What do you think?
Rate this book
Royal Blood #1
Royal Blood
An American girl becomes the British Monarchy’s greatest nightmare in this thrilling new series where royal scandals just got deadlier.
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 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.
And her own may be next.
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 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.
And her own may be next.
Audiobook
First published March 7, 2023
159 people are currently reading
9006 people want to read
About the author
Aimee Carter
48 books4,854 followersAimée 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
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 986 reviews
May 25, 2023
Aimee Carter played rock&roll ! This brand new series is gonna be my new addiction.
Can you imagine the latest British king’s bastard American daughter who was born at the same day with her Princess daughter flies to London to meet his new royal family? And this is not only scandalous news that will tear apart the British Royals! She’s also the prime suspect of the murder Jasper Cunningham: son of Robert Cunningham who owns the half print media in Britain! But let’s start the story from the beginning.
A 17 misfit, rebellious American girl Evangeline is so close to get expelled from her 9th boarding school. She can even spend her time in prison after accidentally putting math teacher’s office on fire! Of course she had good intentions. She only wanted to help her roommate.
Thankfully she is saved by Jenkins : her mysterious and neglectful royal father’s right hand who fixes things and makes arrangements but this time for preventing a conviction, Jenkins decides to take the matters into his own hands and puts Evan into private plane that is heading to the UK. Evan finds herself in the palace, meeting with her condescending sister Maise , her vengeful mother Helen, her noisy cousin Ben, her flirty-joyful uncle Nicholas and of course her father dearest- king of the UK who abandoned her to be raised by her grandmother and prevent her to see her own mother who suffers from mental health issues.
Everybody seems like hating her instead of Jenkins and his partner Louis, stubborn/ determined assistant Tibby and Christopher- Kit: withdrawn, mysterious charming boy who is also the niece of Queen Helen.
Even though Evan never runs from big challenges, the entire news sites seem like teamed up to tarnish her reputation by writing lies about her past and now she’s crucified as a murderer of innocent Jasper Cunningham!
She didn’t remember the details of the night because she’s been drugged but somebody is out there to do everything in his power to ruin her life! She has to find the real perpetrator to fix her reputation and in the meantime she has to find a way to bury the hatchet and learn to forgive her own father for years of neglecting.
Overall: this was smart, riveting, extremely enjoyable reading! Evangeline is tough, intelligent, straightforward, bold, relentless, fiery ! She’s my kind of greatest badass heroine!
I cannot wait to read more adventures of her!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
Can you imagine the latest British king’s bastard American daughter who was born at the same day with her Princess daughter flies to London to meet his new royal family? And this is not only scandalous news that will tear apart the British Royals! She’s also the prime suspect of the murder Jasper Cunningham: son of Robert Cunningham who owns the half print media in Britain! But let’s start the story from the beginning.
A 17 misfit, rebellious American girl Evangeline is so close to get expelled from her 9th boarding school. She can even spend her time in prison after accidentally putting math teacher’s office on fire! Of course she had good intentions. She only wanted to help her roommate.
Thankfully she is saved by Jenkins : her mysterious and neglectful royal father’s right hand who fixes things and makes arrangements but this time for preventing a conviction, Jenkins decides to take the matters into his own hands and puts Evan into private plane that is heading to the UK. Evan finds herself in the palace, meeting with her condescending sister Maise , her vengeful mother Helen, her noisy cousin Ben, her flirty-joyful uncle Nicholas and of course her father dearest- king of the UK who abandoned her to be raised by her grandmother and prevent her to see her own mother who suffers from mental health issues.
Everybody seems like hating her instead of Jenkins and his partner Louis, stubborn/ determined assistant Tibby and Christopher- Kit: withdrawn, mysterious charming boy who is also the niece of Queen Helen.
Even though Evan never runs from big challenges, the entire news sites seem like teamed up to tarnish her reputation by writing lies about her past and now she’s crucified as a murderer of innocent Jasper Cunningham!
She didn’t remember the details of the night because she’s been drugged but somebody is out there to do everything in his power to ruin her life! She has to find the real perpetrator to fix her reputation and in the meantime she has to find a way to bury the hatchet and learn to forgive her own father for years of neglecting.
Overall: this was smart, riveting, extremely enjoyable reading! Evangeline is tough, intelligent, straightforward, bold, relentless, fiery ! She’s my kind of greatest badass heroine!
I cannot wait to read more adventures of her!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
medium blog
April 8, 2024
3⭐️
“Feel whatever it is you need to feel right now. Be as angry and upset with me as you want. And when this is over and we know who really did it, I’ll still be here. I promise. You won’t lose me, and I would never do anything to risk losing you.” —Christopher “Kit” Abbott-Montgomery.
