3.5 Stars. I did not realize when I picked this book up as an ARC from NetGalley that it was the third in a series. I read it anyway, as it did not seem necessary to read the previous two books. This book is about Quincy, a lifetime soldier who winds up, after an altercation, becoming a part of the Royal Protection Command. She meets, Holly Weaver, the Royal Dresser for the Queen's Consort who is a man eater and just wants to fall in love with a woman. She is interested by Quincy and how she does not show any emotion. She had first seen Quincy at a polo game, as she is friends with the Queen George. They clash over ways to keep the Queen and Queen Consort safe and this also changes how they feel about each other.

This book was good, until close to the end. I did not really like some of the parts of how it ended, without spoiling the ending. Otherwise, this book was good and easy to read. There was a lot of tension between the two characters, as they are opposites and they clash on everything. Holly makes her mission to have Quincy show feelings and starts spending more time with her and develops feelings. I would recommend this book, it was a great little ready dealing with royalty.

Captain Quincy was a member of the Royal Marines when she and the men under her command were very nearly killed while on a mission. She's at a crossroads with her career so when her friend Queen Georgina asks her to join the Royal Protection Command as the Queens new protection officer she reluctantly agrees. Holly Weaver works as a Royal Dresser. She loves men but she starts to question her sexuality when she find herself crushing on a famous actress. Then along comes Captain Quincy. When the Queen is threatened Quincy and Holly have very different ideas on how to protect her. They have completely different personalities. Having read some other works by Ms Frame I was pretty sure I’d enjoy reading the third book in her ‘Royal Romance’ series and she doesn’t disappoint. It fact I have to say this third installment is my favorite. Very good read.
ARC via NetGalley

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43267775-royal-court" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Royal Court" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1545189404m/43267775.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43267775-royal-court">Royal Court</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8585317.Jenny_Frame">Jenny Frame</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2674328678">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is No:3 in The Royal Romance Series with leads Quincy (Royal Marine Office) and Holly (Royal Dresser). Ms. Frame's plot pulls you along - Quincy's character tugs at your heart, however, I found Holly annoying and only warmed up to her near the end. A crisply written romance with drama and angst rating 4 stars<br />I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

Overall, I liked this book. It had this sort of "alt universe" feel to it I don't get when reading modern day fiction.

I also have not read any of the other books that are connected to this one. I can safely say I didn't feel like I needed to in order to understand the character dynamics. If you want to have a deeper connection with the side characters though, I'd recommend it.

I did feel like the characters switched to being in love a it too suddenly for my taste, but that wasn't a deal breaker in this case.

The suspenseful element was extremely predictable, but it was obviously not meant to be a huge factor in the story, more just a plot device so aging, not a deal breaker.

I have read the other Royal books by Jenny Frame and found this just as enjoyable. I loved the characters. Captain Quincy has always been very stoic but protects the Queen with her very life. Holly Weaver is the royal dresser to Queen Georgie consort Bea and the total opposite of Quincy. Opposites attract right?? Read the book.

I recently finished the first two books in this series in time to enjoy this one. While you could enjoy this as a stand alone novel, I think the best experience will be from reading all three books in the Royal Romance series. We do meet up with several other couples, although the focus is on Quincy and Holly, and we do see the other character's POV. All three books are perfectly sweet romances and good fun, I highly recommend the experience.

Not long after being awarded the Victoria Cross she is tragically thrown from the Royal Marines. Her close friend Queen Georgina takes her on as her private security detail for her wife and Queen Consort, Beatrice. Holly is the Queen Consort's royal dresser. She's always liked men but two recent crushes on women has made her start to question her sexuality. Her attraction to Quincy grows, but as the two women spend more time together, their budding friendship grows into something more.

Jenny Frame has created a wonderful world here, that is so fun to experience, with a beautiful cast of characters. The dialogue is strong and natural and lends to the feeling of warm friendship between the starring ladies. Quincy was such a wonderful mix of strength and vulnerability and Holly was the perfect match for her. Holly is so beautifully outgoing and confident and her career as royal dresser is totally unique. Their chemistry was off the charts and their courtship was adorable and angsty.

