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The Inheritance Games #4.5
Games Untold: An Inheritance Games Collection
Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that take readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series
There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.
An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.
Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.
This collection includes:
That Night in Prague (novella)
The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
The Cowboy and the Goth
Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn't)
One Hawthorne Night*
What Happens in the Treehouse*
$3CR3T $@NT@
Pain at the Right Gun
*previously published in limited release
There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.
An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.
Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.
This collection includes:
That Night in Prague (novella)
The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
The Cowboy and the Goth
Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn't)
One Hawthorne Night*
What Happens in the Treehouse*
$3CR3T $@NT@
Pain at the Right Gun
*previously published in limited release
448 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2024
About the author
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
40 books40.1k followersJennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 809 reviews
Want to read
February 21, 2024more xander and nashlibby content in this, please and thank you <3
Want to read
February 26, 2024Just give me Nash and Libby please 🙏 (its been four years)
-Also that pink is so beautiful....
-Also that pink is so beautiful....
Shelved as 'probably-never-going-to-read'
March 1, 2024there's another one?? you're joking
Want to read
February 24, 2024is this series genuinely never ending
November 25, 2024
୧ ‧ ₊ 🧺 4.5 stars !
⤷ the last great american dynasty, taylor swift
well this was just a splendid read 🤭 it is an absolute need for the people who love and adore the inheritance games trilogy <3 it is also perfect to get you out of a slump with its insanely short chapters and heartfelt novellas, it's going to keep you engaged throughout! the cover and the illustrations are simply stunning. i would do anything to get the physical copy in my hands oh gosh.
— ⊹ that night in prague
what an amazing story to start with 💌 this was exactly what i needed when i said i wanted to read more of them. every single scene, every game and every kiss was so special ah i was hooked! the love they have for each other is eternal and its so special🥹 it was short n' sweet and left me wishing for just one more moment with them. averyjameson are so margaret by lana del rey coded ☹️🫶
— ⊹ the same backward as forward
i feel a bit silly now knowing that i actually wanted to skip this because i didn't know what it was about but it ended up being one of my favourites! it started off a bit slow as i wasn't aware who it was about but soon everything just seemed to slot into place and i couldn't put it down. it made me feel so many emotions that even brick like huge books have failed to do. it was heartbreakingly beautiful, hannah + toby's characters were so raw and genuine that i almost teared up. the angst, the tension, the little puzzles they played, and their inner conflicts made them so much more real. im so glad i got to know a piece of their story <3
— ⊹ the cowboy and the goth
this made my heart leap out of my chest, it was too good. too good. im still not over them and im afraid i never will be. im so hopelessly in love with nashlibby and this teensy tiny novella was definitely not enough for me :( the way nash calls libby as darlin' omg 🤭 i need to hear his accent like right now. nash going all big brother mode over avery was so adorable ah my heart <3 oh when will i find a man that will compliment me 24/7 and eat all my baked goods like he hasn't eaten in years 😔 their drawing in this book actually made me want to drop onto my knees and worship it. okay i will probably go on yapping about them if i could so im going to stop now 🥰
— ⊹ five times xander tackled someone (& one time he didn't)
okay first of all how goofy and intriguing is the name haha?! this made me fall in love with xander all over again. xander who has a cactus named Mr. Pointy, who has a fort with blankets and plushies, who has a ceiling covered in books and an unhealthy obsession with scones. i mean who wouldn't be head over heels for this man? the first few chapters were when the Hawthorne brothers were all young and tiny and it was SO CUTE. the way they would switch from super competitive mode to just dying of laughter because of each other during their games got me all smiley and giggly because nothing is more beautiful than their brotherly bond 😭 his sense of humor>> brb on my way to spam jlb to make more xander content because its a need.
— ⊹ one hawthorne night
my man my man ahhh <3 grayson singing shake it off and let it go while wearing leather pants is probably my favorite thing ever. and of course, xander volunteered to be anna while gray was supposed to be elsa lmao 😭 i did not know i needed that in my life oh my gosh. the hawthornes are so wild sometimes i swear to god 🤭 let's take a moment to thank for this beautiful piece of masterpiece 🙏 i actually need more of him or else im going to go feral... the illustration in this one. bye-
IT WAS STUNNING !!
— ⊹ $3CR3T $@NT@
um im not sure what this gibberish ahh title means but i have a feeling that its a code for something... which im far too dumb to solve but oh well whatever <3 christmas novellas are honestly a hit or miss but this one slapped. it isn't christmas without a little Hawthorne game isnt it? i have to admit, i was super confused about how the game worked in the beginning, but it ended being so so fun! all their competitive sides came out and it was thrilling to read. i wish we would've gotten a longer one though, this was far too short :( nashlibby and averyjameson were such cuties in this one 🫂 oh how i wish i was in avery's position (gray im coming for you) 😔
— ⊹ what happens in the tree house
okay this was the goofiest shit ive ever read and i loved every second of it. this was very nash centered + his brothers obviously but it was everything i could ask for! i dont think i will ever stop loving the dynamics of the four of them 🫶 the would you rather questions they asked bro 😭 ill definitely be stealing some of them haha. i think this is the only series where ive adored all the male leads, like they're all practically perfect. i dont think i can choose my fave out of them since they all mean so much to me! the ending of this novella wrecked me. it was too pure 🥹
okay i genuinely loved this book so much and i need more cute little stories like this for all of them! its not at all surprising that this ended with a sorta cliff hanger? not exactly but definitely ended leaving me speechless because of course there is going to be more in this series (im not complaining at all) pleasepleaseplease go read this book right now and you'll be my favourite person in the entire world mwah.
love,
ahana ⋆
"there goes the last great American dynasty
who knows, if she never showed up what could've been"
⤷ the last great american dynasty, taylor swift
well this was just a splendid read 🤭 it is an absolute need for the people who love and adore the inheritance games trilogy <3 it is also perfect to get you out of a slump with its insanely short chapters and heartfelt novellas, it's going to keep you engaged throughout! the cover and the illustrations are simply stunning. i would do anything to get the physical copy in my hands oh gosh.
— ⊹ that night in prague
what an amazing story to start with 💌 this was exactly what i needed when i said i wanted to read more of them. every single scene, every game and every kiss was so special ah i was hooked! the love they have for each other is eternal and its so special🥹 it was short n' sweet and left me wishing for just one more moment with them. averyjameson are so margaret by lana del rey coded ☹️🫶
"nothing in this place was infinite except for jameson and me."
— ⊹ the same backward as forward
i feel a bit silly now knowing that i actually wanted to skip this because i didn't know what it was about but it ended up being one of my favourites! it started off a bit slow as i wasn't aware who it was about but soon everything just seemed to slot into place and i couldn't put it down. it made me feel so many emotions that even brick like huge books have failed to do. it was heartbreakingly beautiful, hannah + toby's characters were so raw and genuine that i almost teared up. the angst, the tension, the little puzzles they played, and their inner conflicts made them so much more real. im so glad i got to know a piece of their story <3
— ⊹ the cowboy and the goth
this made my heart leap out of my chest, it was too good. too good. im still not over them and im afraid i never will be. im so hopelessly in love with nashlibby and this teensy tiny novella was definitely not enough for me :( the way nash calls libby as darlin' omg 🤭 i need to hear his accent like right now. nash going all big brother mode over avery was so adorable ah my heart <3 oh when will i find a man that will compliment me 24/7 and eat all my baked goods like he hasn't eaten in years 😔 their drawing in this book actually made me want to drop onto my knees and worship it. okay i will probably go on yapping about them if i could so im going to stop now 🥰
"he brings his lips to almost touch mine, a silent reminder that i don't have to say a word, that he has never and will never demand from me anything that i don't want to give"
— ⊹ five times xander tackled someone (& one time he didn't)
okay first of all how goofy and intriguing is the name haha?! this made me fall in love with xander all over again. xander who has a cactus named Mr. Pointy, who has a fort with blankets and plushies, who has a ceiling covered in books and an unhealthy obsession with scones. i mean who wouldn't be head over heels for this man? the first few chapters were when the Hawthorne brothers were all young and tiny and it was SO CUTE. the way they would switch from super competitive mode to just dying of laughter because of each other during their games got me all smiley and giggly because nothing is more beautiful than their brotherly bond 😭 his sense of humor>> brb on my way to spam jlb to make more xander content because its a need.