👑 Exceptions: 👑
✨Royal Scandals/Drama
✨The words: Illegitimate & Bastard used interchangeably
✨A LOT of verbal insults
✨Depiction of Sexual Assault
✨Discussion of a murder
✨Discussion on use of date rape drugs/other forms of drugs
✨Discussion on Schizophrenia
✨A brief mention of suicide
✨Constant evidence of online harassment
📝 Thoughts: 📝
Thought of the day: How do you rate a book where YOU didn’t have the best time with it but, you also know why others did??? 🤔🤔🤔.
Okay. Sssooo…
This book is designed for individuals who truly enjoy reading about Royalty and their families as well as for individuals who can stomach the nastiness that comes from family members, family members’ friends, random strangers, and the tabloids.
Unfortunately, I am not this person. Nor was this book for me. Last year, I DNF’d this because I could not stomach all the nastiness that was written within these pages. And as I finished reading this, I really wish I had some self-control at the beginning of my introduction to NetGalley. Me and my “happy fingers” requested Book #2 on a whim and, to my surprise, I actually got the ARC. So now, here I am, with my thoughts ALL OVER THE PLACE and trying to figure out how to compose this review so I can move on to Book #2 and get it over with. 😮💨😮💨😮💨.
Honestly though…
I understand why this book has 4⭐️ & 5⭐️ ratings. Several of these chapters are really good. And when you’re not reading this, you might find yourself thinking about Evangeline “Evan” Bright. She DEFINITELY holds her own in all 368 pages of this book and you will find yourself falling in love with her. You will even come to enjoy her heartwarming moments with Christopher “Kit” Abbott-Montgomery, Lady Tabitha “Tibby” Finch-Parker-Covington-Boyle, Harry “Jenkins” Jenkins, and sometimes, her father: King Alexander II (Alexander Edward George Henry). In some places, this story will even pull at your heartstrings, especially when you meet Evangeline’s mother, Laura Bright. I mean really, this book plus its cover will force you to read it until the very end. ☺️☺️☺️.
However, this is the type of book that you MOST DEFINITELY have to be in the mood for. Having to read either a quote, text messages, phone call transcripts, Royal expert interviews, or a two-three page length gossip article before each chapter REALLY got on my nerves. And then, having to also sit and read repeated forms of the following dialogue didn’t help the situation either:
“Since when have you ever wanted to be a father to that insubordinate parasite?”
“The American is inconsequential,” snarls Helene. “A foot note in history. A mistake that should have been corrected in the womb.”
“This is your illegitimate issue, Father.”
“Now he’s parading around proof like a mangy stray at a dog show.”
“He insists that since the stray is already at Windsor, she might as well remain until she’s of age. I, of course, pointed out how cruel it is to keep her here like a pet when he has every intention of washing his hands of her once she turns eighteen, but as always, his selfishness knows no bounds.”
“You were a mistake,” says Constance, her words ringing through the antechamber. “One that nearly cost my son his birthright. I will not have you traipsing through our home, calling yourself family when you and that American trollop are nothing more than parasites—”
“Bastard.”
“If she says anything, we’ll deny it, all right? And make her look like a sociopath in the process.”
I mean, really??? 13 chapters of an innocent girl being torn down by family members she doesn’t even know. But, these said family members have known about her FOR 17 YEARS. Come on, seriously!!! CHILL WITH THE TWO-FACE NONSENSE. 🙄🙄🙄. There is also chapter where Evangeline gets threatened by her Queen Stepmother for not taking the blame for something horrible that her half-sister did all because her half-sister will be Queen of the Throne some day. Even Princess Mary’s “Maisie” best friend Lady Georgiana “Gia” Greyville thought both Mary and her Mother were dead wrong for this and trust me when I say: THAT IS A HUGE DEAL!!! And please don’t get me started on the murder mystery aspect of this. My original reason for wanting to read this last year was because I have become OBSESSED with YA murder mysteries. Where the synopsis of this mentions the occurrence of a murder, the murder doesn’t actually take place until 35% of the book and as it slowly becomes a focal point of the story, it is surrounded by horrible stories or nonsense. I get where the author was trying to go but, the direction got lost.
I will never understand stories where children get treated as the problem because two adults decided to have an affair knowing the consequences of their actions. It will always break my heart to read how not one adult in the room is an actual adult. The wounded party insults the child, created by the affair, and constantly informs said child on how he/she/they are not wanted. The wounded party will even give their child/children permission to insult said child and make said child’s life a living nightmare, never mind that they are half-sibling. Said half-sibling(s) will even team up their friends to bully their sibling. It isn’t until something drastic or catastrophic happens and someone or multiple people gets hurt that everyone starts to grown up and wants to play nice. It is really sad and just plain exhausting. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️. And that is exactly what this entire story is about. By chapter 10, I was reminded of why I DNF’d this book last year. *Sigh* here’s to hoping that Book #2 won’t be so bad. 😬😬😬.
