Heir to the Crown

The Doyle Hawthorne Series #3

by Ember Shane

Doyle Hawthorne has two choices. He can sit idly by and watch his grandfather, fueled by revenge and hatred, destroy the world via a tidal wave of infection… Or he can form a temporary alliance with his nemesis in order to stop it…

Give him a minute. He’s thinking.

Heir to the Crown is the third novel in The Doyle Hawthorne Series and continues to follow Doyle and company as they navigate their way through the volatile atmosphere of royal subculture. Intended for audiences 18+ due to language and sexual content.

Genres: Paranormal

290 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2015

About the author

Ember Shane is the author of the new adult, paranormal romances included in The Doyle Hawthorne Series. She's currently working on her fourth book, title pending, which follows Jenny Hawthorne's story, tentatively scheduled to be released autumn 2017.

When she's not writing about things that go bump in the night, Ember can be found practicing her hot glue gun skills or searching for the holy grail of banana pudding recipes.

You can find her on the following social media sites:

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Reviews

[Reading Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to the author, Ember Shane for sending me this book and the other two. This was a fantastic follow up to the second book with plenty of action, drama and consequences .The story picks up from book two straight away and finally reveals the mystery behind Jenny. Jenny's story or origins was a terrific touch to the novel as it was an intriguing element which created an even more complex world. The fourth book is going to be centered on Jenny which will definitely be a must read.

The plot was a delight to read with numerous turns in the story, sudden events and the switch in narrative built tension throughout the book. I loved the switch in narrative in this book as well especially because I had no preferred pov, I loved them all as I loved all the main characters. In this book, Addy slightly became my favourite character with her assertiveness and stubbornness weaving their way into many scenes where she refuses to back down and knows her right. Chuck and Kai's relationship really grew on me and slightly broke my heart at times as I just wanted them to be happy. The minor characters like Mrs. Rosenbaum were a wonderful addition as she proved comical and much more.

There were a few mysteries in the story like Addy's secret which I actually didn't guess but I was really happy to discover what it was. The suspense around that was fantastic as it leads you to a completely different conclusion. The question still wavering over Chuck and his abilities also added a gripping element as I'm still curious about the extent of his power.

The only thing I didn't really like was how everything usually transpired into something sexual or just sexually suggestive which just felt overdone at times and pointless.

The writing was a pleasure to read again and the book was just overall an enjoyable read. I'm delighted I got the opportunity to read this and I'm anticipating the next novel, fantastic read!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heir to the Crown!!! First of, thanks so much Ember Shane for sending this book my way!!!
 
What a ride this book was. It's the third book and it's still exciting and fun and just great.
But also really sad. Will I ever forgive what happened to Phoenix?! We will never know.
 
But first things first. We finally find out what Jenny is. And I absolutely love it. I never heard of something like what she is. So it's totally new for me and that's amazing. I can't wait to read more of her story cause I'm very intrigued. Apart from what she is, I really like her as a character and her interactions with Doyle and Chuck.
 
Kai and Chuck. I mean, things with them always were like a rollercoaster ride. It wasn't different in this book, which I love, cause it's just so them. It was a bit more painful this time around but I really REALLY love how things are for them at the end of the book.
 
Addy's secret. In the beginning i thought 'Oh yeah. It's totally THAT!'. Then later i was totally lost and thought that it wouldn't be THAT. But I was right all along. It was totally THAT!!! (does that even make sense? But I don't want to spoil it. I'm a mess lol)
 
Storywise, I really loved how things developed. There wasn't any moment in the book were I was bored. Maybe annoyed by some choices the characters made but never bored. The writing was amazing once again. I just love the sense of humor in these books, totally my cup of tea.
 
i recommend these books to everyone. Just read it gosh darn it!!!
 

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heir to the Crown is the exciting third book of The Doyle Hawthorne Series. I loved everything about this book: the writing, the story and the characters!


You need to read the previous books in order to follow the story so this review is spoiler free. The Doyle Hawthorne Series is a creative and unique story about a special species of zombies called Royals. These aren’t your Walking Dead zombies! The Royals are a highly intelligent and sophisticated species that can shade (aka shift) between their human and zombie state. In their human state they have heightened senses, speed and strength. Shading into a zombie adds extraordinary powers, such as mind control. The Royals are deadly so it is no surprise that a government agency wants to control them.


