The Fixer (The Fixer #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

I'm not usually drawn to books with such a focus on political intrigue and veiled threats from powerful figures. They tend to bore me because I find that I need more action in a book rather than a lot of talking between characters. That being said, I have loved Jennifer Lynn Barnes's other books that I have read so I decided to give The Fixer a chance. I'm so happy that I did because this book was fantastic! 

In typical Jennifer Lynn Barnes fashion the book was thrilling from beginning to end with the main character unsure of what she was getting herself into and who she could trust with information she uncovered. I knew that I loved Tess as soon as she stood up for someone else regardless of the repercussions to herself in the beginning of the book. She had an inner strength that I really enjoyed right away. She genuinely cared about others and how they were treated. I also liked her sister even though they seemed to be opposite of each other. I found myself wanting to know more about Ivy and how her views on issues became so gray rather than black and white. 

The story itself was well done with perfect pacing. I loved how the author kept me guessing the whole way through as to who was behind the conspiracy. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of the only authors who can do that which is exciting for me. There is a sequel to The Fixer so the ending leaves some questions unanswered but it excited me rather than bothering me. I'm looking forward to reading The Long Game to find out how the story continues.