"i tackle with love!"
— ⊹ one hawthorne night
my man my man ahhh <3 grayson singing shake it off and let it go while wearing leather pants is probably my favorite thing ever. and of course, xander volunteered to be anna while gray was supposed to be elsa lmao 😭 i did not know i needed that in my life oh my gosh. the hawthornes are so wild sometimes i swear to god 🤭 let's take a moment to thank for this beautiful piece of masterpiece 🙏 i actually need more of him or else im going to go feral... the illustration in this one. bye-
IT WAS STUNNING !!
a good suit was like armor. grayson was the type to dress or battle - not a single wrinkle in sight, layers between him and the world
— ⊹ $3CR3T $@NT@
um im not sure what this gibberish ahh title means but i have a feeling that its a code for something... which im far too dumb to solve but oh well whatever <3 christmas novellas are honestly a hit or miss but this one slapped. it isn't christmas without a little Hawthorne game isnt it? i have to admit, i was super confused about how the game worked in the beginning, but it ended being so so fun! all their competitive sides came out and it was thrilling to read. i wish we would've gotten a longer one though, this was far too short :( nashlibby and averyjameson were such cuties in this one 🫂 oh how i wish i was in avery's position (gray im coming for you) 😔
— ⊹ what happens in the tree house
okay this was the goofiest shit ive ever read and i loved every second of it. this was very nash centered + his brothers obviously but it was everything i could ask for! i dont think i will ever stop loving the dynamics of the four of them 🫶 the would you rather questions they asked bro 😭 ill definitely be stealing some of them haha. i think this is the only series where ive adored all the male leads, like they're all practically perfect. i dont think i can choose my fave out of them since they all mean so much to me! the ending of this novella wrecked me. it was too pure 🥹
"the situation was thus: nash on the dance floor. cowboy hat? check. leather pants? check. ass? shaking."
okay i genuinely loved this book so much and i need more cute little stories like this for all of them! its not at all surprising that this ended with a sorta cliff hanger? not exactly but definitely ended leaving me speechless because of course there is going to be more in this series (im not complaining at all) pleasepleaseplease go read this book right now and you'll be my favourite person in the entire world mwah.
and when your last name was hawthorne, there was always one more mystery.
love,
ahana ⋆
Want to read
March 2, 2024another one thank you 🤭 i NEED happy endings for nashlibby, xander, and grayson
Currently reading
November 27, 2024
that night in prague - 3 stars ⭐
this novella was soo cute. i love avery and jameson and it was amazing to get more of them! the game they were playing was a bit boring but it didn't bother me that much because i just love them. <3
🍂 | pre-read
⤿ started on - 11/12/24
release day TODAY!! i'm so happy i got the pink exclusive version, it's so pretty! i am so excited that we're getting more of the inheritance games! i think i'm most looking forward to the secret santa novella, and the nash and libby one. 🤗 i am so excited for this, the inheritance games is probably my favorite book series!
11/6 - 6 days until it comes out (less than a week)!!! i need this book RIGHT NOW!! the bn exlusive edition is SOOO CUTE!! the pink cover. 😮 the gold foil. 😯 the illustrations. 😲 i have to get my hands on it asap.
10/20 - i've been thinking about the inheritance games a lot recently, i need to read this so bad. i can't believe i have to wait a month, november can't come soon enough 😭
this novella was soo cute. i love avery and jameson and it was amazing to get more of them! the game they were playing was a bit boring but it didn't bother me that much because i just love them. <3
🍂 | pre-read
⤿ started on - 11/12/24
release day TODAY!! i'm so happy i got the pink exclusive version, it's so pretty! i am so excited that we're getting more of the inheritance games! i think i'm most looking forward to the secret santa novella, and the nash and libby one. 🤗 i am so excited for this, the inheritance games is probably my favorite book series!
11/6 - 6 days until it comes out (less than a week)!!! i need this book RIGHT NOW!! the bn exlusive edition is SOOO CUTE!! the pink cover. 😮 the gold foil. 😯 the illustrations. 😲 i have to get my hands on it asap.
10/20 - i've been thinking about the inheritance games a lot recently, i need to read this so bad. i can't believe i have to wait a month, november can't come soon enough 😭
Shelved as 'anticipated-releases'
February 23, 2024HELPP IT'S GONNA BE A COLLECTION OF NOVELLAS 😭 gimme my baby libbynash 🥹
November 13, 2024
6 stars!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Spoiler free review)
I laughed.
I cried.
I giggled like a hyena.
I screamed.
I was flabbergasted.
Best inheritance games book!!! 💗💗💗
I read this 430 page book in one sitting- 💀🤭
I don’t even know where to start??
Let’s start off with Jameson and Avery being one of the best book couples 🥹🫶
The romance in this book was PERFECTION 🙏🔥
And we get Hannah’s and Toby’s backstory?? Like bro brb crying. Iykyk
Nash and Libby are the cutest 🥰💕💕
Also a moment of appreciation for the art in this book??! 👏🏼👏🏼🔥
And if you’re a Grayson girlie (like me-) you’re GONNA BE FEDDDD
The Karaoke nights, the leather pants, shake it off…
That’s all I can say-🤷🏻♀️😶🌫️🔥
And we get Xander & Max scenes AYYYY 🦅🦅🦅
Overall LOVED the book and fear this might be the best Jennifer Lynn Barnes book yet 😭🙏
And if you got the exclusive edition in Barnes and noble the extra scenes were *chefs kiss* 💋
Just know, if you’re wondering of reading this book please do!! 😍
Rating: 6/5
Spice: 0/5
~Age Rating: 14+
ㅤ♡ྀི𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
I’m so excited to read this book!! One of my most anticipated releases this year 😭💗
I won’t be reading until tomorrow since I’ll hopefully be getting the Barnes & Noble exclusive one!!
I’ll 100% be finishing this in one sitting 😭 expect a review to come tomorrow!!
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊 𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
(Spoiler free review)
I laughed.
I cried.
I giggled like a hyena.
I screamed.
I was flabbergasted.
Best inheritance games book!!! 💗💗💗
I read this 430 page book in one sitting- 💀🤭
I don’t even know where to start??
Let’s start off with Jameson and Avery being one of the best book couples 🥹🫶
The romance in this book was PERFECTION 🙏🔥
And we get Hannah’s and Toby’s backstory?? Like bro brb crying. Iykyk
Nash and Libby are the cutest 🥰💕💕
Also a moment of appreciation for the art in this book??! 👏🏼👏🏼🔥
And if you’re a Grayson girlie (like me-) you’re GONNA BE FEDDDD
The Karaoke nights, the leather pants, shake it off…
That’s all I can say-🤷🏻♀️😶🌫️🔥
And we get Xander & Max scenes AYYYY 🦅🦅🦅
Overall LOVED the book and fear this might be the best Jennifer Lynn Barnes book yet 😭🙏
And if you got the exclusive edition in Barnes and noble the extra scenes were *chefs kiss* 💋
Just know, if you’re wondering of reading this book please do!! 😍
Rating: 6/5
Spice: 0/5
~Age Rating: 14+
ㅤ♡ྀི𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
I’m so excited to read this book!! One of my most anticipated releases this year 😭💗
I won’t be reading until tomorrow since I’ll hopefully be getting the Barnes & Noble exclusive one!!
