Inheritance

Hypothesis #7

by Penny Reid

Sam just received a wedding invitation. . . to her own wedding.

Samantha Jarlston doesn’t talk about her past and she has no interest in a long-term romantic relationship with anyone. As a 28-year-old genetics Ph.D. student living in New York City with three roommates and two part-time jobs, Sam doesn’t have much time to do anything other than run sequencing experiments, grade lab reports, and avoid handsy assistant professors. She definitely doesn’t have time or means to plot revenge against the evil charlatan who destroyed her family fifteen years ago, let alone think about her former childhood best friend and current chess grandmaster, Andreas Kristiansen.

But then she receives an invitation to her own wedding and Andreas is the groom. This absurdity sets off a series of (unfortunate?) events complete with corporate fraud, academic threats, and a very particular kind of contract relationship, one which explicitly forbids any and all physical contact. Before Sam knows it, she’s living with Andreas in his penthouse apartment. She’s also sleepwalking again, something she hasn’t done since she was a teenager.

Big problem: she keeps waking up in the wrong bed.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, New Adult, Slow Burn, Fiction

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2025

About the author

Sign up for the newsletter of awesome: www.pennyreid.ninja/newsletter

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.

FOLLOW PENNY:
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Reviews

[Penny Reid]

This is not a drill, the wait is finally over! INHERITANCE is available on all platforms! Go forth and read the nerdy goodness.

Tropes
Fake Dating
Plot with multiple twists
Women in STEM
She's morally grey
He's morally grey too...
Forced Proximity
Former childhood friends to lovers

Read INHERITANCE Now: https://geni.us/InheritancePR

[Alexia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not really down with the fact that ole girl don’t like to shower. I hope soap and water will be kind to her in part two.

[Cassandra Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I drop my current read when this landed in my BookFunnel account? Yes, yes I did. And 100% worth it.

Penny is a favorite of mine for a reason, her humor, the way she delves into subject with precision and then writes them into her books in a way that reader can read and grasp.

This first part really sets up everything, and though we are left with a lot of questions, you can definitely feel the tension and chemistry between Sam and Andreas.

I’m so excited for the next two installments, and so very glad I ordered them from her shop!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Releasing this in parts is cruel 😭😭😭

Laws of Physics is my favorite Penny Reid book / series so I’ve been foaming at the mouth since this was announced

[Vaishali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think there's a single person on this planet who's more excited for this series release than me!! I saw this on Penny's website almost a year ago and since been waiting desperately. I was worried she might have dropped the project. or worse I thought i hallucinated the title.

but We FINALLY have an announcement!!!!

SO EXCITED.

edit: Omg is this about Sam from elements of chemistry? Parker's BFF. yess!!! I knew she'd get a book.

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ⭐️

[Onnica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roll on 16 October for book 2. The smartest romance I’ve picked up in a while.
I really didn’t intend to read it until all 3 books were available, but no regrets! Can’t wait to continue Andreas and Samantha’s journey - I’m hooked already.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this in a few hours and cannot wait for the next installment!! I am here for this revenge plot! Also, I think I have a stoic chess grandmaster fetish since reading Ali Hazelwood's Check & Mate, so I am definitely team Andreas.

Although Penny calls her Hypothesis series her least popular (her words, not mine) these are some of my favorite books/characters. So if you enjoy this, definitely read the backlog. You will not be disappointed and those two other trilogies are already finished. So, no waiting!

Don't forget to buy this one from Penny's store and get their first meeting in Andreas's POV. Very enlightening!!

