Member Reviews

I read and enjoyed this ARC from Netgalley without even realizing it was a book 2 until I was already invested - there was enough backstory included to make me not lost on the major players or action, but wouldn't be too much of a rehash for those who read the first (I have already put the first on hold at my library). It was fun and interesting, and fresh for a royal family/American princess storyline.

Was this review helpful?

Another fun adventure with Wren and Theo (and Comet), although I wish they had been the central focus of the book as in the first one. They get a second chance at being together but with their bad luck (a comet, a plane crash, a volcano), this may not be the best idea. Still, this was a fun story with plenty of twists and turns to get to their happy ever after. I’m hoping we get a peek into Victoria’s story next.

Was this review helpful?

Heir, Apparently is the sequel and conclusion to Wren and Theo's ridiculous love story in The Prince and the Apocalypse.

I'm so, so happy Kara McDowell was able to publish this conclusion because the ending in the first book literally killed me.

I adore Wren and Theo! The humor and their quips is top notch and the silliness of TPATA definitely continues in Heir, Apparently. If I didn't have to sleep and work I would have finished the story in just a few short hours. The pacing and McDowell's writing style is quick and engaging. I did not want to stop reading.

If you loved The Prince and the Apocalypse, you will fall head over heels for Heir, Apparently.

Was this review helpful?

Heir, Apparently (The Prince & The Apocalypse Book #2)

By Kara McDowell-new to me author

Publication 7/9/24, Read 7/9/24

Genre: YA, Rom-Com

Tropes: royal/celebrity romance, family drama, forced proximity, hidden truths, journey with companions, stranded on a desert island, 2nd chance romance

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press|Wednesday Books, and RB Media for this ARC and ALC🩷 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

Audiobook Run Time: 10:16, E-book 320 pgs.

Rating: 4/5 👑👑👑👑

The narrator Laura Knight Keating does all the characters. The voice fits the characters with standouts from Wren, Victoria, and Theo. I loved their British accents and Theo's dry sarcasm. Their voices were the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter started. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio.

It's three months after the apocalypse that wasn't, and Wren Wheeler is back in Chicago a freshman at Northwestern when she's drawn back into Prince Theo's orbit. He has her dog Comet "The Apocalypse Dog," and she wants him back. Wren, Naomi-her BFF, and her younger sister Brooke travel to Canada to get him back. When the paparazzi become too invasive Theo, Henry-his brother, Victoria-his sister, Wren, Naomi, and Brooke fly back to London to regroup. Unfortunately their plane goes down over the Atlantic, and they get stranded on a deserted island. Several of them are injured but they work together to survive the elements. After their rescue, Prince Theo plans to ascend the throne as King of England, and Wren must decide what's in her future.

Full disclosure I didn't read Book #1 The Prince & The Apocalypse, and I felt that I was missing something. I didn't know about their meet-cute, traveling, and falling in love. I highly suggest you read book one. Heir, Apparently was the quintessential clean YA rom-com with hidden secrets, a journey with companions, and plenty of angst.

My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly.

Was this review helpful?

🏝️ Book Review 🏝️
|| Heir, Apparently ||
|| Author: Kara McDowell ||
Format: Netgalley audiobook
Release Date: July 9, 2924
Read from: July 9, 2024 to July 9, 2024
2024 RG: 89/100

MCs: Theo and Wren

***Full disclosure I read before knowing it was a sequel 🫣***

Wren Wheeler is trying to figure out college and what she wants her major to be. As much as she is trying to move forward in her life, something is holding her back. She *might* have married the future King of England when they thought a comet was about to strike the earth and kill them all. Then she handed him over to the royals and ran back to America. But now she wants her dog back. And maybe also might want to see her ?husband?

Theo is about to take the throne after the passing of his mother, the Queen. When he sees the woman he married on the beach at the end of the world, he knows he can’t let her go again. But the press and royal people will never agree with the marriage and he doesn’t want to take choices away from Wren.

When Wren tries to go back home to Chicago, their plane crashes, leaving them stranded on an island and consequently revealing feelings from everyone there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

“There’s something about Theo and me that feels inevitable. We can fight it all we want, but the universe will run our airplane into the ground before it allows us to outrun each other.”

Was this review helpful?

At first I was wondering how this was all going to play out… it seemed so action packed and busy. This book was soo good!! I was on the edge of my seat to find out what was going to happen next. The ending was not something I expected either… I kept getting blindsided left and right. Such a cute read!

Was this review helpful?

This was a great little RomCom.
There were a couple of parts that were on the slower side but it was overshadowed by the characters, banter and wonderful story.
We were definitely kept on our toes throughout the book and made sure to fall in love with all aspects.
I have not read the first book in the series, but I will circle back and make sure to do so in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for granting me this book for a review.

