Jennifer Lynn Barnes Archives - The Neverending TBR

REVIEW: The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on October 27, 2023October 14, 2023 by Jaymie

Summary

Grayson is drawn to Phoenix to help the younger sisters he has never met. But the line between helping them in their current circumstances and protecting them from the truth gets hard to walk. If necessary, he’d rather have them hate him in order to keep his secrets – for everyone’s sake.

Jameson’s father draws him into a challenge he can’t resist. Make his way into a secret gaming establishment and retrieve what his father lost. Jameson’s never been one to walk away from a challenge – especially if it can connect him to the family he’s never known.

Two of the four Hawthorne brothers might be running personal missions – but they are never alone. Avery, Nash, and Xander are always ready to lend a hand.

Review

This is a continuation of the Inheritance Games series – and readers really need to have have read that whole series for this to make sense. In fact, I wish I had at least re-read Final Gambit for a refresher before diving into this.

The emphasis here is on the brothers rather than Avery (although she does play a part). I have never connected with Jameson in the earlier books, so him telling half the story here really made it hard for me to get into this initially. Grayson’s story was a little easier for me to enjoy.

By the end, though, I was completely in the groove. I loved any time the four brothers were all together. (Xander is my favorite by far – I *need* a Xander-focused story!) The ending of both stories was great, and the next book is set up nicely at the very end. Fans of The Inheritance Games should absolutely pick this up to continue the story of these characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on October 28, 2022October 8, 2022 by Jaymie

Summary

Avery has not only solved several of the Hawthorne puzzles, but her one year at Hawthorne House is almost done. But before she can start thinking about her 18th birthday celebration and what she might do first after her inheritance becomes official, the whole Hawthorne world is turned upside down.

A new Hawthorne puzzle.
Dead girl look-alikes.
Kidnapping.
And a race against the clock for someone important to the family.

Review

I know that summary is a bit thin, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t read the first two books. I know there are folks who will only read a series when the whole thing has been published so they can blitz through it from start to finish. And this is a fantastic series to do that with. I zoomed through a re-read of The Inheritance Games and The Hawthorne Legacy (♥♥♥♥♥) before I started this, and the whole series is supremely satisfying.

Having read all three recently, I have to say this book has a more serious tone than the earlier books. The stakes are higher than ever. You may need to carve out time to read this in one sitting. I didn’t want to put it down.

I was thrilled with this final installment. It delivered on almost everything I wanted – and on several things I didn’t know I needed. Like the epilogue and bonus story in my Barnes and Noble Exclusive edition!

I believe strongly that this series should be read in order. It’s the best way to work through the puzzles, mysteries, and reveals. This is a not-to-be-missed conclusion. And since this published in September, the author has revealed there will be a couple more books set in this world, so watch for those! (This book includes couples sharing bedrooms, but no specific references to sex.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

SABBATICAL – Must Read Authors

Posted on September 28, 2022July 30, 2022 by Jaymie

Back in the early weeks of my blog, I did a post called 8 Authors I Buy Automatically. I thought 6 years was plenty of time to try that list again and see what’s changed.

One thing that has changed is I have fewer authors I “buy automatically.” I don’t know if that’s because I have been burned on books I just didn’t like from some of my former go-to authors or if it’s because my own reading tastes have changed. It was far easier to come up with lists of my must-read series the last couple weeks than it is to come up with a list of auto-buy authors. That said, though, here is my list:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes – JLB has been a must-buy author for me for ages. I don’t think I have EVER bought a book of hers and not enjoyed it. From The Naturals series to The Fixer (FAVE) to the Debutantes to the Inheritance Games. All winners for me.

Ally Carter – This is another author I have read for years and followed from series to series – Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, Embassy Row, Not If I Save You First, Winterborne Home. All terrific!

Donalyn Miller – This is a tricky one, because Donalyn is primarily a teacher rather than an author. But when she publishes a book, I pay attention and pick it up – The Book Whisperer, Reading in the Wild, The Joy of Reading, Game Changer, Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library. I don’t even teach anymore, but I can’t get enough of her philosophy of reading and teaching readers.

Jennifer Estep – While the author’s Elemental Assassin series didn’t grab me, her books set in Bellona/Andvari/etc. (Crown of Shards series, Gargoyle Queen series) are perfect for me, so I buy those the minute I know there’s a new one available.

