Princess Ballot

Royals of Arbon Academy #1

by Jaymin Eve, Tate James

You have been chosen.

Those four words change Violet Spencer’s whole life, when against staggering odds, she's selected in the "princess ballot."

Arbon Academy is affectionately known as the school for Royals. Only the rich, powerful, or heir to a throne gain entry ... except for the one scholarship student accepted every five years. It's a worldwide lottery, and one that Violet entered without giving it any serious thought.

But the media got it wrong and Arbon Academy is much more than a simple college for future leaders.

It’s a dark world of politics, intrigue, and dangerous guys who will stop at nothing to get their own way. Despite her best efforts at remaining off the radar, Violet finds herself a pawn between two of the most powerful monarchies in the world.

Prince Rafe of the Switzerlands and Prince Alex of the Australasias are bitter enemies both on the soccer field and in the political arena. Monarchies rule the world now, and every waking breath is a competition for the princes.

Control the ball.
Control the world.
Control Violet.

Whether it's through love or hate, someone will ultimately win.

*This is book one in a dark college romance. This is not a RH or traditional love triangle story, but it does include a-hole princes, nasty princesses, and one chick who will take none of their shit, all the while doing her best to make it out alive. HEA guaranteed. Eventually. 17+. #darkromance #collegeromance #sportsromance #royals

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Fantasy, College, Royalty, Dystopia, Enemies To Lovers

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2019

About the author

Jaymin Eve is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi novels filled with epic love stories, great adventures, and plenty of laughs. She lives in Australia with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a couple of crazy pets. To date, she has sold over three million ebooks, and still can't believe that she gets to create fantasy worlds as a job. 

For action, adventure, romance, and a guaranteed HEA, start one of her series today.

Reading order:

Secret Keepers series (Paranormal Romance) House of Darken. House of Imperial. House of Leights. House of Royale.

Storm Princess Saga (PNR/Fantasy)
The Princess Must Die. The Princess Must Strike. The Princess Must Reign.

Curse of the Gods (Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance series) UpperYA/NA
Trickery. Persuasion. Seduction. Strength. Neutral. Pain.

Supernatural Prison (UF/PNR romance -shifter, vampire, fae, magic user) Upper YA/NA
Dragon Marked. Dragon Mystics. Dragon Mated. Broken Compass. Magical Compass.

NYC Mecca Series (UF/PNR Romance - shifters) Upper YA
Queen Heir. Queen Alpha. Queen Fae. Queen Mecca.

Hive Trilogy (UF/PNR Romance - vampires) Upper YA
Ash. Anarchy. Annihilate.

Walker Saga (Fantasy/adventure/romance - gods, mermaids, dragons) YA
First World. Spurn. Crais. Regali. Nephilius. Dronish. Earth.

Stay updated:

http://www.jaymineve.com

https://www.facebook.com/JayminEve.Au...

Reviews

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Note to Fans of This Book

Sometimes, certain of my reviews seem to bring an author's more rabid fans out of the woodwork. If you're one of those people, and you feel the burning urge to comment and tell me how I'm just not bright enough to understand this masterpiece of literature like you do, bear in mind the following points:

1. I'm allowed to leave a negative review, and give details why. You're allowed to leave a positive review, and give details why.

2. How about, instead of attacking me in the comments, you actually go and write a proper review saying why you like the book? I guarantee the author would thank you way more for doing that than for insulting me, another paying reader, who gives the author more publicity every time I read one of her books.

3. I am never, ever, ever going to pile onto your 5-star review and tell you you're stupid for feeling that way. Don't waste both our time by doing it to me. You can disagree with me - I welcome disagreement - but if you have to resort to personal insults, that's just pathetic. Also, I'll most likely just delete you from now on.

Apologies to the vast majority of people on this site who aren't actually like that. Onto the review now...

ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!

DNF at 20%, because I lost interest, but it had the potential not to be totally awful so I'm being generous and giving it 2 stars. Also because I may return to it one day, but today was the release date so I'm reviewing now.

Summary

Violet Spencer is an American orphan who, out of 15 million people (which I'm pretty sure makes this worse odds than meeting an alien or something) wins the 'Princess Ballot', aka a scholarship to a university in Switzerland which educates most of the world's young royals. Once she's there she ends up caught in the rivalry between Alex, Crown Prince of Australasia and Raphael, Crown Prince of Switzerland.

My Thoughts

❌ Okay, here is a huge, HUGE, glaring plot hole. Violet is 18, and at the start of the book we see her in her senior year of high school. Then she wins the ballot to Arbon Academy, which is a UNIVERSITY. (Let's not get into the whole thing about how 'academies' are pretty much only ever used for secondary schools nowadays, not universities, because honestly way too many authors have been making this irritating jump lately). So... can someone explain to me how she literally starts university the next day, without having graduated from high school, without having picked an actual subject to study, ANYTHING?

