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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
4/5 ★
——
This book did it for me. Compared to the first, it was filled with far more twists, and the characters felt much more developed. I’ll admit I may be biased, because when a story completely absorbs me, as this one did, I tend to enjoy it on a deeper level. Still, this book kept me constantly on edge, guessing at every turn. This is quite a long review, because I have a lot to say.
Again, like in the first book, I loved Avery, I adore the fact that she is smart and relatable. One of my favorite elements was the puzzle surrounding the foundations and the revelations about the fathers of Grayson and Nash. I also found the recurring line “Ex unus est nobis. Nos defendat eius.” remarkably powerful. When Grayson used it, it left a lasting impression, reinforcing my sense that Grayson was the one truly aligned with Avery.
The bombing scene was controversial for some readers, since many lost Grayson when he froze. But I interpreted his reaction differently. To me, it was shock, an instinctive return to the trauma of Emily’s death, which continues to haunt him. He hasn’t resolved that grief. He shows in different ways what Avery means to him. Even his decision to step back from her so that he and Jameson wouldn’t fall into the same destructive patterns they had with Emily speaks volumes. That’s why I found Jameson’s choice to throw the same line back at Grayson manipulative and shortsighted. What could Grayson realistically have done?
That being said, Jameson grew on me in this book. His confession “I halfway convinced myself that as long as Avery was just a riddle or a puzzle, as long as I was just playing, I’d be fine. Well, joke’s on me, because somewhere along the way, I stopped playing.” marked a turning point. In the first book, his tendency to see everything as a game irritated me, but here he sacrificed puzzles for Avery, subtly showing that she had become more important than winning.
One detail that did frustrate me was Avery’s failure to examine her inheritance binder sooner. That oversight delayed her discovery of the True North house and the revelation that Tobias was alive. Even so, I enjoyed the expansion of the setting; the True North house, Hawthorne Island, and Jackson Currie’s home. Jackson’s loyalty stood out: the way he remained faithful to Hannah and “Harry,” never revealing their secrets until he recognized Hannah’s eyes in Avery.
The possibility that Tobias Hawthorne II was Avery’s father was one of my favorite storylines. It gave her a sense of belonging and identity. That’s why the final revelation was devastating, his daughter turning out to be Evelyn, a random girl, was not what I expected or wanted. When Toby told Avery “In my heart, you were always mine” and later, “I have two” in response to having daughters, it shattered me. Avery had finally glimpsed the father figure she had longed for, someone who knew her mother, who could offer answers, a solution, the secret and the ghost of her mother. Someone who could make her feel like she was more than a girl with a strange name and birthday. To have that possibility taken away was heartbreaking.
The best part of the book, though, is the potential and the devastating love story of Tobias Hawthorne II and Hannah, Avery’s mother. Their relationship was devastating in its beauty: a girl from a drug dealer’s family and a wealthy boy scarred by guilt after accidentally killing three people on an island he intended to burn, including his two friends and her sister. He lost his memory, and Hannah initially despised him but saved him out of principle under the Hippocratic Oath. Over time, they fell in love, but when he remembered the truth, he wanted to end his life. She saved him again, yet he couldn’t let his sins be washed away by his father’s wealth, and hurt Hannah anymore by being with her, so he left. Their letters to each other were heartbreaking, two people who never stopped loving one-another, bound by tragedy, and yet they did not end together. He even helped choose Avery’s name “Avery Kylie Grambs” an anagram for “a very risky gamble” which became one of the signs to his father that he was still alive. This layered narrative, of a father hunting for the son who didn’t want to be found, was devastating in the best way.
I also appreciated how the postcards from Avery’s mother gained new meaning in this book. Even without knowing, Toby had always been a piece of her mother. Tobias II haunted the entire narrative, and I admit I have a particular weakness for characters who linger like ghosts throughout a story.
In this book, found family is really the premise. Libby and Avery thought for a moment they did not share blood, but their bond was unbreakable, they chose each other. I adored Libby in this book. The Hawthorne brothers in their own ways, are tied to Avery, Oren’s protective relationship with her, and ultimately her bond with Toby all highlight the idea that family is not only about blood. Avery and Toby share a very special father daughter bond . Which makes it more heartbreaking every way.
——
This book did it for me. Compared to the first, it was filled with far more twists, and the characters felt much more developed. I’ll admit I may be biased, because when a story completely absorbs me, as this one did, I tend to enjoy it on a deeper level. Still, this book kept me constantly on edge, guessing at every turn. This is quite a long review, because I have a lot to say.
Again, like in the first book, I loved Avery, I adore the fact that she is smart and relatable. One of my favorite elements was the puzzle surrounding the foundations and the revelations about the fathers of Grayson and Nash. I also found the recurring line “Ex unus est nobis. Nos defendat eius.” remarkably powerful. When Grayson used it, it left a lasting impression, reinforcing my sense that Grayson was the one truly aligned with Avery.
