The number one bestselling series, “The Inheritance Games,” has recently had a spin-off novel published by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes. “The Brothers Hawthorne” focuses on Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne who are two of the four grandchildren to infamous billionaire Tobias Hawthorne whose inheritance became a scandal after a will testified that all his money go to a stranger. This event became one of the main plots in the book series which has continued to gain popularity as the world expands with more of Barnes’ writing.
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, and taught 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—without getting caught up in emotional entanglements.
Jameson Hawthorne, however, is a risk-taker and 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.
I personally advocate for the romance between Avery, who is the stranger that inherited their grandfather’s fortune, and Jameson, so I loved seeing their relationship grow in this book. I found focusing on two of the four grandchildren was great since it really got into the mind of the characters. We see Grayson struggle with losing Avery as a love interest and how he’s on a quest to find himself through his family. Given their family is all about winning games, I found this familial theme of belonging really endearing.
Even though “The Brothers Hawthorne” is a spin-off and readers don’t need knowledge of the previous works, I highly suggest it. There are so many characters and stories that add to the main plot of what Jameson and Grayson are going through, that it can be hard to keep up.
“The Brothers Hawthorne” is a book written for the fans. Unlike the previous novels, which focused on the mystery of why Avery inherited a stranger’s fortune, “The Brothers Hawthorne” spotlights the characters more than focusing on the plot and mystery found in the other books.
The characters and their defining personalities make reading the book seem like no time has passed since the last book in the trilogy: “The Final Gambit.” Barnes’ trademark writing style of having multiple games scattered throughout is evident and very much appreciated as it adds to the nostalgia of reading her novel.
I enjoyed reading “The Brothers Hawthorne” since the characters and their personalities filled me with a forgotten nostalgia that urged me to keep reading to feel more at home with characters I had met once long ago.