Some mysteries leave you on the edge of your seat. Some have you pulling your hair out. This book had me staying up until unholy hours of the night. The Hawthorne Legacy was an excellent read. It was full of suspense, tension, and a plot that constantly thickened. I was hanging on to every word of every page, waiting for the next plot twist to blow my mind.
It always did.
So, pull up a chair, grab a plate of blueberry scones, and let’s talk about The Hawthorne Legacy!
Heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions—including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.
Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows she’s not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture—by any means necessary.
World, Characters, and Plot
The Hawthorne Legacy is a very suspenseful page-turner. There are several mysteries, and just when the reader thinks one is solved, the story twists and there are four or five more! I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure out all the puzzles. If you’re a fan of escape rooms or murder mystery games, then this is the book for you!
Although you can probably guess by the book’s title, I can confirm that the best characters in this book are the Hawthorne brothers. Each one has their own particular draw, and it’s no surprise that Avery begins to fall in love with two of them. They are all well-written and distinctly different, which adds to the depth of the overall story. For those who are fans of the love triangle trope, this book has that in spades. Although there is lots of mystery, the romance is a major subplot.
I did not care for Avery’s friend. The character felt like she was added for comic relief that just wasn’t working. Honestly, the story worked without her, and I wish she had been cut. Aside from this character, the other characters were full of mystery and depth, making for an interesting and engaging reading experience.
PAGED IN: As far as profanity goes, this book has its fair share of curse words and… convenient replacements. One of Avery’s friends, Max, uses replacement curse words that are close enough to the real thing that there is no doubt which word she means. Although the language registers at a level two on a normal basis, the obvious replacement bumps it up to a level three. As for violence, it’s pretty mild, but there are some scenes worth mentioning. A cow’s heart is left in one character’s room, and there are several assassination attempts. Innuendo is light, but notable for younger readers. One character has naturalistic beliefs, with crystals and meditation. Acts 4:12 says this: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Any other methods of “spiritual healing” are not what God commands us to do. We are to worship Him, and only Him.
Conclusion
As a whole, the Hawthorne Legacy is an excellent mystery for the YA genre. It’s engaging and the characters never cease to amaze. As the second book in the series, I expected a drop in the suspense, but nothing of the sort occurred. In fact, I found myself even more engaged in the characters and their lives. Those Hawthorne boys are enigmatic indeed! Younger readers should be aware of the language issues and adult themes before diving into this particular story, but it is definitely a must-read for teenage and young adult readers.
You can buy The Hawthorne Legacy here.
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