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The Line of Succession #4
The Line of Succession 4: Rex v. Regina
The throne lies empty, the monarchy is in chaos, and a country mourns.Fresh on the news that the Queen is near death comes the tragic demise of Prince James’ fiancée, Princess Katyn.As the country gathers together to bury Katyn, James’ secret lover Andrew realizes the establishment has brutally turned against the Prince. Where the powers-at-be were once pushing for a smooth transition to King James, they now seem to favor his twin sister Alexandra and are working to upend the line of succession to see her sit on the throne. When Andrew discovers the cause of this betrayal is because James has received a life-changing diagnosis, the two men must decide what love and life and happiness mean to them, even at the expense of the throne.It’s brother versus sister, Prince versus Princess, as James and Alexandra confront the paths laid out before them by both friends and foes. With the Queen’s last hours counting down, James and Alexandra will have to fight with everything they have to wear the crown...and to survive.
- GenresLGBT
214 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2020
About the author
Harry F. Rey
30 books99 followersHarry F. Rey is an author of over a dozen fiction novels. He's a graduate of Penguin WriteNow 2020, a member of the TV Foundation's New Writers Collective 2024, and has been Pushcart-nominated for his short stories.
Harry's main works include the MM royal drama series The Line of Succession from Deep Desires Press, the queer sci-fi series The Galactic Captains from Nine Star Press, the WWII-era gay historical novel Why in Paris? from Encircle Publications and the historical romance Six Days in Jerusalem.
His debut young adult gay romance - Of Gods and Boys - from Deep Hearts YA recently topped the Amazon teen charts. His other works include the rom-com All the Lovers from Deep Desires and the forthcoming sci-fi thriller The Dorvethan Conspiracy from Rebel Satori Press.
Harry's work has also been featured in anthologies including Not Meant for Each Other from Lost Boys Press and Queer Life, Queer Love from Muswell Press.
Harry can often be found scouring second-hand bookshops for the lost classics of gay literature, which he blogs about on his website and social media.
Harry's main works include the MM royal drama series The Line of Succession from Deep Desires Press, the queer sci-fi series The Galactic Captains from Nine Star Press, the WWII-era gay historical novel Why in Paris? from Encircle Publications and the historical romance Six Days in Jerusalem.
His debut young adult gay romance - Of Gods and Boys - from Deep Hearts YA recently topped the Amazon teen charts. His other works include the rom-com All the Lovers from Deep Desires and the forthcoming sci-fi thriller The Dorvethan Conspiracy from Rebel Satori Press.
Harry's work has also been featured in anthologies including Not Meant for Each Other from Lost Boys Press and Queer Life, Queer Love from Muswell Press.
Harry can often be found scouring second-hand bookshops for the lost classics of gay literature, which he blogs about on his website and social media.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 11, 2020
Here we are with a queen who’s almost dead, a tragic accident of James soon-to-be fiancé, a crown to conquer and, Prince James' tragedy. One highlight, Andrew is always on his side even when James thought he wasn’t.
The big question is who will conquer the throne. The establishment has switched its allegiance from James to Alexandra.
James and Andrew together is the only place where real emotions are present and exposed.
They are always open for thirds and rough encounters.
Everyone is manipulating the other, using their status, power, and money.
Royalty and basically the whole country ruled businesslike by offices. Who thinks of themselves as servants of the crown, willing to go to any lengths, at all costs, all for the crown.
I love this series, we are living the lives of different characters, looking through the eyes of certain royal family members (and many others). Their secrets, lies, betrayal, corruption, conspiracy, and yes.. also love. It’s clearly and captivatingly written, has a genius plot, you will love and hate the characters with all their strengths and weaknesses. I’m so happy to live a simple life ha!
The big question is who will conquer the throne. The establishment has switched its allegiance from James to Alexandra.
James and Andrew together is the only place where real emotions are present and exposed.
They are always open for thirds and rough encounters.
Everyone is manipulating the other, using their status, power, and money.
Royalty and basically the whole country ruled businesslike by offices. Who thinks of themselves as servants of the crown, willing to go to any lengths, at all costs, all for the crown.
I love this series, we are living the lives of different characters, looking through the eyes of certain royal family members (and many others). Their secrets, lies, betrayal, corruption, conspiracy, and yes.. also love. It’s clearly and captivatingly written, has a genius plot, you will love and hate the characters with all their strengths and weaknesses. I’m so happy to live a simple life ha!
September 4, 2020
You do need to have read the prior books in the Line of Succession series to fully understand series book #4. It's no hardship to read books 1-3. I highly recommend it. This is a clever, fun, political, royal, erotic/romantic soap opera-esque series. It's also one of my favourite series.
Some I just finished the book thoughts:
Awww, James. Andrew. I love you guys. Andrew really is the wind beneath James' wings, or the devoted schemer behind his man. They share so well together too.
Buckingham Palace is a sea of gay men... and a chocolate Labrador, ironically and lovingly, named Piers.
Alexandra is plotting - still. I like her and I don't like her. I empathise with her and I don't. I do like me some Faisal, Alexandra's husband. Eton boys and their brand of, uh, diplomacy is still going strong. Rah-rah!
Lizzie, you're Teflon, and pretty much lacking empathy. You fit them perfectly. Be interesting to see where you go.
Sighs...Greg. I hold a soft spot for you.
That weasel Sir Peter got the chop - that was satisfying.
MI5 are not terribly bipartisan and hedging their bets. They're like wolves, waiting.
The women in this series, love them or hate them, are strong. The Princess. The PM. The MI5 Head. Lizzie. This makes me a happy reader.
Still loving this series. Bring on The Line of Succession 5: Royal Prerogative.
Sleep first then blog review to come.
Some I just finished the book thoughts:
Awww, James. Andrew. I love you guys. Andrew really is the wind beneath James' wings, or the devoted schemer behind his man. They share so well together too.
Buckingham Palace is a sea of gay men... and a chocolate Labrador, ironically and lovingly, named Piers.
Alexandra is plotting - still. I like her and I don't like her. I empathise with her and I don't. I do like me some Faisal, Alexandra's husband. Eton boys and their brand of, uh, diplomacy is still going strong. Rah-rah!
Lizzie, you're Teflon, and pretty much lacking empathy. You fit them perfectly. Be interesting to see where you go.
Sighs...Greg. I hold a soft spot for you.
That weasel Sir Peter got the chop - that was satisfying.
MI5 are not terribly bipartisan and hedging their bets. They're like wolves, waiting.
The women in this series, love them or hate them, are strong. The Princess. The PM. The MI5 Head. Lizzie. This makes me a happy reader.
Still loving this series. Bring on The Line of Succession 5: Royal Prerogative.
Sleep first then blog review to come.
January 31, 2022
Gah.... Sooooo good!
October 18, 2020
NOTE: This book was provided by Deep Desires Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Harry F. Rey is at it again. The royal version of Dallas, but snarkier and much, much gayer; the contemporary UK take on Game of Thrones where the games are plural, but the throne singular—The Line of Succession reaches another jubilatory peak in this fourth installment. Queen Victoria II is still in a coma with no hope of improvement, so a “switch-her-off” ceremony is planned for six months hence. Behind the scenes, the fights for her throne are still as lively (and sometimes deathly) as ever. The pretenders haven’t changed either: on one hand Prince James, in the eyes of the general public the nice, eternal bachelor (in fact he is simply gay and in an on-and-off relationship with his former press secretary Andrew), very much beloved ever since his betrothed Katyn has been killed in a terrorist attack; on the other hand his twin sister Alexandra, apparently more level-headed, more political, loving wife and mother of two children, whose main drawback is that she has married Faisal, member of the Saudi royal family, and that their kids, apart from having Arabian names, are also a teensy bit too tanned of skin for many British.
A third pretender, Lizzie Windsor, is also waiting on the sidelines—her claim to fame is that, unbeknownst to most, she is James and Alexandra’s older half-sister. Oh, and just for the record: Katyn’s untimely demise? One of Lizzie’s plans gone slightly wrong. Her agenda is simple: thwart both James and Alexandra, be crowned as Queen, and then transform the monarchy into a republic quicker than anyone can sing “God save the Queen”. Then, there’s the behind-behind the scenes. The establishment (government, party leaders, secret services, palace officials) has launched Operation Rex to ensure James mounts the throne. That is, until they have evidence that James has AIDS, which makes them do a 180-degree urn and launch Operation Regina instead: hinder James, assist Alexandra. What they didn’t expect, however, is the mischieveous pleasure and unforeseeable imagination with wich their master—that is, Harry F. Rey, the author of this series—would throw some more obstacles in their paths…
Twists, turns, schemes, plots, counterplots, palace intrigues abound once again, as in books one, two, and three (which one should have read prior to tackling this one). James remains just as adorably clueless as before, but very much in love with his Andrew; the latter, smitten with his prince, proves for once cleverer than his adversaries and succeeds in masterfully thwarting their plans… for now, I’m tempted to say, because I’m sure the author will find yet other new turns and twists in the future books. Alexandra gets a nicer treatment for once; I was allowed to see her have doubts and now consider her less a cold-blooded automaton than a human being. Faisal remains his old, enigmatic self; I have an inkling he has a hidden agenda, but cannot even start to guess which one.
