Perfectly engaging thriller with lots of mystery and action moments. I will continue to read the rest of the series as it was enjoyable and I flew through it,

Due to the madness of this year I missed the opportunity to download this book through netgalley. However, I loved the blurb so much I immediately brought this book on its publication date, and I'm so glad I did.

The book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, so much so that it was hard to put it down. The puzzles, riddles and life threatening tasks were so intriguing, I found myself trying to work them out too. As if i was taking part.

On top of this the realistic ending, made the whole story that bit better. I really liked the fact that Barnes didn't try to cram too much into the final chapters. It really helped sell me on the whole thing and I can't wait to pick up the second one.

Thank you to Dave at TheWriteReads and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of The Inheritance Games sounded pretty interesting, but having put in a lot of faith into YA mysteries in the past, I was quite cautious setting my expectations, not to be disappointed. What I feared would be a dissatisfying read turned into a pleasant surprise - I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The Inheritance Games follows Avery - a girl from a poor family who, after her mother's death, is being raised by her older half-sister. She works hard, both in school and outside of it, to earn a better future. Until one day she's summoned into the headmaster's office and told she's been named as an heir of a eccentric billionaire who she didn't know. But to take ownership of the money and assets she needs to move into the Hawthorne House where all of the billionaire's family still lives, and stay there for a year. Needless to say, the remaining family is not happy about that, and Avery gets roped into a scavenger hunt/game to win.

It took me a good few chapters to get into the story. I found the beginning, which set up the story and introduced the reader to the characters, slightly boring and mediocre. I will admit, Avery is not a character I particularly liked or found interesting. And while she is the main character, she really played a backdrop for the story's actual main characters - the Hawthorne grandsons.
I liked all 4 of them. I understand that they're the cliche YA male protagonists, misunderstood, spoiled, weird, sarcastic, pretentious etc., but what can I say? I saw right through from the very first page and yet I still fell for their charm! If I were to rate them best to worst, I'd pick Xander, Jameson, Grayson and Nash.
Like I said, though, Avery was not my favourite. The female cast did not impress me whatsoever, with Avery's sister not having much personality, either, and Thea and Rebecca being mostly plot devices. The only interesting female character the story had was Emily, and she was dead, so that really paints a picture for you.

If I didn't like the main character or any other females and the start was boring and mediocre, why did I enjoy the book, then, you ask? Well... the plot, once it started moving, was very addicting. I wanted to solve the mystery myself. I wanted to know why Avery was chosen as an heir. I wanted to see more of the Hawthornes. After the introductory chapters the pacing improved immensely and the book got better. I don't necessarily need to like the main character to enjoy the story, as long as I don't hate every single one of the characters.

I didn't realise the book was a first in a series, and so the lack of ALL answers and a cliffhanger ending really surprised me. I did still enjoy it, I think as far as YA mysteries go, it was well done, but I am just not big on cliffhangers. Overall, though, I thought the story was well written and paced, and a real page turner once everything was set in place. I am curious where it will go in the next book and will definitely be picking it up!

I really enjoyed this book. Great story, gripping writing and interesting characters. If you like YA mysteries, it's a great option.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of this book.

I picked this book because its blurb compared it to ‘Knives Out’ so I thought it would be fun. The basic premise, rich man dies and leaves his estate to working class girl rather than his family, is the same but the plot diverges pretty quickly. This is not a quirky, fun whodunnit; it is an angsty YA whydunnit, trying to solve the puzzle of why he left his fortune to a stranger.

It’s an interesting concept, but, as it is YA, for me there is far too much “The boy with silver eyes is looking at me” and not enough “Excuse me, please could you explain exactly how this inheritance works?”. Seriously, why do all boys in YA fiction have to have silver, gold or green eyes? Have you ever met someone with silver eyes? What is wrong with brown?

