Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Royal Blood #2

Royal Scandal: A Crown to Kill for

Rate this book
Die 18-jährige Evan hat sich beinahe an die schlechte Presse über sie gewöhnt. Immerhin ist gerade erst bekannt geworden, dass sie die uneheliche Tochter des britischen Königs ist - da sind reißerische Schlagzeilen erst der Anfang. Doch das ist nicht ihr einziges Während immer mehr Informationen über sie an die Öffentlichkeit durchsickern, erhält Evan mysteriöse Drohungen. Und als es zu einem Mordanschlag auf sie und ihre Familie kommt, eskaliert die Lage vollends. Verdächtige gibt es offiziell keine, doch Evan ist sicher, dass die verantwortliche Person nicht irgendwer ist - und dass sie sich mit ihr zusammen im Palast befindet ...

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2024

74 people are currently reading
1964 people want to read

About the author

Aimee Carter

48 books4,853 followers
Aimée Carter is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the author of over a dozen books, including The Goddess Test series, the Blackcoat Rebellion series, and the Simon Thorn series for middle grade readers, now a #1 international bestselling series under the title Animox. Her newest middle grade book, Curse of the Phoenix, will be released in June from Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
730 (34%)
4 stars
978 (46%)
3 stars
325 (15%)
2 stars
47 (2%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
Profile Image for Southern Lady Reads.
956 reviews1,398 followers
October 9, 2023
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 🖤

Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
Profile Image for Nilufer Ozmekik.
3,133 reviews61.1k followers
September 26, 2023
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.

medium.com
instagram
facebook
twitter
Profile Image for Lexi.
192 reviews143 followers
April 14, 2024
3⭐️

👑 Expectations: 👑
✨ Royal Scandals/Drama
✨Gaslighting
✨Mentions of Sexual Assault
✨Attempted Murder (at least on three different occasions)
✨Revengeful Behavior
✨Depictions of Schizophrenic Symptoms
✨Discussions on Terrorist Behavior
✨Several Annoying Characters

📝 Thoughts: 📝
It is officially time for me to accept that I am going to be an outlier when it comes to this book as well as this series. In all honesty, only 5% of me truly understand how and why both books #1 & #2 has 4⭐️ & 5⭐️ ratings. Both books are very well written and, sometimes, the drama is both entertaining and hilarious. But, the rest of me, the other 95% of me, wonders if I am reading the same series as everyone else. It took me 15 days to finish Book #1 and 7 days to finish Book #2 (I cancelled major plans just to finish this book over the weekend). For each book, I could only read four chapters at a time with a three hour break in between. I was bored most of the time. The majority of the characters are annoying and disrespectful (for no reason might I add). And the plot for both books is EXTREMELY lost on me. Like seriously, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THESE BOOKS REALLY ABOUT??? I spent EVERYDAY contemplating on whether I should DNF after every chapter. Though I am happy that I allowed my completist personality trait to push me forward, I know that I am going to be in a reading slump for the next week. 😔😔😔.

So. Book #2. Only slightly better than Book #1 but, NOT BY MUCH. 😬😬😬. Where Book #1 felt disorganized and disjointed in several areas, Book #2 is where this series has FINALLY found its focus. Book #2 is all about revenge. Book #1 ended with the revelation that a royal family member is out to destroy Evangeline “Evan” Bright all because she is the daughter of the current King of the British Monarchy and they are afraid of losing their spot in the line of succession (at least that is what’s been hinted at throughout both books). Once Book #2 starts, 6 months have passed and the royal family is in shambles and said evil Royal family member is back to continue their mission. As said Royal family member continues to destroy Evangeline, she soon finds herself truly alone. No matter how many people she informs about her thoughts and theories about the Royal family member who hates her, no one believes her. Because of this, Evangeline waits about 85% of this book to finally tell her mom what has been happening. To make matters even worse, it takes her sister, Princess Mary 91% of this book to finally listen but not before she practically destroys her closeness with Evangeline. Other Royal family members even get caught up in the line of fire and things just spiral out of control. It is just one drama filled chapter after the next and while some chapter are more entertaining than the next, I genuinely spent this entire book lost, annoyed, and ready for it to end. Again, though this book had a much clearer focus than Book #1, I still have not idea what the point of this story is nor what the author is trying to accomplish. Similar to a few other reviewers, I had to suspend my belief to understand why common sense was missing among all of the characters as well as to understand why and what the purpose of all the hatred toward Evangeline is.

