You have been chosen. Those four words change Violet Spencer’s whole life, when against staggering odds, she’s selected in the “princess ballot.” Arbon Academy is affectionately known as the school for Royals. Only the rich, powerful, or heir to a throne gain entry … except for the one scholarship student accepted every five years. It’s a worldwide lottery, and one that Violet entered without … that Violet entered without giving it any serious thought.
But the media got it wrong and Arbon Academy is much more than a simple college for future leaders.
It’s a dark world of politics, intrigue, and dangerous guys who will stop at nothing to get their own way. Despite her best efforts at remaining off the radar, Violet finds herself a pawn between two of the most powerful monarchies in the world.
Prince Rafe of the Switzerlands and Prince Alex of the Australasias are bitter enemies both on the soccer field and in the political arena. Monarchies rule the world now, and every waking breath is a competition for the princes.
Control the ball.
Control the world.
Control Violet.
Whether it’s through love or hate, someone will ultimately win.
*This is book one in a dark college romance. It includes a-hole princes, nasty princesses, and one chick who will take none of their sh!t, all the while doing her best to make it out alive. HEA guaranteed. Eventually. 17+.
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Thank you Wildfire Marketing and the authors for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Princess Ballot
By: Jaymin Eve & Tate James
*REVIEW*
Princess Ballot is a dark college romance story about a lucky(or maybe not) girl named Violet Rose. As an orphan, Violet doesn’t expect much from life. One fateful day, however, Violet is informed that she among millions has been chosen for a full scholarship, a privilege afforded to almost no one, to attend the especially prestigious Arbon Academy. This place is ground zero for the elitest of the elite in the realms of power, money, politics and prestige. An opportunity like this is nothing short of miraculous and life altering for an orphan like Violet. In the blink of an eye, she rises from nothing to a world of excessive everything. This is Violet’s once in a lifetime shot to become someone who is important, fits in, belongs and whose life has substantial value and infinite purpose. What Violet doesn’t know, however, is how much this place and these people are not at all as they appear(too good to be true, perhaps?). A whole world of scheming, lying, betrayal, lust, deceit and debauchery ripples just beneath the glossy beautiful visage of the surface. After gaining the attention of some important people, Violet finds herself in the thick of things. She must decide how to proceed with this new life, whom to trust and accept any consequences of her own making. Arbon Academy is exciting and navigable new territory, but it’s also treacherous, perilous and filled with unforgiving vipers. Step lightly. This story is so much fun from beginning to end with humorous and heated moments. I’ve always been a fan of college/academy fiction, and Princess Ballot is now among my favorites. I was amused one minute and angry the next, never knowing what to expect. Violet is a sympathetic strong character learning and clawing her way through this labyrinth of smoke and mirrors. She deserves good things. I felt her struggles and wanted Violet to succeed all the way to the cliffhanger….yes, I’m serious! The agony of waiting for the next book is terrible! Why must readers be subjected to this?
I normally stay far far away from anything college/bully/NA romance having long since passed my young adult years. I have tried a few and just couldn’t get into the story but the blurb for Princess Ballot caught my interest and I took a chance. The catchy blurb turned out to be a story I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to the second book and where it is all going.
Violet Spencer has been in foster care since her mother died during childbirth and no father came to claim her. In this new world of monarchs instead of politicians, Arbon Academy is where the heirs to the new countries are educated and polished. Violet wins one of the coveted, once in five years, charity spots at Arbon and immediately finds herself at the center of a conflict she doesn’t understand and no one wants to tell her about.
Smartly written, this is a dystopian story of a new type of world where those of blue blood have everything and everyone else struggles but that harbors the same intrigue and alliance building of days of yore. Violet is a fish out of water character, who is smart enough to find her place at Arbon with a little help from friendly royals Mattie and Nolan but not without some major scapes along the way. Violet is strong, clever, and unwilling to be walked over. Rafe is the heir to the Switzerlands and at the top of the heap among the future monarchs. He is also Violet’s nemesis, keeping her off balance as to his true intentions.
The pacing of the story is taut with the world-building interwoven among the action making Princess Ballot a page-turner than will end long before you want it to be. The characters are highly interesting, the suspense tight and engaging and the secrets intriguing and attention-grabbing. A really great read with a cliffhanger ending that I can’t wait to see what direction the authors take in the next book.
