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From Pilot to Princess: A Second-Chance Royal Romance
Love doesn't always follow the flight plan...
Princess Natalie is the high-flying spare of the Lyons family. When her twin brother removes himself from the line of succession, she is thrust into the spotlight as the new heir apparent.
Natalie soon charts her course and trades her flight suit and fast jets for diadems and diplomats. It's an easy journey until she is reintroduced to an old flame, Ed Winslow.
Ed, the golden boy, is the most decorated swimmer in British history. He's also newly-retired, coming off a messy divorce, and not looking for love.
As Natalie and Ed are re-introduced, the chemistry is undeniable. He can't stop thinking about her. She finds him irresistible and a constant distraction.
Will Natalie and Ed make it work? Will it be smooth sailing or will they hit turbulence?
This contemporary royal rom-com is made for readers who like their heroines badass, salivate over a fit cinnamon roll hero, and love royal family drama.
Fans of The Royal We, Red, White, and Royal Blue, and Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries Series will feel right at home with the Lyons Family.
Natalie soon charts her course and trades her flight suit and fast jets for diadems and diplomats. It's an easy journey until she is reintroduced to an old flame, Ed Winslow.
Ed, the golden boy, is the most decorated swimmer in British history. He's also newly-retired, coming off a messy divorce, and not looking for love.
As Natalie and Ed are re-introduced, the chemistry is undeniable. He can't stop thinking about her. She finds him irresistible and a constant distraction.
Will Natalie and Ed make it work? Will it be smooth sailing or will they hit turbulence?
This contemporary royal rom-com is made for readers who like their heroines badass, salivate over a fit cinnamon roll hero, and love royal family drama.
Fans of The Royal We, Red, White, and Royal Blue, and Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries Series will feel right at home with the Lyons Family.
- GenresRomance
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2023
15 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Maude Winters
31 books75 followersMaude Winters is a romance author who writes cozy and spicy fiction. She’s a horse girl through-and-through and lives in the Midwest with her husband, horse girl daughter, and two dogs.
Maude has lived throughout the world but attributes her interest in writing about the intersection of modern politics, feminism, and royalty with her time spent in the UK as a twenty-something.
Maude has lived throughout the world but attributes her interest in writing about the intersection of modern politics, feminism, and royalty with her time spent in the UK as a twenty-something.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 16, 2023
Who needs a princess in distress when you can have an airplane pilot?
The representation of strong and empowered women that Maude Winters gives us in her books is astounding. She knows how to develop each of the characters and make them totally human so that we, her readers, can connect with each one of them. That is what happened to me with Lucy, who despite being a secondary character, stole all my heart and feelings.
Although the book is classified as romance, family is the main thing in "From Pilot to Princess". Since it was the love for her brother and her responsibility to the country that made Natalie move on —putting aside her dream to become a princess and future heiress. The book highlighted various topics, such as the Air-Force, bisexuality, politics, heartbreak, family problems, divorce and most importantly, how to move on when your whole life takes a 180 ° turn. I want to emphasize in the ease of Maude Winters to add smut which makes it fit perfectly throughout the story.
The book can be read as standalone but for us London Season readers, it is very comforting to see how after years Vanna and Robbie continue to grow together, trying to eliminate all negative traits that have been reflected at some point so as not to repeat history of the Queen.
I really enjoyed this entertaining story and I can't wait to read more of this new series and all the royal family who have definitely become a part of me. (I read this book twice so I could do my annotations the second time, I really loved it)
The representation of strong and empowered women that Maude Winters gives us in her books is astounding. She knows how to develop each of the characters and make them totally human so that we, her readers, can connect with each one of them. That is what happened to me with Lucy, who despite being a secondary character, stole all my heart and feelings.
Although the book is classified as romance, family is the main thing in "From Pilot to Princess". Since it was the love for her brother and her responsibility to the country that made Natalie move on —putting aside her dream to become a princess and future heiress. The book highlighted various topics, such as the Air-Force, bisexuality, politics, heartbreak, family problems, divorce and most importantly, how to move on when your whole life takes a 180 ° turn. I want to emphasize in the ease of Maude Winters to add smut which makes it fit perfectly throughout the story.
The book can be read as standalone but for us London Season readers, it is very comforting to see how after years Vanna and Robbie continue to grow together, trying to eliminate all negative traits that have been reflected at some point so as not to repeat history of the Queen.
