Part intense, part ridiculous and fully thrilling, Aimée Carter’s Royal Blood breathes new life into the ever-so-classic trope where an American girl suddenly becomes British royalty.

Carter’s spin has Evangeline, or Evan, thrust into the British royal limelight just before her 18th birthday. Almost simultaneously, she finds herself at the heart of a murder investigation. (An unusual twist that gets the story moving rather quickly, I must admit.)

Unlike most other books about people unused to royalty being drenched in riches and the pressures of the crown, Evan has known she’s the daughter of the King of England since she was a child. She also knows she’s not the heir to the throne — and was the product of the King’s affair with her mother, who is definitely not the Queen of England. Oh, and she’s never met her dad — not even once.

The book starts with Evan being shipped to London for an unexpected stay with the royal family, despite her being very unwilling to have any sort of contact with her father; who, in her eyes, has chosen to abandon her for her entire life. From there, the story’s antics unfold, all set to a backdrop where the cutthroat dynamics of one royal family pits Evan up against opponents in every corner.

What I really appreciated about this book were some of the sensitive topics tackled. Carter weaves in themes of sexual assault, mental health, suicide and online bullying, as well as some of the dark realities of being on the receiving end of public scrutiny. All of these difficult topics are handled with empathy and grace, which I really appreciate.

That said, one of the major things that threw me while reading this book was pacing — it moved way too fast, with bad news after bad news continuously derailing any progress Evan has made, to the point where the reader gets little time to fully grasp each plot development before something new of note takes place. The unmasking of the antagonist was rushed and also not very satisfying — wish we could have spent more time getting into that person’s POV and why they did what they did before everything was wrapped up.

Plus, worth noting that a few of the developments experienced by side characters didn’t come across as very genuine, realistic or even in-line with how a reader might expect those characters to act, to the point where they actually minimized the stakes of the story — but to avoid being too spoilery, I’ll leave it at that.

Those missing pieces aside, I did, however, read this book in just a couple of sittings, so I was invested from the jump in finding out who was behind all of Evan’s misfortune — and whether or not she would eventually embrace her new public role in society, or just get the hell out.

And for that, it’s a solid 3 stars from me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book sucked me in from the very beginning. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I can’t wait to read more of the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

CW: sexual violence

This is a great mystery set in an alternate history in which King Edward VIII never abdicates to marry Wallis Simpson. Fast forward to the present day and King Alexander reigns over the UK and British Commonwealth. Like Edward, Alexander fell in love with someone inappropriate... but unlike Edward, Alexander kept the throne and married the wildly popular Queen Helene and has a daughter Mary being prepared to take the throne after him. They seem like the perfect royal family... except for the little issue of Evangeline.

Evangeline (call her Evan) is Alexander's illegitimate daughter, born on the same day as his heir Mary, and the protagonist of this book. Her existence is a massive secret and that secrecy has ruled every aspect of Evan's life. Removed from her American mother's custody at age 4, when it became apparent that her mother had schizophrenia, Evan was raised first by her grandmother, then sent by her royal father to a series of US boarding schools. But a few weeks before her 18th birthday, she accidentally burns down part of her latest school and "royal bastard wrangler" Jenkins decides it's time for her to make a quick exit from the country in case the police decide to press charges after all. Evan descends on Windsor Castle and meets the royal side of her family for the first time - much to pretty much everyone's dismay.

As Evan learns more about her past, she has to navigate the tricky family dynamics of the royal family, attempt to protect her mother as her identity is leaked to the public, survive a sexual assault that ends with her attacker dead, and navigate the truly hideous backlash against her on social media and in the news. And if that's not enough, because she's the main suspect in her attacker's death, she also has to untangle the mysteries of who killed him and who framed her for his death. This is a great roller-coaster of a mystery and the end leaves you hoping for Evan's next book.

Somewhat engaging murder mystery with a royal twist. The characters seemed a bit flat and I had a difficult time relating to the protagonist since she seemed a bit "boy-crazy." The main plot was good, but the subject matter date rape drugs and on-page near rape may be a bit too much for some readers.

great 1st book about a daughter being a royalty and finding one's place and also trying to solve a mystery. I loved the family from maisy to kit. I'm not too sure about maisy but I can't wait to read the next book in the series. loved that there was a mystery to solve too.

