JENNIFER LYNN BARNES
(Book four in the The Inheritance Games series)
Synopsis:
Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.
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 best: 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.
My rating: ★★★.75
(rounded to four on the ratings pages)
Content:
Language: Some use of mild language.
Violence: Mentions of kidnapping, mentions of murder, murder cover-ups, descriptions of blood/bruising, recreational fighting, rehab, and drugs/drug addictions. Manipulation and threats are also featured prominently. Past arson and a bombing that resulted in several deaths are also mentioned.
Sex: Short kiss scenes. It is implied that the main couple has sex multiple times, but nothing is explicitly stated (they sleep in the same bed and live together). A boyfriend is shown attempting to pressure his girlfriend into sex.
There is also some mention of sleeping with several people and a woman getting pregnant from several different men (a topic that is brought up throughout the series).
LGBTQ: A lesbian side couple is featured in earlier books, but they aren't mentioned in this installment.
My Review:
Pros:
- THE CHARACTERS. Jennifer Lynn Barnes has a way of making me really attached to her characters.
- the mysteries and vibes. While this was the weakest "mystery" or puzzle in the series for me, I still really enjoyed it.
- Jameson and Avery! I love Grayson too, but come one, guys. Avery and Jameson are perfect together.
- Grayson's relationship with his sisters was interesting too, and I found myself looking forward to Gigi's scenes (sorry, Savannah).
- I am also giving a point to the Devil's Mercy (the underground gambling club mentioned in the synopsis). The setup and rules were cool.
Cons:
- the beginning was pretty hard for me to get into. Compared with the quick pacing of the other books I've read by the author, including the previous books in the series, it just read too slow for me.
- character development. I do think we are finally getting some, but the characters all seem a bit stagnant when it comes to character arcs
- Avery's character was handled
badly, in my opinion. She seemed
like a simplified version of herself.
- I also don't think this installment or whatever comes next is really necessary. I liked how the third book ended and was surprised when the fourth one and its sequel were announced.
- Because of the title, I incorrectly assumed that the book was going to focus on the brothers as a whole. To be honest, I think it would have been better that way. We only had like three chapters (maybe less) with all the brothers together. (I am very bitter about this, sorry.)