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Royal Blood #3
Royal Vengeance
The media believes they have uncovered all the royal scandals about the "killer princess," but there is one game-changing secret remaining that will take the crown in the final book of the Royal Blood series, which Jennifer Lynn Barnes calls "a darker Princess Diaries."
Evangeline Bright has only one shot to prove she isn’t a traitor: by finding the real mastermind behind the plot that almost killed her father, the King of England.
With the help of Kit, her steadfast boyfriend, Evan must find a way to outsmart the real threat to the throne no matter the cost, because the deadliest enemy the monarchy has faced in over a century is back with a vicious vengeance. And Evan soon uncovers the reason why.
A scandal so huge that if it ever becomes public, it will tear the monarchy apart.
To protect her loved ones, Evan must silence her enemies for good—because if the truth gets out, it won’t just shatter the monarchy. It’ll shatter Evan’s entire family.
Evangeline Bright has only one shot to prove she isn’t a traitor: by finding the real mastermind behind the plot that almost killed her father, the King of England.
With the help of Kit, her steadfast boyfriend, Evan must find a way to outsmart the real threat to the throne no matter the cost, because the deadliest enemy the monarchy has faced in over a century is back with a vicious vengeance. And Evan soon uncovers the reason why.
A scandal so huge that if it ever becomes public, it will tear the monarchy apart.
To protect her loved ones, Evan must silence her enemies for good—because if the truth gets out, it won’t just shatter the monarchy. It’ll shatter Evan’s entire family.
Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2026
About the author
Aimee Carter
44 books4,868 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
June 26, 2026
First of all - this whole series is REALLY good and I'm SO glad I'm back to reading physical books! I had been desperate for this to come out because there was so much at stake and I think this story and the accents would also make for a really great audiobook!!!
*LOTS of fun reveals, and I really wasn't expecting quite a few of them!!!
HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: --/5 Romance but no spice!
* Reader Age Suggestions: New adult + -
* Content Warnings: --
* Kindle Unlimited: ❌
* Part of A Series: ✅ / Can it be read alone?: No - You def need to read these in order!
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤
*LOTS of fun reveals, and I really wasn't expecting quite a few of them!!!
HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: --/5 Romance but no spice!
* Reader Age Suggestions: New adult + -
* Content Warnings: --
* Kindle Unlimited: ❌
* Part of A Series: ✅ / Can it be read alone?: No - You def need to read these in order!
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤
June 23, 2026
There was way too many scandals and terrible events stuffed into one book that it started to get a bit into whiplash.
Slowing it down into two books might’ve allowed me some chance to breathe.
Also, I wish I could consider this a spoiler, but Maisie is still the worst.
Slowing it down into two books might’ve allowed me some chance to breathe.
Also, I wish I could consider this a spoiler, but Maisie is still the worst.
February 10, 2026
The way that the plot twist I had in my head before this released was better. Everyone is cheating on everyone. rip maisie u didn’t deserve this
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
How many international incidents can one teenager survive before it starts to feel unrealistic? Apparently, more than I ever imagined—and somehow it still works.
I absolutely loved this final installment in the Royal Blood series. It delivered everything I wanted from a conclusion: emotion, action, depth, and a genuinely satisfying ending.
I only discovered this series about two months ago, so I was thrilled that book three was releasing so soon after I started. At the same time, I wasn’t ready for it to be over but craved to get my hands on an early copy. When I saw the audiobook appear on the PRH Audio Influencer app, I immediately dropped everything to start listening. I’m so thankful for the complimentary access.
Kristen Sieh returns as narrator and once again does a phenomenal job. She captures Evan perfectly with her American accent while seamlessly shifting between the various British-accented characters. She’s an absolute joy to listen to, and the production quality remains excellent throughout, with clean audio and a polished listening experience.
As for the story itself, I loved the way it ebbed and flowed. Just when it felt like everything was finally being wrapped up, another twist or development would pull me right back into the action. The pacing kept me fully engaged, and the author did an excellent job tying up the many loose ends that had accumulated throughout the series.
Fans of the series are going to love this final installment. While I strongly recommend reading the books in order to fully appreciate the story and character development, I think a new reader could pick up book three and still gather enough context to enjoy the ride. That may not have been the intention, but it’s a testament to how well the story is constructed.
It’s always bittersweet saying goodbye to a world you’ve come to love, but this was exactly the kind of ending this series deserved. Satisfying, emotional, and well worth the journey.
I absolutely loved this final installment in the Royal Blood series. It delivered everything I wanted from a conclusion: emotion, action, depth, and a genuinely satisfying ending.
I only discovered this series about two months ago, so I was thrilled that book three was releasing so soon after I started. At the same time, I wasn’t ready for it to be over but craved to get my hands on an early copy. When I saw the audiobook appear on the PRH Audio Influencer app, I immediately dropped everything to start listening. I’m so thankful for the complimentary access.
Kristen Sieh returns as narrator and once again does a phenomenal job. She captures Evan perfectly with her American accent while seamlessly shifting between the various British-accented characters. She’s an absolute joy to listen to, and the production quality remains excellent throughout, with clean audio and a polished listening experience.