I’ll 100% be finishing this in one sitting 😭 expect a review to come tomorrow!!
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊 𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
Want to read
February 25, 2024THERE'S MORE????
Shelved as 'to-be-released'
March 29, 2024GAMES UNTOLD??? INHERITANCE GAMES NOVELLAS??? MORE AVERYJAMESON??? this was not needed but i'll eat it up anyways
the cover is so pretty omg i can't wait!!
the cover is so pretty omg i can't wait!!
November 28, 2024
💝| infinite stars 💫✨
I apologise in advance for this review being in a very different format to my usual ones, this is my first time ever reading a collection of stories and I wasn't really sure what to do lol 😂😂
First of all I have to say, does jlb know how hard she ate with this 😩😩 If I could only read one book for the rest of my life, I would choose this one 🤭🤭 idk why it surprises me anymore that I love this series so much 💓💓 Theres a reason it got me into reading and will forever and always be my fav series ever 🫠🫠
❥ 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓾𝓮
🎧 - Mastermind & So American
↳ What if I told you none of it was accidental?
And the first night that you saw me
Nothing was gonna stop me
I laid the groundwork, and then just like clockwork
The dominoes cascaded in a line
What if I told you I'm a mastermind?
➸ "Nothing in this place was infinite except for Jameson and me."
OMG this story was so cute I can't 🤧🤧 Avery and Jameson will forever be my favs 💓💓 tig was the series that got me into reading years ago, specifically bc of Avery and Jameson, and getting to see more of them and continuing their story has to be one of the best parts of my year 🥹🥰 Ngl I was so sad that we didn't really get any of them in The Grandest Game, but this story well and truly made up for it. I will never get sick of reading about them 🥺🥺 I was no joke underlining every second line, trying to commit them all to memory 🤭🤭 THE QUOTES OMG 🤌🤌 When I say I tried to savour it bc I never wanted it to end I mean I SAVOURED IT. somehow i made 79 pages last 4 hours, but I swear they were the best 4 hours of my life 😌😌 Their whole story was so so cute, and it was even better than I thought it was going to be. Is it too early to reread
❥ 𝓗𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓪𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭
🎧 - I Should Hate You & I Miss You I'm Sorry
↳ All I ever think about is
Where the hell you even are
And I swear to God I'd kill you
If I loved you less hard
➸ "Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel you, like a hum in my bones, whispering to me that we are the same."
Toby and Hannah's story broke me, yet healed me in many ways 🥺🥺 I have beenimpatiently patiently waiting for Hannah and Toby's story ever since book 2, as I fell in love with them instantly after reading their postcards 🤭🤭 I knew going into Hannah The Same Backward As Foward's that it was going to hurt, a lot, but nothing could have prepared me for that ending 🤧🤧 I love how we got to see every stage of their relationship, and the ups and downs that came with it 🥹🥹 I also loved seeing Jacksons character progress too. finally, I loved that we still had puzzles and riddles to figure out, it doesn't feel like a tig book without them 😌😌 the ending was brutal, I cried for hours, but when I finally regained composure and read the epilogue, it healed a lot inside of me too 🥺🫂 The words 'no regrets' are never not going to hurt anymore 😭😭 I never wanted their story to end for even a second, and Toby and Hannah will always have a special place in my heart 🥰💓
❥ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝔀𝓫𝓸𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓸𝓽𝓱
🎧 - You Are In Love & Daylight
↳ Morning, his place, burnt toast, Sunday
You keep his shirt, he keeps his word
And for once, you let go, of your fears and your ghosts
One step, not much, but it said enough
➸ "He brings his lips to almost touch mine, a silent reminder that i don't have to say a word, that he has never and will never demand from me anything that i don't want to give"
This was so freaking cute I'm obsessed 🫠🫠 I have always liked Nash and loved Libby, but no words can do justice how much I love them now 🧎♀️🧎♀️ It is safe to say that this makes up for the lack of screen time of both of them (especially Nash) in the og series 🥹🥹 I swear literally ever second mmc calls the fmc darling, but theirs smth about the way Nash does is (probably the accent 🤭🤭) that just makes it hit so much harder 😩😩 And the way he called Libby a Hawthorne when they came across was when I officially folded 😌😌 They are such an unlikely duo but they work so well together 🥹🥰 Also why do I now wanna go buy a magic eight ball that scene owns my heart 🤧🤧 THE WAY HE PROPOSED IM OBSESSED, I ACTUALLY STARTED CRYING HAPPY TEARS AND STARED AT MY WALL FOR A GOOD HOUR WONDERING WHERE MY NASH HAWTHORNE IS 💍💍 Moral of the story: where can I find a Nash Hawthorne for myself 🫂🫂
❥ 𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓧𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 (& 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽)
🎧 - Cruel Summer & Innocent
↳ Killing me slow, out the window
I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below
Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
What doesn't kill me makes me want you more
➸ "I tackle with love."
ok this story actually was AMAZING 🤩🤩 ngl I did go in with high expectations, bc Xander was always my favourite side character, and whilst this was nothing like I thought it would be, I still ate up every second 😩😩 I love love love how we got to see him from 2 years old all the way to where he is now 🥹🥰 I loved all of the past chapters so much, but I have to say the (& one time he didn't) has to be my favourite 🤭🤭 First of all it is narrated by Max, which I was so happy about, bc who doesn't love Max?? Secondly, his ceiling is made of BOOKS, I mean how could he possibly get even more perfect 🫠🫠 And lastly HIS BED IS A PILLOW/BLANKET FOURGHT 🤯🤯 I swear I was born into the wrong life, I was meant to be Avery and Xander's best friends, and Jameson's wife, it's that simple 🤭🤭
❥ 𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓗𝓪𝔀𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽
🎧 - The Last Great American Dynasty & Shake It Off
↳ "There goes the last great American dynasty
Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been
There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen
She had a marvellous time ruining everything"
➸ "A good suit was like armor. Grayson was the type to dress or battle - not a single wrinkle in sight, layers between him and the world."
It's unhealthy how much I loved this story 🤭🤭 I was one of the lucky people who got this as a bonus chapter at the back of my copy of The Final Gambit, and whilst I always liked it and found it funny, those feelings are nothing compared to what I felt rereading it this time 🫠🫠 Some of you may know that Grayson and I have a bit of a rocky past and I didn't fully like him until The Grandest Game, and tbh I think that is a big factor of why I never really loved it until now 🤧🤧 But when I tell you I ate up every second of this story, I mean I ATE IT UP 🧎♀️🧎♀️ Literally I was giggling, blushing, trying to stop myself from crying, I was laughing that hard 😂😂 Literally the second I finished this novella, I was already flicking back through my annotations, still smiling like an idiot 🤭🤭 Grayson Hawthorne, you and your leather pants will always be famous 😌😌
❥ $3𝓒𝓡3𝓣 $@𝓝𝓣@
🎧 - All I Want For Christmas Is You & No Body No Crime
↳ I don't want a lot for Christmas,,
There is just one thing I need,
I don't care about the presents,
Underneath the Christmas tree,
➸ "The best gifts," Nash said, glancing at Libby, a low, deep hum in his voice, "are the ones you don't even know you want."