I really enjoyed this entertaining story and I can't wait to read more of this new series and all the royal family who have definitely become a part of me. (I read this book twice so I could do my annotations the second time, I really loved it)
August 6, 2023
"From Pilot to Princess" by Maude Winters wasn't at all what I expected, but I very much enjoyed it. The world building was fantastic and the characters were likeable and surprisingly relatable given their royal connections. I'd recommend this fast-paced story for all royal romance fans.
In a lot of ways, it felt like this story had two female leads: Natalie Lyons, British princess and military pilot, and Lucy, her twin brother's ex-girlfriend and employee of the royal family. As a result, Natalie's love interest, decorated Olympic swimmer Ed Winslow, seemed like somewhat of an afterthought at times. Natalie and Ed's romance took a backseat for much of the story, though their connection was strong, and I particularly liked that so many of their conversations involved deeper topics. Their relationship may have started as a fling, but their interactions never felt surface-level.
That said, the book's ending was rather abrupt IMO, and nothing between Ed and Natalie felt settled. I can only imagine (and certainly hope!) that their story will continue along with Lucy's in the next book of the series. To be clear, it was not a cliffhanger ending, but it was definitely more HFN than HEA; Natalie and Ed were together, but their relationship hadn't been made public.
Again, I very much enjoyed "From Pilot to Princess" and look forward to the next book of the series. It was the first book I've read by this author but won't be the last.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
In a lot of ways, it felt like this story had two female leads: Natalie Lyons, British princess and military pilot, and Lucy, her twin brother's ex-girlfriend and employee of the royal family. As a result, Natalie's love interest, decorated Olympic swimmer Ed Winslow, seemed like somewhat of an afterthought at times. Natalie and Ed's romance took a backseat for much of the story, though their connection was strong, and I particularly liked that so many of their conversations involved deeper topics. Their relationship may have started as a fling, but their interactions never felt surface-level.
That said, the book's ending was rather abrupt IMO, and nothing between Ed and Natalie felt settled. I can only imagine (and certainly hope!) that their story will continue along with Lucy's in the next book of the series. To be clear, it was not a cliffhanger ending, but it was definitely more HFN than HEA; Natalie and Ed were together, but their relationship hadn't been made public.
Again, I very much enjoyed "From Pilot to Princess" and look forward to the next book of the series. It was the first book I've read by this author but won't be the last.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 3, 2023
Though I received an arc copy of this book for review, I am not being compensated in any way and my words and thoughts are my own.
"From Pilot to Princess: Spare Change Book 1" by Maude Flanders is the first book in her new second generation series about the Lyon family, continued from the first series: "Regency and Rivalry" that started with the book "London Season." I am someone who deeply loves that series and devoured them immediately as soon as they were released. The story here takes place thirty years after the children from the prior books were born, and here they step into the starring roles as the story shifts to encompass their own relationship trials and errors and all of the restrictions and bumps that come with navigating being a royal on the world stage, especially when you may or may not fit the mold of what people think the royals should be.
When heir to the throne abdicates because of his bisexuality and the fact that he's in love with a man who has a daughter, his twin Natalie needs to step up the line of succession, and change her entire life. Natalie was a tough as nails pilot who trains cadets for the Royal Air Force and is a both a highly decorated as well as a highly regarded officer. More than that, she's been quietly conducting a secret relationship with someone who doesn't wish to become a part of the media circus and she needs to give that up as well for the eventual crown. As someone who takes her duty quite seriously, Natalie reminds me very much of her grandmother in both that way, and the way that she looks like the late Queen is often remarked upon in the text.
I love Natalie, and while I understand her very much, one of the issues that I have with the story is the way that Robbie has taken on some of the less favorable traits of his mother despite the way that Vanna has always been described as a good influence. Something that I would have liked to have seen is how that change happened. I don't know if it will be addressed in later books, but it runs slightly hollow for me to think about all the things that he and Vanna had gone through, and what a good parent he'd been in the earlier series, but here he's kind of a terrible father. His comments and some of the things that he dug his heels in on definitely almost feel like they could have come directly out of his mother's mouth rather than his own.