As for the story itself, I loved the way it ebbed and flowed. Just when it felt like everything was finally being wrapped up, another twist or development would pull me right back into the action. The pacing kept me fully engaged, and the author did an excellent job tying up the many loose ends that had accumulated throughout the series.
Fans of the series are going to love this final installment. While I strongly recommend reading the books in order to fully appreciate the story and character development, I think a new reader could pick up book three and still gather enough context to enjoy the ride. That may not have been the intention, but it’s a testament to how well the story is constructed.
It’s always bittersweet saying goodbye to a world you’ve come to love, but this was exactly the kind of ending this series deserved. Satisfying, emotional, and well worth the journey.
August 2, 2026
I rlly wasn’t sure if this book would get better, but it picked up in the second half
July 22, 2026
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I was very excited to read the finale. Unfortunately, I ended up feeling quite underwhelmed, and I found myself reading it at a much slower pace than the previous books.
In this book, I found Evan increasingly frustrating. She often felt unnecessarily reckless, and some of her choices came across as more childish than brave. I also found several of the other characters much more problematic this time around. Even characters like Maisie, who I hadn’t minded in the previous books, started to become quite unlikeable.
Kit remained the best of the characters for me. He was consistently supportive and probably the easiest person to root for, but even he sometimes felt a little too perfect and two-dimensional.
Overall, I was still invested enough to finish the series, but the characterisation really weakened my enjoyment of this final instalment. It didn’t quite deliver the ending I had been hoping for, and while I don’t regret reading it, it was definitely my least favourite of the trilogy.
In this book, I found Evan increasingly frustrating. She often felt unnecessarily reckless, and some of her choices came across as more childish than brave. I also found several of the other characters much more problematic this time around. Even characters like Maisie, who I hadn’t minded in the previous books, started to become quite unlikeable.
Kit remained the best of the characters for me. He was consistently supportive and probably the easiest person to root for, but even he sometimes felt a little too perfect and two-dimensional.
Overall, I was still invested enough to finish the series, but the characterisation really weakened my enjoyment of this final instalment. It didn’t quite deliver the ending I had been hoping for, and while I don’t regret reading it, it was definitely my least favourite of the trilogy.
June 24, 2026
J’ai jamais vu une saga aussi géniale se casser la gueule comme ça, wow
June 22, 2026
AHHHHHHHH! What a crazy emotional damaging way to the end the trilogy, although it's not so damaging because we got a happy ending and honestly girl deserved it. I was not expecting that plot twist, like in 'Royal Blood' during the holidays when Laura and Helene wanted to talk privately i was thinking about how there possibly talking about Evan being next in line for the throne because she's older than Maisie, not the fact that Maisie ISN'T............. and a whole bunch of other tea i'm not gonna mention because i don't want to spoil too much (the book just came out), everyone deserves their *gasp* moment. I feel so bad for everything they put poor Evan through, honestly i'm surprised the author didn't give her a villain arc or a crash out moment because she needed that and i literally did it in her place. Maisie's character irritated me so much, i hate her, she is awful sister i don't know how people have siblings like her and don't want to throttle them. My blood pressure goes up every time i read about her and the family. The only lovable characters this entire series to me were Kit and Tibby because despite what happens they never abandoned her (well Kit kinda did at one point but i don't blame because he did crash out and was not emotionally stable, he left got himself a therapist and went back for his woman. Mental health is important!) even Jenkins gave her a kinda cold shoulder because he was "worried" like you wanting space doesn't make her less in danger, but whatever it happens, man needed a break. I love how the story also shows what a real healthy relationship looks like through Evan and Kit, it's not pretty, but if you continue supporting and communicating it becomes the most beautiful and stable bond ever. They chose to heal together and be with each other through good and bad and that's real love. That's the standard goal, you know without the dramatics. Also they get a happy ending!!!! I love happy endings, series is definitely worth the emotional coaster.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2026
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars
Audiobook is awesome, had fun with the stakes! There were perhaps one too many twists (twist fatigue?), but the ending to the trilogy was super satisfying!!
Audiobook is awesome, had fun with the stakes! There were perhaps one too many twists (twist fatigue?), but the ending to the trilogy was super satisfying!!
September 7, 2026
3.5⭐️
There were almost too many twists.
There were almost too many twists.
June 24, 2026
she has one shot to prove she's not a traitor. the scandal she uncovers could destroy everything. 👑🔪
evangeline: wrongly accused. determined. running out of time. 😶
her father — the king of england — almost died.
and everyone thinks evan did it. 💀
with kit steady at her side 💛
she hunts the real mastermind.
the deadliest enemy the monarchy has faced in a century.
back with a vengeance. and a reason. 😳
the reason?
a scandal so massive it would tear the monarchy apart. 🔥
evan has to silence her enemies.
protect her family.
and bury a truth that would shatter everything. 👑
It was a long two year wait for this final book in the trilogy and Aimee Carter does NOT disappointment. I went back and read the last two chapters of Book 2 to catch myself up and once I started reading Royal Vengeance, I couldn't put it down. Read it in one day. The story picks up right from the ending of book 2 and doesn't stop. Scandal, affairs, murder, attempted murder, family drama, heartbreak, this book has it all. Evan is one of the strongest written YA Female MC. She is a warrior who will risk life and limb to protect those she loves.
