The Heir and the Spare

by Emily Albright

Overview

Soon after starting university in Oxford, Evie finds herself falling in love with her very own prince charming—who turns out to be an actual prince—in this contemporary novel that is Anna and the French Kiss with a royal family twist.

When a letter from her late mom sends Evie to Oxford on the adventure of a lifetime, she’s ready for an amazing first year of college. And it starts off with a bang—soon after setting foot on English soil, Evie falls for a boy, Edmund, who turns out to be a real prince. Second in line to the throne of England, in fact.

From the demands of his royal family, to the stuck-up aristocrat determined to be the one to win his heart, loving Edmund can be a challenge, one that Evie’s more than up for. And as more letters from Evie’s mom arrive, Evie and Edmund team up to sort out her mom’s secret…even if the truth might change everything.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440590115
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	12/04/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	662,666
Lexile:	530L (what's this?)
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Emily Albright was born in Salt Lake City, and her parents moved her all over the continental US growing up. As a result, she now knows several places that she could never move to. As an only child, often in a new city, Emily spent all of her time lost in the worlds of her favorite books and making up imaginary places and friends to keep her company. A graduate of the University of Oregon, she received a degree in journalism and communication. She now gets to spend her days going back to her roots, dreaming up heroes and heroines and putting them in awkward or sometimes swoony situations. Emily now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her handsome husband, her amazing daughter, their crazy cock-a-poo, and feisty kitten. She has no intention of ever leaving the PNW…well, unless she could somehow finagle a free and adorable cottage in Scotland, but that seems highly unlikely. When Emily isn’t writing, she’s usually reading, and when she’s not reading, she’s binge-watching Netflix or her DVR. She always has a glass of tea at her side and usually something furry cuddled up to her. Emily is the author of The Heir and the Spare series and Perfect Harmony.

Editorial Reviews

10/19/2015
Albright debuts with an unabashed fairy tale romance of the American girl who meets her prince, while discovering her own royal background. Evie Gray’s mother died of cancer years ago, but she left big, mysterious plans for her daughter—a series of letters, delivered each year on Evie’s birthday, are aimed at helping Evie understand her true heritage. While in England, where she has just started attending her mother’s alma mater of Oxford, Evie meets and falls for Edmund, the “spare heir to the British throne,” à la Prince Harry. Evie’s initial unawareness of Edmund’s royal status is wildly unlikely, and Albright makes little effort to cloak Evie’s mother’s secret, but that mystery isn’t this story’s main draw, anyway. A rival for Edmund’s affections and a couple of hiccups in Evie and Edmund’s new romance spice up the straightforward romantic story line. It’s a fine choice for fans of films like The Princess Diaries or The Prince and Me, or readers looking for a lighthearted romp with a guaranteed happy ending. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Albright debuts with an unabashed fairy tale romance of the American girl who meets her prince, while discovering her own royal background. It's a fine choice for fans of films like The Princess Diaries or The Prince and Me, or readers looking for a lighthearted romp with a guaranteed happy ending." —Publishers Weekly

"The magic of falling in love...and the challenges of difficult moral decisions are well-portrayed and have timeless appeal." —Kirkus Reviews

"The Heir and the Spare is a fun contemporary read. Evie is so cute and her sass comes out at just the perfect times, making her not too cookie-cutter or stereotypical. Ultimately, this book is a light mystery with the added steam of a royal romance, an HEA and plenty of secondary characters to enjoy." —RT Book Reviews

"Evie is on a quest to uncover a family secret that unfolds through a series of letters from her deceased mother.... [A] delicious, compulsively readable fairy tale romance." —School Library Journal

"Readers ... will appreciate this debut, which confidently combines royalty, romance, and mystery." —Booklist

"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. 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." —YA Books Central

"An adorable book that is sure to capture any romantic's heart. The plot was incredibly fast-paced and would make for a fabulous beach read...a cute debut that will tickle any reader's toes." —TeenReads.com

"Contemporary royal romance? Yes, please! This is a fun, fast read that makes you swoon a little as you expel more than a few longing sighs. If you're hungry for clean NA romance—that happens to also be a royal romance with a heaping helping of 'ahhhhhh, sweet!'—you're going to love The Heir and the Spare." —USA Today Happy Ever After blog

"A delightful read for adults as well as...teens.... A classic with an upbeat, realistic feeling and a modern twist." —NY Journal of Books

From the Publisher

12/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Nineteen-year-old Evie is following in her parent's footsteps by attending the University of Oxford. Despite transferring as a sophomore, Evie is immediately accepted into a group of friends and just as quickly develops a relationship with the debonair "spare heir" to the English throne, Edmund. With Edmund's help, Evie is on a quest to uncover a family secret that unfolds through a series of letters from her deceased mother. While the two grow closer, they face continuous obstacles, including the intrusion of Edmund's parent-approved love interest, Lady Jax, and Evie's common social standing as an American. However, readers will suspect very early on the secret that Evie keeps from Edmund. The plot moves along at a quick, though somewhat predictable pace. Supporting characters are one-dimensional, and Prince Edmund is almost entirely infallible. Fans of Meg Cabot's "Princess Diaries" (HarperCollins) may gravitate toward this one. VERDICT Teens will overlook predictability in favor of the delicious, compulsively readable fairy tale romance.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD

School Library Journal

2015-11-03
Evie Gray is an American freshman at Oxford University with a few unusual twists to her life story. Before Evie's mother died years before, she mapped out her daughter's life and transmitted instructions to her in the form of letters that are delivered each year on her birthday, guiding her in the fulfillment of her ultimate destiny. Of course there are bumps along the way, principally in connection with the first boy she falls for at Oxford, who just happens to be Prince Edmund, in line for the English throne. In this debut novel inspired by the recent royal wedding, Albright gives her readers an engaging and plausible glimpse into the lives of well-connected college students. When Evie eventually realizes who Edmund is, she determines that she will not allow his royal status to interfere with her genuine feelings for him. Evie is a fun and funny undergrad, a little immature for her age, who makes all the blunders and suffers all the embarrassment any teen can identify with. The up-to-the-minute dialogue may quickly become anachronistic ("Ew, creeptastic much?" comments Evie on finding out that her bitchy rival Jax has hired a PI to delve into her past), and the English students' speech in particular frequently feels only superficially English. Still, the magic of falling in love (some hot kissing scenes) and the challenges of difficult moral decisions are well-portrayed and have timeless appeal. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews