Heir Apparent: A riveting royal story, now a Reese's Book Club Pick
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
An absolutely delicious, compulsively readable, stylish novel about a young aristocratic woman, who has to choose between duty and her heart - think The Crown meets Taylor Jenkins Reid. 'I loved it. I devoured every page of this glorious novel.' Holly Ringland
Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time.
But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne - albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident, Lexi - the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare - is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind.
'This engrossing debut ... is filled with secrets, scandals, and a few unexpected twists, including a forbidden and beautiful love story. Armitage's writing is spectacular, with rich dialogue and descriptions, a vibrant depiction of the burden of duty versus personal freedom, and unique insights into royal life.' Booklist, starred review
'For everyone wondering who's going to be the next big thing on the Australian literary scene, I have the answer: it's Rebecca Armitage. The Heir Apparent is one of the best books I've read all year.' Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Mademoiselle Alliance
'A fabulous novel, juicy and irresistible'. Pip Drysdale, bestselling author of The Close Up
'Completely addictive! I was up until the wee hours finishing this fantastic book. It's Hello! mag meets Sally Hepworth and I was utterly transported by the evocative, clever storytelling. Five stars!!' Ella Ward, The Cicada House
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We loved all the royal drama in this compelling read about what happens when “the spare” suddenly becomes the future Queen. Lexi Villiers is living her best life in Tasmania, completing her medical residency and sharing a farm with her closest friends, Jack and Finn. That is, until she learns her father and brother have died and her formidable grandmother insists she come home to England at once. Oh, did we mention that her grandmother is the Queen? Australian journalist Rebecca Armitage makes Lexi’s choice between the comfortable world she’s created and her duty as princess feel authentic and deeply human. There’s plenty of glamour and pageantry, but grief, guilt, long-standing family rifts and the pull of her budding romance with Jack come with real emotional stakes. The Heir Apparent is smart, modern royal fiction with heart.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Armitage's perceptive debut, the British monarchy navigates a crisis following the death of two heirs. Lexi Villiers, whose grandmother is the Queen of England, has removed herself from royal life and is finishing up her medical residency in Tasmania. After her father and twin brother die in a skiing accident, she becomes first in line to the throne and is whisked back to England. Under the intense scrutiny of a hostile press, Lexi is given one year to decide if she will accept her royal duty. Her decision is complicated by the recent kiss she shared with her best friend Jack, a Tasmanian winemaker from an activist family, and painful memories of how the palace culture destroyed her late mother. With the support of her brother's Indian British widow and a savvy social media manager, Lexi comes around to the idea of ascending to the throne. But as she solidifies her plan for a monarchy that acknowledges its historic harms, someone leaks damaging secrets about her. Armitage convincingly renders Lexi's inner turmoil as she weighs her sense of responsibility with a desire for freedom. It's a standout portrayal of the royals and the tabloid culture surrounding them.
