There’s Serious Literature, and then there’s beach reads – popcorn. But sometimes that popcorn is better than average, it’s got a little something extra to elevate it, and that, my friends, is gourmet popcorn. And gourmet popcorn is exactly what The Hawthorne Legacy delivers.
As book 2 in a planned trilogy, we pick up only a week or so after book 1, The Inheritance Games, concludes. Our main character, Avery Grambs, is still living at Hawthorne House with the four Hawthorne brothers, and still trying to figure out why Tobias Hawthorne left her his billions. There is a bit of a bombshell dropped at the end of book 1, setting up the new mystery in book 2.
I’ve described book 1 as Knives Out meets The Westing Game; it’s full of both family intrigue, and games and puzzles set by Tobias Hawthorne before his death. Book 2 is more of the same, though with the YA-standard romantic triangle subplot getting a lot more time. (There are four Hawthorne brothers, and it seems clear that at least three will be paired off by the end of the trilogy.) The author also ratchets up the danger in this book, with even more attempts on Avery’s life.
Unfortunately, as the tension rises, so does the Implausibility Factor. If you’re not worried about your Teen Dramas being super realistic, this will not bother you much. Remember: popcorn. I also have to throw in a small quibble with the narrator of the audio book, who while mostly lovely, is not great at accents, and cannot do British to save her actual life. Regardless, this is a super quick, fun romp. Don’t expect too much, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and thoroughly entertained.