Discussion Questinos for The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

Book club questions for The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage explore a challenging story about difficult choices and learning to accept the truth.

This was an excellent read, so good that we could hardly believe this is Rebecca’s first book. There were a lot of really fun parallels between the existing monarchy and the functional one in the book. Including a version of the incident with Ed Sheeran at a royal party. We think that truly added to the story and we loved to see those little nods.

There were a lot of elements to the overall story – love interests, reinventing the monarchy, tough decisions, stepping away from power, etc. It kept the story interesting throughout and we just wanted to keep reading.

Story

Alexandrina (Lexi) Villers is in Australia where she is doing her training to be a doctor. She is with her long-time friend, Jack, as they welcome the New Year. Just then, a helicopter lands and her grandmother, the Queen’s, assistant informs her that her father (heir to the throne) and her twin brother, Louis, have been killed in a skiing accident.

In addition, Louis’s wife’s brother was also killed. It appears that Lexi is now the heir apparent to the throne. She is whisked back to England to attend the funerals and talk to her grandmother. She must now decide if she will accept her destiny or reject it in favor of her disgusting uncle. She is still reeling from the tragic death of her mother some years ago. Can she hold out to be the next Queen or will she return to her happiness of pursuing her studies of being a doctor in Australia?

As we read the book, we see how the plot follows along with the past events of the British royal family and the members that we are all familiar with. It takes some concentration to keep up with it but it’s a fun ride.

Book Club Questions

1. When Lexi flies to London following the deaths of her father and brother, we see her transformation from private citizen to public royal unfolding en route: wardrobe, hair, and manicure all remade before landing. What is that meant to signify and foreshadow? What does it tell you about royal life and obligations, and do you feel those obligations are still relevant or necessary today?
2. On the night Lexi arrives in London, what first impressions did you gather from her reunion with Amira? What does their conversation reveal about their friendship and Amira’s role in the royal family?
3. As the palace discusses the plans for the funeral, Lexi notes how even small details—the procession order, the choice of flowers—can have cascading effects. Considering the movements of the royal family members so far, what are some details that stood out to you, and did they yield large consequences?
4. How does Queen Eleanor balance her familial and royal responsibilities, being Lexi’s grandmother as well as the Queen of England? Do you feel she gives each role equal weight?
5. Lexi feels betrayed when she learns that Louis was given their mother’s engagement ring. In their argument—unbeknownst to them, their last meaningful time together before Louis’s death—did you sympathize with one or both of them?
6. How would you describe Lexi’s resolve and conflicting emotions during the trip to the Highlands?
7. Did Lexi change during the year of weighing her options and fending off Uncle Richard’s attempts to seize power? How so?
8. What was your reaction upon learning the truth about Lexi’s mother’s death? How do Lexi’s recurring dreams set up this revelation?
9. If Louis and Kris had survived, with Louis eventually crowned King, do you think they would have been able to have a public life together?
10. Some of the characters aren’t what they initially seem, or change over the course of the novel. Can you think of a character who might fit either description? Which character wound up surprising you the most?
11. After this glimpse behind fictional palace gates, was there anything about royal life that might appeal to you, might make you understand if Lexi had made a different decision?
12. Who were your favorite characters?

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed the book club questions for The Heir Apparent. Here are some more recommendations, along with links to book club questions.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Here’s the synopsis –

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late―and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

This is a wonderful dark comedy with a flawed heroine you root for from the very beginning. Funny, tender and dark. For any fans of Samantha Downing. We look forward to her next book.

Here’s the synopsis –

Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian ― and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track ― Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged―but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.

Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.