POSITIVES:

In its best moments, The Unlikely Heir is engaging, fun, and oftentimes a real page turner. It's easy to read from start to finish. Light and fluff to the max. I found myself chuckling throughout; Callum is darling and has a natural wit to him, and his random jokes and info dumping about anything and everything made him very charming. The best aspect of the book. I overall wanted Oliver and Callum to get together (and stick together!) in the end, and with the dramatic events of the third act, their "endgame" ultimately feels quite earned and justified.

Three chili peppers out of five in terms of spiciness.

NEUTRALS:

To enjoy this story takes an great degree of suspension of disbelief. That's fine in and of itself for the genre, and something I was prepared for going in. Aspects of the wrong-doings of the... 10 or so family members ahead of Callum were ludicrous, at best; overly vague and unspecified, at worst. But if you know to suspend your disbelief going in, it comes and goes very quickly at the beginning of the book.

There is a big age difference between the two main characters of about 11 years. I wasn't expecting it, and I didn't dislike it. But it's definitely worth calling out for folks who are either super into that sort of thing, or personally repelled.

NEGATIVES:

Unfortunately, I have to knock off a couple stars for this book, as I did find the overall tone to be devastatingly pro-Royalist and (weirdly) conservative. Even when it feels like a contradiction to the motives and ideals of the main characters. In fact, the main leads are so pro-Monarchy that it left me scratching my head in confusion at times, as it's just a very strange hill to die on.

The profound issues surrounding the greater commonwealth were hand waved in favor of Queen Katherine (a stand-in for Elizabeth) being a sweet gran with her corgis and blood diamonds. There's a way to tackle this story with far more social responsibility, which the Calder comes so, so close to reaching with the characters' obvious knowledge in the historical legacy of the monarchy... but it ultimately (and disappointingly) falls short.

I do think it would have made for a stronger, braver, and more socially responsible book had the last third of the book played out differently, at least in terms of the monarchy. I also feel the character of Amelia deserved better, especially as this story was lacking in strong female characters overall.

Parts of this book do (weirdly enough) drag, despite the overall tone feeling quite rushed and "glossed over," for lack of a better term. When I read, I do yearn for rich descriptors of where I am in space and time. It was never a mystery of what the characters were doing, but I did at times struggle with understanding, for lack of context, the overall passage of time between incidences. That may have also had to do with the first-person perspective of the book, which is not something I naturally gravitate toward.

OVERALL:

The most obvious comparison to this book is Red, White, and Royal Blue. I mean this as a neutral statement: it's objectively clear that The Unlikely Heir is riding on its coattails in many respects, from the premise to the cover. Even on the page (in terms of some of the scenarios these characters get themselves into), there are undeniable parallels between the two. Parallels that many people will very much enjoy.

At the same time, The Unlikely Heir is a much different book; yes, in terms of plot, but also in terms of tone, pacing and the overall richness of the story. Overall, Heir does stand on its own two feet and was entertaining as a standalone LGBTQ Royal Romance, but it did fall short of some of my overall high expectations. What was good could have been great.

3 out of 5 stars

I was a skeptical at first because of the similarities to Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, but I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t a total rip-off. The characters were fun and interesting and I liked the political implications of the heir to the throne and the prime minister being involved and this dealt with it well. There was drama and betrayal and a happy ending, what more could I ask for?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book. This in no way alters my thoughts or opinions in this review.


The Unlikely Heir is a forbidden romance novel that tells the story of the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister. The book is filled with humor and drama, and it’s a great read for anyone who enjoys romance novels.

The characters in the book are well-developed, and the plot is engaging

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books with forbidden romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read “The Unlikely Heir”! I had such a fun time reading this book and am so happy that I requested it.

