The Inheritance Games / The Hawthorne Legacy / The Final Gambit / The Brothers Hawthorne

The Inheritance Games #1-4

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Crime, Thriller

1536 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is very fun and thrilling. Every book comes with new information and always leaves us guessing. I hope Barnes never stops writing about these characters. I can not wait for the fifth book!

[SisiMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists, Turns, and Truths:
A Review of The Inheritance Games

What a difference a well-written book can make! The Inheritance games, a sequence of four mystery books, in which one action changes the lives of lots of people turns out to be one of my favourite book series.

The plot follows the life of a teenage girl Avery Grambs, who comes from a poverty-stricken family, but unexpectedly receives almost the entire legacy of the billionaire Tobias Hawthorne. This billionaire in fact has a huge family which consists of his wife, two daughters and four grandsons, none of whom receive even half the amount that a complete stranger to the family received. After this bizarre inheritance ceremony, the games begin, and each tiny piece of the puzzle starts to reveal itself.

The things that made me fall in love with this series are the constant twists and turns. This is definitely not one of these books that you could easily predict based on reading the first pages. On the contrary, Inheritance Games will confuse you and even blow your mind with the things which are happening.

Overall, you really must read this sequence yourselves to understand what incredible series of books I have been recommending. Don’t miss this opportunity, you will regret it!

[Tabitha]

AMAZING AGH I LOVE THIS SERIES

[brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a book in which a girl named Avery Kylie Grambs lives a normal quiet life but always wanting more. One day, she discovers that a philanthropist named Tobias Hawthorne died and passed down his entire inheritance to her. She is forced to live in The Hawthorne Mansion with Tobias’s four grandsons and relatives. Trying to solve a mystery as to why she received the inheritance. In the process, Avery gets caught in a love triangle with the two brothers Jameson and Grayson Hawthorne. What made me love this book is the thrilling and exciting puzzles the characters try to solve. The puzzles make me intrigued and want to keep reading. Involving all kinds of murder, danger and perilous acts, making me love it even more. From the start, I could already see that Avery is a very intelligent and humble girl. Even with all the money that got passed down from the inheritance, she did not spend a penny on anything other than charity. Avery’s love story was really interesting as to how each Grayson and Jameson both had a soft spot for her. The author did a great job of describing each and every one of the characters and their personality. As the book goes on, Avery works with Jameson to solve the mystery while also getting close with Grayson. I love this book because there's just something satisfying about seeing a poor humble girl get a buttload of money while the rich don’t get anything. The mystery was surprisingly compelling. There were so many questions brought up, and every time there was a new development or answer, it would only unlock even more questions?! I was very shocked reading this book. There was plot twist after plot twist. It made me lie in my bed thinking about what might happen next. Also the short chapters made me super happy as it made me feel as if i was speeding through this book. To me, Jameson and Grayson felt like The Vampire Diaries’ brothers who had a similar situation. Their tension just adds to how they are both attracted to the same girl. The romance scenes are to die for and I can’t even choose between Jameson or Grayson. Every time Avery was interacting with them, it made me feel excited as to who she would pick. Do you know the saying ‘time flies when you're having fun?’ That's the best way I could describe reading that. It felt like I had just started it when all of a sudden it was over. I could have easily read another 300 pages of this. My favourite quote from this book is “Everything’s a game, Avery Grambs. The only thing we get to decide in this life is if we play to win.” It was the line that made me get immersed into this book. Quite frankly, this book might even have changed the perspective of how I look at things.. It must be hard to believe that a mere book could change one’s perspective but the puzzles and cases made me think differently, to see everything in a new way. This book, The Inheritance Games has motivated me to strive to be the best because like that line in the book said, everything is a game, It’s your choice to decide whether you want to win or lose. It truly is the book that brought me back to life when things got difficult at school. Another favourite quote from the book is “Traps on traps. And riddles upon riddles.” This quote was the sentence that described the entire book. I think the simplicity of the author’s words made this so enjoyable and complex at the same time. I knew as soon as I set my eyes on this addictive tale, I'd be dazed, confused, blubbering all night, transporting myself into the Hawthorne universe, with my grey cells jumping up and down like corn kernels dancing inside a microwave before turning into popcorn. The puzzles, riddles, cryptic messages, and the irresistible charm of the four brothers drew me into this unputdownable mystery that will forever change me. I will always love this book and will be willing to read it over and over again.

[Snehal Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drags on and on and on and on .......(you get the point)

[Sawyer Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is absolutely incredible!! I have read it four or five times already and I continue to love it and reread it! I love solving the mysteries with Avery and seeing what I can do with what information is given. I love the relationship between Avery and Grayson and how distant but close it seems. I love the romance between Jameson and Avery, particularly the way that he loves her and gives her his whole attention, and lays off when needed. I adored the scene in The Hawthorne Legacy when Avery is mad and she goes to Toby’s wing and punches the wall, then Jameson stands in between her and the wall and let’s her punch him. The way that Jameson lets her and doesn’t care if he gets hurt, he just wants to help her. I cannot express how much I adore that scene. And, of course, we can all appreciate Xander’s humor and his scones. I love these books SO much!

[Prisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you Jennifer Lynn Barnes for such an amazing book. This book is fun, adventurous, a great mystery and I love the love triangle!!! This book is amazing and I can't wait for The Grandest Game to come out. Every book gave you a new mystery, new characters who never went out of style. The brothers are amazing and each one is unique. I have fallen in love with this book and is my #1 favorite. If you are reading this book, or have, I must ask you; Team Grayson or Team Jameson. I am 90% Team Jameson and 10% Team Grayson! Once you start to read this book you would not want to put it down at all. It keeps readers engaged at all times as well.

[Urwah Khattak · Rating 4 out of 5]

the only reason why I'm giving a 4 star to this series is bcz the last part didn't really do it for me.
Individually the first three parts were straight 5/5, which is why when i decided to read The Brother's Hawthorne i was very excited and i had alot of expectations but let's just say it didn't live up to my expectations.
I also wanted more of Avery and Jameson which unfortunately we did not got in the last part.
Overall the book was good but not a 5 star read for me.
But if you want to read it the first three parts are damn amazing!

[Grace Vanhoose · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL AMAZING!!! I recommend they kept me hooked! Except the last one but it wasn't because it isn't a good book I think its more because I didn't want it to end! The brothers Hawthrone was a little slow paced but once it picked up it was amazing! They were all great. No spice btw (which I like) it makes me a little uncomfortable) Anyways there gonna have a show soon so definitely watch it before it comes out! Anyways buh-bye!

[Carrie Lear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. I do however have things to say about the fandom. I fear if you are team Grayson you completely misunderstood Avery, Jameson, and Grayson's characters. It was never Grayson and it was never going to be. You can like the character, I love him, but if you are Team Grayson you should check your character analysis skills. I will die on this hill. I could write an entire thesis on the topic.

[Kinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were a good and easy read. I enjoyed the story but wasn't captivated by it. It's good for a younger audience. The series follows a young girl who inherits a large estate from a man she didn't realise she knew. There are two romantic interests, not spicy though. As the titles suggest, each book has its own challenges and problems that the protagonists either solve together or in competition with each other.

[Saludina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inheritance Games series is a masterful blend of mystery, family intrigue, and high-stakes puzzles. Across four books, the series takes readers on a whirlwind journey filled with secrets, twists, and complicated relationships. From Avery’s unexpected inheritance to the Hawthorne brothers’ thrilling missions, each installment raises the stakes and deepens the mystery. With sharp writing and unforgettable characters, this series is a must-read for fans of clever, fast-paced thrillers.

[Anne-Jet Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved loved loved this serie and I was honesyly shocked how everthing worked out so exact. I have made my friends(whi dont read any book) read them so that we could talk about them, and they love them. A little minus point is the 4th book because it includes some massieve plots and twist but it is completly different from the triology that I loved so much. Cant wait to read moree..

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series so much and was the type of book you could read in one seating - The whole story and all the plot twists made it even better and got me invested into the story so much and had me falling in love with the characters! I love Jennifers writing and the pace was perfection just made me want to keep reading!

[Holly Askins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story line. I gave it three stars because sometimes the characters responses to situations, didn’t seem to flow. I ended up being annoyed by some of the absurdness. Also, It was a little too teen aged immature for me. Overall not bad, the storyline is intriguing, the characters were just not my favorite.

[Shy Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series I have read this series and it's been an mess of feelings I love how chaotic it can be and how good the characters are. Though I must admit that the love triangle is a bit annoying sometimes. Still totally recommend.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first inheritance games is the book that got me back into reading after a huge slump. I am a slow reader but was invested in these books so much that I was able to read the second one in a day. Great books with a puzzle to solve.

[bitchareyoudumb · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's good enough(the first 3 books). The romance is shit zero chemistry she had way more chemistry with Grayson than Jameson . It should have ended after the 3rd installation but no the author has to milk it

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this series for the most part I LOVED the first three books the fourth one was not as interesting as the other three books. All I have to say is if I got a dollar every time I switched between team Jameson and Grayson I'd be as rich as Avery...

[Nikoletta V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this series!!! It had a great plot, well developed, interesting characters, an enticing mysteries with puzzles and a head-banging love triangle!! It was everything I hoped for and more!! Highly recommend!!

[tiffany]

and the triolgy turns into a quintet

[Vera Brittain · Rating 3 out of 5]

the entire series itself was good. there was a lot of plot twists and I love the characters❤️

[Janae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best series ever

[Aaroosh Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good books! (i just want to mark it as read I want to sleep pls)

[Meg Uszynski · Rating 1 out of 5]

awful. so overhyped but actually shitty quality and every single character is annoying to me

[Jolynn Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I can't protect you from everything heiress but I can protect you from this" -Jameson

[Sydney W · Rating 3 out of 5]

good series but didn’t make me feel much.

[Yasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the dynamic of everyone

[Ronni · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I read the first three books in the span of a week I loved them so much. I would definitely recommend for lovers of romance and mystery.

[Capi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Adult mystery with great twists and turns.