The bombing scene was controversial for some readers, since many lost Grayson when he froze. But I interpreted his reaction differently. To me, it was shock, an instinctive return to the trauma of Emily’s death, which continues to haunt him. He hasn’t resolved that grief. He shows in different ways what Avery means to him. Even his decision to step back from her so that he and Jameson wouldn’t fall into the same destructive patterns they had with Emily speaks volumes. That’s why I found Jameson’s choice to throw the same line back at Grayson manipulative and shortsighted. What could Grayson realistically have done?
That being said, Jameson grew on me in this book. His confession “I halfway convinced myself that as long as Avery was just a riddle or a puzzle, as long as I was just playing, I’d be fine. Well, joke’s on me, because somewhere along the way, I stopped playing.” marked a turning point. In the first book, his tendency to see everything as a game irritated me, but here he sacrificed puzzles for Avery, subtly showing that she had become more important than winning.
One detail that did frustrate me was Avery’s failure to examine her inheritance binder sooner. That oversight delayed her discovery of the True North house and the revelation that Tobias was alive. Even so, I enjoyed the expansion of the setting; the True North house, Hawthorne Island, and Jackson Currie’s home. Jackson’s loyalty stood out: the way he remained faithful to Hannah and “Harry,” never revealing their secrets until he recognized Hannah’s eyes in Avery.
The possibility that Tobias Hawthorne II was Avery’s father was one of my favorite storylines. It gave her a sense of belonging and identity. That’s why the final revelation was devastating, his daughter turning out to be Evelyn, a random girl, was not what I expected or wanted. When Toby told Avery “In my heart, you were always mine” and later, “I have two” in response to having daughters, it shattered me. Avery had finally glimpsed the father figure she had longed for, someone who knew her mother, who could offer answers, a solution, the secret and the ghost of her mother. Someone who could make her feel like she was more than a girl with a strange name and birthday. To have that possibility taken away was heartbreaking.
The best part of the book, though, is the potential and the devastating love story of Tobias Hawthorne II and Hannah, Avery’s mother. Their relationship was devastating in its beauty: a girl from a drug dealer’s family and a wealthy boy scarred by guilt after accidentally killing three people on an island he intended to burn, including his two friends and her sister. He lost his memory, and Hannah initially despised him but saved him out of principle under the Hippocratic Oath. Over time, they fell in love, but when he remembered the truth, he wanted to end his life. She saved him again, yet he couldn’t let his sins be washed away by his father’s wealth, and hurt Hannah anymore by being with her, so he left. Their letters to each other were heartbreaking, two people who never stopped loving one-another, bound by tragedy, and yet they did not end together. He even helped choose Avery’s name “Avery Kylie Grambs” an anagram for “a very risky gamble” which became one of the signs to his father that he was still alive. This layered narrative, of a father hunting for the son who didn’t want to be found, was devastating in the best way.
I also appreciated how the postcards from Avery’s mother gained new meaning in this book. Even without knowing, Toby had always been a piece of her mother. Tobias II haunted the entire narrative, and I admit I have a particular weakness for characters who linger like ghosts throughout a story.
In this book, found family is really the premise. Libby and Avery thought for a moment they did not share blood, but their bond was unbreakable, they chose each other. I adored Libby in this book. The Hawthorne brothers in their own ways, are tied to Avery, Oren’s protective relationship with her, and ultimately her bond with Toby all highlight the idea that family is not only about blood. Avery and Toby share a very special father daughter bond . Which makes it more heartbreaking every way.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book 1/12 for 2024
This book had me kicking my feet and squealing with happiness, and in the next page it made me have tears in my eyes. Not totally sure if that’s due to the book and writing or my emotions being all over the place, very likely it’s a mix of both, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the emotions this book has brought and my inability to stop reading it when I pick it up. I love the way that this book connects everything in it to something else, slightly through some foreshadowing (but it may be just good writing too) and I also love how I couldn’t decide which brother to love more. going into this book from the first one I was team Jameson but this book got me thinking a little too much about team Grayson. I’ll have to let the third book decide.
This book had me kicking my feet and squealing with happiness, and in the next page it made me have tears in my eyes. Not totally sure if that’s due to the book and writing or my emotions being all over the place, very likely it’s a mix of both, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the emotions this book has brought and my inability to stop reading it when I pick it up. I love the way that this book connects everything in it to something else, slightly through some foreshadowing (but it may be just good writing too) and I also love how I couldn’t decide which brother to love more. going into this book from the first one I was team Jameson but this book got me thinking a little too much about team Grayson. I’ll have to let the third book decide.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I had to stop at one point and make a family tree, but that sure was a crazy ride. I could have done without the pseudo love triangle though. On to the next.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated