Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan are at it again with a follow-up to 2015's The Royal We with the aptly-named The Heir Affair. Following Bex and Nick after a major (and unflattering) news story breaks during their wedding, readers can satisfy their curiosity about what happens in the aftermath.

The Heir Affair is, unsurprisingly, incredibly well-written, with elevated but accessible prose that will captivate bibliophiles with wide-ranging reading interests. The story line is compelling, and will keep its reader up well past bedtime turning pages. While the topics can be heavy at times - mental wellness, marital woes, and more - each chapter will keep you laughing and falling in love with all of the characters again. The Heir Affair stands out among other romance novels because of just that: the depth of every character, not one of them overlooked. Each character we meet is complex, with a well-defined background and, occasionally, mysterious motives. Moreover, this read will stay with you, and you won't suspect the twists that are coming.

You'll fall in love with the world that Cocks and Morgan have dreamed up all over again in The Heir Affair which, one could argue, is infinitely more gratifying than The Royal We. This is the book that should be on every romance-lover's beach towel or nightstand this summer - highly recommended.

Nick and Bex are back! Well...not really. They have actually run away and left behind the Queen, the family, Clive, and all of the other drama that exploded at their wedding. Eventually they have to give up their bubble to return to the real world and their responsibilities. How will the Firm treat them now that truth (or part of the truth) is out there? How will the public respond to Bex now that she is their future queen? All things and more in The Heir Affair.
The sequel had everything that the first book had- love, fun side characters, and royal DRAMA. I thought that what this book lacked in romance, it made up for in a more tangible love story between Nick and Bex with real things happening that could possibly happen to a real couple. I really enjoyed it and hope there is more to come.

Many thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, which I was happy to receive, as I had very much enjoyed the authors' previous book, THE ROYAL WE. I found this follow-up a diverting read, but less compelling and entertaining than its predecessor. Perhaps it's a function of the genre - I get that it's not meant to be realistic fiction - but I found the various plot twists and some of the characterizations were just too over the top in this sequel. Still worth skimming if you are a huge royal watcher or fan of the first book. Three stars from me.

The Royal We is one of my favorite books. I’ve read it several times and never felt disappointed. When the sequel was announced, I was so freaking excited. It’s been almost 4 years since the first book came out, and I had honestly not expected another book. That being said, I was curious to see how it would play out and where it would pick up.

The Heir Affair picks up shortly after Bex and Nick’s wedding. To no one’s surprise, Clive did drop the story about Bex and Freddie. As a result, the wedding was absolutely disastrous. Bex and Nick handle it by running away on a long honeymoon or sorts. Called back to the palace as an emergency, the two of them are forced to deal with the repercussions of what happened before. They struggle to learn how to adapt to their new roles, their relationship with each other, and of course, how they react with Freddie. Readers get to see their favorite (and not-so-favorite) characters return, and they are every bit the same as before (not in a bad way). Another thing that didn’t change from the first book was the drama. It’s impossible to write a book that spans over years and not make the characters have their ups and downs. This boon covers a shorter amount of time, but still runs the reader through the wringer. Drama drives the plot and keeps the trouble coming for Bex and Nick. At times it can get tiring, but overall I think it just shows the reality of life—it’s freaking messy.

When it comes to character development, Iloved what the authors did in The Heir Affair. We first met Bex and Nick when they were in college, and now they are in their late twenties and married. Every character continues to mature and grow in new ways. There was development in individuals, but also in relationships. I loved to see how Bex’s relationships with Nick’s family members expanded. We got more one on one scenes with Bex, the Queen, and Marta the Queen. I especially loved Marta and thought she was brilliant and quirky. There are so many unique aspects of the characters and plot that just make me continue to love it so much more. The first book may have given us an overview of the many characters, but this book went in-depth and developed them further.

The ending was not quite what I expected, but in some ways it was more perfect. Bex and Nick’s story ends on a high note. Their group of friends all remain close, but have their own lives as well. Freddie got what he wanted, and I’d be interested to read a spin-off about him picking up at the ending of this book.

To conclude: This book fulfilled my expectations and exceeded them by continuing the stories of favorite characters and reminding us that while life isn’t always perfect, it’ll be perfect as long as we have the support of our loved ones.