Story St-John was a really cool character and fun addition to the story. I would love to read her story at some point!

I recently discovered Jenny Frame's work in the past year and she quickly became one of the standout authors I look forward to reading. Looking forward to some new books coming out this year as I've finally finished everything she's written! She is a fantastic writer.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 Stars. This is the third book in Jenny Frame’s Royal Romance Stories and by far my favorite. I like Frame but I have to be honest that her books can be a little up and down for me. Her first two Royal books were only okay so I was really happy to find this one to be much more enjoyable. You can read these books as a standalone but to get the most out of this book I would consider reading book 1, A Royal Romance, first. The two mains from that book have a sizable part in this book.

What I like about these books is they actually take place in the future. I would never put a sci-fi label on these, but there are a few new inventions and the world just seems like a much more tolerable place. There are lots of women in roles of power and lesbian queens that are just the norm. It’s a nice future to say the least.

This book focuses on two sets of characters. The Queens from book 1 and the new characters of Captain Quincy and Holly the Royal dresser. It’s funny I actually like the Queens more in this book than I liked them the first time I read about them. But in Frame’s defense, book 1 was her writing debut so I can understand why it was a little shaky. When it came to Quincy and Holly, I fell for both of them pretty quickly. They are both super likeable and they easily hooked me into the book.

The romance is where this book shined. I thought the chemistry worked and I loved the banter the Quincy and Holly had. It wasn’t a love/hate relationship, but they did press each other’s buttons and bicker all the time. Their little spats just produced some good sparks for me and I was really rooting for them.

Besides the romance, there was a tiny bit of action. I was thankful for that as a few times I thought the pace of the book slowed down a little. Having some potential danger moved the book along for me when I worried it would drag. A few times I thought the book was too long, but in the end I wanted more.

If you are a Frame fan or enjoy reading books about Royals, give this a chance. As I said before this is by far the best of the series and I think most people will enjoy it.

Jenny Frame is a literary magician. I haven't ever read a book by her I didn't absolutely love and this newest edition to the Royal Romance family is no exception. This book is full of love, romance, a bit of mystery and adorable nicknames. This book is a great stand alone, but it's so much better if you read the two previous Royal Romance books. It will be worth every moment of your time. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny Frame is one of those authors you can't get enough of. Her books keep you interested and coming back for more. Royal Court is engaging and entertaining and is exactly the kind of fairy tale we all enjoy. It's the third in her royal romance series and one I look forward to going audio so I can hear/read again. The book is captivating, it's well written and the characters keep the pages turning. It can certainly be read as a stand alone but I would recommend you to read book one and two first. It will help you appreciate the characters that much more. I highly recommend.

Royal Court by Jenny Frame

I gobbled up this book- the third in the Royal series by Jenny Frame- in a couple of days over Christmas. I enjoyed it for the fairy-tale, for the lesbianism and for the reappearance of familiar characters from the previous books. Like many so-called guilty pleasures it made me feel warm and uncritical. I’ll save any critiques of roles and politics for other sorts of books. I hope the author continues with this series to engage and amuse me.

Royal Court by Jenny Frame is a light-hearted contemporary romance. It is the third book in the “A Royal Romance” series. This is the first novel I’ve read from this series, so I can tell you it is not a good standalone book. Many of the important characters in this novel are from the first books in the series, and I felt I was missing information that might have been important to understand and enjoy the story.
I have to say that I didn’t enjoy reading this book. I was never able to connect with the characters, possibly because I never read any other book in the series. Most of the characters seemed one dimensional to me. The unrealistic plot line made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the story. I tend to enjoy more realistic tales.