❌ Also, I think the authors needed to be reminded more often that they'd made Arbon a university, because they were treating it like a secondary school. Uniform, for university!?!??! Curfew, timetable? What the hell? It's clear they were inspired by Le Rosey, a boarding school for the global elite, but that's a SECONDARY SCHOOL and they didn't make the necessary changes in their story. Even worse, the drinking age in Switzerland has always been 18, but Violet talks about how a recent war has meant that the worldwide drinking ages have been relaxed down from 21. Erm, NO. You don't need to find random ways to justify your characters being able to drink, when the literal country you've set the story in allows 18-year-olds to drink anyway!

❌ For the love of God, those authors REALLY love their cliches. This book's glaring cliche was the best friend whom Violet makes instantly within two seconds of setting foot in the school. I've been to a hell of a lot of schools, and this has NEVER happened to me. I find it extremely irritating when authors can't be bothered with the development of genuine relationships and instead slot in a ready-made best friend with no real personality beyond her inexplicable desire to do everything for Violet. Next cliche: Violet being dragged to a party on her very first night, because I've yet to encounter a NA book without copious amounts of partying, makeup, skimpy clothing, and alcohol.

❌ I find Violet not especially intelligent, it has to be said. She lets herself go the party, gets so insanely drunk (around total strangers) that she forgets the entire night, and... has a meeting with the dean the next morning. Contender for the Einstein of the Year Award right there.

WARNING: Pedantry Ahead

So, aristocratic genealogy is something I take pretty seriously, and something I absolutely HATE is when authors who evidently know nothing whatsoever about how titles work insert them into their writing. There is NO title, in itself, which is simply 'lord.' It's duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. Sure, the Duke of Beaufort can be called Lord Beaufort, but his actual title isn't Lord Beaufort. And you NEVER put the 'lord' before his first name. Lord before a first name just means that the guy in question is the younger son of a duke or marquess; it isn't indicative of a title.

These rules of peerage, which are actually pretty basic and apparent to anyone who does five seconds of research, are totally ignored in this book. It probably won't be a big deal to most of you, but there's nothing I loathe more than when an author doesn't take the time to make sure their story is as realistic as possible.

Overall

I have a morbid desire to see how bad this story really gets, but I'm marking it DNF for now.

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

'PRINCESS BALLOT' is the first full length romance novel co-written by Jaymin Eve & Tate James 'Royals of Arbon Academy' series.

Not everyone is lucky enough to become one of the chosen ones, it happens every five years, so poor orphaned eighteen year old Violet Rose Spencer couldn't believe her luck when she was informed that she'd been chosen to attend Arbon Academy for the next four years on a free scholarship where over fifteen million others hadn't been so lucky, it was one of the most prestigious schools in the world where only and rich and most powerful of royals attend.

Her first day she catches the eyes of two very different boys, Prince Rafe of the Switzerlands and Prince Alex of the Australasias, one of them doesn't seem to want her there at all and doesn't hide the fact, whereas the other is very taken with her and pursues her relentlessly, both boys are bitter rivals on the soccer team and off it.

Don't be fooled by Violets name she's no shrinking Violet, she is such a strong heroine who holds a few secrets under her belt which she doesn't want to reveal too soon as it may get her killed. There is more to this Academy than meets the eye. Not all is what it seems.

This was unexpectedly good! Utterly-unique, unquestionably-unputdownable! Started off slow but once I got into it I inhaled it, devoured it in record speeds, I enjoyed every minute of it! Not even Christmas Day could stop me reading! So easy to get into, harder to put down! Now I can’t wait for the next book!

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year, I read some great books by Jaymin Eve and Tate James, so when I heard about their newest collaboration, I put it on my tbr asap. That being said, Princess Ballot has hot heroes, a badass heroine, and a cool premise, so I would've likely jumped on it regardless of who wrote it. An awesome author duo being involved was just the icing on the cake!



Violet Rose Spencer, an orphan with dreams of a better future, gets the shock of a lifetime when she finds out she was selected to receive a scholarship to Arbon Academy, a college home only to royals and individuals from the most wealthy families around the world. It's a dream come true, but not all of the students matriculating at the prestigious academy are exactly welcoming to the poor new scholarship student. Though she prepared herself for that probability, it does nothing to lessen the sting.



Prince Rafe of the Switzerlands acts like he would rather see her head on a pike then at his lunch table. His betrothed throws insults Violet's way before she's barely in the door, and the headmaster's son does nothing to disguise his outright hatred for her despite not knowing a thing about her. Their aggressive behavior towards her would be enough to send anyone running, but Violet needs this opportunity more than she cares about their ignorant hostility.

Besides, not everyone at Arbon Academy wants to see the new girl leave. Mattie and Nolan, twin royals, take it upon themselves to be her resident best friends from the time she walks through the door. Prince Alex of the Australasias shows his romantic interest immediately and unabashedly from the moment she lays eyes on him.



Friendship and romance help ease the sting of constant hatred thrown her way, but before long petty insults turn into something more sinister. Something that can't be ignored. Something that turns her whole life upside down once more.