“Feel whatever it is you need to feel right now. Be as angry and upset with me as you want. And when this is over and we know who really did it, I’ll still be here. I promise. You won’t lose me, and I would never do anything to risk losing you.” —Christopher “Kit” Abbott-Montgomery.
👑 Exceptions: 👑
✨Royal Scandals/Drama
✨The words: Illegitimate & Bastard used interchangeably
✨A LOT of verbal insults
✨Depiction of Sexual Assault
✨Discussion of a murder
✨Discussion on use of date rape drugs/other forms of drugs
✨Discussion on Schizophrenia
✨A brief mention of suicide
✨Constant evidence of online harassment
📝 Thoughts: 📝
Thought of the day: How do you rate a book where YOU didn’t have the best time with it but, you also know why others did??? 🤔🤔🤔.
Okay. Sssooo…
This book is designed for individuals who truly enjoy reading about Royalty and their families as well as for individuals who can stomach the nastiness that comes from family members, family members’ friends, random strangers, and the tabloids.
Unfortunately, I am not this person. Nor was this book for me. Last year, I DNF’d this because I could not stomach all the nastiness that was written within these pages. And as I finished reading this, I really wish I had some self-control at the beginning of my introduction to NetGalley. Me and my “happy fingers” requested Book #2 on a whim and, to my surprise, I actually got the ARC. So now, here I am, with my thoughts ALL OVER THE PLACE and trying to figure out how to compose this review so I can move on to Book #2 and get it over with. 😮💨😮💨😮💨.
Honestly though…
I understand why this book has 4⭐️ & 5⭐️ ratings. Several of these chapters are really good. And when you’re not reading this, you might find yourself thinking about Evangeline “Evan” Bright. She DEFINITELY holds her own in all 368 pages of this book and you will find yourself falling in love with her. You will even come to enjoy her heartwarming moments with Christopher “Kit” Abbott-Montgomery, Lady Tabitha “Tibby” Finch-Parker-Covington-Boyle, Harry “Jenkins” Jenkins, and sometimes, her father: King Alexander II (Alexander Edward George Henry). In some places, this story will even pull at your heartstrings, especially when you meet Evangeline’s mother, Laura Bright. I mean really, this book plus its cover will force you to read it until the very end. ☺️☺️☺️.
However, this is the type of book that you MOST DEFINITELY have to be in the mood for. Having to read either a quote, text messages, phone call transcripts, Royal expert interviews, or a two-three page length gossip article before each chapter REALLY got on my nerves. And then, having to also sit and read repeated forms of the following dialogue didn’t help the situation either:
“Since when have you ever wanted to be a father to that insubordinate parasite?”
“The American is inconsequential,” snarls Helene. “A foot note in history. A mistake that should have been corrected in the womb.”
“This is your illegitimate issue, Father.”
“Now he’s parading around proof like a mangy stray at a dog show.”
“He insists that since the stray is already at Windsor, she might as well remain until she’s of age. I, of course, pointed out how cruel it is to keep her here like a pet when he has every intention of washing his hands of her once she turns eighteen, but as always, his selfishness knows no bounds.”
“You were a mistake,” says Constance, her words ringing through the antechamber. “One that nearly cost my son his birthright. I will not have you traipsing through our home, calling yourself family when you and that American trollop are nothing more than parasites—”
“Bastard.”
“If she says anything, we’ll deny it, all right? And make her look like a sociopath in the process.”
I mean, really??? 13 chapters of an innocent girl being torn down by family members she doesn’t even know. But, these said family members have known about her FOR 17 YEARS. Come on, seriously!!! CHILL WITH THE TWO-FACE NONSENSE. 🙄🙄🙄. There is also chapter where Evangeline gets threatened by her Queen Stepmother for not taking the blame for something horrible that her half-sister did all because her half-sister will be Queen of the Throne some day. Even Princess Mary’s “Maisie” best friend Lady Georgiana “Gia” Greyville thought both Mary and her Mother were dead wrong for this and trust me when I say: THAT IS A HUGE DEAL!!! And please don’t get me started on the murder mystery aspect of this. My original reason for wanting to read this last year was because I have become OBSESSED with YA murder mysteries. Where the synopsis of this mentions the occurrence of a murder, the murder doesn’t actually take place until 35% of the book and as it slowly becomes a focal point of the story, it is surrounded by horrible stories or nonsense. I get where the author was trying to go but, the direction got lost.
I will never understand stories where children get treated as the problem because two adults decided to have an affair knowing the consequences of their actions. It will always break my heart to read how not one adult in the room is an actual adult. The wounded party insults the child, created by the affair, and constantly informs said child on how he/she/they are not wanted. The wounded party will even give their child/children permission to insult said child and make said child’s life a living nightmare, never mind that they are half-sibling. Said half-sibling(s) will even team up their friends to bully their sibling. It isn’t until something drastic or catastrophic happens and someone or multiple people gets hurt that everyone starts to grown up and wants to play nice. It is really sad and just plain exhausting. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️. And that is exactly what this entire story is about. By chapter 10, I was reminded of why I DNF’d this book last year. *Sigh* here’s to hoping that Book #2 won’t be so bad. 😬😬😬.
