Hello, reader!

Look at me posting two blog tour posts in a row! I’m making up for my lack of posts last week, lol. Today, I’ll be participating in a tour put on by Dave @ TheWriteReads for a book that fulfilled all my twists and turns needs! I’m talking about a new YA mystery called The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes! This book just came out earlier this month and a lot of people have been raving about it. After reading it myself, I can see why!

Before we get into my post, I’d like the thank Dave @ TheWriteReads, as always, and the publisher, Penguin Platform, for sending my a free e-ARC in exchange for my participation on this tour and an honest review.

Now, let’s get to it!

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“An utterly addictive and twisty thriller, full of dark family secrets and deadly stakes. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

She came from nothing.
Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future.
Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why.

They had everything.
Now she must move into the mansion she’s inherited.
It’s filled with secrets and codes, and the old man’s surviving relatives –
a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got ‘their’ money.

Now there’s only one rule: winner takes all.
Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing.
But just how far will they go to keep their fortune?

‘A fantastic rollercoaster of a book! We Were Liars meets The Da Vinci Code. I loved it!’ Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake

‘A thrilling blend of family secrets, illicit romance and a high-stakes treasure hunt . . . The nonstop twists kept me guessing until the very last page!’ Katharine McGee, New York Times bestselling author of American Royals“

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Book Links

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Author Links

Website::Twitter::Goodreads

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We are in our first week of spooky season and you know what that means? It’s time for all the mystery and thriller books! That being said, when I heard about a blog tour for a new YA mystery that was likened to One of Us is Lying, I couldn’t resist signing up. And then I found out that it was filled with riddles and puzzles and you know I was pumped!

This story follows Avery Grambs, a young high school girl who has a plan. A plan that involves securing scholarships to college so that she can follow her dreams and no longer live in her car. Then, she is summoned to the estate of Tobias Hawthorne, a mysterious billionaire who has apparently left Avery something in his will. When she arrives, she meets the rest of the Hawthorne family including the four eclectic and brilliant Hawthorne boys, grandsons to the dearly departed. Avery hopes against hope that perhaps Tobias has left her enough to not worry about college… and finds out that he has left her almost his entire estate. The catch? She has to live in Hawthorne House for one year with the family who’s inheritance she just “stole”.

You know why I enjoy YA mysteries? Because they’re just freakin’ fun! This book was an absolute blast to read, even when it got dark and twisty. I loved so much about this story that I practically flew through it! The chapters are fairly short, so even though this book is pushing 400 pages, you find yourself getting through it rather swiftly. And, honestly, even if this book were 1000+ pages, it would have felt like nothing because I was so invested!

My favorite aspect of this book has to be the various puzzles and riddles scattered throughout. I’m that weirdo that gets a thrill when I can figure out the answers before the characters, lol. Though the puzzles in The Inheritance Games weren’t overly challenging, I had a lot of fun with them all the same! In fact, I was so caught up in the puzzles that the bigger twists of the book kind of snuck up on me! Nice bait and switch, Jennifer Lynn Barnes 😉

I also really enjoyed the characters in this story. Avery is incredible. She’s smart, tough, and loyal to the people she loves. She takes no crap and will do what it takes to achieve her dreams. She is such a multifaceted and vivid character that shines throughout this story. And the rest of the cast is as unique and layered as she is! The four Hawthorne boys, Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Alexander (of Xander), have such force of personality that they practically leap of the page. They are all a little messed up and the entire family needs a lot of therapy, but they add an element to the story that made it that much more enjoyable.

Fair warning, though… this book does end on a cliffhanger that will have you craving more! I can’t wait until the next book in this series is out!

Final thoughts: The Inheritance Games is a fun, dark mystery that will have you tearing through the pages to find out how it ends. The riddles are a treat, the characters are engaging, and the ending will leave you begging for more! If you like puzzles, ensemble casts, and dark secrets, I think you would love this book.

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