This book is again masterfully written, perfectly paced and neatly cut into those neat little chunks that more often than not end with cliffhangers. Speaking of which: the book itself ends with a huge one, which made me want to slap the author’s face. Because, please! Imagine you get a wonderfully romantic scene that changes everything—then you turn the page, and that’s it! Over and out. Scream! No, seriously, this was maybe one of the most impactful cliffhangers I’ve seen for quite a while. I hope Mr. Rey hasn’t planned to do anything but write in the near future because I really, really would urge him to write the next book as fast as humanly possible.
Harry F. Rey is at it again. The royal version of Dallas, but snarkier and much, much gayer; the contemporary UK take on Game of Thrones where the games are plural, but the throne singular—The Line of Succession reaches another jubilatory peak in this fourth installment. Queen Victoria II is still in a coma with no hope of improvement, so a “switch-her-off” ceremony is planned for six months hence. Behind the scenes, the fights for her throne are still as lively (and sometimes deathly) as ever. The pretenders haven’t changed either: on one hand Prince James, in the eyes of the general public the nice, eternal bachelor (in fact he is simply gay and in an on-and-off relationship with his former press secretary Andrew), very much beloved ever since his betrothed Katyn has been killed in a terrorist attack; on the other hand his twin sister Alexandra, apparently more level-headed, more political, loving wife and mother of two children, whose main drawback is that she has married Faisal, member of the Saudi royal family, and that their kids, apart from having Arabian names, are also a teensy bit too tanned of skin for many British.
A third pretender, Lizzie Windsor, is also waiting on the sidelines—her claim to fame is that, unbeknownst to most, she is James and Alexandra’s older half-sister. Oh, and just for the record: Katyn’s untimely demise? One of Lizzie’s plans gone slightly wrong. Her agenda is simple: thwart both James and Alexandra, be crowned as Queen, and then transform the monarchy into a republic quicker than anyone can sing “God save the Queen”. Then, there’s the behind-behind the scenes. The establishment (government, party leaders, secret services, palace officials) has launched Operation Rex to ensure James mounts the throne. That is, until they have evidence that James has AIDS, which makes them do a 180-degree urn and launch Operation Regina instead: hinder James, assist Alexandra. What they didn’t expect, however, is the mischieveous pleasure and unforeseeable imagination with wich their master—that is, Harry F. Rey, the author of this series—would throw some more obstacles in their paths…
Twists, turns, schemes, plots, counterplots, palace intrigues abound once again, as in books one, two, and three (which one should have read prior to tackling this one). James remains just as adorably clueless as before, but very much in love with his Andrew; the latter, smitten with his prince, proves for once cleverer than his adversaries and succeeds in masterfully thwarting their plans… for now, I’m tempted to say, because I’m sure the author will find yet other new turns and twists in the future books. Alexandra gets a nicer treatment for once; I was allowed to see her have doubts and now consider her less a cold-blooded automaton than a human being. Faisal remains his old, enigmatic self; I have an inkling he has a hidden agenda, but cannot even start to guess which one.
This book is again masterfully written, perfectly paced and neatly cut into those neat little chunks that more often than not end with cliffhangers. Speaking of which: the book itself ends with a huge one, which made me want to slap the author’s face. Because, please! Imagine you get a wonderfully romantic scene that changes everything—then you turn the page, and that’s it! Over and out. Scream! No, seriously, this was maybe one of the most impactful cliffhangers I’ve seen for quite a while. I hope Mr. Rey hasn’t planned to do anything but write in the near future because I really, really would urge him to write the next book as fast as humanly possible.
