One of my most exciting book bites of the year, I’m going to be sharing a book that we have all been waiting for- The Heir Affair. The sequel to The Royal We, we’ve been waiting since 2015 for the next instalment of this story. A massive thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Tiffany at Hachette for providing me a review copy! So, without any further adieu, let’s get into my review…
There are no spoilers in this review, so you can read it without worries!
The Heir Affair, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Making it up the aisle was the easy part: After marrying the heir to the throne, Rebecca “Bex” Porter must survive her own scandals as she adjusts to life in the glamorous British royal family, in this “highly anticipated” follow-up to The Royal We, the “fun and dishy” bestseller and NYT Summer Reading List pick inspired by Will and Kate’s romance (People).
After a scandalous secret turns their fairy-tale wedding into a nightmare, Rebecca “Bex” Porter and her husband Prince Nicholas are in self-imposed exile. The public is angry. The Queen is even angrier. And the press is salivating. Cutting themselves off from friends and family, and escaping the world’s judgmental eyes, feels like the best way to protect their fragile, all-consuming romance.
But when a crisis forces the new Duke and Duchess back to London, the Band-Aid they’d placed over their problems starts to peel at the edges. Now, as old family secrets and new ones threaten to derail her new royal life, Bex has to face the emotional wreckage she and Nick left behind: with the Queen, with the world, and with Nick’s brother Freddie, whose sins may not be so easily forgotten — nor forgiven.
Why You Should Read This…
Starting off with the obvious- you absolutely need to read The Royal We before you read The Heir Affair. If you have read it, you’ve probably been waiting for this book since it was published. We are back with Bex, Nick, Freddie, Lacey, and everyone else, AND we finally get to spend time with the Queen. (Queen Eleanor, that is.) I have to admit though, my new favourite character is Georgina, Eleanor’s sister (a Princess Margaret figure). Although we never meet her, Bex gets to know her through her letters, her belongings (including some incredible first edition books), and her hidden room. Yes, her hidden room. And she is fascinating! Not that Bex and Nick and Freddie aren’t enough on their own, but it really feels like a royal family now.
I would say that The Heir Affair has more weight to it. There are several quite heartbreaking and difficult situations that we never could have imagined in the first book, and Cocks and Morgan do an amazing job at handling them realistically. It is still an entertaining book and has its light moments, but expect a more serious Bex and Nick this time around. The more serious tone made for a different reading experience, but no less enjoyable!
What I find most interesting is that it does follow the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s last several years somewhat closely, but deviates at very key points. There is absolutely enough of a difference to be its own story, though. That is what I find most impressive about these two books. We are all reading them because we love the royals and are interested in them- these books play on that affection and interest, but are still a separate universe. I can’t say I’ve seen any authors do the same successfully. And somehow, they predicted the future when they wrote an American duchess into the British royal family, so I think we will all be watching closely to see if any story lines play out.
The Heir Affair needs to be your next read, and I’m excited to hear your thoughts!
Cheers,
The Historian
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