Thank you to Random House & TBR Beyond Tours for sending me an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read! it reminded me of the film What a Girl Wants with a mix of vampires.

I absolutely loved this book. I like the idea of a secret love child of royalty. I thought that the characters will very well developed and they all interacted nicely with one another. The twists that happen throughout the book threw me through a loop. I guessed pretty early on that Ben was the other character that was going to play a big part in the main conflict in this novel, but I still was not expecting everything that happened. The main part of this book that makes it different from anything I've read in awhile, is the relationship between Alexander and Laura. I thought that the backstory Alexander tells Evan on the plane was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I thought the backstory of Laura having a mental breakdown and almost drowning Evan was well executed and didn't feel like a plot device for something traumatic to be added to Evan's story. I will most definitely recommending this to everyone and I look forward to reading the second book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

I'm not going to lie, I initially thought this was a vampire novel. It is not a vampire novel, I repeat, it is not a vampire novel AND I really need to start reading the summaries more.

Anyways, this novel? PHEMONEMAL. It had all the royalty vibes, plus princess diaries vibes, plus murder mystery?? Evan (Evie, Evangeline) is one of the most realistic YA protagonists I've read in a while to where she actually does not deal with a complete and sudden upheaval of her life by getting over it. She actually lays in bed for a while and doesn't get up. She refuses to see the King of England...her dad...who she's the bastard child of. Her mom has Schizophrenia, and it works so well in the novel to destigmatize it. This also may be the first murder mystery YA I've read in a while where I did not guess who actually was at fault.

There is attempted sexual assault though, and it's a big plot point. Definitely could have used a content warning before reading it. Otherwise? Phenomenal. I could not put it down and I'm so excited for hopefully more books in this series.

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter is a fantastic start to a young adult, mysterious royal romance series. This book has the perfect amount of political intrigue, family drama, teenage angst, horrific scandals & enchanting romance to keep one entertained throughout.

My millennial self couldn’t help but be reminded of classic early 2000’s movies, What a Girl Wants & The Princess Diaries, but then, throw in a scandalous murder involving the king’s secret daughter.

I am a huge fan of epistolary novels & with this book having snippets of texts, online comments, news transcripts & more at the beginning of each chapter, I loved it!

I enjoyed the fact that the biggest mysteries were resolved but threads to more were left dangling in a way, no doubt, to tempt the reader to anxiously await the next one in the series.

If you are looking for early ‘00’s teen movie vibes meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this is the perfect recommendation for you! & in general, I highly recommend this one for a royally fun mystery read!


Massive thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children’s- Delacorte for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.


Trigger Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains fire, sexual assault, murder & suicide.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this royal mystery. Evangeline is the daughter of the King of England… and her American mother, who is not the Queen. After her mother’s schizophrenia diagnosis when Evan was four, she was raised by her grandmother until her death. Then her father took over, not physically, but by sending her to boarding schools. When she is kicked out of her ninth school, she has nowhere to go but England, until she turns eighteen. She is received coldly by everyone but the King, especially her half-sister Maisie. When she is sexually assaulted at a party she attends with Maisie and her crew, she learns that after she was rescued her attacker was found dead. Now the search for his killer is on and Evan is fairly sure she didn’t do it…did she? The nature of the assault lends this one best to high school audiences. It also leaves off on a cliffhanger, and I look forward to the second book.

Blood is thicker then water right, not in the case of Evan. Heck she has never even meet her dad, though he is the one who places her in boarding school after boarding school. What do you expect though when you are the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. There is no way he will acknowledge her, especially when he has a daughter who will soon be turning 18. Heck they share the same birthday. Yet unlike her sister Evan is looking forward to cutting all ties with her father the minute she turns 18. Sadly when things turn sour at her latest boarding school Evan is swept off to England and is forced to face her father and his family. Family is not and being royal is not always what it seems, but trying to figure out where you fit in a new world with people who aren’t exactly wanting to welcome you with open arms leads Evan to be in another precarious position. A video appears online making it seem like Evan is involved in the murder of another court member. Will Evan be able to prove her innocence or will she be thrown to the wolves?
This book just swept me away. Evan is such a fun character and I truly love the fact that she stays true to herself and remains brassy and outspoken even when dealing with royalty. Watching the evolution of her relationships within this book to was fun. Sometimes in life it is hard to know what someone’s motives or intentions really are until you are able to hear their side of a story. I think this book did a great job showing that. Perception is everything, but sometimes it is not always the real story. I am truly excited to see what happens to Cass in the future.
Thank you so much to Random House Children and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

4.5 stars rounded up.

