I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this story was. I won't lie, I was a little skeptical because there are a few takes a gay romance with English royalty. But let me assure any fellow skeptics, Jax Calder wrote a new and really wonderful take on this trope. There's so much angst and sweet moments. And the ending! Ah! I really did love this book. Callum and Oliver are written so well and their story is one I already kind of want to read again!

This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! Great for fans of contemporary romances in the vein of Red, White & Royal Blue as well as The Charm Offensive!

We have two characters who are from very different walks of life that are brought together but unexpected circumstances (my fav). Despite their odds and differences they find a commonality together and a comfort in one another's presence that cant compare to things they've known in the past and it leads to a very real and comforting romance!

Callum and Oliver are absolutely meant for one another and you can really feel their emotions through the writing as we get the gentle slow burn that starts over harmless friendly texts and evolves in to much more! I found their affection towards each other a wonderful grounding point for two men who lead very stressful and demanding lives. Overall I really enjoyed getting to know them and watching them fall in love and beat the odds!

The Unlikey Heir is such a good book, I could barely put it down once I started.

Callum is a regular American guy who is far down the royal line of succession, so far that it's a random fun fact not taken seriously. When unfortunate circumstances lead to Callum being bumped up to become the King of England he's forced into the royal life. Oliver is England's openly gay prime minister who is destined to not experience love after his public divorce.

The chemistry between Oliver and Callum is unmatched, both men have struggled with love but they still know they belong together even if it means sacrificing their jobs. The spicy scenes only elevated their deep connection.

This book clearly had a lot of research done into the British royals and politics and it really just stepped up the story as a whole.

It was written similar to Red White And Royal Blue in all the best ways. I would definitely recommend The Unlikely Heir if you enjoyed RWRB.

Forbidden love? Check.
Bad jokes? Check.
Opposites attract? Check.

After bonding over their shared “fish out of water” experiences, Callum and Oliver make the worst mistake a prince and Prime Minister can make... They fall in love with each other.

I loved the unlikely pairing of the anti-monarchy Prime Minister and the ungraceful American who suddenly finds himself heir to the throne.

Now, the prince falling in love with the MP has serious political implications IRL, but I thought this was a fun, light-hearted romcom.

Forbidden romances are my absolute favorite, and The Unlikely Heir is no exception.

This was a super fun read! I especially liked how Callum and Oliver didn't have instalove, but they started out as people bonding over their shared experiences of not coming from the echelon of British society in which they now move. That friendship turned into the most satisfying forbidden romance.


Thank you, @Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was fantastic, potentially one of my favorites of the year! I thought it was going to be a little too much of a RW&RB ripoff but it instead took everything that was magical about that and made it it’s own. I loved both of the main characters and their story of falling in love.

I really liked this book! It’s a cute story with vivid character. Yes, the premises are not so great (I mean, all the heirs of the English Royal Family arrested by Scotland Yard, please, it’s not believable in any way, maybe I would preferred that the reign was invented instead), but the story is really funny and the relationship between the characters is such well written. It’s a slow burn and I love slow burn. And it’s a forbidden love. Callum is the American heir of the English Crow, Oliver is the British Prime Minister. And they are two men. Their story is more believable then the premesis.
I’m really glad I had the chance to read this story. It’s funny and I’m so in love with Oliver, he’s my favorite, and he and Callum are so great together. I want another twenty books about them, please!
If you are a fan of RWRB or Princess’ Diaries this book is for you!

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND JAX CALDER FOR THE ARC!

this book came through with the vibes I needed to get out of a reading slump! the characters are so unique and witty, and I couldn’t help but love them from the very first page. it’s definitely similar to RWARB, but yet I love it in a different way!

5 stars! would 100% recommend for a heartwarming story with LGBTQ characters, forbidden romance, and the best happily ever after! 🤗🥹❤️😍🫶🏼

"the unlikely heir" is an unmatched, funny, dramatic and nice read, I really enjoyed reading it.
While many try to compare it with "Red, White and Royal Blue", I have to disagree with my whole being. Yes, it's a forbidden, political romance with a prince living in the United Kingdom, but that's the only common ground.
It's a masterpiece, I've laughed so many times at this dry humor and their happiness, I've gasped because of some revelations and rushed through this whole thing because I coundn't put it down.
Normally I never read novels with age-gap characters, but I made an exception and I've never been happier about anything.

