Book Review: "The Heir Affair" by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
“The Heir Affair” by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Synopsis: 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.
Rating: 4
Trigger warnings: infertility
Review: Okay, I feel like y’all already knew I was going to love this book — it was one of my most anticipated books of the summer, and I adore “The Royal We” (Bookshop | Kindle) — so this review may not be a surprise. Honestly, though, hasn’t 2020 had enough surprises? Let’s lean into the things we love, friends, and some of the things that I love include royalty, family drama, fancy clothes, England, and well-written sequels to old favorites.
I don’t know why I initially assumed that this sequel would be more about Freddie (maybe I was just looking for some Harry-Meghan fanfic), but I am so glad that this one continued Bex’s story, primarily. She is such a charming narrator, totally flawed in her own way, and it is a testament to the Fug Girls’ skill that I kind of want to be Bex, warts and all.
In “The Heir Affair,” we are given an intimate look at the first few years of Bex and Nick’s marriage, from their self-imposed exile following the scandal of the century and their reintegration into their royal duties. Not only do they go through some of the normal growing pains when there’s a relationship shift and how to navigate it; it is coupled with public scrutiny and family drama. Plus, Bex’s main duty is providing an heir, and it isn’t easy for her — on top of everything else. Where I felt the first book was fun and frothy royal fanfic, this felt like a more grown up version of that book — while retaining the sense of fun.
As always, I would be remiss in not mentioning the side characters: Gaz and Freddie remain my favorites, but a sleeper here is how much I adored Queen Eleanor. She plays a much larger role in this story, and I can’t really get into it if I want to remain spoiler-free, but I really came to appreciate both her and the role that a Queen must play, especially in the modern era. Plus, who would have thought she would be a baseball fan?
There has been a lot in the news this year about Queen Elizabeth II, particularly following the Sussex split and the Sandringham summit (I won’t go into it here, but this is a good summary), which has made me think a lot about duty over family and how one prioritizes. I fully admit to being a QEII stan, and I was a British history major, so I do know a fair amount about this particular royal family — and so I do believe that she did what she had to do in order to preserve “The Firm” while still keeping her family as intact as possible. So, why am I talking about this here? One of the driving themes of this book is duty, and how in many instances, it is more important than personal desires or emotions. I feel like the authors accurately captured that reality, and it will make you reconsider wanting to be a princess when you grow up.
Fair warning: if you haven’t recently read “The Royal We,” you might find this a little jarring. It picks up almost immediately after Bex and Nick’s wedding, and you’re dropped back into that extremely emotional moment for the two of them. I had read their first adventure relatively recently, and I ended up going back and reading the last 3 chapters of “The Royal We” once I realized how “The Heir Affair” started. If you can, I would definitely recommend that tack, as it triggered why Bex and Nick had gone into exile and all that followed.
TL;DR:
If You Liked This, Try These:
“American Royals” by Katharine McGee - my review here! (Bookshop | Kindle)
“Red, White, and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston - Moira’s review here! (Bookshop | Kindle)
“In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle - my review here! (Bookshop | Kindle)
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