Not a spoiler in a sense, but I did like how the mental health of one of the characters was addressed. Trauma affects men and women and Carter addresses it in a way that never makes light of the issue. She dives into it, head on. I would LOVE a follwup novella or something along those lines, to see where the characters are down the road.
evangeline: wrongly accused. determined. running out of time. 😶
her father — the king of england — almost died.
and everyone thinks evan did it. 💀
with kit steady at her side 💛
she hunts the real mastermind.
the deadliest enemy the monarchy has faced in a century.
back with a vengeance. and a reason. 😳
the reason?
a scandal so massive it would tear the monarchy apart. 🔥
evan has to silence her enemies.
protect her family.
and bury a truth that would shatter everything. 👑
It was a long two year wait for this final book in the trilogy and Aimee Carter does NOT disappointment. I went back and read the last two chapters of Book 2 to catch myself up and once I started reading Royal Vengeance, I couldn't put it down. Read it in one day. The story picks up right from the ending of book 2 and doesn't stop. Scandal, affairs, murder, attempted murder, family drama, heartbreak, this book has it all. Evan is one of the strongest written YA Female MC. She is a warrior who will risk life and limb to protect those she loves.
Not a spoiler in a sense, but I did like how the mental health of one of the characters was addressed. Trauma affects men and women and Carter addresses it in a way that never makes light of the issue. She dives into it, head on. I would LOVE a follwup novella or something along those lines, to see where the characters are down the road.
August 10, 2026
I read this mostly as a completionist exercise since I read the prior two books. I think the author could do with a 'less is more' approach throughout all their writing. How many different couples need to be cheating on each other? How many different succession crises does this kind of book need? How many different villains need to drive the plot? It was all too much, which makes each piece less impactful.
Want to Read
March 13, 2026so excited for evangeline to have to endure 5+ life threating situations in a row!! really breaking barriers in the genre of girl becomes princess and we love to see it
September 16, 2026
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
"Royal Vengeance" is the final installment in the "Royal Blood" trilogy by Aimee Carter. After the bombing that nearly killed her father, Evan and her boyfriend Kit are determined to uncover the mastermind behind the plot, all while dealing with further betrayals and scandals that could rip apart the future of the monarchy.
I have been highly anticipating this final volume in the "Royal Blood" trilogy. The first two books were just delightful perfection that I had a blast with. I'm totally here for royal traitors, backstabbing, scandal, and people playing the "game of thrones." I have to say though, this third book was a tad bit frustrating and disappointing. I still enjoyed the book, but I left it still wanting more. I think what I took issue with in this installment was the fact that it turned into one huge soap opera that got rather ridiculous eventually. It's one bombshell drop after another, and it reached a point I started to roll my eyes by the sheer amount of lies and betrayals that were happening. It was just too much for one book. What works about this series is the character relationships and the drama that comes with that. Some of the plot twists in this book just felt like plot twists for the sake of having plot twists. And for another thing, I was really missing a lot of the characters in this book. I do love Evan and Kit obviously (they are everything, gah!), but they totally dominated every page of this book. Maisie felt particularly absent for some odd reason. I mean, she was there, but no where to the capacity like she was in the previous books and any scenes she did have with Evan just never felt quite right. I also love Evan's mom and dad, Laura and Alexander, and they were just oddly absent, only appearing when they absolutely needed to. Don't get me started about the lack of Jenkins! And considering Ben is supposed to be one of the major foils to the story, I always wish there were more of him to make him feel more dimensional. Again, I absolutely adore Kit and Evan, but the supporting cast is what also made me fall in love with this series, and I was seriously missing them.
The pacing of this book is pretty nonstop as well. I felt like I never got a moment to sit and breathe, but hey, at least it was never boring. Aimee Carter doesn't waste any time jumping into the narrative. The bombing and fire that happened at the end of the previous book happened just a few weeks prior to the start of this book, and Evan and Kit are working with MI5 to uncover the location of the terrorists responsible, as well as find the evidence they need to state that Ben was the one who orchestrated the whole thing. Alexander, Evan's father, is still unconscious, fighting for his life, and many in the royal family and even outsiders, think Evan and Kit were part of the terrorist group. What follows is Evan and Kit reclaiming their names and their lives, undercover espionage, and dealing with the fallout of taking down the terrorist group (yes, that last bit might be a spoiler, but Aimee Carter knocks that part of the story out surprisingly quickly which shocked me). Evan and Kit have to make the media rounds all while dealing with their personal demons and fractures in their relationship. And of course, more sinister drama lurks in the background and this is where all the juicy scandal, betrayals and backstabbing starts happening. It is called "Royal Vengeance" after all, so there's a lot of vengeance and retaliation going after what Evan and Kit do. The book is almost 400 pages and it never feels like it because of the sheer amount of plot that happens at a whirlwind pace.
