The Heir Affair is a sequel to Royal We, so first, if you haven't read The Royal We! It's fantastic, and without it, this book will not make a ton of sense. Would you start Harry Potter with Chamber of Secrets?

Also, this review will have spoilers for Royal We (though not Heir Affair), so if you haven't read it yet, go away! Read it? Thank me later!

When I finished reading Royal We, I was delighted, and also traumatized: delighted because it was SO MUCH FUN to read, like eating a whole box of See's Candies, and traumatized, because it left on a cliffhanger; would Bex, the Cubs-loving American abroad, go through with her marriage to Nick, the heir to the British throne, after the news broke on their wedding day that she had made out with his raffish younger brother, Freddie. HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THAT?!!?!

Royal We benefitted from being a pretty straightforward fairy tale -- American commoner falls in love with the future King of England -- set down in a modern world, with a totally modern, funny spin. The story was simple -- girl meets Prince, girl wins Prince, girl maybe almost loses Prince -- so the delight was in the telling, in the voice, the humor, the rich cast of characters, from Nick and Bex's Oxford friends, to the extended family in the Castle. The book was both a classic archetype, and also a fresh spin, and that was a lovely alchemy.

Heir Affair doesn't have that clarity of focus; it is a little muddier, and I spent a lot of the book wondering exactly what the book was about. Is it about Nick and Bex? Are we focusing in on Freddie this time? There's a whole subplot around Nick's grandmother, the Queen, and her sister, Georgina, who is now deceased but went to the grave with secrets left behind in her journal. There's also a subplot about Daphne, the heir to the throne of Norway, a once-kidnapped recluse, who gets wrapped up in Nick and Bex and Freddie's life, And of course there is the question that comes whenever a Prince gets married: will there be an Heir? This felt a bit less like a single story, and more like a whole lot of ideas about what could happen after Royal We.

That said. I'm not going to complain. I still love all the characters, the writing, the voice, the humor, the setting. The Queen plays a bigger role in this go-around, and while I'm not sure it was ALWAYS convincing, the idea of the Queen of England letting down her hair with the new American is just so much fun to read -- everyone's fantasy of what could have happened if Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle had become good friends.

In short...I think this was at least three different books, and it perhaps suffers a bit from not being clearly any one thing. But I loved spending time with the crew again, and I am so grateful to have a lovely place to escape to; it's what I want most from fiction during this time.

I have been waiting for this book for years. I was early anticipating it and then I got nervous. What if it doesn't live up to the first story? What if I hate the characters this time around? Well, I am here to say that the sequel is excellent! The story is top-notch and exactly what fans of the royal family need right now.

This was the perfect escapist read. It had been a while since I read the first book, so I did need to re-acquaint myself with the characters but once I did, I flew right through this. This is the perfect book if you enjoy reading about the royal family and like family/royal drama. There's obviously some real world connections (I'm pretty sure the author's are clairvoyant), but it's not straight up fanfiction. It's fluffy and ridiculous and just the right amount of dishy, royal fun for the summer months. Best read outside while sipping a lemonade and enjoying the sunshine.

I binged back to back to Heather Cocks + Jessica Morgan’s Royal We books! Huge thank you to @grandcentral for my advance copy of the latest instalment The Heir Affair out in July!

These books were the perfect escape reads during these difficult times. Full of scandals, romance and royal secrets - I really enjoyed these fun reads and loved how, especially The Royal We, follows real events so closely.

I can see how folks would enjoy this, but it just didn't do it for me. I didn't care for the Royal We, but I wanted to give this a chance since so many of my friends loved it. I thought everything was awkward and stilted. I did enjoy Eleanor learning about baseball, but everything else was pretty snoozy.

I loved 'The Royal We' and this sequel is everything I hoped it would be. Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan did a brilliant job setting up Bex and Prince Nicholas as real people — and watching their continuing (mis)adventures unfold and their relationship mature is a treat. The prose is sparkly and the spirit is buoyant, but what makes both of these novels stand out is the depth of emotion they induce. It's all enthralling and the ending is just perfect.

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

I loved and have reread several times the first book in this series, "The Royal We" which I think can be fairly described as a rom com. This sequel starts off right as "The Royal We" ends and is an emotional look at the first year of a rocky marriage and wild family. The fact that the family in question is British royalty does amp the tension a bit, but is still so grounded in the everyday normal family politics that makes the characters feel authentic and easy to root for.

The first book also had a lot of pomp, circumstance and adventure and this story is an internal, emotional plot--but you really get inside the heads and motivations of each of the characters. Even with less action, I desperately wanted to know what would happen and felt this book was just as much of a page turner as the first installment. One particular plotline with Eleanor caught me completely by surprise!

The only thing that I think dragged the story a bit is that it took so long for certain relationship plotlines to resolve that were leftover from the last book, that the plot of this one took some time to get going. I wish the first 1/3 of the novel was a little tighter for that reason.

Overall, I really enjoyed "The Heir Affair" and look forward to more from these authors.

This was a fun, drama-filled follow-up to one of my favorite books ever! I loved returning to Nick and Bex’s world and seeing how everything unfolded after the wedding. It was especially apropos in light of all the drama in the real-life royal family since The Royal We was published. It made this book feel extra timely and like a fun vicarious jaunt in Meghan/Harry/William/Kate’s shoes. Royal We fans will be pleased!

I’ve been waiting patiently for the best part of 4 years for this book, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint. Much like in the first book, the drama continued, and the authors handle the passage of time flawlessly. I only wish it would have been longer! I appreciate giving side characters their time to shine in different ways than in the first book, and am wildly impressed with the authors’ clairvoyance when it comes to the actual British royal family. Love it!

