BOOK REVIEW - The Hawthorne Legacy - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Audiobook - 4*

 

BOOK REVIEW

The Hawthorne Legacy - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Released 2021

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I have a confession...I left it far too long between listening to the first of the Inheritance Games series, and picking up (metaphorically anyway) the second. This is something I am very guilty of, as a mood reader because my preferences change frequently and I can often get a little bored with series if I read them all back to back. It does however mean that for the first few chapters of a revisited series of books, I use alot of energy trying to remember who everyone is

and how they link to the story!

I really wanted to read something easy going and cosy though, and I find that YA, especially mysteries like this book, can fulfil that requirement really well. They are dramatic but not too gritty, romantic but not too spicy, mysterious but not too dark, which is what I was in the mood for at the time. I really enjoyed the first one and found it was right in the niche that I enjoy when it comes to Young Adult literature. I also remember the last one ending on a bit of a family cliffhanger so was excited to see what direction this one would take me. 

BLURB

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions - including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons. 

As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner. as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.

With nonstop actin, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue, swoonworthy romance and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new listeners alike. 

AUTHOR

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is incredibly successful, not only in the book world but in the world of psychology. I was fascinated to learn that she has studied psychology extensively and has brought her two passions together in some ways, studying the psychology of fiction and fandom (which is hilarious, as I know that there is a pretty extensive fandom around the Inheritance Games trilogy!). This kind of thig really interests me, I find it incredible that so many different careers, educations and passions lead to writing. 

Her website isn't super up to date (it's missing the last few books, of the trilogy that is now at least 5 books deep!) but she's pretty active on Instagram, so give her a follow!

I did also spot a few other series that she's written that sound amazing, one that follows a young genius who is recruited into an FBI young genius program was immediately added to my list! 

PLOT/STORYLINE

The blurb does a pretty good job of setting out the lay of the land in terms of story, which picks up in pretty much right where the first one left off. The clues in Tobias' will have been solved (or so they think) and Avery along with the Hawthorne brothers have solved the first mystery. Until another layer is revealed and they are thrust into another Nancy Drew esq mystery. 

There are clues scattered like breadcrumbs in inventive ways through the book, similarly to the previous one. Trying to solve clues before they do in the book became a game for me, it was great fun and I came up with some whacky theories and answers. 

There's more teen angst and drama as hormones do their hormone thing, and it gets quite dark towards the end, which was a surprising development. 

Almost everything I say here could venture into spoiler territory, but I would say that it is much more in the crime solving, detective, action world than the first book, which was more of a cutesy mystery with a smattering of butterfly kisses and action. 

CHARACTERS

Avery is our main gal. She's been forced to live in this majestic home, with the Hawthorne brothers, in order to be entitled to the inheritance from Tobias. For all the drama that it's caused her and her sister, I was left wondering numerous times, why she didn't just forfeit the inheritance, take some sort of settlement payment from the brothers and leave. That's what I would have done, far too much drama and peril for me - especially by the time we get to the end of this book! As a character, I find her to be VERY teen drama fuelled, which I shouldn't complaint about since the target market is teenagers and young adults, who are feeling all those teen drama feelings.  She's so whiny and moody, just does what she wants regardless of the consequences, and she gets away with being a total brat...perfect teenage character I suppose :)

Grayson and Jameson are the "main" brothers, the cute ones who Avery seems to fall in and out of love with equally. They do have some separate character quirks but I found it hard to differentiate between the two (other than the narrator's exceptional way of making each person she narrates sound like a totally different person!). They are both incredibly handsome, guarded, competitive, cocky and at times downright mean to Avery and one another. They both also fancy the pants off of Avery. Again, I find it hard to understand how they manage to just get away with their behaviour, with no repercussions. Where are the adults in this story, why are they just letting them fly off into the sunset on a whim, acting like James Bond? 

Max is Avery's best friend and she offers some lighthearted relief amongst all of the tense, drama filled chapters. She acts the youngest of them but it's refreshing that she's acting her age, giggling at boys, making jokes about kissing and avoiding swearing by using rhyming words. It seems awfully immature, but she is probably the most real for her age, while the rest of them are off dealing with big emotions. 

Now, I'm not saying that young people cannot have grown up emotions. I had my son when I was 16 and had to grow up in a big way, but I was definitely still giggling about boys. This is what makes YA a bit of a cosy read for me, but I definitely enjoy the "younger" Max as a fun and lighthearted piece of sweetness and innocence. 

There are plenty of other characters, particularly in the Hawthorne family, who help to move the story forward and although the adults frustrate me in their lack of control of the young people in their care, they all have something valuable to add. Avery's sister has a smaller role in this book, as do the other two Hawthorne brothers. 

OVERALL REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

SPICE: 🔥

This book was much more dark and gritty than I expected, especially towards the end when things started getting crazy. Some developments genuinely surprised me in how dark they were, certainly not as lighthearted a read as the first one which was much more surface level. This one went deep, into some fairly mature themes around addiction, manipulation, death and mental health. 

As a result, although I was looking for a cosy read, I ended up enjoying it more than I would have if it had stayed in the same lane as it started. While there were definite Nancy Drew vibes and some very unrealistic adventures and action scenes, I found myself more invested in what the outcome would be. Equally, while I do get a little frustrated with teen romance dramas, there were some really poignant moments that had me coming over all emotional, another unexpected surprise. 

Some parts were quite far fetched, particularly one "action" scene in particular, but suspending belief is part of the joy of reading so rather than getting too caught up in the practicalities of it and resisting, I allowed the story to take me where it wanted me to go.

For me, pace is everything and I enjoyed the short chapters and the snappy style, allowing the story to really unfold without too much downtime. As I listened to it on audio, the fast pace and short chapters make my commute, or my time sat in traffic go much faster, I can keep up with the story without daydreaming which can happen when I am listening to a book with a slower pace, and I appreciate that so much! 

This book left me excited to see what was next in the series, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be in the mood for another YA listen very soon! 

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?

If you enjoyed book one of the series, carrying on the story makes sense, it ties off some of the loose ends from the first one and I certainly do think it's worth continuing the series, especially if YA is a genre you enjoy. It doesn't really work as a standalone though, so I would wholeheartedly suggest that you start with the first one, I know some series can be picked up at any point but this one probably isn't one of them, there's too many references to what happened before :)

Let me know if you've read this series, what did you think? Do you have any other YA series I might enjoy on audiobook? Don't forget to subscribe to my blog by clicking the link to keep up to date. I also post bookish content on TikTok and over on my YouTube channel is where you will find my full length video reviews. Pop over and follow me :) Happy reading!