Rebecca Armitage

They would always choose the Crown over their family. It was the pact they made for the honour of wearing it.

It’s New Year’s Day and Lexi Villiers is about to kiss her best friend for the very first time under the dawn light in Tasmania.

But by midnight, everything will change. Always destined to be the spare, following her estranged brother’s death, Lexi will arrive in London as Princess Alexandrina, first-in-line to the British throne.

But the palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other’s secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just beyond her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep…and what she is willing to leave behind.

The Heir Apparent

It’s New Year’s Day in Tasmania, and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out nicely: she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends, Finn and Jack; and she’s about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack- when a helicopter abruptly lands. Out steps her grandmother’s right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. 

Lexi’s grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne-a role she has publicly disavowed. 

Returning to London as the heir apparent Princess Alexandrina, Lexi is greeted by a skeptical public not ready to forgive her defection, a grieving sister-in-law harboring an explosive secret, and a scheming uncle determined to claim the throne for himself. Her previous life-and Jack grow ever more distant as she feels the tug of tradition, of love for her grandmother, and of obligation. When her grandmother grants her one year to decide, Lexi must chart her own destiny: Will it be the one determined by an accident of birth-or by her own hand?

An absolutely delicious, compulsively readable, stylish novel about a young aristocratic woman, who has to choose between duty and her heart - think The Crown meets Taylor Jenkins Reid. 'I loved it. I devoured every page of this glorious novel.' Holly Ringland Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time. But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne - albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident, Lexi - the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare - is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind. 'For everyone wondering who's going to be the next big thing on the Australian literary scene, I have the answer: it's Rebecca Armitage. The Heir Apparent is one of the best books I've read all year.' Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Mademoiselle Alliance 'A fabulous novel, juicy and irresistible'. Pip Drysdale, bestselling author of The Close Up 'Completely addictive! I was up until the wee hours finishing this fantastic book. It's Hello! mag meets Sally Hepworth and I was utterly transported by the evocative, clever storytelling. Five stars!!' Ella Ward, The Cicada House

A Riveting Royal Story of Being Torn Between Duty and Desire, for Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, the Crown and Red White and Royal Blue

Heir Apparent

An irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart. A Reese's Book Club Pick! It’s New Year’s Day in Australia and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out nicely: she’s in the second year of her medical residency, she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends Finn and Jack, and she’s about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack—when a helicopter abruptly lands. Out steps her grandmother’s right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Lexi’s grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne—a role she has publicly disavowed. Returning to London as the heir apparent Princess Alexandrina, Lexi is greeted by a skeptical public not ready to forgive her defection, a grieving sister-in-law harboring an explosive secret, and a scheming uncle determined to claim the throne himself. Her recent life—and Jack—grow ever more distant as she feels the tug of tradition, of love for her grandmother, and of obligation. When her grandmother grants her one year to decide, Lexi must choose her own destiny: will it be determined by an accident of birth—or by love? ​“There's nothing better than snuggling up with a great story this time of year. The December Reese's Book Club pick, The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage, has everything I love in a holiday read—royals, romance, family twists, and a woman finding her own path. Can't wait for you to dive in.” —Reese Witherspoon “One of the best books I've read all year.” —Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress

Rebecca Armitage

About

Books

Join the club