And please. DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON THE FORMAT OF EACH CHAPTER. Similar to Book #1, each chapter begins with either a quote, text message conversations, two-three page Royal interviews, a gossip column article, or a twitter exchange. And similar to Book #1, it was both distracting and annoying. These pieces of information took a lot of excitement out of me wanting to hurry and read the next chapter. It just became too much after chapter 5. 😐😐😐.

Reviewing this book is really hard for me because, honestly, I am just so happy to be done with it. If you find yourself wanting to read this book then I genuinely think you should. Just make sure you are in the mood to read about misplaced anger, a lot of nastiness, and characters who will MOST DEFINITELY get on your nerves. 🫣🫣🫣. Unfortunately, for me, this is where I leave this series. I really wish Aimée Carter the best on her future writing journey as well as any endeavors she might experience. 🥰🥰🥰.

👑 Thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press for granting my request for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!👑

Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Profile Image for Jasmine from How Useful It Is.
1,677 reviews381 followers
September 6, 2024
Thank you PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook! Thank you Getunderlined for the opportunity to read and review.

This sequel was full of drama. The story has activities of each of the royal family members and the media's opinions. Both happenings were good and escalating. Book 1, the King's illegitimate daughter was accused of murder. This book, the illegitimate daughter Evangeline aka Evan aka Evie was constantly on the spotlight of the media. She was injured and later accused of trying to murder someone by working with Guy Fawkes. I like the mention of Guy Fawkes in this book because I heard of his name from James Ponti's City Spies series.

Evan was not a Nancy Drew. She accused someone of doing bad things throughout the story without any shred of evidence. Only towards the end of the book that she tried to do something for information. The ending left a cliffhanger for book 3. Evan is about to do something reckless.

It's crazy to see wicked attitudes from the Queen. I thought royal people would be kind. I'm constantly amazed by people's different personalities in books!

The narrator did a good job. I enjoyed the different accents.
Profile Image for Muffinsandbooks.
1,742 reviews1,350 followers
September 1, 2024
J'avais SUUUURKIFFÉ le premier tome et celui-ci est tout aussi addictif et même si j'avoue avoir trouvé quelques éléments un peu "too much", j'imagine que ça fait partie du deal quand tu lis une histoire sur la fille illégitime du roi d'Angleterre. Je me suis donc de nouveau prise de passion pour l'histoire d'Evie, pour les dramas liés à la couronne anglaise, j'ai frissonné, fait des hypothèses, été en mode "mais noooooooon ???!!" quand on a les petites révélations... bref, j'ai été happée du début à la fin et maintenant, j'ai hâte d'avoir la suite. Elle promet d'être encore plus dans l'abus que les deux premiers, mais who cares, je suis là pour ça !
Profile Image for Paige.
240 reviews4 followers
April 21, 2024
What in the fucking cliffhanger is this!?!?! Tell me what’s going on immediately
Profile Image for Yusra ☾.
189 reviews136 followers
April 16, 2024
4.5 stars…

WHAT THE HECK????? WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???? i need to process, i’ll write my review later but WHATTTTTT????


okay review time!! as i mentioned in my bio, all my reviews are basically ramblings so…have fun reading my weird thoughts!

SPOILER ALERT!!!

SO. what was going on, huh? a billion things at once. CLIFFHANGER ALERT 🚨 😭 why do authors do this, huh? do they just hate us THAT much??

but anyway.

FIRST OF ALL…ben’s back. it’s safe to say that he genuinely scared the crap out of me. everything that seemed to be happening was (in my head, and apparently evangeline’s too) kept going straight back to him.

AHHH!!! yk something i loved about this book?? the family drama!!! i’m such a dramatic person and i live for family drama. i mean…this drama was a tad bit too much for my liking, i like when there’s a lot of action (which trust me, there was but i wanted more) but yeah, alexander and her mom were rlly cute and all there scenes together acting normal….ugh i live for happy endings (even though i sure as hell didn’t get one)

HOLD ON: why in the jacket flap of the book, it mentions the presidents son in a way as if he is in the book much, but he probably got like 2 pages worth of time. i wanted more of that guy!

okay…time for my favorite thing to do! character breakdown!!