Another thing that feels rushed is everything with Lucy. I adore Lucy a lot, and think she's a really great character but I almost wish that we'd have seen her just in her relationship with George more before he reunites with Patrick. The first part of the book: "The Gilded Cage" almost feels like it could have been a book in and of itself. I get that it was background to the story that Winters wished to tell, which are the characters and the cast dealing with the after effects of George's abdication, but the brief section that we get of George's and Lucy's life together really could do more to solidify that he did love her and wasn't stringing her on during the five years where they were secretly dating to the point of living together. While the book and several characters definitely come out and say this, the brief glimpses that we get into their lives together, don't really bear that out as much as I as a reader and that the narrative itself seems to wish that it does. Saying that, I don't believe that's what George did at all, but I really think that it could be made much more clear in the book itself.
Even with the issues that I mentioned above, I really enjoyed this book though it easily could have been two or possibly even three books. I'm most definitely excited to see this sequel series pick up, and look forward to reading the next installments of it. Winter's characters are always wonderful, and her prose is fun. The characters introduced here have certainly piqued my interest and I cannot wait to see where this series goes and to check in on familiar faces even if they are removed from the main narrative of the plot as of now.
This is a four and a half star read to me, and thus I'm rounding it up to a five star read in order to work within the system. While I definitely recommend this book, and it technically probably doesn't require you to read the first series, I certainly suggest that you do in order to have the full and rich experience that Winter's lush world provides you with.
"From Pilot to Princess: Spare Change Book 1" by Maude Flanders is the first book in her new second generation series about the Lyon family, continued from the first series: "Regency and Rivalry" that started with the book "London Season." I am someone who deeply loves that series and devoured them immediately as soon as they were released. The story here takes place thirty years after the children from the prior books were born, and here they step into the starring roles as the story shifts to encompass their own relationship trials and errors and all of the restrictions and bumps that come with navigating being a royal on the world stage, especially when you may or may not fit the mold of what people think the royals should be.
When heir to the throne abdicates because of his bisexuality and the fact that he's in love with a man who has a daughter, his twin Natalie needs to step up the line of succession, and change her entire life. Natalie was a tough as nails pilot who trains cadets for the Royal Air Force and is a both a highly decorated as well as a highly regarded officer. More than that, she's been quietly conducting a secret relationship with someone who doesn't wish to become a part of the media circus and she needs to give that up as well for the eventual crown. As someone who takes her duty quite seriously, Natalie reminds me very much of her grandmother in both that way, and the way that she looks like the late Queen is often remarked upon in the text.
I love Natalie, and while I understand her very much, one of the issues that I have with the story is the way that Robbie has taken on some of the less favorable traits of his mother despite the way that Vanna has always been described as a good influence. Something that I would have liked to have seen is how that change happened. I don't know if it will be addressed in later books, but it runs slightly hollow for me to think about all the things that he and Vanna had gone through, and what a good parent he'd been in the earlier series, but here he's kind of a terrible father. His comments and some of the things that he dug his heels in on definitely almost feel like they could have come directly out of his mother's mouth rather than his own.
Another thing that feels rushed is everything with Lucy. I adore Lucy a lot, and think she's a really great character but I almost wish that we'd have seen her just in her relationship with George more before he reunites with Patrick. The first part of the book: "The Gilded Cage" almost feels like it could have been a book in and of itself. I get that it was background to the story that Winters wished to tell, which are the characters and the cast dealing with the after effects of George's abdication, but the brief section that we get of George's and Lucy's life together really could do more to solidify that he did love her and wasn't stringing her on during the five years where they were secretly dating to the point of living together. While the book and several characters definitely come out and say this, the brief glimpses that we get into their lives together, don't really bear that out as much as I as a reader and that the narrative itself seems to wish that it does. Saying that, I don't believe that's what George did at all, but I really think that it could be made much more clear in the book itself.
Even with the issues that I mentioned above, I really enjoyed this book though it easily could have been two or possibly even three books. I'm most definitely excited to see this sequel series pick up, and look forward to reading the next installments of it. Winter's characters are always wonderful, and her prose is fun. The characters introduced here have certainly piqued my interest and I cannot wait to see where this series goes and to check in on familiar faces even if they are removed from the main narrative of the plot as of now.
This is a four and a half star read to me, and thus I'm rounding it up to a five star read in order to work within the system. While I definitely recommend this book, and it technically probably doesn't require you to read the first series, I certainly suggest that you do in order to have the full and rich experience that Winter's lush world provides you with.
