Read & Review: From Pilot to Princess

Between new baby (who is already three months old!) and trying to fit in paid contract work, I have been slacking on both reading and writing. Life comes in waves that way. I started this blog post with a sleeping baby in my lap, and it will probably take a few stops and starts to get it finished. It is really hard trying to "do it all"; I will have to write more about that later.

For now, I'm focused on completing a book review I have been wanting to write for about a month. I started Maude Winters' Spare Change series, the follow-up to Regency and Rivalry. And y'all...I loved it!

I enjoyed Regency and Rivalry and highly recommend starting with that series, as Spare Change includes many of the same characters, primarily the next generation of royals. It isn't completely necessary to read the first series first, but I found I was invested in the characters from the beginning, and it was cool to see how the young couple in London Season grew into parents of adult children in From Pilot to Princess. 

This book is for the next generation in so many great ways, which is why I love it. It is progressive and deals with some tough issues, including a male heir who leaves the "family business" due to his sexual orientation, a strong female lead who pushes against stereotypes, and class divisions between a new character and the royals.

I adore Natalie, and the fella she falls for: who is soft and hard (heh) in all the right places. I really could not get enough of them! I appreciate that Winters brought in Lucy - an American from a working-class background - and integrated her into the royal family. Her own budding romance will be featured in the next book, and I look forward to more class diversity and seeing how Winters and her royal characters navigate class differences.

Winters does a nice job slowly building her world and distinguishing it from our own, without spending a ton of time doing it. The heroine here - initially the "spare" - flies fighter jets and even fought in a war. When her brother steps down and she must take his place, she has to shift gears entirely. While most of us will never know what it feels like to be a princess, we all know what it is like to have to suddenly change our life course...or at the very least we all know that life does not always go according to plan. Much of this book is all about that: quite suddenly everything you expected to happen is completely different now. Your world is on its head.

The characters are all likeable in their own way, despite their conflict with each other. This is one of the things I believe Winters does best (it was prevalent in her first series as well). No one is perfect, and these characters are all likeably flawed. They fight and bicker, but somehow you can easily see and understand where each of them is coming from. This is one of Winters' great talents.

I was so pleased with From Pilot to Princess that as soon as Maude put the next book up for purchase - Duchess Material - I snagged one (I got signed hardcopies this time...nothing beats a signed hardcopy!). She will for sure be coming with us on our mini-vacation this week!

I am finishing this blog post with a toddler on my head, blowing raspberries on my cheeks. Until next time...happy reading and happy writing!