Although I loved the premise of this book - a maid suddenly is the heir to the throne and nobody knows why? - the execution wasn't my favourite. The characters felt flat and I didn't connect with any of them. However, some of the twists were good and managed to save the plot!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a review copy

I appreciate the fast pace of this novel, but it really didn't do it for me. Will I purchase it for my HS library? Yes. I think there are a lot of readers in my building who will enjoy this book. I loved the premise of puzzles and similarities to other YA series, but this felt a bit more MG than YA for me. I just felt like this was a try-hard book, but it didn't try hard enough.

When the maid becomes the royal heir, chaos in the unleashed. Political scheming coupled with decades old secrets made this an entertaining read.

Ruby, the FMC was smart and capable. The only mistakes she made were completely in line with her age and experience.

There's a couple of cute princes, an icy soon to be mother-in-law, an aloof princess, and some suspicious advisors.

The twists were fascinating and the reveal at the end was very satisfying. I hope the author makes this a series!

Thank you Harper Collins Children's Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am giving my rating based on my own personal opinion and not that of any other party.

As a huge fan of the "Royal Blood" series by Aimee Carter, I was very excited when I came across "Red as Royal Blood' since it seemed to have a similar premise.

To start off positively, this was a long road of twists and turns, keeping me hooked until the (very unexpected) grand reveal at the very end. I mean, the last line of chapter 1? Elizabeth thought she was being sneaky... but it definitely shocked me to the point of immediate continuation! Ruby was a quite likeable character, and I enjoyed how she used her skills as a maid to aid her along the way. Her sarcasm also warrants an honorable mention (pun intended).

Unfortunately, there was an area where the book fell flat for me. The love story/triangle was very confusing, and I felt like the story could do without it. I was aware from the beginning that there would be romance involved, but to me, it overtook the story at some point. This book would've easily been 4 stars, in my opinion, without the romance being so prominent since the mystery and thrill of it all was filling enough.

Overall, a vastly dramatic book that will keep you guessing until the end and gasping when you turn out to be wrong!

Ruby is a simple maid who secretly meets with a prince to play chess, but her life is far more complicated than it first appears. Orphaned by war, she’s been raised in a castle by the old cook. Her only real confidante is Sara, another maid and her best friend.

Things take a sharp turn when Ruby is suddenly and mysteriously named the King's heir right after his death, despite the king having four children and no known connection to her. The story moves at a quick pace, rarely letting up as one twist follows another. That said, it does pause just enough for meaningful conversations and well-placed memories.

Some plot points felt a little too convenient or predictable. Secret passages in a castle? No way! The not-so-mysterious chess opponent, and an out-of-nowhere love confession that made absolutely no sense, also stood out. But the story still managed to surprise me, especially with the truth behind Ruby’s past, the reason the king picked her over his children, and the reveal of the murderer. A letter from the King warns Ruby that the killer is "a viper dressed in royal clothing," and the book does a solid job building up to that tension.

One scene that pulled me out of the story was a moment during a romantic encounter where Ruby is asked if she’s on birth control. It felt completely out of place for the time period and threw cold water on an otherwise steamy scene. If the author wanted to address that topic, it would have worked better in a conversation with a friend, not in the heat of the moment.

The ending ties up most of the loose ends and leaves no real need for a sequel. It’s a solid one-shot. I’d recommend this to older teens and up who enjoy a rags-to-riches story with royalty, romance, and a good murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

✨And, in chess overconfidence will kill you every time. Let them underestimate me✨

✨Hate has never been our problem✨

✨Ruby, he murmurs, this is a terrible idea.✨

Red as Royal Blood immediately drew me in with its premise of royal intrigue, secrets, and a romance caught between duty and desire. I enjoyed the lush atmosphere and the promise of danger woven through the court setting.

However, the pacing held me back from fully loving this book. The middle section dragged for me, and I found myself losing momentum where I wanted the tension to build. While the romance is clean and the characters are engaging, they didn’t always feel strong enough to carry the slower parts of the story.

Overall, this is a solid read that I think will appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn court dramas and clean romance, but for me it landed at 3 stars due to the uneven pacing.

Than you to Netgalley & Elizabeth Hart for the ARC !

Red as Royal Blood is a fantastic, fast-paced mystery with a cast of intriguing characters you can't resist rooting for. Honestly, you can't help liking the bad guys right up to the very moment you discover they are the bad guys. Ruby is a maid in a king's castle, at least until the king dies and names her his heir to the throne. With the royal family on edge because their future is now uncertain, and the kingdom's growing resistance to the monarchy, Ruby must navigate not only her pathway to being queen, but she is tasked with her first duty; one sent from the king himself: she must discover his murderer. How can any reader resist following along?

