Reviews

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen

melmo2610's review against another edition

4.0

This was an unusual and interesting mystery. Definitely held my attention well. Good read!

k_lee_reads_it's review against another edition

3.0

A cozy mystery set in Europe in 1930's. Fun and light.

wildflowerz76's review against another edition

4.0

Another fun addition to this series! Honestly, I like cozies, but I probably wouldn't have picked this up on my own. I tend to like modern in my cozy and don't do a lot of historical, period, unless we're talking regency romance. But I won one of this series in a panel at DragonCon, so I figured I'd give them a shot. And I'm glad I did.

I liked that Georgie mildly entertained the vampire/werewolf thing without taking it too seriously. It added some silly fun to the story. I am a bit tired of the Darcy thing. Just do it already!

elusivesue's review against another edition

4.0

Every so often I need a book ' gourmet dessert.' This series fits the bill - I love the characters, the time period and setting in London (although Georgie isn't in London for most of the book) are both some of my favorites, and the mystery itself is well-written. I enjoyed the addition of the newest character, but missed the grandfather (he's one of my favorites). The only unfortunate thing now is that I have to actually wait for the next book to be finished and come out in order to read it.

majkia's review against another edition

4.0

This is a fun series and an easy read. Georgiana, distant cousin to the royals, has no money, not to a lot of prospects. But she's doing the best she can to scrape by, given Royals just aren't supposed to get jobs and be practical.

slferg's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoy these mysteries. There is a charming sense of humor. Poor Georgiana, cousin to King George and Queen Mary, 34th in line to the throne, is always being summoned by the Queen to do a favor. This time, she is to attend a wedding in Transylvania. She was asked to be a bridesmaid by the royal family because she went to finishing school with the bride, Maria Teresa (Matty). My, how Matty has changed from the homely, tubby girl to a slender enchanting creature! But, Matty's brother is Siegfried = ugh! And he still wants to marry Georgiana who would do anything but marry him! The wedding is to take place in the family's country estate - a castle in the mountains with nothing anywhere close. And the wedding party is snowed in by an avalanche in the mountain pass. And Georgie has been seeing strange things - a man climbing up the castle wall, someone sneaking into her room, a missing maid. And her friend Belinda has spooked her talking about vampires and werewolves. Georgie knows they don't really exist -- but, maybe she's wrong?

ladythana's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Confinement, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Colonisation, War, Body shaming, Violence, Police brutality, Infidelity, and Fatphobia

czarina_misha's review against another edition

4.0

Lady Georgiana attends a Royal wedding at Castle Bran (home of Vlad the Impaler). Of course she knows vampires aren’t real. But a mysteriously disappearing visitor in the night and a human fly climbing the castle walls make who question what’s possible. When an obnoxious guest is poisoned, only Georgiana notices he drank from someone else’s glass. Political assassin or supernatural villain?

shammons's review against another edition

4.0

I was able to find this older book in print at one of my library branches, and I grabbed it recently. I am now pretty invested in Georgiana, her family and friends, and the little mysteries that she embarks on. Whether for Queen Mary, investigating her son the Prince of Wales and his horrible American woman Wallis Simpson, or other mysteries, Georgiana Rannoch is always on board for some fun and sleuthing. Especially if Darcy is involved! This book has the Queen summoning Georgianna to Buckingham Palace, and telling her that she is to represent the royal family at the marriage of a distant royal relative in Romania. The bride specifically asked for Georgie to attend, since they had gone to finishing school together. Georgiana needs a lady’s maid (fun new character of Queenie), and is whisked across the continent to a mountainous castle (purported to have been built by Vlad the Impaler) in Transylvania, in the middle of winter. What can go wrong, right?! Well, dead bodies and mystery do ensue but it's all fun! Looking forward to the next one :)

mselizabeth87's review against another edition

3.0

Queenie is wonderful, but Georgie was particularly stupid in this installment. The vampires and Transylvania was played up far too much in my opinion, especially since Georgie is supposed to be a practical and pragmatic person. At least Darcy was less bossy.