The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Release Date - July 7, 2020

Publisher Website - Hachette 
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 464 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received for an honest review from the publisher**

**spoilers for The Royal We**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

After a scandalous secret turns their fairy-tale wedding into a nightmare, Rebecca "Bex" Porter and her husband Prince Nicholas are in self-imposed exile. The public is angry. The Queen is even angrier. And the press is salivating. Cutting themselves off from friends and family, and escaping the world's judgmental eyes, feels like the best way to protect their fragile, all-consuming romance.

But when a crisis forces the new Duke and Duchess back to London, the Band-Aid they'd placed over their problems starts to peel at the edges. Now, as old family secrets and new ones threaten to derail her new royal life, Bex has to face the emotional wreckage she and Nick left behind: with the Queen, with the world, and with Nick's brother Freddie, whose sins may not be so easily forgotten—nor forgiven.

I adored The Royal We immensely when it cam out. I was entirely charmed by pretty much everything about it. I was especially charmed by Freddie, the second born heir to the throne. I was delighted when a sequel was announced and while it may not be the Freddie focused read I wanted it was a delight nevertheless. 

The novel picks up pretty much right after the events of the first book. Only a short amount of time has passed and that allows us to deal with the ramifications of some of those events. It also means that you absolutely have to read the first book before picking this one up. It is a direct sequel and not a companion novel.

Similar to the first book it is not as light as you imagine it being. There are a lot of heavy topics dealt with in these pages. The events that happen to these characters are allowed to be felt. They resonate with the characters in palpable, realistic ways. It is part of why I love this series so much. It makes the characters feel real. It pays attention to the public and private personas these characters would have and both aspects of these characters are nuanced.

Freddie may not be the sole focus but he has a very significant role. The fallout from his confession to Bex and his offer to run away with her features heavily in this book's plot. Freddie's feelings for Bex and how that makes everyone else feel (including Bex) is messy and complicated. It isn't easily wrapped up. It is not neat or pretty. It is given the heft it deserves and it impacts so may relationships in different ways. My only issue with the previous book was that this confession was barely dealt with  in a significant way and this rectified that. 

These characters are not always going to make the 'right' decisions. The authors constructed them to be imperfect and that includes making mistakes. I predict many may not 'like' Bex and will feel frustrated with her at times (among other characters). They are characters that you understand however. They are all under intense scrutiny in high pressure situations. The fact that they are disasters every so often makes them more authentic and realistic.

There are some lighter, more fun moments in among the drama and heartbreak. These moments ring like joyful bells and will have you craving more of them. They are timed perfectly and allowed the reader to connect with the characters even more.

Family secrets are revealed and the way everything is wound together is very clever. There are story parallels that will eventually be obvious but I enjoyed how it all came together. It's juicy and scandalous enough to be worthy of a fictitious royal family.

If you loved the first book I highly recommend picking up the second. It gives you more of everything you loved in the first book be that drama, royal family secrets, Bex and Nick cuteness, or (thankfully) more Freddie.