Hart builds an exceptional setting. It's evocative of a Tudor court with oversized gowns, senior advisors, secret passages, an irresistible library (thank goodness we get to see it so early in the book!) and more, yet it has a modern touch thanks to easy dialogue and some forward thinking perspectives that many might say are lacking in the real world at the moment (such as contraceptives being available and same-sex marriages being readily acceptable).

As if the dreamy setting (and gowns!) in this book aren't enough to make it stand out, the dynamics between the characters and the constant wondering who to trust as you move rapidly through the story push it over the top. Every interaction between characters and every event matter in the story - let's hand it to Hart for being meticulous.

Honestly, I'm sorry I'm not a teen librarian anymore and I won't get to sell this during school visits (which is okay because I still know a lot of teen librarians), but I am excited to feature this one on our Staff Picks displays and will eagerly offer it up to the emerging adults who visit the library. It has everything: a castle, some heart-throb princes, an adorable kitten, not to mention romantic tension, a lovable heroine, and a puzzle at its core that will keep you turning pages. I'm not going to lie, I love it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

RED AS ROYAL BLOOD by Elizabeth Hart (Nov 18)

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the earc

When Ruby (destined to be a servant) is named as heir after the King's d*ath, she is thrown into something...dangerous. After finding a note from the king, she learns he was m*rdered and she might be next. Unsure of who to trust, she forms an alliance with each of the princes as she investigates the m*rder while trying to stay alive.
RED AS ROYAL BLOOD is a YA m*rder mystery with a romantic edge. Initially, I was drawn to this because of THE INHERITANCE GAMES comparison---I get why the comparison was chosen, but I wish there were more "games." Regardless, RED AS ROYAL BLOOD is fast-paced with drama galore. It's entertaining with...well, everything (the inheritance to a non family member, the princes, the threats).
RED AS ROYAL BLOOD is quite action-packed with---almost---every chapter bringing something new to learn, and the v*olence that comes with books set in the time of kings, queens, ans war. Because of that, there weren't many dull moments. I do love when books are action-packed, but my favorite part was the bickering between Ruby and [Redacted]. This added to the romantasy feel, which was a nice touch.
I did find RED AS ROYAL BLOOD to be a unpredictable, and there were sooooo many twists and reveals---it was almost too much. I liked this book, and I think those who are itching for royals, m*rder, and romance will feel the same.

This book confused me, I am not sure how I feel. There were parts of the plot that were intriguing, but some of the best plot points felt glossed over. The romance was light and the author could have delved deeper into Ruby and Asher's romance and the backstory of their relationship. Ruby was a good FMC and was a strong lead character. I appreciated how she stood up for herself and did not let the other royals get to her. Asher had a lot of brooding potential, but again not enough explanation of his feelings or how the relationship developed. I just wish there was more.

To start, the comparison that drew me in, Inheritance Games, is valid. But unlike the Inheritance Games, it was missing something. I wanted to love this in the same ways but something felt off for me.
I'm not sure if it was the timeframe or the pacing of the book. I did enjoy Ruby and the love triangle. I think the parentage was a bit predictable to me. Maybe I've read a lot of similar plot twists? A decent read though and one I'll probably give another read to see if I enjoyed it better.

I can’t quite put my finger on why this one didn’t work for me. I think the setting and historical time. Kind of threw off what I thought I was getting in terms of the premise. This will be for a very specific audience and I think they will love it!

Love the title and cover 💛

I love the character Ruby who has a talent for puzzles and a secret education . Ruby is a maid and I found her character enjoyable .

I love the secret wish when the king dies💖

Such a fun style of book

This was so entertaining and I really loved and rooted for Ruby as a protagonist. I was also so incredibly relieved that the primary conflict was resolved within the book and that I hadn’t unknowingly started a new series that I’d have to wait for the sequel!

I’m always a sucker for a royal, somewhat-medieval setting and the romance was both satisfying and not overbearing.

This felt very much like a fantasy novel without the fantastical elements. The twists and reveals felt obvious and it overall felt a bit immature, even though it’s YA. maybe it just wasn’t for me.

This wasn’t my cup of tea. I am into the idea of a maid becoming queen, but somehow it fell flat. I found Ruby to be inconsistent; the rest of the characters were fine, but the story elements didn’t add up the way I thought they should.

I thought it was a great premise, the pacing just felt off for me. It seemed like not much was happening for the first half of the book and then suddenly everything was happening all at once. That is to say, I still enjoyed the overall story itself!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC.

Really interesting book. Couldn’t stop reading it. Those twists were so intriguing! I really enjoyed this book and it really kept my interest the entire time!

Red as Royal Blood is a dark and twisty fantasy that blends court intrigue with a sharp edge of danger and romance. I really enjoyed the strong heroine and the way the story kept me guessing about who could be trusted.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book! I loved the characters. The mystery was intriguing and had a few surprises for me. And I really enjoyed the fact that it was a standalone.

Bonus points for Princess the kitten.

Recommended.