The Heir and the Spare

October 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.

November 15, 2015
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)

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December 1, 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

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