This was a slow burn cross between Red, White and Royal Blue and the Princess Diaries. Loved it! Callum was so lovely. I would love to find the joy in simple things like Callum did, more. Oliver was equally charming in his ability to be completely undone by Callum. And the Queen was so wonderful and supportive. I would definitely read more by Calder!

This is perfect for fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue who wanted more spice! I was so pleasantly surprised by this book and I thought it was a cute love story between a socially-awkward young American adult who was suddenly forced to grow up and be serious as shocking turn of events propelled him to the Heir the British crown. Callum was such a relatable character that embodied kindness and genuinity, characteristics that are so difficult to come by these days. I think it’s so adorable that Callum stuck close to his true self despite everything. Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the devilishly charming, Oliver. Oliver complemented Callum so well and I really loved their sapioromantic dynamic throughout!

Additionally, I really appreciated the inclusions and discussion of important contemporary issues such as gay rights (in the UK and in the Commonwealth), the legacies of British colonialism, socioeconomic problems, and many more that were perfectly woven into the storyline without making it too “heavy”.

One thing, however, was that I found that there could have been more discussion of some of the more important side-characters. I think the lack of exploration of side characters was part of the reason why the ending felt a little rushed and abrupt for me. BUT, I really enjoyed the epilogue and I cannot wait for the day where everyone, regardless of the sexual orientation, can be respected and loved!

Overall, the fluff mixed with some spice really and this is a novel that is both plot and character driven - together they kept me wanting for more! I am excited to read the second book in this series that promises to be a fun enemies-to-lovers kinda plot! HOW FUN!!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and I adored it. It was endearing to see Callum be his slightly nerdy and klutzy self but have it work for him in the end. Couple that with our stoic Oliver and the tension is *chefs kiss*. I loved watching their bond grow, the light bloom, and all the random facts I learned, plus the backdrop of the English political and royal scene coupled with familial drama was fascinating. Very much enjoyed this book, my first from the author, and I smiled so many times throughout. Definitely want to read the next book!

Even though this book reminded me so much Red, White, and Royal Blue, I really enjoyed it. I loved the chemistry between Callum and Oliver. I also loved Callum and his obsession over information.

This book contains many of my favorite romantic tropes. We got a surprise Prince of Wales, who is awkward and endearing, and the Prime Minister, who is a workaholic but wants what's best, and they fall in love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Is it the most realistic? Not at all. Is there anything unique about this book? No. But was it charming and easy to read? Yes. If you like these tropes and cliques already, you will like this book. If not, then this isn't groundbreaking for you to start loving them.

I immediately requested this book once I had finished RWRB. A lot of similarities to it but this was definitely a lot more in depth and focused on many issues. I really enjoyed this even though obviously parts of it were completely far fetched it was extremely entertaining and full of romance

Listen, is it a little bit fanfiction-y? Yep. Is it unrealistic? Yep. Is it cheesy, sappy, overdramatic, and a little steamy? YEP. But that’s everything a good romance should be in my opinion. It just makes you feel happy and takes you away from reality. Recommend for all fans of Red White and Royal Blue!

This book was better than RWRB! I'm not a fan of age gap stories, but the rest of it was fantastic. The tension, the building of the relationship, the climax. I immediately recommended this book to friends who are fans of RWRB and will seek out more books by this author.

“Look me in the eye when you’re telling me. Not looking me in the eye makes me think you’re ashamed. And you should never be ashamed of who you are.”

This simple sentence by Oliver’s grandfather made me cry. This is a sentence that I wish was given to me and this is a sentence that I am constantly repeating to someone very dear to me. Just because ‘family’ is ‘family’ it doesn't mean they have your best interest at heart, and Oliver’s story was well written. Callum’s story is not far behind. His character is amazing. His quirks and knowledge seem like someone who I really want in my life (or maybe I am that person for someone else?)

In the beginning I was afraid of how this would go since they were diving too deep into the politics but then further into the read the deep political aspect was mostly just brief mentions of meetings which made it easier to read. Just hold on in the beginning chapters.