[Carrie Rezgui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Favorite

Penny's books are always deliciously tension-filled and I am so here for it. I love her characters. They are filled with depth, angst, loves, hates, and their own issues. They are also real enough that I feel like I met some of them in college. Sam is a PhD candidate and her former best friend is a chess master but they are estranged due to tragic events perpetrated by his family. When his brothers reappear in Sam's life making threats, he offers her a solution. This book is giving off strong friends-to-lover vibes but, be warned, it's a cliffhanger. I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat until the sequel is released in a couple of weeks.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Penny Reid can do no wrong in my eyes, and this might be one of my new favorites of hers. It’s clever, funny, emotionally layered, and so compulsively readable that I was genuinely upset when I had to put it down — and even more upset when I realized I’d have to wait two weeks for book two!
The premise is exactly the kind of absurd brilliance I come to Penny Reid for: Sam, a genetics Ph.D. student already juggling way too much, receives a wedding invitation… to her own wedding. The groom? Her estranged childhood best friend, now a world-famous chess grandmaster, Andreas Kristiansen. What seems like a weird prank quickly unravels into something much bigger — a strategic contract marriage designed to help Sam reclaim the biotech company her late father built, which is currently being run by Andreas' corrupt family.
This isn’t about forced proximity or fake dating for kicks — it’s a high-stakes, carefully worded agreement with very real consequences. And somehow, amidst the legal language and corporate sabotage, there's slow-burning chemistry, emotional baggage, and a rekindling of something that never quite burned out between Sam and Andreas.
Sam is one of the most relatable characters I’ve read in ages. Sure, she’s a genius in a lab, but her spiraling thoughts, over analysis, and social awkwardness felt so real to me. I saw myself in every anxious inner monologue. Penny Reid has this magical ability to write women who are brilliant, messy, and completely human.
Andreas is stoic, guarded, and almost frustratingly logical — which makes every small crack in his armor feel monumental. Watching the emotional distance between them shrink is incredibly satisfying, especially as the stakes get higher and secrets start to come out.
My only issue? I need book two yesterday. The cliffhanger isn’t cruel, exactly, but it definitely left me staring at the last page like 😭.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s been so long since I’ve read a Penny Reid book. I wasn’t sure if this would work for me because her writing hasn’t really been my thing the last few years but I really liked the other books in this series back in the day so decided to go for it. Meh. It was a struggle to finish. Not enough happening, too much inner monologue, not enough chemistry. I was bored. The issue I have been having with all her books the last few years. If you jump into this don’t expect this to feel like the other two trilogies in the series.

[Nicole Namen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!!!

I highly enjoyed reading this book! Andreas and Samantha are definitely end game, and they have so much chemistry, it’s crazy! It’s funny and romantic and sizzling between them at times. I am so excited for the next book! Can’t wait to see what happens after living together and her sleepwalking! I loved this book and these characters so much! I am so happy we got to see Martin and Kaitlyn too. This book is unputdownable; I finished it in a day! So excited for the next one!

[Crys · Rating 2 out of 5]

You lost me with the no shower thing.
Ew Sam
A few other things ruined this for me too. At least I got to see cameos from my faves.
Won’t be reading the next books.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

sooo good
mcs are so lovable
H is wow <3 i love a man who is willing to set the world on fire to avenge his beloved
and i love a h who is brave enough to claim what is hers

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swoony

Penny Reid creates such likable, relatable heroines! I just fall right into her stories and don’t want to come back out. And Andreas, can’t wait to find out more about him-he already seems mag nif i cent! This story is like having a favorite dessert. Savor it.

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it! I knew I would be sorry if I didn't wait till all three books were out. GAH! This was fantastic, and of course I went right into Evolution. What will I do for almost three weeks while I wait? GAH!

[Brennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved a lot of Penny Reid books but the newer ones have been meh. I skipped over a lot of this one, didn’t even skim some parts. I almost quit and near the end the political implications really turned me off because a lot of them weren’t true. They were the characters opinions but I’m convinced they were the author’s also or why bring them up. They added nothing to the story. I hate politics of current events brought up in romance novels. I want to enjoy them not ruined by views that I get enough of every day. Romance novels are my major form of escape from the evil in this world.

[Wangari · Rating 3 out of 5]

That ending was so abrupt!! I didn’t know it would be in parts 😓

[Lidia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was missing the writing by Penny Reid and her stories too but I have changed some of my taste in genre and so the romance between problematic woman ( a bit strange too!) with (always) handsome brilliant man have me tired. I don't know why the particular of Sam that doesn't shower, her lazy ness to do laundry struck me hard. Then the abrupt end , my error to don't know. Three stars because this is the case of "it's not you... it's me.

