Alternate history has rarely been so enjoyable--I loved how some difficult topics were dealt with in a deft, light manner. Also, an excellent YA option for younger readers who might be asking for books like Red, White, and Royal Blue.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. You are royal, but don't know it, and you think a lot of what they do is over the top, but mom can't care for you and you need somewhere to go. Also, who do you now trust? It was an interesting idea for a modern take on this tale.

Date is for writing of the review, not the date read.

An illegitimate daughter, a 1/2 sister who will become the Queen some day, more than one scandal rocking the world of the Royal Family & loads of mystery? Along with a blossoming romance? What else could possibly go wrong…I honestly thought by the front cover I was going to be reading a vampire story…I was wrong. And after reading the story, the cover makes so much more sense. I cannot WAIT for the second book to come out. I need more of Evan and Kit and Tibby and Jenkins and even Evan’s sister Maisie.

So I started this book a while ago, read about 10% and put it down. For some reason, I thought it was about vampires and the royal family and I was disappointed to learn that it’s not. Now, that being said, I did come to really enjoy this book. That initial letdown was simply because I was in the mood for vampires and didn’t find them here 😂

Ok, so I loved the mystery vibe here and I’m always here for alternate history. This story gave me Princess Diaries meets murder mystery vibes and I am excited to read the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evan is the British monarchy's biggest secret, and maybe their biggest asset. This is a fun, deep look at what it looks like to live under a fishbowl - and what happens when the fish wants a life of their own.

I really enjoyed Carter's Goddess Test series years ago, so was excited to see this new one from her. And I'm a sucker for a good royals book! This one had such a great premise and the twists kept coming keeping me guessing all the way to the end. Loved it!

*Hey Alexa, give me a book that is like What a Girl Wants, but make it into a thriller. *

Royal Blood is the first in a new series and consists of royalty and murder.

Meet 17-year-old Evan Bright who is the King of England's illegitimate daughter, and she is going to be the Monarchy's worst nightmare because no one knows about her. Everyone wants in about the juicy gossip about the King's illegitimate daughter and they will be closely watching her. So, when a fun night turns into a deadly one, Evan is quickly casted as the main suspect.

When I started reading Royal Blood, I instantly thought of What a Girl Wants starring Amanda Bynes. In the movie and in this book, we have a main character who is a teenage American girl who happens to be a daughter of a Lord (What a Girl Wants)/King (Royal Blood) and no one knows about the girl being an illegitimate daughter. That's some of the vibes I got, but as the story progresses, Royal Blood becomes a murder mystery/thriller, so that was a fun twist.

I was glued to this book and needed to know everything about Evan and what was going to happen. The pacing was well done throughout the book, but I do feel like the last stretch of the book was a smidge slow and lost me for a small portion of it.

The characters and the plot were just a delight and overall, this was such a fun read. I enjoyed seeing that Evan can cause trouble and has a record/past, which is how she is quickly accused of murder. So, it was great to see her trying to navigate this dilemma when her reputation has already been tarnished.

The thing I really loved that Royal Blood touched basis on is mental health. Evan's mother has schizophrenia, and it is brought up every so often even when Evan was not raised by her mother most of the time (she was sent to boarding school).

I was reading some reviews of Royal Blood and I saw that a ton of people thought this book had vampires in it based off of the cover. I can report that there are zero vampires in this book, and I guess I can see why people thought that because of the cover.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and totally recommend it. I will be picking up the sequel when it is released.

Based on the cover, I thought this book was about vampires. I like to read about fictional royalty, but this book felt to self-insert for me. It felt like all the action was happening to the main character and that her only available action was to suffer. I appreciate the conversations this book highlights, but this leaves something to be desired.

Fun story that takes twists and turns when a young lady finds out that her father is royalty. Her upbringing didn't prepare her for what would happen when she met her father for the first time along with his 'royal' family. She is pulled in different directions trying to be true to who she is and what is expected as a 'royal'.

Royal Blood follows the story of Evan Bright, a teenager who is the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. After getting herself kicked out of several boarding schools, Evan is forced to spend the summer in London with the estranged royal family that she’s never met before. It doesn’t take long for Evan to find out just how much the royal family is willing to do to keep up their perfect image, even if it means framing Evan for murder.