First things first…the characters. Callum? An absolute ray of sunshine - there’s genuinely no other way to describe him. He’s such a breath of fresh air and I really loved reading from his perspective. His genuine love for people was so endearing to read about, and how he shares it with other people. Like Oliver says…there’s just something about him…when people finish talking to Callum, they leave with a smile and a bounce in their step. Oliver? I genuinely don’t know how to describe him but I love him. He’s such a great man and it was fascinating reading about his childhood and the journey to where he has gotten now. The parallels between him and Callum are so fun - the amount of love Oliver has for people and the urge to fix things for them is more reserved, but just as strong and effective as Callum’s. The relationship between Callum and Oliver is something I’ve been wanting to see in romance novels for so long. They’re so loving and thoughtful of one another without the infuriating back and forth sometimes seen in other couples. What I mean by this is that they communicate - when something is too hard, it’s said. When something is incredible, it’s said. When they’re having a problem that can be easily resolved, it is. Even when there are bigger dilemmas, the situation is resolved pretty quickly. On to the side characters - there are some side characters that show up for only a few paragraphs that will leave you thinking about them as you read “Epilogue”. It’s so fascinating how these characters with such small “screen time” leave such a lasting impact. For the other side characters who are more prominent, it’s so cool seeing the dynamic in the roles they are in.

Second…I’ve learned so much. So much, in fact, that it would take me hours to put into words and wouldn’t be nearly as fun as reading this book. I’ll just say that I had a blast learning all those random facts from Callum, but also just about the United Kingdom and more about how the Royal family works. As someone who’s from the US, it was very interesting reading about a 21 century royal family and all the inner workings that go along with that.

Third…the fact that I was seeing the numbers at the bottom of my screen get bigger as I read and getting upset is indicator enough. Every time I glanced down I’d wish that this book had another 200 pages, and was disheartened to find every time that it somehow did not. I’m planning a reread soon, but am going to buy the physical copy and annotate the ever loving shit out of it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this! Thank you Calder for writing such a genuinely fun book!

See, that’s the problem with these cartoon covers!
By this cover, I was expecting a fluffy rom-com with RWRB vibes.

While there ARE comedy elements, and the general premise (call center worker who is 11th in line for the British throne suddenly becomes heir and finds himself falling for the Prime Minister) DOES have undertones of RWRB, the similarities are very few in reality.

This book is VERY steeped in British history and fun trivia and politics and lore. Callum and Oliver are at odds for most of the book just by virtue of their roles, and because of this, we get a real look at what those positions mean for the Brits, and what it would mean for a Queer person to step in to them. As an American, that was really interesting to me!

Also, this was not fluffy! There were a few spicy scenes in this one, maybe 3 out of 5 chili peppers. There were also a few plot twists and turns I wasn’t expecting!

I’d definitely say give it a try! Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this one!

This book is such a sweet, light-hearted, LGBTQ+ book. Everything about Callum and Oliver is easy to read and fall in love with. Callum is the perfect boy next door. He is sweet and funny and way over is head to become king. But he takes his role on with such grace and love. He knows what it means for his grandmother and the people of The United Kingdom and even though he shouldn't fit he does. Oliver is the opposite. He is poised and down to earth but he and Callum just make sense.

This book was easy to read and even easier to love. From the second chapter I knew this book was going to make me smile and laugh through all of the growing pains Callum had to go through. I couldn't stop reading about Oliver and Callum and couldn't stop hoping they would find a way to make their love work. Hearing both points of view makes the story feel like real love and even real heart break. It was such a joy to get lost in Callum and Olivers love story.

Such a well written, witty, spectacular and consuming story.
In an unexpected turn of events, Callum becomes the next in line for the throne of England. What he wasn’t expecting was to develop feelings for the prime minister.
I laughed from the very first pages and I enjoyed this book so much, I didn’t want it to end.

10 amazing stars. This was so so good. Not only was it beautifully written and full of wonderful information and history on the Royal family (and other things Callum found interesting), but the romance was so beautiful I could cry (I did cry). Probably one of my favorites this year. Oliver and Callum have my whole heart.

4.5*

I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. Within the first chapter, already I thought it did a great job at creating intrigue. And, of course, I love the fact that this book is dual POV so I get to see the perspectives of both Oliver and Callum. I think it really helped with the characterisation of them both, and the book definitely benefits from being able to see both their point of views. Both their points of views were strong, and I didn't feel like one of them lacked at any point. Watching their romance develop through both of their eyes was truly engaging, and I loved every second of it.

