About This Book:
Get ready for a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series (over 3 million copies sold!), set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes. Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.
Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.
Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a brand-new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you’ll never forget.
Do you have what it takes to play?
*Review Contributed by Connie Reid, Staff Reviewer*
The Grandest Game came as an unexpectedly welcome side quest into the world of puzzles and intrigue that Jennifer Lynn Barnes created with the Inheritance series. There have been so many extra characters brought to life in the Inheritance books with stories and mysteries of their own to explore, and with this book, we get to focus on them. In this companion series, the focus is on Grayson’s half-sisters, Savannah, and Gigi. Jameson’s competitor, Rohan, and the mysterious Lyra Kane who believes her father’s suicide is because of the Hawthorne family.
Avery and Jameson’s dream of creating a puzzle competition, The Grandest Game, is in its second year of fruition. Avery hand-picks some of the contestants and public clues lead to wild cards as the other contestants. However, with powerful people able to pull strings, the wild cards may have more connections to the Hawthorne family and nefarious purposes than they could have planned for.
The puzzles, interactions between players, and hints of danger on the island make for a compelling read. The plot is intricate enough it is best read when you have large chunks of time to devote. This is one of those books with room to read multiple times and likely still find aspects you missed. The puzzles the characters solve are intricate and worthy of any break-out room mixed with the nearly limitless wealth that Avery can use to engineer the game and the creativity of an author who can make anything seem plausible.
I look forward to the upcoming books to continue the intriguing world of Avery Grambs and the Hawthorne brothers. There are so many intrigues it is hard to guess what might happen next.
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Reckless by Lauren Roberts
About This Book:
Paedyn and Kai battle with duty and desire in this highly anticipated second installment in the sizzling and epic romantic fantasy trilogy that’s packed with spicy tension and edge-of-your-seat betrayal.
The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…
After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.
Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.
Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts—and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.
*Review Contributed by Connie Reid, Site Manager*
Reckless delivers a compelling second book in the Powerless trilogy with nonstop action and plenty of twists to keep you turning pages. Paedyn is injured on the run and Kai is now the enforcer with orders to bring her back alive. The rage and betrayals from the big reveal and her actions in the first book put them firmly in the enemies-to-lovers category starting this book.
Kai and Paedyn’s chemistry is red hot as they come close to killing each other so many times in a cat-and-mouse game across two cities and a desert. Yet, they still have deep-seated feelings and can never quite slice the knife deep enough to kill. I love how strong and clever both characters are as their roles keep reversing between who’s the one with power and the captive.
Kitt is now king and in his grief over the father he adores, he is in shambles. The cutaways to his point of view seem superfluous through most of the book until the ending which is as shocking as one would expect from the second book in a trilogy.
Overall, this book was an intensely engaging read that I couldn’t put down until the end. I loved the chase and the reconciliation plus all the twists and revelations throughout making this a fun addition to the series. Fans of Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas should add this to the shortlist of what to read next.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black
About This Book:
Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.
With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.
*Review Contributed by Connie Reid, Site Manager*
The second book in this duology delivered an enjoyable read in spades. The Prisoner’s Throne is now told from Prince Oak’s perspective. He loves Queen Suren, but how can he possibly convince her of that when he is being held in her dungeon and under the compulsion of the bridle that puts him completely under her thrall? His sister’s troops are on their way and he has a very narrow margin to work within to stop a war and marry the girl of his heart.
Fae cannot lie but the way they can twist the truth makes every interaction Oak has with others full of intrigue. He left while trying to stop a conspiracy but now it has come back to bite him while he is also dealing with his intrigues. This makes for a compelling novel that is once again impossible to put down as you try to figure out what will happen.
I like that we are now back in the Court of Elfhame we can revisit original characters from earlier books. Oak loves his family but he has downplayed his talents to honeytrap conspirators for years that they may no longer trust him. I love the twisty interactions he has and waiting to find out if they can see him for who he has become.
Overall, this was another thoroughly entertaining read with hints of another adventure possible. The character development and dialogue were captivating. This is going on the shelf of books to keep and reread.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
About the Book:
Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series
There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.
An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.
Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.
This collection includes:
- That Night in Prague (novella)
- The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
- The Cowboy and the Goth
- Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn’t)
- $3CR3T $@NT@
- One Hawthorne Night*
- What Happens in the Treehouse*
- Pain at the Right Gun
*previously published in limited release
*Review Contributed by Connie Reid, Site Manager*
Games Untold gives us a series of stories to flesh out the world of the Inheritance games. I’m not usually a fan of novellas/anthologies because they always seem to end just as you get settled into the action. Still, this book was different in that it fleshes out relationships and instances we already know about but in a more in-depth and fulfilling way than could be explored in the other books.