The lead character, Avery, does not really have much agency, things happen to her and, even when she thinks she is making her own decisions, they turn out to be pre-ordained. I wanted her to be more inquisitive, less interested in the beautiful boys and more questioning about how her life as a billionaire would be. If I were left that amount of money at the cost of a whole family, I’m sure my first step would be to try to work things out with the family and assure them that I would make sure that they still got most of the money and we’re able to carry on living in their house. This doesn’t seem to cross Avery’s mind, she is entirely lacking in empathy because she has to be self-involved by virtue of being the lead character in a YA novel. She is a cipher for the reader who will inevitably imagine themselves in her position, maybe it didn’t work for me because I’m not a teenage girl and, if I were, maybe it would make sense to me that she chases the boys around rather than trying to nail down the practicalities of inheriting billions of dollars.

The mystery element is really just backdrop for a love triangle which goes nowhere because it is clearly setup for a sequel. So the ending is fairly unsatisfying. In addition, there’s a twist right at the end which I’d guessed was going to happen when I was about halfway through the book, so I was also frustrated not to read the resolution of that plot-line. Love triangles are a staple of YA fiction, but I’m not sure why they are so popular, if the lead heroine doesn’t have the presence of mind to know which of the perfect men drooling over her is the one she actually wants, then probably neither is the right one for her.

This is an easy read, with lots of YA tropes and a fun mystery at its centre, but it doesn’t quite live up to its potential and would be more satisfying if were a standalone book with a firm resolution and not the beginning of a series with a strung out messy love triangle.

Young adult fiction? I think not. I loved the story with its twists and turns. Was Tobias Hawthorne crazy to leave his fortune to an unknown girl and cut out his family? Of course not, there is always more to the story.

Avery and the four disinherited grandsons must solve puzzles, traverse hidden passages, and search for clues, all while navigating the dangerous world of the super-rich. It seems every character has a motive for mischief and murder.

The author juggles many plotlines, minor mysteries, and intriguing characters to keep you glued to the story. I devoured this book in a day. It’s hard to put it down.

This is the first book I have read from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, but it won’t be the last. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. I highly recommend The Inheritance Games to all reader that love a fast-paced, intriguing mystery.

I received a review copy of the book and this is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I thought this sounded like so much fun, but I just couldn't get in to it at all. A shame as on paper it should have been right up my street.

As soon as I read the first few chapters with Avery, I was in. A girl with not many friends who’s fed up enough with her sister’s boyfriend and the possibility of living with him that she moves into her car…I’m listening and I need her to tell me everything.


But then she gets the shock of her life and learns about a billionaire who has died and left most of his money and property to her. Whaaat????!!! Avery’s response is exactly what mine would be. Like…no, there must be some mistake!

When it becomes clear that there’s no mistake and she not only must live in this maze of a mansion but also live in it with the Hawthorne family…well, the money and property looks less and less like a godsend. But come on, what’s the worst that could happen?

It’s not like she could be in danger or be shot at or anything, right?


WRONG!

But before the obvious physical danger she finds herself in, she first has to deal with the Hawthorne family and more specifically, the four Hawthorne grandsons.

Let’s discuss the boys.

Grayson: mysterious, threatening, stand-offish, giving me Mr. Darcy “I don’t know how to interact with you even though I like you” vibes, was supposed to inherit everything and is now PISSED

Jameson: possibly has a death wish?, risk-taker, fun, cares for Avery but how much of it is real?, never found a riddle he didn’t like

Nash: the love of my life????, protective af, does not care about the money/properties/inheritance, collects strays

Xander: sneaky af, seems cool but do we really know him?, helpful, best banter of them all

Avery has to deal with all four of them in one way or another as well as their mother and aunt who altogether are quite a force to be reckoned with. And that doesn’t even get into the fact that Tobias Hawthorne left her and his grandsons separate letters all leading to some secret that they must figure out.

But if there is one thing Avery and this family have in common, it’s riddles and finding out secrets. They are very good at it!