What a delightful second book in the Royal We series. I enjoyed every second of being back in this royal world. The book was fun, full of laughter, hard lessons, and love. There were a few things I didn’t love about the book, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. This book is the reason we need more royal romance books in the world. I highly recommend this book!

I loved the royal we and have recommended and gifted it to many people over the years. I was so excited for a sequel and so happy to say the authors gave me just what I wanted in a sequel. All the characters I loved were back, and the story had enough surprises that it didn’t feel predictable like some books centered around royalty sometimes do. The character of Eleanor got to be a little to annoying and rigid at times, although it makes sense for the character it started to make me annoyed with the book for a little while. Overall I really loved it and can’t wait to start gifting friends both books together,

I was so excited when I learned that The Royal We was getting a sequel. I first discovered Heather and Jessica through my favorite royal family podcast Royally Obsessed. The Royal We and The Heir Affair are perfect for the royally obsessed crowd. It's what we always fantasized about, a dashing prince falling in love with a cute, normal girl from the States. The writing is endearing, the dialogue is funny and charming.

The Heir Affair continues the story of Bex, Nick, & Freddie along with their friends. When we last left the Royals things were a bit up in the air. This book answers many of the questions left over from The Royal We & gives us many new secrets and tales. There were lots of surprises, but like it’s predecessor, The Heir Affair was a bit too lengthy for me. Definitely a slow burn type book. Overall this one gets 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

DNF
This book was not for me. I did not realize this was book 2, so that was a problem for me from the start. Then. I just found it boring. So, I DNF it.

I loved the follow up to The Royal We. This one took some twist and turns that I never expected.
I had read The Royal We several times a year since its release, and have been waiting to find out what happens to Bex, Nick, and the entire crew.The Heir Affair was worth that long wait.Reading this book felt like an overdue reunion with dear friends, and joining them on a roller coaster of a phase. I'm most amazed at how solid Bex and Nick and Freddie evolved into their own characters, versus their real-life royal models.i really appreciate netgalley and the author for letting me read this because i loved it so much.

I did read The Royal We and found myself heavily anticipating this second installation to the beautiful story that began in that book. This did not disappoint in the least! It picked up right where book one left off and I simply became re-immersed in the wonderful, royal world of Nick and Bex. Filled with humor, love, and heartache, I was drawn into this plot from essentially page one. It never fell flat and didn't disappoint with a flat plot or further character development. Whether or not you have read the first book, this book is wonderfully written and can be enjoyed. It is an excellently written, engaging story and is not to be missed!

I loved "The Royal We" back when it came out in 2015. So when I saw that the sequel was coming out I was more than thrilled to be able to read an advanced reader copy (thanks netgalley!)

This book literally starts where the last book left off, with the repercussions from the Royal Wedding Scandal still being dealt with MINUTES after the end of the marriage ceremony of Nick and Rebecca. The couple runs from the limelight and gets a few months of peace only to return to the Firm (the royal family) more upset and unstable than ever before. The book takes you through Bex's transition into being a working duchess, the fallout that younger prince Freddie faced for his part in the scandal and how Nick deals with the feelings of betrayal. It spans a few years and really gives a great look into complicated family dynamics, how to grow and move on from secrets and lies to openness and security and how the bonds of family can be severed and then sewn back together if given the chance. I really enjoyed the secondary storyline of Queen Eleanor and her sister Georgina, learning their history and how history is possibly repeating itself for Nick and Freddie.

I really enjoyed this book because it had layers of stories to uncover and really dealt with the idea of loyalty to oneself and to a relationship and how honesty is the only real way for relationships to remain deep and pure. No matter what your job is.

Truly a great sequel we all need! Not only was the romance great and the banter perfect, there were so many twists! So much royal intrigue! Any fan of The Royal We needs to read this one ASAP.

The Heir Affair picks soon after the ending of the Royal We. Bex and Nick have run away from royal life for a few months after a juicy secret was revealed on their wedding day. The book follows them on that aftermath, repairing both their public images and personal relationships. This adventure is just as juicy, wild, and drama filled as the first book. The book was at times gut wrenching and the authors did a fantastic job with respectfully writing about real life issues that affect couples. It was of course over the top at times, but that made for more fun reading!

After their royal fairytale wedding is marred by scandal, Bex and Nick fled England and lived a normal, commoner life in secret, away from the prying eyes of the public - and their family. But when crisis and duty bring them back to the palace, they find that the problems they ran away from had not only remained, but had gotten worse. As new secrets pile atop the old ones, Bex and Nick need to finally face the emotions that almost tore them apart.

After reading The Royal We, the first novel in this series, last year I immediately wanted more from the story. I remember flipping the last page, furious and confused that the story could end like that! I may have done a happy jig when I saw that I got approved to read this sequel on NetGalley!

I loved being back in this world with Bex, Nick, Freddie, and the whole gang! I am still shocked at how many things these authors were able to predict about the real royal family (they wrote about an American marrying into the royal family in 2015!). As a reader, I felt like I was getting a juicy behind the scenes look into the royal family!

One thing to know about these books, though, is that, while they do have moments of lightness and humor, they are definitely not puff pieces. The authors truly know how to write a fictional piece that mirrors real life so closely that it feels like we are truly reading about real people. The way they handled their emotions was messy, some of their choices perhaps weren’t the best, but the characters always did the best they could with what they had - which I think is what usually ends up happening in real life too.

There was less of a focus on their friends, and more of a focus on the family in this book. Queen Eleanor in particular is seen more, and I enjoyed getting to see a different side of a character that we had only seen snippets of in the last book. I do wish we had a chapter or epilogue from Freddie’s POV. He went through a lot in this book, and it would have been nice to get into his head for a bit (perhaps in another book 😏).

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and the authors for a review copy of this book. It comes out July 7, 2020.