Avery Grambs has a fairly normal, unremarkable life. Ok, so it hasn’t been the easiest start and she’s faced hardships along the way. But she’s got plans to get herself to college and get a job that gives her enough money to live comfortably and not have to rely on anyone else.

Then one day she receives a mysterious visitor who explains that her presence is needed for the reading of his grandfather’s will. Little does Avery know that she is about to become involved in an elaborate game with billions of dollars at stake.

I’ve read books by Jennifer Lyn Barnes before but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did. I love games and puzzles in books and found this one easy to follow and become invested in. A great surprise and I’m excited to continue in the series!

I did receive an ARC of this book, so there were a couple of spelling and grammar mistakes but I’m sure those will be ironed out before publication. What a great surprise of a book!

This is an intriguing story with elements of mystery, romance and surprise. Avery sleeps in her car and has a complicated personal life. She likes to help others though and one is a rough sleeper she plays chess with. Then her world is upturned. An astonishingly rich man she doesn’t know dies and she inherits an estate of unbelievable wealth. The deceased was the grandfather of four young men. Why were they not the heirs? Avery moves to the vast estate, Hawthorne ?House, and tries to unravel the mystery. It turns out that the family whose wealth she has acquired also has complicated issues. She takes with her a half sister who leaves behind Drake, an abusive boyfriend. He continues to figure in the story as a distraction to make the reader think he causes all the later troubles. Avery joins up with the grandsons to try to solve the mystery of her inheritance when she discovers the late grandfather has left a series of clues. Then, of course, there is the unexpected ending! This is an original story line, well written and certain to keep you engrossed. I recommend it.

Just loved this book. Started reading early evening and couldn't put it down so read it in one sitting and went to bed very late. A truly engrossing read that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Well written intriguing characters, twists and turns, puzzles galore, romance, mystery, suspense and please let this be the first of a series because I can't wait for the next instalment. A definite 5 stars and more.

WOW, what a book! I loved every page; I devoured it. I’ve just finished it and my head is still reeling with questions, there better be a sequel! This book is full of twists, turns, puzzles... every little twist is brought together brilliantly; it ends with you wanting more, I need those last few questions answered! I would recommend this book to everyone. Brilliant!

This was great fun! Avery is an ordinary girl who inherits a billionaire's fortune on the condition that she lives in his mansion with his family for one year. She has to grapple with her sudden wealth and the various enigmatic members of the Hawthorne family as well as trying to solve an intricate puzzle that has been built into the house itself.

I can see where the comparisons to Knives Out came from, but there isn't really enough danger in the book for that (someone does try to kill Avery but it's only a sub-plot and resolved almost as a throwaway). The main focus is the puzzle and Avery's relationships with the four Hawthorne grandsons. So to me it read more like a huge escape room plot with some family secrets and romance thrown in.

I found the ending annoying, as if the author could have resolved everything within one book but deliberately held the last piece back for the sake of a sequel. As a result, nothing quite felt resolved. However, I would have loved this book when I was a teen so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to YA readers.

I am so pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this! I thought that the premise was initially appealing and I like the idea of a girl coming from rags to riches - Cinderella after all is my favourite fairytale. This book was great and that ENDING. I need book two now!!

What did I like?
1. The writing first of all was so good! The flow was just right and then book wasn’t bogged down with flowery language. I think the author has some real talent!
2. I really liked all the characters. I think the Hawthorne boys all had a very distinct personality and I liked finding out the overall mystery Tobias was weaving through the house. It was gripping. I also think our protagonist was a great lead. Avery stood up for herself and I loved it.
3. The plotting and pacing worked so well! I loved the mystery element and all the riddles and puzzles. I felt like I was really trying to solve them as I went along.

