Glorious Rivals (The Grandest Game, 2)

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4.3

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Author(s)

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

July 29, 2025

ISBN

978-0316481311

Buy This Book

Hearts, lives, and riches are on the line in this heart-stopping sequel to The Grandest Game by #1 bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Seven players arrived on Hawthorne Island, each with their own secrets and motivations to win the Grandest Game. Millions are at stake, but so are hearts—and lives. The players now must race to win the game, solve myriad mysteries, and survive the twists and turns of Glorious Rivals.

The stakes get higher, the game gets twistier, and everything heats up in this newest installment in the TikTok sensation Inheritance Games Saga.

Catch every thrilling twist and turn of The Inheritance Games Saga, including the Grandest Game, the thrilling new series set in the world of the Inheritance Games:

The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1)
The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games #2)
The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games #3)
The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games #4)
Games Untold
The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game #1)
Glorious Rivals (The Grandest Game #2)
The Gilded Blade (The Grandest Game #3)
The Same Backward as Forward

For more unputdownable reads from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, don’t miss the killer The Naturals series, and The Debutantes duet.

Editor review

1 review

Buildup for a Fabulous Finale

January 21, 2026 (Updated: June 06, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Glorious Rivals continues where the events of the Grandest Game left off. There are several budding romances of questionable judgment. Grayson is determined to help Lyra Kane, who is remembering more of her father’s death. Jameson wants her gone when the name Alice Hawthorne starts being mentioned. Rohan and Savannah Grayson grow ever closer. She was put in the game by Eve and can’t wait to win and expose Avery for the murder and cover-up of her father. Gigi is kidnapped and even handles that with quips and outlandish sunshine, winning the heart of one captor before a second capture.
The puzzle game portion feels a bit thin. A lot of time is devoted to the contest in the story, but the real interest is in Alice and Eve’s interference, yet it is not being focused on for most of the story. I did enjoy the romances and wonder which ones will stick during the final book. The ending was a surprise and builds up to almost guarantee that the last book in the trilogy will be amazing.
Overall, this book focused on building relationships and setting up the plot for the third book. It is not my favorite in the series, but you will need it for what is promising to be an epic finale with Alice and Eve involved.