Violet wins a contest that gives a scholarship for four years to Arbon Academy. She hasn’t had an easy life as a ward of the state so she takes the chance to go to the academy. A kicka** heroine, sexy badboys and mean princesses are only the start of this story. A cliffhanger ending will keep you wanting more.
This was my first book from Jaymin Eve and Tate James, and won’t be my last. This is the first book in the Royals of Arbon Academy Series, a dark college romance (bully romance). The cover is beautiful! This is a great introduction to this new world. The story is very well written and captivating. The characters are intriguing, and the storyline is well paced, and gripping, The world building is well done, and well developed. Violet is an amazing character, sassy, badass, strong, and beautiful. The Princes, Alex and Rafe, are dark, and intriguing. My favorite is Rafe! The secondary characters are great, and they have an important part in this story. The story ends with a cliffhanger! Now, I can’t wait to read the next book in the Series, Playboy Princess. We need this Series in audiobook! I enjoyed it!
’ . ’ . ’ . .
Violet Spencer, the orphan who lives in a group home in a dystopian world, is selected out of millions to win a scholarship to the most prestigious and secretive college in the whole world Arbon Academy.
When she gets there, she quickly realizes that not everyone and everything is as it seems. There are secrets around her and she is holding one of her own. But when the secrets start to come out, will she stay strong or crumble along with them?
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I had been (not so) patiently waiting for this book to come out since I read the blurb and except MONTHS AGO!!! And man was it worth the wait!
Violet was a strong character who has some mystery around her and appears to have untapped potential in how smart and stronger she can be. While she did make some decisions that I wasn’t totally fond of, I remembered that she’s only 18 and is in a completely new environment where she doesn’t have to worry about struggling to survive (well not in the usual sense anyway).
I am also so intrigued by Rafe. He’s got this dangerous and mysterious aura that surrounds him, along with being hot, and it just makes you want to keep digging deeper. He clearly is having a battle with himself over how he feels about Violet and how he should/wants to treat her. He wants to protect her but can’t. He wants her but shouldn’t. And it seems like she’s not at all what he expected.
I can’t really go into the other main characters without spoilers but I am so excited to see where things go with everyone and what everyone’s real role is.
I stayed up super late to finish this book because I couldn’t stop turning the page! I had feelings about certain people/situations and I just had to know if I was right. The book ends on a cliffhanger so I only got some of my questions answered and then there were breadcrumbs to the answers for other questions. But damn what a cliffhanger it was!
Extremely hot, this book is going to keep you on the edge of your seat!
This was a very different style book for me to read, I’m going to say it was a Contemporary Dark Romance. So you had the whole enemies to lovers, college students and lots of secrets to unravel. Which I’d happily like to say I unraveled most of them. Go me lol.
The story is based around Violet an eighteen-year-old orphan who just had some pretty life-changing event occur….when she’s called into the office of her Matron and she meets this man, Mr Wainwright. A man that tells her that she has basically just won the lottery, and that she was chosen to attend the one and only prestigious academy, Arbon Academy out of fifteen million entries! Wowzah right?! So like any normal human she is sceptical and unsure of how true this is…Thinking its either a joke, mistake or something untoward.
You see Arbon Academy is a school/college for elites, rulers, Princes, Princesses, its one for the rich and only once every five years is a scholarship given out, so she doesn’t even have to pay a cent. Everything is accounted for. So you can see why she’s finding this hard to believe. She couldn’t be this lucky, right?
It isn’t until Mr Wainwright shows Violet another message, that ends up being a few spoken words with the flippin king – King Munroe…and that’s when she believes just how much her life can and will change, from this point on. She’s ohh so ready to get her life straight and get her life-changing degree.
It literally takes until her plane lands, that not all is going to be sunshine and rainbows (not that she thought that lol but its such a good saying haha), but I don’t think she was expecting the arrogance and stuck-up-ness of some of the attendees. But Violet is determined to stay under the radar and to just get through her classes. Although with her personality I don’t think she realised just how hard that would be. She is never one to easily just let things slide and roll over. Too much in her life has made her a fighter to her very core.
And it doesn’t help that the people and the school kinda have different plans for her…and she, oh so soon, learns that this school is much more than just about classes. It’s basically a political minefield so to speak. And now she is stuck right in the middle.
You see, she is quick to strike attention with certain royals…and those royals are on opposing sides basically. You have this Prince, Alex, next ruler of Australasia who from the moment Violet got there had his eyes on her. Quite the charmer he is…anywho, you then have team friends who are solidly against Alex, for reasons, which you slowly get to learn about – I won’t kill that suspense building train…but because of this, her friends and Rafe (I can’t really class him as a friend lol, coz well he’s not all that friendly with Violet, but you can’t help but love him and want to know more about him), so two opposing sides, you can imagine the angst and all that…but true to Violet, she refuses to let that stop her from having anything to do with either side. That build up of angst is to die for. I live on that stuff.
There was a lot I really enjoyed about this book, the mystery and puzzle had me well and truly in its hand from day dot…and just like so many of Jaymin’s other books (sorry guys I haven’t actually read any of Tate’s books so I can’t compare in that instance). I truly loved the character creation, friendships and alliances made in this book. I instantly loved the twins (Nolan and Mattie) and how they claimed Violet as their lost triplet, then there was Jordan and Rafe. These characters were just so incredibly constructed that you just couldn’t help but love them even if they weren’t always easy to like. Rafe definitely grows on you and you find yourself just waiting for him to pop back up on the page just to add some of his own special spice to the mix lol.
The whole world was constructed amazingly and the dramatic ending definitely leaves you desperate to know more. I wouldn’t, myself, classify the ending as a cliffhanger per se but it definitely does its job and leaves you wanting a lot more! So cough it up ladies lol.
I usually struggle with books like these, where no magic or paranormal events are occurring, but being the amazing authors that they are I was still very much intrigued. Even though nothing was getting blown up or magiced up lol, I didn’t feel like the book was lacking in any shape or form. My attention was grabbed and I won’t be satisfied until I have my answers or I can continue to get my detective mojo going again for round two.
If you love being brought into a political world where a lot of different games are being played, one where there is always a winner, I think you will really love this book.
I feel the need though to say this book, in my opinion, isn’t really young adult appropriate. There were just a few things like excessive swearing content and sexual situations etc that would make me say its more aimed at a more mature audience such as; New Young Adults or Adults.
Well done ladies for this very enjoyable read. I really can’t wait to see what more you have in store for us. Just go easy on our hearts lol.
Happy Readings
I loved this book. Truly enjoyed the surprises as well as the twist and turns in this book, they kept me on the edge of me seat and guessing the entire time.
Violet’s life changes when only 4 words … “You have been chosen.” turns her world upside down and sideways.
She thought Arbon Academy was an excellent opportunity seeing as one out of over 5 million was chosen to attend every 5 years. Little did she know she was walking into a school where Royals control all and Prince’s battle over everything, lies were the way of life, and the school and the town it resides in has more secrets than she couldn’t have ever expected. There are mysteries in which she seeks answers too, but the closer she gets the more questions arise and she’s not sure that once she gets them that she’ll actually want the knowledge that she’s actively seeking.
An excellent start to a brand new series. It’s very well written and once you step in to the world of Arbon Academy you won’t want to leave until all mysteries are solved and all answers have been provided.
I highly recommend this one and can not wait for the next book in the series.
**ends on a cliff hanger**
All I can say is WOW! Deception and Intrigue abounds at Arbon Academy and I can’t wait for more!!!
Violet Spencer’s entire life changed the day she won the “Princess Ballot” and an all expenses paid education at Arbon Academy – school to the Royals. But, the academy is not what the media makes it out to be and is ruled by politics and intrigue and nothing and no one is what they seem on the surface. It will take everything that Violet has within her to make it through her four years.
Violet is definitely not the typical winner of the Princess Ballot, having a mind of her own and a skillset more worthy of the streets than the academy. But, she’ll need every bit of her streetsmarts to figure out how to play the Royal games and determine everyone’s intentions and motivations and where she fits . . . especially since not everyone is happy she is at the academy.
Immediately befriended by Mattie and her twin Nolan, Violet finds herself with two strong friends and protectors. She also finds herself in what seems to be a tug of war between two Crown Princes – Alex and Rafe.
Alex seems to be the sweet boy next door, but is he? Everyone warns Violet off from spending time with him, but why? Is it jealousy or something more? And, Rafe, is the ultimate tatted up bad boy, yet has good intentions towards everyone but Violet who he can’t seem to stand and no one can figure out why. And, the tensions between Alex and Rafe are out of control and pulled even tighter once Violet finds herself a pawn between them.
For real, I loved watching Violet try to navigate the intrigue and politics of the academy and need more of this story. I love that nothing is what it seems and I’m left wondering who can be trusted in her circle of friends and acquaintances and if she will be broken or find a way to surprise them all by coming out on top.
