Book Review: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Quote: 

"Grayson thinks you're some master manipulator. My aunt is convinced you must have Hawthorne blood. But I think you're the old man's final riddle—one last puzzle to be solved."

 

Blurb:  Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future. Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why.

Now she must move into the mansion she's inherited. It's filled with secrets and codes, and the old man's surviving relatives - a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got 'their' money.

Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing. But just how far will they go to keep their fortune?

Book Tropes: 

• Mystery
• Young Adult (YA)
• Love Triangle
• Rags to Riches
• Puzzle/Mystery Solving
• Wealthy Dysfunctional Family
• Cliffhanger Ending

My Personal Views:  Before you say anything - No, this book isn’t just about inheritance and games.

This mystery-puzzle novel has all the elements to make it a compelling read:

• Rich boys chasing after a girl? Check.
• A love triangle? Check.
• Secret passages and puzzles? Check.
• Mystery upon mystery? Check, check, and check.

The story follows Avery Grambs, a simple, financially struggling girl trying her best to finish high school and secure a full scholarship for college. Her life takes a dramatic turn when a billionaire dies and leaves his entire fortune to her—a stranger—rather than his four grandsons or any other family member.

Naturally, the biggest question arises: Why her?

When Avery moves into the sprawling mansion she’s inherited, she discovers that instead of leaving her answers, the billionaire has left her and his grandsons a game to solve. 

Mysteries unfold, secrets come to light, feelings are tested, and it will be a risky gamble, indeed.

The first book in the series is intriguing, to say the least. The puzzles and mysteries are undoubtedly engaging. However, I found it a bit challenging to get into the dialogues at first—it felt childish at times, which made me cringe a little. Not the book’s language as a whole, but definitely some specific lines.

Now, about the characters: Avery, in my opinion, was perpetually confused throughout the book. While her circumstances justify some of her indecision—the inheritance, the brothers, the puzzles—it still got to me. I couldn’t help thinking, If I suddenly inherited billions, I’d be doing things way differently! If I had those billions, you wouldn’t catch me solving puzzles with the Hawthorne brothers. No, honey—I’d be lounging on a beach somewhere, sipping pina coladas, and rocking the perfect tan. Girl, be fucking real.

Also, Avery’s dream of traveling the world, something she couldn’t afford before, seems forgotten now that she has the money. Like, what happened to that?

As for the Hawthorne brothers, they’re definitely standout characters. Each of the four is unique, but Xander was my favorite—he’s hilarious! When it comes to Grayson and Jameson, the love interests, I’m still on the fence. I did, however, stumble upon a major spoiler about the ending, which might help me pick a side later—lol.

Overall, the book was mediocre at best. That said, the cliffhanger was solid—an effective tactic to hook readers into picking up the next book in the series. And guess what? It worked. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.

Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐/ 5

Until the next read,

Aditi