Jessie Mihalik – I have loved both the Consortium Rebellion series and the new/in process Starlight’s Shadow series, so I have also purchased – but not yet read – the author’s Rogue Queen series.

Suzanne Stabile – Suzanne is my favorite Enneagram teacher, so while I might be more skeptical of other books until I can look at them first, hers I pick up automatically.

YEAR IN REVIEW – Best of 2021 for Kids and Teens

Posted on January 7, 2022December 30, 2021 by Jaymie

Continuing my best of lists for 2021, here are the lists for books for kids and books for teens/young adults.

Best of 2021 – Books for Kids

The Hunger Heroes: Missed Meal Mayhem – If I could only pick one kids book from 2021 to highlight, it would be this one. I struggle to find early chapter books that I really love and am excited to share with kids, but this is one I literally handed to anyone and everyone in 2021. This graphic novel was a delight to read and to share. Don’t miss it! You can read my full review here.
The Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery – Book 2 in this fantastic series for kids 10 and up from the amazing Ally Carter was another favorite from 2021. You can read my full review here for book one and here for this second book in the series.
Bea Is for Blended – A lovely, powerful middle grade story that shouldn’t be missed. You can read my full review here.
What Comes Next – A stand alone story from the author of the Mr. Terupt series as well as the Perfect Score series. You can read the full review here.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy – I don’t usually read a lot of nonfiction for kids, but I was intrigued by this kid-friendly version of the author’s show/book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. This is for readers 10 and up. You can read my full review here.

Best of 2021 – Books for Teens/Young Adults

Amelia Unabridged – If I could only pick one “Best of 2021” book, regardless of audience, I would pick this one. This book rocked my world when I first read it, and it stuck with me all year. I’m looking forward to carving out some time for a re-read soon. You can read my full review here.
Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven – I have really enjoyed this graphic novel series. Yes, I wish the series had more depth to the characters, but once I accept the limitations of the format for digging deeper into character details, I just enjoy the story and characters for what they are – fun. You can read my full review of this book here and the whole series here.
Bookish Boyfriends: Get a Clue – This series has been a delight since book one. You can read my full review of this book here, and you can read more about the whole series here.
Counting Down with You – Loved this powerful YA novel this year! You can read my full review here.
The Hawthorne Legacy (♥♥♥♥♥) – Book 2 in the Hawthorne series by my favorite YA author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, was a powerhouse, It delivered on all the things I thought were missing for the first book while not losing any of the parts I loved. I can’t wait to read book 3 later this year. You can read my full review of book 1 here.
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche – After the delightful Netflix movie starring Enola Holmes, this book was a must read for me – and it did not disappoint! You can read my full review here.
Never Saw You Coming – I heard a lot about this book last year as I follow the author on social media. The book did not disappoint. Read my full review here.
You Have a Match – This was my second Emma Lord book and I loved it! You can read my full review here, and check out the author page here – she has a new book out that I will be reviewing soon.

REVIEW: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on October 29, 2020October 29, 2020 by Jaymie

Summary

Avery is doing what she can to get by. After the death of her mother, her half sister, Libby, took her in. Their mutual father is long gone. But in a couple years, Avery will finish high school, go to college for something to pay the bills, and then she can travel to her heart’s content. They may be scraping by, but Avery is making the best of things.

Then the prissy, proper, authoritarian boy shows up at her school. He can’t be much older than Avery is, but he kicks her principal out of his own office. And he tells Avery she is required to attend the reading of his late grandfather’s will.

Tobias Hawthorne, billionaire. Avery had never even heard of him. Why would she have to be at the reading of his will? Turns out, he named her heir of almost his entire estate.

To inherit, Avery has to move into Hawthorne House with Tobias Hawthorne’s family – his mother-in-law, his two daughters, and his four grandsons. But nothing is what it appears. The house is full of secret passages, and Tobias loved challenging the boys to different games. The only question is what games were in play when Tobias named Avery in his will? And what games might his family be playing to get Avery out of the way?

Review

This was fantastic! I loved almost every moment. Avery is excellent as a protagonist. She’s bright and determined, but also down to earth and relate-able. She would fit in well with the author’s other excellent characters. The four Hawthorne boys are a delight. I wanted more time to get to know each of them. I still have questions and want to know more about all four of them.

