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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Now that I've finished reading this page-turner, lets start off strong with the good stuff.
There was a twist every other page, right when I thought 'well, this is getting boring,' I realise it had just let up to another twist of events.
Which is a good thing, sometimes. Although Royal Blood did kinda outdo it in the beginning.
The main character, Evan, was likeable (which is unfortunately pretty rare for me), but Maisie's character arc wasn't that believable. You can tell when an author really exaggerates the character development by changing them entirely and not just bit by bit, and that was sort-of what happened with her.
I love the representation this made about sexual assault, alongside making this a super fun read!
There was a twist every other page, right when I thought 'well, this is getting boring,' I realise it had just let up to another twist of events.
Which is a good thing, sometimes. Although Royal Blood did kinda outdo it in the beginning.
The main character, Evan, was likeable (which is unfortunately pretty rare for me), but Maisie's character arc wasn't that believable. You can tell when an author really exaggerates the character development by changing them entirely and not just bit by bit, and that was sort-of what happened with her.
I love the representation this made about sexual assault, alongside making this a super fun read!
As the King of England’s illegitimate daughter, 17-year-old Evan Bright knows a bit about keeping secrets. However, after being expelled yet again, she’s forced to spend the summer in London with her father and the royal family. Soon her identity is leaked to the press, and the world is dying to know every single thing about her, even if it’s untrue. Evan quickly becomes the primary suspect in a murder investigation after an unfortunate turn of events, and the fallout threatens to tear her life apart. As she fights to uncover the truth about what really happened that night, she discovers royal secrets that are even more scandalous than she imagined – secrets that could change the monarchy forever.
I absolutely LOVED this ARC - it was one of those where once I got into it I didn't want to put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. To me it gave Such Mean Girls x The Princess Diaries vibes (and honestly my first comparison was Twitches minus the magic, so). The storyline moves incredibly fast and it hits a lot of sensitive topics (sexual assault, media scrutiny, mental health, trauma) that the author handles gracefully. The murder mystery element was a fun twist that heightened the stakes considerably and elevates the inability to know who in the castle is friend or foe. I loved all of the character development and relationships, especially when it comes to Evan and her immediate family, and the twists were jaw dropping!
I think this is book one in a planned series, and I personally cannot wait for more of Evan's story!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Pub Date: March 7th 2023
Publisher: Delacorte
I absolutely LOVED this ARC - it was one of those where once I got into it I didn't want to put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. To me it gave Such Mean Girls x The Princess Diaries vibes (and honestly my first comparison was Twitches minus the magic, so). The storyline moves incredibly fast and it hits a lot of sensitive topics (sexual assault, media scrutiny, mental health, trauma) that the author handles gracefully. The murder mystery element was a fun twist that heightened the stakes considerably and elevates the inability to know who in the castle is friend or foe. I loved all of the character development and relationships, especially when it comes to Evan and her immediate family, and the twists were jaw dropping!
I think this is book one in a planned series, and I personally cannot wait for more of Evan's story!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Pub Date: March 7th 2023
Publisher: Delacorte
3.75 stars
i actually really enjoyed this!! i picked it up on from a spontaneous recommendation and i’m pretty satisfied!
this is a interesting take on what would it be like if the king of england had an illegitimate child, there’s also a mystery aspect to it that keeps you going throughout the book.
i really liked the character of evan, she is the way she is because of her upbringing and need to protect herself and mother especially. paired with an absentee father who only wants to be involved in her life later on also affects her relationships with people and her outlook on the world.
i really enjoyed the different topics and discussions in this book such as, sexual assault/victim blaming, classism, childhood trauma and mental health. i think aimee carter did a good job on keeping all of these topics balanced and one didn’t outweigh the other. i felt strongly towards the mental health rep in this especially schizophrenia and the boughts of depression evan goes through due to the stress and pressure she’s put under from reconnecting with her father, feeling distant from her own mother in the states, and the royal family who want nothing to do with her. none of this was glamourised which is something i was concerned about but instead gave a raw and honest depiction of what a situation such as this would have on a person.
