This was such an engrossing read but HOLY CLIFFHANGER! I hope I can remember the plot when the third one is available.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

The saga of the illegitimate daughter of the King of England continues in this follow up book to Royal Blood. Evan’s mom shows up at the royal Christmas gathering, throwing the royals into a tizzy, but when someone attacks Evan more than once, the festive atmosphere changes drastically. As Evan continues to be in the media spotlight with new (erroneous) claims of her connection to a terrorist organization, news of the queen’s scandalous affair hits the press, all but pushing Evan out of it, until the next attack, nearly killing the king, occurs. It is clear that someone on the inside of the palace is taking aim at the royal family, and suddenly everyone becomes a suspect. It is rare for a sequel to be as good as the original, but this one kept me intrigued the entire way through.

Reading books that make you happy regardless of the genre is why I'm so happy I got back into reading, and Royal Scandal is one of those! If you ever loved spy novels as a kid or series like Twilight, Divergent, etc. (or the energy of Lizzie McGuire) - this series gives me much of that same fun, adventurous, nostalgically cozy, completely engrossed feeling! I wanted to curl up with an orange-cicle dream pop and flop into a bean bag chair. This is truly a FANTASTIC young adult/new adult series, and I've loved it every step of the way!



THOUGHTS:
- This is so much more than just a YA mystery. The writing in this series is spectacular and makes me want to recommend it to everyone I know. Forever on my comfort reads list.. Aimee Carter's writing just made me so happy!! I really can't explain it, but I wish I could read this series again for the first time because it brought me so much joy!!! (That feeling is so rare for me! Both books in this series so far have pulled me out of reading slumps!!)

- Do you ever land on a cliffhanger and then want to throw your Kindle?!! Because that's what I did at the end of Royal Scandal. The way this ends is fantastic. It's big, it's loud and convoluted... There were things I picked up along the way, but Carter's writing is giving Sarah J Mass energy with that last quarter blowing up everything you thought you knew!! This one isn't even out yet, and I'm dying for the next book. This story shall live rent-free in my head until the next book comes out, which I hope happens so soon!

- I love our heroine - but I love the side characters too. It's easy to love a heroine who doesn't want fame or riches, I think? But what's harder is to love characters that you feel deserve a lil' struggle? Carter pulls off, making you want to be friends with the mean girl and having a crazy level of compassion for those struggling with mental illness in a way you might never have considered.

**Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Royal Scandal was an exciting, fast-paced follow-up to Royal Blood with believable twists and turns, lots of drama, and an ending that left me SO excited for book 3. I can't wait to see what Aimee Carter writes next!

Royal Scandal continues with the ongoing story of American-born Evan Bright's life in the UK. She's only just discovered she's in fact the illegitimate daughter of the King. Now it's Christmas time and she's to spend time with the royal family at Sandringham, only some people, including royalty members, aren't too happy. After a horrific accident, Evan's life turns topsy-turvy. Add to that she's now hearing voices that threaten her life. Only no one believes her. When another event turns into a tragedy and she's accused of being involved with a terrorist group, Evan doesn't know if anyone will believe her fears. She swears that Ben, the nephew of the King, is the one behind framing her. But time is running out. Who else will die before the truth is revealed?

What worked: Engaging sequel that continues Evan's life in the UK. As if it's not hard enough to find out she's the illegitimate daughter of the King of England, but she's pulled further into deadly conspiracies that threaten not only her life but others she loves. Evan tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together on who might be beyond the tragedies happening around her. Add to that a Prince Charles/Princess Di like interview that opens more questions around her.

I really got sucked into this story and the only thing that bugged me was the cliff-hanging ending. The chemistry between Evan and Kit is there, but there are subtle hints not all is what it seems. I wondered if he had a part of the sinister plans to denounce Evan as committing treason against not only her own father but her half-sister Maisie.

Maisie comes across as shrill and unlikeable. Only later in the novel does the author peel back this front and show how uncertain she is about what is going on around her. Like who does she trust? Is Evan behind what the tabloids say?

Kit's involvement is also something that is at times questionable. I didn't know whether to trust him, especially when revelations came out after a bombing.

Intriguing glimpse into royal life is shown through the eyes of an American teen who is thrust into a life she never wanted and those who want to destroy her. Can't wait for book three to find out how Evan finds out who is behind the lies and brings peace to her life.