This book was so cute!! I loved it. At first, it took a little bit to get into the book but once the book took off with the plot I was roped in and enjoyed reading it. I liked how the Prince of Wales was American because I liked seeing Callum realizing and understanding how different England is. There was one scene from the book that I FELL in love with Oliver (prime minister) gave his grandfather’s dog tags to Callum. That scene melted my heart and made me fall in love with a couple. I recommend this book!!

Forbidden romance / Age Gap trope between the heir of the British Throne and the out-and-proud British Prime Minister, the Unlikely Heir in this case: an American, the oldest forgotten child of the Queen's fourth son. With the massive success of Red, White & Royal Blue, this book needed to feel creative and fresh. Happy to report that it absolutely does! The Unlikely Heir is a cute, charming romance that you definitely cannot take too seriously, but that is the entire point. This was my first book by this author and it was a grand slam for me.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This is perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue.

I'll admit I was nervous about trying this book because I had loved Red, White & Royal Blue, most particularly after the movie came out. I read an ARC of RW&RB and was beyond excited to see the movie. Was I ready to try again, with an unknown author? Yes, and I am so glad I did!

I could not put this book down. From the minute I started I was like, yes, this book has something. The lead, Callum, is so nice and genuine - he doesn't want much out of life, just a good job, a girlfriend, and his friends. He isn't close with the royal side of his family because his mother kept him away from that life when she divorced the prince (4th son of the Queen). His father went on to have other children, but they don't really know each other.

I was so anxious to see how Callum and Oliver would connect, and it's similar to RW&RB in that it's with text's and phone calls, but with Jax's story of The Unlikely Heir, we get to see both sides of the relationship, the push/pull struggle with feelings. I liked Oliver. He is several years older than Callum, and at times that was very noticeable in how Callum acted, I wondered what Oliver would see in Callum. But Callum has a kind heart and is honest about who he is, not trying to put on airs or anything. I think that's what Oliver loves most about Callum.

Now, I do have to stay that around the 60-70% mark (can't remember exactly) things started getting kind of sappy and dare I say over the top in the feelings department. I get they are in love and can't stand to be apart from each other, and the secret they must keep because it's "verboden" they be together. But there comes a point where the mushy feelings are too much, and I just roll my eyes and go with it. I wish it had been tamed down some, but it is what it is and that's how the author felt like portraying those moments so there you go. :)

Overall, this was a good read, and had an interesting plot twist at the end that I kind of expected based on some of the lead up, but I wasn't totally expecting how it all played out. I do wish there had been a little more with how they plan to handle children, but there is a 2nd book in the series (though different characters) and these two may make a cameo and answer that question.

I give this 4.25 stars (it would have been 5 if the emotions hadn't been quite so much). A very cute gay rom-com and a nice follow up read to fans of Red, White & Royal Blue. Here hoping they keep on with the trend! :D

I loved this book. It’s funny and sweet, and was a great read. It is part Princess Diaries part Red, White, and Royal Blue. Once Oliver and Callum started falling for each other, I couldn’t put the book down. And there were even some surprises. I just loved it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

I couldn’t think of any better time to pick this up than now with the release of the movie for Red, White & Royal Blue. I do want to emphasise that while this was a fantastic read while I’m missing Alex and Henry, The Unlikely Heir holds its own and Callum and Oliver are both unique and special characters.

I could sit here and highlight the great tropes that are in this book in multiple paragraphs but instead, I’m going to focus on the characters.

Callum has always felt like an outsider looking in and has struggled with feeling misunderstood throughout his entire life. I truly resonated with his character and his development of learning to trust himself and stop listening to other people’s perceptions of him. He had been burned by so many people before and struggled with letting others see him in all raw honesty due to fear of people leaving or seeing what he believed wasn’t enough. I loved reading about his acceptance that he was free to be who he really is and that people loved him for him.

Oliver was a fantastic character, struggling with the weight of responsibility and never allowing himself to be happy as he believed that wasn’t truly in the cards for him. I loved reading about his character development and self-acceptance.

This was so much fun to read and I am so glad I picked it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jax Calder for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a surprisingly enjoyable/fun/humorous read - I’m a sucker for contemporary royal/celebrity romance and this was just so damn cute, totally preposterous, but pulled at my queer Princess Diaries-loving heart!

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙞𝙧 by Jax Calder (2023) ★★★★☆
Slow-Burn, Bi-awaking, forbidden/royal romance, age-gap, w/ mild spice

Callum is living in California, son of an American model and former youngest prince of England from their brief romance, is thrust into the spotlight when he goes from 11th in line to the throne to Prince of Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 after some shady deeds necessitated reordering.
He’s a giant adorkable golden retriever, and I loved him!