There are several mysteries at play which swirl around Avery – whispers of another girl involved with the grandsons, Avery’s connection to Tobias, the attempts to get her out of the way, and the games and puzzles in the house and on the grounds. I loved every bit of it. I would have read hundreds of pages about the house even if they had nothing to do with the main questions of the book because it was all so fascinating.

Frankly, I was disappointed with the wrap up of one of the main questions of the book. I was expecting… MORE I guess, something bigger. I went back and re-read the climax scene and the second read gave me a better sense of satisfaction, but it still wasn’t the punch I wanted. But…

The last few pages launched several new questions – or at least pulled some of the secondary questions from this novel into the spotlight. And I am SO excited to read a sequel and find out what else Tobias Hawthorne – and Jennifer Lynn Barnes – have in store for these characters! (Some language, LGBTQ+, CW: Domestic violence/abuse, grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Freeform in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sawyer is still reeling from the things she discovered about her family when she, Lily, Campbell, and Sadie-Grace worked together to make sure Campbell’s father was held accountable for his crimes (Little White Lies). She finally knows who her biological father is, and it changes everything – her relationship with her mother, her grandmother, and with the rest of the family she lived with for her debutante year.

But now that it’s summer, and the family is spending time at their lake property, there’s a new distraction. The White Gloves is a secret society that takes in a select number of young women from the best families each year. And Sawyer, Lily, Campbell and Sadie-Grace have all received invitations. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Sawyer’s recent discoveries make things awkward at her grandmother’s house. Campbell’s mother is in a downward spiral after the fallout from her husband’s arrest. Sadie-Grace knows her step-mother is faking her pregnancy, but she doesn’t know if she should confront her or let the charade play out. And Lily has her up-in-the-air relationship with Walker to figure out. The White Gloves are a perfectly timed distraction.

But the Gloves’ competition also gives Sawyer a chance to dig into one more mystery from her debutante year. Whatever happened to her mom’s best friend Ana who also got pregnant when Sawyer’s mom did – and who disappeared almost twenty years ago?

Review

This was absolutely stunning – dizzying! The twist and turns in this left me in knots – and I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t stop thinking about this for 24 hours after I finished the final page – I even had dreams about the book! When I think about where the book starts vs where it ends, it’s almost like two whole books. What a wild ride! Masterful plotting in this one!

I missed some of Sawyer’s sass and spunk from the first book. In Little While Lies, she’s an outsider; she uses her words as armor to protect herself. In this book, that edge isn’t as sharp. She’s found family to a degree, and she has her crew of friends. It’s a necessary evolution to the character, but I missed the snark. I also missed the fellas. Walker and Boone are absent for a lot of this since the White Gloves is only for the ladies. Again, necessary, but I missed them.

I love the core group of girls in this. They have distinct, fascinating personalities and family situations. And I loved seeing them as more of a team than they could be in book one.

The structure of this is similar to Little White Lies. In that book, the story starts with the girls in jail and then goes back in time around a year to fill in the story. Periodically there’s a paragraph, or a few sentences, from the jail timeline so you don’t forget where everything is headed. This time there are three timelines. This book starts again with Sawyer and a friend in some danger. Then it goes back a few months to the start of the story. The third piece is from 25 years ago, and that is also threaded into the larger story. The author does a great job of cuing where the timing changes so just watch the headings and you’ll be fine. I loved trying to figure out how the three pieces would come together in the end.

As I said, the plot of this is dizzying. I can think of six major twists/revelations without even trying hard, and I’m sure there are more. I had to write them all out when I finished the book just to help my mind take it all in. WOW! I loved it. So many great surprises. I’m not sure there are unanswered questions to prompt a third book, but if Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes one, I am here for it! She is still one of my favorite YA authors.

These books definitely need to be read in order. If you love suspense and mysteries, or if you love books with some unexpected twists, be sure to check out the Debutantes series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on May 9, 2019April 30, 2019 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Freeform in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Kira was five, Cady found her, alone, in a forest. Wild. Feral. Cady took her in, fostered her, adopted her, and raised her with her own son, Jude. Jude, Kira, and their best friend, Free, call themselves the Miscreants. Always together, always ready to find or stir up trouble.

