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Reese's Book Club Pick
by Rebecca Armitage
An irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart.
It's New Year's Day in Australia and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out nicely: she's in the second year of her medical residency, she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends Finn and Jack, and she's about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack—when a helicopter abruptly lands.
Out steps her grandmother's right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Lexi's grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne—a role she has publicly disavowed.
Returning to London as the heir apparent Princess Alexandrina, Lexi is greeted by a skeptical public not ready to forgive her defection, a grieving sister-in-law harboring an explosive secret, and a scheming uncle determined to claim the throne himself.
Her recent life—and Jack—grow ever more distant as she feels the tug of tradition, of love for her grandmother, and of obligation. When her grandmother grants her one year to decide, Lexi must choose her own destiny: will it be determined by an accident of birth—or by love?
"Tiaras, titles, and titillating royals abound in this engrossing debut from Armitage...The Heir Apparent is filled with secrets, scandals, and a few unexpected twists, including a forbidden and beautiful love story...Armitage's writing is spectacular, with rich dialogue and descriptions, a vibrant depiction of the burden of duty versus personal freedom, and unique insights into royal life." ―Booklist (starred review)
"In Armitage's perceptive debut, the British monarchy navigates a crisis following the death of two heirs...A standout portrayal of the royals and the tabloid culture surrounding them." ―Publishers Weekly
"The author's deep knowledge of all things royal adds realism and texture to this entertaining debut." ―Kirkus Reviews
This information about The Heir Apparent was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Rebecca Armitage is a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, who likes to write about royals. She has written stories about the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of King Charles III, the exile of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, and the abdication of Denmark's Queen Margrethe. As digital editor for the ABC's International news team, she has covered several US elections and travelled to Israel to cover the war in Gaza. She lives in Hobart, Tasmania, with her husband and a poorly behaved German Shorthaired Pointer named Chino. The Heir Apparent is her first novel.
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