The absolute worst person for him to get feelings for is the out gay, divorced, UK Prime Minister Oliver Hartwell! Serious and reserved on the outside, just a gooey cinnamon roll on the inside.

I loved Callum; his awkwardness, bad jokes, and random facts! The relationship development felt genuine and real, the ILY’s came a little fast, but otherwise it was a slow enough burn for me.

I’ll be honest, I was expecting full train wreck walking into this ARC, but I’m surprised by how fun this read was!

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for a chance to early review this story in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC.
I have to say that this book was a pure delight. I loved the aspect of the dual POVs. It's the story of Callum and Oliver. Callum's the 11th in the throne succession. But then some of his relatives are tangled up in some shady business. Which then eliminates them from becoming the heir to the crown. So it's Callum's job to ensure his grandmother's line continues. While performing his royal duties, he meets the stunning British PM, Oliver Hartwell. They then start to spend more and more time together and form a very tight relationship. But Callum won't fall for this handsome guy, right? Because that might be a little bit chaotic....

This book was absolutely delightful! I flew through it. It was a great mix of romance with a little angst.

I would read so many book about Callum and Oliver, both great and fleshed out characters. I was rooting for them the whole time. Callum is a sweet prince who needs to be protected and Oliver deserves all the love in the world.

The one downside is that the supporting characters were not fleshed out well, but this book was about Callum and Oliver and so it didn't bother me too much.

While I'm sure there were a lot of thing unrealistic in the this book it didn't bother me. It all made sense for the world these characters were inhabiting. The book also had a few twists that I didn't see coming. A really great royalty romance with a touch of angst and hurt/comfort. I've already recommended this book to multiple people.

Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. I found it to be too over the top, and I didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters.
I’m sad that I didn’t like this one but I know a lot of people who did so I hope that it works for others who enjoy the sound of it!

Thank you to Jax Calder & Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

After gearing up to watch Red, White, and Royal Blue, I was ready to meet a Prince of Wales on paper, so I jumped at the chance to review The Unlikely Heir. This was an enjoyable read, but it took a while for me to really get into the story.

The beginning was extremely slow and filled with lots of history and protocol regarding the Royals. While some of this I found to be interesting, I really just wanted to get to the meat/romance portion of the story.

I really loved Callum and my heart went out to him. Not only is he a total klutz, who gets into some unbelievably comedic mishaps, but what really broke my heart was how alone he was.

Callum is taken away from his home, job, and friends and thrown into a position he never expected to be in and one he is wholly unprepared for.

I loved that Oliver was there for Callum and that he really got him. While others looked down on Callum for his sense of humor and his vast knowledge of obscure facts, Oliver enjoys those things about Callum and he truly gets him.

While I enjoyed this story, I wish there had been more time with Callum and Oliver as a couple. I understand that this was hard with their political and royal positions, but I just craved more on-page togetherness. When Callum and Oliver finally do get together, it was sweet and sexy.

Although I wanted more couple-time, this was still a well-written and interesting story that I’d have no issues recommending!

*copy provided by publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

If you’re into forbidden romance with an age gap, this book could be for you.

The story was enjoyable. It was lighthearted and made me cry in a few places. I loved every second of it though.

Both the main characters had great chemistry.

I adored Callum, his awkwardness and how knowledgeable he was. I loved reading how he adapted to the royal life and how his knowledge helped him in some ways. His half-siblings were interesting but it was hard to tell whether they wanted the crown or help him.

I felt sad at how many people were willing to betray Callum after it came out that he was royal.

I loved Oliver. His backstory made me feel for him and made me connect to him a little. It was incredible that in this he was the first gay Prime Minister.

I was rooting for both of them separately and together.

I was given this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Jax Calder for the ARC.

A particularly unique narrative, distinct from what I had anticipated.
Centering around the lives of Callum Prescott and Oliver Hartwell, the story introduced me to their worlds and kept me engrossed. Their love story took me by surprise, starting very slow and simple and growing into something that left me swooning.
The clash of their roles as a royal and a politician creates a challenging backdrop and makes for a compelling storyline. The addition of British humor and sarcasm further enhanced my reading experience.
It was such a feel good book with the right amount of easy angst and with lovely moments.
Cannot wait for the next book in this series..