Review: The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright

Review:

Evie Gray is an American attending Oxford. Her parents met and fell in love when they were at Oxford and her mother really wanted her to have the same experience. Her mother died when she was young, but she left a number of mysterious letters that arrive on her birthday each year. In addition, she started receiving letters with various quests that need to be completed before she will receive the next letter. 

On her first day at Oxford she meets Edmund Stuart, who is the equivalent of Prince Harry in line to the British throne. He is the second son of the current King and Queen. The two share an interest in history and art and hit it off from the start. There situation is complicated because his family wants him to marry the daughter of another aristocratic family, but Edmund has no interest in her. Evie believes she doesn't have a chance since she doesn't have a title or come from a prestigious family...but what if she does?  That is the premise behind this story. Evie is on a quest to discover a secret her mother kept from both her and her father, which just might open more doors to her than she ever could have imagined. But does she even want to be part of that world? Her mother made her decision years ago and she is now giving Evie the chance to make her own decision.

This is such a cute story. I absolutely loved Evie, Edmund, and all of their friends. Preston is Edmund's best friend. He also has a crush on Evie, which becomes a bit of an issue as jealousy rears its head on occasion. In addition, Jacqueline...AKA Jax, is the entitled wannabe girlfriend who keeps showing up to lure Edmund. She is downright nasty and it doesn't take long to discover why Edmund isn't interested. 

Interactions with the paparazzi, Edmund's security detail, and vacations to Royal estates are just some of the things Evie experiences while dating a Prince. She knows how she feels about him, but she isn't sure if the feeling is mutual. She wants to make sure he is choosing her because of who she is and not because of a title she may possess.  I don't think she ever needed to worry about that, but I could understand her initial concern. 

I absolutely love anything involving the Royal family, so this was almost a sure winner for me. I have no idea why I left it sitting in my TBR pile for so long!