Thank you NetGalley and the Author for providing me with this ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

This is a fun, well=written, character driven modern royalty romance. I wan't quite sure what I was going to get when I sat down to read it but I found myself unable to put it down. The main characters, Callum and Oliver, are well written, three dimensional, unexpectedly relatable, and not your typical polished, perfect MCs.

Callum is the unlikely heir of the title, going from relative anonymity in the USA, to being thrust into the spotlight as a royal heir. He meets Oliver, the young and dynamic Prime Minister, early on and the two form an unlikely and deeply meaningful friendship.

Callum is out of his depth, lonely, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of his life change. Oliver is workaholic, not so recently divorced from his husband, very private and determined, shaped and formed by his experience being raised by his working-class family. His focus is on his work and what he can accomplish for the people of his country. Callum and Oliver find common ground and through their friendship find an intimacy they are both missing from their lives. They can be themselves with each other–funny and irreverent, telling jokes and making cheesy puns, confessing the hurts and scars they both bear from their pasts.

Their friendship moves from casual, to deeply trusting, to vulnerable, to the undeniable spark they both feel for each other growing into a romance.

Real life conspires to get in their way but trust me there is a happy ending to the story.

Overall an enjoyable read with engaging main characters and a character driven story line and romance.

I went into this with reserved expectations and was so pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it!

Well, this was a perfectly fine queer romance.

First of all, I'd like to thank the publishers for approving me for an arc of this cutie, so let's get that out of the way.
The Unlikely Heir was just that, a perfectly fine queer romance novel that was very middle of the way in my personal opinion.
It wasenjoyable enough but it wasn'twithout flaws which are the things I'll be pointing out in this review because I feel like it was these elements that really brought it down for me and had they been done better, this book would've at least gotten a 4 star rating out of me.

My issues with it are the following:
.This book did not need to be over 400 pages long, and it shows.
It would've done the same job had it been 300 and something, like most other romance novels.
. Oliver and Callum said the L word, and that's love, not lesbian lol, and it really offset the pacing of the book for me.
At that point of the book, they had met in person exactly twice and the rest of their relationship development happened through texts and videochats.
I get that two people can develop feelings that way but it was done way too early and it hurt the book in my humble opinion.
. This book fell on the very much unbelievable spectre and it showed. I get that I have to suspend my belief a bit when reading fiction, but it was very difficult to buy into a book about the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister in an LGBTQ friendly United Kingdom (that one was way too unbelievable lol).

Now I'll mention the things that had me rating this book 3 stars and not any lower:
. The spicy scenes were very well done, more on the descriptive side but still tasteful and not overly smutty, which is just how I like it.
. I really enjoyed Callum as our main character, because he really felt quite different from the rest of the ones I've read, despite still being described as drop dead gorgeous.
. The humor and banter were very enjoyable and came across as quite organic.
. The plot twist and reveal concerning the very dramatic murder attempt had me pleasantly shook.

I would like to thank netgalley and the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable, I love the niche of politics and royalty coming together in romance.

I found “The Unlikely Heir” by Jax Calder impossible to put down. Can't wait for the next book in the series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book so much. Callum and Oliver’s love felt so pure. I couldn’t believe how people didn’t like Callum in the story; he’s smart and so adorable. But Oliver was the perfect match for him, he appreciated and cherised his kind of quirkiness. Both Callum and Oliver conquered my heart. The plot twist was unexpected and I liked the ending, too. Definitely recommend this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review! This book released on August 24th, 2023.
Read this if you like:
👑 modern royalty romance (ft. an American prince!)
🚫 forbidden love
👨‍❤️‍👨 LGBTQ+ romance
🃏 cheesy jokes
⏱ age gap romance

