The book Royal Expectations by Jenny Frame focuses on Teddy, a princess who is reluctant about her future responsibilities and has a play girl reputation, and Summer, her first love and a close family friend.
I did not realize that this was part of a greater series until I had already started this book. I think this works as a standalone, but there was some mention of things like futuristic technology that I wonder if they are from the earlier books. The scenes where these were discussed took me out of the story as I was trying to figure out their significance and necessity.

I really enjoyed this alternative universe where lesbians in the monarchy is the norm.
The queens especially were interesting and I’m curious about their story.
The premise of both characters trying to navigate royal pressures and a personal relationship was compelling. I appreciated that Summer was handling a medical condition throughout the story that influenced her decisions, it added another layer of depth to her character.

However, for a romance book, the chemistry between the characters felt a bit flat. There was a lot of telling not showing. It focused a lot on telling about their feelings in the past instead of showing how they were reconnecting in the present. I expected more meaningful interactions between the main characters earlier and more often than actually happened.
Also, the book set up the potential for drama with its various antigonists, an ex- girlfriend and the prime minister, at the end of the book and then didn’t really do anything with their stories. It was very anticlimactic.

Overall, this book was okay, but left me wanting more from it.

Thank you NetGalley, Boldstrokes Books, and Jenny Frame for the ARC.

I love all of Jenny Frame's Royal book series and the next generation with the "Royal Generations" series once again fills my royal-loving heart!
Teddy and Summer are the perfect couple from a young age and childhood best friends.
Teddy "Princess Edwina" is the daughter of Queen Georgina and has had to spend her entire life in the shadow of her great mother.
At least that's how she feels and constantly compares herself to her.
She loves her mother, but she can't live up to the crown. When Summer leaves her because of her health and the stress of the royal family, its duties and the press that goes with it,
Teddy also gives up any ambition to achieve anything and gives in to anger and frustration.
She escapes into short escapades with women and wild party nights with no meaning or purpose in life.
Summer suffers from her illness her entire life and is supposed to avoid stress as much as possible.
Now as a grown woman, best friend of Teddy's sister and her PA, she can't avoid it all.
The two see each other now and then and exchange ironic, biting comments rather than kind words.
How are they supposed to leave the past behind them and work together, as the queen is now demanding of Teddy.
Duty is now knocking on their door for good and there is no escape...

This is a second chance, but also a slow-burn love story par excellence!
They get a little closer, then they move apart again. Almost the whole story passes before Teddy and Summer realize what they can be to each other again.
That really kept me on tenterhooks.
The book deals with topics such as a sense of duty, family pressure, bad dealings with the wrong people, anger, love, fears and also courage.
Courage to do the right thing even when you know you might fail.
Beautifully written as always by Jenny Frame!
Many thanks to Bold Stroke Books and the Author and also NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely love the way Ms. Frame has continued to build her world into that of the next generation. The character development has continued throughout all of the series. Seeing what happens with Georgie and Bea's kids was something that was hanging out in the background of your mind after the last book.

The world is relatable with a futuristic technology that enhances the fantasy world. The inclusion of new technology and gadgets adds an extra sizzle to the intimate scenes. Ms. Frame has a great habit of making sure the sex scenes are placed make it so that its not just gratuitus but actually relevant to the story.

Ted and Summer demonstrate that there is always hope for a happy ending. Despite having challenges in their youth, they were able to grow into amazing people with a strong character that shines throughout the story. The story is very engaging and kept me up too late on a weeknight just to get through to the end.

This is a captivating must-read for fans of royal romance with a futuristic fantasy twist.

Teddy and Summer were in love years ago but life split them up. Summer has returned and is working with Teddy’s sister. Teddy is still in love with Summer but Summer is afraid since Teddy has dated many woman over the years, she’s done so to make her family leave her alone but they keep trying to get her married.
The more time they spend together Summer realizes how much she missed Teddy. Still reluctant this is a slow road for these two but maybe it’ll be worth it.

