CW: sexual violence

This is a great mystery set in an alternate history in which King Edward VIII never abdicates to marry Wallis Simpson. Fast forward to the present day and King Alexander reigns over the UK and British Commonwealth. Like Edward, Alexander fell in love with someone inappropriate... but unlike Edward, Alexander kept the throne and married the wildly popular Queen Helene and has a daughter Mary being prepared to take the throne after him. They seem like the perfect royal family... except for the little issue of Evangeline.

Evangeline (call her Evan) is Alexander's illegitimate daughter, born on the same day as his heir Mary, and the protagonist of this book. Her existence is a massive secret and that secrecy has ruled every aspect of Evan's life. Removed from her American mother's custody at age 4, when it became apparent that her mother had schizophrenia, Evan was raised first by her grandmother, then sent by her royal father to a series of US boarding schools. But a few weeks before her 18th birthday, she accidentally burns down part of her latest school and "royal bastard wrangler" Jenkins decides it's time for her to make a quick exit from the country in case the police decide to press charges after all. Evan descends on Windsor Castle and meets the royal side of her family for the first time - much to pretty much everyone's dismay.

As Evan learns more about her past, she has to navigate the tricky family dynamics of the royal family, attempt to protect her mother as her identity is leaked to the public, survive a sexual assault that ends with her attacker dead, and navigate the truly hideous backlash against her on social media and in the news. And if that's not enough, because she's the main suspect in her attacker's death, she also has to untangle the mysteries of who killed him and who framed her for his death. This is a great roller-coaster of a mystery and the end leaves you hoping for Evan's next book.

Somewhat engaging murder mystery with a royal twist. The characters seemed a bit flat and I had a difficult time relating to the protagonist since she seemed a bit "boy-crazy." The main plot was good, but the subject matter date rape drugs and on-page near rape may be a bit too much for some readers.

great 1st book about a daughter being a royalty and finding one's place and also trying to solve a mystery. I loved the family from maisy to kit. I'm not too sure about maisy but I can't wait to read the next book in the series. loved that there was a mystery to solve too.

I was about 20% through this book when I realized it was the first in a planned series, and got super excited. I knew at 20% that I was going to want more of this world and these characters!

Set in an alternate UK, Evan is the illegitimate and secret daughter of the King. After getting kicked out of yet another boarding school, her handlers decide to bring her to Windsor where she finally meets her father (the King), her cold stepmother (the Queen), and her perfect and very unhappy-to-meet-her half-sister (the Princess). As if the whole suddenly meeting her family wasn't enough, soon after her arrival Evan attends a party where someone ends up dead... and everyone thinks Evan did it.

As I said above, I loved this book. I loved the dynamics between the characters, and definitely didn't see all of the twists coming. I can't wait to read more in this series!

Thank you #NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Royal Blood is a fast paced, easy read (for better or worse, you be the judge) that hits the mark on social issues while lightly diving in to other issues of growing up and discovering yourself. I do wish at times more emotions were detailed as this is a very emotionally driven story in so many ways. The abandonment, the resentment all come through but not as viscerally as they should. Any fan of royal history or fiction will appreciate this book and the historical rewrite to make this a tale set in current times. I will be recommending this to students but be sure to include trigger warnings. Well done but not too much.

3.5 stars for Royal Blood by Aimee Carter!

This book is fast-paced and fun, while still dealing with tough topics, like consent and mental illness.

I could have done without any romance, but that might just be me. I loved the chapters where Evan is trying to figure out her past with her mom.... dare I say that the murder mystery was my least favorite part? It felt like this book was a little all over the place, and I was concerned more about the relationships (namely between Evan and Maisie, Evan and Alexander, Evan and Helene) than I was about the murder.

Overall, I would recommend this to younger readers. It's not as frilly as it looks, though!

Love, love, love this book! It will definitely be a pick for my subscription book boxes! I cannot wait to share this with my readers.

Evan Bright has a huge secret: they are the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. After getting expelled from yet another boarding school, she is taken to London to spend time with the royal family, most of whom are not happy to see her. After a night out that ends in a shocking death, all eyes are on Evan as she becomes a person of interest in a murder investigation. Family drama, royal intrigue, and a murder mystery makes for an exciting, page-turning read.

This book was adorable. It's King Ralph meets Notting Hill. Evan was completely relatable, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

The cover and synopsis drew my interest in "Royal Blood" and it did not disappoint me in the least. Great read!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book! Evan's story was about what I expected based on the description, though there were a couple of turns that I didn't see coming. Overall, this was an enjoyable ride. My main criticism is that the relationship between Maisie and Evan turned a little too quickly for me. Also, just a note that doesn't affect my rating, the cover makes me think teen vampire, not royal drama murder mystery.

Royal Blood is a delightful romp through London and royal-adjacent life. Filled with adolescent drama and family scandals, this book was fantastic to read and kept my interest throughout.

The last of these four stars is a fairly hesitant one for the following reasons: The first third of the book is mainly just everyone being spectacularly cruel to a teenager while she mopes around and thinks she deserves it. Also most of the adult characters are paper thin, with the emotion range or motivation of...it isn't good. That said, this is a super fun fast read with a little mystery and content that overcomes that cartoony I was a teenage vampire looking cover. I'm definitely in for future installments.

Evan Bright has just been expelled from boarding school, but instead of going home to her mother, she's been taken to England to spend the summer with her father--the king of England. No one there is especially happy to see her, and when Evan gets caught up in a deadly scandal, she realizes her presence could bring down the monarchy.

This one was a cute, fun read. Evan is relatable as a grouchy teen who doesn't trust any of the adults in her life (with good reason!). The intrigue played out nicely with a few unexpected reveals that kept me turning pages. Although the ending seemed to leave a few things unresolved, presumably to set things up for a sequel or two. Should go over well with YA readers who like a little royal drama in their mystery.