Could this story be any more perfect?? Ngl this was nothing how I expected it, but I should have seen it coming 😂😂 I mean how naive was I to think that the Hawthornes would sit around a Christmas tree peacefully handing out presents?? But I'm totally OBESSED with what we got, and it has to be one of my fav stories of the whole book 🤭🤭 I loved that we got to see all of the Hathorne brothers + the Gramb sisters all together, as most of the other stories were mainly focused on one or two people 😌😌 Also the fact that the whole story was based on CHRISTMAS!! 🥳🥳 How did jlb already know that I'd gone into full Christmas mode 🤭🤭 This story is everything I could have possibly wished for and more, and was so sweet and wholesome 🥹🥰 (yes I know the main aim of the story was to shoot people with paint and get them eliminated, it was still wholesome to me 😩😩) Also for anyone who was wondering why the name includes weir symbols it says secret Santa, I'm pretty sure the author did that to give us all our own mini Hawthorne riddle to solve 🤷♀️🤷♀️
❥ 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮
🎧 - Long Live & Getaway Car
↳ I said, "Remember this moment"
In the back of my mind
The time we stood with our shaking hands
The crowds in stands went wild
➸ "For a moment, the four of them stared out at the city. And then they jumped."
Once again, I was one of the lucky people who got this as a bonus chapter at the back of my copy of The Brother's Hawthorne, and whilst I did really like it every time I read it, it hit ten times harder now we have all of the background info of both Nash and Libby's relationship as well as how he proposed 🤭🫠 I don't think I stopped laughing for even a second the whole time I read this 😂😂 Seeing all of the brothers bond even after all of these years is just so sweet 🥹🥰 The same as One Hawthorne Night, literally the second I finished, I was going back through my annotations rereading already 😩😩 Omg and at the end when they are all saying one of their fondest memories of Nash, was so sweet, I can't 🤧🤧 Also the back champagne?? and the would you rather scenarios own my heart 🥰💓
❥ 𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓐𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓡𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓖𝓾𝓷
🎧 - Family Line & Labyrinth
↳ How could you hurt a little kid?
I can't forget, I can't forgive you
'Cause now I'm scared that everyone I love will leave me
➸ "Questions were meant to be answered, mysteries solved. And when your last name was Hawthorne, there was always one more mystery."
!! SPOILERS !!
*deep breaths* This story hurt, a lot 🤧🤧 When jlb posted the names of all of the stories I somehow became a Hathorne and realised that Pain At The Right Gun was an anagram for That Night In Prague 🤓🤓 I was still a bit confused considering that it was already a story in the book, and especially when I finished That Night In Prague and it didn't end on a crazy cliffhanger. There was no way I could have ever guessed that we were going to get Jameson's Pov (YAYYY) about when he found out Alice Hawthorne was alive 🫢🫢 I WAS ALSO NOT EXPECTING HER TO NEARLY KILL HIM WTH 🤬🤬 Ngl I'm kinda glad she's stayed hidden all these years, she is kinda mad/insane 😒😒 I do have a theory though that the girl Alice was with (who almost killed Jameson) is her daughter, most likely from an affair, and that Tobias made her leave after finding out about it?? Idk though but the story CAN'T end there 😩😩 Jlb you never leave any loose threads so please please please don't leave this one unanswered, I'M BEGGING 🧎♀️🧎♀️
!! END OF SPOILERS !!
Overall that was such a stunning stunning read, jlb you have truly outdone yourself 😩😩 There are a few stories I would love to see in the future, such as a Bex and Thea one, and Avery and Max when they had first become friends all the way up to now (in Max's pov) and even one about Tobias and Alice (I am SO curious about them ngl), but I am more than happy with what we got 🤭🤭 If you have not read this series or specifically this book, I can't recommend it enough 💓💓 Also I apologise for how long this review is lol 😂😂
✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*
💝| pre-read
OMG OMG OMG ITS FINALLY HERE!! IT IS STARING AT ME IN ALL OF ITS GLORY. NOBODY TALK TO ME FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS
I apologise in advance for this review being in a very different format to my usual ones, this is my first time ever reading a collection of stories and I wasn't really sure what to do lol 😂😂
First of all I have to say, does jlb know how hard she ate with this 😩😩 If I could only read one book for the rest of my life, I would choose this one 🤭🤭 idk why it surprises me anymore that I love this series so much 💓💓 Theres a reason it got me into reading and will forever and always be my fav series ever 🫠🫠
❥ 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓾𝓮
🎧 - Mastermind & So American
↳ What if I told you none of it was accidental?
And the first night that you saw me
Nothing was gonna stop me
I laid the groundwork, and then just like clockwork
The dominoes cascaded in a line
What if I told you I'm a mastermind?
➸ "Nothing in this place was infinite except for Jameson and me."
OMG this story was so cute I can't 🤧🤧 Avery and Jameson will forever be my favs 💓💓 tig was the series that got me into reading years ago, specifically bc of Avery and Jameson, and getting to see more of them and continuing their story has to be one of the best parts of my year 🥹🥰 Ngl I was so sad that we didn't really get any of them in The Grandest Game, but this story well and truly made up for it. I will never get sick of reading about them 🥺🥺 I was no joke underlining every second line, trying to commit them all to memory 🤭🤭 THE QUOTES OMG 🤌🤌 When I say I tried to savour it bc I never wanted it to end I mean I SAVOURED IT. somehow i made 79 pages last 4 hours, but I swear they were the best 4 hours of my life 😌😌 Their whole story was so so cute, and it was even better than I thought it was going to be. Is it too early to reread
❥ 𝓗𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓪𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭
🎧 - I Should Hate You & I Miss You I'm Sorry
↳ All I ever think about is
Where the hell you even are
And I swear to God I'd kill you
If I loved you less hard
➸ "Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel you, like a hum in my bones, whispering to me that we are the same."
Toby and Hannah's story broke me, yet healed me in many ways 🥺🥺 I have been
❥ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝔀𝓫𝓸𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓸𝓽𝓱
🎧 - You Are In Love & Daylight
↳ Morning, his place, burnt toast, Sunday
You keep his shirt, he keeps his word
And for once, you let go, of your fears and your ghosts
One step, not much, but it said enough
➸ "He brings his lips to almost touch mine, a silent reminder that i don't have to say a word, that he has never and will never demand from me anything that i don't want to give"
This was so freaking cute I'm obsessed 🫠🫠 I have always liked Nash and loved Libby, but no words can do justice how much I love them now 🧎♀️🧎♀️ It is safe to say that this makes up for the lack of screen time of both of them (especially Nash) in the og series 🥹🥹 I swear literally ever second mmc calls the fmc darling, but theirs smth about the way Nash does is (probably the accent 🤭🤭) that just makes it hit so much harder 😩😩 And the way he called Libby a Hawthorne when they came across was when I officially folded 😌😌 They are such an unlikely duo but they work so well together 🥹🥰 Also why do I now wanna go buy a magic eight ball that scene owns my heart 🤧🤧 THE WAY HE PROPOSED IM OBSESSED, I ACTUALLY STARTED CRYING HAPPY TEARS AND STARED AT MY WALL FOR A GOOD HOUR WONDERING WHERE MY NASH HAWTHORNE IS 💍💍 Moral of the story: where can I find a Nash Hawthorne for myself 🫂🫂
❥ 𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓧𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 (& 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽)
🎧 - Cruel Summer & Innocent
↳ Killing me slow, out the window
I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below
Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
What doesn't kill me makes me want you more
➸ "I tackle with love."
ok this story actually was AMAZING 🤩🤩 ngl I did go in with high expectations, bc Xander was always my favourite side character, and whilst this was nothing like I thought it would be, I still ate up every second 😩😩 I love love love how we got to see him from 2 years old all the way to where he is now 🥹🥰 I loved all of the past chapters so much, but I have to say the (& one time he didn't) has to be my favourite 🤭🤭 First of all it is narrated by Max, which I was so happy about, bc who doesn't love Max?? Secondly, his ceiling is made of BOOKS, I mean how could he possibly get even more perfect 🫠🫠 And lastly HIS BED IS A PILLOW/BLANKET FOURGHT 🤯🤯 I swear I was born into the wrong life, I was meant to be Avery and Xander's best friends, and Jameson's wife, it's that simple 🤭🤭
❥ 𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓗𝓪𝔀𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽
🎧 - The Last Great American Dynasty & Shake It Off
↳ "There goes the last great American dynasty
Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been
There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen
She had a marvellous time ruining everything"
➸ "A good suit was like armor. Grayson was the type to dress or battle - not a single wrinkle in sight, layers between him and the world."