Royal Scandal picks up a few months after the events in Royal Blood. Evan is preparing to spend her first Christmas with the royal family when she discovers that Ben, who was exiled to Africa, has arrived in Sandringham. Ben insists he's learned his lesson but Evan isn't buying it. Unfortunately, while Maisie and Alexander acknowledge Ben's past wrongs, they believe keeping him close is safest if only to keep Ben's mother from discovering the truth as she has a penchant for selling family secrets to the media. Evan becomes even more unnerved when her mother arrives in Sandringham and worries about her mom's safety and mental stability in a den of vipers. To top that off, Evan can tell something is bothering Kit, though he won't discuss it. Christmas quickly turns dangerous when someone tries to assassinate Evan. She insists Ben is responsible, only he was with other family members at the time. Her parents become concerned over her mental health and fixation on Ben. As life gets more and more dangerous for the royal family, and Evan increasingly looks like the perpetrator, Evan is running out of time.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book, particularly in the first two-thirds. I liked getting to see more of Evan and Kit's dynamic as well as Evan spending time with her mother. The storyline with Constance, the Queen Mother, was great, too. The plot also moved a lot more quickly in this installment and was much more explosive, which made it hard to put down! If you liked Royal Blood, I'd recommend reading Royal Scandal. I did enjoy it and do plan on reading the third book in the trilogy.

However, I had a few problems. My biggest issues were that Royal Scandal undid some of the growth from Royal Blood, some character shifts were too extreme from one chapter to the next with no explanation, and some situations became so repetitive that I felt like I was on a hampster wheel.

By the end of Royal Blood, I started to really like Maisie and appreciated her growth. I also loved the idea of a queer royal who's the heir to the throne! However, Royal Scandal undid a lot of Maisie's growth with the way she emotionally and verbally abuses people, lashes out, and throws tantrums whenever she doesn't get her way. It got really old really quick. At one point, Maisie was smashing everything in sight because people said she was too immature to ever be queen and throws childish tantrums... which she does. Repeatedly. I wish we could have seen a continuation of Maisie's growth from book one or at least more depth to her character to explain her relapse because she really frustrated me to the point where I stopped rooting for her.

Also, some of Maisie's shifts from chapter to chapter were so jarring it gave me book whiplash. For instance, in one chapter, Evan tells Maisie who she thinks is behind the attacks. Maisie is so aghast and claims that person would NEVER do something so horrible, to the point where she tells Evan that if Evan doesn't leave, she'll have security throw her out and instead blames Evan for it, only for Maisie to then say in the next chapter that the very same person Evan suspected actually would do something horrible and how it's totally in character for them. There's no explanation for her sudden shift except that the plot demands it. Instead, I wish Maisie was given more depth because there could be an easy explanation - Maisie could know the few people she's close with aren't perfect, but because of her position, she's been betrayed so many times and can't handle the thought of one of the few people she trusts betraying her even if the clues are right in front of her, clues that are more apparent to Evan because she's new/an outsider and can therefore see more clearly. But we're never given any kind of explanation for her sudden shifts. Showing Maisie's vulnerable side, even if only in small doses, would've gone a long way to create sympathy where I had none as well as making the storyline more consistent and believable.

Another part I struggled with was Helene's animosity toward Evan and blaming Evan for everything that's ever gone wrong in her life, including the choices Helene made that blew up in her face. She's a grown woman behaving like a petulant child. I understood Helene's animosity in the first book, but it started to feel a bit like being on a hamster wheel in Royal Scandal. Also, I would have hoped that after it became clear that Evan was framed in Royal Blood, people wouldn't be as quick to fall for Evan being so obviously framed again, but Helene led the charge time and time again. It became too outlandish and cartoonish. I struggled with understanding why members of the royal family would believe Evan was responsible for attacks of which she was a victim.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for giving me an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Oh my goodness! I didn't expect this sequel to surpass the brilliance of the first installment, but this heart-throbbing, action-packed, wild ride left me hyperventilating. It truly takes your breath away and blows your mind! And that cliffhanger at the end made me scream so loudly. I've already become addicted to Evan's riveting adventures, and I can't resist reading dozens of books if the pacing is anything like these two. Even though I'm older than the targeted age group, it didn't stop me from becoming fully invested in this journey! I could barely control my breathing after devouring the entire installment in one sitting.

Here's a quick summary of the new sequel:

But first, let me provide a quick recap of where we left off in the first book: Evan Bright, the illegitimate daughter of British King Alexander, was sent to live with her royal parents whom she had never known after spending years at boarding schools with limited interaction with her mother due to health issues. Of course, her arrival at the Royal Palace created a huge scandal, bringing her into contact with her sister Maise, the future queen, her mother Helena, and her grandmother Constance. Only Helen's nephew Christopher and her full-time babysitter Tibby were the friendly faces supporting her miserable life in the kingdom. Also, His Royal Highness Prince Benedict of York was the first member of the family to treat her with any decency after she arrived in London. However, he was also the one who leaked a video of her pushing Jasper Cunningham off a balcony after the sleazy individual tried to rape her. The footage was edited, of course, implicating Evan in Jasper's murder. She luckily found out the truth, was acquitted of the crime, and had Ben banished from the palace.

She thought she had already gotten rid of the problem and was pursuing a more peaceful life with her father by her side, getting closer to her step-sister, and enjoying the company of her boyfriend Kit, who planned to spend Christmas with her. But unfortunately, the unexpected reappearance of Ben in their lives starts a turmoil of events that turn Evan into both a victim and a perpetrator. The press keeps pushing Evan's limits and pointing at her as if she's the one responsible for the demise of the monarchy.

Evan believes that Ben is behind all these dark schemes, but unfortunately, nobody is on her side to believe her declarations. She starts hearing voices that make her question her own reality. Is she also inheriting her mother's mental problems, or is someone specifically targeting her?

Now, the lives of her loved ones are also at risk, and she has to face her fears, calculating how far she can go to save their lives. Who can she trust when everyone in her life is suspected of plotting her demise?

Read this book urgently, immediately, ASAP, and leave your highly appreciated reviews, because this book deserves all the hype it may get. I cannot wait to read the next installment, and I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be the last book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's / Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Evan Bright may not be the monarchy's best (worst?) kept secret anymore, but that doesn't mean her life has gotten any easier. In the sequel to Royal Blood, Evan faces even more danger...and she is sure it is coming from inside the royal family. Action, mystery, and romance collide in this thrilling continuation of the Royal Blood series.

This became one of my favourite new series when I read the first book earlier this year and this was a great sequel, I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the next book!

I absolutely love this series. I read Royal Scandal in a day! I missed Evan so much in the past couple of months and being able to read more was a nice warm hug.

I couldn't put this book down. The action that takes place in this book keeps my brain going and makes me want to read more. I loved that this book didn't revolve all around Evan and the uproar that came with her coming to England. I loved the conflict that surrounds Ben (even though he is an awful person," he is well written.

The themes of PTSD are beautifully written. The idea of what Evan went through in the first book. Her being shot brought her to believe that she saw a gun in the hand of someone. To then hearing voices in her room telling her that she was going to die.

The relationships in this book were fantastic. Having Laura come over to England let Evan have the relationship she hadn’t been able to have with her mother before. Laura and Alexander have a beautiful relationship, even when he is practically laying on his deathbed, she is still there by his side. Seeing Nicholas and Helene's relationship exploited and seeing who took whose side in that. Evan and Kit's relationship going through the ringer with his friends being involved in the bombing. Seeing part of Maisie and Evan's relationship
fluctuate, but never crumble because of their love for each other.

I am desperate to read the next book, the ending and knowing that everyone who went to Oxford is considered a threat is keeping me on my toes!

This was such an amazing read! I flew through this book in one afternoon because I could not stop! The characters were so unique and gripping that I really adored them. The author did a great job with keeping the plot moving and avoiding any stale moments. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

I have no words, except why? The author has left me hanging. This book was nonstop, action, tense, leaving me with major PTSD. Just when you think everything is going fine in Evans world, everything blows up in her face. The same cast of characters are involved, with some new additions. I will say I teared up a few times, and I wanted to throw my iPad across the room with frustration.Aimee Carter knows how to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Sadly, I’m going to have to wait probably a year, until the next book comes out. It will be worth the wait. If you like edge of your seat, family, drama, and true love. This is the sequel for you. Thank you, Net Galley for the ARC.