Bad Blood

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #4

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: November 21, 2017

The final book in The Natural series ties it all together and left me smiling at a job well done but sad for the series to end!

Cassie Hobbes has been a part of the FBI’s Natural program long enough to experience some crazy events and even work on uncovering the truth about what happened to her mother. She thought she knew what happened the night her mother was murdered but now everything she thought she knew turned out to not be true. Her mother is alive and the people that have her are more dangerous than she could have imagined. Cassie must work carefully with the rest of the team to try and uncover the secrets of the mysterious group before anyone else winds up in their crosshairs.

Wow, this series went out with a bang, I loved following Cassie and the team as they worked to help the FBI solve crimes using their special skills. Each book had great suspense and characters that I couldn’t help but love. The connection I felt with these characters was strong and I felt really sad knowing the series was coming to an end even though the ending was very well done.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes has become one of my new favorite authors because she can craft a story and characters that are unique and enjoyable. The way things all came together by the end of this story and tied back through each book was great, I couldn’t read it fast enough. I recommend this book to readers that have read the first three and love good suspenseful series.

All In

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #3

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: November 3, 2015

The third book in The Naturals series has the team working on an active case and the stakes have never been higher, making the suspense the best yet!

Now that Cassie and the Naturals team are allowed to work active cases, they are called in to help with murders in Las Vegas. Just before they leave, Cassie finds out that there has been a break in her mom’s case. While her mind should be focused on helping solve the murders in Las Vegas, she can’t help but think about her mom and what the new development could mean. While in Vegas, they are trying to stop a serial killer that is using a different method every time he kills. There is a secret message in the way he kills, and it will take all the skills the Naturals possess to stop him.

I loved the new development that Cassie found out involving her mom’s case and how it affected her in all that she did. This book brought a little more depth to both Michael and Sloane. Readers get to find out a little more about them and how they came to be in the program which I enjoyed. The series focuses on Cassie, but the other characters are what bring the story alive. This is more of an ensemble than fully focused on one main character throughout. Each book takes where the previous one left off and continues the story. I’m trying to find something I didn’t like about this book and series and I can’t, I love that I’ve found another author that I enjoy everything she’s written so far. I would recommend this series to young adult readers that enjoy mystery, suspense and great characters.

Killer Instinct

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #2

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readres

Release Date: November 4, 2014

The final book in The Natural series ties it all together and left me smiling at a job well done but sad for the series to end!

Lightlark

Author: Alex Aster

Series: Lightlark Saga #1

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Release Date: August 23, 2022

A new fantasy full of twists and turns with an ending that will leave readers aching for more!

The island of Lightlark only appears once every 100 years and only for 100 days. During that time, the rulers of the six realms come to play a game to try and end the curse set upon them all. To end the curse, one of the rulers must die. Isla Crown is the ruler of the Wildling realm and knows that she is going to have to lie, cheat and do anything and everything she can to break the curse and save her people and everyone else.

I picked Lightlark up after hearing lots of great things about it from Instagram and was hoping for a fun new fantasy read. While this was an overall good story, it took far too long for me to get into it. I didn’t connect with the characters until a good way in; once I did get into it, the story was good and the ending left me anxious for the next in the series.

Isla had a hard time going into the Centennial and all that she went through made her a likable character to me. While this was good, I can’t say it was great. I do want to see what happens in the next book, but I felt it took too long to get moving and I almost lost interest. If you are a reader who enjoys fantasy this will be a good one to read but make sure you have plenty of time to devote to reading it or you will miss out on some of the important details.

The Brother’s Hawthorne

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #4

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: August 29, 2023

A fabulous addition to the Inheritance Games series that fans of young adult fiction will not want to miss!

Grayson Hawthorne has spent his life trying to live up to what he is supposed to be, the heir to his billionaire grandfather. He has been taught to always put family first and when he finds out he has two half-sisters that are in trouble, he immediately goes to help. While he is taking care of his new family his brother Jameson finds himself in the middle of a new kind of game. He and Avery must infiltrate an exclusive underground gambling club outside of London and do the impossible, get invited into the hardest game they have ever played. The Hawthorne brothers have grown up playing games that seem impossible and now it’s time to put their skills to the test.

I found author Jennifer Lynn Barnes this year and have devoured her books. The way she writes mysteries that are so intricate kept me turning the pages almost faster than I could devour the words on them. The Inheritance Games was so fun, and The Brothers Hawthorne is a fantastic addition to the series. This one focused less on the love interest aspect than the other three and more on the games the brothers found themselves in, which was fun. We still see a little of the love angle with Jameson and Avery but shifting the focus being more on the brothers and what they are dealing with. I loved this book and the suspense throughout was top notch. I don’t know how many more will be in this series, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for many, many more.

The Naturals

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #1

Publisher: Little Brown

Release Date: October 7, 2014

The first book in The Naturals series is an absolute thrill ride of a mystery that is perfect for young adult readers looking for a fabulous mystery.

Cassie has always known she was good at being able to tell what people were thinking or going to say before they said anything, but never thought much of it until she is approached by someone in the FBI with an offer for a classified program perfect for her and her abilities. They have created a program for teenagers with abilities to crack cold cases and Cassie is their newest recruit. When Cassie arrives at the house with the other teens in the program, she quickly realizes there is more to the program than originally told to her. Bodies start to add up around them and Cassie is no longer feeling safe as the killers sets their sights on her.