It's unhealthy how much I loved this story 🤭🤭 I was one of the lucky people who got this as a bonus chapter at the back of my copy of The Final Gambit, and whilst I always liked it and found it funny, those feelings are nothing compared to what I felt rereading it this time 🫠🫠 Some of you may know that Grayson and I have a bit of a rocky past and I didn't fully like him until The Grandest Game, and tbh I think that is a big factor of why I never really loved it until now 🤧🤧 But when I tell you I ate up every second of this story, I mean I ATE IT UP 🧎♀️🧎♀️ Literally I was giggling, blushing, trying to stop myself from crying, I was laughing that hard 😂😂 Literally the second I finished this novella, I was already flicking back through my annotations, still smiling like an idiot 🤭🤭 Grayson Hawthorne, you and your leather pants will always be famous 😌😌
❥ $3𝓒𝓡3𝓣 $@𝓝𝓣@
🎧 - All I Want For Christmas Is You & No Body No Crime
↳ I don't want a lot for Christmas,,
There is just one thing I need,
I don't care about the presents,
Underneath the Christmas tree,
➸ "The best gifts," Nash said, glancing at Libby, a low, deep hum in his voice, "are the ones you don't even know you want."
Could this story be any more perfect?? Ngl this was nothing how I expected it, but I should have seen it coming 😂😂 I mean how naive was I to think that the Hawthornes would sit around a Christmas tree peacefully handing out presents?? But I'm totally OBESSED with what we got, and it has to be one of my fav stories of the whole book 🤭🤭 I loved that we got to see all of the Hathorne brothers + the Gramb sisters all together, as most of the other stories were mainly focused on one or two people 😌😌 Also the fact that the whole story was based on CHRISTMAS!! 🥳🥳 How did jlb already know that I'd gone into full Christmas mode 🤭🤭 This story is everything I could have possibly wished for and more, and was so sweet and wholesome 🥹🥰 (yes I know the main aim of the story was to shoot people with paint and get them eliminated, it was still wholesome to me 😩😩) Also for anyone who was wondering why the name includes weir symbols it says secret Santa, I'm pretty sure the author did that to give us all our own mini Hawthorne riddle to solve 🤷♀️🤷♀️
❥ 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮
🎧 - Long Live & Getaway Car
↳ I said, "Remember this moment"
In the back of my mind
The time we stood with our shaking hands
The crowds in stands went wild
➸ "For a moment, the four of them stared out at the city. And then they jumped."
Once again, I was one of the lucky people who got this as a bonus chapter at the back of my copy of The Brother's Hawthorne, and whilst I did really like it every time I read it, it hit ten times harder now we have all of the background info of both Nash and Libby's relationship as well as how he proposed 🤭🫠 I don't think I stopped laughing for even a second the whole time I read this 😂😂 Seeing all of the brothers bond even after all of these years is just so sweet 🥹🥰 The same as One Hawthorne Night, literally the second I finished, I was going back through my annotations rereading already 😩😩 Omg and at the end when they are all saying one of their fondest memories of Nash, was so sweet, I can't 🤧🤧 Also the back champagne?? and the would you rather scenarios own my heart 🥰💓
❥ 𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓐𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓡𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓖𝓾𝓷
🎧 - Family Line & Labyrinth
↳ How could you hurt a little kid?
I can't forget, I can't forgive you
'Cause now I'm scared that everyone I love will leave me
➸ "Questions were meant to be answered, mysteries solved. And when your last name was Hawthorne, there was always one more mystery."
!! SPOILERS !!
*deep breaths* This story hurt, a lot 🤧🤧 When jlb posted the names of all of the stories I somehow became a Hathorne and realised that Pain At The Right Gun was an anagram for That Night In Prague 🤓🤓 I was still a bit confused considering that it was already a story in the book, and especially when I finished That Night In Prague and it didn't end on a crazy cliffhanger. There was no way I could have ever guessed that we were going to get Jameson's Pov (YAYYY) about when he found out Alice Hawthorne was alive 🫢🫢 I WAS ALSO NOT EXPECTING HER TO NEARLY KILL HIM WTH 🤬🤬 Ngl I'm kinda glad she's stayed hidden all these years, she is kinda mad/insane 😒😒 I do have a theory though that the girl Alice was with (who almost killed Jameson) is her daughter, most likely from an affair, and that Tobias made her leave after finding out about it?? Idk though but the story CAN'T end there 😩😩 Jlb you never leave any loose threads so please please please don't leave this one unanswered, I'M BEGGING 🧎♀️🧎♀️
!! END OF SPOILERS !!
Overall that was such a stunning stunning read, jlb you have truly outdone yourself 😩😩 There are a few stories I would love to see in the future, such as a Bex and Thea one, and Avery and Max when they had first become friends all the way up to now (in Max's pov) and even one about Tobias and Alice (I am SO curious about them ngl), but I am more than happy with what we got 🤭🤭 If you have not read this series or specifically this book, I can't recommend it enough 💓💓 Also I apologise for how long this review is lol 😂😂
✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*
💝| pre-read
OMG OMG OMG ITS FINALLY HERE!! IT IS STARING AT ME IN ALL OF ITS GLORY. NOBODY TALK TO ME FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS
Want to read
February 23, 2024pls not her milking every last drop of this series, like girl 😭😭 (#justiceforgrayson)
Want to read
February 21, 2024UPDATE: it’s a collection of novellas AHHH there’s one with Libby and nash!! brb crying screaming and throwing up 😭😭
SO EXCITED AND ITS COMING OUT IN NOVEMBER 🤭🤭 2 JLB BOOKS THIS YEAR OML
SO EXCITED AND ITS COMING OUT IN NOVEMBER 🤭🤭 2 JLB BOOKS THIS YEAR OML
Want to read
February 25, 2024jennifer, i am now expecting a book on avery’s horse’s caretaker’s murdered boyfriend’s breakfast thoughts. i can’t wait to see how it’ll play out!
December 1, 2024
read on:
(20.11.24.)
↪ ★★★★.75 crying stars
i. | that night in prague.
----> this was exactly what i needed, and i. need. MORE. i know how everyone says that jlb is milking this series - which she is ngl - but that's only true for the new characters in tgg. the original set of characters from the inheritance games trilogy, though? i would do ANYTHING just to be able to meet them again; i have such a deep connection with them - especially avery & jameson. so reading through this novella was such a blissful experience and made me long for more all the time. i'll say this one more time, but #averyjameson4life 💗 they are EVERYTHING to me.
❝ like the sun and the moon, i loved her. saint avery. until death and beyond.❞
ii. | the same backward as forward.
----> honestly, i wasn't as excited to read this novella as i was to read the others, but this SURPRISED me. i am so utterly obsessed with hannah and toby's story ohmygosh, they deserve more 😭 i cannot believe this. jennifer lynn barnes, you evil woman, how could you do this to me? their story progressed beautifully, and their relationship was so genuine - i can't even express it in words. there's so much i want to say but can't because i won't be able to do the novella justice. just know this - it's a masterpiece. (and i had a couple tears in my eyes) 🥹
❝ 'i loved you,' he whispered, 'when the world was pain and the only thing that made sense was your eyes. i loved you before i knew to hate myself, and i have loved you every day since.❞
iii. | the cowboy and the goth.