June 26, 2023
If you want a book where you really get to know the characters and fall in love with them this is the book for you. It’s a sweet royal romance with a strong female main character that gives up so much to step up when duty calls. Maude winters writing is so immersive I felt like I was watching the story unfold right in front of me.
June 23, 2023
From Pilot to Princess by Maude Winters is a good, and enjoyable royalty military romance read. The story has a great entertaining interesting story line. The characters are great, wonderful, and they have great chemistry. This story is a very entertaining page turning read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 19, 2023
It's been a simple pleasure of reading a romance book that showed the dynamics of Royal families and how they balance their private lifestyle and their public lifestyle. It was a good read for me.
July 28, 2023
Thank you @rrbooktours for including me in this amazing book tour!
This book has everything - romance, strong female characters, witty dialogue, royal intrigue, spice, family conflict, LBGTQIA+, and so much more!
Natalie is a strong, take no crap female. She reminded me of my daughter, Nathalie. She still has a sweet side to her. However, she has no problem standing up for herself.
I was invested in the characters and loved each of their paths. The cliffhanger at the ending leaves you wanting to read the next book.
I did find some similarities and connections to our current royal family.
I'm looking forward to the release of the 2nd book!
This book has everything - romance, strong female characters, witty dialogue, royal intrigue, spice, family conflict, LBGTQIA+, and so much more!
Natalie is a strong, take no crap female. She reminded me of my daughter, Nathalie. She still has a sweet side to her. However, she has no problem standing up for herself.
I was invested in the characters and loved each of their paths. The cliffhanger at the ending leaves you wanting to read the next book.
I did find some similarities and connections to our current royal family.
I'm looking forward to the release of the 2nd book!
August 7, 2023
I really ended up enjoying this book!!! The feminine point of view and how women handle struggles that men don’t have to experience was a breath of fresh air and really quite fun to read about. Especially when you have a FMC who doesn’t care what normal women are supposed to look or dress like or how they’re supposed to act. Natalie is unapologetically herself in the best ways possible and I related to her a lot!!! I absolutely need the next book as I need more Natalie and Ed content and I need to see where things with Lucy and Winston go asap!!!!!! This book was a great read for anyone who is here for regency plot and a great that also has spice!!!!🫶🌶✨
June 18, 2023
I liked everything about this book. It was very interesting and entertaining. I couldn't put it down and never wanted it to end!!
July 1, 2023
Just love all these stories of a fictional royal family. Natalie is a strong female character and what a spicy relationship with Ed. Love them and all of the supporting characters. Smart, funny and entertaining. I can’t wait until the next book, you left me wanting more. Awesome writing and storytelling.
July 21, 2023
What a great read! This is not your normal royal romance / military book. Natalie is a strong FMC who ends up sacrificing so much when duty calls. I felt the emotions while reading and loved growing with the characters. I can't wait for more!
August 20, 2023
Book Title: From Pilot to Princess
Author: Maude Winters
Genre: Romance
Release Day: July 21, 2023
Format: Physical
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis: Love doesn't always follow the flight plan... Princess Natalie is the high-flying spare of the Lyons family. When her twin brother removes himself from the line of succession, she is thrust into the spotlight as the new heir apparent. Natalie soon charts her course and trades her flight suit and fast jets for diadems and diplomats. It's an easy journey until she is reintroduced to an old flame, Ed Winslow. Ed, the golden boy, is the most decorated swimmer in British history. He's also newly-retired, coming off a messy divorce, and not looking for love. As Natalie and Ed are re-introduced, the chemistry is undeniable. He can't stop thinking about her. She finds him irresistible and a constant distraction. Will Natalie and Ed make it work? Will it be smooth sailing or will they hit turbulence? This contemporary royal rom-com is made for readers who like their heroines badass, salivate over a sexy cinnamon roll hero, and love royal family drama
Fans of The Royal We , Red, White, and Royal Blue , and Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries Series will feel right at home with the Lyons Family.
My Thoughts: I absolutely devoured this book! It was such an easy, quick read that I couldn't put it down. This was my first book by Maude Winters, and it will not be my last. I loved the fierce women in this story. Maude writes beautiful and empowering women, and I adore this!!! Not only was this a romance, but this was about family, an unbreakable bond, sacrifice, and loyalty. Oh, and did I mention the perfect amount of spice. (Chef's Kiss) 💋. I will say, I so want to reread this and annotate it! There are so many characters, and I want to revisit with them all!