I was about 20% through this book when I realized it was the first in a planned series, and got super excited. I knew at 20% that I was going to want more of this world and these characters!

Set in an alternate UK, Evan is the illegitimate and secret daughter of the King. After getting kicked out of yet another boarding school, her handlers decide to bring her to Windsor where she finally meets her father (the King), her cold stepmother (the Queen), and her perfect and very unhappy-to-meet-her half-sister (the Princess). As if the whole suddenly meeting her family wasn't enough, soon after her arrival Evan attends a party where someone ends up dead... and everyone thinks Evan did it.

As I said above, I loved this book. I loved the dynamics between the characters, and definitely didn't see all of the twists coming. I can't wait to read more in this series!

Thank you #NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Royal Blood is a fast paced, easy read (for better or worse, you be the judge) that hits the mark on social issues while lightly diving in to other issues of growing up and discovering yourself. I do wish at times more emotions were detailed as this is a very emotionally driven story in so many ways. The abandonment, the resentment all come through but not as viscerally as they should. Any fan of royal history or fiction will appreciate this book and the historical rewrite to make this a tale set in current times. I will be recommending this to students but be sure to include trigger warnings. Well done but not too much.

3.5 stars for Royal Blood by Aimee Carter!

This book is fast-paced and fun, while still dealing with tough topics, like consent and mental illness.

I could have done without any romance, but that might just be me. I loved the chapters where Evan is trying to figure out her past with her mom.... dare I say that the murder mystery was my least favorite part? It felt like this book was a little all over the place, and I was concerned more about the relationships (namely between Evan and Maisie, Evan and Alexander, Evan and Helene) than I was about the murder.

Overall, I would recommend this to younger readers. It's not as frilly as it looks, though!

Love, love, love this book! It will definitely be a pick for my subscription book boxes! I cannot wait to share this with my readers.

Evan Bright has a huge secret: they are the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. After getting expelled from yet another boarding school, she is taken to London to spend time with the royal family, most of whom are not happy to see her. After a night out that ends in a shocking death, all eyes are on Evan as she becomes a person of interest in a murder investigation. Family drama, royal intrigue, and a murder mystery makes for an exciting, page-turning read.

This book was adorable. It's King Ralph meets Notting Hill. Evan was completely relatable, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

The cover and synopsis drew my interest in "Royal Blood" and it did not disappoint me in the least. Great read!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book! Evan's story was about what I expected based on the description, though there were a couple of turns that I didn't see coming. Overall, this was an enjoyable ride. My main criticism is that the relationship between Maisie and Evan turned a little too quickly for me. Also, just a note that doesn't affect my rating, the cover makes me think teen vampire, not royal drama murder mystery.

Royal Blood is a delightful romp through London and royal-adjacent life. Filled with adolescent drama and family scandals, this book was fantastic to read and kept my interest throughout.

The last of these four stars is a fairly hesitant one for the following reasons: The first third of the book is mainly just everyone being spectacularly cruel to a teenager while she mopes around and thinks she deserves it. Also most of the adult characters are paper thin, with the emotion range or motivation of...it isn't good. That said, this is a super fun fast read with a little mystery and content that overcomes that cartoony I was a teenage vampire looking cover. I'm definitely in for future installments.

Evan Bright has just been expelled from boarding school, but instead of going home to her mother, she's been taken to England to spend the summer with her father--the king of England. No one there is especially happy to see her, and when Evan gets caught up in a deadly scandal, she realizes her presence could bring down the monarchy.

This one was a cute, fun read. Evan is relatable as a grouchy teen who doesn't trust any of the adults in her life (with good reason!). The intrigue played out nicely with a few unexpected reveals that kept me turning pages. Although the ending seemed to leave a few things unresolved, presumably to set things up for a sequel or two. Should go over well with YA readers who like a little royal drama in their mystery.