My biggest problem was the way Quincy’s PTSD was handled. From the descriptions in the plot, she had a fairly major case of PTSD. She exhibited symptoms such as triggered aggressive behavior, insomnia, nightmares when she did manage to sleep, flashbacks, and panic attacks triggered by sights and sounds. With all these symptoms, there is no way in the world she would have passed a psych test and been accepted into the royal guard. Also, her symptoms would not have disappeared simply because she and Holly fell in love. Unfortunately, love is not a cure for PTSD, and it is not fair to real sufferers of this condition to infer this in any story.

However, this story is not all bad. The writing and pace of the story are good, and there were some really sweet moments, especially between Holly and Quincy that I enjoyed reading. If you have read and liked the first two books in the series, you will probably like Royal Court. If you enjoy fanciful romances and don’t mind having to suspend belief as you read, you may like this story.
I received this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

So Jenny Frame's writing annoys me and frustrates me at times, but she has a talent for making really great sex scenes that are steamy, and are very sweet. Frame does a great job with the main plot of the romance between her leads, but sometimes the side plots are a bit frustrating. <i>Royal Court</i> is a great example of this.

Adelaide Quincy was brought up by a harsh military woman who told her to hide her feelings. That worked well for Quin throughout her military career until the aftermath of her last mission; survivor's guilt and PTSD all combined for a volatile reaction when she witnesses a sexual assault and beats the attacker. Instead of being severely punished, Quin is sent to be part of the Royal family's personal team of guards. There she meets her complete opposite in Holly Weaver, Queen Beatrice's stylist. From there, Holly makes it her mission to crack the tough shell of the enigmatic Captain Quincy all while the Royals are on a North American tour.

Quincy is perfectly broody, and her reasoning for wanting to shut down her feelings are understandable, if not the most helpful. She has a temper; and instead of allowing herself to vent it in healthy ways, Quincy lets the pressure build until she takes it out on people she cares about. On top of her PTSD, it just amplifies everything. Holly, on the other had, can't understand why Quin won't show any kind of emotion with her, even annoyance, as she basically bugs Quin every chance she gets. I liked this slow burn romance, because they were obviously attracted to each other, but they had to work out some of their issues a bit before they could get together. The one thing that did bug me a bit, and it worried me throughout the book, was that Holly seemed to be the magical cure for Quincy's emotional and mental health issues. Yes, there were some hiccups, but once those plot points were resolved, there was no mention of Quincy still needing help. Holly being there, and loving Quincy helps, but Quincy has a lot of stuff she has to go through, and there was no mention of her still needing to work through that.

The B-plot was fun to a point. Quincy was targeted by a person stalking her by sending threats about Queen Bea. Now, I know they needed to drag out the drama, and some of the head of security's reluctance to take on Quincy's advise was justifiable, but dammit you're talking about the Royal family here. On top of that, the book mentions two other monarchs being attacked prior to the Brit's going to North America! That would make anyone worry about direct threats to one of the Queens. But nope, they just brush it off until the very last second when stuff was going down. That whole subplot just bugged the crap out of me. The author made up for it, with a great romance between the leads, though, and that's what kept me reading.

So, if your a fan of the Royal Romance series, and can't get enough of Queens Georgina and Beatrice, then you are in for a treat. Their cameos are great, and I love them. If you are here for a slower burn romance, with excellent sex scenes, there's that, too. Without those things, this book would not pass muster, as there are too many things that just don't add up for me.

When I started reading Royal Court, I didn't realize there were two previous books in this series. In the beginning of the book, I was a bit confused with all the characters that were thrown at me. Well, if I had read books 1 and 2, I would have know all about these characters.

Royal Court #3 is a slow burn romance between Captain Quincy and Holly Weaver. Quincy is Royal Marine officer who is rigid, constant, reliable and dedicated. Her mother has drilled into her that she should not express feelings. After an incident occurs, she is chosen to be the protection officer for the Queen consort. Holly Weaver is the Royal Dress for the Queen Consort and also her best friend. She is carefree, outspoken, lively and happy. She also deep down wants to fall in love like her two best friends (Queen Consort - Bea and Lali).

