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lighthartedreader's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sharonsm_28's review against another edition
4.0
Great Read
This was an enjoyable read. This is the first book in the Royal Blood series. In this book, we meet Evangeline "Evan" Bright, the 17-year-old illegitimate child of the King of England, Alexander. She is forced to spend time in England with her father and his family. They don't want her to be there, nor does she want to be there as well. However, when she becomes the murder suspect of a well-known friend of the Royals, she has to rely on her new "family." I thought that the story was great. It was intriguing. I thought The mystery and murder was a great read. I thought Evan was a great character. This story made her a more relatable character. She has been put in bad situations, but I thought she was smart and witty. I thought that the ending was interesting, and it made for an intriguing storyline for book 2 - Royal Scandal. I cannot wait to read book 2. Royal Scandal, here I come. Overall, a great read.
This was an enjoyable read. This is the first book in the Royal Blood series. In this book, we meet Evangeline "Evan" Bright, the 17-year-old illegitimate child of the King of England, Alexander. She is forced to spend time in England with her father and his family. They don't want her to be there, nor does she want to be there as well. However, when she becomes the murder suspect of a well-known friend of the Royals, she has to rely on her new "family." I thought that the story was great. It was intriguing. I thought The mystery and murder was a great read. I thought Evan was a great character. This story made her a more relatable character. She has been put in bad situations, but I thought she was smart and witty. I thought that the ending was interesting, and it made for an intriguing storyline for book 2 - Royal Scandal. I cannot wait to read book 2. Royal Scandal, here I come. Overall, a great read.
mar11901's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
haleykalona's review against another edition
4.0
i’m debating between a 3.75 and a 4 star but for now we’ll go with 4
i’ve been on a ya mystery thriller kick lately and this book was so much fun! I love the setting of english royalty and the dynamics between evan, the bastard american daughter of the king, and the royal family. I love that this book tried to de-stigmatize mental health and also tackles hard topics like sa.
I loved the pacing and the writing style and the characters in this book, I just wish the mystery was a more central plot. I wanted it to be more dramatic and really be a whodunit, but unfortunately it’s not. I still really enjoyed it though and can’t wait for the next book in the series!
i’ve been on a ya mystery thriller kick lately and this book was so much fun! I love the setting of english royalty and the dynamics between evan, the bastard american daughter of the king, and the royal family. I love that this book tried to de-stigmatize mental health and also tackles hard topics like sa.
I loved the pacing and the writing style and the characters in this book, I just wish the mystery was a more central plot. I wanted it to be more dramatic and really be a whodunit, but unfortunately it’s not. I still really enjoyed it though and can’t wait for the next book in the series!
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but the premise sounded fascinating, like The Princess Diaries crossed with a murder mystery. Also, for some reason, I thought this was a vampire story, something about the cover just gave it that vibe for me (same for the second book).
This was actually so much more fun than I thought it would be! It was fast paced and I flew through it in under 3 hours. The plot was engaging and had so many arcs to consider from Evan’s unwilling entry into the royal circle and the media attention that came with it, a hostile step family, discussions about mental health issues and a murder mystery to top it all off. There were some pretty heavy moments that I would not have expected to see in a YA novel and there should definitely be content warnings for this.
I really liked the characters and thought their reactions to the events as the plot unfolded were very well portrayed. As the whole story was narrated from Evan’s POV, her arc was the most well developed and her thoughts, actions and state of mind were extremely realistic for a seventeen year old. However, and a bit of a spoiler here, I didn’t understand why Evan decided to stay in England later in this book, it surely can’t end well in the sequel between the lukewarm and in some cases outright hostile reception from the family, her troubles with the press and the revelations of this book.
Though this was a great read, I’ve decided not to continue with the series. I had a peek at some reviews for the second book and it doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy, not least because it seems to be straying even further into incredulity and is more or less continuing the theme of Evan gets blamed for everything that goes wrong and no one believes her. I think I’ll stop here with this series as this book had a reasonably good ending with no major plot points left unresolved. Overall, Royal Blood was an entertaining read and I would recommend it!
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but the premise sounded fascinating, like The Princess Diaries crossed with a murder mystery. Also, for some reason, I thought this was a vampire story, something about the cover just gave it that vibe for me (same for the second book).
This was actually so much more fun than I thought it would be! It was fast paced and I flew through it in under 3 hours. The plot was engaging and had so many arcs to consider from Evan’s unwilling entry into the royal circle and the media attention that came with it, a hostile step family, discussions about mental health issues and a murder mystery to top it all off. There were some pretty heavy moments that I would not have expected to see in a YA novel and there should definitely be content warnings for this.
I really liked the characters and thought their reactions to the events as the plot unfolded were very well portrayed. As the whole story was narrated from Evan’s POV, her arc was the most well developed and her thoughts, actions and state of mind were extremely realistic for a seventeen year old. However, and a bit of a spoiler here, I didn’t understand why Evan decided to stay in England later in this book, it surely can’t end well in the sequel between the lukewarm and in some cases outright hostile reception from the family, her troubles with the press and the revelations of this book.
Though this was a great read, I’ve decided not to continue with the series. I had a peek at some reviews for the second book and it doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy, not least because it seems to be straying even further into incredulity and is more or less continuing the theme of Evan gets blamed for everything that goes wrong and no one believes her. I think I’ll stop here with this series as this book had a reasonably good ending with no major plot points left unresolved. Overall, Royal Blood was an entertaining read and I would recommend it!
pemdas97's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
graceolsen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
emp15's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
ashleyj_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual assault
Minor: Outing