Either way, I do still think this was a satisfying conclusion to the story and it doesn't feel like it's going to be unnecessarily dragged out, like some series tend to do. The story has a conclusion that felt satisfying. All your major plots and characters get wrapped up. All your questions get answered. Overall, this trilogy is fun and delightful full of insane royal shenanigans. It has a cast of characters you'll fall in love with and stories that feel believable and full of nuance and substance. The final book was a slight bit of a disappointment, but I still highly recommend this entire trilogy if any of it sounds vaguely enjoyable.
"Royal Vengeance" is the final installment in the "Royal Blood" trilogy by Aimee Carter. After the bombing that nearly killed her father, Evan and her boyfriend Kit are determined to uncover the mastermind behind the plot, all while dealing with further betrayals and scandals that could rip apart the future of the monarchy.
I have been highly anticipating this final volume in the "Royal Blood" trilogy. The first two books were just delightful perfection that I had a blast with. I'm totally here for royal traitors, backstabbing, scandal, and people playing the "game of thrones." I have to say though, this third book was a tad bit frustrating and disappointing. I still enjoyed the book, but I left it still wanting more. I think what I took issue with in this installment was the fact that it turned into one huge soap opera that got rather ridiculous eventually. It's one bombshell drop after another, and it reached a point I started to roll my eyes by the sheer amount of lies and betrayals that were happening. It was just too much for one book. What works about this series is the character relationships and the drama that comes with that. Some of the plot twists in this book just felt like plot twists for the sake of having plot twists. And for another thing, I was really missing a lot of the characters in this book. I do love Evan and Kit obviously (they are everything, gah!), but they totally dominated every page of this book. Maisie felt particularly absent for some odd reason. I mean, she was there, but no where to the capacity like she was in the previous books and any scenes she did have with Evan just never felt quite right. I also love Evan's mom and dad, Laura and Alexander, and they were just oddly absent, only appearing when they absolutely needed to. Don't get me started about the lack of Jenkins! And considering Ben is supposed to be one of the major foils to the story, I always wish there were more of him to make him feel more dimensional. Again, I absolutely adore Kit and Evan, but the supporting cast is what also made me fall in love with this series, and I was seriously missing them.
The pacing of this book is pretty nonstop as well. I felt like I never got a moment to sit and breathe, but hey, at least it was never boring. Aimee Carter doesn't waste any time jumping into the narrative. The bombing and fire that happened at the end of the previous book happened just a few weeks prior to the start of this book, and Evan and Kit are working with MI5 to uncover the location of the terrorists responsible, as well as find the evidence they need to state that Ben was the one who orchestrated the whole thing. Alexander, Evan's father, is still unconscious, fighting for his life, and many in the royal family and even outsiders, think Evan and Kit were part of the terrorist group. What follows is Evan and Kit reclaiming their names and their lives, undercover espionage, and dealing with the fallout of taking down the terrorist group (yes, that last bit might be a spoiler, but Aimee Carter knocks that part of the story out surprisingly quickly which shocked me). Evan and Kit have to make the media rounds all while dealing with their personal demons and fractures in their relationship. And of course, more sinister drama lurks in the background and this is where all the juicy scandal, betrayals and backstabbing starts happening. It is called "Royal Vengeance" after all, so there's a lot of vengeance and retaliation going after what Evan and Kit do. The book is almost 400 pages and it never feels like it because of the sheer amount of plot that happens at a whirlwind pace.
Either way, I do still think this was a satisfying conclusion to the story and it doesn't feel like it's going to be unnecessarily dragged out, like some series tend to do. The story has a conclusion that felt satisfying. All your major plots and characters get wrapped up. All your questions get answered. Overall, this trilogy is fun and delightful full of insane royal shenanigans. It has a cast of characters you'll fall in love with and stories that feel believable and full of nuance and substance. The final book was a slight bit of a disappointment, but I still highly recommend this entire trilogy if any of it sounds vaguely enjoyable.
August 2, 2026
I devoured the first two books in this series - but this one fell a little flat to me!
Don't get me wrong, it's just as pleasant to read as the others, but (and I'm getting into spoilery territory so)
Rated 3 because I like how Aimee writes prose, internal thoughts, and descriptions - and the plot was serviceable, if not sending the series out on a bang - more like a pop.
Don't get me wrong, it's just as pleasant to read as the others, but (and I'm getting into spoilery territory so)
Rated 3 because I like how Aimee writes prose, internal thoughts, and descriptions - and the plot was serviceable, if not sending the series out on a bang - more like a pop.
August 9, 2026
A good ending to the trilogy, although I did get really mad near the end because...
August 29, 2026
Satisfying conclusion to the series. Took me a bit to jump back into the world. Starts fairly soon after the events of book two. I just couldn't remember all the plot points 😀Enough reminders are provided for it to fall back into place. The palace is scrambling to deal with the explosive events of book two and Evangeline is dealing with the repercussions on all her relationships. She is still seen as a villain by the press.
✔️Maisie still is a bit prickly. Not my first choice for a sister.