i think the mystery element was a good plot device to include as it kept me going. i’ll admit though i do think the revelations were a bit too premature as we find out the main bulk of how jasper really died around 60% into the book, of course there’s further revelations nearer to the end but i found myself thinking ‘is that it?’.
this didn’t take away my enjoyment from the book though (obviously) and i would recommend it if you’re looking for a fun and engaging light ya mystery novel to read this year!
i actually really enjoyed this!! i picked it up on from a spontaneous recommendation and i’m pretty satisfied!
this is a interesting take on what would it be like if the king of england had an illegitimate child, there’s also a mystery aspect to it that keeps you going throughout the book.
i really liked the character of evan, she is the way she is because of her upbringing and need to protect herself and mother especially. paired with an absentee father who only wants to be involved in her life later on also affects her relationships with people and her outlook on the world.
i really enjoyed the different topics and discussions in this book such as, sexual assault/victim blaming, classism, childhood trauma and mental health. i think aimee carter did a good job on keeping all of these topics balanced and one didn’t outweigh the other. i felt strongly towards the mental health rep in this especially schizophrenia and the boughts of depression evan goes through due to the stress and pressure she’s put under from reconnecting with her father, feeling distant from her own mother in the states, and the royal family who want nothing to do with her. none of this was glamourised which is something i was concerned about but instead gave a raw and honest depiction of what a situation such as this would have on a person.
i think the mystery element was a good plot device to include as it kept me going. i’ll admit though i do think the revelations were a bit too premature as we find out the main bulk of how jasper really died around 60% into the book, of course there’s further revelations nearer to the end but i found myself thinking ‘is that it?’.
this didn’t take away my enjoyment from the book though (obviously) and i would recommend it if you’re looking for a fun and engaging light ya mystery novel to read this year!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence
Minor: Murder
I hadn’t heard of Royal Blood before I was sent an ARC of it, but I found myself to be very pleasantly surprised by it!
After being expelled from yet another boarding school, American born Evangeline is sent to live with her father, a man she has never met. If this wasn’t bad enough, Evan’s father isn’t a normal man - he’s the King of Great Britain. Thrown into the chaos that is royal society, Evan must navigate this new world she has found herself in. When she finds herself in a deadly situation, and accused of murder, she must figure out really happened to clear her name.
I really loved this book, I couldn’t put it down, and I think, for me, the characters were the best part of the story ! I absolutely adored Evan as a character, she was strong, but flawed and had a fiery personality that I loved! Kit was honestly one of my more recent favourite book boyfriends I’ve read about in awhile. The relationship that developed between Evan and Kit was one of my favourite aspects about the book, and even though the book covered a fairly short time frame, their relationship didn’t feel at all rushed or forced.
The relationships Evan developed over time were really enjoyable. Evan and Jenkins father-daughter relationship was so sweet and I loved that he was the one constant she had always had seen discovering her father’s identity years prior to the beginning of the book. The development of the relationship between Evan and Tibby was very enjoyable, witnessing Tibby begin to care about Evan as more than just a job requirement. Evan’s relationship with her father was very tumultuous to begin with, but as Evan and us readers learned more about Evan’s parent’s relationship, it was lovely to see Evan begin to open up and trust her father in a way she had never been able to before.
I think my favourite of Evan’s relationships was her relationship with Maisie. These two girls did not get alone when they first met and it’s understandable why, given the circumstances. However, as we begin to see Maisie realising that Evan isn’t her enemy or rival, or trying to ruin her life, even going as far as trying to protect Maisie, we saw a shift in her attitude towards her newfound half-sister and the relationship that developed between the two was one of the best parts of the book.
