A review by lovelymisanthrope
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I bought the first three books of this series as a FairyLoot exclusive set, and I have been making my way through them.
"The Hawthorne Legacy" is the fast-paced sequel to "The Inheritance Games". The mystery as to why Tobias Hawthorne left the majority of his fortune to Avery still needs to be solved, but luckily there are new leads for Avery to follow. Through a DNA test, she knows she is not a Hawthorne by blood, but she quickly learns that she has a connection to the Hawthornes that dates back over a decade. The three Hawthorne brothers are still not in agreement about what to do, but Avery wants to utilize all three of their expertise to get to the bottom of this mystery.
I was so excited to pick up this book as soon as I finished "The Inheritance Games", but I had to wait because I wanted to listen to the audiobook and there was a bit of a wait on Libby. I do HIGHLY recommend the audiobooks for this series. Avery is such a likable and relatable main character, and it is her approachable personality that makes this story so enjoyable for me. The rest of the Hawthorne clan definitely contribute to this story and continue to make this story intoxicating. The brothers are all interesting in their own ways, and I love how much they are taking Avery under their wing. 
This book does get much more violent than the first, and there are serious threats to Avery's life. Some of these instances felt a little too action movie-y to me, but it was not too cheesy that it felt unreal. 
We do get to see more of Max in this book, which I was so excited for. Max is the epitome of a best friend and I love seeing her pure love and support for Avery. 
I am really enjoying all of the nuances to the mystery. Every time I think I have figured out what is going on, there is a curveball and I feel like I am back in the dark. This mystery is not straight forward, and this family has decades old secrets that weave a web that is difficult to break through. I do not know what will happen in the third book, but I do know I need to pick it up ASAP. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings