Review: 'The Royal We' by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan (2015)

Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit.
Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is far more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.
Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love–her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself – will have been for nothing.
Ever since I was a little girl I've been dreaming of living in a beautiful palace with my very own Prince Charming. While I've been lucky enough to have found my own palace (read: apartment in the city) and prince (not really royalty, though), I still love reading stories with that fairytale touch. So, when I was contacted about reviewing 'The Royal We', released by Head of Zeus in the UK on July 15th, I straight away said yes. The book is written by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, who are the creators of popular celebrity fashion blog Go Fug Yourself. The two also wrote the novels 'Spoiled' and 'Messy', but I'm new to their work. 'The Royal We' was a big hit in the US and has recently had a successful blog tour for the UK release as well. A read that has received a lot of attention and one I looked forward to checking out!
American girl Rebecca Porter could never have predicted what her exchange year at Oxford University would eventually lead to. She ends up living down the hall from Nicholas, who is not just a great and handsome guy but also the heir to the British throne. Bex can't help but fall for Nick and it doesn't take long before they become an item. While dating a prince has its upsides, such as dinner at Windsor Castle and luxurious trips, it also has its downsides, most particularly the paparazzi and having to give up your private life. Bex knows she loves Nick, but will their love be strong enough and is Bex ready to sacrifice almost everything on order to be with him?
Whether you’re an Anglophile, a royalty lover, or just looking for your next good romantic read, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan’s ‘The Royal We’ is the perfect novel to pick up. I already had high hopes for this book after I saw the cover and read the blurb, and I’m really happy the novel managed to live up to the expectations I had. While the storyline wasn’t the most original one (American girl goes to university in England where she falls in love with the British heir to the throne), it was worked out in a captivating way and starred a group of fascinating characters. I liked main character Bex, from whose perspective the entire story is told, from the start and I also developed a bit of a crush on Nick. The sparks were definitely there between the two of them and I just loved reading their story, discovering whether they would eventually make it together or not. There is also a big group of secondary characters, such as their college friends Cilla, Joss, Gaz, Clive and Bea and of course both Nick’s and Bex’s families. I especially loved the family members of both Bex and Nick; they really added a special touch to the story.
The story appears to have been based on the real-life romance between William and Kate, with a special role for Harry as well. There are a lot of similarities and I understand why some readers have named this ‘Kate fan fiction’, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it, whatever you want to call it. I have to admit, though, that I did think it was quite a long read. The story was quite slow in places and could have been shortened, in my opinion. Yet, the authors’ writing style was really comfortable to read, made me laugh out loud every now and again with some great one-liners, and I just really loved the romantic aspect of it all. Next to that, the book has some wonderful settings, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, which I, as a big UK-fan, simply loved. Overall, ‘The Royal We’ is a thoroughly entertaining, funny and romantic read with a touch of royalty at its core; I really liked it!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.