These two are like water and oil. Quincy being set in her ways clashes with the Fun Holly Weaver who often is spontaneous. The chemistry is set before the two actually meet when they see each other at a Polo match months before. As the story moves along the attraction and love develops.

What I really enjoyed about this one is how the story flows. Even though we aren't talking about months in terms of this romance, it moves well. There is suspense in the story line, there is passion and there is some hot sex scenes. I loved how Holly walked into Quincy's life and helped her heal her broken soul and deal with the demons that haunt her.

Just a lovely story. I rate this one 4 stars. I likely would have given it a 5 star if the end didn't feel as rushed as it did. The author did such a great job with details throughout the story and the end seems to be thrown together to get it over with.

I did not realize this was the 3rd book in a series. And I am happy to report that I was able to read this and enjoy it standalone. Also, I kind of expected this to be set in the past. But enjoyed that this was a modern day story.

Captain Quincy is assigned to protect the queen consort after her anger results in almost being court marshaled. She has to work in close proximity to Holly, an enigmatic woman who cannot be ordered around.

The two cannot seem to get a long because Quincy is broken and closed off. Holly is annoyed, beyond measure, that she cannot get any emotion out of the gorgeous butch Captain.

The more time spent on the royal tour means the two will be forced to get closer. Holly decides that she is going to do what it takes to become Quincy's friend to help her open up.

I really liked this story and the characters.Holly especially. She was so fun and headstrong. Never backed down from what she wanted. The conflict between the two main characters kept this interesting and exciting.

I recommend.

And the saga with Royal family and their friends and staff continues... :)
This time, it's Quincy, hot, handsome, very serious, VERY reserved, almost robotic officer that is now a part of Queens' own security team, and Holly, cheerful, happy, loud, with rich laugh and full of life ... And just when you think they can't be more different and further from each other, and that they have absolutely nothing in common - sparks begin to fly all over the p(a)lace!
Will these two women find the way to each other, without killing each other first?
I'm very fond of Jenny Frame's books... I think she creates great chemistry between the characters, hot steamy scenes, and great background stories.
4 stars from me for this lovely book.

Captain Adelaide Quincy receives the Victoria Cross for her bravery in an operation that went south really quickly. She doesn't feel she deserves it considering the pain her best friend is in. Her mother, the admiral, responds in her usual unemotional way. When an incident causes her to lose her temper she is fortunately redeployed to her former school mate, Queen Georgina's, personal security force. She is only there to do her job which is made increasingly difficult by Holly Weaver, the royal dresser. Holly saw Quincy at a polo match years before and was immediately attracted to the sexy marine. She's not much fun now though.

There is something about the damaged but heroic military character that really appeals to me but I find her opposite, the bubbly, unorthodox, spontaneous femme just as appealing. Add in some good writing and a reasonable plot and this is an enjoyable read. In some ways it reminds me of Radclyffe's Honor series except that it's the royal family and set, for the most part, in the UK. I haven't read the first two in the series but I probably will at some point in the future (it's not like the endings would be a surprise).

There aren't many surprises in this story line but I did enjoy the dorkiness of the toy soldiers. Nice, easy holiday read.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

Quincy is a Royal Marines Officer when she catches a fellow officer sexually assaulting a young lady her anger overcomes and she nearly beat him to death instead of being fire she been assigned to protection-of-the-royal-family.

Holly is a part of the royal entourage. She is the Queen Consort’s best friend and the royal dresser. She bisexual and only get invovled with men because they can't hurt her emotionally, she was scarred by a past realtionship with a woman.

I like that the chemistry between them is good but when they get together the first time Quincy start to pull away and this is when the story was getting annoying because it create drama when it didn't need to.

Even though this was a good read I like her Wolves series better and Unexcepted and Hunger for you

This is a contemporary romance but reads like a cross between a historical (thanks to the whole royalty aspect) and futuristic (where important heads of state are women and out British royalty are totally acceptable) tale. Nevertheless, it is highly engaging and entertaining.