I loved this peek into an imaginary royal family and the intricacies of their royal and familial dynamics. As always, our narrator Bex shares with us life from her no-frills perspective. When there are things to do, whether it’s redecorate a house, restore a broken relationship, or sneak out of the palace for a Big Mac, Bex gets it done. Along the way she exposes the privilege of living as royalty, alongside its more disagreeable moments. There were a few superfluous storylines that didn’t drive the plot or have any resolution along the way. Is this a hint at book three? I very much enjoyed this installment and am excited to rejoin the Clarences as they begin a new life as parents. I’m also curious how Freddie will adjust to his new life circumstances. I hope there is more to come!

Cute follow-up to the Royal We. A little long, but the characters were interesting and I enjoyed the backstory about the Queen's sister.

I finished the Heir Affair (the sequel to The Royal We) and I’m just irrationally mad that Bex and Nick and Freddie and Gaz and Cilla and Lacey aren’t my friends.

Spending more time with them was a gift. The book comes out in July and I’ll warn you it isn’t the romance you might be expecting but it’s still so, so good!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC and thank you @fuggirls for these amazing books.

I loved this follow-up to The Royal We! The final third of the book went a bit off the rails for me-- it felt a little bit like the authors were concerned they didn't have enough plot and added in a bunch of twists-- but it was a delight and comfort to return to familiar characters. I could read about Nick, Bex, Freddie, and their friends for many more books.

I’m a huge fan of The Royal We. That deliciously fun book about an American marrying into the British Royal Family came out in 2015, years before Meghan Markle was even a twarkle—er, sparkle—in the eye of the royal landscape (landscapes have eyes!) Are Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan ancient sea witches risen from the waves to tell the tales of royal scandals yet to come? Clearly. I’ve read the Royal We a good half dozen times, both on audio and on the page, and it’s just such a comforting favorite book. Great for any royal lover or anyone who wants a fun story. I recommend it all the time (including right now, to you! Go read it!)

So naturally I was stoked to get this advance copy! It was the perfect pandemic treat and was such a joy to spend time with these characters again, hearing what happened to them in Happily Ever After. (Spoiler: Happily Ever After is not all it’s cracked up to be. But we knew that.) It has all the funny, absurd, heartwarming characters and plot lines you loved in Royal We, with a few things you probably didn’t see coming.

The Royal We is one of my all-time favorite books for being fun, topical, warm, and feeling like it’s pulling back the curtain (I know it’s fiction!) But it isn’t perfect (nothing is!) and neither is its sequel. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll just say I had two small quibbles: 1) there are a couple of brief things that took me out of the moment with their absurdity and 2) both The Royal We and The Heir Affair use a plot device that’s a personal pet peeve: characters don’t talk to each other about their problems, and if they did, some things could be resolved. There’s a bit of that here, and it’s not my favorite. But I also don’t care? And if you liked the Royal We, I don’t think you will either. You’ll love spending time with these characters again. Each moment with them makes it worth it and these books are such a comforting joy. Also, the poignancy of their timing and the topics in the book are yet again clearly the work of their ancient sea witch magic. Heather and Jessica, you’ve done it again!

http://www.caitlinhannah.com/blog/2020/5/4/book-review-the-heir-affair

I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This book picks up right where the first one left off. Bex and Nick (The Duke and Duchess of Clarence, third in line to the throne) have escaped to Scotland after the scandal that dropped at their wedding. The entire country thinks that Bex slept with Nick’s brother, Freddie. Which, while isn’t true, isn’t exactly far from the truth either. But then a crisis forces the pair to return to London and face the scandal they left behind. Bex struggles to adjust to her new role as a Duchess, builds a relationship with Queen Eleanor herself, and uncovers maybe one too many secrets about the royal family that threaten to derail them entirely.

I will start off by saying that I did not even read the first book. I had never heard of it before seeing this sequel and this book looked interesting so I decided to just dive right in. In hindsight, I would probably suggest to anyone to read the first book before reading this one, however it’s definitely not strictly necessary.

WOW. This is thinly veiled Kate Middleton and Prince William fan fiction. OK, not even thinly veiled. This is just straight up fan fiction. That being said, it was not what I was expecting and was actually surprisingly good. It was interesting to live through the scandals that a royal couple might face. And this book was definitely JAM PACKED with drama. I will say, the story did feel a bit too long and a bit too winding through the many years of drama. But hey, it’s currently COVID-19 quarantine, what else am I doing with my time?

You can tell that the authors put a lot of effort into really learning everything they could about England’s royal family before writing this book. While it obviously doesn’t follow the same story line as Kate and William’s real life, it was really believable and a good read if you’re interested in England’s royalty.

You can read my review on my blog at lolosbookshelf.com
Or you can follow me on instagram @lolosbookshelf

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, Heather Cocks, and Jessica Morgan for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #TheHeirAffair

Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑

Beautifully written and kept me on the edge of my seat. I had some guesses of a follow up to the first book and the authors surprised me in the best way. Preorder Heir Affair now! It’s something you’ll want to read again and again! This was worth the wait and I absolutely hope there is a third installment though I hope it comes out sooner!!

Heir Affair picks up right where The Royal We left off. Bex and Nick are hiding out after their wedding pretending to be book sellers in an AirBnB. They are pulled out of this extended day dream when Queen Elenor is sick to find out the public now loves Freddie better and the family thinks Bex only exists to provide an heir. I loved seeing Bex work to figure out her place in the family and to develop deeper relationships. She uncovers a mystery I wasn’t expecting when she finds Princess Georginia’s letters in her new apartment. This book tackles hard subjects in a beautiful way, I really enjoyed getting to be a part of the world the authors created.

I loved The Royal We so much, I couldn't wait to this one!

The Heir Affair (pub. 7/7/20) follows Bex and Nick, now the Duchess and Duke of Clarence, after scandal rocks their royal wedding. Disguised, they escape to Scotland to try to outrun the scandal but are forced to return to London and face Nick's brother Freddie, the Queen, and the emotional wreckage they left behind.

This book was fully of witty banter, even coming from the Queen. She might be my favorite character. She's strong and honest, knows what she wants, has moments of vulnerability, and it turns out she's a Cubs fan. It was interesting to see the imagined life as part of the royal family, always in the public eye and people weighing in on private family relationships. Cocks and Morgan turned out to be eerily prescient, with an American marrying into the royal family since the first book was written and now Harry and Meghan choosing to leave the royal family at least in part due to paparazzi.

I do think the book could have been condensed. It was hard for me to get into until I was about 60% in. At first, it seemed like everyone was upset and wallowing. After it picked up, though, I was invested and wanted to know how everything would be resolved. This book is perfect for anyone interested in the royal family or wants to read about what comes next after "I do."

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of this book!

THE HEIR AFFAIR - Jessica Morgan
The Royal We – Book 2
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-10: 1538715910
ISBN-13: 978-1538715918
July 2010
Young Adult Romance

Scotland and England – 2015

Iowa native Rebecca Porter (Bex) married heir apparent Prince Nicholas (Nick) of the royal Lyons dynasty. Before the end of her royal wedding, Bex and Nick’s former friend, reporter Clive Fitzwilliam, published a story that Bex had slept with Nick’s younger brother Prince Frederick (Freddie). He had a photo of Freddie leaving her apartment. Of course, it wasn’t true, but aspects of Freddie’s behavior infuriated Nick. Bex loves Nick, but she loves Freddie as a good friend. Now there is a serious rift between the two royal brothers and all of England thinks the American bride is an undeserving slut. Bex and Nick decided to escape their predicament. They took new identities with the help of wigs and went to a small town in Scotland. Nick, living and enjoying a somewhat normal life for once, watches the news and sees his father thrust Freddie into positions he should have been performing if he were in London. One of the four protection officers who followed them to Scotland comes to their front door and tells them they must return to London. Nick’s grandmother, Queen Eleanor, has suffered a heart attack, so the Duke and Duchess of Clarence must return to the public spotlight.

Queen Eleanor and her son Richard, Prince of Wales, make it clear they do not like Bex or think her a suitable person for her position. The news media and the public feel, and show, their disdain for her, again, with great impetus from reporter Clive. Nicholas and Frederick are stoically polite in public, but otherwise not speaking. It is a difficult situation, but Bex has a few friends and advisors to help her, and her twin sister and mother stay in touch via long-distance communications. More problems, unexpected twists, and disasters arise. Bex learns royal families are just as susceptible to duplicity as normal ones, and Bex’s favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, even plays a part. Can anything turn this situation around?

This engaging story is divided into four sections called acts, and certainly much of what goes on is like theater. The story is from Bex’s viewpoint, and while very serious and melodramatic events take place, a thread of humor entertains the reader. I had not read the first book in the series, but had no problem understanding or being enchanted by this story.