Heir to the Crown is written in alternating POVs of the main characters: Doyle, Addy, Chuck and Kai. I love this group so I really enjoyed spending time in their story lines. The couples are still struggling with their relationships while at the same time trying to stay safe. This series is the perfect mix of action, suspense, romance and comedy. Chuck still makes me laugh and with this third book he makes a heartbreaking decision that made me love him more.

Here are my favorite Chuck quotes:

You desire no payment. The only thing you want is to cluck like a chicken while doing jazz hands. (Said as he is trying to control someones mind).

I refrained from including bow-chicka-wow-wow background music in at this point, as hard as it was. It was a judgement call.

Author Ember Shane is a very talented writer. It amazes me that this is only her third book. Her writing is flawless and this series is fresh and unique. All the scenes were well written so I was able to visualize them clearly. The action scenes were exciting and the romance scenes were steamy! I can’t wait to read her next book.


I highly recommend this series to paranormal fans and to anyone looking for something new to read. You definitely should give this series a chance!

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

this one is my favorite so far, OMG I loved the end!

review to come soon

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doyle and his monstrous group of zombies grow in quantity in this one. They are the only force strong enough to stop a threat large enough to destroy the world. In order to this they must team up with people from their past who have caused them great hardship. Addy is hiding a BIG secret, and yes i still want to shake the crap out of her sometimes. Chuck is in love Kai but she fears her heart will be shattered if she gives in. He can't get her out of his head and has turned into stalker zombie. Jenny, I finally know what she is, and WOW! I really want to blab on what she is. Please can I tell? Nope, I won't, but I will say she is a monster. Fans of paranormal fiction are really going to want to read her books about Jenny when they come out because I don't think I have see too many, if any, books featuring her specific species of monster. And dang is she cool, and unique!

I have said it many times that I hate books written in first person. This one didn't bother me because it bounces around as to whose point of view the story is being told from. Sounds confusing, but it's not. At the beginning of the chapter it is made clear who is telling you the story. Well clear for most, some how I missed this at first even though it is labeled in easy to notice typing. Even without the labels it would be easy to figure out because of how unique each character is. They all have their own little quirks, mannerisms, and way of speaking. I feel like I have met and familiarized my self with these characters through real life experiences. I really grew to care for them to the point that I felt for them as they struggled and was excited when they succeeded.

On to one of my favorite things about paranormal romance, the love. These zombies love and cherish their women. They try to protect them with everything they have. Sometime in doing so they become overbearing and turn all alpha on their mates. Yes, there is a mate bond, but it isn't corny like I have seen in other books. There is more than one romance focused on also, Doyle and Addy, and Chuck and Kai. But there is also a "kinda love triangle." It isn't one where you are guessing the outcome because one person loves two people. Those get annoying quit because come on, it's just selfish and mean. It's the kind where someone loves (a love that is unbreakable) someone they will never have because that other person feels the same love for another. I dropped tears for the unloved girl, it was sad and my heart still breaks for her. In this book, Chuck turns downright stalkerish, and it is kind of nice to see him brought down to Earth. I will warn, or jump up and down with a smile on my face while I gush about the sex getting being more d ecriptive and steamy in this one than the previous two books.

On top of the wonderful, not corny romance, we have some kick butt action scenes. These zombies, and Jenny have some pretty amazing abitities. They are pretty much indestructible and when they clash, it is explosive and really gets your ticker pounding. 

This is part of a trilogy. While there are some cliffhangers at the end of each book they aren't tremendously huge. It isn't like they stopped the story midway through a book.

I also wanted to say how well this book was written as far as puncuation and spelling errors. I found a couple, but no more than I have found in books put out by the big name publishers. 

I really liked this. I am very sad that I have finished it and going to try to bribe the author by posting my grandmother's banana pudding recipe. In the author description it is mentioned that she is always in search of the Holy Grail of banana pudding recipes.