November 12, 2020
4.5 Stars
Rex v. Regina is the fourth book in The Line of Succession series by Harry F Rey. This series continues to be full of backstabbing, murder, and blackmailing. As well as sex and drugs. All for the power of the crown. The queen is about to die and the power of the crown is on the line.
James and Andrew not only have to deal with politics, but also with James' HIV status. Awww...Andrew and James. I continue to love them, but I definitely struggle with their open relationship. It's the carelessness of their pasts that bothers me. I think. I want to like it more. Hell, the threesome is hot. But something holds me back from loving these scenes. Maybe it's the crap with Grant. On the other hand, having Andrew help James with his fear of sex again is beautiful. Damn these men are tight and they definitely belong together.
Alexandra continues to be in line for the crown, but her marriage and her child definitely complicate the issue. And I continue to both love and hate her at the same time.
My only complaint is that it is getting harder to remember everything as we are now on book 4. With so many characters being further developed and explored, it's complex and messy. It's much easier to re-read the previous books before starting this book.
The writing continues to be stellar, with a multi-layered plot and intriguing characters. It definitely writes like a tv show with all it's layers. Each character is both good and bad. Each character is likeable and yet deplorable. It's well done. It all continues to straddle the fine line between realistic and not. But, hell, we all know the extreme mess that political scandals have caused in the past, so yes, it's realistic.
The Line of Succession series is definitely for anyone who loves a messy thriller. Harry F Rey continues to weave a crazy tale of political intrigue and family drama. It's definitely a Netflix worthy saga.
Rex v. Regina is the fourth book in The Line of Succession series by Harry F Rey. This series continues to be full of backstabbing, murder, and blackmailing. As well as sex and drugs. All for the power of the crown. The queen is about to die and the power of the crown is on the line.
James and Andrew not only have to deal with politics, but also with James' HIV status. Awww...Andrew and James. I continue to love them, but I definitely struggle with their open relationship. It's the carelessness of their pasts that bothers me. I think. I want to like it more. Hell, the threesome is hot. But something holds me back from loving these scenes. Maybe it's the crap with Grant. On the other hand, having Andrew help James with his fear of sex again is beautiful. Damn these men are tight and they definitely belong together.
Alexandra continues to be in line for the crown, but her marriage and her child definitely complicate the issue. And I continue to both love and hate her at the same time.
My only complaint is that it is getting harder to remember everything as we are now on book 4. With so many characters being further developed and explored, it's complex and messy. It's much easier to re-read the previous books before starting this book.
The writing continues to be stellar, with a multi-layered plot and intriguing characters. It definitely writes like a tv show with all it's layers. Each character is both good and bad. Each character is likeable and yet deplorable. It's well done. It all continues to straddle the fine line between realistic and not. But, hell, we all know the extreme mess that political scandals have caused in the past, so yes, it's realistic.
The Line of Succession series is definitely for anyone who loves a messy thriller. Harry F Rey continues to weave a crazy tale of political intrigue and family drama. It's definitely a Netflix worthy saga.
October 22, 2020
A thrilling follow-up to the previous three short novels. I was smitten with the trajectory of James and Andrew's relationship, and was struck by the lapses in Alex's judgement in this episode. I was also surprised about the frenetic pacing of each individual revelation in the story - this could have been more spread out across the book. As matters stand, the plot is convincing while managing to teeter dangerously on the knife-edge of plausibility, and the sex is well-written and evocative while retaining the raw grit that the author is renowned for. I'd recommend this book to the mm romance and period aficionado.
*I received an advance copy directly from the author for a voluntary review.
*I received an advance copy directly from the author for a voluntary review.
October 16, 2020
The Line of Succession 4: Rex v. Regina by Harry F. Rey is the continuation of this Royal drama saga. Family drama, political scheming. Scandals, secrets, lies, snd revealed truths... this story is entertaining and addictive. These characters are flawed but yet you can't help but want more. I loved every page!
November 1, 2020
A Royal masterpiece
Harry Rey has done it again. What an amazing book and awesome cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. This series has a little bit of everything and makes you want to never put it down. Then you read the last page and almost cry because it’s over until the next book is released.
Harry Rey has done it again. What an amazing book and awesome cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. This series has a little bit of everything and makes you want to never put it down. Then you read the last page and almost cry because it’s over until the next book is released.
March 13, 2023
Changes coming down.
James makes claims; his sisters make
moves; Andrew makes up.
James makes claims; his sisters make
moves; Andrew makes up.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews