Royal Scandal

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Royal Scandal
Author(s)
Age Range
13+
Release Date
March 26, 2024
ISBN
978-0593485934
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The second book in the Royal Blood series about an American girl who threatens the royal family by exposing their darkest scandals—even as they get more sinister.

American girl turned monarchy nightmare, Evan Bright, has gotten used to the press about her but the media attention has only seemed to get worse.

From desperate clickbait articles about her and the President's son to Royal Record headlines pitting her against Princess Maisie, it seems everyone is dying for Evan to return back to America for good. Meanwhile Evan is receiving mysterious threats about her real story being reveiled in a tell-all biography. 

When more information is leaked about Evan, she fears she will always be Britain's media villain. But the threats escalate when there is an attempted assassination with no suspects...and Evan believes the person is in the palace's walls. 

They say what doesn't kill you will make you stronger...but what if it's the royal family who wants you dead?

Editor review

1 review
Royal Scandal
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Royal Scandal continues with the ongoing story of American-born Evan Bright's life in the UK. She's only just discovered she's in fact the illegitimate daughter of the King. Now it's Christmas time and she's to spend time with the royal family at Sandringham, only some people, including royalty members, aren't too happy. After a horrific accident, Evan's life turns topsy-turvy. Add to that she's now hearing voices that threaten her life. Only no one believes her. When another event turns into a tragedy and she's accused of being involved with a terrorist group, Evan doesn't know if anyone will believe her fears. She swears that Ben, the nephew of the King, is the one behind framing her. But time is running out. Who else will die before the truth is revealed?

What worked: Engaging sequel that continues Evan's life in the UK. As if it's not hard enough to find out she's the illegitimate daughter of the King of England, but she's pulled further into deadly conspiracies that threaten not only her life but others she loves. Evan tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together on who might be beyond the tragedies happening around her. Add to that a Prince Charles/Princess Di like interview that opens more questions around her.

I really got sucked into this story and the only thing that bugged me was the cliff-hanging ending. The chemistry between Evan and Kit is there, but there are subtle hints not all is what it seems. I wondered if he had a part of the sinister plans to denounce Evan as committing treason against not only her own father but her half-sister Maisie.

Maisie comes across as shrill and unlikeable. Only later in the novel does the author peel back this front and show how uncertain she is about what is going on around her. Like who does she trust? Is Evan behind what the tabloids say?

Kit's involvement is also something that is at times questionable. I didn't know whether to trust him, especially when revelations came out after a bombing.

Intriguing glimpse into royal life is shown through the eyes of an American teen who is thrust into a life she never wanted and those who want to destroy her. Can't wait for book three to find out how Evan finds out who is behind the lies and brings peace to her life.
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User reviews

1 review
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
3.0(1)
Characters
 
5.0(1)
Writing Style
 
4.0(1)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
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Excellent sequel
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Read if you're in the mood for something: dark, mysterious, tense, &emotional
Pacing? fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
A diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Book Rating 4.0 stars
   Evan's now mostly accepted into the Royal family, but someone does not want her there and is willing to kill to get their way.
    I enjoyed this book, but the cliffhanger at the end was brutal! The book just ended with no warning! I hate it when authors do that.
    I love Evan and most of her family, but some characters were extremely hard to empathize with. Some of the twists were predictable. I do love that there is a compassionate approach to Evan's mom's mental illness as well as Evan's mental health struggles.
 
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
  The narrator did an excellent job. Good tonal shifts for people's voices. But not as good with the emotions as I would like.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Hate crime, Blood, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Bullying

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Stalking

Minor: Gore, Fatphobia, Classism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Misogyny, and Body shaming
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