When you first meet Evan Bright, she's setting something on fire. After that, she's introduced to the world as the King of England's illegitimate daughter. After that, she's being accused of murder. And I loved every second of it.

Part murder mystery, party contemporary, this book tells the story of a girl from a broken home who feels broken herself. Evan struggles to put the pieces of her life together with a family she barely knows, having to learn who she is herself along the way. This book touches on a lot of sensitive topics, but they're handled really well, and I commend Aimee Carter for it all.

The ending itself was good, though I'm still left with questions about certain things (that I won't say because of spoilers). Overall, I definitely recommend this to fans of royal contemporary novels, and I would love to read more books by Aimee Carter in the future.

From the cover, I was expecting this to be a fun, lighthearted YA murder mystery involving an alternative history British royal family, but it was so much more. There was real discussion about mental illness and sexual assault and family trauma. It was such a great read. I loved Evan and her resilience. She was written so well. I loved the look into this “new” British royal family. I liked how she did the alternative history, if Edward VIII hadn’t abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson and his line had continued to rule. That’s something I’ve always wondered about. I loved the royal staff, Jenkins and Tibby, in particular. They were absolute gems. I also thought Maisie was a really interesting character. She had great character growth. And especially with what we know about how vicious the British media is, I LOVED how that was brought up and highlighted. I’m VERY excited that we’re getting a series with this one. It ended in such a great way to lead into the next book. I highly recommend this one for anyone who finds the royal family interesting and also a good YA mystery.

TW: bullying, sexual assault, mentions of suicide,
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Royal Blood, by author Aimée Carter, is the first installment in the authors Royal Blood trilogy, with books #2 and #3 releasing in 2024, and 2025. This is the story of Evangeline (Evan) Bright. Evan hasn't exactly had the perfect life. She's been kicked out of 9 different boarding schools. She hasn't seen her mother since she was 11 because she has health issues. She's the illegitimate daughter of King Alexander of the United Kingdom who she's never known or met but he tends to send her expensive presents that she considers to be bribery.

Facing felony charges and 5 years in prison for arson at St. Edith's Academy for Girls, Evan is spirited away to London for the summer by Jenkins, who has always been there for her when she needs something, where she is about ready to meet the family she never knew she had. With a major chip on her shoulders, and being made to feel 6 inches tall by her sister Princess Mary aka Maisie who is the heir to the crown (and was born on the same day!) and the Queen Consort Helene who has nothing but disdain for Evan's existence.

Evan knows that in 25 days she will turn 18, and she will be free from all expectations. Then the unexpected happens. While at a party thrown by Jasper Cunningham, a boy she barely knows, she is assaulted, and escapes from experiencing a woman's worst nightmare. Soon thereafter, Scotland Yard names Evan as the prime suspect in Jasper's death that happened that same night and everyone in the UK as well as everywhere else, believes that Evan was responsible. Knowing she was drugged, knowing she didn't kill anyone, Evan is in a bad place emotionally.

Her only friends are Kit, a boy who seems genuinely interested in making sure that Evan doesn't get railroaded by the Royal Family, the Presses, Scotland Yard, and the trolls on social media. She also has Lady Tabitha aka Tibby who is a wonderful character who guides Evan through the darkness and into the light. Evan is a genuinely interesting character. She was able to keep the secret of who her father is. She was able to keep the secret as to what her mother has gone through. She may want to give up and run away, but when the chips are down, Evan pushes back and tries to expose who is trying to destroy her life, and that of her mothers.