Y'all... I LOVED THIS BOOK. I sat down this past Saturday evening with the intention of reading a couple of chapters before going to bed early. I ended up staying up until 2 am finishing this book. The entire night was a game of "one more chapter."
The author perfectly balances the history of the royal family and pining to create the perfect forbidden romance novel! I, for one, did not realize that a relationship between a member of the royal family and the prime minister would be forbidden. While reading this book, I learned so much about the structure of the British government and how the relationship between the prince, Callum, and the prime minister, Oliver, could be devastating to this historic structure.
Callum was raised in the United States and shielded from the public eye by his mother, an American actress. When a scandal breaks among the royal family, Callum suddenly finds himself next in line for the crown. However, Callum does not consider himself to fit the mold of a "prince." He is clumsy, obsessed with random facts, yet he is tasked with saving the monarchy. After feeling betrayed from those in his previous life, Callum feels extremely lonely and like he has no one to trust in his new world. Enter Oliver- the British Prime Minister, a divorcee who was raised by his working-class grandparents. While these two seem to have nothing in common, they learn to trust one another and become friends and ultimately lovers.
The cheesy jokes that Oliver and Callum shared were so cute. This book gave me all of the warm and fuzzy feelings! I cannot wait for the next book set in this world!

First of all, thank you NetGallery for the ARC! This was my first one and I'm so honored. Now, let's get into my thoughts.

As soon as I read the description for this book, I immediately wanted to read it. And The Unlikely Heir did not disappoint.

It was like reading the perfect blend of humor and sincerity. I didn't want to stop reading once I started and I finished this book off in three days.

I want to take a moment to talk about how wonderful the pacing in this book was. It's the first rom-com that I've read in a while that hasn't involved insta-love. They fell in love over a period of time and there were sufficient attempts to resist feelings.

And then there were the characters. I have mixed feelings on them. I really enjoyed Callum as a character. He was thrown into being a prince after an unlikely scandal in the monarchy. And the way he thought and talked was endearing. I fell in love with him.

However- Oliver is where the mixed feelings come in. He fell a little flat for me. He was the prime minister and the broodier of the two, but his character never really popped for me.

The romance between them had so many sweet and intriguing moments. I fell for their romance at every twist.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes/moments:

"The universe never quite made sense to me until I got to touch you..."

That one part when Oliver gives Callum his dog tags

"That night in Essex... Do you ever...do you ever think about it?"

And some of those headlines from the papers were just so funny.

So, was this book perfect? No. But it was worth reading and I'll definitely be re-reading.

I hate comparing things because no one really likes hearing that their work resemble something else, but when I originally started 'The Unlikely Heir' I thought it was just going to be like 'Red White and Royal Blue' (which I don't like). As I read more of the book, I ended up really liking how it was written and the storyline. I really enjoy that the characters had their quirks and flaws, it just made them more likeable. I just wish Callum and his relationship with his sibling was explored more, because I love seeing the different dynamics between characters. I figured out the plot twist early on, which usually happens when I read most books, but I'm glad I was right about a certain character giving me bad vibes. Overall, I shouldn't have judged the book before reading since this was a pleasant read, especially if you like silly romance with a slice of drama.

While I enjoyed this book, I definitely noticed there were many similarities to another published work and I feel like that influenced my review. What drew me in the most was Callum and Oliver's characters. I feel like they were both very well developed, especially Callum. The storyline was enough to keep me interested, but it was definitely the characters themselves that had me wanting to finish the book.

This was the perfect fix for my red white and royal blue obsession. It’s got that similar fates-colliding feel, and it’s also very quirky. But it’s also very unique, I really liked Callum. He felt so real as he was being thrown into this whole new lifestyle change. Overall I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT A TREAT! Ever since reading The Anonymous Hookup I've been a fan of Calder's writing and this book (which gave me RWRB vibes but which is completely different) came for me at the perfect time.

The Unlikely Heir follows Callum and Oliver. Callum suddenly discovers that he's now the heir to the British throne when he meets Oliver, the British Prime Minister. The way that Callum and Oliver became friends and then more was so swoony. The forbidden aspect of this book really appealed to me and Calder masterfully crafted a stunning slowburn romance.

I cannot wait to see what else comes next!