I cannot say enough how much I like this mix of riddles, teenagers, danger, mystery, and family secrets. It is MY JAM.


Beyond Avery’s interaction with the family, I also love her relationship with her bodyguard, John. Will she listen to what he tells her? Maybe *shrugs* but he will save her anyway because it’s his job but also he seems to respect her as a person.

I also love Avery and Libby’s relationship. It’s very rare that we see a sisterly relationship where the younger sister acts like the older one and I really like that dynamic. Libby clearly cares for Avery but she’s not in a place to fully take care of her at the beginning of the book.

And despite that (or maybe because of it), Avery makes it her mission to take care of Libby when she comes into all this money. I LOVE IT!! I was constantly worried about Libby and wtf her boyfriend was doing (can someone murder him?). ALSO if she doesn’t get with Nash in the next book….*squints angrily*

While I did think some scenes went a little quick in terms of pacing and if Jameson came through that secret passageway one more time I was going to punch him (lol), overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was pure fun! I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is out now!

For some reason I couldn’t enjoy this book, I couldn’t connected with the story line and the characters and think this is through no fault of the author , I just think it was the wrong time for me try it. Thankyou for giving me the chance to read this.

Wow! I have no idea where to even start in this review because I loved this book so much. I honestly forgot what the blurb was when I started reading it and was having a lot of fun before the actual plot even started which is a huge testament to how well-written this novel is. .

The plot itself is chalk-full of riddles which is something I absolutely love about mystery novels. Additionally, I felt like each riddle was handled very well. I am far too used to YA novels making their protagonists foolish and oblivious in order to push the story forward (a huge pet peeve for me) and The Inheritance Games basically did the complete opposite. Having several clever and quick-witted characters is, in my opinion, the driving force of the book and by far my favorite part.

You can definitely count me in for a sequel. In fact, I just might have found a new auto-buy author!

Truly brilliant book. I could not put it down. Mystery and suspense and surprises kept me reading a book where the blurb eniced me but the story was superb. Unline anything i have read in a very long time. I have been in a book slump and this story helped get me out of it even if i have become a very slow reader. Go get this and settle down for a great story.

Ooh I really enjoyed this one. I am quite a fan of the YA genre and this one sits nicely in amongst some of the better ones.

The writing style isn’t spectacular but it is a nice, flowing easy read. I liked the mystery/puzzle aspect of the plot but some of the romance was a little on the cringey side, but then isn’t young romance always a bit like that?! Perhaps I’m just getting old!

I believe there will be a sequel to this and I will look forward to reading it.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this highly entertaining mystery.

This is an amazingly complex but very readable novel - possibly the first in a trilogy - about Avery Kylie Grambs. Avery is a teenager struggling with various problems when she receives the news that she has inherited some money - A LOT of money, along with vast amounts of wealth, material objects and property. The proviso is that Avery has to live with the family she has inherited from for a year - in Texas.

Barnes has written a great novel here which is not only multi-layered but is clever and funny. Avery's task is to find out why she has inherited what she has and, at the same time, avoid perils which could impact on her at any time. Oren is her bodyguard - and a good one at that, mysterious but safe; Libby, her sister, but also her guardian, keeps falling back in love with troublesome boyfriend Drake (who is desperate to get his hands on the fortune that Avery has inherited). Closest to Avery are the Hawthorne brothers, some more so than others - but the difficulty lies with working out who's on her side, and who is, or should be treated as, her enemy, including other distant members of the family.

The main issue I have with this novel is the setting: Texas. It just doesn't seem right to me, given the description and detail that Barnes gives us. I think it would have more impact, and be more dramatic, if it was somewhere one would associate with huge, palatial mansions, with deep, dark forests (such as the Black Wood). Texas doesn't do it for me but never mind - it's minor.

I loved this and look forward to the second instalment - one which is set to lure the reader in and discover more about why Avery Kylie Grambs was chosen to inherit such obscene wealth. I will have to wait to find out.

