Book Review: The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Book 4 of The Inheritance Games)

 

Book Review: The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Book 4 of The Inheritance Games series)

by The Book Pup on November 28, 2025

Blurb for the book (on Goodreads):

Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson's half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does take care of the problem - efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.

Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can't resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London's most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.

Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson - with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather's fortune - must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.

AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE HAWTHORNE THAN WINNING . . .

My Summary:

After the events of the original trilogy, Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne find themselves on two different adventures.

While the trilogy showcased Avery's POV, this time, we get dual perspectives from both Grayson and Jameson through navigating mysteries, family secrets, and their own complicated pasts. Along the way, Grayson's carefully constructed walls begin to crack, especially when it comes to his little sisters Gigi and Savannah.

My Review

I took a long time to read The Brothers Hawthorne because I was afraid that the TIG series would come to an end 🙃. After discovering that there are many other books in this series coming out, I was eager to return to this world. While it was a solid read, it didn't quite reach the heights of the original trilogy.

Let me start with what I loved: getting dual POVs from Jameson and Grayson was fantastic. I loved knowing what the brothers were thinking (where in the trilogy we got only Avery's POV).

The real highlight for me was how Grayson's character evolved. Watching him slowly open up throughout the book, especially his relationships with Gigi and Savannah (Gigi more than Savannah, but still!), was beautiful. The way his little sisters helped heal him and break through those carefully constructed walls he's built around himself felt genuine and earned. The sisters (especially Gigi) helped him heal from Emily's loss in an indirect way. By the end of the book, seeing him actually care for them was incredibly satisfying character growth. 

However, this book didn't capture the same magic as the original trilogy (which is GOLDEN). The stakes didn't feel quite as high, and the puzzle-solving aspect that made the first books so addictive wasn't as prominent here. It's still a good book, but it felt more like a supplementary story than an essential continuation.

That said, if you're a fan of the series and especially if you love Grayson's character and Jameson x Avery adventures, this book is absolutely worth reading.

4/5 pawprints 🐾🐾🐾🐾

You can find the book on Goodreads here!

Note: Definitely read the original trilogy first. This won't make much sense as a standalone!

Cheers, and happy reading!

The Book Pup

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