Princess Ballot is a new adult dystopian romance that delivers on intrigue, angst, and hot motherfucking royals! The whole time I read it I wished it could be a reverse harem, because Violet would have loved being in a Rafe/Alex sandwich as much as I would have loved reading about it. I wouldn't mind throwing in their droolworthy friends either. The more the merrier, am I right? Lol

Despite not having my fantasies fulfilled and the story having a bit of a slow start, I enjoyed it in the end, and I'm looking forward to the next installment. Book 2 will likely be more complicated, steamy, angsty, and violent, so of course, it has the potential to be my favorite.



If you're a fan of new adult romance in an academy setting, this one's for you!

[Bibi · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are 100s of books with the poor girl in high school with mean rich kids who make life intolerable only for her to then fall in love with the biggest bully of them all.

The trope is so 2013 and needs to be retired.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s giving Cinderella if she went to an academy in a dystopian world, got several men to fall in love with her and is an avid cage fighter in her spare time. So a better, somewhat twisted Cinderella 👸

The last thing I would call this book is predictable. At times I thought I had a grasp on what was happening, but apparently, I had no idea. I constantly felt like I was being led down a rabbit hole, but not in a frustrating way, more in a way that made me need to figure things out 🐇

The book was set in a dystopian world of Royals, Lords and their subjects. The heroine was an orphan, who won her place at a prestigious University by entering a country-wide ballot. She attended this University with young Royals from each country. Many of them formed friendships based on who their countries allies were. Not everyone was an ally 👑

It was advertised as not a RH and not a traditional love triangle, so I was a little confused about what I would be getting based on previous books I’ve read by these writers. All I’m going to say is that it’s not a typical harem, but it isn’t a M/F either, you just have to wait and see.

As much as I enjoyed the romance aspect, the easy-going friendship between Nolan, Mattie and Violet always seemed to make me laugh the most. They were great side characters to have and cared for the heroine in a way that was so unfamiliar to her.

———

I’m not going to say what tropes it covers because I think that would give too much away, but there are quite a few. ‘Mystery’ was one that I wasn’t expecting. The plot twists were on point, the angst was frustrating good and the characters are mostly very likeable.

It reminded me of Hollow Hearts, in terms of the University setting and the power dynamics between the lead characters. This is one of my favourites.

Also that cliffhanger … 😅

Update: I have read all 3 books in this series now and equally enjoyed all of them. I won’t be doing reviews for the other two though, as I can’t really remember what events happened in B2 & what ones are in B3. Everything has merged together in my brain 🫠

I will say the ONE thing I didn’t like in B3 was the reveal that she was related to Princess Diane. It was just such as random thing to include. I was fully immersed in this world, don’t drag me back to reality. I don’t want to be there !!!!

Thanks for the rec Rachel, so glad I read this ♥️

[Tate James · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of the authors, I think we did a great job! **high five**

Seriously, though, I accidentally added this to my "reading" shelf and it wouldn't let me escape without putting a review. Help. Technology is hard!

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I Liked Rafe*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

I was very uncertain on whenever I should read this book or not. Why, you ask? Well, it has a love triangle. Yet, why did I even start reading it? Well, people has it tagged as a revers harem, yet the authors say it's not a RH or traditional love triangle story... so I was confused as to what will happen so I decided to give it a go. That said, I immediately disliked Alex, he seemed both weak and shady. But I liked Rafe, Jordan and Nolan. Specially Rafe. I do love a powerful, alpha male. While the book itself wasn't much, Rafe made it interesting. I couldn't connect with Violet though. Let's see if it gets better in book two.

The Royals Information:
There were fifty royal families, each ruling large sections of the world. Country boundaries were not the same as they had been before the last world war. A lot of the world had been destroyed, rendered totally uninhabitable by heavy chemical warfare, resulting in just fifty distinct kingdoms, all varying in size and power—power being the control of technology, clean drinking water, food, and fossil fuels.
All the former democracies crashed when the world did, ushering in an age of monarchs. Two of the most powerful were the province of Switzerland and New America. They were allies, which gave them a strong ruling power, but close behind was Australasia and Denmark. Our enemies.

Characters:
The list is long so I've put it in a spoilers tag.

