Book Review: The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Grandest Game #1)

by The Book Pup on May 5, 2026

Blurb for the book (on Goodreads):

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year's game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year's game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits-physically, mentally, and emotionally-it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a brand-new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favourite and new characters collide in a game you'll never forget.

Do you have what it takes to play?

My Review

The Grandest Game is an interesting addition to The Inheritance Games universe, but it didn't quite capture the magic of the original trilogy for me. 📚🎲

Let me start with what works: the concept is intriguing! A Hawthorne-hosted competition with puzzles and challenges? That's exactly the kind of thing fans want to see. The game itself has creative elements, and there are moments where the puzzle-solving is genuinely engaging. 🧩✨

However, here's my main issue: ALL the book talks about is the game they're playing. 🎮 Like, constantly. Puzzle after puzzle, challenge after challenge, game strategy after game strategy. It gets repetitive and honestly kind of exhausting. The middle of the book especially feels like it's just going through the motions of "here's another game challenge" without much else happening.

And when we're not focused on the game? We're deep in romance territory. 💕 There's A LOT of romance between various characters, so much that it sometimes feels like the book can't decide if it wants to be a mystery or a romance novel. The romantic subplots take up significant page time, which is fine if you're here for that, but if you came for the mystery and intrigue of the original series, you might feel let down.

The pacing feels uneven because of this split focus. Game challenges, then romance, then more game challenges, then more romance, rinse and repeat. It starts feeling formulaic rather than exciting. ⏰

The NEW characters are... fine? They're not as compelling or memorable as Avery and the Hawthorne brothers from the original trilogy. I had trouble staying invested in their individual stories because we're juggling so many POVs and none of them grabbed me the way the original cast did. 🎭

The GOOD news: the cliffhanger at the end is pretty interesting! 😱 Finally, something OTHER than the Grandest Game is happening! It's the most engaged I felt in the whole book because it suggests there are bigger stakes and mysteries beyond just the competition. It makes me curious about where the series is going, even if getting there was a bit of a slog.

Minor spoiler territory ahead! ⚠️

I was kind of SHOCKED by how fast Lyra and Grayson kissed. 😳 Like, that escalated quickly! And honestly? It doesn't feel like Grayson's personality AT ALL to move that fast romantically. This is the same Grayson who's usually so controlled and guarded, and suddenly he's kissing someone he just met a few days ago? It felt out of character and rushed.

I totally get why people don't ship Lyra and Grayson, they really fell in love in a few DAYS. 📅 Not weeks, not months. The relationship feels completely unearned. There wasn't enough development, enough bonding moments, or enough genuine connection building to make me believe in their feelings for each other. It's giving "insta-love" vibes, For a character like Grayson who we've watched carefully guard his heart for an entire trilogy, it just doesn't track. 💔

The romance feels forced for plot purposes rather than organic character development. If Barnes had given them more time, more meaningful interactions, and more gradual development, maybe I'd buy it. But as it stands? Nah. I'm not convinced. 🤷‍♀️

End of spoiler section!

What I missed from this book was the tight plotting and high stakes of the original trilogy. The Inheritance Games had this perfect blend of mystery, danger, family drama, and romance. This feels more scattered, trying to juggle too many new characters, too many romantic subplots, and a competition that, while creative, doesn't feel as consequential as the original mystery. 🎯

The Hawthorne brothers (save Grayson) appear but feel more like guest stars than central characters, which makes sense given this is meant to introduce new players. But I found myself wishing for more of them and less of the new cast that I couldn't quite connect with. 🎭

The puzzles and challenges are creative. If you're someone who loves the puzzle-solving aspect above all else, you might enjoy this more than I did. But for me, puzzles need to serve a larger, more compelling narrative, and here they just felt like... puzzles for puzzles' sake. 🧩

Overall, The Grandest Game is an okay read but not essential. It's interesting enough to keep you reading, but it lacks the urgency, emotional depth, and character work that made the original trilogy so compelling. If you're a completionist who needs all the Inheritance Games content, go ahead and read it. Just know that it's a step down from the original series. 📚

3/5 pawprints 🐾🐾🐾

You can find the book on Goodreads here!

Cheers, and happy reading!

The Book Pup