Honestly loved this one. It has real pace and page turning quality.Read this in one sitting. Liked Avery’s storyline and how each of the four brothers were fleshed out. Enjoyed the mysteries set in the rambling big mansion house and can’t wait to read the next one. My first Jennifer Lynn Barnes book and it won’t be my last. Off to hunt down more.

Wow! What a fun, interesting and clever book.

First off, I have to say the cover of The Inheritance Games looks so Slytherin-like, and quite frankly that sets the right tone for the book, lol.. Slytherins are known for being ambitious, cunning, and resourceful and that is pretty much sums up the Hawthorne family

Tobias Hawthorne has died, and his family anxiously awaits the reading of the will.<strong> He is, after all, worth 46 billion dollars! So, expectations are high, to say the least.

But, Tobias has thrown a wrench into the game. And, yes, it has become a game. The unknown player is Avery Grambs. And, the curious thing, Avery has no idea why she's been chosen either.

But, Tobias has the last laugh as these characters must play out his final game. The Inheritance Games.

A really enjoyable YA mystery thriller.
A young who mysteriously inherits a fortune and how she adapts to that, the family, who don’t inherit, and the solving of a mystery on why Avery should inherit.
I think the assassination should’ve been forgotten and maybe just put a bit more cattiness and bitchy daughters who don’t inherit in there.
Lots of sexual tension, family dynamic and drama all wrapped up into this strange family inheritance mystery.

I adored this book! I'm usually not a huge reader of YA thriller/mystery (in fact, I think this one might just have been my first ever!) but I'm so so glad that I was able to read it. I loved how we got to explore Avery's dynamic with all four boys - I was originally nervous that with so many characters, I wouldn't be able to really have enough time to connect with any of them. That totally wasn't the case! I loved them all, and am so excited to see where they all end up in the next book.

Also, that ending! I need Book 2 immediately, please and thank you!!

My full review can be found at my blog:
https://rinsreads.com/the-inheritance-games-blog-tour/

I did thoroughly enjoy this contemporary YA story about a smart poor kid who mysteriously inherits $40 billion and has to unravel a series of brainteasers to find out why. Only 3 stars as it did get increasingly silly as she fends off assassination attempts and the amorous advances from various disinherited teenage boys. And itsd a missed opportunity that the puzzles aren't presented in a way the reader can get stuck in and solve too.. But it was fun and i will read the inevitable sequel (lots of questions still to answer)

Ok, so I will be honest here and come right out and say that I am not used to reading books with teenagers in them but let me tell you this book is so cool it wont matter how old you are. You just have to read it!

It took me back to my teenage years when I used to sit on my window ledge at home and read for yours, I loved that :)

I am also not one to quote phrases from books but this line had me laugh out loud! It reminded me of my daughter so much! Here it goes:

I made it to school on time but barely. I had a habit of cutting things close. I walked the same tightrope with my grades: how little effort could I put in and still get an A? I wasn't lazy. I was practical.

And I knew from the moment that I read those lines that I would love this book and especially Avery Grambs! I was so enthralled by Avery while reading though the book, even though she is so young she seems so mature and down to earth.

Avery has recently lost her mom and when we meet her she is struggling between work and school and trying to make ends meet. She is in high-school and even though she doesn't study much, as you have read above, she is a good student and hopes to be able to get a scholarship to university and travel the world. She has dreams!

But everything in suddenly changed when she finds out that she is the heiress to a multibillion estate. The catch here is that she has no idea who Mr. Hawthorne is and why she was left with all of his fortune! Apparently nobody does, not even Mr. Hawthorne's family.

So Avery is met with the condition to have to live in Mr. Hawthorne's mansion with his family for a year. She finds herself having to go to a new high-end school where all the rich kids go, having a body guard and a stylist!! All this is sooo different for Avery but what she finds more challenging than everything is dealing with Mr. Hawthrones grandsons. They are all special. Clever, competitive and handsome!