[Maliha · Rating 3 out of 5]

i mostly skimmed. it was okay. definitely not better than Mona and Abram's tho

[NB Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you crawl under the covers into a warm bed (and cold pillow) after a long day. That’s what it’s like everytime I open up a Penny Reid book.

So let me say Sam has intrigued me ever since I read Elements of Chemistry and although her and Eric were cute, it is nothing compared to her and Andreas.

Inheritance is just a teaser of what is to come in Reproduction and evolution. I tried my hardest to wait until all three were out but the minute I read the first three chapters I was done for. And when I did finally pick it up I couldn’t put it down but wow… where it went I NEVER SAW THAT COMING.

I can’t wait until to see what unfolds in part 2 and 3 and I am desperate for more of Andreas point of view

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was debating rounding up to 4 stars 🤔 for now I’ll leave it. I went into this with really low expectations due to reviews I’d already seen and how hit or miss Penny Reid has been for me in recent years, especially. I loved this series originally so I was excited to see new additions and this wasn’t too bad honestly haha. I kind of wish it wasn’t 3 parts, I get that it’s following the scheme of the previous books, but eh I don’t really feel like dealing with all this drawn out drama. I think I will continue though. I waited until all 3 books were out to see what I thought and I’m glad I did because idk that this was quite compelling enough to have me coming back every month for more. Samantha and Andreas are cute and I like their childhood friendship/love story, but they were so young when they were parted and it’s been so long. Other than being really attractive, brooding, wealthy and the best chess player in the world we don’t know much about Andreas yet so looking forward to getting to know him better. Oh, pet peeve! And maybe I’ve mentioned this in other PR reviews or maybe lots of authors do this but I hate when each chapter has the characters name at the top to indicate it’s in their POV but then the POV doesn’t switch! I was waiting and waiting for Andreas and finally I looked ahead to each chapter just to see we don’t get his POV until the last one 🙄 we don’t need Samantha’s name at the top of every chapter then! You’re telling the story exclusively from her POV just put Andreas’ name on the one chapter you gave him… anyway. I’m off to go read the next book I guess 🫡

[Cheril Terrazas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third but not least, this new chapter on the Hyphotesis Series is phenomenal. Under the umbrella of women in STEM the story progresses as planned, setting the actors and rules of the game, a friends to lovers, fake dating trope. You should know before hand that this novel is release in three parts, being this the first one (worth it in my opinion).

The characters are brilliant as usual from Penny. She describes them in such a palpable detail, that you can easily imagine their personalities, fears, flaws and moods, I love how she always did this without missing a lot of humor, banter and slow burning chemistry, tricking and surprising you, word by word.

Samantha is making her PhD when suddenly she is contacted by a lost friend or we could say … a frenemy? Who knows??? He comes from the infamous family that destroyed her teenage life forever.

Andreas is a chess player, a strategist and he has a proposal for Sam, something to right the wrongs, the key to change the game.

I tried really hard to wait for the 3 books to be published but I couldn’t 🙈, I knew I shouldn’t read the sample I. KNEW. IT!!! 🤪 The cliffhanger is valid and not hard to digest at all BUT she already said that it won’t be the case for the next one, so WE ARE WARNED.

I absolutely love it! ❤️‍🔥

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

pure genius!!!

I’m in so deep!!!! I’m not gonna make it til mid October!!!!! Every character Penny creates pulls me in and makes me never want to leave! So many books I find myself skipping large sections of text to get to conversation and it never matters much to the storyline but I read EVERY SINGLE WORD of Penny’s books (most of them 2-3 times and then listen to the audio book!!) because all the details weave intricate individuals that I can’t get enough of! Hats off to another marvelous story and I’m already going insane waiting for the next one!!!!

