THE SAME BACKWARD AS FORWARD

This love story told through two perspectives requires readers to flip the book over to read both Hannah’s and Toby’s sides of their romance.

Hannah Rooney is the reserved daughter of a ruthless crime boss who desperately wants out of the family business and its endless cycle of violence. Tobias Hawthorne II is the troubled only son in a rich, enigmatic family; he’s regarded as a disappointment and is unhappy despite his privilege. Their lives go up in flames one night, and tragedy brings them together. Hannah reluctantly uses her budding nursing skills to aid an injured Toby, who’s lost his memory. Slowly, a forbidden romance blossoms between the two seeming enemies whose unlikely bond forms over being outcasts in their respective warring families. Barnes’ signature style—snappy dialogue and clever puzzle-solving—situate Toby and Hannah’s relationship firmly in the world of the bestselling Inheritance Games series (Hannah’s version of events was published as a novella in the 2024 compilation Games Untold). However, this prequel’s romance is lackluster, formulaic, and mostly redundant, seeming to ride the coattails of the previous books. Still, it will serve as a fun diversion for those already familiar with the main series’ plot and characters; for the uninitiated, it feels as if half the story—and a more exciting one at that—is hinted at but left off the page. Main characters present white.

Sure to satisfy as an amuse-bouche for die-hard series fans.