Royal Blood is the perfect mix of murder, mayhem, and royalty

Aimee Carter’s latest novel and the start of her latest series is Royal Blood. It’s a murder mystery, a family drama, a romance, and it’s fantastic. The book follows Evangeline Bright. She has been to more than her fair share of boarding schools and has been kicked out of all of them. But that’s not her biggest secret.

Evangeline (or Evan) just happens to be the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. It’s kind of a big deal. But her father has never been in her life and when she turns 18, she wants nothing to do with boarding schools or that side of her family.

Unfortunately, she still has a few weeks until her birthday and because she kind of set her last boarding school on fire, she is sent to the last place she ever wanted to be: London. She is going to stay at her father’s home. And while her handler Jenkins plans on keeping her presence a secret, that plan lasts about two seconds.

The King finds out she’s there and demands she stays in the private family quarters. And this is Britain. So the press finds out in a few days and Evan is pushed into royal public life.

Royal Blood is filled with murder, mystery, drama, and romance

But while the extravagance is nice, things soon turn dark when Evan is sexually assaulted by a close friend of the royal family and then he is murdered.

As you might imagine, Evan is the first to be accused. But with the help of a few new royal friends, she goes on a journey to discover who actually killed the dude (his name is Jasper), what secrets her family is hiding, and what she really wants.

Royal Blood is a spectacular book. Yes, it is a murder mystery, but it is so much more. We see Evan connect with her absent father, find friends who believe in her for the first time in her life, discover romance with a boy who is there with her every step of the way, and most of all, she learns to trust.

Some of my favorite parts of the book are the connections and relationships Evan builds with all the new people around her. I was not expecting to end up liking her father or her half-sister Maisie, but I totally did. There is much more to them than meets the eye and I love how they care for Evan in their own ways.

I also LOVE Jenkins and Tibby. They are both Evan’s handlers and they would protect her with their lives. Jenkins has been Evan’s handler since she found out who her father was at eleven and Tibby came into her life when she arrived in London. They both love her and care for her and are wonderfully sassy.

There is also Kit who is part of the royal family on the Queen’s side (AKA not related to Evan). He is wonderful from day one. He believes in Evan before she even believes in herself and he is her partner in crime-solving when she’s trying to figure out who murdered Jasper. He’s also someone she might have feelings for.

But besides the characters, I also really liked how each chapter started with an article from the press. It worked really well with the story and the mystery of who is leaking Evan’s secrets to the press.

Evan’s mother is also featured in the book. She has schizophrenia and considering how the disorder is shown in many movies and books, this was a breath of fresh air. It was handled with compassion and facts instead of fear and misinformation.

As I mentioned above, there is a sexual assault in the book so please be aware of that. It happens a day or two after Evan arrives in London. Part of it is on the page but it ends abruptly when Evan knees Jasper in the groin. But I will say, I feel like it’s handled really well.

Everyone around Evan believes her when she tells them what happens. The press not so much, but those closest to her do not question her at all.

Royal Blood is a thrilling mystery filled with extravagance, intrigue, family, romance, and everything in between. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR. And since it’s a series, this is only the beginning!

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter is available now in ebook, hardcover, and audiobook formats.