Recommendation:

I really recommend this to fans of the genre. It is unlike other books and it is hard to compare to anything else. It is a bit steamer than the young adult paranormal romance you normally see, but it isn't flat out porn like some of the adult books. It is a perfect medium. Plus, the price for the Kindle versions of the books in this series are very affordable. As of the time of this posting, the three book (about 900 pages total) set is $4.97. I will point out that I love the fact that I have dead tree physical copies because they have beautiful covers. 

 

[Myndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart racing, tears of both relief and despair, confusion and understanding are all things felt while reading this book. I've been a fan of the Doyle Hawthorne series from the first page of the first book, but this book takes it to new levels. First of all, this book got HOTTER! As in, yummy, steamy scenes abound! Also, we've got a lot more action as we've got more characters, a new creature, and more betrayals throughout the story. I have to admit to being confused as to what was going on with Addy for much of the book and was so excited when I finally learned what it was. I also admit to a deep affection for Chuck and my heart broke for him during his encounters with Kai. And finally, ah, the big battle scene...I knew something wasn't right but did NOT see what happened coming! It's refreshing in a paranormal novel to not guess ahead of time what's going down. All in all, if you like paranormal stories, if you're a fan of the series, or hell if you just love to read, you must read these books!

[☆Joycedale☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg poor Phoenix and Kelsey! Have to say though the ending seemed a little rushed. It also says Jenny's story would be coming in 2016 but it never did :(

[Sage Knightly · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a physical copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5

Heir to the Crown is the third installment in the Doyle Hawthorne series, and it definitely didn't disappoint! I love the action, the writing, and I especially enjoyed how we got to read from multiple POVs: Chuck, Addy, Kai, and Doyle. I love this particular group of friends, and so delving deeper into their sides was something I liked instead of just endured. It wasn't choppy or boring either; I was engaged the whole way through.

What I noticed right away in this book, is how much Doyle has changed. He's taken control and while he's still fairly awkward about his position, he fits into it pretty well. He isn't overcome by power or lost in greed, but he does take the action need when called for. In fact, many of the decisions he makes he thinks through, whether it has to do with his family, Addy, Chuck, or just keeping up appearances so problems don't arise. He loses his composure some times, but honestly, with a bunch of people after you and another colony hoping to overtake the world with a vengeance plan, who wouldn't?

"I don't care. Leave. Her. Alone." Doyle's tone was a low snarl and I knew he was giving me a command as opposed to his opinion. [page 2]

The next thing I realized is that this is probably my favourite in the series concerning romance. Instead of a more love-at-first-sight type of romance as we see in the first book, we really get to see the characters prove their affections and ease into a relationship. While they still struggle and have problems from time to time, it all comes together nicely and I was definitely rooting for a certain couple. It actually hurt my heart to see one particular character try so hard to fix his mistakes only to be turned down every single time. He's changed too, but definitely for the better, as is obvious by the end.

I can't say much about the story itself as it would be considered a spoiler, and so I'll just leave it at this: This series is fantastic, and I definitely recommend reading it. It's full or action, romance, suspense, and zombies. What more could you want?

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in The Doyle Hawthorne Series. I have to say its just as good as the first two were. This series is a different approach to Zombies. More of a Scientific approach. This one leans more toward Chuck, where Doyle was mostly featured in the others. I haven't read too many books lately that make you want to skip ahead to see what happens. (I really wanted to know what Edgar told Addy) I hated to read the end of it because I know the next book isn't written yet. But one of the things I did like about the ending of this book was that it didn't leave you on a cliffhanger. I don't need a cliffhanger to want to read the next book. I can't wait to see what is in store for Addy, Doyle, Chuck & Kai.

[Cristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series has easy to love characters. I really liked how each character evolved and "grew up". The third book was a great follow up to the second book. But it left me wanting more. Love to find out how Doyle & Abby handle the pregnancy & baby. I will miss Phoenix. I was just starting to like her. Great job Ember. Thank you for the three books. They were great reads. Look forward to future books.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great story. Read the full trilogy otherwise you maybe left hanging and really you will want to finish all the books. It is a different version of a zombie story and was welcomed. It is a great and quick read.