[Ensorcelled · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one surprised me, because Beard Science by this author is perhaps my favorite romance novel of all time. Yet this book just felt hollow in comparison, even amateurish, and I wasn't really buying the long-lost connection between the hero and heroine. The hero also came across as somewhat one-dimensional; we didn't know much about him other than what the heroine told of his past and his very narrow expression as a character in the current time. Sure, he sounds handsome, and yes, he's rich or whatever, but what else is there? We didn't even learn about his history with Chess. I guess I just wasn't really feeling it.

The jury's out as to whether I'll get the next installment(s).

[Neen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Bhavya Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise was a bit weird for me but I will be reading on for Martin and Kaitlyn crumbs

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barely making ends meet (after a devastating loss years ago,) Samantha is struggling a bit. Not just financially, but mentally and emotionally as well. Trying to get her PhD, trying to avoid the unwanted advances of a colleague, trying to survive on fumes, trying to get the sleep she needs, trying to forget the family that destroyed hers. Things get worse when she receives a wedding invitation... to her own wedding. And the groom? None other than the youngest member of that family.

She has her law degree and passed the bar, but is currently working towards her PhD in science and genetics. He is is chess Grandmaster, thus they are both brainy and I'll admit, a lot of the language used was over my head. lol All the science terminology and words I couldn't even pronounce, let alone know the meaning of. None of that had any major impact to the storyline though, so didn't take away anything, and I didn't feel like I didn't understand what was going on in regards to the plot/romance.

This book is part of a trilogy and does end with a cliffhanger. (Not the kind that makes you want to strangle the author, but rather like the end of a chapter. So, not a complete story.)

The characters are wonderfully written. He is a bit stiff and proper and almost feels robotic in a sense at times. Partially due to his upbringing and partially just his overall personality. She is closed off and private, but also more sociable. The story is just getting to the good stuff. Aside from my lack of brain power for all the big words used, it's easy to read. There is sexual tension, but no acts of take place. There is some of that lack of communication going on between the characters (both not sharing their real feelings) so that brings in some additional tension and anxiety. There are a few chuckles here and there, but this isn't a romcom. There is a sense of suspense throughout, but it picks up more toward the end.. and I assume we'll see more in the next book.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful little novella. Penny Reid's FMCs are all cut from a similar cloth: different quirks, but all quirky; different fields, but all geniuses. Her MMCs are also all geniuses. I appreciate that. I immediately DNF dumb MMCs.
This book brings up several controversial social issues, which are listed in the trigger warnings. My issue isn't disagreement; I actually agree with her points. I just read to escape, not to be reminded of the world's debates. It felt less like a theme and more like a lecture, crossing a line from a valid point of view into authorial arrogance. That's why I'm docking a star. The appropriateness of the delivery, not the content, felt off.
Anyway, the plot is classic Penny Reid absurdity. Samantha, a genetics PhD candidate in NYC, receives a wedding invitation... to her own wedding. The groom is Andreas Kristiansen, her estranged childhood best friend (and now a hot-as-ever chess grandmaster) whom she hasn't seen in 15 years.
It turns out their families have a dark history. This "wedding" is actually a strategic contract marriage, a mutual plan to help Sam get revenge and reclaim the biotech company her father built, which Andreas's corrupt family now controls. Naturally, this revenge plot requires them to live together. The forced proximity is excellent.
Can't wait for book 2!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I follow Penny and receive her newsletter in my in-box, I had no idea that this was Sam's story from Elements of Chemistry! I remember leaving comments, over the years writing reviews of Penny's books, that I yearned for Sam to have her own story.
So the 'over the years' part became evident in the story but the deep thinking - that can sometimes frustrate me in print, definitely reflected Sam in the Chemistry series. She's older now, apparently received a law degree, and may become an heiress through a unique and obviously well-researched plan. The extent of her education - law school and now grad school - excuses her less than tidy habits but like others, I think there was too much of an exaggeration about her lack of interest in showering regularly.
This is off to a great start. Looking forward to the remaining books and glad to see they'll all arrive this year.
Also - two gigantic thumbs up to Penny for honoring all the good and wonderful that science is by bringing this story forward. Science-denying makes me as mad as book-banning. Reading this book is like honey in my tea. I love science and it's lovely to read it written so well and tying in a fun romance.