The Heir Apparent: A Reese's Book Club Pick

I’m speechless! This book was so so good. I flew through it in two days. I didn’t want to put it down! It was so well written and such a great story. I love that the story line was nothing like I’ve read before!

The Heir Apparent reimagines the British Royal Family of today. It parallels the current monarchy in many ways with characters facing similar struggles. The main character is Princess Alexandrina (Lexi) who has to come out of self-imposed exile following a family tragedy. She is now faced with the choice of embracing the monarchy in full, or returning to the quiet life she has built for herself in another country.I found the book to be interesting and it definitely brought back a lot of nostalgia for the time of Diana and her children as I grew up 8 years ahead of Prince William. This story would be a good fit for anyone who enjoys a story of a family layered in complexity, the royal family, or a character faced with a fork in the road.Shakira Shute did a wonderful job with the narration and picking up the different British accents. The accents of the characters described as Australian didn’t quite hit the mark, but that was a smaller part of the story and didn’t detract from my overall experience.Thank you to Hachette Audio for access to a copy of this audiobook via Libro.FM’s Audiobook Listening Copy program. All opinions shared are my own and are freely given.

Couldn’t put it down! Loved the characters and the story, it was riveting and I didn’t want it to end

Many thanks to NetGalley, Cardinal and Hachette Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the December Reese Book Club Pick by Rebecca Armitage, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Shakira Shute. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!Lexi is in her second year of her medical residence in Australia and lives on a farm with her two best friends, Finn and Jack, and hoping to become more than friends with Jack. Then the news hits that her father and twin brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Suddenly, Lexi is whisked back to England, because her grandmother happens to be Queen, and now Lexi, or Princess Alexandria, is next in line for the throne. This is a role she publicly disavowed, and the public is not thrilled that she's back. Her grandmother needs an answer, her sister-in-law is grieving, her uncle is determined to oust her and claim the throne, and Lexi's world in Australia with Jack feels very far away.This may seem at first glance like just a light-hearted book, but it really delves into a lot of territory. There's loss, grief, family secrets, loyalty, and self-discovery all wrapped up in a really good story. If you are intrigued by the Royal Family (and who isn't?), you'll see obvious parallels and learn a lot about traditions and expectations. But there are terrific characters in their own right in this book, and you'll be rooting for them. The narration and production were great and I loved the accents of the different characters.

3.5/5 starsI found this a pretty good read, but it was not really what I was expecting based on the cover (and yes, I can be one of those).The premise here is that a black sheep ("rebellious") princess who has found a new life and new goals in Australia must return to Great Britain as she unexpectedly becomes heir apparent to the throne. The story follows her ins & outs as she readjusts to the notoriety/expectations of being the royal heir. She has decisions to make involving legacies, loyalties, and personal aspirations. Can she have it all?This story had a bit more darkness to it than I was expecting. I anticipated mostly "fluff", maybe some humor and a sweet romance. The romance is very minorly on the page, but yes, the "fluff" and humor are there at times. However, this book highlights the power and prestige behind the royal lives...the good, the bad and the ugly/evil. In this case we see how power can corrupt, and I found myself surprised by the evolution of certain characters who appeared more sympathetic in the beginning of the book but turned out to be quite different than initially portrayed...which is most likely a truism in the royalty realms. While I liked watching the thought process and evolution of Princess Alexandrina as she struggles toward her goal to be both a good steward for her people and to remain true to her own personal goals for her life.My caveat here and it was a bothersome one as my frustration with Lexi (the princess) at times. Yes, she had an impossible decision to make, but I found her easily pulled back into royal life after having been on her own for quite a few years and apparently enjoying that. She is surrounded by secrets and lies and yet (until close to the ending of the book), she feels like a doormat to me in her ambivalence in defending good from evil. She seemed too easily swayed. And I was absolutely disappointed and angry by how she treated her best friend/love interest during her reintroduction to the aristocracy. I actually found myself rooting for him to find someone more deserving of him. She does redeem herself, but that part of the story left a bit of a sour taste for me.It was interesting as a reader to see some of the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of the privileged, and there were echoes of very real stories going on in the royal family currently.All in all, a decent story with a couple of personal caveats.