And the third act! Wow! It really had me on the edge of my seat. I didn't see it coming. I usually pride myself on seeing any plot twists coming, but I didn't anticipate that one. Overall, I think this is a great book that I would recommend to anyone wanting another royal romance to add to their tbr!

This book ended up being really good! I struggled getting through the first half but when it picked up, it really picked up. I had a great time and I totally recommend it to anyone looking for a royal romance!

This is sweet, romantic, fun and riveting. Callum is a little clumsy, a little talkative and very unsure of himself. Oliver is confident, dedicated and a bit stubborn. They make an amazing couple, even if hiding it from the world. The ending is shocking, so much happens in such a short time. But it's a beautiful ending.

I really enjoyed this book. For those who think it may be a Red, White, and Royal Blue rip-off, you couldn't be more wrong. I loved the unique voices of Callum and Oliver, and I appreciated that throughout the book it felt like the author did a thorough job of doing research to ensure accurate portrayal of the British government and monarchy. The steam was piping hot, the plot was unique, and the romance was thoughtful, caring, and loads of fun. The one thing I could've done without was the twist ending -- it felt a bit forced and a smidge out of touch. As a big fan of royal romances, I will be recommending this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for a review!

I got approved to read this book right after watching that film. You know the one. I have to say I think I enjoyed reading this even more than I enjoyed watching that film.

It’s not very often that I describe a book as delicious but that’s what this book was from start to finish. The longing was palpable. The tension of the moment when declarations of love were finally made? I felt that.

Books like this where it feels like you eat, drink and breathe it. They don’t come along very often. They are something to be cherished.

I read this entire book with a smile on my face and even my heart in my throat at times. I am very much looking forward to reading this author again.

The Unikely Heir is the 2nd book from the author I've read, after Attractive Forces.

The premise immediately lured me in: Callum who lived an ordinary life becoming heir to the British throne out of the blue and starting a blossoming relationship with prime minister Oliver Hartwell.

Callum with all his clumsiness and weirdness and his fun facts was adorable. A fun person to be around, who cares about people more than the superifical pleasantries, and who often feels strangled by the world of "do" and "don't" of royalty.

Without spoiling much, this is a book where the romance develops slowly and organically until the "oh shit I like him" realization moment. From to the "it's a forever thing" it goes pretty fast, and the stakes are rising in the final part.

If I could improve one thing, I would make Oliver a bit younger - the age gap was a bit big for me.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am definitely reading for of Jax Calder's books in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I really liked the premise of this story. The characters we saw were interesting, but there weren't very many of them. The story was mostly just the Prime Minister, Oliver, and the Prince, Callum, which didn't give us a lot of variety or a great look at the whole world. The conflict of the PM and the Prince falling in love was realistic, but the events that lead to Callum being next in line for the throne was insane and the believablility of it was insane. I loved the love story and Oliver and Callum were freaking adorable, but the rest of it was kinda crazy and dumb.


What happens when the Prince of Wales falls in love with the Prime Minister?
My boring life working in an insurance call center in sunny California just took an unexpected turn. Thanks to my misbehaving relatives, I’ve leapt from obscurity to royalty as the new heir to the British throne.
But my welcome in England is about as warm as the weather. I arrive to discover a country horrified at the thought of an American version of Prince Charming and ready to revolt against the monarchy. I vow to my grandmother, the Queen, that I will do everything possible to help her save the crown.
Unfortunately, royal life isn’t easy. From bewildering traditions, traitorous friends, and malevolent swans, the only thing I’m succeeding in is providing entertainment for the tabloids and social media trolls.
And then the broodingly handsome Prime Minister, Oliver Hartwell, bursts into my life.
With his meteoric rise from poverty to the most powerful man in the country, Oliver understands my current plight. Innocent messages of support turn into late-night chats—and unexpected feelings.
But there’s one major problem. The royal family must remain politically neutral at all times.
So how can I keep my promise to save the monarchy when I’m falling in love with the Prime Minister?
A forbidden romance filled with humor and drama featuring a bumbling Prince of Wales and a stern yet dashing Prime Minister, with a love that could transform a nation.

