Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Likely Stories - The Inheritance Games

Hi, my name is Shenequa Williams, and I am an Instructional Specialist at Cedar Ridge Elementary. Today, I'm reviewing The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Could you imagine being a high school student, dealing with typical anxieties that come with being a teenager, and then one day being called into the principal's office to be informed you have become an "heiress" to a Texas billionaire?! Well neither could Avery! One girl, four brothers, a huge inheritance, and several exciting games to be played!

Imagine being a teenager with hopes of having a successful future and then suddenly being told all of your dreams can come true....if you just follow a few rules.

In this young adult novel, Jennifer Lynn Barnes introduces us to Avery Kylie Grambs. I thought Avery was on the surface a typical teenager. She the struggled with a few social anxieties and other coming of age obstacles. However, as I continued reading I realized Avery's mountains of possible defeat were even higher due to her mother being deceased and having an absent father. Living with her sister Libby was a saving grace, but Drake (Libby's boyfriend) was not very welcoming. One thing for sure about Avery is her perseverance to overcome no matter what. She even lived in her car without anyone knowing until one day her world changed forever. It is not every day that a teenager has the potential to become an "heiress" to a billionaire!

After the shock and disbelief settled in, Avery along with her legal guardian Libby flew to Texas and were met with a whirlwind of events courtesy of the Hawthorne Family. Upon the reading of Tobias Hawthorne's will, you could say...."Let the games begin!"

The outcome of his final wishes were not what his daughters and especially grandsons pictured. Avery and Libby were questioned, researched, and even required to participate in a DNA test. Once Tobias Hawthorne's descendants were warned their piece of the inheritance pie could be compromised if they didn't play by the rules, they became very creative in ways that were dangerous to say the least.
Avery soon discovered that her new world was a well planned and eventually well executed series of games galore!

The Hawthorne brothers also soon discovered Avery was needed more than they realized. It wasn't easy for the brothers to let down their guard for a complete stranger who could easily have ill intent come with just their presence. Letting Avery into their world was not an easy task at all. However, they soon developed special relationships with her in their own way. The similarities Avery had to someone else they knew and loved eventually played a role in this quest for inheritance as well.

Tobias Hawthorne was a very wise man. He knew what and who his grandsons needed to heal past wounds in order to move forward. Early on in this rollercoaster ride of mystery, the youngest Hawthorne brother (Alexander) encouraged Avery to be the one to tell her story, and eventually she did just that. Controlling the narrative and allowing herself to be molded into the "heiress" Tobias Hawthorne saw she could be, was the missing puzzle piece for everything to fall into place.

Trust, deceit, secrets, riddles, clues, and Avery's experience playing chess are evident throughout this book. There were times I wanted to read slower because I didn't know what was around the corner on the next page!

I am certain, this is one book you will want as a part of your next book club meeting. Thank me later!

PREVIOUS EPISODES OF LIKELY STORIES
Likely Stories - The Favorites by Layne Fargo
You know, investing my soul into a story about fictional competitive ice dancers was not what I had on my 2025 BINGO card, yet there I was, poring over the pages of this book and pouring out my emotions over this debut that is an homage to Wuthering Heights and reads like part fictional account and part Netflix Olympic documentary. Dig in your toepicks to 'The Favorites' by Layne Fargo and get ready for one heck of a spin.
Likely Stories - Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hey there. Lauren here. I’m KWBU’s public relations intern as well as a Baylor student and a bookseller at Fabled. Today I’m going to be talking all about the book, Carrie Sotozis Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Let me tell you, I love me some Taylor Jenkins Reid. I would probably say she’s my favorite author. She writes such fascinating stories with the most interesting characters. One of these interesting characters being Carrie Soto.
Likely Stories - Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Have you ever been in a daily commute, or in a class, and sat next to the same people day in and day out, and not known one thing about them? Not their names, not their jobs, and certainly not their lives. You give them nicknames in your head attributed to what they wear and what they drink, but you have no idea who they are. Of course, you never speak. The first rule is “don’t talk to strangers.” What would it take to get to know these people, and in turn to let them into your life?
Likely Stories - Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, A Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
I’m Joe Riley with KWBU, and this is Likely Stories.Every couple of weeks, I visit the Waco McLennan County Library and browse the New Book shelves. That’s where I saw Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, A Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice. Actually, it was the author’s name that first caught my eye – Barbara Bradley Hagerty is currently a contributing writer at The Atlantic. Before that, she spent 19 years reporting on justice issues and religion for NPR. I checked the book out because I’ve always been impressed by her work.
Likely Stories - The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
It’s not Christmastime anymore, but that's never stopped me from enjoying any story set during the most wonderful time of the year. This one is heavy on mystery, lightly romantic, deeply nostalgic, fully entrenched in the setting.
Likely Stories - Everything We Never Had
Nearly every time my husband sees me reading he asks, “Reading one of your “happy” books again?” To be fair, he may have a point. For example, listening to the audiobook of a novel that unpacks the emotional trauma of four generations of Filipino men, is possibly not the most uplifting way to spend a drive through the plains of the Texas Panhandle. But Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay was so worth it. I’m Gia Chevis with this week’s installment of Likely Stories.
Likely Stories - Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television
For this week's episode of Likely stories, Kevin Tankersley, from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media at Baylor, is investigating what goes into the making of True Crime Television.
Likely Stories - Trust
Hi, I’m Molly-Jo Tilton, reporter at KWBU and hobbyist reader. On this week’s episode of Likely Stories, we’ll be talking about Trust by Hernan Diaz.
Likely Stories - Counting Miracles
Hello. My name is Douglas Henry, Dean of the Honors College at Baylor University, with this week’s edition of Likely Stories.
Likely Stories - All Fours
My name is Heather White, I teach Art History classes at Baylor. Before I begin this segment of Likely Stories, I wanted to let you know that this review acknowledges the existence of sexual desire, if this is not appropriate for everyone in your listening space, you may want to return after this three minute segment has ended. Okay, here we go.

Shenequa Williams is an educator who has taught in the Central Texas area for 14 years. Her love for Reading began at an early age, with her family encouraging trips to the local library for story time and to check out books that allowed countless adventures of the imagination. Her love for reading and writing began to blossom in the 5th grade, when she won first place in a local veterinary clinic’s writing contest. Shenequa is a proud graduate of LaVega High School in Waco, Texas. With a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from the University of North Texas and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University, Shenequa loves to promote the importance of reading to children and adults. She has received several honors and recognition in the field of education that include Teacher of the Year. Shenequa loves spending time with loved ones, listening to music, reading, writing, volunteering, and finding innovative ways to prepare young people for the future.