In Audrey Miller’s Birth Order, an OBGYN misses the delivery of her most important client. When she returns, she realizes that there were some discrepancies with the delivery that did not make sense. What she finds is a conspiracy of royal proportions.
As you know, I get my ARCs from BookSirens, and this one really stuck out to me considering that interview that Megan and Harry did not too long ago. Also, I just love a good conspiracy.
This novel could have been much more sinister. The whole premise of the book is that the princess is supposed to have a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and the girl was supposed to be born first, but the doctor who did the delivery takes the boy out first. This of course has grave consequences, but the why of it does not have the gravitas that it should have.
I like that the main character was black, and it ultimately did work into the plot, but she really could have been anyone that wasn’t a member of the nobility. That being said, homegirl really was in over her head and I don’t think that this was really made clear to her until the end.
I guess this played out a bit like a British drama – which it was – but, again, you don’t really get to feel the full weight of it. The ultimate villain is neither the Queen, the Prince, or even the Queen’s husband; it’s a bunch of misogynistic, racist Peers trying to keep the status quo. It’s almost sad, but really those guys should die.
There’s also a sex scene that kind of happens out of nowhere, but I guess life is weird like that so it kind of works.
There’s also a ton of flashbacks, but the author doesn’t give a lot of warning. They are quite necessary, but the transitions aren’t super clear. You think you’re moving to a new day and you’re suddenly three weeks back. I just was not for it.
All in all, I think that Birth Order is a good book, but I don’t think it was a good thriller. The severity just wasn’t there, and the payout wasn’t weighty enough. Yet and still, it was a good read and I didn’t put it down until I finished it, so that has to count for something.
I’d recommend this to anyone who likes conspiracies and books about royals. And British dramas. This is definitely for the British Dramas crowd.
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Eurydice Howell 