✔️Evan and Kit are still together but face challenges
✔️Ben is still evil
✔️Tibby is still managing Evangeline's life
This had a bit of a spy/mystery vibe with of course all the royal feels. There is a lot of discussion about royal succession and helpful succession graph is provided! Major plot point is about the validity of the monarchy. Should it still exist. Ironically reading a different fictional British royals book with the same plot point! Clearly something that resonates at least in the UK. I love a good royals story especially one that feels close to the current British royalty. The scandals, drama and gossip are so much fun. British press/paparazzi is relentless...although it's their own fault to some degree.
Major plot points are resolved from relationships to the ABR/Fox Rex points.
There are some unexpected twists!
Overall, i enjoyed this and recommend to readers who have read the first two in the series.
✔️Maisie still is a bit prickly. Not my first choice for a sister.
✔️Evan and Kit are still together but face challenges
✔️Ben is still evil
✔️Tibby is still managing Evangeline's life
This had a bit of a spy/mystery vibe with of course all the royal feels. There is a lot of discussion about royal succession and helpful succession graph is provided! Major plot point is about the validity of the monarchy. Should it still exist. Ironically reading a different fictional British royals book with the same plot point! Clearly something that resonates at least in the UK. I love a good royals story especially one that feels close to the current British royalty. The scandals, drama and gossip are so much fun. British press/paparazzi is relentless...although it's their own fault to some degree.
Major plot points are resolved from relationships to the ABR/Fox Rex points.
There are some unexpected twists!
Overall, i enjoyed this and recommend to readers who have read the first two in the series.
July 6, 2026
Very good, Definitely more of a teenage book series, i started the series as a teen and I’m finishing the series as an adult (due to delayed releases) still enjoyable, but i cant picture myself starting this series again as an adult. Id line it up next to books like “the selection series” and “the uglies series” teen oriented dramas. Great for what it is though!
June 18, 2026
Wonderful and worth the wait!
Entirely believable that Ben murdered multiple people, attempted to murder more, and just got house arrest because privilege. Excellent demonstration of a universally broken system, no notes.
Entirely believable that Ben murdered multiple people, attempted to murder more, and just got house arrest because privilege. Excellent demonstration of a universally broken system, no notes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2026
Just as good as I’d hoped it would be!!!
July 13, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
So goodddddd
So cuteeeeeeeeeee
I loved it
I’m so glad that it ended like that and ugh it was wonderful
So goodddddd
So cuteeeeeeeeeee
I loved it
I’m so glad that it ended like that and ugh it was wonderful
August 5, 2026
"Unless one is careful, even the purest of lineages can be bred into monstrosities. The only kind thing to do then is to drown the pups before they spoil the bloodline any further."
This... was not what I was going for. I gave Book 1 - Royal Blood five stars, and this is what it comes down to. This is not how it should go. But there are just too many bad points to ignore.
Firstly, let me start off with a positive point: the cover. Apparently, the UK has given up on publishing this series, which meant I had to buy an American copy - it's more expensive, but it's also utterly gorgeous, especially compared to those horrific British editions they made for Books 1 and 2. The drawing looks great!
But then.
There are a couple of minor aspects that didn't sit well with me. I hardly recognised Maisie, who acts very out of character during most of this book, a few scenes excepted. Evan, too, sometimes does things that I feel aren't like her. I also don't get the point of the seven-month time jump in the middle of the book, nor the entire element of the movie that is being made. It's not relevant to the story, it doesn't influence it in any way - and if it does, that influence easily could have been accomplished by other means.
But there are three major aspects of this book I just don't agree with.
The first one is what Maisie does not too far from the end of Royal Vengeance - you'll get what I mean when you read the book. I get that she's in a fix, but this felt like something she would never do. It's not like her at all, and I feel like she could easily have done something else. Evan's reaction, however, is also over the top - she doesn't give Maisie a chance to explain, even though it's clear from the start that she's was being... pushed to do it.
The second thing is the royal family's final 'big' secret that gets out. I'm sorry, what? I'd seen this coming back in Book 1. It's just so logical, with everything else that's been playing for twenty years in that family now. Why would Evan or anyone else be surprised by this? I certainly wasn't. The fact that it was presented as some big reveal or plot twists, had me frowning like never before, because I thought it had been obvious for years.
And thirdly, and mostly: Evan and Kit. Why do authors keep on adding all those romantic plots in books that don't need it? So much attention is given to the two of them that all other characters, big and small, are left hanging and hardly get any screen time. We hardly see Evan with her mother, only slightly more so with her father and sister. Jenkins is completely out of the picture. Especially in the first two thirds of the book, almost everything revolves solely around our two love birds (yegh). Heck, they have more scenes together with Singh than anyone else (except maybe for Tibby). And the romance didn't feel good at all. It's just two characters smashed together of which the writer says that they love each other very much, but I didn't feel any chemistry at all, throughout the entire series. And with that much attention going towards it, it was just annoying the hell out of me. Especially because it also gets in the way of the story itself. Everything slows down because of it - there are so many scenes that could have been cut. It takes an awful lot of time before things start to happen, all because the two of them are too busy with each other. The previous books were full with scandals, secrets and thrills. Here? It takes hundreds of pages. And Evan and Kit are talking several times about marriage and whatnot. I beg your pardon? They've known each other for a year. They're nineteen and twenty years old. At this stage in your relationship, and especially with everything that's going on in your lives, you don't have a clue if what you're feeling is true love and you should most definitely not - I repeat, not - be thinking about marriage at all for a very long time, you two, you hear me? For crying out loud, just reading about it made me nauseous.
