Review Detail

How many of us love books with royalty? I know I certainly do. We have a strange obsession with them, and I can't help but be fascinated with them. (I draw a line at real people, because that would be just wrong and I respect people's privacies.) And when a book comes along involving the British royals, I can't help but keep an eye out for a look of allusions towards the real British family. (I think I saw a Duchess Kate reference, but I'm not too sure about it.)

Anyway, let's dive into the book.

THE HEIR AND THE SPARE has Evie as its main character and narrator. She is an American in the United Kingdom, going on a quest her mother sent her own. What she might find will most definitely change her life forever, but first of all... She has attracted the eye of the younger British prince along with a entire cloud of paparazzis. In addition to all of these happenings, Evie sounds more like a young teenager than an older teen when she internally thinks. I can't help but notice one of YABC's staff reviewer's statuses of how immature she is. (I wholeheartedly agree, but that is most definitely part of her character.)

The world building is severely underdeveloped. Even though Evie is attending Oxford University, there is not a single scene (that I can recall) where she actually attends Oxford and talks about what she sees and how she feels when she looks at that campus. The book jumps from several places, but the author doesn't go really into depth. (E.g. Paris, America...) But there are a few exceptions. One of them is London.

The plot stars on the mystery of Evie's mother. The solution is way too easy to predict, but it's fun to watch Evie (finally!) figure everything out and get her prince in the end. Though there are several moments where the plot just turns and becomes way too coincidental for me. Things just fall into Evie's lap, and I wish that she worked for it. But despite the easiness and little amount of suffering Evie had, the story is enjoyable and fun to read. Never boring, never dull.

Overall, this book is for those who love the PRINCESS DIARIES and its movies. Think of this book as a mashup between the first and second movie with a dash of Smoking!Grandma from the actual book itself. THE HEIR AND THE SPARE is totally perfect for someone who is looking for a light, very cheesy, and fluffy read that isn't too serious for the brain.

Rating: Three out of Five