This is the start of a new series, and it leaves you on a cliffhanger where I am dying to get my hands on the next book! I hope it picks up right where it ended. 🥰
I was given an ARC copy of this for my honest review.
Author: Maude Winters
Genre: Romance
Release Day: July 21, 2023
Format: Physical
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis: Love doesn't always follow the flight plan... Princess Natalie is the high-flying spare of the Lyons family. When her twin brother removes himself from the line of succession, she is thrust into the spotlight as the new heir apparent. Natalie soon charts her course and trades her flight suit and fast jets for diadems and diplomats. It's an easy journey until she is reintroduced to an old flame, Ed Winslow. Ed, the golden boy, is the most decorated swimmer in British history. He's also newly-retired, coming off a messy divorce, and not looking for love. As Natalie and Ed are re-introduced, the chemistry is undeniable. He can't stop thinking about her. She finds him irresistible and a constant distraction. Will Natalie and Ed make it work? Will it be smooth sailing or will they hit turbulence? This contemporary royal rom-com is made for readers who like their heroines badass, salivate over a sexy cinnamon roll hero, and love royal family drama
Fans of The Royal We , Red, White, and Royal Blue , and Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries Series will feel right at home with the Lyons Family.
My Thoughts: I absolutely devoured this book! It was such an easy, quick read that I couldn't put it down. This was my first book by Maude Winters, and it will not be my last. I loved the fierce women in this story. Maude writes beautiful and empowering women, and I adore this!!! Not only was this a romance, but this was about family, an unbreakable bond, sacrifice, and loyalty. Oh, and did I mention the perfect amount of spice. (Chef's Kiss) 💋. I will say, I so want to reread this and annotate it! There are so many characters, and I want to revisit with them all!
This is the start of a new series, and it leaves you on a cliffhanger where I am dying to get my hands on the next book! I hope it picks up right where it ended. 🥰
I was given an ARC copy of this for my honest review.
July 20, 2023
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Princess Natalie is not your typical princess. As the second child, she doesn't have the same responsibilities as her brother, Prince George. Instead, she became a pilot and served time in the military pulling herself up through the ranks. When her brother suddenly abdicates, Natalie is thrust into the role of the royal heir.
Natalie reconnects with Ed who she had an encounter with in the past. As she learns to navigate her new world, she leans on Ed and soon they develop a relationship.
From Pilot to Princess was a quick, light royalty romance read. The characters were interesting and their motivations throughout the book were well done. Natalie was a strong female character who didn't apologize for who she was. The family bonds in the series were strong as well. It was nice to see a strong family foundation with siblings and parents all supporting each other and their life choices.
Some of my favorite characters were the side characters. Lucy is Natalie's assistant and friend. She gets out of a tough breakup and handles everything with grace. Her emotions and struggles are so relateable as she has her ups and downs post breakup. I also enjoyed Winston, Lucy's new roommate and cousin to Natalie. His character helped support and guide Lucy through her breakup. Their relationship was so sweet.
The relationship between Natalie and Ed was sweet. It started off as just a fling and then developed in to something much deeoer as they reconnected. This story is great if you are looking for a nice, light read.
Princess Natalie is not your typical princess. As the second child, she doesn't have the same responsibilities as her brother, Prince George. Instead, she became a pilot and served time in the military pulling herself up through the ranks. When her brother suddenly abdicates, Natalie is thrust into the role of the royal heir.
Natalie reconnects with Ed who she had an encounter with in the past. As she learns to navigate her new world, she leans on Ed and soon they develop a relationship.
From Pilot to Princess was a quick, light royalty romance read. The characters were interesting and their motivations throughout the book were well done. Natalie was a strong female character who didn't apologize for who she was. The family bonds in the series were strong as well. It was nice to see a strong family foundation with siblings and parents all supporting each other and their life choices.
Some of my favorite characters were the side characters. Lucy is Natalie's assistant and friend. She gets out of a tough breakup and handles everything with grace. Her emotions and struggles are so relateable as she has her ups and downs post breakup. I also enjoyed Winston, Lucy's new roommate and cousin to Natalie. His character helped support and guide Lucy through her breakup. Their relationship was so sweet.