Was this review helpful?

i loved this book!!!!

but i have a confession to make, when i requested this audiobook i didn’t know it was part of a series, but i still can tell you that it was incredibly funny and lighthearted and it was also very easy to follow thanks to narrator. As a matter of fact i intend to read the first one as soon as i can.

i fell in love not only with the protagonist Wren and Theo, but also with the side characters, especially royal siblings Henry and Victoria, therefore i need a book about each of them.

thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange of an honest opinion!

Was this review helpful?

11/10! The roller-coaster of emotions that I went through! I loved this book because who doesn't love a modern royal romance story, especially one that the MMC is the King of the United Kingdom! There was so many different characters in this book that all played very important roles that I can't say I disliked any of them because even though I disagree with some actions they all had their reasons and that was very clear throughout the writing. This is probably my favorite book of the year because I stayed up listening to this book and reading it wherever I went and had the chance to listen to the audiobook, I think that this book has a trope for everyone in it!

Was this review helpful?

I received access to the audiobook from NetGalley the day before this came out. I had no idea that there was a first book, Fortunately, it didn't matter for the storyline. I was quickly sucked into the story and could not put it down (hats off to narrator Laura Knight Keating for a great audiobook). The premise is absolutely ridiculous and comes after called [book:The Prince & The Apocalypse|61884988], so don't go into this without knowing that there is an element of silliness.

This book apparently takes off right where the first book ended. Wren Wheeler is about to start college after having survived the end of the world that "almost" happened. Apparently, she may or may not have married the Prince of England who is about to be crowned as King. The marriage was as a joke when they thought the world was ending, but Wren has actual feelings for Prince Theo that she can't just leave behind. When he crosses the ocean for a press tour, and with the excuse of going to get her dog back, Wren, her best friend, and her sister drive from Chicago to Canada and the adventure begins.

Both Wren and Theo have feelings for each other but are convinced that the other one hates them. Paparazzi get in the way of a simple conversation, and one thing leads to another that results in them on a private jet on their way to England. With a first book having the "almost" apocalypse, the second story had to have some other insane event, so of course their private plane loses both engines and crashes down on a deserted island. The only people on the plane were Wren, her friend, her sister, Theo, and two of his siblings - one of which completely wants to be king and is annoyed about being "the spare." The majority of the book is them dealing with being on the island and trying to get off.

I fully enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was absolutely like candy. Any teenage girl who likes books about royalty will definitely enjoy this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for an audio ARC of this book. I really enjoyed it. I think I would have loved to follow this gaggle of teenagers if I was 14 years old. I came in without knowing it was a sequel and think reading the sequel will provide helpful context. Otherwise, it seems super off the rails, but all in all I would totally recommend this to teenage girls.

Was this review helpful?

Heir, Apparently was an incredible followup to the story of The Prince & The Apocalypse. After the high stakes adventures of the first book, I was wondering how the rest of Wren and Theo's story would proceed and if it could match what happened during comet week. These two books reminded me why I fell in love with the YA Romance genre in the first place. McDowell is so good at writing edge of your seat plots! I would read a million books about Theo and Wren -- but I really do hope that in the future we get some books about Victoria (long may she reign) and Henry!

Was this review helpful?

At the end of The Prince & The Apocalypse, I think every reader wants to know, “But what happens next???” I know I sure did when I read it.

Heir, Apparently picks up—spoiler alert for book one—a bit after the apocalypse is averted. (Sorry, y’all. I figure if you know there’s a book two, you probably also know that the world doesn’t end in the first one.) Wren is about to start college at Northwestern with her best friend, Naomi, at her side. Theo is about to be coronated as the King of England.

They haven’t talked to each other since Comet Week.

And he has her dog.

When Theo and a couple of his siblings bring Comet along with them for a royal tour in Canada, Wren sees it as her chance to see Comet (Theo) again, but things don’t exactly go as planned.

It seems like disaster seems to follow Theo and Wren everywhere.

As with The Prince & The Apocalypse, plan to suspend your disbelief for this one, and strap in for a fun ride. I didn’t enjoy Heir, Apparently quite as much as the first book, but I liked the additional characters on the journey this time around, especially Henry, who loves to push Theo’s buttons, the chemistry and romantic pull between Theo and Wren, and the added tension of whether or not a relationship between the two is possible as he prepares for his coronation.

Laura Knight Keating’s narration captures the youthfulness of this cast of characters. I liked her vocal choices, and she portrays both the British and American accents well.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from RBmedia and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Just like the first one, a cute Rom-Com with an underlying sense of doom. Plane crashes, volcanoes and one dramatic, traumatic event after another keeps us on our toes through the entire story. I loved it and absolutely would recommend the BOOK.
However I cannot recommend the audio. I’ve never been so annoyed by a narrator. I could hear every breath she took and that to me is like nails on a chalkboard. I know that’s a me problem but if a “mouth-breather” is a pet peeve for you too, it makes it almost unbearable. With that being said please know the story is excellent and absolutely worth reading.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.

