Previous book here. I'm going to keep the public review of this vague, and then discuss details below the spoiler cut.
I liked this book a whole lot better than the last one, because it finally Gets Down To Business and actually works on explaining--WITH REASONABLE REASONS--why Avery was tapped to inherit the Hawthorne millions despite not genetically being a Hawthorne. (Which frankly was a whole lot better than what book one posits, i.e. Avery's birthdate and the anagram of her name. Come on.) I'll get into that stuff below the spoiler cut, but it's mostly actually a reasonable reason--or is for most of the book, anyway. There was a last minute swerve I DID NOT LIKE (sigh), but the book at least tries to justify it, I suppose. But I really enjoyed the mystery they had going on and unraveling the missing person case that's the heart of this book. We find out who's secretly related to who, including how Skye's idiosyncratic (also "duh") naming schemes for her children are pretty obvious as to their paternities, hah. And there's a past dramatic event that has kicked off everything, including the puzzles to solve. I liked how that worked.
I did enjoy how most of the characters band together to work on solving the mystery, including helping Avery when she's unable to physically go to places. I also like how Max at one point is actually liberated from her parents on her 18th birthday and happily joins in the case. There may be some vibe between her and Xander, as he'll make her some droids. That's very sweet.
As for the romances: Avery vacillates between Jameson and Grayson in this book. I don't really get the "relationship" with her and Grayson, which seems to have some attraction, but Grayson mostly doesn't want to act on it and says he wants to stay friends, and frankly, he doesn't spend that much time with Avery for us to get to know him or care. Meanwhile, Jameson has personality out the wazoo and likes to hang out with Avery and nickname her and puzzle solve with her, and after awhile he is All In on this, and I was all "Jameson, I am down with you, please." I did like how Max suggested that Avery figure out which guy she wanted by imagining which one would come up to her if she was on a cliff alone. At first Avery is all "Actually, I imagine myself alone," but later, well... I'm good with it, I'll say that.
What's not great: see below spoiler cut. I'm also rather stumped as to how Avery survives a near-death experience that involves a coma, but we don't even really find out what injuries she suffered and after she comes out of the coma, she's fine? Shouldn't that have been more injurious? Did she get burned? Unable to walk? Anything? It's also kind of unclear what happened regarding the rule that Avery can't spend more than 3 nights a month away from "home." Is there a loophole for the hospital? I'm unclear, but we're told the rule wasn't violated...somehow?
I'm going to give it four stars overall because I think it's a vast improvement and fairly well satisfying compared to the last one, even if I'm a wee bit bothered by the one swerve. Good job! Now on to the spoiler discussion!
Spoiler space
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So what's Avery's connection to the family?
- Harry, her "homeless guy" friend that predates the book, turns out to be the presumed-dead Toby Hawthorne Jr. who was presumed dead after setting a fire on Hawthorne Island at age 19, and his friends with him died in the fire. Toby was rescued, got amnesia, and was nursed back to health by a lighthouse keeper and the sister of one of his dead friends. That sister turned out to be Avery's mom, who fell in love with him, but Toby felt whopping guilt and decided it was better for all if he disappeared. Both of them apparently send postcards to each other.
- We find out that Toby was adopted--he's really from the Laughlin family.
- Avery recognizes Toby's handwriting on her birth certificate, which says "Ricky Grambs" but is written by Toby. Avery reasonably presumes Toby's her father and thus this whole thing would make sense, tells people she's related to them, etc.
- However, the last minute swerve I complained about is that when Avery finally gets a DNA test checking her paternity--it's shitty Ricky Grambs (who sells her out in this one) and NOT Toby. Which in some respect makes sense because it sounds like her mom and Toby were apart for years, but also fucking sucks and I hated that her biodad was the shitty biodad she always thought was her dad. Toby (when he finally shows up in the plot at the end) says he thinks of her as a second daughter--he's already got another secret kid, that's thrown in--but I dunno if that justifies having her inherit, unless Tobias The Original thought she was his adopted granddaughter, or whatever. I guess....?
- I am amused that no matter how you swing it, Avery's not actually related to any of her love interests. It's very Arrested Development.
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