Robin Lee

Holy. Romance. Pants. I know I wasn't the only person jumping up and down with excitement when the sequel to The Royal We was announced. Luckily, this was one of those sequels that lived up to it's hype. The Heir Affair started with a slow build, taking place in the immediate weeks where the The Royal We left off and takes the reader from there. While I was nervous that the slow build might continue for too long, Morgan and Cocks quickly reminded me that they were old pros and knew exactly what they were doing. The story line was amazing and took me on a wild ride, with turns I wasn't expecting. I loved getting to go back to my favorite characters and see them to continue to develop even more. This sequel was perfect and I can only hope to see more in The Royal We series.

I really enjoyed this and it kept me reading, which I can't say for most books I've read lately! This was a nice escape, though I wouldn't exactly call it a beach read. Everyone in this book has some rather deep issues that need to be sorted out and they can frequently be fairly awful to each other. It's a dysfunctional family and you get to see some of the ugly side of that. I enjoyed the mystery that was buried in this book and found Georgina interesting even though she isn't even alive in this book. I also wanted more of the supporting characters as they brought a little levity to the often heavy topics in the rest of the book. Overall, it gets four stars because I wanted to know what happened and the authors kept me reading. It wasn't as light of a read as the first book, but clearly that didn't stop me from finishing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I may have let out an unladylike squeal when I found out I received an eARC of the sequel to one of my favorite romances back in 2015. I was more than happy to re-read The Royal We in preparation for this book and it was just as delightful and lovely as the first time I closed its covers.

And while The Heir Affair picks up almost right after the events of the first book, this ain’t really a romance. This is a capital D DRAMA: Bex and Nick are in hiding - even pretending to be other people - after the most public hellish wedding possible. It broke my heart after the beautiful, hope-filled conclusion of the first book to see these characters trying to put on a brave face in an impossible situation.

They are soon called back home to “The Firm,” and the drama doesn’t stop from there. I was most surprised about the characters we heard the most from and the ones that took a step back. Up to the plate, filling out even further as characters and proving more flawed and complex than perhaps initially thought; the Queen, Freddie, and Bex herself. Simmering quietly in the background: Bex’s twin sister, Lacey, Gaz-Cilla-Bea-Gemma (all lumped together as the Friend Group that Occasionally Pops Up From Time to Time), and Nick.

One thing I wished in the first book was that Nick had been more complex: he came across perfect and heart-throbby and swoony, if a little absent due to his royal duties. I think in my review of the first book I called him “a little too dreamy.” And while he has his vicious jealous monster moments in this sequel (of course he’d have some issues: the world just found out his brother and new bride Had a Thing) I still felt like I saw more of his brother Freddie than I did the prince-to-be. We see the way that Freddie has had to pick up the slack while Nick and Bex pretend to be other people and the bitterness and hurt that has grown from that. We see him struggle with his feelings and relationship with both Bex and Nick. We see Bex struggle with balancing her relationship with both brothers and trying to heal the hurt from all sides. We see Nick deal with the monumental press backlash from his wedding retreat, all while having to hide his hurt from both his bride and his brother. As much as I would have liked this love triangle to drama to go away, it does lead the forward direction of this book, and while I begrudgingly followed, it was hard not to get swept up in it all.

Another driving drama of the story is a deep dark family secret that I OF COURSE cannot spoil here (the real reveal happens so late in the novel that I feel like I can’t even hint at it). Leading up to it, we learn more about a very central character who played a surprisingly small role in the first book: the Queen herself. She and Bex actually wind up developing a very complex and interesting relationship. The authors do a great job here of making this matriarch seem at the same time sympathetic (the crushing PRESSURE of this kind of job?! And what it does for your relationships to the family and people around you) and horrible (how much of your humanity/moral code do you have to compromise to do what it takes to run a country and helm a dynasty?).

Then the family secret comes around and wallops everyone. The different parties involved retreat to process the ramifications of the overwhelming truth revealed, all while Bex and Nick are harboring a pretty devastating secret of their own. It’s such a big secret that it feels almost hypocritical of them to cast judgment on those involved in the family drama.

The book wraps up very quickly: storylines come to, if not 100% satisfying ends, then resolutions with interesting ramifications for all (side note: I can’t help but feel like there’s a set up for a third installment for Freddie? Since we spent so much extra quality time with him this book). The family secret is processed, dealt with from all parties involved, and set aside for a final scene that wraps everything in a nice bow. I want to again point out that this sequel is not a romance. It deals with some deep, dark issues that face a lot of people who fall in love, who are newly married, who have a job or larger responsibility that takes a toll. It may not be what I was expecting, having loved the lovely relationships created in the first book and the romance that was the backbone of it all, and having a lot of those relationships set on the back burner for this story. But I still had an emotional response and felt a lot of love for these characters as they went through the next chapters (pun intended?) in their lives.