It is fair of me to say that if you like reading about the British Royalty, and have read the Princess Diaries, this book is cat nip for you. Nothing is off the table. Blackmail, mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance with an interesting ending to the story.

1st book I have finished in under 24 hours in quite some time. Royals, mysteries, and scandals....count me in.

What a delightful book. This captured me more than I was prepared for. Snarky Evan and her emotional angsty personality pulled at my heartstrings and made me fall in love with her and her journey of getting to know her father, her half sister, and navigating and sometimes brutal new life as a half blood royal.

I'm a sucker for thrillers and if it's a YA thriller, then all the better. Don't ask me why I like YA so much better than adult books, but I do. I mean, yes, I read adult books, but I have a strong preference for YA over adult books. So when I saw this come up as one of the blog tours, I knew I had to sign up. Now if you know me, you know that I'm not usually a fan of anything that involves royalty, but the description of the book sounded so good, I had to read it. I'm so glad I did.

Characters

I'm going to be honest, there's a ton of characters in this book and it can be tough to get a feel for all of them - especially since we don't see a lot of all of them. So if I missed a character, don't worry, it wasn't because I did it on purpose. Also - the royal family in this book is entirely fictional, so don't be offended at the thought of the Royal Family being the subject of a fiction book. This isn't the real Royal Family at all.

Evan/Evangeline

Our main character, Evangeline - who prefers to be called Evan, except by her Mom, who calls her Evie - is the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. When we meet her, she's getting herself into a spot of trouble. She's rebellious, doesn't think much of her father, and loves her mother with everything in her soul. But you'll come to find that she isn't as hard-nosed about her father as she appears at first. I love her character because she just doesn't give a crap - she's more than willing to tell you like it is and won't pull punches, even if she's speaking of her father, the King of England or other members of the Royal Family.

Jenkins

Jenkins is the personal assistant/secretary to the King and is the one who has dealt with Evan for the majority of her life since she was 11 years old. He loves Evan dearly and she adores him as well - he's the closest thing she's had to a father up until the events that unfold in this book. I love Jenkins because he's not afraid to push the envelope a little bit.

Tibby

Tibby is hilarious. She has a super long name that I'm sincerely too lazy to look up and then type out, but I do remember her first name is actually Tabitha, but everyone calls her Tibby. Tibby is helping keep Evan on schedule and quite frankly becomes one of Evan's greatest allies. She tries to protect Evan as much as possible. I like her because she also doesn't care who she's talking about when it's just her and Evan and maybe Kit.

Kit

Kit is the Queen Consort's nephew and has a huge thing for Evan, which isn't really all that hidden once you get to know him. It isn't like he tries to hide it. And he doesn't care that Evan is illegitimate... he's there for her no matter what. Even if she tries to push him away, he won't leave her... I love him for that.

Ben

Ben is Evan's cousin, the King's brother's son, and he's third in line for the throne. He seems like such a great guy to begin with, but isn't that how it is with all of them? You'll have to read the book to find out why I say that, but trust me when I say I loved him at first but then grew to despise him.

Jasper

Son of a media mogul, Jasper is a piece of work, let me tell you. He uses his charm and influence to worm his way into Evan's life and then rips it apart. I won't give you details obviously, but he's not a nice guy. I really didn't like him to begin with but after what he pulls, I disliked him even more.

Alexander

Alexander is the King of England and Evan's father. He's a bit startled for her to show up in Windsor Castle, but he quickly sets to making sure that she's treated like she's his daughter. There's more to his relationship with her, and her mother, than meets the eye and if you don't like him at first, give it time. You will eventually.

Helene

The Queen Consort - she's a witch with a b and I can't stand her. She can't get over the idea that her husband was unfaithful to her, but honestly, the way she behaves, I can understand why he would be. Trust me, you probably won't like her - unless you're just like her.