The only thing stopping this book from being a 5 star read for me was the last 6 or so chapters. I felt like they were really rushed and it was a lot of info dumping at once. I felt like this could definitely have been either better explained or more spread out.
However, this book was incredible and I would 100% recommend!
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As I have never read a YA mystery before I had little to no expectations going into this one which was good because, whilst I enjoyed it as a whole, there were definitely some sticking points for me. Avery Grambs is a nobody, after her mother died she was taken in by her older step-sister and her absolute tool of a boyfriend. Until one day a boy turns up at school, he whisks her away to Hawthorne house where Avery learns that Tobias Hawthorne hasn't left his billions to his family, he has left it to her. Tensions are high and Avery has no idea why this crazy old man left her his fortune, but the Hawthorne brothers all have an idea. Their grandfather liked puzzles and they think Avery is their final one, but when Avery gets dragged into their weird game she gets more than she bargained for. With rumours of a dead girl and Averys own life on the line she needs to decide whether to back out now or continue the game to its inevitable end.

The characters were definitely a strong point in this book. Avery is so relatable, I have no idea how I would act if that much money was left to me by someone I had never met but her initial WTF reaction was pretty on the mark. She gets dragged into the Hawthorne's family drama and ends up torn between two of the brothers (love triangle haters fear not... its a very small part of the story.) She knows there must be some reason why Tobias chose her and when Jameson asks for her help to solve the riddle he was left she jumps at the chance, hoping it will somehow explain why she is there. The four Hawthorne brothers are complete opposites; Nash, the eldest and completely not interested in the money, Grayson is the heir apparent, the brother who was supposed to take over the foundation that is now in Avery's hands, Jameson is a puzzle in himself, he alternates between being drunk and half naked and obsessed with the puzzle that is Avery and Xander, the youngest of the brothers and more interested in polishing off some blueberry scones than following Jameson and Grayson's leads. We also meet the rest of the Hawthorne family, most of whom see Avery as some kind of leech as well as Avery's sister, but this story is completely Avery's and the Hawthorne brothers.

The plot was fun and fast paced but it just lacked any kind of stakes or thrill for me. We know from pretty early on that the will is iron clad, there is no way the Hawthorne family can take the money back. So the main mystery is why Avery, one which I guessed pretty early on in the book, and though the author added a slight twist, I just felt like the ending was anti-climactic.

I actually didn't realise this was a series when I first started it, but after reading the ending I can see where the author is planning to take book two. There are still plenty of unanswered questions and we can see where the characters stories are going. I will definitely pick up book 2, if only to see if the author expands on some of the points raised in this book.

Apologies didn’t look or sound like a children's book so I requested in error,will give 3 stars as my fault for not checking

I gobbled this book up from start to finish. Fun, exciting and full of mystery it can’t fail but to appeal to all. Handsome, rich brothers, a gigantic gothic mansion and a race to solve the riddle of an enormous fortune paired with a tiny hint of romance. I have to say I loved it and if the inevitable part two was available I’d read it right now!

Ooooh The Inheritance Games is like a YA adaptation of Knives Out but even better, which is saying something. Twisty and turny with addictive characters and a great story concept that keeps you hooked from page one. This is also the perfect read for fans of Karen McManus.

This book was written so well. It is a delightful Young Adult novel. With an almost perfect blend of rags to riches, Mystery, Puzzles and Romance. I read it in one sitting. Although part of a series the mystery in the book is wrapped up whilst also setting up the following books.

I've been watching Succession for the first time this month so when this came up on Netgalley it was perfect timing. The disgusting wealth, constant scheming and too-close family was so fun. I liked that this idea (the wealth) was so well integrated with the puzzles, having read Truly Devious recently this was a better example of how to do this concept. The love triangle is probably the only part of this I didn't like (if only she'd been crushing on my fave Xander too and made a quad, much more interesting!) There's enough here to make me eager to read the sequel yet also a satisfying conclusion so I don't feel left hanging. Very readable, this flows quickly and easily. A great read, I really enjoyed this.

The Inheritance Games is utterly addictive! I could not stop thinking about this book whenever I had to (forcibly, much against my will) put it down.

Avery's life is turned upside down when she discovers she is the heir to a multi-billion dollar fortune, left to her by a man she has never met. A man who has four grandsons who have grown up with everything, and have now been left with nothing. But Tobias Hawthorne was fond of games and puzzles, and some of his grandsons are sure there must be more to the will, and Avery, than meets the eye. Secrets are exposed and betrayals laid bare as Avery and the Hawthornes race to uncover the secrets Tobias left behind. But with billions of dollars in the balance, Avery will have to decide if she's ready to risk her life and play.

