Shivam
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was a more engaging read compared to the first book, The Inheritance Games. This time, the mystery and twists kept me more intrigued, and there were plenty of surprises. Some of these twists were genuinely good, while others felt unnecessary and out of place, as if the author was just cramming in as many as possible without proper buildup.
The characters, unfortunately, remained a weak point. They still felt flat and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with any of them. While the romance improved slightly compared to the first book, it was still far from memorable or exciting.
One of my biggest gripes was with the puzzles. They were repetitive and far too similar to those in the first book. It felt like the author didn’t even try to add anything new or creative to this aspect of the story. Considering the puzzles are supposed to be a big selling point of the series, this was a letdown.
That said, the book was incredibly easy and fast to read. After I got halfway through, it became difficult to put down despite its flaws. The pacing was solid, and the story did a good job of keeping me curious enough to finish it. The ending was satisfying, though nothing extraordinary.
Overall, The Hawthorne Legacy was an improvement over the first book in terms of intrigue and twists, but it still had the same issues with underdeveloped characters and lackluster puzzles. I’d rate it 3 out of 5 stars. It’s a fun, light read if you don’t set your expectations too high.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was a more engaging read compared to the first book, The Inheritance Games. This time, the mystery and twists kept me more intrigued, and there were plenty of surprises. Some of these twists were genuinely good, while others felt unnecessary and out of place, as if the author was just cramming in as many as possible without proper buildup.
The characters, unfortunately, remained a weak point. They still felt flat and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with any of them. While the romance improved slightly compared to the first book, it was still far from memorable or exciting.
One of my biggest gripes was with the puzzles. They were repetitive and far too similar to those in the first book. It felt like the author didn’t even try to add anything new or creative to this aspect of the story. Considering the puzzles are supposed to be a big selling point of the series, this was a letdown.
That said, the book was incredibly easy and fast to read. After I got halfway through, it became difficult to put down despite its flaws. The pacing was solid, and the story did a good job of keeping me curious enough to finish it. The ending was satisfying, though nothing extraordinary.
Overall, The Hawthorne Legacy was an improvement over the first book in terms of intrigue and twists, but it still had the same issues with underdeveloped characters and lackluster puzzles. I’d rate it 3 out of 5 stars. It’s a fun, light read if you don’t set your expectations too high.