Mary/Maisie

Princess Mary, Maisie to her friends and family, is the legitimate daughter of Alexander and Helene. Frostier than the North Pole to Evan at first, you'll find she'll eventually come around. Again, I won't tell you why she comes around or how she does, but she does. Maisie is one of those characters that I kind of like and kind of don't like.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere for this book is hard to describe. You've got various different scenes, all of which bring about different feelings and emotions. But all of the scenes work in the manner in which they're designed to. Whether the scene is Windsor Castle, some concert at a music venue, or the curb in front of an ice cream shop, the scene is perfect for whatever is happening.

Writing

Aimee Carter has a brilliant writing style. Her writing is easy to read, paces the book in a manner that both makes sense and that works - not too fast, not too slow. She isn't a flowery prose type of writer and I like that - I've seen thrillers (YA and adult alike) where the authors are just being so flowery and descriptive and it just makes me put the book down. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by Aimee Carter.

Plot

Obviously there has to be a death if it's a thriller, even if it is a YA thriller. After all, what's the point of a thriller if at least one person doesn't die. But when you add in a member of the Royal Family (even if that member isn't considered a member by everyone) and a whole lot of "what is going on here?" to the plot, it becomes even better. This was a unique plotline for a YA thriller and I absolutely am here for it. If you want something a bit different from the norm, I suggest this book.

Intrigue

It's a thriller so there's tons of intrigue. If you aren't asking what's going to happen next, you're either not into thrillers, not into YA, or you're not reading the same book I was. Or the story/plot/writing style aren't for you (because that is a thing, no judgement here). This book had me wanting to know more, wanting to know what was going to happen next. That's a sure sign of a good thriller.

Logic

In this book, things progress in an order that makes sense, but also gives you glimpses into the past to help you better understand the characters and what they're thinking/doing in the present. In some cases, you have no idea why someone does something, but the story doesn't generally need it to continue on - it'd be more for the reader's curiosity than anything.

Ending

This book ends in a way that suggests at least one sequel will be forthcoming. There are some things that happen in the last chapter that strongly point to there being more to the story - but the ending is satisfying in and of itself because the main plot of this book was fulfilled. We know who died, we know what happened, and we have the plot's questions answered. The question is, how much better will book 2 be (if there is one)?

Conclusion

If you're a fan of thrillers, YA, or YA thrillers, I really recommend this book. If you like books with Royal Family drama, I also recommend this book, because there's plenty of that in here. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

A deliciously dark treat of a scandal with a snarky protagonist at the heart of it all. Perfect for anyone who loves gossip about the Royal family.

As the American illegitimate daughter of the king of the UK, Evan Bright is the biggest scandal on not one but two continents. But Evan would tell you being royal isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when you've never met your royal father.

When Evan gets kicked out of her eighth boarding school, she's brought home for the first time to Windsor Palace to meet her father and hide out until her 18th birthday. But, when her identity gets revealed, Evan finds herself swept into a glamorous life she doesn't fully understand, surrounded by royals who hate her. Evan finds it not all bad, though, as the Queen's nephew Kit befriends her, and the handsome Jasper invites her to a party. But, when Evan finds herself charged with murder, she's never needed allies more desperately.

The familiar settings will call to Royal fans - Windsor Palace and Buckingham Palace, as well as the descriptions of sumptuous, costly dresses and tiaras. The descriptions of clubbing scenes will make you feel like you were out with Kate and Pippa back in the day.

Evan provides the comic relief as she navigates royal life in a book that's not afraid to dig into the tough issues of parental abandonment and trauma from date rape. The whole book, I was rooting for Evan to find her people in the UK, no matter how much she thought they weren't there.

TW: Sexual assault

I really enjoyed this one! It was chaotic, but chaotic in the absolute best way. I couldn't put this one down. The drama was immaculate! While I still don't trust or like Maisie, I really liked Evan as a character. I also loved the foundling relationship between Evan and her father. Watching them grow to know each other was adorable and super touching. I'd really recommend this one!