I am giving this book a high three-star score, but only because the final fifty pages were worth it, those were chapters where Carter finally remembered what this story originally was about and sounded like (even though the epilogue was terrible too). If that had been different, it would have been a very low three-star score.
At this moment, I still don't entirely know what to make of it. Was it a bad book? No, not really - but compared with the other two and especially the first one, it was very much a disappointment. I will re-read this series at one point, and that will probably be the time when I will decide if I like this book enough to keep it, or if it blows my joy reading this series and I'll just sell it.
6.8/10
This... was not what I was going for. I gave Book 1 - Royal Blood five stars, and this is what it comes down to. This is not how it should go. But there are just too many bad points to ignore.
Firstly, let me start off with a positive point: the cover. Apparently, the UK has given up on publishing this series, which meant I had to buy an American copy - it's more expensive, but it's also utterly gorgeous, especially compared to those horrific British editions they made for Books 1 and 2. The drawing looks great!
But then.
There are a couple of minor aspects that didn't sit well with me. I hardly recognised Maisie, who acts very out of character during most of this book, a few scenes excepted. Evan, too, sometimes does things that I feel aren't like her. I also don't get the point of the seven-month time jump in the middle of the book, nor the entire element of the movie that is being made. It's not relevant to the story, it doesn't influence it in any way - and if it does, that influence easily could have been accomplished by other means.
But there are three major aspects of this book I just don't agree with.
The first one is what Maisie does not too far from the end of Royal Vengeance - you'll get what I mean when you read the book. I get that she's in a fix, but this felt like something she would never do. It's not like her at all, and I feel like she could easily have done something else. Evan's reaction, however, is also over the top - she doesn't give Maisie a chance to explain, even though it's clear from the start that she's was being... pushed to do it.
The second thing is the royal family's final 'big' secret that gets out. I'm sorry, what? I'd seen this coming back in Book 1. It's just so logical, with everything else that's been playing for twenty years in that family now. Why would Evan or anyone else be surprised by this? I certainly wasn't. The fact that it was presented as some big reveal or plot twists, had me frowning like never before, because I thought it had been obvious for years.
And thirdly, and mostly: Evan and Kit. Why do authors keep on adding all those romantic plots in books that don't need it? So much attention is given to the two of them that all other characters, big and small, are left hanging and hardly get any screen time. We hardly see Evan with her mother, only slightly more so with her father and sister. Jenkins is completely out of the picture. Especially in the first two thirds of the book, almost everything revolves solely around our two love birds (yegh). Heck, they have more scenes together with Singh than anyone else (except maybe for Tibby). And the romance didn't feel good at all. It's just two characters smashed together of which the writer says that they love each other very much, but I didn't feel any chemistry at all, throughout the entire series. And with that much attention going towards it, it was just annoying the hell out of me. Especially because it also gets in the way of the story itself. Everything slows down because of it - there are so many scenes that could have been cut. It takes an awful lot of time before things start to happen, all because the two of them are too busy with each other. The previous books were full with scandals, secrets and thrills. Here? It takes hundreds of pages. And Evan and Kit are talking several times about marriage and whatnot. I beg your pardon? They've known each other for a year. They're nineteen and twenty years old. At this stage in your relationship, and especially with everything that's going on in your lives, you don't have a clue if what you're feeling is true love and you should most definitely not - I repeat, not - be thinking about marriage at all for a very long time, you two, you hear me? For crying out loud, just reading about it made me nauseous.
I am giving this book a high three-star score, but only because the final fifty pages were worth it, those were chapters where Carter finally remembered what this story originally was about and sounded like (even though the epilogue was terrible too). If that had been different, it would have been a very low three-star score.
At this moment, I still don't entirely know what to make of it. Was it a bad book? No, not really - but compared with the other two and especially the first one, it was very much a disappointment. I will re-read this series at one point, and that will probably be the time when I will decide if I like this book enough to keep it, or if it blows my joy reading this series and I'll just sell it.
6.8/10
July 1, 2026
I will forever think of this series as one of the best alternative history British royal family fiction novels. This is of course, a genre that I usually refer to as my guilty pleasure, so I was excited when I heard that the final book is the trilogy had come out.
This was a fun, quick, junk food read for me. The writing is very solid, especially for a YA book. I had a good time, though I wouldn't call it a perfect book by any means.
The entirety of this book felt a little too much like an epilogue. My biggest issues stemmed from the fact that I read the other two books in the trilogy years ago and didn't remember them as well as I'd hoped. There were context clues here, and I was able to follow along just fine with what I'd remembered, but I do think I would have found the epilogue-like nature of this novel more impactful and cathartic if I'd read the rest of the trilogy more recently and therefore cared more for the cast of characters.
There didn't really seem to be any big revelations. I thought the action was fun though.
