Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan did a brilliant job with their earlier novel The Royal We, which follows the relationship between Nicholas, heir to the throne, and an American exchange student, Rebecca "Bex" Porter. Due to the paparazzi, Nick's royal duties and that unfortunate time Bex let Nick's brother kiss her, the couple had a lot to work through before they got their dream wedding.
But as The Heir Affair opens, news of Bex and Freddie's kiss has leaked, and the British public is outraged. Nick is finding it hard to forgive his brother fully, and Bex is mourning the damage to her friendship with Freddie, while simultaneously trying to reconcile the brothers and keep her marriage thriving.
Then, Nick's grandmother Eleanor, the current Queen, instructs them to move into the Kensington Palace apartment that formerly belonged to Eleanor's sister, Georgina, making them Freddie's neighbor. Nick, Bex and Freddie reach a détente as the newlyweds sort through the staggering number of items that Georgina hoarded over the decades. Now, the happy couple just needs to worry about perpetuating the royal line, fulfilling their many charity obligations and staying on Eleanor's good side.
Funny yet poignant, The Heir Affair has much more depth than might be expected. Bex's relationship with her brother-in-law is complicated, to say the least, as is her relationship with the British public. The dramatic details that Cocks and Morgan unfold make The Heir Affair a timely and perfect escape for royalty lovers and romance readers alike. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.