. This was a story where friendship really seemed to replace family.

I think for teen readers, friendship will hit a lot of chords and is something they are interested in reading about. That’s cool. But at the same time, I feel like it’s pretty rare to maintain high school friendships beyond high school. Friends aren’t always, or usually, forever… at least in a consistent way.

I get it, Lily has lost all her family (besides Daisy) and so in some ways friends will become her family. But I don’t think this is the norm for teens. It almost seemed to glorify friendships above family relationships. And it’s hard to argue when their parents are all terrible. But as a reader who IS a parent and already sees ways the family structure and the role of parents in a child’s life is being undermined, I guess I would have liked to see some more positive family relationships or at least some sort of reconciliation with teens and parental figures.

I could see teens reading this and thinking— ‘all I need is my friends; they will love me better than my parents.’ And the majority of the time, that’s just simply not true.

But, I would be curious what teen readers think when they read this. Perhaps their perception of the story understands those idiosyncrasies.



Another thing I noticed, which I’m not sure I would necessarily want changed, was the caliber of dialogue these teenagers are engaging in. It’s a typical observation I make when I read YA novels so it’s probably just ‘the way it is,’ but sometimes these teenagers are way more self-aware than they would be in reality. And able to articulate some of the feelings in a very mature way (i.e. why they struggle with relationships and getting close to people and why they find it hard to connect with people).

Daisy’s character seemed more in line with what I would expect. But I’m not sure I would want to read a book full of Daisy-caliber characters so I’m not sure how much I should request realism here haha.

And actually, most of the dialogue was well-done and interesting to read. I enjoyed some of the humor sprinkled in as well.



Most YA novels with an adventure have a character who says something heroic like- ‘I can’t have any more people I love getting hurt, so I’m going to finish this by myself. I love you guys and need to protect you because this is all my fault anyway.’ The Rosewood Hunt is no exception.

Do I think teenagers would do this? No. But at the same time, I suppose it’s not a bad thing to portray a character thinking about someone other than themself. I remember being a teen and teens are pretty inward focused and can’t always see how their choices or words affect others. If a character in a book makes them look outward more and desire to put others ahead of themselves, that’s probably a good thing for teens to be reading.


I thought Reed did a good job with the hunt- making it work in the modern setting and considering it came on the heels of the death of a loved one. Sometimes I wondered why characters did or didn’t do something or say something, but for the most part, those ‘holes’ were explained by the end.

Except for Lily’s mom. I’m still not sure what the deal is with both of the moms, really.

And, I do have a money question… if there were very large trusts heavily invested in Rosewood Inc. and then their owners were able to just pull them all out, wouldn’t that tank the company? Also, I really don’t think the trusts should have been fully available at the age of 18— that’s way too much money for a person whose frontal lobe is not fully developed yet…



Recommendation

I would definitely recommend this for an adult audience, but for a YA audience I would see my content advisory below to see if it’s something you would want your teen reading or not.

It’s not a dark, twisty, murderous thriller; it’s a lighter, yet suspenseful read with a fun adventure inspiring friendship. It’s a quick read and one I think a lot of people would enjoy.

I do wish it had less swearing (it seemed to increase in the last 2/3 of the book) and more emphasis on family, but I still liked the book. Especially for a debut novel, I think Reed has crafted a great book!


**Received an ARC via NetGalley*

[Content Advisory: 43 f-words, 54 s-words, 7 b-words, no sexual content, four prominent characters are LGBTQ]

I really enjoyed reading this one! It was my first by this particular author and now I can’t wait to read more from them!

3.75 rounded up —

This was a brisk and enjoyable YA read, with intriguing plot choices and a
great hook to boot. I see The Inheritance Games vibes that people have been touting for sure, but I do think that these titles manage to hold their own, slightly differing spaces within their shared scope of genre.

The thriller elements were not as high-stakes as billed, and I do think the story leans more drama than thriller. The pacing was quite quick as well, which led to certain arcs falling flat sometimes, primarily because this didn't leave much room to flesh out important nuances of relationship dynamics. Also, a lot of the key moments were presented in info dump form; they were more tell than show, and I would have preferred the latter.

That being said, this book was a truly FUN read. The vibes were immaculate, and I did find myself loving the found family crew situation a lot more than I initially thought I would.

All in all, a solid debut, and a great way to kick off the autumnal reading season.

The characters of this story are giving quirky group of unlikely friends.