I like Evan a lot as our female lead. For a first-person, single POV, she has a lot of personality and I like her strong will. Kit is just a nice boyfriend, which is great, but doesn't leave a lot for me to say about him. Some of the expanded cast of characters are a bit insufferable *cough cough* Maisie, but generally I like the dynamic everyone has with each other. I like that Carter actually put in the effort to make up her own characters rather than just basing them off of existing royals in the real-life British royal family like many authors in this genre do.
I love a story that's written like a soap opera and this one had no shortage of scenes straight out of one of those scripted dramas. I think it was a decent conclusion to the series, wrapping everything up nicely. I'd recommend it to anyone who's read and enjoyed the rest of the series.
This was a fun, quick, junk food read for me. The writing is very solid, especially for a YA book. I had a good time, though I wouldn't call it a perfect book by any means.
The entirety of this book felt a little too much like an epilogue. My biggest issues stemmed from the fact that I read the other two books in the trilogy years ago and didn't remember them as well as I'd hoped. There were context clues here, and I was able to follow along just fine with what I'd remembered, but I do think I would have found the epilogue-like nature of this novel more impactful and cathartic if I'd read the rest of the trilogy more recently and therefore cared more for the cast of characters.
There didn't really seem to be any big revelations. I thought the action was fun though.
I like Evan a lot as our female lead. For a first-person, single POV, she has a lot of personality and I like her strong will. Kit is just a nice boyfriend, which is great, but doesn't leave a lot for me to say about him. Some of the expanded cast of characters are a bit insufferable *cough cough* Maisie, but generally I like the dynamic everyone has with each other. I like that Carter actually put in the effort to make up her own characters rather than just basing them off of existing royals in the real-life British royal family like many authors in this genre do.
I love a story that's written like a soap opera and this one had no shortage of scenes straight out of one of those scripted dramas. I think it was a decent conclusion to the series, wrapping everything up nicely. I'd recommend it to anyone who's read and enjoyed the rest of the series.
August 8, 2026
Yikes. I almost can't believe that everything got so nicely wrapped up with the media, after how horrible they'd been. Or maybe they just got tired of all the scandals and affairs because it got really messy there. Honestly, the whole thing about Maisie's legitimacy was a bit much. There had to have been other ways to trap Ben since nothing changed much for Maisie. Plus, it made Alexander's reason for choosing to stay in England seem shaky; I had a hard time following that logic. But I suppose with Ben finally getting what he deserved and everyone else getting a happy ending (although Nicholas deserved someone better than Helene) I don't mind too much.
Although, John Philip Michaels's arrest felt too easy after all the build up to it, even though I knew Ben was the real mastermind. And he was a baron's son? Makes no sense. Also, the list of Fox Rex members was made out to be such a big deal, but then Michaels got arrested and it just disappeared with no mention of who was on it.
Alexander's recovery was far too simple for his injuries, ridiculously so.
And Rosie died? Really?
I'm not saying this was a disappointing end to a book I've waited two years for (it's still sad to finish a trilogy whose conclusion I've waited on for awhile) but with so much happening, I almost felt like I was pulling away from the characters. But hey, Evan and Kit are now engaged and they waited until they were 21 to do it.
Although, John Philip Michaels's arrest felt too easy after all the build up to it, even though I knew Ben was the real mastermind. And he was a baron's son? Makes no sense. Also, the list of Fox Rex members was made out to be such a big deal, but then Michaels got arrested and it just disappeared with no mention of who was on it.
Alexander's recovery was far too simple for his injuries, ridiculously so.
And Rosie died? Really?
I'm not saying this was a disappointing end to a book I've waited two years for (it's still sad to finish a trilogy whose conclusion I've waited on for awhile) but with so much happening, I almost felt like I was pulling away from the characters. But hey, Evan and Kit are now engaged and they waited until they were 21 to do it.
June 24, 2026
ahhh i love this trilogy! i feel like books like this, with a secret royal daughter trope, often rely on that trope being the only highlight of the book and the authors usually resort to writing about some petty drama that gets resolved too easily and is often really cringe. i want to applaud the author for writing an amazing, layered plot, with high stakes that highlights the main character and shows their growth throught the trilogy.
i loved how the book ended and everyone got exactly what they deserved! it also showed how complex this situation is and what consequences it has for every single member of the family. i was surprised by the twist involving maisie, because i think it made everything just a bit too complicated, but i absolutely love how it got resolved. the villain was sooo hell-bent on everything going their way and i loved that they didn't give up easily and were willing to do everything and anything to achieve their goal, no matter the cost. that really showed that the author was really putting much thought into this to make it entertaining and didn't want to make it easy for the characters.
maisie and evan had a pretty realistic relationship progress considering everything that was at stake, but i think their relationship was pushed too far towards the ending. again, i loveloveloved that everyone got their happy ending and we got a glimpse into the future! i fear no book with similar plot will ever top this.
i loved how the book ended and everyone got exactly what they deserved! it also showed how complex this situation is and what consequences it has for every single member of the family. i was surprised by the twist involving maisie, because i think it made everything just a bit too complicated, but i absolutely love how it got resolved. the villain was sooo hell-bent on everything going their way and i loved that they didn't give up easily and were willing to do everything and anything to achieve their goal, no matter the cost. that really showed that the author was really putting much thought into this to make it entertaining and didn't want to make it easy for the characters.
maisie and evan had a pretty realistic relationship progress considering everything that was at stake, but i think their relationship was pushed too far towards the ending. again, i loveloveloved that everyone got their happy ending and we got a glimpse into the future! i fear no book with similar plot will ever top this.
