The Heir Apparent

De: Rebecca Armitage

Narrado por: Shakira Shute

An irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart.

A Reese's Book Club Pick!

It’s New Year’s Day in Australia and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out nicely: she’s in the second year of her medical residency, she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends Finn and Jack, and she’s about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack—when a helicopter abruptly lands.

Out steps her grandmother’s right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Lexi’s grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne—a role she has publicly disavowed.

Returning to London as the heir apparent Princess Alexandrina, Lexi is greeted by a skeptical public not ready to forgive her defection, a grieving sister-in-law harboring an explosive secret, and a scheming uncle determined to claim the throne himself.

Her recent life—and Jack—grow ever more distant as she feels the tug of tradition, of love for her grandmother, and of obligation. When her grandmother grants her one year to decide, Lexi must choose her own destiny: will it be determined by an accident of birth—or by love?

"One of the best books I've read all year." —Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress

Royal Drama With Missed Potential

As an English teacher and a longtime royal-watcher, I went into this novel genuinely excited. I enjoy royal fiction and understand that it often borrows from real history and public figures—but I had mixed emotions throughout my reading experience because some elements felt so blatantly lifted from the modern British royal family that it occasionally pulled me out of the story. Instead of feeling inspired by real events, certain parallels felt more like thinly veiled imitation rather than creative reinterpretation.
From a pacing standpoint, the novel was uneven. There were stretches that dragged on far longer than necessary, with excessive internal reflection and scenes that didn’t always move the plot forward. As a reader—and as someone who teaches narrative structure—I found myself wishing for tighter editing in the middle sections. The story had momentum, but it frequently stalled.
I also struggled with the central conflict. The decision the protagonist wrestles with is framed as monumental, yet I never fully understood why it was so difficult. Most members of her actual family were portrayed as unsupportive, dismissive, or outright unpleasant, which made the choice feel far more obvious than the author seemed to intend. Because of that, the emotional tension didn’t always land the way it should have.
The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed. After spending so much time building the internal struggle, the resolution came quickly and left me wanting more insight into what followed. I would have appreciated seeing the consequences play out more fully instead of the story ending just as things became most interesting.
Overall, this book wasn’t a bad read, but it was a frustrating one at times. Royal fiction fans will likely still enjoy it, especially those who like imagining life behind palace walls, but readers looking for originality, strong pacing, and a fully realized conclusion may walk away feeling unsatisfied—much like I did.

Absolutely loved it.

This book is one of those books that is going to stick with me. Perhaps coming into my life just when I needed it. Lexi’s life might not be wildly relatable, but her feeling, emotions (those felt and surpressed), and role in her family are. Thank you, Rebecca Armitage for giving us this story, I will treasure it.

A Deep Dive Into Royal Life

While this was not a favorite listen for me, I can see why readers who enjoy political intrigue and detailed royal worlds would really connect with it. The story spends a lot of time exploring power, duty, and what actually goes on behind the scenes of a monarchy, which makes it feel realistic and intentional. The love element is there, but it feels secondary to the political and institutional themes, which some readers will appreciate more than a traditional romance focus. For me, that level of detail sometimes slowed things down, but it also adds context to the choices the characters make later on. It is a thoughtfully built story that will resonate with people who like immersive, politically driven narratives, even if it was not quite my personal style. And the narration is great!

Fabulous book

This was such an interesting read and I found myself connecting parallels to things in the news regarding the royal family. An easy, fun, and interesting listen!!

thoroughly enjoyable, especially if you enjoy royal related info

I really liked the story and got into it pretty quickly. narrator was great my only complaint was how the ending was written. I was expecting an epilogue to see how things played out but instead the narration gets very ....poetic and flowery language?..... different than the entire book had been. a little more detail and story would have brought the entire thing together better.