The Hawthorne Legacy Review

Hi friends! I hope you’re all enjoying Spring (or Fall, if you’re up north). I’m super excited to share my The Hawthorne Legacy review. This is the sequel to the Inheritance Games and I was not (entirely) disappointed. Let’s dive in!

Read my Tales from the Hinterland review here!

Title: The Hawthorne Legacy

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Rating: 4 Stars

CAWPILE: 8.2/10

Genre: Thriller/Mystery, YA

Content Warnings: Attempted Murder, Blood

Format: eARC

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Date Published: September 9th 2021

Goodreads Description: The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions – including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture – by any means necessary.

I received a review copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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The Hawthorne Legacy Review

Characters – 8/10

I have been waiting for this sequel and I was not disappointed. Let’s talk about the characters. I like Avery, and I thought she had a lot more agency in this book than in the first. She makes her own decisions and I really appreciated that.

The Hawthorne brothers were on their best behaviour in this one. I’ve never been a fan of the love triangle (or corner) trope, but I didn’t mind it in this book. Jameson’s development was top tier, but I felt like the author purposefully pushed Grey aside because Jameson was the favourite. We didn’t see enough of Grey in this one.

We were introduced to a lot of new characters. The cast of this book was already big, but Barnes just kept yeeting the characters in there. Eventually, it became impossible to keep track of who was who.

Atmosphere – 8/10

I think it would be fun to live in a mystery house, solving clues. This book starts off right after the Inheritance Games and I am a fan. Especially considering how the last book ended. I love the setting of this book. The mystery house just keeps giving, and we even explore some new places. This book was a lot of fun.

Writing – 9/10

The writing was excellent. I enjoy short, to the point writing that still somehow packs a major punch. Barnes really knows how to make you emotional and how to keep you reading. I finished this book in like one session.

Plot – 9/10

As I mentioned, I could not put this book down. I knew I would love it, but I didn’t think I would love it this much. The Hawthorne Legacy is fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Read The Inheritance Games review here!

Intrigue – 8/10

My one major gripe with this book is that things become a bit convoluted toward the end. I liked the clue paths and the way things slotted together, but at some point things got crazy. There were too many characters to keep track of and the most random people kept popping up. There were too many twists in the end like the author was trying to make every single thing happen to her characters.

Logic – 8/10

I also don’t think this series needs another book. It was intended to be a duology, but now it’s a trilogy. I’ll still read the next book, but I still feel it was unnecessary.

Enjoyment – 8/10

I really enjoyed this book, despite some flaws. If you want a quick, fun mystery, I highly recommend this series.

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