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A review by abbypeekreads
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Once again Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a fast-paced and engaging novel centered around Avery and the mysteries of the Hawthorne family. Even so, I find I'm having a hard time deciding how to approach this review. I will admit I struggled to keep all of the connections straight in my head since it's been a while since I've read the first two books, but even without taking that into consideration I wasn't as excited about this one as I was The Hawthorne Legacy.
But that doesn't make it a bad book at all. As the final installment in the series, it had everything I wanted: the usual intriguing puzzles with high stakes, satisfying character arcs, and answers to the questions still looming overhead. Barnes gave us all of it, raising the stakes as high as ever for Avery, which pushed her into owning the puzzles and her decisions in the best way.
Her relationships with each of the boys (specifically Jameson and Grayson) came into even better focus, so much so that I felt like I finally understood where Avery stood with each of them. While some of the development there felt rushed, I still felt it was enough to keep me satisfied with her choices.
As for the ending, while I enjoyed it, it just felt like a lot. With the introduction of a new villain for the book, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up. I think Barnes did well with it, but again sometimes I got super confused with how everything connected. Some plot lines could've been fleshed out a bit more, but the ending still made sense and felt appropriate for the story.
Overall, this book (and the series) was such a fun and wild ride, full of twists and turns that always kept me on my toes. As my first dip into the mystery genre, I had a lot of fun with the change of pace from my usual reads. It definitely makes me want to read more from the genre in the future!
But that doesn't make it a bad book at all. As the final installment in the series, it had everything I wanted: the usual intriguing puzzles with high stakes, satisfying character arcs, and answers to the questions still looming overhead. Barnes gave us all of it, raising the stakes as high as ever for Avery, which pushed her into owning the puzzles and her decisions in the best way.
Her relationships with each of the boys (specifically Jameson and Grayson) came into even better focus, so much so that I felt like I finally understood where Avery stood with each of them. While some of the development there felt rushed, I still felt it was enough to keep me satisfied with her choices.
As for the ending, while I enjoyed it, it just felt like a lot. With the introduction of a new villain for the book, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up. I think Barnes did well with it, but again sometimes I got super confused with how everything connected. Some plot lines could've been fleshed out a bit more, but the ending still made sense and felt appropriate for the story.
Overall, this book (and the series) was such a fun and wild ride, full of twists and turns that always kept me on my toes. As my first dip into the mystery genre, I had a lot of fun with the change of pace from my usual reads. It definitely makes me want to read more from the genre in the future!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Sexism