I adored book one and loved the second one just as much. as the first. So much so, that not only did I devour reading the ARC but then put in for the audiobook (fingers and toes crossed!) and was giddy with excitement to received it!! I really recommend you start with the first book before this because it would be a crime not to start at the beginning. The narrator is brilliant and really brings the story to life...

So, we have gone from the end of the world scenario in book one to a plane wreck/stranded on a deserted island...this time our cast of characters has increased with siblings from both families pulled into the life-or-death situations our couple for some reason has a habit of encountering. This book takes place months after the original story, and Wren and Theo are in fact still legally married! Not only do they need to learn how to survive their new deadly surroundings but face their future whether it be together or apart.

Every time our couple is together on page, I squeal with happiness (or sometimes brief frustrated sighs), but mostly just joyful sounds! Wren and Theo are just pure magic together...and the ending was worth all the agony getting there. I know this is a duology, but I honestly would read a whole series surrounding their lives together. Maybe a follow up with the siblings...?!

5 stars

Was this review helpful?

Maybe I'm just living in my Rom-Com era but I loved this book.

Thank you #netgalley for the chance to listen to this ARC which releases today July 8th!

Now I've said it time and time again that I go blind into books. I love it. But sometimes it means requesting an ARC that turns out to be a sequel. 🤣 About 10% in I thought "wow there's a lot of history between these characters already am I missing something?" I was. But I decided to press on because I was enjoying the story. I never felt like I was missing too much of the first story to read this one, although I have no doubt the first one was just as amazing as this one.

This book was jam-packed full of action and misfortune. If something could go wrong for these characters, it did. This is classified as YA, but there was plenty of tension and some cursing, so I would still recommend ages 16+. It only took me two days to listen to this book and honestly I expected it to take me longer. I went into thinking it wouldn't be for me but Kara McDowell hooked me immediately and wouldn't let me off the hook until I was finished. If you like rom coms with a funny protagonist, a broody English book boyfriend, plenty of action and banter then I highly recommend this and probably the first one! 🤣

Happy Release Day!

Was this review helpful?

This is the sequel to The Prince and the Apocalypse. The first book was incredible and I enjoyed the adventure so much that I was nervous about how the follow up would go. This blew my expectations out the water. The first book ended on a devastating cliffhanger. We meet up with Wren as a freshman in college after the world almost ended. She has no idea what she is going to major in and feels a bit stuck. She decides to go get her dog Comet who is currently with King Theo.
This book is full of adventures, twists and turns as well as romance. Kara Mcdowell does such a good job navigating Wren and Theo';s relationship as well as balancing the other characters around them.
I love this duo logy so much and I am hoping we get prince Henrys story!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for the ALC of Heir, Apparently. I so enjoyed getting through multiple listens of this audiobook and it's simply wonderful!

Heir, Apparently picks up months after the conclusion of The Price and the Apocalypse. Wren seeks out Comet (and Theo, of course) as Theo and his siblings are visiting Canada. When Wren and Theo are photographed together by the paparazzi, they’re forced to have Wren travel to London with Theo in order to help best manage the response and provide some temporary protection for Wren. On their way to London, their plane goes down and they must survive on the island as they await rescue.

I don't read YA often but last year one of my favorite YA reads was The Prince & the Apocalypse. I recall being so captivated by the audiobook and I credit this to narrator, Laura Knight Keating. Keating did such an incredible job and I'm so happy Keating returned for Heir, Apparently. I can't imagine a different voice bringing Wren to life.

Heir, Apparently is an adventure just like its predecessor - it was hard to imagine how the story would follow up a potential apocalypse, but McDowell nails it, crafting a story that has that adventure but also deals with different layers of challenges that multiple members of the story need to navigate and overcome. Keating once again does such an incredible job bringing to life Wren and the rest of the cast as they navigate highs, lows, humor, desperation, romance, etc.

I can't wait for the release in a few days - you'll love the conclusion to this duology!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for letting me listen to the book. I enjoyed the book. I had not read the first book but was still was able to enjoy. The narration was really good.

Was this review helpful?

College freshman Wren is secretly married to Theo, King of England. Thrust into the royal spotlight, she heads to London with Theo. When their plane crashes on a deserted island, they must confront their feelings for each other while battling the elements—and decide whether their future will be a happily ever after or a heartbreaking goodbye.

This adventure romance is a lot of fun. The well-paced story has a strong plot and characters. The book can stand alone, but the series is best read in order. The audio narration was well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Was this review helpful?