May 10, 2023
I'm not sure what the audiobook equivalent of "unputdownable" is. "Unpauseable?" Anyway, this was that.
If you have already read Prince Harry's Spare, and Rachel Hawkins' Royals, and you're thinking, what will I read next to get my royal scandal fix? Well, this is it. You read this.
Set in an alternate England where Edward VIII didn't abdicate to marry Wallis Simpson, we see young American Evan Bright struggling to find her place as the illegitimate daughter of King Alexander, a man she has never met, under the disapproving eye of icy Queen Helene and future queen, her sister Mary. There are palace secrets and scandals aplenty, including MURDER, and all Even really wants is to go home. And get some sleep. As a mom of a perpetually tired teen, I really felt for how often somebody woke this poor child up far too early!
If you have already read Prince Harry's Spare, and Rachel Hawkins' Royals, and you're thinking, what will I read next to get my royal scandal fix? Well, this is it. You read this.
Set in an alternate England where Edward VIII didn't abdicate to marry Wallis Simpson, we see young American Evan Bright struggling to find her place as the illegitimate daughter of King Alexander, a man she has never met, under the disapproving eye of icy Queen Helene and future queen, her sister Mary. There are palace secrets and scandals aplenty, including MURDER, and all Even really wants is to go home. And get some sleep. As a mom of a perpetually tired teen, I really felt for how often somebody woke this poor child up far too early!
April 5, 2023
First off, Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook! And @getunderlined for the gifted physical book!
Royal Blood was a good read and audiobook! There were suspense and twists that I loved. Good pacing and mystery. I loved the narrator's accent. The characters were a great mix of personalities. There were some LGBT characters too. An excellent start to a series and I can't wait for book 2! Definitely ended with a cliffhanger. This story followed Evan. She's an American with the King of UK for a dad except she had never known him because he kept her at boarding school after boarding schools. Evan's a bit of a troublemaker and when she's facing jail time, the King's lawyer decided to bring her to a place she least expected for a change in scenery. At first she was miserable, but later, good things comes out of it. At the end, she might be targeted.
Royal Blood was a good read and audiobook! There were suspense and twists that I loved. Good pacing and mystery. I loved the narrator's accent. The characters were a great mix of personalities. There were some LGBT characters too. An excellent start to a series and I can't wait for book 2! Definitely ended with a cliffhanger. This story followed Evan. She's an American with the King of UK for a dad except she had never known him because he kept her at boarding school after boarding schools. Evan's a bit of a troublemaker and when she's facing jail time, the King's lawyer decided to bring her to a place she least expected for a change in scenery. At first she was miserable, but later, good things comes out of it. At the end, she might be targeted.
May 9, 2023
4,5 ⭐️ J'ai KIFFÉ OMG ! Je me suis prise au jeu beaucoup trop vite, j'ai été happée par l'histoire, par l'ambiance et cette intrigue très addictive. J'ai aussi adoré les personnages, bien plus nuancés que ce qu'on peut imaginer au début de la lecture. C'est bourré de rebondissements et de révélations et ça aborde des sujets d'actualité importants comme le poids des médias ou des rumeurs sur les réseaux sociaux, la pression sociale de manière générale... (attention aux TW : maladie mentale, tentative de viol entre autres). J'ai trouvé ça très bien fait et vu que c'est super bien écrits, ça en devient presque crédible haha. Vraiment une superbe lecture et j'ai hâte de poursuivre la saga pour retrouver Evie et tous les autres, voir ce que l'avenir leur réserve encore comme problèmes !
March 23, 2023
I really wanted to like this more, the premise and characters were interesting but I didn’t like the way the mystery plot was done. The mystery plot came in at almost 40 percent and there wasn’t good suspects and it didn’t really have me guessing or intrigued about who did it. It was also very anticlimactic when they caught the person. I did enjoy the back story and monarchy aspect of the book though.
May 22, 2024
book was cute but mid 3⭐ rtc!!
December 5, 2023
If What a Girl Wants was remade into a CW show, you’d have Royal Blood. This was so entertaining, and I loved it! To be honest, I thought this was a vampire story (the title and cover gave off that vibe). I was wrong.
November 8, 2022
this is going to be one of the most popular books of 2023 mark my words… definitely worth the read and any future hype it gets. also greatly commend carter for writing about delicate topics with so much sensitivity and compassion.
April 28, 2023
4.5 this was so FUN although for some reason I thought this was a vampire royalty story LOL? There are no vampires.