3.5⭐️

When I saw the announcement that this book was being published, I have never added a book to my “want to read” list so quickly. I didn’t read the plot synopsis, I didn’t need to because I was already all in.

Rebecca “Bex” Porter said “I do” to her Prince, literally. However Bex and Nick soon learn that happily ever after might only be something that happens in fairy tales. In the beginning of “The Heir Affair”, we see the newlyweds escaping their royal reality in Scotland, trying to evade the scrutiny of the press after their ex-friend Clive released the news to the world that Nick’s brother, Freddie, and his new bride may of had an affair prior to their historic nuptials. As much as they wish, they can’t run away from their problems, or their duties, forever. Including what the nation expects next from them: an heir.

I was 100% expecting this book to be about Freddie’s romantic journey (the first book was Will and Kate fanfic, and I don’t think I was too out of line to be expecting for Harry and Meghan to be given the same treatment). However, I was not expecting after a 5 year break between the two books for it to pick up literally where “The End” left off.

I won’t lie, I have very conflicting feelings about this book. If you’re looking for something frothy, light, and fun, this book is not it. This book is messy and it is complicated, yet it is an entirely compelling read.

The main problem of the first book comes back to haunt me in this sequel. Bex and Nick’s love story in “The Royal We” mainly happened off the page. The foundations of their relationship were never really explored, and then the story jumps forward in time and right into their relationship problems. Because of that it is so hard to root for their romance because we never really got to know Nick.

One of my main issues with this series is how toxic the relationship between Bex and Nick is. There is a lot of backsliding into bad habits and relationships, a lot of “tit-for-tat” to get back at the other person, and a lot of communication issues. I can’t root for them because it doesn’t feel good rooting for an obviously unhealthy relationship.

It is doubly hard to get behind them when the authors seem to keep setting up Freddie and Bex as romantic interests. On the page they have so much more chemistry and genuine connection than Bex has ever had with Nick. There were times when it was actually painful to keep reading this book because Freddie deserved so much better than the storyline he got in this. It was hard being on the wrong side of a love triangle. #TeamFreddie4Ever

However, this book is just as engaging as the first. You can’t help but to keep turning the pages to see what twists and turns Bex has to deal with. I loved in this one seeing the development of Bex’s role as she gets folded into The Firm (aka the Royal Family). And how her relationship with those members grows and changes.

Ultimately, this book was a bittersweet follow up to a story that probably should have been left alone.

I don't know what it is specifically about these books, but I just get sucked in and don't want them to end! I fall in love with the characters and just enjoy the royal ride. I started this story thinking we were going to follow Freddie's storyline, but it was still very much Nick and Bex's book number 2! In this story we delve into the aftermath of the first book, learn more about the history of the royal family, see a different side to Queen Eleanor, and live the royal life all the while navigating through some rather difficult situations that Nick and Bex find themselves in.

I loved this story, and I secretly hope we get a third installment. I don't know what the plot would be, but I would honestly follow them anywhere!

This sequel was not what I'd been expecting, but it was somehow everything I wanted from a return to this series! Seeing the next chapter in Nick and Bex's lives was a total delight. Like in its predecessor, Cocks and Morgan masterfully handle time with small skips and jumps that give some scenes a sense of hindsight while others feel very raw and urgent and the book covers a fairly long period of time without ever feeling long, just rich and immersive. Cocks and Morgan's years of covering the royals is on full display, and readers of their blog, Go Fug Yourself, will certainly recognize some of their signature royals coverage peeking through, there is definitely "eye-banging" on tour and some fabulous sartorial descriptions. I'm also pretty sure Cocks and Morgan must be royal psychics, like an American marrying into the royal family years after the Royal We was published, events in this book somehow once again foreshadowed events for the real life royals! I would recommend this one for fans of the royal family and anyone who loves The Crown.

This was a great follow-up to the first book in the series—similar sense of heart and pure escapism. I loved how it picked up so well and seamlessly after The Royal We. And it was fascinating reading about what happens AFTER the romance is already established since so many romance novels are focused on the beginning.