Captain Quincy is a Royal Marines Officer decorated with the Victoria Cross for gallantry. However, when she catches a fellow officer sexually assaulting a young lady her anger overcomes her restraint and beats him to what is considered ‘excessive’. Instead of being court-martialled for this, she is assigned to protection-of-the-royal-family duty. Holly Weaver is a part of the royal entourage. She is the Queen Consort’s best friend and the royal dresser.

The author creates two very relatable characters. Quincy is introverted, haunted by self-recrimination for what she sees as a failure and a product of very tough upbringing. She feels so much and so deeply that she actively doesn’t allow herself to feel. Holly is physically bisexual, but emotionally gay. A past relationship with a woman has scarred her so badly that she choose to have only men in her life because she knows they cannot reach or hurt her more emotionally.

Quincey’s quietude and mental torture are offset by Holly’s openness and lust for life. Holly’s determination and tenacity in trying to reach Quincy are total wish-fulfilment of a person like that.

The chemistry and attraction is excellently built. However, after they get together for the first time, Quincy’s running-away act to add to the drama was unnecessary and excessive. If this wasn’t a romance, Holly would’ve just abandoned the relationship then and there. But this is a romance, so she hangs around and pursues Quincy despite unjustified jerkface behaviour.

Apart from that one glitch, this is a thoroughly enjoyable romance. And yes, there are a few utterly satisfying sex scenes too.

I was excited to read the 3rd installment of Jenny Frame's popular "A Royal Romance" series, "Royal Court." The story was especially intriguing to me because Holly Weaver, one of Bea's (Queen Consort) besties and her Royal Dresser, finally had her story told! I always wondered what her story was going to be about (obviously hoping, at that time, that Frame would write it! Little did I know....) since her introduction in Book #1, "A Royal Romance." I was intrigued by her fiery character and always wondered if she was truly what she professed to be - a hetero man-eater. You know, a person who feels the need to clarify their sexuality or self-profess their sexual lifestyle for everyone to hear, always gives me this "a lady doth protest too much" feeling, if you catch me drift! So, I put Holly in that "slippery slope" category since Book 1 especially when Captain Quincy was briefly mentioned in Book 2, "Royal Rebel," and Holly's "Adonis" remark about her in that scene! I had me wishful thinking about their pairing, then, mind! And VOILA, what d'ya know!!! I got me wish!! Holly has her own story to tell! And goodness, did Frame give her a brilliantly crafted story, indeed, matching her with, yes, the "Adonis" she referred to in Book 2, a highly decorated Royal Marine-turned-Queen Consort's Protection Officer, Captain Quincy, no less! YAY!! Wish came true! Imagine me joy! Needless to say, "Royal Court" is now me favourite installment in the series, yet! Yes, because of Frame's brilliant creation and portrayal of the ever-tantalising characters, Quincy and Holly, and their utterly mesmerising journey.

The fact that Holly and Quincy were polar opposites in every way possible instantly hooked me in from the start because, hey, it's always the "opposites attract" trope (if written brilliantly) that creates this undeniably intoxicating chemistry that just sizzles with scorching heat, feelings and emotions screaming to get out until they finally explode, innit? And Frame weaved the story superbly, one step, one layer, at the time, to say the least! I was holding me breath the entire time! Which brings me to another trope, a favourite of mine - Quincy and Holly's love story was a delicious slow-burn romance, fanning its flames ever so slowly and deliberately at each juncture of their encounter, turning their initially contentious relationship into a trepidatious friendship, adagio style, before deepening their indisputable attraction toward each other into a level that neither one could deny their desire for each other any longer.

I absolutely loved the Quincy character! She was a career military professional. Steadfastly loyal, a rules and regs follower, a conscientious planner who would (or rather, could) never show any sign of human emotions or feelings. Basically a machine, really. Always on professionally with no exception. But underneath the hard, steely exterior, Frame deftly portrayed her to be an enigmatically quiet, heartbreakingly troubled soul. Her harrowing, tragic past would make you cry for her pain.