June 25, 2024
NONONO QUE FUERTE, NECESITO SEGUNDA PARTE YA
March 10, 2023
I couldn't put this book down. Seriously, it took less than 10 hours for me to read it. The plot is multi layered and has you questioning everyone's motives. One of the best things this author does is use foreshadowing and clever wording to point to who the culprit is. I am very excited to see where the sequels take this character because it's clear that there is still trouble to come. However, if you are triggered by sexual assault or being drugged, this book may not be for you. It's not graphic but it does happen and is talked about repeatedly because it is a main part of the plot.
June 8, 2023
Wrong book for me.. I expected a spoof on royal vampires, wish it was.
March 9, 2023
Many thanks to @prhaudio for the complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
I enjoyed this YA murder mystery/family drama so, so much!!! A new to me author, this book was clever, suspenseful, heartfelt and just a pure delight to read. I loved getting to know Evan Bright, the 17 year old illegitimate daughter to the King of England.
Having grown up in boarding schools due to her estranged father and schizophrenic mother, Evan hasn't really known what having a family is like. A scandal has her going to live with her father at the palace for the first time where she gets to know her half-sister and various other royal family members.
Touching on some difficult topics from sexual assault, mental health, infidelity, betrayals and so much more. This book kept me on the edge of my toes wanting to see how it would all play out. Highly recommended for fans of books like Emiko Jean's Tokyo ever after or Meg Cabot's The princess diaries.
I enjoyed this YA murder mystery/family drama so, so much!!! A new to me author, this book was clever, suspenseful, heartfelt and just a pure delight to read. I loved getting to know Evan Bright, the 17 year old illegitimate daughter to the King of England.
Having grown up in boarding schools due to her estranged father and schizophrenic mother, Evan hasn't really known what having a family is like. A scandal has her going to live with her father at the palace for the first time where she gets to know her half-sister and various other royal family members.
Touching on some difficult topics from sexual assault, mental health, infidelity, betrayals and so much more. This book kept me on the edge of my toes wanting to see how it would all play out. Highly recommended for fans of books like Emiko Jean's Tokyo ever after or Meg Cabot's The princess diaries.
August 12, 2024
Das Buch war super flüssig geschrieben, ich bin quasi durch die Seiten geflogen. Evan war jetzt nicht zu 100 Prozent meine Protagonistin, aber ich konnte es gut mit ihr aushalten. Was ihre Familie angeht... das ist alles schwierig und gerade das Verhalten ihres Vaters hat mich kurzfristig in Heulkrämpfe gebracht, weil ich sowas auf den Tod nicht abkann. Dass das hinterher noch zu etwas Gutem gedreht wurde... Daran hab ich persönlich auch echt zu knapsen, aber das liegt wohl an meiner persönlichen Geschichte. Habe auch kurz überlegt, das Buch nach der Hälfte abzubrechen. Aber ich habe es dann doch durchgezogen.
Vom Klappentext hatte ich irgendwie mehr Thriller/Krimi erwartet, als Familiendrama und die Medien standen hier schon echt im Vordergrund, aber der Fall hatte genug Platz im Buch und ich fand es am Ende (wenn man vom Familiendramagedönse absieht) auch ganz gut gelöst. Alles in einem eine runde Sache und es klang auch so, als würde da noch mehr kommen. Ob ich mir das nochmal antue, weiß ich aber noch nicht. Das ist aber ganz persönlich.
Vom Klappentext hatte ich irgendwie mehr Thriller/Krimi erwartet, als Familiendrama und die Medien standen hier schon echt im Vordergrund, aber der Fall hatte genug Platz im Buch und ich fand es am Ende (wenn man vom Familiendramagedönse absieht) auch ganz gut gelöst. Alles in einem eine runde Sache und es klang auch so, als würde da noch mehr kommen. Ob ich mir das nochmal antue, weiß ich aber noch nicht. Das ist aber ganz persönlich.
February 27, 2023
3.5 rounded down. This would’ve been a PHENOMENAL tv show. I definitely prefer a good Netflix drama over reading it but this picked up towards the end. The “twists” were so painfully obvious but it was a very fun book. I’m not entirely convinced it needs to be a whole ass trilogy but to each their own. If you’re into the royal family or a good scandal this is for you!
March 31, 2023
I definitely thought based on the cover this was going to be about vampires
Spoiler: it's not
Spoiler: it's not
April 21, 2023
I thought it was a vampire book. Nope, not for me.
June 2, 2023
I need to accept that I don't enjoy stories about royalty. Like, there's a reason I hated The Princess Diaries.
September 14, 2025
cute YA!
May 22, 2024
Es un 3.8 d verdad que me gusto esta historia 🙌🏻
April 13, 2023
2023 is the year of incredible books. Most of the books I’ve read this year are amazing. This year I have started taking interest in those genres which I’m not not very fond of. One of those genres is thriller. Thanks to Aimee Carter, I would now like to read more in this genre.