→ Violet ‘Vi’ ‘Vengeance’ ‘Violence’ ‘Cinderella’ ‘new girl’ Rose Spencer (18), main character. a first level baseball player in the “poor league”.
→ Prince Rafael ‘Rafe’ ‘Fallen Angel’ of the Switzerlands, their heir - the most powerful heir in the world. He’s the leading center forward for the best college soccer team in the entire world and would go professional if he wasn’t a crown prince.
→ Crown Prince Alex (23-24) of the Australasias. Alex and Rafe are enemies: their rivalry has been strong since last year—personal shit. They’re in their fourth and final years now. Alex is a striker on the soccer team.
→ Meredith Mossman, the closest thing Vi had to a friend.
→ King Munroe, the King of New America.
→ Lord Winston Morgan, Dean of Arbon Academy.
→ Brandon Morgan, Dean Morgan’s son.
→ Mr. George Wainwright, Dean Morgan’s personal assistant
→ King Felipe and Queen Jacinta, Rafe's parents and ruler of Switzerlands (which now incorporated multiple countries that were formerly part of Europe) where Arbon Academy was.
→ Jean-luc and Lacy-liun, twins and Rafe's siblings. They were too young for Arbon.
→ Matisse ‘Mattie’, princess of a little country in South America, the Guays - what used to be Paraguay, Uruguay, and some of Argentina. Bi.
→ Nolan ‘Nole’, Mattie's twin brother and crown prince. Was on the soccer team - a striker. Bi.
→ Jordan ‘Jordie’, Rafe’s best friend and heir to New America. The top goalie in their league, but he also hops out on occasion to play defense - soccer.
→ Claudette ‘Claud’ Bixel, a princess of the Britains, second in line to the throne. She's betrothed to Rafe, though not by his choice. Rafe tries to broke it off causing a huge political mess. Is with Alex.
→ Harriet, Luca and Theo, friend of Mattie?
→ Drake, crown heir of Denmark & surrounds. He’s the one who throws the parties around Arbon. Alex's friend.
→ Victoria-Anne Bixel, a princess of the Britains, her older sister is going to be the next queen of the Switzerlands.
→ Jasmine, Alex's pregnant fiancée who died almost three years ago. Rumor is that it was Alex who murdered her by pushing her down the stairs. Alex claims she fell.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (NA) Dark Dystopia Contemporary College Romance.
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - No.
Favorite character? - Rafael.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure, I think.
Will I read this again in the future? - Don't think so.
Rating - 3 stars.

[Vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading dark legacy from these authors I just have one question.... WHEN IS IT COMING????

[ABookLover73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE GREAT (I mean MIND BLOWING) STARS for Violet and Rafe (yes, I'm still hoping that he will be her Prince Charming 😅) 💖💖💖!!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the first book that I've read and it had written by Jaymin Eve and Tate James.

I thought that it will be one more dark college romance, but it wasn't and because of that, I loved it more.

It's a dystopian dark college romance book in which action is placed in time after the fictional Monarch War where the world was divided into monarchies.

"Princess Ballot" is a dark college romance with a lot of angst and secrets that will keep your attention through the whole book.

Violet is one female badass character who knows when she can fight and when she needs to grit her teeth and receive bumps.

I felt so sorry for her at the end of this book because she didn't deserve the betrayal from the person for whom she believed wasn't that kind of person, as the others said to her.

But, I know that in the next she will serve the revenge to that person.

I didn't like Alex from the beginning.

He was too good to be true so I had some suspect that he was something hiding and I was so right 😁!

Rafe.

I was cheering for him from the beginning.

He took my heart before Violet's and I was waiting for the whole book for them to be together.

But, that didn't happen.

That is why I want to read the "Playboy Princes" right now!

Rafe is a typical bad boy from this kind of books and no matter what he does, you still think he is the right guy for Violet.

I hope they end up together.

If you're looking for some new dark college romance, you should definitely read this book!

Highly recommended!!!

P.S. I need the next book right now 😱😱😱!!! Pretty please?! 🙃

[Tianna✸loves books✸ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once upon a time there was a poor orphan girl who gets selected in a big royal school of riches. There she meets a prince who likes her. Then she meets a prince who hates her. So we have a Smitten prince and a Rude prince who hate each other. And she is the Cinderella.

So the Cinderella also makes a new princess friend. No development of friendship here. They are instant friends. Just like that.

So the Smitten prince asks Cinderella out and she goes on dates with him. Her princess friend try to warn her about the Smitten prince but still she goes on with him. Also she keeps arguing and hating the Rude prince, who is a jerk to her.

Lots of blah blah later, it turns out that the smitten prince is actually a liar creepy prince and just playing around with her and wants her to become his wife and give him kids. So that he will get a good fame of marrying a charity case and making him a Cinderella prince. The public loves such stuff. He also killed his previous pregnant girlfriend with whom he was for the same reasons, but turned out that the child wasn’t his. He also likes another princess, who is betrothed to the rude prince and also very mean to Cinderella.

The plot is good and could have made a very interesting drama but the book and the writing was very bland. It was just plain and boring.

[Al *the semi serial series skipper* · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book slightly more enjoyable than all the crap I've been reading lately. You get 3 stars.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5ish stars

I saw this book trending on Amazon and I found the summary pretty interesting and to my surprised it lived up to the summary.

Warning: this book isn’t a RH. I’m not too fond of RH books and so this worked out for me. It’s a slightly love-triangle book, more like one guy is into her and another one is kind of mean (but you want her to explore the mean guy because come on we all love the mean guy right?).

I liked that this book is set in a dystopian society, but the society is mega rich. So Violet gets to see how the other half live. The world building is a stretch. You have a lot of Royals attending this school, this school is after high school and they all wear uniforms. I’m not sure what 18 to 20 something year old wants to wear uniforms after high school, but I went along with it.

It surprised me how many royals had babies that are the same age. Like do all people have babies at the same time? But I get it, you want Violet’s circle of friends to be the top of the top.

I liked that the book was low on angst, but heavy in storyline.

I liked that Violet had two great friends and those friends are at the top of the class.

I liked hat Violet was strong, she could fight and she listened to herself and heart.

I liked that there wasn’t really any unnecessary fighting, every dialogue and conversation had a reason and it flowed.

I liked that there was a mysterious element to the book. Everyone has secrets and Violet wanted to uncover them.

The sort of love triangle is between Violet and Alex (who is nice and is totally into her) and Rafe who is a jerk and not openly into her, but you could feel the tension. In this book, I liked that Violet had affections from a nice guy, because it always annoyed me when the Hero is mean and the Heroine doesn’t have anyone to fall back on. Why can’t the Heroine have some side candy right?

I kind of wished I knew it was a cliff-hanger book because I probably wouldn’t have started this, how am I to remember all the characters 4 months from now? Or how I am to remember to go back to this series? I read a lot of books.

Anyhow. It’s a unique story and it 100% worked for my reading tastes.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is hitting like the Royal Trials and Hannaford Prep series had a book baby and I'm really enjoying it.

Dystopian Future world setting where all the countries are run by Monarchs and Democracy is a thing of the past. FMC is an Orphan who wins a scholarship to an elite school that basically all Royal heirs attend. Some shady secretive plot stuff seems to be going on with those scholarships and the FMC is dropped into the middle of it.

There's another side plot where weapons are illegal in this new world even swords so people have made these underground fight clubs so they can train and learn to fight with weapons. This is sort of strange to me because carrying a sword comes with a death sentence in this new world so why risk it? If you take the swords out of the equation you could keep the fight club, learn how to defend yourself, and avoid the death penalty. It's not like they can use those swords anywhere because even owning one could result in you being killed by the ruling class. So if you ever had to defend yourself in public you would be using your fists instead of a weapon. So this aspect of the storyline seems a tad redundant to me but other than that I'm enjoying the story and the characters.

[Jypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Wildfire Marketing and the authors for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Princess Ballot
By: Jaymin Eve & Tate James

*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Princess Ballot is a dark college romance about a lucky(or maybe not) girl, Violet Rose. As an orphan, Violet doesn't expect much from life. One fateful day, however, Violet is informed that she, among millions, has been chosen for a full scholarship, a privilege afforded to almost no one, to attend the especially prestigious Arbon Academy. This place is ground zero for the elitest of the elite in the realms of power, money, politics and prestige. An opportunity like this is nothing short of miraculous and life altering for an orphan like Violet. In the blink of an eye, she rises from nothing to a world of excessive everything. This is Violet's once in a lifetime shot to become someone who is important, fits in, belongs and whose life has substantial value and infinite purpose. What Violet doesn't know, however, is how much this place and these people are not at all as they appear(too good to be true, perhaps?). A whole world of scheming, lying, betrayal, lust, deceit and debauchery ripples just beneath the glossy beautiful visage of the surface. After gaining the attention of some important people, Violet finds herself in the thick of things. She must decide how to proceed with this new life, whom to trust and accept any consequences of her own making. Arbon Academy is exciting and navigable new territory, but it's also treacherous, perilous and filled with unforgiving vipers. Tread lightly. This story is so much fun from beginning to end with humorous and heated moments. I've always been a fan of college/academy fiction, and Princess Ballot is now among my favorites. I was amused one minute and angry the next, never knowing what to expect. Violet is a sympathetic strong character learning and clawing her way through this labyrinth of smoke and mirrors. She deserves good things. I felt her struggles and wanted Violet to succeed all the way to the cliffhanger....yes, I'm serious! The agony of waiting for the next book is terrible! Why must readers be subjected to this?

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

The Princess Ballot is the first book in the Royals of Arbon Academy Series and follows the story of Violet Spencer. Violet Spencer’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has won the Princess Ballot. You see, Violet is a ward of the state and has a tough life. When she turned 18, she couldn’t wait to be out on her own and make some better luck for herself. So, when she finds out that she’s won the Princess Ballot, Violet thinks her luck is beginning to change….Only she couldn’t have been more wrong. You see, there is so much more to Arbon Academy than meets the eyes. It’s a total sink or swim situation and you definitely have to watch your back. Despite Violets best efforts at trying to remain below the radar, she catches the eyes of Prince Alex and soon finds herself a pawn in a game she never wanted part of……

Overall, I thought this book was a quick and easy read. The story-line pulled me in from the very beginning and definitely left me wanting more. I thought Violet was an interesting character. Despite her upbringing, she was tough and could handle her own when it came to the royals who wanted her gone. I was intrigued by both Prince Rafe and Prince Alex. There is a lot of suspicion that surrounds Alex. He appears to be this sweet, honest guy, but I totally didn’t get the warm and fuzzies from him. I don’t know. There’s just something about him that makes me think his agenda may not be on the up and up. And then we’ve got Prince Rafe. Prince Rafe appears to be a total jerk, but then he’s got these moments where he is sweet and looking out for Violet. I don’t know what to think of him yet and I hope that he will prove to more than just a rich, entitled jerk.