Just, before you start it, look at the trigger warnings. Triggers include sexual assault and attempted rape

Thanks to Netgalley and TBR Beyond Tours for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Evan knew of her royal heritage and that it kept her away from her mother, but she did not realize the turn her life would take when she was forced to live in the castle of her father after getting expelled from yet another boarding school. Evan’s mother suffered from mental illness and was unable to provide a stable home so she had nowhere else to go. Evan enters the castle where she is treated less than the child of the king and quickly put into situations that force her to keep secrets. While attending a party, Evan is assaulted and the perpetrator ends up falling out a window. She must choose to protect the royal family while trying to find her place. Secrets are revealed and threats are made with a cliff-hanger for a second book. Although this story deals with tough situations, the author does a great job giving the protagonist agency and giving a glimpse into the world of the royals.

Royal Blood was absolutely fantastical! Carter wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

The parts that I was able to read were enjoyable, I loved the main character and the concept but my earc wasn’t formatted properly which made it a bit hard to read, however this doesn’t affect my rating.

Evan has just been kicked out of ANOTHER boarding school … this time for arson. In sweeps Jenkins to the rescue and Evan finds herself on a transatlantic flight to London. Jenkins feels it is time for Evan to get to know her father, the King of England. Yes, you read that right, Evan is the illegitimate daughter of the king and has been keeping it a secret her entire life. Evan quickly learns that the monarchy is full of secrets and after a fun night ends with the death of the host, Evan is the prime suspect. What really happened that night? Will Evan ever be accepted into the family?

Royal Blood is the first book in a new realistic fiction series. Real-life monarchies are full of drama and secrets, but most people don’t know what is really going on, we only see what is released in the news. This book imagines what the people are saying, thinking, and doing to give readers some new insights to dream about. I was hoping for a certain twist that did not happen, but maybe that twist will happen in the next book (still unnamed). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the rest of the series to be completed.

Seventeen-year-old Evan Bright's life is up-ended when she learns that she needs to spend the 25 days until she turns 18 with the father she believes has abandoned her. That father just happens to be the King of England!

Evan has attended and been expelled from 9 boarding schools since she was eleven. Now expelled from the ninth, and the fire wasn't really her fault, she finds herself on a plane to London under the care of Jenkins who has been the only one there for her since she was 11. All she wants is to be with her mother who is an artist who suffers from schizophrenia but who is managing her life with medications.

Evan is a strong, independent young woman who soon learns that the Royal Family is hiding all sorts of secrets behind their glossy images. And those secrets are on the edge of being exposed when Evan is accused, by the court of public opinion and perhaps Scotland Yard, of the death of Jasper Cunningham who is the son of a media mogul and a school friend of her cousin Prince Benedict.

I really enjoyed this story. The story was strongly emotional. Evan seems to get her beliefs assaulted from all sides and she doesn't know who she can trust. I liked Evan and felt for the lonely young woman. I liked that she had support from Jenkins and from her new minder Tibby as she tried to navigate her new life. I liked that she built a new relationship with her half-sister and her father. And I liked learning that what Evan believed about her father and her parents' relationship was only part of the truth.

While this story explores the common daydream of becoming a princess, it adds depth to the daydream and doesn't gloss over any of the difficulties of being suddenly thrust into a family not expecting you and finding yourself at the mercy of the press and social media.

This is a fun start to a new series.

Evan found out when she was eleven that her father is the King of England. No one knows about her. Her mother has a mental illness, so she lived with her grandma. Her grandma passed away and her father sent her to boarding school (without seeing her). Evan has been kicked out of multiple schools. After the last one, she is arrested and she's taken to England. While Evan knew she wouldn't be accepted, she didn't quite get how bad it would be. The Queen obviously hates her and doesn't hide it. She has a sister, Maise, but she's pretty hostile to her too. Seeing her father was awkward, but he does seem to want to get to know her. Evan is invited to a few things with her sister and her group of friends/cousins. The boys are much nicer to her than the girls. Things go really badly at a party and Evan is investigated for a murder. She can't remember the night and is worried that she might have done it. Her new friend Kit helps her look for clues so they can clear her name.

I ended up liking Maise towards the end of the book. Evan and Kit are very likeable right away. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Trigger warnings (could have spoilers for you): talk of suicide, mental illness, attempted date rape, death