The premise of this novel is so crazy that it's impossible not to ask yourself what you would do if you were Avery.

The Inheritance Games is full of twists and puzzles, with concealed corridors and secrets relationships revealed in every chapter. I guessed some twists but not others, and there was always some new mystery to keep me turning the page.

Barnes' characters were excellent. Everyone was complex and full of secrets, and there was so much backstory to uncover. Avery is very relatable and I think readers will really like her. She's also never focused on the money itself, and only considers buying things for other people. The chemistry between Avery and the Hawthorne boys was brilliant, but I liked that romance was definitely secondary to the mystery in this novel. I really loved Max and her inventive swearing. Her bits made me laugh a lot. I also loved Xander and his scone addiction and all of the other funny moments he brought to the novel.

I was provided with an advanced copy of The Inheritance Games for review via NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book. I read the whole thing in one sitting wanting to unravel the mystery as quickly as possible. The short chapters made it easier to keep reading and left me wanting to read ‘just one more’. The only slight criticism I have is the first few chapters (before she is called into the principles office with her sister). As a writer myself these first few chapters seemed a little underwritten and flat. I understand the need to show that the protagonist was intelligent but the whole thing about the tests at the beginning didn’t fit with the rest of the story. Once these chapters were out of the way the story started to flow really well but those first few felt flat and almost not needed. I loved the twist at the end with the homeless person being the uncle and am assuming this has set up for a second d story which I would defiantly read.

Wow Wow Wow I Really loved this book. I've always been a fan of escape rooms and treasure hunts so this book was the perfect read for me. It reminded me of my all time favourite - Ally Carters Gallagher girls series.

The book follows teenager Avery Grambs who, to begin with, is struggling to make ends meet. However, when Billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery his fortune, Questions are asked and the puzzles begin. Avery has never met Tobias and has no idea why or who he is, so it's up to her and his 4 grandsons to figure out the mystery.

Now I love a good riddle, and I'm normally rather good at figuring out plot lines within stories, however this book kept me guessing right till the end. The trail of clues was ingeniously laid out, and lived up to all my Crystal Maze dreams of puzzle completion. If anything I could have had a few more riddles thrown in but I'm not complaining.
The ending? Well, the simplicity makes this book a true Hawthorne Masterpiece.

I was fully in love with 3 of the Hawthorne brothers, but could'nt pick my favourite. The only thing I felt I missed was a story between Libby and one of the brothers, maybe a spin off?

I really cant wait for the sequel, Jennifer Lynn Barnes - you are one brilliant writer.

A gripping book with good pace throughout. Although the chapter count seems daunting at first glance, in reality they fly by as each chapter is fast-paced, full of action, ten-or-twelve pages maximum and most end on a cliffhanger of some description! Avery is a likeable and strong female lead with a ridiculous, yet understandable protective instinct towards her older sister. The Hawthorne family put the "fun" in dysfunctional with their scheming, in-fighting, secrets and puzzles, plus a house that sounds more like a labyrinth than a home. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable mystery.

~*REVIEW*~ 5☆

The reason I requested this book was because it is described as One of us is Lying meets Knives Out and seeing as one of those is my favourite book and the other my favourite film I couldn't resist! However, as much as I do see the Knives Out elements and similarities in this book, I cant really see the One of us is Lying comparison. It has very strong Truly Devious vibes though, like Albert Ellingham and Tobias Hawthorne could literally be the same person, it's great! So, I think it would be more appropriate to compare it to Truly Devious rather than One of us is Lying.

One thing I have to say about this book is that it is completely unrealistic. Like, in real life, something like this would never happen, or at least, it has a very very slim chance of happening. Does make make the book any less fun and enjoyable, however? Absolutely not. I think the unrealisticness is what kept me hooked, I wanted to see how far it would go.

I don't mention this, like at all, when doing reviews usually, but one thing that really stood out to me were the character's names. I love a good posh last name and a posh first name that can be shortened, and all of the characters had amazing names like this. It must be the last name Hawthorne, it made all the names look and sound better

I love the character dynamics in this, especially between the brothers. They are all such different people and they are constantly arguing or hiding stuff from each other, but you know that they would still do anything for each other.