The Princess Ballot sets this series off to a good start. The characters have been introduced and the story-line set. There’s mystery. There’s intrigue. There’s danger around every corner. There’s steam and just a touch of romance. And if that wasn’t enough, this book has a pretty spectacular twist that will just leave your head spinning.

The Princess Ballot is my first book by this writing duo and I look forward to reading more from the two of them in the future.

* I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*

[rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, okay, I actually really enjoyed this book. I've been in an awful slump the last few months where the only books I've been able to tolerate are old favourites, but Princess Ballot had enough intrigue to have me finishing it in one sitting.

This series has been on my tbr for a while. I've enjoyed a lot of Jaymin Eve and Tate James, but the title - Princess Ballot - was off-putting. I can't lie, though. It really wasn't what I expected at all.

Violet is an orphan who wins a ballot to attend the prestigious school where all the royal families are educated. This is set in a sort of dystopian future after world wars, and the countries left turned back into monarchies. It’s a school filled with rich bullies, and she has to learn how to navigate a whole new world.

This story is so much fun from beginning to end, with humorous and heated moments. I've always been a fan of college/academy fiction, and Princess Ballot might now be among my favourites. I was amused one minute and angry the next, never knowing what to expect.

Violet is a sympathetic, strong character learning and clawing her way through this labyrinth of smoke and mirrors. She's making new friends and powerful enemies, but I'm rooting for her. She deserves good things. I felt her struggles and wanted Violet to succeed all the way to the cliffhanger(!). I'm already looking forward to picking up the next book.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone that liked the Hannaford Prep - although this one is not an RH, it has a lot of the same vibes.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG, I AM SO FREAKING HAPPY I DOVE INTO THIS!

Shout out to Andy for telling me to read it! Ugh, it was so good and now I need the next book! Thanks a lot.

First off, Princess Ballot how dare you end on that damn cliffhanger? UGH! Again, thanks Andy. Second, I loved Rafe way more than freaking Alex. Seriously... who wouldn't? I mean, after first meeting Alex I figured there was something fishy going on. Then there's Rafe, who may seem hard on the outside but is so sweet. I love the sexual tension between him and Violet.

Oh lord, the sexual tension was on fire between them.

Then there's Mattie and Nolan, who happen to be twins, were my absolute favorite. I was iffy about Mattie in the beginning because I didn't know if she was pretending to be friends with her but now I see that they are all actually genuine. Well, not Alex - douche canoe.

Lowkey, I need Violet to dump Alex stat and get with Rafe ASAP. Please and thank you.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can understand why people like this book but for me, it fell a bit short.

What I liked
- I appreciated that Violet called out some of the rich-person bullshit that was going on in this school. I don't really know how you teach socioeconomic in a way that shows rich people as the good guys but I'm glad she thought it was all stupid.
- I liked all the roles of the characters in this book. The main characters were good as were the side characters. Yes, some of them were a little OTT but generally, they kept me interested.

What I didn't like
- This whole book felt a little under-researched to me. The college in this book seemed so much more like a high school. Violet had to wear a uniform, she had no control over her schedule, and everyone acted like high school students. No one ever talked about what they were majoring in or anything. It was just weird and they all seemed to go to class at the same time which is also something that doesn't happen in college. Violet also was sent to this school when classes had already started which was weird. Also, I feel like it would be more likely to be called football in the future rather than soccer given that most of the world right now calls it football.
- I didn't like that we didn't get to learn really anything about Violets history before this school. She just had a tragic backstory that was alluded to that we knew almost nothing about.
- Violets relationship with Alex seemed to develop out of nowhere for me. I saw no reason she would be interested in him besides him just declaring that she was his future wife and because of that, I really did not care about their relationship. Also, it was super easy to tell that Alex was going to end up being evil.

I gave this 3 stars because this was an entertaining read and I was intrigued enough to maybe read the sequel. However, based on the rating of this book, I didn't like it as much as a lot of people and as I described, I had some problems with this one.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*mild spoilers*

HOLY F*CK WHAT WAS THAT CLIFFHANGER.
i just freaked out thinking that book 2 was being released next year and then realised that it is 2020 now XD

anyway this was actually really good! easy to read and occupied me for a day, i liked the characters and can't wait to learn more about our protagonist's past. plus i'm so ready for her to
1. kick Alex's ass
2. get together with Rafe (ooft i've got another book boyfriend)
3. become even closer besties with Mattie and Nolane because she's the greatest and he's honestly a babe.

thanks to Tate James and Jaymin Eve!

[Siobhan (Bookish Vibes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in blind with this book. It fit the theme for a photo challenge I was participating in on Bookstagram and I have read some of Tate James' other books so I downloaded it without reading much about it.

I am so glad I did. It was so so good. The storyline kept me completely engrossed, the characters were all intriguing and the main heroine Violet is a total badass. I was a bit confused in the beginning as it seems to be set after the world as we know it ends and so it's all these new kingdoms etc. So keeping track of who's who made me stop and think a few times.