Enjoyable read with two characters you’re hoping can make it.

Thank you #netgalley #boldstrokesbooks #royalexpectations for this ARC.

Jenny Frame returns to her fictional alternative world where the British monarch is ruled by a lesbian Queen and her consort. It is time for their daughter, Teddy Buckingham, to be crowned Princess of Wales. Teddy has been a bit of a playgirl the last few years having not gotten over her first love, Summer Fisher. Summer has finished her education and is now PA to Teddy’s sister princess Anna. Queen Georgiana asks for Summer to work with Teddy to improve her image and come up with plans for the investiture. It allows for them to spend time together and remember their friendship from the past.

This book can easily be read on its own but is the second in the Royal Generations series. There are four other books in the Royal Romance series that covers the Queen’s romance and more in that generation. The characters are fairly simple. Teddy is insecure, which is surprising as she is a six foot tall butch. But Summer is there to boost her confidence. I’m hoping there is a romance for Anna sometime in the future. These are not deep stories but I enjoy reading them. The family is loving and I appreciate the sweet and gentle world that Frame has created. I did take off a star because Teddy was unlikable in the beginning. And if you’re going to have a villain there needs to be some consequences.

2.25 stars

This book is unique for me in that it started off okay and progressively got worse...

To be fair, I didn't know this was part of a spinoff series from the Royal Romance, which I've read none of.

What I liked:
- The premise - queer royal family, second chance romance
- The queens. They were easily the most interesting and thought out characters, and I love how supportive they are of their children.
- The siblings. Annie and Roo are absolutely adorable supporting characters.

What was okay:
- Chronic illness rep. Summer is very upfront about what it's like to live with her illness, but I don't think it ever actually mentioned what illness she has?
- The antagonists. Pandora and Kurt were cartoonish in their villainy which was kind of fun after a while, but their final stunt had such little impact that it made no sense to include them at all after the first quarter.

What didn't work for me:
- Teddy. She was unlikeable and kind of whiny throughout most of the book. She just decides for Summer that it's not going to work and doesn't communicate well at all.
- Summer. She was such a flat character. All I can tell you about her is that she's well organized and has a chronic illness. There are no other facets of her personality that came through.
- Lack of resolution. There was a lot of setup for confrontation with Pandora/Kurt and the Prime Minister, but...nothing happened.
- Editing. This book needs more thorough editing to show emotions instead of telling the readers everything. There are parts that could be rearranged or rewritten or at the very least smoothed out.

This is not the worst book I've ever read. It just didn't meet my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Princess Edwina aka Teddy hasn’t recover from losing the one person she loves Summer since they were teenagers. Ever since then she hasn’t been able to do anything it’s like she lost what made her whole. When she learns that Summer would be working on the elevation to Princess of Wales she hopes this will give them a second chance as they struggle with duty and their own happiness. I enjoy this read and love how the author would have previous characters appear and give us a glimpse into their lives and to share their wisdom for next.

This book is a masterful blend of royal intrigue and rekindled romance that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Princess Teddy’s struggle with the pressures of her royal duties and the heartbreak from her past is beautifully portrayed, making her a relatable and compelling character. The chemistry between Teddy and Summer is palpable, and their journey from heartbreak to healing is both emotional and satisfying. The tension between public duty and personal happiness adds depth to the story, making their reunion all the more powerful.
A read that balances romance, drama, and the complexities of life in the public eye.