Together, Cady and the teens raise and train search and rescue dogs. Padawan is their young star, a gifted golden retriever. Silver is the older German Shepherd who is an emotional anchor for Kira when the trauma of her past threatens to pull her under. NATO and the Duchess are the bloodhounds. And Saskia is the temperamental husky whose own traumas make her a perfect partner for Kira. They understand each other in a special way.

Cady’s estranged father calls her in for a search and rescue in her home town. A 9-year-old girl has gone missing in the mountains. Cady, the teens and the dogs join the search process. And while Kira is determined to do for the girl what she herself needed at one time, she is not ready for what the case will stir up for her – and for her whole family.

Review

This was excellent! Classic Jennifer Lynn Barnes awesomeness. I was laughing on the first page, and in love with Jude by page 2. He’s a lot like the character Asher from The Fixer series – another character I adored. You can read my review of her other series here and here. From there, I quickly connected with Kira and the dogs, and I had to see how the story would play out.

You can see Barnes’ background in psychology with the development of Kira. Her reactions to childhood trauma and the emotional repercussions now felt completely on target. I felt like Kira had done some extensive work on her trauma issues even while there is obviously more work to be done. And the writing of the dogs was terrific. I loved Silver and Saskia’s interactions with Kira especially.

If this had just been a psychological piece about Kira, I’d have been enthralled and happy to keep reading. But this is also a mystery/suspense story involving Cady’s family history, the missing girl, and some stunning and twisty developments. Outstanding!

This book is a perfect example of why Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a must read-author for me. She always delivers! This book is the full package – rich, fascinating characters; an engrossing plot; lots of snark and humor; and a story you don’t want to put down. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense books, dog stories, and the author’s other books. (Trigger Warning – hints of abuse stories throughout could be triggering for some readers, although I thought the descriptions were pretty subtle for general readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on December 20, 2018February 1, 2019 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Freeform in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sawyer has learned to take care of herself. She’s 18, she has a job (mechanic), and she passed her GED. Sure, her mom’s around – some of the time – but Sawyer has been taking care of her for years, too. Her mom was 17 when she got pregnant with Sawyer. Her mother kicked her out and the two of them made the best of their life together. Without the need for the Taft family.

Then Lillian Taft, Sawyer’s grandmother, shows up with an offer Sawyer can’t refuse. If she lets Lillian run her through all of the debutante rigmarole and Sawyer keeps out of trouble, Lillian will give Sawyer half a million dollars for college. Lillian also hints that Sawyer would finally have an opportunity to figure out who her father is. Sounds totally worth it!

But Sawyer encounters more secrets and lies than she anticipated. On her journey through debutante activities and her hunt for her father’s identity, she’ll learn – for good or bad – what it’s like to finally have family around. And what wealthy families will do to keep their reputations and power intact.

Review

While Sawyer Tate is no Tess Kendrick, she’s also a terrific protagonist. Sawyer is more subtle than Tess, but she’s just as smart, strong and sassy. She doesn’t put up with anything, whether it is wolf whistles at the garage or mean girl antics from a fellow Deb. I loved her from the first glimpse of her picking the lock of her jail cell in her white gown and gloves. Characters like Sawyer are part of why I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ work!

The structure of this includes a time jump. The story starts in the spring with several Debs in a cell. Then it jumps back to the previous fall. Periodic returns to the jail cell kept me guessing about how the story gets there. When it all comes together, it’s completely satisfying!

I was nervous to start this. I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ work so much, and I wanted this to be as awesome as her other books that I have loved. My anxiety was unnecessary. This was fantastic! I loved Sawyer. I loved watching her handle her new surroundings without changing who she is at her core. I was fascinated by the story. So many questions and twists – including several revealed at the end that will likely be dealt with in book two. And I need book 2 asap! I can’t wait! As soon as I finished reading the review copy I received, I pre-ordered my own copy of this. I can’t wait to read it again. I highly recommend this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD – My Summer Reading Plan

Posted on June 3, 2017May 19, 2017 by Jaymie

I am a planner by nature.

I always have a to do list, and I faithfully check things off as they are completed. Summer is a prime time for me to make a few lists.

There’s the list of projects I want to finish while school is not in session. Then I have the list of fun things I want to be sure we do before school starts up again. And finally, I have my summer reading plan.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago in my post about summer reading recommendations, a list or a challenge isn’t a great idea for every reader. For some folks, that would make the reading seem like a chore. But I LOVE a challenge. I was the kid who loved the March of Dimes reading challenge at school or who responded well to a sticker chart. Anything where I could track my achievements.

