Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.
Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.
I love riddles. I’m not clever enough to always get them, but I absolutely love them and seeing where my brain goes. This book opened me up and was the perfect distraction, although now I’m needing more.
The story takes on several stories. Ones we love like Cinderella, combined with Knives Out. It’s not so much a who-dun-it, being that we know Tobias Hawthorne died, knew he was sick, and left these elaborate clues for the characters to find. But it does ask a big question, why Avery Kylie Grambs? Why did this billionaire pick an underprivileged girl to receive his estate, money, and all other possessions? I was able to piece together why within the first say 65 pages, although even when you do figure that aspect out, there are still questions after that. Tobias was excellent at remaining 10 steps ahead of everyone else, which is an aspect that makes this book so enjoyable.
The characters are super fun. That’s the easiest way to put it. I see each Hawthorne boy as a piece of myself when I’m excited/into something. I either let it consume me, pretend to not care but always come back to it, play the long game, or, in rare cases, take it slow and steady. I kept picturing Christopher Plummer (may he Rest in Peace) as Tobias, because how could I not? I love how quick Avery is with her problem solving and sass, although I feel like she does start to lose that quickness about her, she is still fun to read about. The boys themselves are an interesting bunch, Nash probably being my least favorite. Grayson and Jameson need to grow up (in my opinion) and maybe stop sharing toys... And I can’t tell is Xander is going to be an issue in book two or not. I have my suspicions about pretty much every character besides Avery, which is what makes this series so enjoyable! I feel like I’m really in the thick of the mystery.
While it started off very strong with character introductions, the plot was handed to us on a platter, and I figured out the ending pretty much immediately, it was really enjoyable and fun. If you’re a fan of a little mystery, this is for you!
Rating: Strong 4/5
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