The royals: Sweet, slow burn f/f romance
This is a wonderful sweet, slow burn, second chance royal romance. Frame expertly pulls at the heartstring of her readers and turns the heat on very slowly but inexorably. The result: a heartwarming comfort read.
Princess Edwina („Teddy“) never healed from her broken heart. Once upon a time she was totally in love with her teenage sweet-heart Summer. When they broke up she lost her direction. Her direction in love and in her life as future queen and what she wants her public duty to achieve longterm.
When the planning of her elevation to Princess of Wales involves Summer an unlikely second chance might be on the horizons.
I loved the setting in the royal palaces and gardens of Great Britain, I loved to see the pressure cooker the royals are in. Summer, her parents and the charities bring normalcy into the narration and balance the royal opulence. And I loved the soft butch princess and her insecurities. It was great to meet the Queen and her queen again - now the second generation of Queen and queen is in the making.
This is a great comfort read for every fan of royal settings.

PS.: If you haven‘t read the book where it all started, i.e. where newly crowned Georgina and the anti-royalist Beatrice come together, do yourself a favor and read A Royal Romance.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldstrokes Books for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.

I have not read the first book in this series (Royal Generations) but since this is a standalone now featuring a new generation I think no major issue.
The story is both based in the future as well as in the British Royal Family so not really realistic. However, I enjoyed the second chance romance between Princess Teddy and Summer and the struggles they had to go through to get back to what they once had. The futuristic part is mainly shown in some technical advances like the health care Summer is getting plus of course the very special Intelliflesh strap-on used by Teddy. The book lacks some depth and understanding on how and why Teddy acted like she did during the years apart from Summer. I also think the ending very rushed since the epilogue way too short.

I'm a big fan of Jenny Frame's work, and while the Royal series is a close second to my favorite series, the Axedale, it is a worthy and wonderful series. Royal Expectations is book 2 in the Royal Generations series, which follows the children from the first series, Royal Romances. In this book, we catch up with Princess Teddy, Queen Georges and Bea's eldest child. Teddy thought she had found her soulmate, Summer Fisher, but right before college, the limelight of dating a royal broke their relationship.

It has been really enjoyable getting to see old characters from the previous series. Seeing where Bea and George and their family is now was wonderful. I had forgotten that Summer made a quick appearance in the second Royal Romance when Rozala met her at the charity that broke through Rozala's rebel lifestyle. Seeing how Summers life has evolved and intertwine with the royals, was a treat. I liked both Teddy and Summer, as well as Princess Anna, Teddy's younger sister. They are great addition to the universe. I particularly like that Teddy's journey mirrored Georges journey from A Royal Romance but also different at the same time.

The one thing that keeps this from being a 5 stars book is that the ending felt rushed to me. When I looked at my Kindle and realized I had 15 minutes left and felt like there was a lot more story left. Like the previous books, there is a force working against the main characters, and while this force was less violent, there was no resolution with this force, that felt unsatisfactory. I wish there was another chapter or 2 to address some of the items still left on Teddy's journey.

All in all, an enjoyable read. I am excited for more books in this universe and will be coming back to these characters in the future. I would recommend reading A Royal Romance, since it follows Teddy's parents, but this book is fairly self contained that you could read it alone with minimal confusion.

5 stars

I enjoyed the book. The storyline and characters, how it all fits within the series, I liked it. There were a few inconsistencies, but they didn’t change the overall feeling from the book. It needs some more editing, but since it’s an arc, I hope it’s cleaned up before publishing.
I wouldn’t say it’s a step up from Jenny Frame’s previous work, no, she’s pretty consistent with her style and quality. Her books are consistently safe. I never have any doubts that it’s going to be a feel good book. This one though does differ slightly, there wasn’t the usual formulaic out of nowhere fallout/turning point at 90%. I wish Teddy’s character was a little more developed. Usually Jenny Frame’s characters, in this series especially, have “a thing” that makes them different. An undercover reporter, a recovering drug addict, you get the theme. Teddy’s just Teddy. Quite relatable actually, we all have doubts and dreams we think it’s too late to pursue, or that we aren’t good enough to achieve them.
A bit of a fairytale as usual, but that’s exactly what I’m coming for with every new Jenny Frame book.
It’s a quick, light, easy, sweet read, it’s a safe bet, I recommend it.