Violet wins a scholarship to the most prestigious college in the world, attended by future kings, queens, royalty and other important kids. She is way out of her depth and plans to just keep her head down, stay out of trouble and get good grades but of course the universe has other plans. She is taken under the wing of royal twins (who made me laugh so much), gets herself a crown prince boyfriend (who I did not like one bit) and finds herself on the bad side of the most powerful crown prince at the school, Rafe (total alphahole, tatted, bad boy... so of course he was my favourite 🤣🤦‍♀️).

This book was a completely unexpected surprise and I am so glad I discovered it. I can't wait to see how it continues because the cliffhanger ending left me with so many questions!!

[vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy fuck that ending!!! Needless to say, I’m going to need a lot more of this shit now

[CeCe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heroine came off as strong and I was excited when I learned that she was a female fighter. I read another series that involved a female fighter and LOVED it!!!!

However, this story went downhill when Violet had sex with Alex even when he came off as ‘fishy’. It was obvious he was up to something. Violet was all about following her gut, but she pushed that aside because he was hot. UGH!

Violet became annoying. She was weak. The twins, whom I loved, warned her repeatedly that Alex was the bad guy, but she ignored them and had sex with him anyway, then not 24 hours she had sex with Rafe. I know many loved this story, but it could have been better.

I love a good cliffhanger and I can understand how many readers thought this one had an amazing cliffhanger. However, I thought it was mediocre. How could you not see all the read flags around that guy?!?!?

I will still read book 2 because I want to read more about Rafe. Curious about the DNA and princess thing.

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally this type of drama and backstabbing is not my cup of tea. For whatever reason I’m hooked on this book. I get why it says it’s not RH, at this point it’s certainly not. By the end I’m not sure what the hell is going on anymore between any relationships the heroine has. Sooo soo many thoughts about this book but I’m still feeling the shock from that blood boiling I have steam coming from my ears after the ending. This will be another word vomit exploding review, apologies in advance 🤷🏼‍♀️I had a strong feeling all along alex was too good to be true. I sure as shit was not expecting him to be working with the Queen Bitch of the school aka Rafes betrothed. To be honest I’m still not sure what the plan was, get violet pregnant and have her end up his wife. I’m not sure what the end game is and there are so many lingering questions I cannot go to sleep tonight without even starting the next book lol. Does he want out of his family obligations? Does he really just want to cause a royal ruckus?

I think I get Rafes animosity now too, I think maybe he legit was trying to protect violet and hoping she’d leave. Men, and their sometimes stupid logic probably. Then again if he was besties with Alex's ex, perhaps he’s trying to get evidence to take Alex down?? But does he know about Alex and Claudette? He made some vague retort about Alex not being faithful but does he know how right he is? And if so what game is he playing? For that fact he knows violet can handle herself, why is he not working with her or something, letting her in on what’s going on? It’s clear he’s the real ruler of the school-but why not foil Claudette and Alex’s plan? Ughhhh-soooooo many questions....

I did like the heroine a bit, it takes awhile to get to know her and get a feel for her. Without sounding lame she’s no shrinking violet and her poor orphaned life has toughened her in a way her rich privelaged schoolmates could never understand. I loved that about her. On that note she did also disappoint me a bit. She senses danger, signs are blaring in her face and she’ll even mention not being dumb enough to walk into a trap and sure enough, she walks right into it. The book ended before I really got to see who the core of Violet is, and now, well I think and I hope the students at Arbon are going to meet the real Violet.

Also ummm also wtf is going on with the setting?! There’s all these vague mentions of the before, of different times as if something horrific and apocalyptic happened. Yet never was the state of the world fully explained and im still lost on it and not sure why it was even necessary or how it adds to the story at all when it’s again only vaguely mentioned.There’s no paper where violet is from, cars are rare and people like her don’t go to the doctor, ever, it’s just not available to them. Why is this setting even here as it adds almost nothing to the story. Is it just a way to break up and create new countries with new rulers that work for the story? Perhaps it will serve a bigger purpose later on? I think I’m a lot harder on academy books and rich kid books because I’m kind of over them. It’s quite a joke to think about all these high and mighty spoiled kids who get away with anything and yet it’s all because of who their parents are and what their family money can afford. None of them earned anything and yet they rule their little worlds like mean kids killing ants with a magnifying glass. Lord I’m really having high hopes for this series I’d absolutely love for violet to play along to whatever alexs plan is. Turn the tables on him, Claudette and all of them losers at the school. I’m glad she has a few friends but most everyone is just trash and I’d completely understand her wiping out all the heirs in the school and doing this new world a favor 😈😈😈😈 Either way I’m ready for her first fight, whoever she takes on better watch out. A woman scorned is not something all will survive and I’m so ready for violet to lose the ‘I have to be on my best behavior’ mask.

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ha, I fucking called it.