EVANGLINE: ngl i liked her a lot more than i liked her in the first book. i feel like we saw more raw parts of her here and ugh i love this girl i just wanted to give her a hug throughout the whole book
KIT: he’s so cuteeeee 🥰🥰 he’s so soft and gentle and protective and so adorable and i’m at loss of words, he’s a gem 💎
ben: still creepy as ever
maise: still annoying but she’s getting better
alexander: he has a great story but…they guy is a little too passive
laura: she’s a very loving, gentle, and kind person, i love that
helene: words can’t describe how much i hate her. you think of laura as a home wrecker but girl. you literally hook up with you husbands freaking brother and then don’t wanna separate, but in your narrative, you’re always right and all that matters is your reputation?? like tell me that makes sense, cuz maybe i’m missing something

so yeah, that’s the completed ramblings of yusra! enjoy <333
Profile Image for Siobhan.
265 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2024
A quite intriguing middle book. I rated it three stars because it ran a little long and I didn't think there needed to be two attacks on the family. Maybe it will all.come together in the last book.

I kinda thought Evan was bratty and annoying in this book. 💀💀 Every time something happens, she is blamed. Why does she keep wanting to stay and put herself through all of the trauma? In the middle of the book, they wanted to send her back to America so she could be safe. Why didn't they go through with that? She would have been safe. I don't think any loving dad would want their daughter gallivanting around and possibly getting killed in a foreign country when it would just be better to send her back home. They were going to but somehow she convinced them not to. Horrible idea. They should have overrided her decision.

Next was how Helene was so mean. It isn't that bad if your husband doesn't love you. She knew from the start that he couldn't love her that way. That's why she got with Nicholas. Why does she have to play the victim? There was no reason to do that BBC interview. It made things worse. She and Venetia just love airing their dirty laundry out and about.

Another thing was how Evangeline was always around when something bad happened. People were killed and she was blamed. If she's getting blamed so much, she's either being framed or actually doing bad stuff. It's been proven that she isn't doing bad stuff so why isn't the Palace supporting her? They didn't even issue any statement. They just let her be thrown to the wolves. Some family. She should leave. What is she really gaining from them? Just PTSD and horrible memories. The whole lot of her family are backstabbers and people with borderline personality disorder. When Maisie almost blamed her for everything that was horrible. What kind of sister does that?
I enjoyed the book but the characters need some serious therapy after the series is over. 💀💀
Profile Image for ilooprrt.
402 reviews3 followers
December 4, 2024
4/5
Pas aussi bien que le premier mais vas-y il se passe full trucs je savais plus où donner de la tête.
Le T3 est même pas annoncé, j'ai déjà attendu 2 ans pour ce tome ça suffit.
Profile Image for niyya نية.
341 reviews271 followers
April 12, 2024
THIS WOMAN. SHE LEFT ME ON A CLIFFHANGER GRAHFRHAHHHHH. THIS IS NOT FAIR. I DEMAND COMPENSATION. Spoilers belowww


The reasons why this isn't 5 stars:

I honestly felt like this was mainly going back and forth between parent drama to assassination attempts to Ben and repeat, as much as it was entertaining.

I absolutely hated the parent drama, though. It disgusts me way too much, even if Alexander and Laura are good parents to Evan and if Helene is hurting and whatever excuse there is. There is no reason for there to be so much cheating and affairs going on yet no firm decision.

Characters:

Evan - my poor mc, she's struggling so much. Whenever she had those "hallucinations" and PTSD, I felt so bad😭 She is such a strong character and lowkey relatable

Kit - MY SWEETHEART. I love Kit so much, it's unbelievable. He makes me so happy and giggly, just sigh. He's so sweet to Evan, does not try ANYTHING, and cries for her almost 24/7. He's such a pure man.

Maisie - I think she's growing on me, I hated her during the first book. There's been character development and though I find her incredibly annoying at times, I can empathize and imagine her situation.

Ben - The NERVE of this guy. He's such a despicable yet typical white boy, it makes me want to snarl the way mmcs always do because authors think we like it.

Helene - this woman kept trying to play the victim when the BBC interview was so unnecessary and problem-making. I'm sorry your husband cheated and all BUT THEN U SNAGGED HIS BROTHER, so why are you complaining??? Shut yo ahh up rn Ms. Queen 🤨

Venetia- just ick.
Profile Image for Shelley.
5,600 reviews489 followers
March 22, 2024
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Thrillers, Suspense, Crime
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Aimee Carter's Royal Scandal is the second installment in the authors Royal Blood trilogy. Fans of fictionalized series like The Crown and American Royals will love this reimagining of the royal family. With more secrets, romance and scandal than book one, this series is poised to get better and better and have readers hooked. Six months after being exposed as the King Alexander’s illegitimate daughter, Evangeline Bright is still trying to embrace her new role as Britain's favorite media villain.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
Profile Image for Deborah Zeman.
1,048 reviews34 followers
September 1, 2023
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.
Profile Image for Robyn.
2,379 reviews133 followers
August 25, 2024
Carter really got me. So I LOVE this ya series. I am not sure why, but I do. Here I am well past middle age and I am attached to a YA novel and can't wait for the next one to come out.

I love Even's snarky conversations (they are less in this one). I didn't think I would, but I really enjoyed this book, even more than the first one. I can't wait until the next one is out.

5 stars

Happy Reading!


Book Burp

The second book in the Royal Blood series about an American girl who threatens the royal family by exposing their darkest scandals—even as they get more sinister.

American girl turned monarchy nightmare, Evan Bright, has gotten used to the press about her but the media attention has only seemed to get worse.

From desperate clickbait articles about her and the President's son to Royal Record headlines pitting her against Princess Maisie, it seems everyone is dying for Evan to return back to America for good. Meanwhile Evan is receiving mysterious threats about her real story being reveiled in a tell-all biography.

When more information is leaked about Evan, she fears she will always be Britain's media villain. But the threats escalate when there is an attempted assassination with no suspects...and Evan believes the person is in the palace's walls.

They say what doesn't kill you will make you stronger...but what if it's the royal family who wants you dead?
Profile Image for raya.
186 reviews43 followers
June 28, 2024
CRAZY BOOK. the cliffhanger was wild. the characters are mid, but it literally doesn't matter bc there's like 10 major life-threatening events through the ENTIRE book. she can NEVER catch a break. i really need the third book to come out. i don't even want to imagine the chaos that evan is going to cause now...

maisie grew on me this book, but kit annoys me so much bc he has no personality. give him a negative trait, please!! he's too nice. she thinks for a second that he's done something wrong and it's never true, let him do something bad! or make him slightly interesting!!!

OH, and i was right about his brother!! i knew that was fishy. we don't completely know why yet. and evan FINALLY got a phone. i see now why she didn't have one. it was important to the plot but it was hard to suspend my disbelief. her father is the king of england. she can afford a phone. and you're already having me believe all these shenanigans, AT LEAST have something be normal.
49 reviews
September 16, 2025
why does this have to be open-ended now?
Why can it not have some semblance of a wrap-up?
and it's not like the cliffhanger is keeping me on my toes now - it's just disappointing how little questions were answered in this.

Basically, a lot of bad stuff happened and they now embark on a mysterious journey to ... prove who it was? Or to flee the country? Who knows. I'm afraid, the book didn't make me care enough for this cliffhanger.
Because, yes, it was fun and all. But there were so many instances when issues could have been solved had the protagonist just told SOMEONE what she was experiencing. But no. It's not possible. Of course not.
I probably wouldn't have minded so much, had this been wrapped up nicely. But the way it is just feels... Meh.
Profile Image for Archisha Chinta.
146 reviews3 followers
April 1, 2024
Royal Scandal
5 stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

It ends on a freaking CLIFFHANGER!!! How on earth am I supposed to wait for the next book ? This book falls into my exclusive category of sequel surpassing the first one in every way ! Has to be the book of the year for me so far ! Hands down.

The exhilarating pace, character development and the twists and turns at the end of every chapter had me screaming so hard ! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Some of the events were so unexpected and shocking, I could hardly breathe!!

I seriously can't wait to read the next!!! I wanna know what happens obviously but more than anything else I NEED a happy ending for my favorites. They have been through so much.

Aimee Carter, what a talent ! It takes a great deal of effort and skill to write a book/series which keeps you hooked right from the start till the end. Well done♥️.
Profile Image for Halimaaa.
49 reviews8 followers
May 6, 2024
OMG! what just happened? plz dont tell me thats how she ends the book. i-i-i cant evennnn nooooo she cant do that to meeee😭😭
Profile Image for Manon.
186 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2025
Une suite à la hauteur du premier tome, où il se passe là encore beaucoup d’action. L’histoire prend un autre tournant, vivement le tome 3 !
Profile Image for Patty (IheartYA311).
1,283 reviews
December 21, 2024
Not as good as the first book but still entertaining. The story felt dragged out and longer than necessary. I enjoyed the writing style even though it's in (my not preferred) first person point of view. I was not happy with the ending - I wouldn't even call it a cliffhanger because the story didn't conclude, it just ended. I feel a cliffhanger is when a story resolves but leads into another.
Profile Image for Cara.
26 reviews
September 8, 2025
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING

WHERE IS THE REST OF THIS BOOK
Profile Image for Kayla.
240 reviews11 followers
June 24, 2024
Really enjoyed this!! The audiobook was fantastic as always and there were lots of twisty turns, as promised!! The cliff hanger is absolutely CRIMINAL though, what the hell
Profile Image for Samantha H..
600 reviews49 followers
March 12, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ROYAL SCANDAL by Aimee Carter

📚 Second in a Series
👑 Modern-Day Royals
🏎️ Fast-Paced
📰 Mixed Media
🧠 Mental Health Rep

I tiptoed into reading this one because while I liked the first in the series, I didn't love it. I am happy to announce that this one is fantastic.

This plot moves. Just when you think something was momentous enough to dissect for a minute, Carter throws you another curveball. It was quite the ride. My chest was pounding quite a bit.

There is clear character growth with many of the characters here- specifically Evan and Maisie. It was nice to see a lot more dimension added. I also loved a lot of the historical tidbits (I have no idea if any of it was based on real legislation), but it added a layer of depth that made the story feel a lot more authentic. The mixed media parts at the beginning of the chapters were some of my favorite parts!

And that ending?! I have to wait for the third now? Sheesh!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Liralen.
3,352 reviews280 followers
May 24, 2024
Read this almost exactly a year to the day that I read the first book in the series—and again on a long flight. In Royal Scandal, Evan has started to find her footing within the royal family...more or less. But as the book goes on, and death threats turn into murder attempts, it becomes ever clearer that not everyone is happy with her new role—and they'll do anything to stop it.

I was very entertained by book 1, but I am not as convinced for book 2. Because...as much as I wanted this to be a series, I was hoping for new conflict in each book. Instead, it seems that the conflict is: book 1) Evan gets used to being a royal in the public eye, and not everyone wants to see her succeed; book 2) the same people really, really don't want her to succeed; and book 3) presumably she vanquishes the people who really, really don't want her to succeed. Was it still fun to read? Yes. But it reminded me of why I stopped reading YA dystopian trilogies—the second book always felt like a placeholder between the plot and worldbuilding of the first book and the conclusion of the third book. Cliffhanger and all.

Will I read book 3 anyway...? Well, yeah. Ideally on another intercontinental flight. And I can confirm that, especially when the third book is out, it'll make for a nice light series to zoom through all at once. But I think I'll not be too sorry if this stays a trilogy rather than growing longer.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn Renbarger.
33 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2024
Holy crap. I love this book series and I already can’t wait for the next book even though this one isn’t technically out yet. Ugh. The twists that happened and the cliffhanger ending was literally perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in return for a review.
Profile Image for Amy.
353 reviews8 followers
March 28, 2024
This was UNHINGED- and I am here for it!😂
Just check your disbelief at the gate and buckle
up, because this was a fast paced roller coaster ride, all to set up the next book. Book 3 better bring Bad Benny to justice!

I enjoyed the listening experience as I only read the audiobook. I cannot believe all Evangeline was put through, but she and her found family made it through to the end. I cannot wait to see if they can take down scheming Ben!
Profile Image for Caroline.
1,964 reviews23 followers
January 20, 2024
This sequel was so good and so infuriating. Almost on principle, I don't really read series -- I'm a one and done reader. BUT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I need to know now. Like the first, this book is tightly paced and twisty and a lot of fun. I continue to be so obsessed with and so annoying about this series and I make no apologies.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.