So I set a reading challenge every year in January, and I have another one that covers my summer reading. Here are some of the things on my 2017 Summer Reading Plan:

#Bookaday

If you are on Twitter, you can find a number of teachers tweeting about their reading year-round, but especially in the summer, with this hashtag. The idea is to try to read one book for every day of your “summer” (and you get to choose what qualifies as “summer). This year, my summer will run from June 5 to July 30, which is 56 days. This is pretty standard for me. It gives me a week or so after the school year ends to do whatever I want, which usually includes some reading, but is less structured for the transition from school year to summer. This also gives me whatever non-school days I can get at the start of August to shift my thinking from summer back to school year. So, my #bookaday goal this summer is to read at least 56 books. The library is a great resource for #bookaday, although my TBR shelves at home easily hold 56 books.

Classics

I tend to read in pretty rigid categories. I like new books – the newer the better – and I stick with mysteries and fantasy/science fiction with some realistic fiction thrown in. This summer, I am challenging myself to read some classics. In most cases, these are re-reads – books I read ages ago but can’t remember. These are the classics on my list:

Sense and Sensibility – I’ve never read Austen, and I don’t like Pride and Prejudice, but I love the Sense and Sensibility movie
Jane Eyre
Wuthering Heights
Wrinkle in Time – I’m going to read the graphic novel
Much Ado About Nothing – One of my favorite Shakespeare plays

Family Challenge

Last summer my son and I chose 5 books for the other person to read. He did a fabulous job and read all 5 I recommended. I, however, did not. I ended up only reading 3 in the summer, and picked up a fourth one this spring when he insisted. This summer my husband is getting into the act. We are each choosing 2 books for the other two people in the house. I will be reading:

Rebels by David Liss (Book 2 in the Randoms series) – chosen by my teen
Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos – chosen by my teen
The Innocent by David Baldacci – chosen by my husband
The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos by Kami Garcia – chosen by my husband
I have assigned my son The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson (a book from my TBR shelves)
I have assigned my husband Alien Tango by Gini Koch and The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My husband has assigned my son The Haunting of Barry Allen by Clay and Susan Griffith and The Recruit (CHERUB) by Robert Muchamore
My son has assigned my husband Randoms by David Liss and Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll

Nonfiction

I love learning new things, but I am not a good finisher when it comes to nonfiction. So I am challenging myself to read the following:

A Mile Wide by Brandon Hatmaker (My husband recommended this one)
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson (I have started this but haven’t finished)
Uninvited by Lysa TerKerst (I’ve read this but I want to read through it again)
Daring Greatly by Brené Browning

Re-reads

When I was teaching, my students were always so excited about summer break because they could re-read some of their favorite books without penalty. I love to re-read my favorites in January and also over the summer. Some of my re-reads this summer will be:

The Fixer and The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (I LOVED The Long Game but I’ve only read it once.)
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (a nursery rhyme based mystery)
StarFleet Academy – The Edge by Rudy Josephs (this is the first in a four book series with the new JJ Abrams cast in mind)
Talons of Power by Tui T. Sutherland (this is the most recent Wings of Fire book. I want to read it again before the last book comes out in July)
The Amber Photograph by Penelope Stokes (This is one of my comfort books that I read over and over)

New books

Of course, there are all sorts of new releases coming out this summer that I hope to read! If you check out my Book News posts on Mondays this summer, you’ll see some of the ones I am most looking forward to.

What are you hoping to read this summer? Do you like a challenge or do you prefer to read whatever comes along?

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2016 Favorites

Posted on January 7, 2017December 30, 2020 by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year. A lot of times, I don’t remember all the details about the books I read. But I always remember how I felt when I finish. I remember which books follow me throughout the year – how I feel when I see them in the bookstore or library or online. These are the ones I want to go back and read again. These are the ones I recommend over and over and over.

When I went back through my list of the 304 books I read in 2016, I came up with 28 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten. And here they are:

10. The Scourge by Jennifer Nielsen

I read this one earlier this year, so I don’t have a review posted here at The Neverending TBR. This is a fantastic middle grade fantasy from the author of The False Prince. You can read more about The Scourge here.

9. Alien Nation by Gini Koch