The predictability of these sorts of books leaves much to be desired. They're starting to be similar to one another, almost beat for beat. The moment Alex showed up, I instantly knew what was going to happen. The authors didn't even need to try to plant seeds with "his fiancee died under mysterious circumstances" or even the rivalry he had with Rafe. All the evidence I needed was there in the fact that Alex was friendly and not a dark, moody jerk.

Like, there was no way a character like Alex wouldn't be evil when these books have made a living off of turning every rude, broody asshole into the star of the show by bending over backwards to justify their behaviors and show they're not total monsters.

Although I got through the story easy, it wasn't anything new or especially gripping.

Violet is every badass orphan character you've ever read, except she smuggles in a secret sword somehow (yeah, I'm sure a world suddenly controlled by monarchs would abandon basic security screenings like putting everyone through a metal detector or checking bags) and at 18 is an experienced underground sword fighter? This b-plot was dumb; it would've made more sense if she had a history of using martial arts to take down fighters for money or something. What modern day person would be teaching actual sword fighting to a teen girl? I know this is set in a sort of "after world war III" kind of world, but, it's not so removed from this timeline that a girl doing underground fights with a sword would make sense.

But okay, fine. I'll let the book have that. It's still dumb but whatever.

The rest of the plot, however, and subsequently the characters and tropes, are woefully similar to every other "poor girl thrust into the world of rich" book that wants to be gritty. If you tend to read a lot of books in this genre, you've already experienced this book in its entirety. Trust me, it offers nothing new.

Plus, a lot of random details don't tend to add up.

I will say that I liked this book a lot more than the other book I read that was written by these two authors, Broken Wings, so I would recommend this series over that one if I had to choose one.

I don't know if I'll be continuing with the series; it's just... unoriginal and predictable without even offering any worthwhile character development or romance. Book #2 is slated for release in June, but odds are I won't be bothering.

I'll give it 3 stars for being palatable, but I wouldn't go higher because while it doesn't do anything awful, it also didn't care to try to rise above being like every other story in its genre.

General warnings for alcohol consumption, some bullying, cussing, violence, sex, etc. It's definitely not a YA title.

[Fre06 Begum · Rating 1 out of 5]

This heroine was so annoying and really not someone I liked. She was also someone who was the female equivalent of a man who can’t keep it in their pants. She was a bit too promiscuous for my liking and her character made me uncomfortable. Will not be continuing this series.

[Rosebud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid start but ends on a cliffhanger. It's a fusion of the FLAVOR of Harry Potter meets Game Of Thrones. A poor main character wins the lottery (Princess Lottery) with the chance to better themselves with a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a premier college. Throw in a GoT type atmosphere in that the college houses all types of privileged aristocracy who have their own personal agenda and goals. Some good - some not.

Solid and engaging I became a fan of Violet Rose Spencer early on and looking forward to the next installment

[mina · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I wanted to rate it without writing a review, but... I have to complain. Sorry. It was entertaining. I mean, I finished it even though it was absurd, so I’ll give it that.

SPOILERY THINGS

An orphan that gets bullied at her school wins a lottery, she’s chosen to go study at a prestigious academy for the royals and the rich. And since this is under romance, we know what’ll happen. Although it’s cliche, it could be a fun read, of course, if it’s written well. Which it wasn’t.

I'm not saying that I expected a great plot, but I’m also not saying I wanted to be told about something once without it being explained. So, the story takes place in the future where the world is divided into seven monarchies. Okay cool, but why? What has happened to the world? Are we gonna just ignore it? Okay. So Violet meets people and makes friends, and what a shock it’s all royals. Supposedly there are a bunch of minor royalties and rich kids, but we only meet one non-royal, the headmaster’s son, and besides him NO ONE.

Violet catches the eyes of two royals the moment she enters the academy because she’s so damn special. I didn’t see anything special in her as she was accepting to be romanced by a guy her friends have been warning her about. Her special moment came later in the story, and I was so confused by it and the direction the story was going. Apparently, Violet is a fighter, although there was no mention of it and her Sensei (yeees) at the beginning of the book. But now that she discovered the academy has its fight club, and people are masked, she wants in because, of course, she’s so good at fighting.

Alex is one of the royals that gets mesmerized by her, and he’s the next in line for the crown, what a surprise. I mean, you can see something is wrong with him from the start of the book. Who the hell says out loud “This is my future wife” seconds after seeing someone for the first time?

Rafe was the typical “good with everyone but the MC” character, and he was more liked than Alex even though he was a dick. Mattie and Nolan were okay, good friends to Violet, although that friendship went from “we just met” to “we’ve known each other for years” way too fast. One thing that annoyed me about all of Violet’s friends was how everyone was warning her about Alex, but no one told her what’s the deal, why are they hating on him.

[Imee Benzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg i love you guys Jaymin and Tate and this collaboration would be fantastic i know it and i can't wait🥰🥰

[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, but that ending killed me! I can't wait for book two!

[Emma James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this book!
The lads!
Violet is a great character.
I was so excited to read Playboy Princes as my bedtime story tonight and ... bummer!
Hopefully it will be back shortly.