Release Day Review: The Heir Apparent by Tere Michaels

Title: The Heir Apparent
Author: Tere Michaels
Release Date: October 9, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

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The heir apparent to a vast international company, Henry Walker has focused his entire life on pleasing his cold and distant father, a futile effort that’s left him no time for life, love, or making his own decisions. He has just one friend—one dirty little secret—Archie Banks. Raised on the Walker estate alongside Henry, Archie is now Henry’s driver, bodyguard… and occasional lover. Archie is loyal, but he’s about to graduate from college and has plans for his life that don’t include living every moment at the beck and call of Henry’s father. Not even for Henry.

With no warning, a shocking kidnapping leads to tragedy and chaos, thrusting Henry and Archie into a dramatic struggle that threatens them individually and as a couple. Can they find a way to heal the hurt of the past, save the company that is Henry’s birthright, and find a future together?

1st Edition Published by Loose Id, February 2013

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

This book was not anything like I was expecting. The first 27% was routine and personally, I was really worried about reading it. Henry is the son of a very uptight, staid, wealthy man. Henry's father is very set in his ways and demands what he deems "appropriate" behaviors and actions from others. He's very exacting, and that's how Henry was raised. The only highlight in Henry's life is his best friend Archie and Archie's mother. Archie's mother was the family housekeeper, and Archie now serves as Henry's chauffeur and bodyguard. And in secret, Henry's lover.

At 28%, this book turned from the typical rich boy falls for chauffeur but can't acknowledge him due to his father, into a mystery of kidnapping, death, attempted murder, and surprise. I knew very shortly after the kidnapping happened who was responsible and that opinion never changed throughout the story. It was almost a let down that I was actually right! I would not necessarily say this is a romance, but there is a HEA ending for the MC's.

I don’t know that I ever got to really know either Henry or Archie. I understood them superficially, in relation to Henry’s dad and then the mystery but I didn’t really feel like I knew either of them. I also didn’t really understand their relationship. Though they both said they loved the other since their teen years, I just didn’t feel that from them.

Once the story got to the kidnapping and everything that happens after, it’s very fast-paced. The person behind everything was really very obvious. I would have liked a little more mystery or twists and turns to throw me off the trail, but that’s probably not a typical request of readers.

I liked many of the supporting characters and really appreciated the storyline with the “stepmom”. That is definitely not typical and was refreshing. And I liked that Henry’s father turned out to be different than what others thought of him. Overall, this was a quick paced, enjoyable story with a good mystery.

Rating: 4 stars