I read the Inheritance Games and loved it, so I went for the follow up without a doubt. This book didn't disappoint as well. Full of intrigue, an interesting turn of events, great characters to read about. Really loved it.
Thanks a lot for this copy!

I picked up The Inheritance Games last year as an ARC on Netgalley because of the 'Knives Out' vibes it was giving and I ended up really, really enjoying it - and ended the book with a desperate need for the sequel.

And now the sequel is here (thanks again to Netgalley for giving it to me early!) and while I did enjoy the book, I don't think it was good as the first and I would say it suffered 'second book syndrome'.

To start with what I enjoyed: the drama! I love the ridiculousness of it all. Everytime I put down the book, I found myself thinking about it and when I get next open up my Netgalley shelf to continue reading it. Oh, they just found another clue? Dang, I need to read on to get those answers! So, like the first, this did manage to keep my gripped throughout it all.

However, despite loving the drama and such, I found myself tired at all the threats on Avery's life. Because they happened so frequently, instead of ramping up the tension and elevating the stakes, it just felt . . . eh. Because nothing ever came of it. Yes (mild spoiler) Avery did get injured (I obviously do not want her to die) but the book just zoomed on past. (We did have some moments of Avery showing how she was being impacted emotionally by these events, flinching at loud noises etc). But again, because nothing came of it, it just felt like it was interrupting the natural flow of the story to put in a big bang (sometimes literally). While in the first book it felt more natural, and some of the threats in this one did, yeah . . . just got a bit ridiculous.

This brings me to the mystery itself! I wanted answers, and this book did give me some! Not to say what because of spoilers, but I was happy that some of the open ends from the first book were followed through on. However, most of these led to other storylines/plot points to unravel and sigh. It just got very convoluted, and felt unfulfilling. Now, I do get we weren't going to get answers to everything, this is a trilogy after all and there's another book to go, but I do think this one could have provided more 'closure' especially considering page count. Additionally, I do believe if there weren't so many flashy threats etc (as discussed above) this would have helped with the pacing and might have made this book feel more put together than all over the place.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and sequel, despite it lacking in pace at times. While the first book was able to be all over the place with the drama and mystery in a (ironically) cohesive and well rounded manner, this one weighs heavily more on the side of chaotic and unfulfilling. Still, I am excited to read the third and final book in this trilogy, to get all of the answers and see if my theories are correct!!!!

(Also, I love Greyson, I am team Greyson + Avery, so . . .)

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I was approved for this book on Netgalley I dropped all the other books on my tbr and picked it up. The Inheritance Games was one of my favourite books of 2020 and the sequel did not disappoint at all!

After the shock discovery at the end of the first book, Avery is thrown into part two of the game and this part turns out to be more deadly than ever. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, there is still the matter of the two Hawthorne brothers; Grayson and Jameson and Avery can't seem to get either of them off her mind.

This book was full of just as much mystery and suspense as the first one and I still had no clue where it was going to end up. As soon as I read the final page, I was straight onto Goodreads to see if a third book had been announced and now The Final Gambit has already become one of my most anticipated reads of 2022!

The Hawthorne Legacy is the gripping and unputdownable sequel to the fabulous The Inheritance Games. This book continues on Avery's story with many twists, turns and puzzles to keep you guessing, and the ending perfectly sets the scene for the next book in the series. With sequels, most never live up to their predecessor but The Hawthorne Legacy certainly does, and it gives you enough backstory that you don't have to have read the first book.
A fantastic read.

3.75 stars ⭐️

Okay, so when I previously got an ARC for book one, I was excited. This was everything and more I wanted in a book at the time and when I got an ARC for book two, I was even more excited.
This is a good continuation from book one. It was fast paced and we are thrown back into the story with some clear reminders about what happened in book one (as I forget everything).

- the characters development was good. I found the boys’ characters developed most, for example, grayson’s character saw a change.
- I liked the direction of this plot and although some of it felt predictable, the execution was there and jennifer has done a good job of building the story up so the finale felt believable. I really like the writing and this book feels like being in the head of a seventeen year old girl.
- the only thing stopping this book from being 4+ stars for me was although I liked the direction this book went in and even the execution, I wanted more. It felt like there needs to be more to this mystery, more to the reason for being in tobias’ will. I still find myself having so many more questions that don’t have answers and without knowing if there is going to be a third book, I can’t quite say I feel satisfied.
- I also didn’t care for the romance. I would prefer avery with grayson as I feel there’s a better connection there.

<i>I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

The complex web of drama and intrigue which follows the Hawthorne family is back for this thrilling sequel to 'The Inheritance Games' - ''The Hawthorne Legacy'. We are fresh off finding out that *spoiler* is alive at the end of the first novel. Barnes plunges the reader straight back into a series of puzzles to solve this new mystery - I can just imagine Tobias Hawthorne cackling demonically at the drama he has caused from beyond the grave.

In the sequel, the stakes feel higher as I started to genuinely believe Avery may not escape this book alive. Her multi-million dollar inheritance has made her the target of some unsavoury characters, including her deadbeat dad Ricky Grambs. Despite the general excitement on show here, the pacing of all of this drama is pretty uneven, several world shifting event taking place at warp speed in the last few chapters.

Much like the first book, the puzzles and the revelations (twist after twist!) remain at the centre of this novel. Unfortunately, it does not leave too much space for the growth of our huge cast of characters. Avery is still overwhelmed by the inheritance, resentful of her security detail and torn between the affections of Jameson and Grayson Hawthorne. I am hoping the end of the novel means we will see a bit more strength and savvy from her in 'The Final Gambit'!

I for one cannot wait to read the wrap up to this trilogy - an addictive rollercoaster! I also remain hopefully #teamGrayson so will be tuning in to witness the end of that continuing drama.. A great read but 1 star off for the uneven pacing - 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited about this, desperate to see where things would head after book one, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read it before publication but it didn’t feel as satisfying as I’d have liked.
The book picks up with Avery trying to come to terms with her new wealth, and dealing with the problems posed by the will. She is starting to feel part of the Hawthorne family but she remains at risk.
There are new dilemmas to solve here, and Avery has to contend with the realisation that certain people remain desperate to remove her from the equation. During the course of her investigations we learn that things have been covered up, the family are no strangers to doing whatever is necessary to preserve their choices and Avery remains somewhat on the periphery.
Part of the issue for me with this was that I had such high expectations, and nothing quite seemed to gel as I was reading. Not much really happened to begin with, and there were a lot of rather conveniently revealed details to allow another phase to play out. The big secret around Avery didn’t really come to anything, and the ending felt just a little too vague to make sense. I can only guess that this was done deliberately to get readers clamouring for book three…but I’m not sure it’s done that for me.

A somewhat disappointing sequel to a book I really enjoyed! I found there to be too many characters to keep a track of, each with quite intricate relationships to each other. I couldn't find the 'spark' in this book. I'll keep an eye out for any other sequels, because I like the puzzle aspect of the story, but the rest left me a bit flat.

It’s always tricky to review sequels, especially if they’re mystery thrillers without giving away plot points of the first book. I’m going to give it my best go.

This is a great sequel. It lived up to the first book. I think it wrapped up enough loose ends whilst also leaving enough for the coming book to be engrossing. There is less of a romance subplot then the first book. Which I found to be a benefit. Cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Hawthorne legacy builds on all of the twists, mystery, adventure & romance to make one of the most memorable sequels I've enjoyed in years. The cast of characters leap off the page and the never-ending tension and enticement of potential romance kept me up reading until the early hours. Hawthorne Legacy has been my most enjoyable read of 2021!