While I think the characters and their relationships really made this book, there was some key storyline aspects that I picked up in that I loved. The royal aspect of this book was really entertaining and enjoyable, and I really enjoyed this alternative reality take on the British royal family. This book included some sensitive topics, specifically sexual assault and mental illness in a parent (schizophrenia), but the way in which these issues were portrayed were very sensitive and respectful, while also highlighting how certain topics like these can be portrayed very badly by tabloids and public opinion.
Overall, this book was fast paced and entertaining, and I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait for the sequel!
Thank you to the publishers at Usborne for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
After being expelled from yet another boarding school, American born Evangeline is sent to live with her father, a man she has never met. If this wasn’t bad enough, Evan’s father isn’t a normal man - he’s the King of Great Britain. Thrown into the chaos that is royal society, Evan must navigate this new world she has found herself in. When she finds herself in a deadly situation, and accused of murder, she must figure out really happened to clear her name.
I really loved this book, I couldn’t put it down, and I think, for me, the characters were the best part of the story ! I absolutely adored Evan as a character, she was strong, but flawed and had a fiery personality that I loved! Kit was honestly one of my more recent favourite book boyfriends I’ve read about in awhile. The relationship that developed between Evan and Kit was one of my favourite aspects about the book, and even though the book covered a fairly short time frame, their relationship didn’t feel at all rushed or forced.
The relationships Evan developed over time were really enjoyable. Evan and Jenkins father-daughter relationship was so sweet and I loved that he was the one constant she had always had seen discovering her father’s identity years prior to the beginning of the book. The development of the relationship between Evan and Tibby was very enjoyable, witnessing Tibby begin to care about Evan as more than just a job requirement. Evan’s relationship with her father was very tumultuous to begin with, but as Evan and us readers learned more about Evan’s parent’s relationship, it was lovely to see Evan begin to open up and trust her father in a way she had never been able to before.
I think my favourite of Evan’s relationships was her relationship with Maisie. These two girls did not get alone when they first met and it’s understandable why, given the circumstances. However, as we begin to see Maisie realising that Evan isn’t her enemy or rival, or trying to ruin her life, even going as far as trying to protect Maisie, we saw a shift in her attitude towards her newfound half-sister and the relationship that developed between the two was one of the best parts of the book.
While I think the characters and their relationships really made this book, there was some key storyline aspects that I picked up in that I loved. The royal aspect of this book was really entertaining and enjoyable, and I really enjoyed this alternative reality take on the British royal family. This book included some sensitive topics, specifically sexual assault and mental illness in a parent (schizophrenia), but the way in which these issues were portrayed were very sensitive and respectful, while also highlighting how certain topics like these can be portrayed very badly by tabloids and public opinion.
Overall, this book was fast paced and entertaining, and I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait for the sequel!
Thank you to the publishers at Usborne for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An illegitimate daughter, a 1/2 sister who will become the Queen some day, more than one scandal rocking the world of the Royal Family & loads of mystery? Along with a blossoming romance? What else could possibly go wrong…I honestly thought by the front cover I was going to be reading a vampire story…I was wrong. And after reading the story, the cover makes so much more sense. I cannot WAIT for the second book to come out. I need more of Evan and Kit and Tibby and Jenkins and even Evan’s sister Maisie.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When Evan's paternity, and her link to the royal family - are revealed, she's suddenly thrust into the spotlight.
This was a really fun YA mystery that kept me guessing all the way through, as well as handling some delicate topics really well. I loved how certain relationships developed throughout, and seeing how Evan adapted to royal life. I loved the castle setting, and getting to see the royals adventuring around London.
Once I'd finished I discovered there is a sequel due to be released, and I think this could have real potential as a series.
This was a really fun YA mystery that kept me guessing all the way through, as well as handling some delicate topics really well. I loved how certain relationships developed throughout, and seeing how Evan adapted to royal life. I loved the castle setting, and getting to see the royals adventuring around London.
Once I'd finished I discovered there is a sequel due to be released, and I think this could have real potential as a series.