Shelf Life Chronicles

Title: The Inheritance Games
Series: (The Inheritance Games #1)
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: September 3, 2020
Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: ★★★

Synopsis

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 con-woman, 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.

Review

It’s been a while since I’ve binge read a book in one sitting, by The Inheritance Game had me in the edge of my seat trying to guess just what the heck was going on.

Avery was a character. She took no crap from these boys and knew how to hold her own. She was whip smart and good at solving puzzles. So when she’s thrown into this new life of wealth and games she adapts extremely well. I loved her sass and her dedication to her sister. 

The Hawthorne boys were just on another level. All smart, extremely talented and hot. Must be nice to be the whole package. Nash, the oldest, was so sweet, caring and over the bs games his grandfather had been putting together for years. Greyson was a total bore. He kind of just faded into the background, the wet blanket of the group. Jameson was a shot of whiskey. High spirited and the poor boy felt everything. He was very one track minded though and I’ll be interested to see how he develops in the next book. Finally we have the baby of the boys, my sweet scone loving and brainiac Xander. I loved him so much! He was totally random, sweet as heck and hiding some pretty big secrets.

Like Jameson I was addicted to the game that Tobias Hawthorne has set into motion with his death. Why was Avery left to inherit everything? Was there any kind of connection? I rushed through this book for answers to my questions, to see if my predictions were correct. They weren’t but it was still fun being wrong.

There was a teeny tiny bit of romance, but it felt more thrill seeking and out of convenience than actual romance. A romance of opportunity if you will. I don’t want to spoil which boy, but I will say that I never felt like he saw Avery for who she was. Someone special no matter why she was brought here but because she could keep up.

The ending was actually super disappointing. I was expecting more, a big got you moment. Turns out the only thing I did guess right was the last big surprise at the end. After sitting on this book for a bit I also feel like I don’t really know any of the characters. I know Avery but everyone else is still a mystery except for maybe Xander who we got to know best out of the brothers. This is a series of some sort though so there will be more to come, just kind of wish I had gotten to know the brothers more in the first book. The being said though, it really did capture my attention and I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the story.