September 5, 2026
Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an incredible ending to an already awesome trilogy! ❤️👑 This is one of those series I randomly stumbled across while browsing the shelves at Barnes & Noble, and somehow it ended up becoming one of my favorite series of 2026. I’ve absolutely loved Aimee Carter’s writing throughout this trilogy, and I’ll be picking up everything she writes from here on out.
Questions are FINALLY answered. Validations are FINALLY given. And vengeance has never tasted so sweet. 😌
That final scene??? SO freaking satisfying. There could be absolutely no more denial after that, and watching everything finally come to a head made it that much sweeter.
I also FINALLY got confirmation that my theory from the first book was correct! Honestly, I could have seen the resolution going in a completely different direction, and I wouldn't have been mad about that either. But I completely understood why Aimee chose the direction she did, and I was happy with how everything came together.
And the romance is ROMANCING. 🥹❤️ My heart was just absolutely oozing with love for our sweet little couple.
I’m genuinely not ready to let these characters go. I would not be mad AT ALL if Aimee Carter decided to continue their story in a new series because I already miss them, and I just want MORE.
This trilogy was such a pleasant surprise, and I’m so glad I happened to pick it up that day at Barnes & Noble.
Questions are FINALLY answered. Validations are FINALLY given. And vengeance has never tasted so sweet. 😌
That final scene??? SO freaking satisfying. There could be absolutely no more denial after that, and watching everything finally come to a head made it that much sweeter.
I also FINALLY got confirmation that my theory from the first book was correct! Honestly, I could have seen the resolution going in a completely different direction, and I wouldn't have been mad about that either. But I completely understood why Aimee chose the direction she did, and I was happy with how everything came together.
And the romance is ROMANCING. 🥹❤️ My heart was just absolutely oozing with love for our sweet little couple.
I’m genuinely not ready to let these characters go. I would not be mad AT ALL if Aimee Carter decided to continue their story in a new series because I already miss them, and I just want MORE.
This trilogy was such a pleasant surprise, and I’m so glad I happened to pick it up that day at Barnes & Noble.
August 13, 2026
I'm still loving the cover(s) of these books, which capture the essence of the main character, Evan, perfectly. This book, the third in the series, is sure to satisfy its fans with its blend of romance, danger, and forgiveness. Since it's something of a modern fairy tale, of course, it all ends happily ever after. The fast pace, the moments of danger, and the excerpts from British newspapers add to the appeal as does its slightly gossipy quality and the details about royalty that leave most Americans baffled. I won't be the only reader who will miss Evan and all those around her although I doubt that she'd be allowed to risk her life so many times in real life. I also found myself wishing that Evan would take on some cause or hobby other than trying to prove that Ben was responsible for certain actions. This one is a 3.5 for me.
July 26, 2026
5 stars. Excellent ending for a series!
Evan is hiding out with Kit at Oxford as they try to figure out who is in the anti monarch group that set the bomb that gravely injured her father the king. Action picks up from previous books easily, I remembered it clearly from 2 years ago.
Lots of action, plots, royal intrigue
The last thing we want is a member of the family to try to kill the rest of us
Always happy to watch Evan try to hit things.
Huge secrets
Love, that’s what defines us as family, not fights, scandals, not familial terrorism
Great ending - bit of book hangover for this series, reminds me a little of Ally Carter
Evan is hiding out with Kit at Oxford as they try to figure out who is in the anti monarch group that set the bomb that gravely injured her father the king. Action picks up from previous books easily, I remembered it clearly from 2 years ago.
Lots of action, plots, royal intrigue
The last thing we want is a member of the family to try to kill the rest of us
Always happy to watch Evan try to hit things.
Huge secrets
Love, that’s what defines us as family, not fights, scandals, not familial terrorism
Great ending - bit of book hangover for this series, reminds me a little of Ally Carter
July 28, 2026
It had a slower start than the rest of the books. It was more action filled than the rest, but I did still enjoy the series overall. I thought that Kit would be secretly working with Ben hence why he was rushing things with Evangeline and around Roise when she died. To be honest, I would preferred if Maise was still King Alexander kid that plotline remained. However, I still thought the ending tied everything into a nice bow. Still a cozy read with lots of twists and turns and cannot await for Aimee Carter next works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2026
Overall I enjoyed how the series ended. Mayyyyyybe 4 stars is a little strong for this specific entry, but credit for wrapping it all up.
There were still a few twists and turns throughout this story. At one point about 1/2 way through I thought, "this is about wrapped up, ohh, we still have 50% to go, I guess not" and the second 1/2 had some .
I'll always be a sucker for stories (fact or fiction) about monarchies!
There were still a few twists and turns throughout this story. At one point about 1/2 way through I thought, "this is about wrapped up, ohh, we still have 50% to go, I guess not" and the second 1/2 had some .
I'll always be a sucker for stories (fact or fiction) about monarchies!
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