The plot is a pretty straight forward treasure hunt story. Follow clue A to clue B to clue C find treasure. Defeat bad guy. Don’t get killed. The ending is satisfying but nothing over the top special.

(3.5) This was cute and exactly what I thought it would be. At its core it’s about friendship and found family & I eat that UP. There was a lot to enjoy like the hunt, the riddles, the characters, etc. And there were some cliches, like A LOT but I know the YA girlies will eat it up. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this one. You can defiantly tell that this is a YA book. But over all very interesting story.

Full stop. Reed's debut is wonderful. It is very Scooby Gang meets Knives Out and I loved it. I loved the twists and turns and thought that her characters and her prose were really fresh.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this title!

Lily Rosewood has a lot on the line—after her father’s death last year and her mother’s abandonment, she has relied on her Gram, Iris Rosewood, and her Gram’s legacy. The Rosewood name is huge in Rosetown, as is the company, but Lily has felt her Gram getting more distant with her as she wants to talk about her future with the company. Then, on the night of one of her Gram’s famous parities, her grandmother’s heart attack and sudden death catapult Lily into a scavenger hunt. Will she be able to figure out the mystery behind her Grandmother’s fortune and where it’s located…even as news gets out? For fans of The Inheritance Games, The Westing Game, & Knives Out, this is another intricate family mystery.

(3.5⭐️) Though I was immediately hooked from the description and name of this book, I will say that this fell a little flat for me. I think that part of the intrigue is lost because there is just so much that every character is telling us—I almost feel like this would have worked better in a multi-timeline format (like flipping from events from the past to events in the present). I loved the characters and the world-building, and I think a lot of the quips were funny. I actually really loved Lily and Miles’ friendship and I was a little sad that he wasn’t in the story as much. I also felt that the found family group with Quinn/Caleb/Leo was really rushed—obviously more time was spent with Lily and Leo, but even their romance didn’t fully hit for me because it was complicated with the past events. Overall, I think that if you are a fan of the Inheritance Games & Knives Out, this is a fun book to check out!

What a fantastic debut novel by Mackenzie Reed! This story had all the things I love and I couldn't stop turning the pages! Lily Rosewood adores her Grandmother and has been living with her after a difficult year filled with loss and disappointment. When her Gram, Iris, is suddenly gone, Lily finds herself out of the only home she knows and left with a puzzle to solve before she will be able to access any of her inheritance. Lily quickly discovers that she isn't the only piece in the puzzle left behind and she needs to learn to trust old and new friends (and family) or she may not ever find out what her Gram wanted to share with her. This was a fast read and it will be a hit with fans of The Inheritance Games and National Treasure! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, I do think this book required too much suspension of disbelief for me to enjoy. A lot of details in it, even really small ones, affected the way the setting came off, and while the story seemed really interesting, I couldn’t believe the world building.

4.5 stars

Calling all fans of the Inheritance Games . . .
Does this book have an inheritance? Yes, but it is sorely lacking, or so some think.
Does this heroine have to complete a series of games to claim her true prize? Yes.
Does she have help with a romantic element? Yes, but no love triangle, thankfully.
With all of the "yes" responses above, I should make it clear that this book is not a copy of the famous series I mentioned. Maybe just inspired by it.

As the title suggests, this story centers on a hunt that may or may not lead to the Rosewood fortune. Leading the hunt is Lily Rosewood, granddaughter to Iris. Given their close connection, it is not surprising she is the first to figure out her Gram's bigger plans following the reading of her will. But what is unexpected is the ragtag group of teens who join her and why.

Lily, and her strong connection to her Gram, is a key part of solving the clues as they progress in the hunt. But she is a huge klutz. And this is coming from someone who is a klutz themselves, but for Lily, it becomes a liability. I wanted to slow down at times and be more thoughtful in her actions, but alas, that wasn't the case.

The biggest twist in this story was who the villain was and why. It was kind of a sad revelation, but it did help bring some unlikely people closer together.

Overall, this was a great story about family, legacy and greed. If you like a fun YA adventure, check this out!

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this as an eGalley through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this a lot. This was a fun and fast-paced scavenger hunt type mystery that is very easy to read and hard to put down. It's a wonderful YA contemporary fiction and does remind a lot of Jennifer Lynn Barnes' "Inheritances Games" but was different enough that it stands on it's own well and I really enjoyed it.