I was utterly drawn to her history, her daily struggle to keep up with appearances (no thanks to her mum, which you'll have to read it to find out the underlying reason), maintaining the reputation of her family name despite hurting her own humanity, her life as a living, breathing, feeling person. Frame's vivid description of every nuance that Quincy experienced within her innermost psyche was absolutely poignant and realistic. My heart broke every time she had to fight against all the emotions that had built up for so long and were desperate to unleash, much to her chagrin! Frame delved heartily into Quincy's PTSD as she struggled to transition into civilian service as the Queen Consort's Royal Protection officer. Her constant guilt, her physical and psychological trauma left a deep mark in her psyche that affected her state of mind, which eventually burst at the seams as her feelings for Holly became stronger and more unavoidable.

Because of Quincy's conditioned loner character, she basically had no one to confide in to share her deepest thoughts and feelings with, not that she dared to ever reveal anything of herself that wasn't related to her work. Her only mates, Queen Georgina and Cammy, were more her comrades than anything who didn't share or talk about their feelings because heaven forbid! Her closest friend was out of commission, who was also a cause of her guilt which subsequently played a role in her being transferred from the military to the Royal courts. I won't divulge the details here, which Frame brilliantly crafted, btw, because it's tied to the plot. So you need to read it to experience the meaning of it all.

Meanwhile, the subject of Quincy's ever-increasing dilemma and struggle about staying emotionless or venturing into the world of expressing one's feelings and emotions, Holly, was a force to be reckoned with - at least as far as Quincy was concerned. Imagine Holly, a very outgoing, fun-loving, happy, jolly person who wore her feelings on her sleeve with her signature feistiness trying to melt the iceberg that was Quincy! It was like pulling teeth, much to poor Holly's utter frustration! It made for some amusing scenarios between her and Quincy! Oh, those awkward exchanges, some even bent toward flirtation, were so fun to read! But knowing Holly, she wasn't easily dissuaded and I tell ya, Frame flawlessly depicted Holly's inner psyche, her own doubts about Quincy even though Quincy's body language betrayed her repeated rejection of Holly. Holly herself was also going through a painful past that effectively changed her perspective about falling in love with a woman. Until serendipity struck and entered Quincy, shaking up her once-uncomplicated love life! So as much as Holly was trying to break down Quincy's conditioned wall of silence and emotional absence, Quincy was unwittingly tearing down Holly's defensive wall as well. Only in Holly's case, the wall was her fear of another heartbreak in her love life.

I just loved how Frame depicted their relationship - from their rocky beginning that was laced with heated arguments and misunderstandings that sometimes turned humorous but always had this flame slowly simmering beneath, giving out this inevitably sensual, erotic chemistry between these two polar opposites, right down to their eventual reveal about how they really felt for each other, which I thought Frame nailed every tone, every nuance in their actions marvellously, verbally and non-verbally. I was utterly captivated. Me heart was in me throat the whole time because of the intensity of Quincy's desperate chokehold of her own feelings, her ultimate fear of failure if she'd set herself free mentally and emotionally (the underlying reasoning behind this sad affair was utterly compelling as Quincy's life was slowly revealed), thanks to Frame's utterly affecting writing. In the end, the powerful magnetic pull of Holly and everything that represented this woman which she yearned for, ever-so deeply in her soul, proved a catalyst to her eventual unravelling. The same went for Holly and her outlook in what it meant to fall in love with a woman again. And what an absolutely enlightening, nevermind satiating, read it was! Well worth all the push-pulls, the endless doubts and fears, the inner struggles that both were enduring throughout their journey of longing, passion and desire, believe me! Well done, Frame!

One of me favourite quotes from the book that described Quincy to a T:

"Sometimes the most quiet, unassuming people are the ones who will love you the fiercest."