Now the mansion is one special place! Its amazing. Not only is it huge and have all the amenities possible from a cinema, to a solarium to a couple of libraries and many many more perks. But was is really interesting about it is all the secret passages it has! Yes you've read right, secret passages!!! How cool is that! I would have loved to be able to walk through the mansion and one of its secret passages!

During her stay in the mansion and after spending some time with the grandsons Avery finds out that Mr. Hawthorne loved puzzles. He used to have his grandsons solve a new one all the time. Avery loves puzzles too but what she slowly comes to realize is that she must be the clue, the key, to one last epic puzzle that the grandsons must solve.

I cant really say much more without giving away what happens in the book but be prepared to be faced with so many clever puzzles that reveal so many secrets! The book does end with a cliffhanger but it is totally worth reading. Now I cant wait to read the second one!!

Oh wow! I cannot believe how amazing this book is, I just haven’t been able to put it down and am still thinking about it long after reading it! Avery is a typical teenager who’s not had it easy since her mum died, living with her sister and having to work to help pay the rent. But one day a mysterious man invites Avery to the reading of a will of a very wealthy billionnaire who has died. Nobody knows why Avery’s name is in the will, least of all Avery, but they all soon learn that she’s the inheritor of his entire fortune. But why would a billionnaire leave his entire fortune to someone unknown, and why Avery of all people? She makes it a mission to discover a truth, but it won’t be easy, especially with everyone playing games.

This is such an amazing book I think it might be one of my favourites for the entire year! Avery is an average teen who feels completely unnoticed in the world, but soon after inheriting Tobias Hawthorne’s entire fortune and estate, she finds herself unable to blend into the background. Unfortunately for Avery there’s just one catch to inheriting everything and it’s that she must stay on the Hawthorne estate for a whole year. But doing so isn’t easy especially when most of the Hawthorne family is angry about her inheritance. It was so easy to get into this book and I was gripped from the first page. Avery is a character I could really relate to, feeling unimportant yet pretty smart, enjoying playing chess and cracking puzzles. At first the story focuses on Avery and her sister showing us the typical life that they lead, including some difficulties they face, but soon we are introduced to the wealthy Hawthorne family and this is where the story gets really exciting.

As Avery inherits the fortune it becomes clear that there is more to this inheritance than first appears. The deceased liked to play puzzles and riddles with his grandsons and it becomes clear that there is a puzzle to be solved about Avery inheriting everything. I really liked the descriptions of both the characters and the Hawthorne home. The characters all felt so vivid and real and the house filled with everything you could ever want including arcades, theatres and a bowling alley felt so amazing and I could picture everything so well. The various different contraptions and devices that formed some interesting puzzles within the house itself were easy to picture too. Occassionally in some books I read, when the author descripbes some intricate details of some devices I sometimes get lost in the desciption not able to imagine it clearly, but this book does such a good job of making everything so vivid that I could picture everything so clearly in my mind and I felt like I was watching this story as a movie.

A lot happens in the tale and it’s really interesting. I especially like the different relationships that develop throughout, especially around Grayson, Jameson and Avery. The story is full of twists and turns and kept me guessing throughout which I loved, and I also found myself playing along with the characters in trying to solve some of the puzzles and I was thrilled when I guessed the answers to some riddles before the characters had mentioned them! The ending is brilliant and finishes in a perfect way, with an epilogue that sets up the next book in the story. There is nothing offensive in the story, no swearing and in fact it made me laugh when one character tries to avoid swearing by saying things like “Holy ship”!

I’ve been so engrossed in this story that I’m still thinking about it days later and I really can’t wait to read the next book in the series. The idea of inheriting a billionnaire’s wealth is something I think some of us may have dreamed about at some point in our lives (I know have! 😀 ) and this book just felt like an amazing adventure and filled with such interesting and intriguing puzzles. I really can’t recommend this enough to anyone interested in reading it. It’s a brilliant story and one that’ll keep you glued to its pages!