I loved everything about this book from the characters to the plot and setting. Evan is an incredibly strong protagonist, never letting anyone gaslight or manipulate her into submission. On top of this, I felt like she had a moral compass that completely aligned with my own, which allowed me to empathize with and relate to her at almost any given moment, despite the semi-outlandish premise of the book.

Aside from Evan, I also enjoyed several of the side characters featured in this book as well. Most of them were flawed in understandable ways, and even the villains of the story were realistic in their personalities and justifications. Usually I’ll find issue with at least one character in any novel I read, but I really had no qualms with any of the portrayals in this book. I felt like all of them were written extremely well.

Moving on to the plot, I was a fan from the very beginning. The events of the first chapter were already attention-grabbing, and that was before the murder of the book even occurred. Aimée Carter did an excellent job at pacing this book and throwing in some twists and turns that were unexpected, yet not surprising. There’s a delicate balance in what a mystery book is allowed to do before it becomes absurd, and I felt like Carter hit that balance perfectly.

I wasn’t expecting this to be the first book in a series, but it definitely is, so you can bet I’ll be continuing on this wild ride!

I surprisingly really enjoyed Royal Blood! No, it wasn't the most well written book on the planet, but you know what it was? A ton of fun and that's what matters to me when I want to escape into another world. I thrive on the level of drama brought forth in this story and all we get to see. This was a really enjoyable YA that anyone can escape into for a few hours. Romance, scandal, mystery, royalty? What else could you possibly want.

I might like my YA royal stories to be on the more romantic side than the dark and thrilling maybe? Either way I can absolutely tell you the kind of audience of my teens that would enjoy the story and any subsequent books so while it's not a five-star read for me that blew me away, Evan as a main character certainly kept me engaged the entire time with her wit and perseverance.

Carter has multitudes of fans that will eat this one up.

I absolutely enjoyed this book! It was a fun twist on a royal family story and I loved how it twisted and turned!

While this book has an interesting premise and a decent plot, Evan was just so hard to root for. She comes across as a brat, and I'm not buying the character development arc the author is shooting for.

Royal Blood by Aimée Carter is the first book in a new series. As the King of England’s illegitimate daughter, 17-year-old Evan Bright knows a thing or two about keeping secrets. But when she’s forced to spend the summer in London with her father and the royal family, who aren’t exactly thrilled she exists, her identity is mysteriously revealed, and suddenly the world is dying to know every juicy lie the press prints about her. After what was supposed to be a fun night turns deadly and Evan becomes the primary suspect in a murder investigation. The escalating rumors and fallout threaten to tear her life apart. As she fights to uncover the truth about what happened, she discovers royal secrets that are even more scandalous than she imagined – secrets that could change the monarchy forever.

Royal Blood is a book that will speak to the young to new adult age range, as well as us 'slightly' older adults. There is a good balance between the teenage and royal angst and the mystery of who is behind which incidents and other secrets that might be revealed. I liked Evan, and thought her defense mechanisms were realistic personality wise, while her exploits were still over the top enough to be very entertaining. I thought the emotional drama of truths, forged connections, and opportunities to grow were very well done, and surprised me more than once. I thought the mystery aspects and the twists and turns the story took were nicely handled, and while some I expected, others took me completely by surprise. I also felt the book ended well, wrapping up some of the most pressing matters and leaving enough suspense to have me chomping at the bit for the next installment.

Royal Blood is an engaging and well written series starter. I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I loved this book! It was exciting. Just the right amount of emotion, romance, and the ending left me hoping I get to read the sequel soon!

It is rare for me to give five stars, but this novel deserves it. When 17-year-old Evan Bright learns that she is the illegitimate daughter of the King of England, she is not only surprised, but she is forced to spend the summer with him. Needless to say, her identity has been kept a secret. During the summer with her father, she faces the revelation of her identity as the King's illegitimate daughter and finds herself as the suspect of a murder.

This book hooked me from the start! I loved Evan’s voice and really enjoyed her and Mary’s growth.

This was fun and funny and heartwarming and also so deep and thought provoking at times. I really loved everything about it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of royal blood by Aimee carter. This was interesting a younger girl, thrown into royal life not welcomed by her family. The drama and mystery in this made for a fun read.

I loved getting to know Evan and walking with her as she navigates her introduction to the British royal family and the paparazzi. This book lured me into believing that it was a fluffy, romantic "Princess Diaries" type book and then it took such a turn!! I couldn't put this one down!