I'm not gonna say much about it, but the ending shook me up even though I knew it was gonna happen from the very beginning (I'm not just saying that, I have this thing where I can guess the plot twist of the book from the moment we meet the character that the twist is about, only very few books (and sometimes TV shows) have been able to trick me but I'm still shook everytime that I got it right🙈)

Knives Out was one of my favourite movies of last year, so imagine my intrigue when I read the premise for this 😱😱😱 And this did not disappoint. I absolutely adore YA books every now and again; I was floored by One of Us Lying and The Inheritance Game is the perfect read for anyone craving a YA mystery read.

This follows Avery, a 17-year old girl who lives with her half-sister Libby (they share the same absent father) and her on-off abusive boyfriend Drake, after her mother passes away. Whenever Drake appears Avery resorts to sleeping in her car. Avery spends her time working part-time juggling studies and plays chess in the park with her homeless friend, whom she buys breakfast for. She’s sharp and clever; she’s been knocked around by a terrible hand dealt by life but manages to make ends meet with resilience and a dry sense of humour. Her life is thrown into chaos however when she a mystery man appears in her school one day. A philanthropist billionaire has died and she’s been summoned to the will reading. To everyone’s surprise she’s been named the sole heir to inherit the billions. But why? She’s never heard of the Hawthorne family so why has everything been left to her?...That’s the puzzle and solving it isn’t going to be easy when everyone wants what’s theirs...

There’s lot to enjoy here. I loved the characters. You have the airy Skye, daughter of Tobias (the dead billionaire) and mother of four sons:
* Nash is the oldest. He’s a nomad, doesn’t care about the game but comes to care for Avery and her sister Libby.
* Grayson. Mercurial and brooding. He’s the most upset about the Will and the inheritance and is suspicious of Avery and her motivations. He places family first, always.
* Jameson. Eccentric and a drunk. He enjoys the games his grandfather sets and is determined that Avery is piece in the puzzle. He gains Avery’s trust and appears to be the perfect ally but is he all he seems?
* Xander. The youngest brother is cheery and optimistic, and provides relief with his sweet disposition in this intense household.
I loved the puzzles Tobias, the deceased billionaire, sets his family and Avery, and the atmosphere of the estate. The setting is a large mansion of sorts with hidden corridors and secret panels holding clues. The writing is easy to get into and the prose is crispy and sharp, with a fast pace and chapters ending on cliffhangers that I couldn’t stop turning the pages.
While certain questions are answered, not all of them are answered. I suppose the author’s intention is to reveal them in the next book. I do wish though that the story had been wrapped up better nonetheless I do look forward to the sequel. 4/5.

Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced reading copy of this book.

I was enthralled by this book right from the start, and wanted to sit down and devour it (unfortunately having jobs to do got in the way of that!).
Avery is a very calculating character who has been handed a life changing amount of money for no discernible reason, and upon meeting the Hawthorne grandchildren suddenly everything becomes a puzzle or a mystery to be solved- and of course the biggest mystery is why she's there to begin with!

Grayson, Nash, Xander and Jameson are so so well written. Each of them are complex and hard to understand yet Avery is drawn to each of them in different ways, and I was drawn in by them too! If there were more chapters just devoted to Xanders machines, Graysons charity work, or how the boys were encouraged to solve puzzles by their grandfather I would have lavished them!

I'd 100% recommend this for any reader who loves a good book!!

I liked the premise of this mystery; teen Avery gets summoned to the reading of a philanthropist's will only to learn she has been left a huge inheritance. Tied into spending a year in the Hawthorne mansion, with the furious members of the family, much of the novel centres on Avery trying to unravel clues alongside Haethorne's four grandsons who may be helping or hindering her.

A rags to riches story that involves a quest, intrigue, riddles and love interest. I found Avery's attraction to not one, but two of the grandsons a little cliched but enjoyed the book overall. I'll be interested to read a sequel to see how the reasons behind the bequest are developed.