I am kind of stuck between rating this a 4 or 5 out of 5 stars. If partial ratings were possible, I think I would give it a 4.3!

Overall, "The Unlikely Heir" is charming and engaging, even for those, like me, who might not have been the biggest fans of similar books like "Red, White, and Royal Blue."

I really enjoyed the writing, in particular. Calder's writing is detailed but not overly taxing. It allowed me to fully immersive myself in the story without distraction or ...*cough* periodic boredom.

The humor in the novel is another standout feature. Calder injects wit and clever banter into the narrative, providing several moments of genuine laughter throughout the story. The comedic elements really add depth to the characters, making their interactions all the more enjoyable.

That said, my favourite aspect of the novel is the chemistry between Oliver and Callum; the slow build-up of their relationship is well-crafted and filled with tension. It kept me eagerly turning pages to see how their love story unfolds. But! The novel still strikes a good balance between romance and exploring Oliver's and Callum's lives as a royal prince and prime minister. This dual focus adds depth to the narrative and gave great insight into the challenges and responsibilities that come with being in the spotlight.

However, it's worth noting that, although I loved the book, I still have some reservations about the political aspects in it. While the novel attempts to tackle some complex issues like poverty, the ethics of the monarchy, homophobia, and feminism, the takes did not always resonate with me. Sometimes I found the stances/potrayals problematic or shallow. Still, I am surprised to say this did not ruin the book for me at all. I'm really looking forward to re-reading it in the future or listening to it as audiobook (PLEASE give us an audiobook version).

After willingly suspending my disbelief in the possibility of a romance between the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister, I absolutely loved this book. Callum was adorable in a nerdy, goofy way and his budding relationship with Oliver was fun to read. The attraction between the two was well-written as was Callum's relationship with his family and his growing confidence as he learns to "be himself".

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Let me preface by saying that Red, White, and Royal Blue is one of my favorite books, and this being promoted as a knockoff was what I found most appealing. Unfortunately, it missed the mark quite a bit with both the romance and the political commentary.

This review contains heavy spoilers.

What I did like:

* Callum sharing fun facts, history, and even his puns/dad jokes were delightful and my favorite part of the story.

* No dramatic bi awakening or gay panic. I'm positive I would not have liked how this author handled it, so I'm relieved Callum realized he was into men and carried on.

* The cover.

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What I did not like:

To start with, the royalist propaganda in this book was not subtle. I know it’s fiction and I wish I would have been able to enjoy it without thinking that hard, but there were too many real-world similarities (like the queen’s love of corgis) for me to suspend disbelief.

The romance:
* Read like straight romance (derogatory). If you know, you know.
* 14-year age gap. This wasn't a deal breaker since they were both adults, but large age gaps aren't personally my thing.
* I love slow burn romance and the build-up would have been fine if the author hadn't insisted on beating the reader over the head with how instantly drawn to each other they were.

Examples:
- Their insta-connection and feeling of "electricity" when they first met and shook hands.
- At their second meeting, when they were still practically strangers: "a feeling stirred inside me" and "Why is my pulse racing."
- While they were texting after having only briefly met twice: "I'm suddenly aware that an unfamiliar feeling...is growing inside me. I can't quite identify the exact name for the feeling."
- And in case the reader still hadn't figured out where it was going: "A weird bolt of electricity shoots through me as we gaze at each other. Watching Oliver in his element...stirs feelings inside me I can't quite describe."

* The relationship was way too intense and cheesy for my taste. Not only was the "ily" rushed, but dialogue like "I would crawl over broken glass for you," and "the universe never quite made sense to me until I got to touch you," seemed more obsessive than romantic.

* There were multiple times when the two characters' attraction for one another was compared to a literal drug addiction.

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Then there were the issues I had with the characters themselves. Oliver was especially terrible. Hear me out.

* With his awkward but charming exterior, Callum was very likable until he said things like "I will do everything in my power to keep the monarchy alive."

* He defended his uncle's attempt to bribe sports officials because "he had good intentions."