----> libby and nash I LOVE YOU. they are the cutest, most genuinely fun two people ever (perhaps after xander) and i am utterly obsessed with both of their characters. you don't know how excited i was to read their story and ohmygosh i'm squealingggg - they're the best !! nash turning on his big brother mode with avery & his brothers + his protectiveness for libby just melted my heart. and the way he calls her lib? BYE i'm dying 💌
❝ nash moves across the aisle to sit next to me. he puts his hand under my chin and raises my eyes to meet his. 'don’t you ever apologize for the things you’ve survived.❞
iv. | five times xander tackled someone (& one time he didn't).
----> xander. is. the best. I LOVE HIM SO MUCHHHH - he's literally the best friend we all never knew we needed. this made me love his character more than i ever had before. the xander we see in the original trilogy is so different from the one we see here - the xander who was once a sloth, who has a bed made of blankets, who has a cactus named mr. pointy. and oh my goodness, the hawthornes' brotherly bond is everything i wished to see 🙈
❝ i tackle with love!❞
v. | one hawthorne night.
----> THIS. this. grayson in the leather pants singing karaoke? check. xander hilariously being himself? check. avery and thea doing gray's makeup and outfit? check. brotherly love? check. this short story had so much of what i had wanted to see, and provoked so many of my emotions & smiles to the surface. also, nash choosing shake it off for the karaoke song was something i could've never imagined happening (i'm lying). i swear, i've never smiled reading a book as much as i did reading this whole collection 💝
❝ xander threw an arm around him. 'i’m an Anna. you’re an Elsa. you know in your heart that this is true.'❞
vi. | $3CR3T $@NT@.
----> oh. my. goodness. this brought back so many nostalgic memories of me reading the trilogy, and experiencing the hawthorne puzzles through avery's eyes for the first time. the secret santa game (hawthornes' version) was truly hawthorne from every aspect you look at it + so fun to spectate !! it's not christmas without a hawthorne game, ever. the found family, as always, ATE. and the story even brought a couple tears to my eyes (they didn't fall!) when the final showdown scene was happening (iykyk) 🥹
❝ est unus ex nobis. nos defendat eius. it goes both ways.❞
vii. | what happens in the treehouse.
----> BROTHERLY BOND??? MEGA CHECK. grayson, jameson and xander devoting themselves to celebrating this special occasion for nash was so heartwarmingly cute - like, i'm SQUEALING (i'm not, but you get it). and BRO the would you rather questions they asked were so hawthorne codedddd, i think i'm gonna steal a few lol. LOVE THEMMM 💘
❝ he flung the marker at grayson’s forehead. nothing said persuasion like a projectile thrown with love.❞
viii. | pain at the right gun.
---> NOT. ENOUGH. i have more questions now than i had before reading this short story. seeing the night in prague through jameson's perspective was desperately needed, and i'm glad we got it. BUT I NEED ANSWERS. jennifer lynn barnes, you better get my queries answered in glorious rivals 🔪
❝ fire and pain and fear and the price of wheat. memories hovered like ghosts over graves. jameson didn’t linger. he scaled down the building and snaked his way back through the streets of prague.❞
ix. | conclusion.
----> this was jlb's redemption arc. the grandest game series will NEVER compare to the original inheritance games series, and you cannot argue me on that point - because it's the truth. brb while i go spam jlb's email for more of the og character cast's scenes 💔
❝ fear wasn’t just ice in your veins or a beast at your throat. fear was loving someone so fiercely that there was no point in your heart beating if hers did not.❞
xx
almas the almighty
─────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ───────────────────
pre-review.
im obsessed and i feel like crying because i deserve more. rtc soon <3
pre-read.
EEEEEE IM HYPERVENTILATINGno im not BUT IM SO EXCITEDDDD FOR THIS !! let's ignore how im currently reading three other books, i need a little break from all of them... I HEARD GREAT THINGS SO FARR SO I HOPE IT HITSS !!
꒰💖꒱ games untold by jennifer lynn barnes
↪ ★★★★.75 crying stars
i. | that night in prague.
----> this was exactly what i needed, and i. need. MORE. i know how everyone says that jlb is milking this series - which she is ngl - but that's only true for the new characters in tgg. the original set of characters from the inheritance games trilogy, though? i would do ANYTHING just to be able to meet them again; i have such a deep connection with them - especially avery & jameson. so reading through this novella was such a blissful experience and made me long for more all the time. i'll say this one more time, but #averyjameson4life 💗 they are EVERYTHING to me.
❝ like the sun and the moon, i loved her. saint avery. until death and beyond.❞
ii. | the same backward as forward.
----> honestly, i wasn't as excited to read this novella as i was to read the others, but this SURPRISED me. i am so utterly obsessed with hannah and toby's story ohmygosh, they deserve more 😭 i cannot believe this. jennifer lynn barnes, you evil woman, how could you do this to me? their story progressed beautifully, and their relationship was so genuine - i can't even express it in words. there's so much i want to say but can't because i won't be able to do the novella justice. just know this - it's a masterpiece. (and i had a couple tears in my eyes) 🥹
❝ 'i loved you,' he whispered, 'when the world was pain and the only thing that made sense was your eyes. i loved you before i knew to hate myself, and i have loved you every day since.❞
iii. | the cowboy and the goth.
----> libby and nash I LOVE YOU. they are the cutest, most genuinely fun two people ever (perhaps after xander) and i am utterly obsessed with both of their characters. you don't know how excited i was to read their story and ohmygosh i'm squealingggg - they're the best !! nash turning on his big brother mode with avery & his brothers + his protectiveness for libby just melted my heart. and the way he calls her lib? BYE i'm dying 💌
❝ nash moves across the aisle to sit next to me. he puts his hand under my chin and raises my eyes to meet his. 'don’t you ever apologize for the things you’ve survived.❞
iv. | five times xander tackled someone (& one time he didn't).
----> xander. is. the best. I LOVE HIM SO MUCHHHH - he's literally the best friend we all never knew we needed. this made me love his character more than i ever had before. the xander we see in the original trilogy is so different from the one we see here - the xander who was once a sloth, who has a bed made of blankets, who has a cactus named mr. pointy. and oh my goodness, the hawthornes' brotherly bond is everything i wished to see 🙈
❝ i tackle with love!❞
v. | one hawthorne night.
----> THIS. this. grayson in the leather pants singing karaoke? check. xander hilariously being himself? check. avery and thea doing gray's makeup and outfit? check. brotherly love? check. this short story had so much of what i had wanted to see, and provoked so many of my emotions & smiles to the surface. also, nash choosing shake it off for the karaoke song was something i could've never imagined happening (i'm lying). i swear, i've never smiled reading a book as much as i did reading this whole collection 💝
❝ xander threw an arm around him. 'i’m an Anna. you’re an Elsa. you know in your heart that this is true.'❞
vi. | $3CR3T $@NT@.
----> oh. my. goodness. this brought back so many nostalgic memories of me reading the trilogy, and experiencing the hawthorne puzzles through avery's eyes for the first time. the secret santa game (hawthornes' version) was truly hawthorne from every aspect you look at it + so fun to spectate !! it's not christmas without a hawthorne game, ever. the found family, as always, ATE. and the story even brought a couple tears to my eyes (they didn't fall!) when the final showdown scene was happening (iykyk) 🥹
❝ est unus ex nobis. nos defendat eius. it goes both ways.❞
vii. | what happens in the treehouse.
----> BROTHERLY BOND??? MEGA CHECK. grayson, jameson and xander devoting themselves to celebrating this special occasion for nash was so heartwarmingly cute - like, i'm SQUEALING (i'm not, but you get it). and BRO the would you rather questions they asked were so hawthorne codedddd, i think i'm gonna steal a few lol. LOVE THEMMM 💘
❝ he flung the marker at grayson’s forehead. nothing said persuasion like a projectile thrown with love.❞
viii. | pain at the right gun.
