The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, 1)

Avery is about to inherit an entire fortune. The catch? She’s never met Tobias Hawthorne so she doesn’t know why he’s left her his fortune. However, there’s a catch. Avery has to follow through with a set of instructions if she wants to claim her inheritance. Avery finds herself thrown into family politics, trying to solve the riddle of why Tobias Hawthorne left her so much money. All the while, trying to avoid the four Hawthorne grandsons, who are angry at being left out of the will. Overall, this was an easy comfort read! I read this in one sitting as there were clues throughout that meant I needed to find out the ending as soon as possible! The book is full of strong personalities, and a range of characters which I just loved! Avery is never sure who to trust as everybody in the Hawthorne House has a motive for wanting Avery gone. Jenifer Lynn Barnes does a great job of bringing together interesting characters and having them all link to the overall plot, rather than just throwing some characters in just for the sake of it! The plot constantly keeps you guessing, which is one of my favourite type of books. There were hints of a potential love triangle forming between Grayson and Jameson, which does make me want to read the next book when it comes out! Barnes manages to answer most of the questions that you’ll have in the book, but leave enough unanswered to make you want to read the next one as soon as it’s published!

Avery is broke and living in her car after an argument with her half-sister, Libby. She is at rock bottom when she is contacted by Grayson Hawthorne who informs Avery that she has been left a bequest in his grandfather's will. Avery is nonplussed but attends the will reading where she, and everyone else, is stunned to find out that Avery has been left almost the entire estate which is worth billions. The kicker is that she will have to live in the Hawthorne Mansion for a year in order to inherit, and that means living with the very attractive Grayson and his equally attractive three brothers: Nate, Jameson, and Xander, alongside other Hawthorne relatives. Can Avery survive and can she solve the puzzles which may explain why she was named as a beneficiary? I find with this author's books, I either love them or hate them - and I loved this one. You just have to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow, that a grandfather would disinherit his grandsons for a stranger none of them had ever met before, and then leave clues around the mansion. If you can do that, it's a enthralling read. I mean, this is a house with six - count 'em - six libraries, and its own bowling alley. The brothers are also intriguing characters, and I was initially drawn to Jameson which means he'll no doubt turn out to be the 'big bad' at the end. This is the first in a series of two? three? books so it does end on a cliffhanger. All I can say is, hurry up and write the next one. Please!

The Inheritance Games is a deliciously twisted and engrossing, none stop roller coaster ride, that is impossible to put down. Mystery, intrigue, angst, romance, and puzzles galore, it has it all. Blended together to make a fantastic and original read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is an absolute genius when it comes to crafting complex plots, that have so many layers and puzzles with them, you become breathless turning the pages with eager anticipation to solve the puzzles and mystery unfolding as if you are stood next to the characters as it all unfolds. Absolutely fantastic read!

I had to keep asking “now what’s going on”. I had to make myself finish the book. The whole mystery “guessing the puzzle” grew more and more outrageous the further you get into the book. At the end my thought was “ I am glad I am finished with this really boring book that has little to offer except puzzle solving”.

This novel tried too much to be the classic "Westing Game," one of the best children's books ever published. The riddles in "Inheritance Games" are dull. The characters, especially Avery and the Hawthorne crew, are poorly drawn. The teen angst was laughable. The "surprise" ending was telegraphed to me at the beginning. The author only maintained my attention by keeping chapters short. I'm a senior citizen, and I always read YA and children's books. But I'm finding them less and less well-written. Not recommended.