Summary (from the publisher): 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.

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

A ton of books have well-deservedly gotten so much hype and praise through Tik Tok this year, & I’d argue that Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games was one of the top YA books (if not the #1 book) to get so much love & attention. I was kind’ve mixed on reading The Inheritance Games because it had been described as an escape room type book which made me not-so interested in, but something finally made me give in. & I’m so glad I did because The Inheritance Games is one of the best YA books I’ve read this year!

I’ve read Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ Debutantes duology, another really addicting series, and definitely recommend checking out that mystery series if you’ve already read book #2, The Hawthorne Legacy, & you’re waiting for Inheritance Games book #3). The Inheritance Games definitely fits into the YA mystery category with a ton of suspense & a touch of romance (hello love triangle).The book follows Avery Kylie Grambs, who has had a ton of misfortune in her life, but her life completely changes when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne leaves nearly his entire estate to Avery, much to the Hawthorne family’s dismay. Avery has never met Tobias Hawthorne, and there’s another catch to the inheritance: she has to live in the sprawling, secret passage & puzzle-filled Hawthorne mansion with his four grandsons and other family members for one year before getting the estate. Avery and the Hawthornes all want to know why Avery inherited the fortune and not themselves, so the book mainly follows Avery stepping to her new role as Hawthorne and heiress and searching the mansion for clues.

The Inheritance Games was an unputdownable read from the get-go. Jennifer Lynn Barnes sends us right into the action, as Avery finds out about the Hawthornes and the will pretty early on in the book. There have been a ton of comparisons to Cinderella for Avery’s rags-to-riches storyline, but The Inheritance Games feels like a complete story of its own. I love reading book following the lives of ‘the rich & famous’, and The Inheritance Games takes it up several notches since the Hawthornes and now Avery basically have everything they could ever want. There is so much world-building and character development, especially surrounding the four Hawthorne brothers, Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Xander. There’s a ton to unpack about Avery and the brothers’ past. The only thing I didn’t really LOVE about the book was the love triangle between Avery and two of the brothers – I kind’ve just want her to be her own kickbutt female lead and not get caught up by them.

The book definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, and yes, I incorrectly guessed every time how/why Avery actually got the inheritance. No spoilers, but this first book does end on a cliffhanger and I really do want to know more about Avery and her mother’s secret. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, The Hawthorne Legacy, soon, but I know it’s going to feel like a long wait until next fall for book #3, The Final Gambit.

Have you read The Inheritance Games or The Hawthorne Legacy? What were your thoughts? Share in the comments!