Royal Blood is a novel that contains marvelous characters, an engaging storyline, royal agitation, intriguing mystery, a murder case and mental health awareness.
The pace of the novel was a little fast, but I loved it anyway. There wasn’t one moment that I got bored reading it. Because the mystery kept me on my toes all the time. I’m amazed at the clever wording of the writer. At the end of every chapter, I wondered about the goal of every character.
Then I like the way Aimee portrays life at Windsor Palace. In some historical fictions we get to read about England’s royal life but it is rare to see a 21st century type. In Royal Blood the writer describes each and every detail of the palace. I can picture in my mind the interior designing very well. 😅
Every single character was amazing and suspicious. Evan, is a resilient character. I liked that in spite of going through a deadly situation she stays strong and determined and tries to uncover the secret. The palace staff Tibby and Jenkins are great. Maise, Evan’s half-sister, was a bit harsh in the beginning, but I liked her development of character and how she turned into a wonderful supportive sister.
The most important thing I liked about the novel is the relationship between Evan and her father Alexander II, the king. Their relationship was also a bit rough at the start especially from Evan’s side. But Alexander still tries to win her confidence and fully supports her after Jasper Cunningham’s mysterious murder. His sense of humor is really great 😂.
Apart from that I also like the character of Kit who is the young Earl. The way they both try to track down the culprit was great. I would like to see more about them in the next novel.
So I highly recommend this one for anyone who finds the royal family interesting and also a good YA mystery.
Royal Blood is a novel that contains marvelous characters, an engaging storyline, royal agitation, intriguing mystery, a murder case and mental health awareness.
The pace of the novel was a little fast, but I loved it anyway. There wasn’t one moment that I got bored reading it. Because the mystery kept me on my toes all the time. I’m amazed at the clever wording of the writer. At the end of every chapter, I wondered about the goal of every character.
Then I like the way Aimee portrays life at Windsor Palace. In some historical fictions we get to read about England’s royal life but it is rare to see a 21st century type. In Royal Blood the writer describes each and every detail of the palace. I can picture in my mind the interior designing very well. 😅
Every single character was amazing and suspicious. Evan, is a resilient character. I liked that in spite of going through a deadly situation she stays strong and determined and tries to uncover the secret. The palace staff Tibby and Jenkins are great. Maise, Evan’s half-sister, was a bit harsh in the beginning, but I liked her development of character and how she turned into a wonderful supportive sister.
The most important thing I liked about the novel is the relationship between Evan and her father Alexander II, the king. Their relationship was also a bit rough at the start especially from Evan’s side. But Alexander still tries to win her confidence and fully supports her after Jasper Cunningham’s mysterious murder. His sense of humor is really great 😂.
Apart from that I also like the character of Kit who is the young Earl. The way they both try to track down the culprit was great. I would like to see more about them in the next novel.
So I highly recommend this one for anyone who finds the royal family interesting and also a good YA mystery.
May 6, 2023
Royal Blood marks the start of what seems to be a highly entertaining series and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication.
Our story focuses on Evan Bright, the seventeen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Alexander, the King of England. Evan has always known who her father is, but she has no relationship with him. After an unfortunate incident at her boarding school - having been excluded from many - Evan is forced to England where her father wants her to be.
A curious and very fraught experience. The majority of the Royal Family have no interest in her being there, and are determined to make things hard for her. Evan doesn’t want to be there either. However, when she is implicated in the murder of a well-known friend of the Royals she has to start relying on the very people she thought hated her.
It was great to see a character navigating the clearly unfamiliar territory with such gusto. Her situation really was a tough one, and she was put in some awful predicaments. The whole Royal Family setting was neither here nor there, but it served as a useful backdrop to examine our character against. The ending of the book also seemed to set up a very intriguing prospect for book two (due out in 2024).
Our story focuses on Evan Bright, the seventeen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Alexander, the King of England. Evan has always known who her father is, but she has no relationship with him. After an unfortunate incident at her boarding school - having been excluded from many - Evan is forced to England where her father wants her to be.
A curious and very fraught experience. The majority of the Royal Family have no interest in her being there, and are determined to make things hard for her. Evan doesn’t want to be there either. However, when she is implicated in the murder of a well-known friend of the Royals she has to start relying on the very people she thought hated her.
It was great to see a character navigating the clearly unfamiliar territory with such gusto. Her situation really was a tough one, and she was put in some awful predicaments. The whole Royal Family setting was neither here nor there, but it served as a useful backdrop to examine our character against. The ending of the book also seemed to set up a very intriguing prospect for book two (due out in 2024).
June 10, 2023
This book was FUN!!