The relationship between Natalie and Ed was sweet. It started off as just a fling and then developed in to something much deeoer as they reconnected. This story is great if you are looking for a nice, light read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2023
A wonderful royal romance that left me yearning for more. This story was full of strong women who have accomplished so much, but do not get the recognition or appreciation they deserve. The love for family, friends, and country was deeply felt, and I appreciated the message of accepting people and their life choices.
I do want to say that I believe this book can be read as a stand alone, but I found out afterwards that this books follows up the Regency and Rivalry series. If you're like me and wanted to learn more about Vanora and Robbie's history, it exists and it's in those books, lol! I'll have to read those next.
From Pilot to Princess is a reimagining of the royal family that follows Princess Natalie who is an accomplished military pilot. Her life is upended when her twin brother George, the Prince of Wales, decides to step down from royal life. While she struggles to adapt to being the heir apparent and losing a man she loves because of this change, she runs into an old flame. Edwin is going through his own life changes after retiring from his swimming career and going through a divorce. The timing once again doesn't seem right for them, but the heart wants what it wants.
My favorite moments of this book were the scenes between Ed and Natalie. They had such strong chemistry and the banter was so easy between them. I loved their relationship. Natalie was such a strong female character, who is just trying to make her way in a man's world. It was so great that she never backed down from anyone, especially her own father, the King, to stand up for herself and to get what she wanted. Another strong female character that I loved was Lucy. After being heartbroken by George, she does not run and hide, but becomes stronger. She remains working for the royal family and moves up the ranks to become Natalie's personal secretary. Even after having every reason to be hurt and bitter, Lucy continues to act with strength and kindness.
I'm looking forward to the the continuation of this series and seeing more of Ed/Natalie's and Lucy/Winston's relationship. If you like royal family reimaginings and romance, I highly recommend this book.
(I was provided a free reader copy in exchange for my honest review.)
I do want to say that I believe this book can be read as a stand alone, but I found out afterwards that this books follows up the Regency and Rivalry series. If you're like me and wanted to learn more about Vanora and Robbie's history, it exists and it's in those books, lol! I'll have to read those next.
From Pilot to Princess is a reimagining of the royal family that follows Princess Natalie who is an accomplished military pilot. Her life is upended when her twin brother George, the Prince of Wales, decides to step down from royal life. While she struggles to adapt to being the heir apparent and losing a man she loves because of this change, she runs into an old flame. Edwin is going through his own life changes after retiring from his swimming career and going through a divorce. The timing once again doesn't seem right for them, but the heart wants what it wants.
My favorite moments of this book were the scenes between Ed and Natalie. They had such strong chemistry and the banter was so easy between them. I loved their relationship. Natalie was such a strong female character, who is just trying to make her way in a man's world. It was so great that she never backed down from anyone, especially her own father, the King, to stand up for herself and to get what she wanted. Another strong female character that I loved was Lucy. After being heartbroken by George, she does not run and hide, but becomes stronger. She remains working for the royal family and moves up the ranks to become Natalie's personal secretary. Even after having every reason to be hurt and bitter, Lucy continues to act with strength and kindness.
I'm looking forward to the the continuation of this series and seeing more of Ed/Natalie's and Lucy/Winston's relationship. If you like royal family reimaginings and romance, I highly recommend this book.
(I was provided a free reader copy in exchange for my honest review.)
July 25, 2023
Thinking you’re the spare twin of a royal family , who can stay happy being a pilot, sleeping in the barracks, and being able to hold your own. WRONG! Your twin steps down and you are now the heir! Princess Natalie needs to trade in her pilot suit for a gown, flights for fancy dinners, and having her every move watched.
Everything is going well til she meets her old fling Ed! Ed’s an Olympic swimmer, who had to retire due to an injury, and just got out of a divorce.
These two are like magnets! They are just so attracted to each other and you can see that they are so funny together. I loved Natalie’s character. She was a bad ass female pilot who made it known she worked hard to get to where she is. The sacrifices that she had to make were not easy and I love how she had demands 😂.
The book was good, but confusing in the beginning with a lot of characters and so many events happening all together. Once things connected if flowed a lot better. Dots were connected and the story really took off! I loved the side characters and how important they were to the story! Overall, fun romcom and I can’t wait to read the next one!