-- Just wait until you read her harrowing, heartrending journey, our resident hero, the utterly demure, obliviously charming and handsome butch with a depth of emotions hidden and locked away, waiting for someone worthwhile to unlock them! And when they did, whoa! Passion, desire, the all-consuming love came out and ravished Holly with intensity like no other! Sensuous. Erotic. Phew!

Of course, since this is a series, the presence of Georgina and Bea (from Books 1 & 2) was felt throughout Holly and Quincy's journey. Frame crafted another brilliant storyline for this always-alluring couple, this time about their travels to the US and Teddy, their little daughter and future Queen!!! Oh, Teddy! She was so cute as Frame soundly described the little one and her adorable persona! Teddy and Holly's scenes were also quite enchanting! You'll know when you read it. Heartwarming! I loved how Frame depicted this royal couple's relationship, their love and affection for each other only ever compounded to another level of intimacy as we uncovered more about their life together. Frame skilfully structured Georgina and Bea's story around Quincy and Holly's at strategic intervals to play off of all the angst and drama with uplifting and sensual scenarios. It enhanced the depth of what Quincy and Holly were going through, imo, and I was utterly gratified by the opportunity to observe the contrast AND the hidden similarities about these 2 couples. With this in mind, I implore you to read Book 1, "A Royal Romance," if you haven't already, so you'll get so much more out of Georgina and Bea's storyline in this installment. Enriching and totes satisfying, if you ask me!

The secondary characters were interesting especially Quincy's young subordinate, Clay. The other one who immediately piqued me interest, despite only appearing ever so briefly throughout the story, was Quincy's old mate from the military intelligence, Blade,  who was a hacker (yes!). Hmm...me mind kept wondering if Frame would put Clay and Blade together if there's another installment in this series. If so, that'd be wicked!! Or just wishful thinking on me part, eh? What d'ya think, Ms. Frame?

Anyway....

The action plot (which, if you know about this series, you'll know there's always action going on besides the romance because of obvious reasons) was quite compelling especially as it related to Quincy's history and her representation. Frame deftly described all the relevant stages of the plot development inline with Quincy's own personal and professional journey so when the plot finally reached fever pitch, everything fell into place, where Quincy and Holly were no longer at the crossroads as far as what they wanted out of each other was concerned. In effect, everything happened for a reason.

When fate meets destiny, there's no escaping it, is there?

The icing on the cake was the epilogue! Oh....all the pomp and circumstance involving the Royals and our protagonists! Frame's vivid description of the colours, the surroundings, the attires, the Royal traditions gave a clear visual effect as I read every detail. I could picture the entire scene in me mind and it was glorious - just like if I'd watched it on the telly! Reminded me of Harry and Meghan's wedding ceremony, especially when St. George's chapel and Windsor Castle made an appearance to celebrate our hero, Quincy, alongside Holly, Lila, Cammy, Georgina and Bea! Oh, how I love these characters who have graced the series, thusfar! Cheers, Ms. Frame!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this installment, from start to finish. I absolutely love the "opposites attract" trope because I get to discover the opposing characteristics of either protagonist, and when the author spends equal amount of time delving into both characters' psychology with heart and fervour, the reader then is able to get a fuller picture and understanding of where these characters come from mentally and emotionally as they find their way toward each other. This always makes for self-discovery in the protagonists' part, me reckons, and it makes for a thrilling drama to read and experience! Frame effectively crafted that in Quincy and Holly's characters with aplomb!

In other words, "Royal Court" was a thrill to read and I highly recommend it. I also recommend that you read Book 1 & 2 if you haven't already! Absolutely satisfying!

I was given an ARC from Netgalley & BSB in return for an honest review.

I was not very impressed with this novel. Although Holly was portrayed as full of life she often came off as pushy and bossy in her interactions with Quincy. Quincy was mostly stand-offish and boring throughout most of the novel. There were several ackward moments between them where Holly pushed Quincy to express emotion. There was barely anything sexy about their connection. Pretty disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.