The book follows Lily Rosewood. She is hoping to take over the Rosewood luxury fashion empire from her grandmother (Gram), but things go awry when her Gram suddenly passes away and the Rosewood fortune goes missing. All Lily has is a series of clues that her Gram left both her and some other random teens throughout the city of Rosetown. Now Lily must join forces with these other kids to solve the mystery before her Gram's fortune and company get transferred to the wrong people.

This was a very intense and fast-paced read, so the book practically reads itself. I really liked Lily and the other characters in the book as well. The scavenger hunt they go on is a lot of fun and ends up being very dangerous. Lily and her co-hunters find that they are being hunted by men who seem bent on killing them rather than letting them solve these clues.

I enjoyed the writing style, the action, the mystery, and the witty dialogue. This is Mackenzie Reed's debut novel and she is an author I plan on keeping an eye on. This was a super fun read.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book a ton. If you are a fan of Barnes' "Inheritance Games" I think you will like this as well. This was fast paced, full of action and mystery, and had some fun characters in here too. I will definitely be keeping an eye out fo

This was an incredibly fun, fast-paced, exciting read!! From start to finish I did not want to put this book down. I LOVED the characters!! They all pulled at my heartstrings in a different ways and I found myself rooting for all of them. The story was crafted beautifully and the mysterious hunt for the treasure had me hooked from the start! I highly recommend The Rosewood Hunt and can't wait for my copy to arrive once published!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Teen for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Rosewood Hunt
By Mackenzie Reed

I really enjoyed this wonderfully written YA mystery & treasure hunt. Can’t wait to get a physical copy to gift to my pre-teen daughter. Honestly, enjoyed this more than The Inheritance Games. The plot & pacing of the story is spot on. Highly recommend! ❤️


📚 Expected release date October 31, 2023📚
❤️Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins Children's Books & Harper Collins Teens & the brilliant author Mackenzie Reed. I’m super appreciative & gave my honest opinion❤️

This was a very fun, fast-paced book. I’d heard it described as “Outer Banks meets Inheritance Games”, and that definitely fits. It’s YA and the writing is very much YA, so it’s easy to read. That being said, some of the characters were a little cringey to me (which can sometimes happen now that I’m an adult reading YA, to be fair) and after I finished I didn’t feel any real emotional attachment to any of it. I still would recommend it and I think it’ll be enjoyable for a wide group of people.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

This book read a little younger than anticipated. I knew it was YA but this felt almost like middle grade in some parts. Still, it was an easy read with a feel good ending!

a little slow at times, but a fun book with a fun mystery. very reminiscent of the westing game (a childhood fave of mine). it was heavier on the drama and lighter on the real mystery and hunt itself than i expected, but the characters were relatable and the mystery was unique.

4.5 ⭐️

Lily Rosewood lives with her only remaining family member, her gran, Iris. She has big dreams to go to FIT, although her grandmother is pushing business school so she can learn how to manage the family company, Rosewood Inc. The night of the big party for Grams birthday, it’s a mess, trust is betrayed and before anything can be fixed Gram suddenly passes away. Lily is left with a note in invisible ink and a group of unlikely friends, and her estranged cousin Daisy, as they try to navigate Grams notes and reach the treasure before anyone else. The stakes are high and and this book will take you on an action packed ride all the way to the very end!

I had so much fun reading this book; it’s a fast paced, high stakes treasure hunt with a combination of funny and sweet moments that will have you falling in love with the characters. Even though the focus of the book was the treasure hunt, the friendships were such an integral part of the book, and seeing them grow closer as a group and becoming family was everything!

Thank you so much to @netgalley @harpercollinsch @mackenziemreed for the digital copy of this book, all opinions are my own. The Rosewood Hunt is releasing October 31st!!

I loved this story — about the hunt for a missing inheritance, but, at its heart, about found family and the end of loneliness. It brought me so much comfort, and I couldn’t put it down!

I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I heard about it (a found family treasure hunt thriller in a small coastal town? Come on!) so it's no surprise that I absolutely TORE through it. The Rosewood Hunt has it all: high stakes, an atmosphere so vivid it feels like you're really there, an eccentric grandmother with a penchant for ~riddles~, the sweetest friendship and romance dynamics, ballgowns, and banter. Truly, what more could you want? I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Outer Banks, The Goonies, or Knives Out, and I'm so excited to shout more about it on debut day!