Reviews with content warning for Sexism - The Final Gambit

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

23 reviews

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I am very glad that the finale of this trilogy did not disappoint me. It was just as fast paced as the other books in the series and just as fun to read. I didn't love the storyline as much as the ones from the other two books

(especially because I hate manipulators who pray on people's insecurities. That's like one of my biggest no-go's. I STRONGLY dislike Eve)

The ending was clichee but I still liked it and thought it was great. Honestly this whole series has just been so much fun to read I don't even want to over-analyse them. Are they the best books ever? No. There are a lot of things I didn't necessarily like but the whole thing was fast past, interesting and I just really enjoyed the puzzles. I did not need the things that I usually need from books here, because it was so strong in other aspects. As someone who LOVES secret rooms and secret doors and all of those things, this whole series feels like the absolute perfect fantasy of a younger me. What do you MEAN I could inherit billions and like 6(?) Libraries??? It's pretty much my dream. So yes, I very much enjoyed the escapism and fun-ness of this whole reading experience and if that is something you think you would like too, go read it :)

Content Warnings

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

tarlie_12_xoxo's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

rachelefelli's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

ameydireads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

"The thing about strategy," he says, "is that you always have to be thinking seven moves ahead."

Not only do we have some Hawthorne secrets to unravel and puzzles to solve, there is another person calling the shots now.

Traps upon traps. And riddles upon riddles.

I don't trust Eve. She is suspicious. That’s what I thought from the start and I was right. I can’t believe she hurt Grayson like that. First it was because Eve looked so much like Emily but then she also turns out to be tricking them all. Grayson deserves so much more and three books later he still hasn’t found his happiness. I hope he will in the upcoming books.

So at the start of this story, we know Toby’s life is in danger.

It turns out Tobias Hawthorne knew from the beginning that Eve would be involved in this situation and tries to warn Avery. What bothered me the most is that even in this situation he made them solve the puzzles to find out who is keeping Toby instead of just telling them this straight away.

The ending of the previous book was good enough to end this series with. I don’t see why we have a third book. It is interesting, I’ll admit that. I didn’t mind reading about my favourite characters again. But it is not on the same level as the first two books.

“They'd been sculpted by Tobias Hawthorne, formed and forged by the billionaire's hands. They were extraordinary, and for the first time in their lives, they weren't living under the weight of his expectations.”

Content Warnings

mrsalexisrjones's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Read this book. This series is so good! It will leave you hungry for more puzzles, riddles, clues, and Hawthornes.

Content Warnings

maim_mona's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Phew! I dunno i wish i would be happier that it's over. There was too little Grayson or Jameson and i get it the story is about Avery, i just wished the string character development would carry through you know? For some reason this book felt more choppy than the other two. A really good mystery no doubt with a nail biting finish, this book focuses finally on the puzzles and riddles and kudos to the author for spanning and planning them so well, i was hooked. However despite the puzzles this is somehow my least favourite if the 3 the ending was the most logical well thought out ending but just not executed in a way that felt natural. I felt that way about

Jameson and Avery getting together as well how did their relationship feel more natural earlier than it did in this book?
There was so much pining for Grayson and while the author explains that she goes for Jameson beacusw she related to him he has the hunger she does and he makes her happy blah blah, i couldn't justify it, it seemed too much like a teenage going and two people trying too hard to stay together and graysons just in the mix??? I genuinely didn't feel the tension was resolved and was actually impressed by jamesons character development and the linws he has in this book. At least someone pointed out the obvious

loved how Alicia and Oren are brought to the forefront along with Nan and everything is tied in wonderfully! A well thought out end just wished it was smoother in execution.

Content Warnings

purplepenning's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Well… Xander continues to be awesome. I continue to hate love triangles. There's a puppy, but he doesn't get nearly enough page time. And I'm not at all satisfied with the situation

Harry was left in

. Really, the only non-Xander, non-puppy part I liked was at the end where

the immoral hoards of wealth were redistributed

Content Warnings

danaegg's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

wowowoww what a finish. i think i thoroughly enjoyed this book as much as the others but it tended to drag on a bit in some places. the story itself was structured a lot differently than the other two and i think it was a Little jarring, but we got lots of great character development from so many of the characters!! the series overall i might give like a 4.5 ? a 5 stars ? i wonder if my ratings would get higher if i reread them. ik for a fact i did get so attached to these characters and i just want to soak up everything related to this series LMAO also

bc i want to brag, I FUCKING WONNNN I ALWAYS WINNNNNNN TEAM JAMESON LET'S GOOOOOO

Content Warnings

elspethmigliore's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

It was a little hard to follow at times because the family tree is so confusing, but other than that, it was really good! I wish we could've seen more Grayson, or I wish his character had better development, but I'm happy with the ending.

I was team Jameson the whole time, even though I do love Grayson. I feel bad for him and I hope he has a better ending after the story ends. Also, I wish avery didn't just give the money away immediately.

Also, I loved the references to chess and the Queen's Gambit and I like that it connects to the title. I loved how we got to see more Xander and how the mystery seemed to build to a final point over the course of three books. I really like that Avery started solving things by herself and embracing her Hawthorne. Overall, it was very very good.

definitely reread material ✅

Content Warnings

More...