I would describe it as Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries set in the UK! I never wanted to stop listening to the audiobook. The mystery aspect never felt convoluted as a lot of them tend to do. And i loved the strength of Evangeline as she dealt with impossible circumstances. This book was a fun ride but it does deal with some harder topics with care such as sexual assault, talk of suicide, and mental illness particularly schizophrenia, so please read with care.
I cannot wait already for the next book in the series. If you enjoy ya mysteries like The inheritance Games or A good Girl's Guide to Murder, you're gonna be obsessed with this.
Highly recommend and be sure to do the audio if you can, its was fabulous.
I would describe it as Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries set in the UK! I never wanted to stop listening to the audiobook. The mystery aspect never felt convoluted as a lot of them tend to do. And i loved the strength of Evangeline as she dealt with impossible circumstances. This book was a fun ride but it does deal with some harder topics with care such as sexual assault, talk of suicide, and mental illness particularly schizophrenia, so please read with care.
I cannot wait already for the next book in the series. If you enjoy ya mysteries like The inheritance Games or A good Girl's Guide to Murder, you're gonna be obsessed with this.
Highly recommend and be sure to do the audio if you can, its was fabulous.
August 18, 2024
Well, I put this on hold at the library and it came in. I forgot all about it so was happily surprised when it turned out that Even was a super sarcastic chick who recently found out that her father is actually the King of England.
Her mother was his (the King) long-term chick on the side because he really could not marry an American commoner. As it was, the current Mrs. King's daughter and Even were born on the same day, but only one was aware of paternity. So now we have this 17-year-old girl with a chip on her shoulder residing in the King's house and trying to settle in and make friends with the King's "real family"
Then there is an attempted sexual assault, a dead guy, and a mystery. The whole thing actually turned out to be interesting and fun. I think there is a second one... we will see.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Her mother was his (the King) long-term chick on the side because he really could not marry an American commoner. As it was, the current Mrs. King's daughter and Even were born on the same day, but only one was aware of paternity. So now we have this 17-year-old girl with a chip on her shoulder residing in the King's house and trying to settle in and make friends with the King's "real family"
Then there is an attempted sexual assault, a dead guy, and a mystery. The whole thing actually turned out to be interesting and fun. I think there is a second one... we will see.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
May 5, 2024
"We're half-sisters, though. And in this family, we protect one another, no matter how much we may otherwise disagree. It's the only way to keep the hounds at bay, isn't it? To close ranks and watch out for each other."
I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to pick up Royal Blood at first, because I remember starting in The Goddess Test years ago and not being impressed, but I also think that was one of Aimée Carter's first novels, and there has definitely been some improvement since then. Or more correctly: a lot of improvement!
Some parts of the setting and story reminded me of The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Embassy Row by Ally Carter (are they related or something?), with especially the former being of my favourite series ever, so it won't surprise anyone when I tell you that this book as well is absolutely marvellous.
The words that come to mind here, after finishing it, are 'wholesome', 'fulfilling' and 'satisfaction', because everything that I actively wished for to happen, actually came to be - and let me tell you, that doesn't happen all too often.
Evan - although a bit of an odd name for a female character, even if it is a shortened version of Evangeline - is a great character. She dives head-first into the unknown depths of British royalty and everything else that comes to her path, she never gives in or backs down, she just goes for it. Carter also doesn't shy away from some more serious social problems, which really surprised me by the way, because I hadn't seen it coming.
Jasper seems to be a nice guy at first until he... isn't anymore, and he most definitely gets what's coming for him, the dirty fucker.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that, all in all, some of the royals don't have anything against Evan at all; mostly Kit comes to mind, of course, but some others too, although I won't delve into that too deeply here.
Maisie - I don't even think of her as 'Mary' - is also a great character who undergoes the necessary and much-hoped-for character development. When I said there were some things that I actively wished would happen, I was, amongst other things, referring to the journey she makes regarding the relationship between her and Evan. Also, the biggest revelation of the entire is centred around her and really blew my mind, because I hadn't seen it coming at all.
Tibby was great as well; I was expecting some stuck-up (older) woman who tries to mould Evan into some kind of preppy princess, so it was a joy to read how young she was, not just in age but in character as well.
Alexander, was also amazing. He surprised me a couple of times too, especially in the beginning, but also later on, especially when he opens up to Evan about his and her mother's relationship. Stories like these make it clear just how much first-person POVs can limit your view of other people because of prejudices against them.
Laura, finally - Evan's mum - is also a great character. It's a bit odd that Evan seems so judging of her regarding the way she speaks of Alexander. It just felt out of character of her that she'd be hallucinating about that, and I was glad she gets her moment to shine as well.