---> NOT. ENOUGH. i have more questions now than i had before reading this short story. seeing the night in prague through jameson's perspective was desperately needed, and i'm glad we got it. BUT I NEED ANSWERS. jennifer lynn barnes, you better get my queries answered in glorious rivals 🔪
❝ fire and pain and fear and the price of wheat. memories hovered like ghosts over graves. jameson didn’t linger. he scaled down the building and snaked his way back through the streets of prague.❞
ix. | conclusion.
----> this was jlb's redemption arc. the grandest game series will NEVER compare to the original inheritance games series, and you cannot argue me on that point - because it's the truth. brb while i go spam jlb's email for more of the og character cast's scenes 💔
❝ fear wasn’t just ice in your veins or a beast at your throat. fear was loving someone so fiercely that there was no point in your heart beating if hers did not.❞
xx
almas the almighty
─────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ───────────────────
pre-review.
im obsessed and i feel like crying because i deserve more. rtc soon <3
pre-read.
EEEEEE IM HYPERVENTILATING
November 22, 2024
I cannot express with words how much I love this book! rtc at some point in time 💖
I’ve waited for this day for far too long! Buddy read with several of my darlings, I’ll add them all when I’m done! 🩷🩷🩷
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ pre - read poem
When this book comes out
Do not speak to me
I am going into cardiac arrest
Over Nash and Libby
If we get Grayson angst
In this book I will cry
Hard enough to make the
Atlantic Ocean look dry
Jameson is my first love
So forever, it is true
And I can’t wait to see him
Again in this book with you
Avery, Lyra, and Max I miss you
This book will rock me to my core
More than you could imagine
I love this series forevermore
I’ve waited for this day for far too long! Buddy read with several of my darlings, I’ll add them all when I’m done! 🩷🩷🩷
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ pre - read poem
When this book comes out
Do not speak to me
I am going into cardiac arrest
Over Nash and Libby
If we get Grayson angst
In this book I will cry
Hard enough to make the
Atlantic Ocean look dry
Jameson is my first love
So forever, it is true
And I can’t wait to see him
Again in this book with you
Avery, Lyra, and Max I miss you
This book will rock me to my core
More than you could imagine
I love this series forevermore
November 13, 2024
prereview ౨ৎ
miss barnes didnt just eat, she DEVOURED. safe to say i wont be the same ever again 😭
miss barnes didnt just eat, she DEVOURED. safe to say i wont be the same ever again 😭
Want to read
February 22, 2024normal people: ugh jennifer lynn barnes needs to stop making more books she’s milking it atp
me (someone whose overtly obsessed with TIG): YESSSSSSSSS MORE BOOKS 😋
me (someone whose overtly obsessed with TIG): YESSSSSSSSS MORE BOOKS 😋
November 28, 2024
⋆｡° ★★★★★ °｡⋆
⤷ extremely minimal spoilers!!
”don’t you ever apologize for the things you’ve survived.”
9 words. grayson hawthrone in leather pants singing shake it off. i died. AND NASH IS SO SWEET LIKE WHAT HES THE MOST UNDERRATED HAWTHRONE EVER and the one time xander didn’t tackle someone is the cutest thing ever it was perfect in every single freaking AND WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!?! i did not expect that.
the stages of reading this book:
that night in prague: 🙂🏃♀️🧩🔑😱
the same backwards and forwards: 😭💔🌊👋💡
the cowboy and the goth: 🤠💍🧁😍🪄
5 times xander tackled someone and 1 time he didn’t: 🃏🌋🏍️🌅🥰
1 hawthrone night: 🎤🎵❤️💄✨
what happens in the treehouse: 👯♂️🥂💃💍💕
pain in the right gun: 😱👵🏻🔪🩸😳
⤷ extremely minimal spoilers!!
”don’t you ever apologize for the things you’ve survived.”
9 words. grayson hawthrone in leather pants singing shake it off. i died. AND NASH IS SO SWEET LIKE WHAT HES THE MOST UNDERRATED HAWTHRONE EVER and the one time xander didn’t tackle someone is the cutest thing ever it was perfect in every single freaking AND WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!?! i did not expect that.
the stages of reading this book:
that night in prague: 🙂🏃♀️🧩🔑😱
the same backwards and forwards: 😭💔🌊👋💡
the cowboy and the goth: 🤠💍🧁😍🪄
5 times xander tackled someone and 1 time he didn’t: 🃏🌋🏍️🌅🥰
1 hawthrone night: 🎤🎵❤️💄✨
what happens in the treehouse: 👯♂️🥂💃💍💕
pain in the right gun: 😱👵🏻🔪🩸😳
Want to read
February 24, 2024now why are there so many, i thought we were done with it
adds to tbr
Want to read
November 18, 2024˚ʚ♡ɞ˚𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: I'm so EXCITED to dive into this world again and reunite with my babies. The fact that we're getting different novellas makes it so much better. So let's goooooo!!!!🥰❤
February 25, 2024
what......literally can't wait. She is ON A ROLL with the books rn
edit: OMG THE COVER 💓🔥
edit: OMG THE COVER 💓🔥
February 20, 2024
5TH INHERITANCE GAMES BOOK CALLED DUEL AMONGST AND REARRANGED THE TITLE IS GAMES UNTOLD???? I CANT WAIT TO SEE MORE NASH AND LIBBY 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Want to read
February 20, 2024JENNIFER LYNN BARNES OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOORD THIS WOMAN WTFDEYWFUIEBNKWHSN
November 21, 2024
Oh, these novellas were an absolute treat🥹I will read anything JLB writes about this universe and I mean it. I’ll never get tired of it 🤷♀️ This collection was so good and the novellas were everything I wanted for extra content from the original characters/couples. It had me absolutely nostalgic and emotional😭
HannahToby had me in a chokehold ever since Book 2 and their novella was my most anticipated one. It was deliciously angsty, riddle-filled, and was giving peak soulmatism😮💨 JLB knew what she was doing when she made this the longest novella in the book. Even then, I would still read a whole novel just about them. I savored every word even though I was utterly destroyed and left an emotional sobbing mess by the end.
“I loved you,” he whispered, “when the world was pain and the only thing that made sense was your eyes. I loved you before I knew to hate myself, and I have loved you every day since.”
The NashLibby’s story was the cutest and their romance was so soft 🥺 We get to see more of what happened between them during the events of the trilogy and I loved them so much! Nash and Libby don’t get enough credit tbh😪 There is something so perfect about eldest daughter x eldest son dynamic because they both care so much about their sibling(s) and yet learn to take care of themselves too👌🏼
I’ve spent my life tiptoeing around glass and walking through minefields, but Nash is steady. Nash is pale blue skies. Nash is grass and mud, wide-open spaces, worn leather. Nash is mine.
JamesonAvery has been the OG couple for me and their romance has been mesmerizing with how well matched they are. Their novella didn’t disappoint either and it made me genuinely miss them! We also get to see a teensy bit more of a certain plot reveal from Brothers Hawthorne (iykyk👀).
Jameson looked at me like I was the force of nature. Like I was the mystery for the ages. Like he could spend a lifetime solving me. “Avery.” My name escaped his lips. “Heiress.” For better or worse, this was us.
Anyway, JLB SERVED with this collection. I adored the Grayson and Xander novellas too, wow, I just love these Hawthorne brothers with all my heart! Brothers Hawthorne and Grandest Game were a bit underwhelming for me…but this??? This book felt like coming home again and it was perfect to me. I laughed, cried, giggled, and screamed throughout it😭 Was it potentially a money grab? Maybe. But she can take all my money idc🫶🏼 The easter eggs and references to the trilogy were all perfectly nostalgic and really made me miss the trilogy. I wish I could experience this all over again and I definitely will need to reread it now for the vibes.
