I absolutely loved The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan when I read it a few years ago and I was fully #TeamKate, but that was long before the Meghan Markle fiasco. Now I’m not so much #TeamKate, and that did give me pause before picking up this sequel because the main character is based on Kate Middleton. In the end, I decided this book is purely fictional and I could still enjoy what it has to offer, even if the real-life people they’re based on are problematic. That said, these books are almost entirely full of white characters, so I’m not sure they’re significantly less problematic than their inspiration.
This book picks up a few weeks after the end of The Royal We, while Nick and Bex are on their honeymoon/escape from the press and the royal family. They’ve been moving around and are currently staying in a tiny town in Scotland, debating whether to keep moving to avoid being found (they have disguises and pseudonyms) or to stay put and enjoy small-town life for a while.
The decision is made for them when one of their security guards shows up at the door (because of course they never lost tabs on the second in line to the throne and his wife) and announces they are needed back in London because the queen had a heart attack.
Turns out the “heart attack” was more of a minor arrhythmia, which the queen used as an excuse to get her grandson and his new wife back to work. Freddie has been hard at work making public appearances and charming everyone, trying to undo all the damage done from the scandal Clive published. Now Nick and Bex have to do their part to rehab their reputation because everyone thinks Bex is a worthless slut and Nick is a cuckold.
I like that this book dealt with the fallout between Nick and Freddie in what I thought was a realistic way. Even though Nick knows nothing sexual happened between Freddie and Bex, making a move on your brother’s girlfriend is a really shitty thing to do, so of course it takes Nick and Freddie a while to move past that.
What I did not love were the hints that maybe Bex did have feelings for Freddie. If you want me to fully buy into the idea that Nick and Bex can make it work despite the public scrutiny and demands of being a royal, there can’t be any suggestion that she might have the hots for his brother. The excuse that being with Freddie would have been easier because he’s not directly in line to the throne I think has been debunked by everything Meghan Markle has had to go through (although this book was published before Harry and Meghan decided to GTFO).
The portrayal of Queen Eleanor in the first book was pretty awful, but she wasn’t around much. She plays a much bigger role in this book and alternates between being awful and being an approachable human being who’s capable of letting loose once in a while. It kind of felt like the authors wanted to have it both ways, but they pushed it beyond “she’s just misunderstood” and made her a part of something that was just unforgivably awful.
I also appreciated that this book dealt with the issue of infertility because it is such a common problem these days. All women are under pressure to procreate, but how much worse it must be for someone who is almost literally contractually obligated to produce an heir. I also appreciated that the book didn’t blame Bex for her inability to conceive (although of course the public did), but that it turned out Nick was the one who was shooting blanks.
Also, as a Cubs fan, I have to say how much I appreciated getting Bex’s reaction to the Cubs’ 2016 season, and in particular Game Seven. It was perfect.