Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, which is the sequel to The Inheritance Games.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
The Hawthorne Legacy picks up shortly after The Inheritance Games, with Avery’s search for more answers after finally solving Tobias Hawthorne’s riddle. However, as the riddle takes an unexpected twist Avery is found herself pulled in two different directions by the Hawthorne brothers… And it doesn’t take long for her to realise the game has much higher stakes now: she’s playing for her life.
I really enjoyed The Hawthorne Legacy! After reading The Inheritance Games (which I didn’t love as much as I thought I would), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think Barnes really stepped it up a notch in the sequel and it was lovely to see her expand on things I’d wished had been explored more in The Inheritance Games. I definitely really enjoyed it!
Of course, the twists and turns were probably the aspect which I most enjoyed. The Hawthorne Legacy had so many twists it nearly gave me whiplash, which is exactly what I like to see in a mystery. What was even better was that I didn’t see a fair few of them coming, and the final conclusion definitely shocked me, that’s for sure!
I also really appreciated seeing some major character development from Avery. I felt like she hadn’t changed enough during The Inheritance Games, so I really enjoyed seeing her grow here. Seeing her become more comfortable with what she wanted and going after that. I’m really excited to read where else her character goes in The Final Gambit!
The action was also great! Although there was some in The Inheritance Games, I still felt like there wasn’t quite enough, but The Hawthorne Legacy made up for that. It definitely kept things interesting and ensured that there was never a dull moment – from the middle to the end, it was brilliant!
Interestingly, I also enjoyed the love triangle. If you’ve read my review of The Inheritance Games you’ll know that I really wasn’t a fan of it there, but I thought it was executed really well here. There were cute moments with both options and it made the eventual decision a lot less obvious – just when I thought I knew who Avery would choose something else would happen and I’d question that conclusion!
Of course, I can’t talk about The Hawthorne Legacy without mentioning the Hawthorne grandsons. I really enjoyed seeing more of the four brothers here, and I felt that Grayson’s character in particular was explored a lot more – although I’d still like to see more of a focus on Nash. I’m really hoping we get to see some more of him in the final book!
The ending was also superb. As well as that major twist and the climax the action reached, I also loved seeing Avery’s character development further highlighted here – and her choice. I think it set up really well for The Final Gambit, which I know I’ll definitely be picking up – once it releases, that is!
I also really liked how well everything tied together. There was a really steady flow between the clues, which is something I really appreciated. Sometimes it can be really difficult to see that connecting thread but that definitely wasn’t the case with The Hawthorne Legacy, which I think made it really stand out from other mysteries!
Overall, I would recommend The Hawthorne Legacy to anyone who enjoyed The Inheritance Games, as I ended up liking this even more than the previous book! I’d also recommend the series as a whole for any fan of mysteries, as it’s a really interesting addition to the genre!
However, please be mindful that this book has trigger warnings of alcoholism, attempted murder, attempted arson, explosions, murder, death and mentions of drug addiction and suicide ideation. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable with any of the above.
Have you read The Hawthorne Legacy yet? Do you think you’ll be picking the series up soon? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed this review!
Ceri
Read And Review It 
Amazing review once again, Ceri! This sounds like an interesting book! x Penny | http://www.whatdidshetype.com
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Thank you! It certainly is, I’d really recommend checking it out. Thank you so much for reading and commenting x
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Sounds like a good read!! Love all the major twist at the end that always makes it for me! thanks for sharing 🙂
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It truly is! Oh absolutely, it’s key to a good mystery and this one didn’t disappoint. Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂
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Nice review! There are lots of points you mentioned without leaving any detail that could reveal spoilers which goes to show your great clarity from reading this. And The Hawthorne Legacy sounds really interesting to include in my tbr list. Thanks for sharing xx
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Thank you! Aw I’m so glad to hear that, writing spoiler free reviews is super important to me. It certainly is, I really hope you enjoy it if you end up checking it out! Thank you so much for reading and commenting x
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I have not read The Hawthorne Legacy or The Inheritance Games yet. Thank you for the comparison and review! Sounds like they would both be good to add to my reading list.
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You’re very welcome, I hope you enjoy them both if you end up reading! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I do love myself a book with some action in so this sounds right up my street. I’m pleased you enjoyed the follow on, that’s always a positive to a book series. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, I’ll for sure be checking these two books out asap! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
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Ooh I’d definitely recommend it if you like action! Yes absolutely, I actually ended up enjoying this more than the first book which was a pleasant surprise. I hope you enjoy them, thank you so much for reading and commenting xx
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Based on the reviews you have posted for both books in the collection, I HAVE to read these! Sounds like my kind of read and did you mention, love triangle? YES lol. Thank you for sharing! xx
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I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Yep haha, I’m not usually a fan of the trope but it was executed really well in this book! Thank you so much for reading and commenting xx
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I haven’t heard of this book before. You have shared a great in-depth review. This isn’t usually my pick of genre but it sounds interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren x
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I’m so glad I could bring it to your attention then! It’s definitely worth the read, thank you so much for reading and commenting x
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We’re so excited that you loved it as much as we did! We’re eagerly waiting for The Final Gambit!
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Yes it was absolutely amazing! I can’t wait until The Final Gambit too haha, I’m really curious over what will happen next! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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Great review! Isn’t it always a pleasant surprise when a previous book in a series let you down a little but the next one up (like this one) begins to explore the things you missed from the previous? :). I’m glad that’s how it turned out here!
You’ve definitely piqued some interest which means you’ve done your job well! The plot certainly sounds rather twisty… which can make for a real fun read! Thank you for sharing your thoughts ❤️
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Thank you! Yes absolutely, it was the best feeling – I didn’t go in with many expectations but genuinely ended up loving it! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that you’re interested in it! Twisty plots are definitely a must for me and this didn’t disappoint. Thank you so much for reading and commenting, I hope you enjoy it if you end up checking it out ❤
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This sounds like a great mystery series and I can certainly see myself picking it up! Thanks for sharing.
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It really is, I’d definitely recommend it! I hope you enjoy it if you do, thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I read (and LOVED) The Inheritance Games last month so immediately added The Hawthorne Legacy to my library holds. I’m hoping it comes in soon because I’d really love to read it this month. It’s awesome that you wound up enjoying it so much. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
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I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed TIG! Ooh that’s super exciting, fingers crossed it comes in soon haha – I hope you love it as much as I did! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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Do you have to read the Inheritance Games first?
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I would definitely advise it – the main plot points are briefly touched on but for a more in depth understanding you really do need to read the first book first.
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Incredible review! I can’t wait to start this one, especially after hearing how many twists there are! I still have to start The Inheritance Games and I’m looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing! I hope you have a great weekend!
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Thank you! Yes I love twisty mysteries, and this one really didn’t disappoint. I hope you enjoy them both! Thank you so much for reading and commenting, have an amazing weekend!
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I need to read this book and the Inheritance Games. Going to add this book to my reading list. Thank you for sharing.
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I really hope you enjoy them both! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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Oh this sounds like a great book. I will have to check it out. Thanks so much for sharing!
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It truly is! I really hope you enjoy it, thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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This sounds quite good! I will have to read the first one, though. I also appreciate the trigger warnings. It’s nice that people include those now. Very important! ❤
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It definitely is! Oh absolutely, I hope you enjoy it – and yes, including trigger warnings is so important! Thank you so much for reading and commenting ❤
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Hi Ceri. What a great review, thanks. It’s always nice when the ending to a book isn’t completely predictable, isn’t it?
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Thank you! Yes definitely, surprise endings are always lovely to see. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I’m impressed that you gave the second book a go when you weren’t a big fan of the first one. It makes me think that the series has some promise. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thanks haha, I knew I had to pick up the second one even if the first wasn’t my favourite! I’d definitely recommend giving it a try, thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂
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I’ve never heard of this book series before but it sounds so interesting!
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I’d definitely recommend giving it a go! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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