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REVIEW: The Unlikely Pair by Jax Calder
Unlikely Dilemmas: The Unlikely Pair – Jax Calder
What happens when you find yourself stranded in the wilderness with your political enemy?
Getting stranded in the freezing wilderness with my archenemy wasn’t on today’s to-do list. But somehow, that’s where I’ve ended up.
Harry Matheson, my political rival, has always been smarmy, arrogant, and entitled. It figures that even this plane crash has barely ruffled his well-coiffed hair.
It’s all fine, though, because our pilot has gone to call for help and rescue should be imminent.
Fast forward a few frigid hours…
Umm…maybe it’s not so fine, because it appears our pilot is part of an international terrorist group intent on kidnapping us.
Now Harry and I have to flee through the wilderness—together.
Unfortunately, being adept at political debates and parliamentary procedures doesn’t exactly prepare you for the basics of finding food, keeping warm, and evading the local wildlife while playing high-stakes hide-and-seek with armed terrorists.
The only way Harry and I have any hope of surviving is to stick together.
The problem is, the line separating hate and love has begun to blur, and the last thing I need is to fall for my enemy.
The Unlikely Pair is an enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a romp through the political wilderness where hearts, quite literally, go off the beaten path.
The Unlikely Pair is a fantastic follow‑up to Jax Calder’s contemporary romance series Unlikely Dilemmas. It stars bitter political rivals Toby Webley of the Labour Party and Harry Matheson of the Conservative Party.
Toby, best friend to former Prime Minister–turned–Prince Consort Oliver Hartwell (The Unlikely Heir), ends up on a flight to Norway with Harry for a climate convention. When the plane crashes, the two find themselves stranded in the Finnish wilderness.
Forced to rely on each other to survive brutal temperatures and dense forest, they take shelter in an isolated cabin and learn everything from fishing to chopping wood to setting snares. With only one bed, sharing body heat becomes a necessity then a pleasure— even if their political views remain irreconcilable.
I love my enemies‑to‑lovers romances intense, and this one is chef’s kiss! The tension sizzles, the snark is razor‑sharp, and the banter is hilarious. The cherry on top of this delightful treat is the decade-long secret pining simmering beneath all that mutual loathing.
The forced proximity is a fabulous, shifting from survival cuddles to casual cuddles as they go from barely civil to domestic. I’m not a fan of wilderness‑survival scenes, so those parts dragged a bit for me, but Toby and Harry’s chemistry kept things exciting. They were a joy to read!
Making a politician — especially a Tory — a likable romantic lead is no small feat, but Jax Calder pulls it off. Harry shines here in ways that contrast beautifully with his portrayal in the first book, revealing layers Toby, and me, can’t help but find appealing.
Their evolution from enemies to lovers is handled with such natural, deft progression that I was completely sold. The author pulled out all the stops in the climactic Parliament scene, and my heart just burst with happiness! The epilogue is ridiculously cute!
One niggle, though, the part of the group responsible for the plane crash was basically handwaved away. Maybe it’s a set up to Book 3, but I thought they would have been more concerned about it.
The Unlikely Pair is a feel-good story of politics, survival, and slow-burn romance where opposing views and mutual attraction make for compelling bedfellows. Overall, most likely to win your vote!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Strange Bedfellows
Artist: Michael Sarcona
Album: VerityP.S.
Unlikely Dilemmas books can be read as standalones but the Prince of Wales is inviting you to tea.
Witness Callum charm the prime minister and the rest of Britain in The Unlikely Heir.
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THE UNLIKELY PAIR: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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REVIEW: The Unlikely Heir by Jax Calder
Unlikely Dilemmas: The Unlikely Heir – Jax Calder
What happens when the Prince of Wales falls in love with the Prime Minister?
My boring life working in an insurance call center in sunny California just took an unexpected turn. Thanks to my misbehaving relatives, I’ve leapt from obscurity to royalty as the new heir to the British throne.
But my welcome in England is about as warm as the weather. I arrive to discover a country horrified at the thought of an American version of Prince Charming and ready to revolt against the monarchy. I vow to my grandmother, the Queen, that I will do everything possible to help her save the crown.
Unfortunately, royal life isn’t easy. From bewildering traditions, traitorous friends, and malevolent swans, the only thing I’m succeeding in is providing entertainment for the tabloids and social media trolls.
And then the broodingly handsome Prime Minister, Oliver Hartwell, bursts into my life.
With his meteoric rise from poverty to the most powerful man in the country, Oliver understands my current plight. Innocent messages of support turn into late-night chats—and unexpected feelings.
But there’s one major problem. The royal family must remain politically neutral at all times.
So how can I keep my promise to save the monarchy when I’m falling in love with the Prime Minister?
A forbidden romance filled with humor and drama featuring a bumbling Prince of Wales and a stern yet dashing Prime Minister, with a love that could transform a nation.
The Unlikely Heir opens Jax Calder’s delightful contemporary romance series Unlikely Dilemmas with a fresh and intriguing premise: a clumsy, half-American prince suddenly thrust into the British throne and falls in love with the Prime Minister.
Callum Prescott is the son of the youngest prince, who suddenly found himself the new Prince of Wales after an unprecedented incident in which his royal uncles and cousins were arrested. He’s notorious for awkward mishaps splashed across headlines. Yet his warm personality and ability to connect with people are slowly earning him grudging approval among the British
Lonely and out of place, Callum was befriend by Prime Minister Oliver Hartwell — a friendship that blossoms into forbidden love. The stakes couldn’t be higher. The monarchy must remain politically neutral, and a romance between prince and prime minister risks not just scandal but the crown itself. This tension drives the story, making their dilemma both unique and compelling. So I was very invested in seeing how this would be resolved.
Callum is wonderfully quirky with his tendency to blurt out obscure facts, laugh at himself, and roll with whatever humiliating situation life throws at him. Oliver, captivated by these quirks, brings balance with his steadiness and sense of humor. Their chemistry is irresistible, their connection was super cute and fluffy, and so wholesome, it was a complete joy to read! I finished it in one sitting.
There was much ado about their dilemma; the prince and the prime minister both love their jobs. The simplest solution for me was to wait out Oliver’s term and not run again, since we can’t just remove the crown with all the weight of history and tradition behind it. But that is boring and not rom-com worthy.
We got to have something grand, and the book gave us a bombastic climax, something heartstopping and heroic, and Callum being Callum, very dramatic! Some parts were on an OTT soap opera level of implausibility, but I was living for the fairy tale!
The Unlikely Heir is a sweet and humorous story of the crown, politics, and forbidden love, where a quirky half-American Prince of Wales captivated the prime minister and the rest of the country. It presents a very interesting dilemma and a high-stakes resolution. Overall, very much likely to charm you!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: The Golden Throne
Artist: Temples
Album: Sun Structures
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of The Unlikely Heir. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
THE UNLIKELY HEIR: Amazon UK | Audiobook
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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