There is a lot going on in this book. First and foremost: The book probably won't end with the subject you think it will. All in all, the first mystery is resolved about two-thirds in - but after that, there's still a lot to cover. I loved that double layer. Secondly, all the secrets that are hanging around the royal family also make for quite a thrilling ride. One thing I do wonder at the moment: ? Maybe that will be discussed in Book 2. And thirdly, the culprit - the real culprit - has hidden themselves away very well. Carter left me guessing right up to the last moment as to who, what and how. The same goes for the 'smaller' questions, such as the leak inside the palace, which I also didn't see coming. There were just so many possibilities, but the author handles it expertly.
The differences between the US and the UK were also introduced into the story nicely - maybe this book will help Americans understand that not everyone is like them. What did you say? 'Wishful thinking'? Hmmmm...
I'm forgetting stuff, I'm sure of it. Oh, right, I also liked the introductions to each chapter, with the quotes, newspaper articles and so on. It's not very original - not anymore, at least - but it was still fun. The scene with Evan and was also a nice touch.
Obviously, there are still some questions remaining, and things left unresolved. We will definitely be getting into that in Book 2 - Royal Scandal. Honestly, I can't wait. It will be difficult to top Royal Blood, but who knows? Bring it on!
8.5/10
I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to pick up Royal Blood at first, because I remember starting in The Goddess Test years ago and not being impressed, but I also think that was one of Aimée Carter's first novels, and there has definitely been some improvement since then. Or more correctly: a lot of improvement!
Some parts of the setting and story reminded me of The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Embassy Row by Ally Carter (are they related or something?), with especially the former being of my favourite series ever, so it won't surprise anyone when I tell you that this book as well is absolutely marvellous.
The words that come to mind here, after finishing it, are 'wholesome', 'fulfilling' and 'satisfaction', because everything that I actively wished for to happen, actually came to be - and let me tell you, that doesn't happen all too often.
Evan - although a bit of an odd name for a female character, even if it is a shortened version of Evangeline - is a great character. She dives head-first into the unknown depths of British royalty and everything else that comes to her path, she never gives in or backs down, she just goes for it. Carter also doesn't shy away from some more serious social problems, which really surprised me by the way, because I hadn't seen it coming.
Jasper seems to be a nice guy at first until he... isn't anymore, and he most definitely gets what's coming for him, the dirty fucker.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that, all in all, some of the royals don't have anything against Evan at all; mostly Kit comes to mind, of course, but some others too, although I won't delve into that too deeply here.
Maisie - I don't even think of her as 'Mary' - is also a great character who undergoes the necessary and much-hoped-for character development. When I said there were some things that I actively wished would happen, I was, amongst other things, referring to the journey she makes regarding the relationship between her and Evan. Also, the biggest revelation of the entire is centred around her and really blew my mind, because I hadn't seen it coming at all.
Tibby was great as well; I was expecting some stuck-up (older) woman who tries to mould Evan into some kind of preppy princess, so it was a joy to read how young she was, not just in age but in character as well.
Alexander, was also amazing. He surprised me a couple of times too, especially in the beginning, but also later on, especially when he opens up to Evan about his and her mother's relationship. Stories like these make it clear just how much first-person POVs can limit your view of other people because of prejudices against them.
Laura, finally - Evan's mum - is also a great character. It's a bit odd that Evan seems so judging of her regarding the way she speaks of Alexander. It just felt out of character of her that she'd be hallucinating about that, and I was glad she gets her moment to shine as well.
There is a lot going on in this book. First and foremost: The book probably won't end with the subject you think it will. All in all, the first mystery is resolved about two-thirds in - but after that, there's still a lot to cover. I loved that double layer. Secondly, all the secrets that are hanging around the royal family also make for quite a thrilling ride. One thing I do wonder at the moment: ? Maybe that will be discussed in Book 2. And thirdly, the culprit - the real culprit - has hidden themselves away very well. Carter left me guessing right up to the last moment as to who, what and how. The same goes for the 'smaller' questions, such as the leak inside the palace, which I also didn't see coming. There were just so many possibilities, but the author handles it expertly.
The differences between the US and the UK were also introduced into the story nicely - maybe this book will help Americans understand that not everyone is like them. What did you say? 'Wishful thinking'? Hmmmm...
I'm forgetting stuff, I'm sure of it. Oh, right, I also liked the introductions to each chapter, with the quotes, newspaper articles and so on. It's not very original - not anymore, at least - but it was still fun. The scene with Evan and was also a nice touch.
Obviously, there are still some questions remaining, and things left unresolved. We will definitely be getting into that in Book 2 - Royal Scandal. Honestly, I can't wait. It will be difficult to top Royal Blood, but who knows? Bring it on!
8.5/10
March 19, 2023
This was amazing. So well written! Royal scandals and a mysterious death, but also a book that touches on some difficult subjects, like mental health, assault and complexities of familial relationships of various kinds.
May 30, 2025
It was pretty good. Not something I would ever read again though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 986 reviews