That Night in Prague focuses on Jameson and Avery. They engage in a fun cat-and-mouse puzzle-driven love affair that always makes for a fun read. Jameson does end up bloody and with a secret that as a reader I am dying to know because all we get is enticement from this novella. Avery is learning how to trust and not push when she knows she could force him to tell but it would hurt him to do so.
The Same Backward as Forward focuses on Toby Hawthorne and Hannah Rooney’s backstory. Even though we know the details seeing it all unfold is enthralling. The intensity of Hannah’s hate and grief and how Toby’s charm and injuries get past her walls to a truly breathtaking star-crossed lovers romance is a chef’s kiss.
The Cowboy and the Goth is a savory down to earth glimpse into the evolving relationship between Nash and Libby. In just a few pages per chapter, we see events through the timeline from Libby’s perspective and the southern charm Nash uses to rope in his girl. It ends with a burning question of whether she’s pregnant or not.
Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (& One Time He Didn’t) is full of the bubbly charm as it outlines the times Xander used tackle hugs to protect his loved ones since he was a toddler. His story is so light and bubbly even when it recounts dark times for the brothers. It ends with a romantic relationship that will be interesting to see develop in future books.
One Hawthorne Night is a series of humiliating stunts Grayson must endure to atone for missing out on a family 911. It had me howling and cringing in equal measure. It was such a delightful read featuring our most serious and emotionally repressed Hawthorne brother.
$3CR3T $@NT@ is the most diabolical cutthroat game of Secret Santa I have ever heard described. I applaud Jennifer Lynn Barnes for taking a mundane tradition and making it the most Hawthorne chef’s kiss of a game I have ever heard of. I was on the edge of my seat with this one.
What Happens In the Treehouse is the most fun-filled example of brotherly love Hawthorne style as the brothers execute a no-holds-barred bachelor party for Nash. With the mischievous minds of the Hawthornes and unlimited money, this was a wonderland of fun and just the right amount of sentiment mixed in to be perfect.
Pain at the Right Gun is the perfect ending to this book. As readers, we were left hanging after the first story about what happened to Jameson. We do find out and get the set up for another book.
Overall, this charming series of stories helped us revisit a world full of fun, mystery, and possibility. It made me laugh and filled me with giddy anticipation. I love that we get page time from the perspectives of supporting characters. These characters feel so real while having an otherworldly magical charm. As it fills in and sets up future stories it is a must-read for fans.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
About This Book:
The Companions are scattered and hopeless, torn from each other. After Corayne barely escapes with her life, she must forge on alone, leaving her blade broken and her allies behind her. Her only consolation: Corayne now has Taristan’s sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world.
But Taristan and Queen Erida will not be defeated so easily. Both will burn the world to bring down Corayne—and bring forth their demon god, What Waits, ready to claim the realm of Allward for his own.
In a final clash between kingdoms and gods, all must rise to fight—or be destroyed.
*Review Contributed by Connie Reid, Site Manager*
Victoria Aveyard’s final book, Fate Breaker, was perfect. Every line and action felt like it was happening at exactly the right time. Each character had grown and we had their full potential for the culmination of events. I snuggled up with this book and even as I devoured it in two days realized I was already making plans to read the entire series again this time with my son who will love it.
So many things went wrong for our heroes in book two and this book started with them fragmented thinking the others were dead. With each chapter told in another character’s perspective we learned who survived. It was such a temptation to scan the chapters to see who appeared next. However, if you can wait then it plays with your emotions as you mourn with the characters for their fallen comrades and worry as well who might still be able to carry on the fight.
I had faith that Victoria Aveyard would see our motley crew to victory but she did provide a betrayal and surprise toward the end that made it impossible to put the book down.
Charlie and Valtik’s characters made some surprisingly important contributions to the mission to save the ward. This was the first book Charlie gained chapters told from his perspective. He is not the fighter or the one with the most courage. However, his small acts may have had the biggest impact. I like the idea that the most ordinary of the group may come the furthest of them all in helping the group.
I loved the sneak peeks provided in the epilogue. I would love for each glimpse to be expanded into a novella if not a full-length novel further exploring what happens afterward. Overall, I loved this book and this series. I will definitely reread it and add it to the shortlist of books I recommend when people ask me for a suggestion.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
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