She wears black nail polish. She dyes her hair in streaks. She has a thing for combat boots and a heart that’s basically a marshmallow dipped in goth aesthetics. Honestly, if you’ve read The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, you know Libby Grambs isn't just a side character. She’s the anchor.
Avery Grambs might be the one with the billions, but Libby is the one who kept her alive.
Most readers come for the Hawthorne brothers—and yeah, the tension with Jameson and Grayson is top-tier—but the relationship between the Grambs sisters is the real heartbeat of the trilogy. It’s messy. It’s protective. It’s rooted in a shared history of deadbeat parents and crappy apartments in Connecticut.
Who is Libby Grambs?
Libby is Avery’s older half-sister. They share a father, Ricky Grambs (who is, frankly, the worst), but have different mothers. Libby is seven years older, which put her in a parental role far sooner than she was ready for. When Avery’s mother died, Libby didn't hesitate. She stepped up. She became the legal guardian.
She’s a nursing home orderly by trade, which tells you everything you need to know about her personality. She’s a helper. A people-pleaser. Sometimes, that’s her greatest strength; other times, it’s a massive liability.
In the beginning of the series, we see Libby trapped in a cycle with Drake Miller. He’s her on-again, off-again boyfriend, and he’s a piece of work. He’s verbally and physically abusive, the kind of guy who punches walls and then expects a thank you for not punching you. Avery hates him. In fact, Avery spends the opening chapters of the first book sleeping in her car just to avoid being under the same roof as him.
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The Drake Factor and the Turning Point
When the Hawthorne inheritance drops, Libby’s life shifts as much as Avery’s does. She’s whisked away to Texas on a private jet, leaving her old life behind. But you can't just outrun a guy like Drake with a billion-dollar check.
Drake eventually tracks them down. He thinks he’s entitled to a piece of the pie. There’s a gut-wrenching moment where Libby returns to the Hawthorne estate with a black eye. Drake hit her because she dared to say the money belonged to Avery, not them. This is a massive catalyst for her character. She finally cuts the cord.
It's not a "perfect" recovery, though. Libby struggles with the guilt of letting him in for so long. She feels like she failed Avery by exposing her to that danger. That’s the nuance of her character—she isn't a "strong female lead" who is instantly healed. She’s a survivor who has to learn how to stop apologizing for existing.
The Nash Hawthorne Connection
If you’re looking for the best ship in the series that isn't a love triangle, it’s Libby and Nash.
Nash Hawthorne is the eldest brother. He’s the one who wanted nothing to do with the inheritance. He has a bit of a savior complex, which usually isn't a great foundation for a relationship, but with Libby, it works. He sees her. Not as "the heiress's sister," but as a woman who has spent her whole life taking care of everyone else while nobody took care of her.
Their dynamic is soft. It’s the opposite of the high-stakes, puzzle-solving intensity of the other brothers. By the time we get to the later books, specifically The Final Gambit and the spin-offs, their relationship has evolved into something deeply stable. Nash actually proposes to her (though the drama surrounding that is a whole other story).
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Why Libby Matters for the Plot
You might think Libby is just there for emotional support, but she’s woven into the mystery.
- The Mother Mystery: Libby’s mother once dumped her at Avery’s house for a week when Libby was nine. Libby calls it the best week of her life. This small detail highlights the contrast between their upbringing and the Hawthorne world.
- The "Tattersall" Connection: While the Hawthornes are focused on the "great game," Libby is the one providing the "human" clues. Her memories of their mother and their father, Ricky, often provide the context Avery needs to solve the personal side of Tobias Hawthorne’s puzzles.
- The Target: Because Libby is Avery’s only weakness, she becomes a constant target for the people trying to take Avery down. Whether it’s Drake or more shadowy figures, Libby is the leverage.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a misconception that Libby is "weak" because she stayed with Drake for so long. That’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how domestic abuse works and how Barnes writes her characters. Libby’s "weakness" is actually empathy. She wants to see the best in people, even when there’s nothing good to see.
Her growth throughout the series—The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, and The Final Gambit—isn't about her becoming "tough" like Avery. It’s about her setting boundaries. It's about her realizing she deserves the same care she gives to others.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re revisiting the series or diving in for the first time, keep these things in mind about Libby’s trajectory:
- Watch the fashion: Libby’s aesthetic shifts. Her "goth" style isn't just a phase; it’s her armor. As she gets more comfortable at Hawthorne House, notice how she keeps her identity even amongst the high-society types.
- Track the Nash moments: Their romance happens largely in the margins of the main plot. If you only focus on Avery’s puzzles, you’ll miss the subtle ways Nash protects Libby’s peace.
- The Ricky Grambs shadow: Every time their father is mentioned, look at Libby’s reaction. She knows more about the "old" life than Avery does, and her perspective on their family history is often more jaded—and more accurate.
Libby Grambs is the person who reminds us that even in a world of secret passages and billions of dollars, the most valuable thing is someone who stays. She’s the only person in the books who loved Avery before she was worth forty-six billion dollars. That counts for everything.
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To understand Libby fully, look back at the letters Tobias Hawthorne left. He didn't just pick Avery for her birthday or her connection to Toby. He picked her because of her environment. And Libby? She was the biggest part of that environment. She was the reason Avery grew up to be the kind of girl who could win the game.