The Naturals is the first book in the series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I picked it up after reading The Inheritance Games series by her and falling in love with her writing style. The mystery and the way it unfolded and all came together by the end was so satisfying and enjoyable to read. Cassie was a great protagonist and the love triangle between her and the others at the house was fun and kept the story flowing. This story reminded me a lot of Criminal Minds set more for the Young Adult readers without the horror and gore. Cassie had a lot to overcome throughout the novel but didn’t let anything keep her down or let those coming after her win. I would recommend this book to readers who love a great mystery with great characters and a plot that is fantastic. This book is left open perfect for the next in the series and I can’t wait to keep reading Barnes work.

The Final Gambit

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #3

Publisher: Little Brown

Release Date: August 30, 2022

The final book in The Inheritance Games series is good but not quite as good as the first two. A fantastic addition to one of my new favorite series.

Avery Kylie Grambs only has to survive a few more weeks living at the Hawthorne mansion in order to inherit billions. She has survived several attempts on her life and those she loves being targets as well. After a rough start, Avery has finally connected with the Hawthorne brothers and feels at home at Hawthorne House. As the day of her inheriting more money than any teenager has ever had approaches, more trouble pops up as a stranger arrives at the house in need of help. With each passing day, the danger increases, and Avery comes closer to losing all she is about to gain.

This book was really good; the problem was it followed the second in the series which was fantastic. The Hawthorne Legacy was so amazing that anything that followed it had zero to little chance of being anywhere close to as good. There isn’t much I can pinpoint that I didn’t care for in this book but nothing stood out as making it extraordinary. I thought the relationships were just a little dulled and the tension didn’t pull me in as much as the last. It is a great addition to the series and the ending is left open for more to come which is great fun for me as I loved the intricate nature of this series. The way that little moments from the beginning were brought full circle by the end of this book brought a smile to my face and showed me that Jennifer Lynn Barnes is an author that knows what she is doing. I would recommend this book to anyone that has read the first two in the series and wants to see what comes next.

The Hawthorne Legacy

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #2

Publisher: Little Brown

Release Date: August 2, 2022

It’s not often a second book in a series is better than the first, especially when the first was amazing! The Hawthorne Legacy is a fantastic addition to The Inheritance Games.

After the bombshell ending of The Inheritance Games, Avery Grambs is ready to pick up the pieces and find the man everyone thinks is dead, Tobias Hawthorne the second. DNA tests have been run that show she is not related to the Hawthorne family but now she and two of the Hawthorne grandsons are on the hunt to figure out the clues left by their grandfather. Avery continues to be threatened and those that want what has been left to Avery are ready to do whatever it takes to get her out of the picture.

I can’t remember the last time I read a book that the second in the series was better than the first, and I loved the first in the series. The tension in this book was more intense and pulled me in tighter making me unable to put the book down and I read this in a single day. The story was intriguing and made me want to keep turning the pages. Avery is a special kind of protagonist: relatable, witty, and not afraid to play the games with the boys. There wasn’t much at all that I didn’t like about this book including the dangerous situations she found herself in, the mystery, and settings all had me pulled deep into the story. I love a book like this that is hard to put down and keeps me from wanting to do anything else. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy mystery and action, but make sure to read the first in the series before starting this one.

The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #1

Publisher: Little Brown

Release Date: July 27, 2021

I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner! Such a fun and engaging book; I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Avery Grambs wants nothing more than to survive high school, get a scholarship to collage and leave. She lives with her sister after her mother died and her father wants nothing to do with them. All that changes when Avery finds out she is suddenly a billionaire when Tobias Hawthorne died and left his entire fortune to her. The problem is Avery has no idea who Tobias Hawthorne is. To claim the money, she must move into the Hawthorne mansion and live for a year with the rest of the Hawthorne family. Tobias had four grandsons who are as equally smart and have a love for puzzles just like their grandfather did. All the Hawthorne men believe Avery is up to something to get their money and Avery is going to have to play along with the game that Tobias set up to survive the craziness that is her life now.

I had heard about The Inheritance Games a good bit over the last year and knew it was one I wanted to read. This book was so much fun to read; I read it in less than two days. The way the writing was done with short chapters and lots of cliff hangers made it hard to put down. I loved all the action, mystery drama and fantastic storyline. Avery is a wonderful protagonist with a storyline that makes her relatable and fun to read about; all her actions seemed exactly like the character would act and never once made me question her actions, or any of the other characters for that matter. This series makes me think of The Hunger Games and Divergent, those types of books are some of my favorites and make me enjoy reading. I ended last year in a bit of a slump not enjoying any of the books I had been reading. Being able to start the year of with a series like this is reminding me of the joy I get from reading and escaping into a great story. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy a fun mystery that is action packed and full of great characters and a fun start to what is shaping up to be a great series.

The Victor

Author: Patricia St. John

Publisher: Kingsley Press

Release Date: September 17, 2011

An interesting take on Christian historical fiction that middle grade readers will enjoy.

Philo is worried about his family. His sister, Illyrica has been possessed by a demon causing their family lots of stress. When he and his younger sister hear stories of a prophet from Nazareth that has been healing the sick, they hope their sister can be healed. When they mention the prophet’s name around their sister, she goes into a fit of rage. When things are at their darkest, Philo runs away but no matter where he goes, he hears of the amazing work the Jewish prophet is doing and all his miracles.

I picked this book up at Baker Book House on a family trip and just read it. An interesting fictional telling of Jesus and the miracles performed during his short time on Earth. This is a short and quick read that is probably most appropriate for middle school or high school age kids to read and fully understand. I was able to read this in a single day and thought the writing was well done and an interesting way to tell a story like this.