IG: @maude_winters_fiction @rrbooktours #rrbooktours #rrbtfrompilottoprincess #maudewinters #romcombooks #romancebooks #romancebookstagram
July 22, 2023
I was recently introduced to Maude, and her writing. I know about her time in the UK and how that has influenced her royal romances. I saw that, and this excellent blurb, and knew I absolutely had to read this book. I must say, I fell for it and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
I can tell she has spent time in the UK, as references made and some royal links were made that made it true to us and I loved that. It made the whole story very realistic and easy to just fall into and enjoy.
The characters were absolutely brilliant. I loved the strength on Natalie and how she took to her worlds, in the air and with the crown. She is a very lovable character, but also is strong-willed and interesting.
Maude also have us a selection of secondary characters to enjoy and really be part of their interactions. It made the scenario believable and easy to feel part of, throughout the book.
I loved the overall story and the entire premise of this start of this new series. I think Maude is swiftly becoming one of my favourite authors!
I can tell she has spent time in the UK, as references made and some royal links were made that made it true to us and I loved that. It made the whole story very realistic and easy to just fall into and enjoy.
The characters were absolutely brilliant. I loved the strength on Natalie and how she took to her worlds, in the air and with the crown. She is a very lovable character, but also is strong-willed and interesting.
Maude also have us a selection of secondary characters to enjoy and really be part of their interactions. It made the scenario believable and easy to feel part of, throughout the book.
I loved the overall story and the entire premise of this start of this new series. I think Maude is swiftly becoming one of my favourite authors!
July 29, 2023
I'm very sorry, it takes a lot for me to DNF a book, but I could NOT get into this one. It began with quite a bit of info dumping on the characters, things we didn’t really need to know. Then continued so the whole book felt like info dumping. It's also very dialogue heavy with not a lot of body language and action, so I didn’t feel grounded/immersed in a scene. It was more like floating heads talking. The dialogue was also very stiff.
The first sex scene was so awkward. We barely see them together and then they’re in bed, and it just feels off. This was a reoccurring issue.
The timeline is also confusing. We start when Natalie and her brother are 21, then the next chapter they’re 23, and then it just jumps to 30. It’s like we get these tiny memories into their lives with no flow through the book.
Unfortunately, I did not make it into the romance of the book, so I can't give an opinion on that.
The first sex scene was so awkward. We barely see them together and then they’re in bed, and it just feels off. This was a reoccurring issue.
The timeline is also confusing. We start when Natalie and her brother are 21, then the next chapter they’re 23, and then it just jumps to 30. It’s like we get these tiny memories into their lives with no flow through the book.
Unfortunately, I did not make it into the romance of the book, so I can't give an opinion on that.
July 29, 2023
Fun Start to a New Series with Great Characters, Romance, and Drama
I found the beginning of this book a bit difficult to follow as there were a LOT of characters, names and even nicknames to keep track of. But once I figured out the players and what was happening it became a big royal soap opera and so much fun. I enjoyed how strong and capable both Natalie and Lucy are and I liked both Ed and Winston. I appreciated how accepting the "firm" and family were of George's coming out, and how that was handled in the book. All in all, this book was a lot of fun, although it does sort of end abruptly - as if it is a serial episode and the next book will just pick up where this one leaves off - I hope so as I am looking forward to the next one.
I received and ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I found the beginning of this book a bit difficult to follow as there were a LOT of characters, names and even nicknames to keep track of. But once I figured out the players and what was happening it became a big royal soap opera and so much fun. I enjoyed how strong and capable both Natalie and Lucy are and I liked both Ed and Winston. I appreciated how accepting the "firm" and family were of George's coming out, and how that was handled in the book. All in all, this book was a lot of fun, although it does sort of end abruptly - as if it is a serial episode and the next book will just pick up where this one leaves off - I hope so as I am looking forward to the next one.
I received and ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
July 30, 2023
As an Air Force brat and someone who can find the royal family interesting, I had a fun time reading this story and getting to know Natalie. Natalie is feisty, and she is the spare to her twin brother, who has been preparing to be king his whole life. He has to step down and Natalie, who has been preparing to be military career her whole life, has to give it up to take his place as heir. Enter hottie Olympian swimmer Ed ;)
This story was so cute, fun, and explored inequality in many ways. I loved that Natalie doesn't back down from anything, and she's a female kick ass pilot who has the backs of those she loves.