HannahToby had me in a chokehold ever since Book 2 and their novella was my most anticipated one. It was deliciously angsty, riddle-filled, and was giving peak soulmatism😮💨 JLB knew what she was doing when she made this the longest novella in the book. Even then, I would still read a whole novel just about them. I savored every word even though I was utterly destroyed and left an emotional sobbing mess by the end.
“I loved you,” he whispered, “when the world was pain and the only thing that made sense was your eyes. I loved you before I knew to hate myself, and I have loved you every day since.”
The NashLibby’s story was the cutest and their romance was so soft 🥺 We get to see more of what happened between them during the events of the trilogy and I loved them so much! Nash and Libby don’t get enough credit tbh😪 There is something so perfect about eldest daughter x eldest son dynamic because they both care so much about their sibling(s) and yet learn to take care of themselves too👌🏼
I’ve spent my life tiptoeing around glass and walking through minefields, but Nash is steady. Nash is pale blue skies. Nash is grass and mud, wide-open spaces, worn leather. Nash is mine.
JamesonAvery has been the OG couple for me and their romance has been mesmerizing with how well matched they are. Their novella didn’t disappoint either and it made me genuinely miss them! We also get to see a teensy bit more of a certain plot reveal from Brothers Hawthorne (iykyk👀).
Jameson looked at me like I was the force of nature. Like I was the mystery for the ages. Like he could spend a lifetime solving me. “Avery.” My name escaped his lips. “Heiress.” For better or worse, this was us.
Anyway, JLB SERVED with this collection. I adored the Grayson and Xander novellas too, wow, I just love these Hawthorne brothers with all my heart! Brothers Hawthorne and Grandest Game were a bit underwhelming for me…but this??? This book felt like coming home again and it was perfect to me. I laughed, cried, giggled, and screamed throughout it😭 Was it potentially a money grab? Maybe. But she can take all my money idc🫶🏼 The easter eggs and references to the trilogy were all perfectly nostalgic and really made me miss the trilogy. I wish I could experience this all over again and I definitely will need to reread it now for the vibes.
Want to read
April 17, 2024another?? babe how many ideas do you have 😭
November 17, 2024
⤷﹒ⵌ one thing me and JLB have in common is how much we love these characters and this story. i’m just dropping some brief thoughts on each novella here🥰 (spoiler free)
★┊ that night in prague જ⁀➴ ♡
“he turned his head toward me, like he couldnt help it, like i was his north.”
- averyjameson you will forever be famous.
- (theyre lowkey freaky)
- so glad we got a lil taste of mystery still even though this is romance focused 🫶
★┊ the same forward as backward ❤︎₊ ⊹
“why hide when you can run?”
- HANNAH AND TOBYY. i’ll be thinking about them for MONTHS
- i cant even explain how much i loved their story because it was so fantastic and heartbreaking at the same time
- the parallels between them and averyjameson are CRAZY. avery u are truly your mothers daughter.
- also…the epilogue😧?
★┊ the cowboy and the goth 𐚁⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🖤
“i’m wearing a cowboy hat and painting nash hawthorne’s nails a very fetching shade of black.”
- seeing the events of the trilogy through libbys eyes with nash right behind her at every step hhhh!!
- they are such an unlikely pair that somehow are perfect together
- also seeing nash care about avery like a lil sister 😭🩷
★┊ five times xander tackled someone (& one time he didnt) ⊹ ࣪ ˖🧪⊹ ꨄ
“your opinion on romance novels depends on the subgenre!”
- xander is my favorite pov to read by farr
- baby hawthorne brothers.
- xander is such a sweetie too like. i know that kid will do anything for his brothers and then some.
★┊ one hawthorne night ♪ ༘⋆ ̤̮ ☾
“whatever penance is decreed, with that penance, i will agree. times three.”
- grayson girls this one is for u
- this might be my favorite novella i was dying laughing the whole time😭😭
- the sneaky averygrayson that was snuck into this. i’m not forgiving u JLB (i forgive u)
- also, grayson in eyeliner.
- also, grayson singing shake it off.
★┊ $3cr3t $@nt@ *ੈ🎄✩‧₊
“it goes both ways”
- ok im gonna be honest i still dont understand the rules of hawthorne secret santa but im going to pretend like i do
- libby, avery, and avery’s mom’s relationship will always make me emotional😭
- once again i am wishing i was avery grambs
★┊ what happens in the tree house ˚˖𓍢ִ໋`🌿:✧˚
“i cant believe you’re getting married.” “wild horses couldn’t stop me.”
- i dont have a lot to say about this one except i loveee them.
★┊ pain at the right gun ｡˚🐈⬛.𖥔 ݁ ˖
“fear was loving someone so fiercely that there was no point in your heart beating if hers did not.”
- all i have to say is WTFFF???????? like i was not expecting that?
GIVE ME MORE HAWTHORNE STORIES TAKE MY MONEY 💳💥💳💥💳💥
★┊ that night in prague જ⁀➴ ♡
“he turned his head toward me, like he couldnt help it, like i was his north.”
- averyjameson you will forever be famous.
- (theyre lowkey freaky)
- so glad we got a lil taste of mystery still even though this is romance focused 🫶
★┊ the same forward as backward ❤︎₊ ⊹
“why hide when you can run?”
- HANNAH AND TOBYY. i’ll be thinking about them for MONTHS
- i cant even explain how much i loved their story because it was so fantastic and heartbreaking at the same time
- the parallels between them and averyjameson are CRAZY. avery u are truly your mothers daughter.
- also…the epilogue😧?
★┊ the cowboy and the goth 𐚁⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🖤
“i’m wearing a cowboy hat and painting nash hawthorne’s nails a very fetching shade of black.”
- seeing the events of the trilogy through libbys eyes with nash right behind her at every step hhhh!!
- they are such an unlikely pair that somehow are perfect together
- also seeing nash care about avery like a lil sister 😭🩷
★┊ five times xander tackled someone (& one time he didnt) ⊹ ࣪ ˖🧪⊹ ꨄ
“your opinion on romance novels depends on the subgenre!”
- xander is my favorite pov to read by farr
- baby hawthorne brothers.
- xander is such a sweetie too like. i know that kid will do anything for his brothers and then some.
★┊ one hawthorne night ♪ ༘⋆ ̤̮ ☾
“whatever penance is decreed, with that penance, i will agree. times three.”
- grayson girls this one is for u
- this might be my favorite novella i was dying laughing the whole time😭😭
- the sneaky averygrayson that was snuck into this. i’m not forgiving u JLB (i forgive u)
- also, grayson in eyeliner.
- also, grayson singing shake it off.
★┊ $3cr3t $@nt@ *ੈ🎄✩‧₊
“it goes both ways”
- ok im gonna be honest i still dont understand the rules of hawthorne secret santa but im going to pretend like i do
- libby, avery, and avery’s mom’s relationship will always make me emotional😭
- once again i am wishing i was avery grambs
★┊ what happens in the tree house ˚˖𓍢ִ໋`🌿:✧˚
“i cant believe you’re getting married.” “wild horses couldn’t stop me.”
- i dont have a lot to say about this one except i loveee them.
★┊ pain at the right gun ｡˚🐈⬛.𖥔 ݁ ˖
“fear was loving someone so fiercely that there was no point in your heart beating if hers did not.”
- all i have to say is WTFFF???????? like i was not expecting that?
GIVE ME MORE HAWTHORNE STORIES TAKE MY MONEY 💳💥💳💥💳💥
Want to read
April 29, 2024so here i was just scrolling through and I see there's another one?! like if there's no Grayson romance in here idk if I can read this 🤷♀️ but however the cover 😍 absolute masterpiece and there's PINK w/ the gold fiery color on it!! 💗💕🎀🔥
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