* Callum acknowledged that the ceremony to crown him Prince of Wales was unnecessary and only created to humiliate the Welsh, yet he did it anyway - at an extravagant cost to taxpayers - because tradition.

Callum's actions were understandable, though. At the end of the day, he was the prince, and the royals were his family. I wasn't going to root for him to save the monarchy, but I got it.

Oliver on the other hand...

* I almost DNFed at Chapter 3 when Oliver said this about how growing up in poverty influenced his progressive politics: "I'd responded to my feelings of inferiority by cultivating anti-establishment, down-with-the-oligarchy opinions..."

Right off the bat we learn that Oliver only cared about things like wealth inequality when he was poor and felt "inferior." When he gained money and power for himself, his views changed.

* When the Indian prime minister suggested that the Kohinoor diamond be returned to India as part of a trade deal, Oliver basically responded: "Ah, gee, wish I could but we stole a lot of things from a lot of places during colonization and we can't very well return it all. Besides, India still oppresses gay people so why don't you worry about that instead."

There was no reason for this scene to be included. It wasn’t necessary to the plot and only seemed to exist so the author could demonize India and paint Britain as a bastion of moral superiority.

* "Who cares what the plebs think." -Oliver. Real man of the people.

* "Philosophically, I've been an unapologetic Republican my entire life." -Oliver. He spent the entire book defending the monarchy.

Oliver repeatedly let his relationships with the queen and Callum affect his ability to do his job and only called for a referendum because he was worried about losing reelection. Of course, the British public ended up voting "overwhelmingly" in favor of keeping the monarchy. That was incredibly predictable from the moment a referendum was mentioned and tracked with how pro-monarchy the entire story was.

However, the worst part of Oliver’s character was the way he abused his power:

* He threatened to have the (implied Spanish?) man his husband had an affair with deported. Also, racist.

* He used his connection as prime minister to obtain the identity of an anonymous troll who said mean things about Callum on Twitter. The two (plus their armed security teams) went on a romantic outing to what is described as a rundown part of town to confront the man.

Our "heroes" used their authority as the most powerful men in Britain to track down and intimidate a private citizen at his home. The purpose of the visit was for Oliver to show the privileged royal heir that people who hate him are nothing but poor, unemployed losers whose opinions don't matter. This is depicted as a "yas, king" moment that is to be applauded rather than the gross abuse of power that it is.

"We didn't do anything wrong," - Oliver. He had to reassure both Callum and the reader after they left the man's "dilapidated" home.

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Then there was the big predictable plot twist:

Callum's half-sister Amelia, one of the few female characters in the book, was revealed to be a radical feminist set on assassinating her brother(s) and taking the crown because she was upset about the erosion of women's rights in the Commonwealth. Her motivations were generic and sexist, and conveniently ignored the fact that her grandmother, the queen, a WOMAN, had been sitting on the throne for decades...

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I was tempted to give up on the book several times, but most readers seemed to enjoy it, and I hoped that meant there was something to redeem it in the end. It just got worse. And then I read the blurb for the next book in the series: A cute enemies-to-lovers MM romance between Oliver's Labour Party bud and the Conservative Party leader...

Will privileged, white (usually straight) authors please stop romanticizing people who do everything in their power to harm disadvantaged and minority (INCLUDING QUEER) communities?

What a delightful read!

Callum completely charmed his way into my heart as I read this book. His wild hand gestures and general lack of British-ness truly got him into some sticky situations, and I both laughed and cringed as I plowed through the story.

Witnessing Callum and Oliver slowly form such a pure and supportive friendship was like healing some of my own sadnesses page by page. Them learning to trust each other, and build something beautiful from that truly made my heart soar.

I loved the thorough research that went into writing this story, it truly made it a much deeper and genuine story to consume. Research can make or break a book, and the research Jax Calder put into The Unlikely Heir definitely helped make it into something really great.

A great book for anyone looking for some angsty, forbidden queer love.

putting aside all reality is require, but I loved this, the two leads had great chemistry and banter, one of them was more clearly characterized and drawn than the other, and the mystery was interseting.