Spice: 2 peppers
Tropes:
Royal Family
One Night Stand/Second Chance
Secret Romance
This story was so cute, fun, and explored inequality in many ways. I loved that Natalie doesn't back down from anything, and she's a female kick ass pilot who has the backs of those she loves.
Spice: 2 peppers
Tropes:
Royal Family
One Night Stand/Second Chance
Secret Romance
Want to read
July 15, 2023Book 1 in Winter's spin off series Spare Change that provides us with the next generation of the Lyon family. Can be read as a standalone but I do think I loved it all the more for reading the Regency and Rivalry series. I loved Natalie's story and her characters strength as her life is upended. Well written, with great characters a good storyline that at times seemed rushed or disjointed but still enjoyable and entertaining with some good laughs. Looking forward to seeing how this next generation plays out!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 26, 2023
This was a fun rom-com to read. I absolutely love Natalie her bond with with her twin brother Georgie and how she will do absolutely anything to protect him. She gave up her dream of flying fighter jets for her family and country (which lets say a female flying fighter jets is really awesome you don’t get that often in books)
I also enjoyed that we got the back story on so many great characters.
This was a fast paced easy fun read and was very well written.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good rom-com.
I also enjoyed that we got the back story on so many great characters.
This was a fast paced easy fun read and was very well written.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good rom-com.
July 5, 2023
The book was cute, but disjointed at times. I feel like it just kind of ended. I do think it’s going to be a series but the ending could have been a little smoother. I wished there was more of an introduction to the background and characters in the beginning as it just hopped right into a story. I love stories involving British royals so enjoyed that aspect. Natalie was a great strong female lead and I think with a little more polishing, this could have been a 4 star book.
July 28, 2023
This was a very cute and easy read. It still boggles my mind how archaic the rules are for the royal family. Natalie was a war hero, who lost all her titles because she was born a girl. Becoming heir to the throne when her brother stepped down, Nat must overcome many challenges to get her HEA. I also loved Lucy and Winston. I really hope that they will get their own story. If you like a good rom-com with a HEA, this one is for you!!!
August 4, 2023
I love how we can see different views from all the different characters, it helped tie together the story. I fell in love with all the characters from the start. I love how Natalie was always strong and never apologized for who she was. I was happy when she reconnected with Ed. Throughout the beginning, I just wanted to see Natalie happy. This was an easy read! I can’t wait to read the next in the series!
October 18, 2023
First may I say if this woman writes it, I'm going to read it! This book was by far one of my favorites in Maude Winters' Spare Change Series! Amazingly strong FMC reminded me soooo much of myself! If you have not read this book, what are you doing, sleeping under a rock, it is AMAZING! I loved the Spare Change Series so much and the way Maude Winters writes that I purchased all the books in her other series Regency And Rivalry. This book is a definite MUST Read for all readers!
November 29, 2023
This was such a fun book. Like Princess Diaries meets Red, White, and Royal Blue. Natalie's character was so relatable, despite the fact that I'm neither a pilot nor a princess. A cute story, a little spice, and finding out it's a series has made this book a great addition to my shelf while I'm traveling (in London to all places)! I can't wait to read the second book and am excited to see that the third book is set to be released soon!
August 15, 2023
Love takes unexpected flight in this contemporary royal romantic comedy. Princess Natalie, thrust into the heir role, rekindles with Ed, a decorated swimmer navigating post-divorce life. Their undeniable chemistry and distracting attraction lead to a journey of love, peppered with royal drama. For fans of 'The Royal We,' 'Red, White, and Royal Blue,' and the 'Princess Diaries' series
August 23, 2023
I thought that the storyline for this book was interesting and somewhat unique, but I had a hard time connecting to the characters. They came across as a bit stilted and one dimensional. I will be reading the next book in the series, and I am crossing my fingers that it is an improvement.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 25, 2023
Oh my god this book was amazing,, I’m still shocked at the rules the royals put on other royals. Who they are suppose to fall in love with and such. Makes me glad that I am not Royal lol but none the lady I absolutely loved this. It was quite the page turner and I can’t wait to read more from this amazing author.
July 27, 2023
This was a great rom com! Wonderfully written! You feel like your immersed in the world! Natalie is a strong woman who loves her twin brother and will protect him in any way! What she gives up for her family! This was a fun read, highly recommended!
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