Book One also ended with a real bang, so, really, book two cannot get onto my kindle quickly enough because I am completely hooked! 5 stars!
I received a free copy of this book from the authors.
Wow! This is the first I’ve read from these authors and I’ve already recommended it to several of my friends. If there’s anything you read this year this series should be one of them.
Princess Ballot gives us an insight into a world where there’s been a world war and territories are no longer the same as they are now. There are different areas that are ruled by royalty instead of by government like the United States and others are currently.
There’s a prestigious school called Arbon Academy where they allow one student in each year on scholarship. The person is supposed to be drawn at random. Violet is living in a shelter when she’s collected for the Academy.
I would love to tell you Violet fits right in with her classmates. Unfortunately that’s not true. She’s an outcast. A scholarship recipient. Poor. Quite a few of her classmates will be rulers of nations after they graduate. How does one go from wondering where their next meal will come from to dining with royals at school?
The Princess Ballot. That’s how. Not everything is as it seems. Secrets abound and one can’t quite trust people are who they say they are. Friend or foe – that is the question.
This is my first time reading anything by these authors. After reading the blurb I knew I needed to get my hands on this book. Who doesn’t like royalty and through in some drama.
Violet is ready to start her life by going to college and making a better life for herself. She is tired of being the poor orphan girl. She never expected she would be chosen to go to Arbon Academy, the school of the royals. She had no clue what to expect. She was the new girl in unfamiliar territory.
This book was a page turner and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
3.5 Stars!
The Princess Ballot is the first book in the Royals of Arbon Academy Series and follows the story of Violet Spencer. Violet Spencer’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has won the Princess Ballot. You see, Violet is a ward of the state and has a tough life. When she turned 18, she couldn’t wait to be out on her own and make some better luck for herself. So, when she finds out that she’s won the Princess Ballot, Violet thinks her luck is beginning to change….Only she couldn’t have been more wrong. You see, there is so much more to Arbon Academy than meets the eyes. It’s a total sink or swim situation and you definitely have to watch your back. Despite Violets best efforts at trying to remain below the radar, she catches the eyes of Prince Alex and soon finds herself a pawn in a game she never wanted part of……
Overall, I thought this book was a quick and easy read. The story-line pulled me in from the very beginning and definitely left me wanting more. I thought Violet was an interesting character. Despite her upbringing, she was tough and could handle her own when it came to the royals who wanted her gone. I was intrigued by both Prince Rafe and Prince Alex. There is a lot of suspicion that surrounds Alex. He appears to be this sweet, honest guy, but I totally didn’t get the warm and fuzzies from him. I don’t know. There’s just something about him that makes me think his agenda may not be on the up and up. And then we’ve got Prince Rafe. Prince Rafe appears to be a total jerk, but then he’s got these moments where he is sweet and looking out for Violet. I don’t know what to think of him yet and I hope that he will prove to more than just a rich, entitled jerk.
The Princess Ballot sets this series off to a good start. The characters have been introduced and the story-line set. There’s mystery. There’s intrigue. There’s danger around every corner. There’s steam and just a touch of romance. And if that wasn’t enough, this book has a pretty spectacular twist that will just leave your head spinning.
The Princess Ballot is my first book by this writing duo and I look forward to reading more from the two of them in the future.
Over fifteen million applied, and she was chosen from the Ballot to join the prestigious Arbon Academy on a full scholarship.
She’s now surrounded by royals who see her as a pauper, all except for a select few.
Danger lurks around each and every corner, can she survive unscathed..?
Oh my god it did NOT just end like that.. oh yes it did *growls in frustration* I just wanted one more page!!
I was so engrossed that I didnt even realise the end was near, never mind literally around the corner.
This book is a fantastic introduction to a new series and I only hope and pray that the second book isnt too far away.
The atmosphere between the characters is fraught with tension. The hatred and passion is so evident in all that they say and do.
Violet is a total kick ass babe who can more than handle anything thrown her way. So strong, feisty and loveable.
Alex and Rafe are both such drool worthy characters. Light and dark, dangerous and skillful. I want them both!!
I cant wait for more of this series, Jaymin and Tate are to me like the writing dream team.
True gold, that deserves every single star possible.
Violet Rose Spencer is an orphan at Mission State Home when she wins a scholarship to attend the prestigious Arbon Academy which is filled with princes and princesses in Switzerland. Her goal is to stay in the shadows and not get noticed and finish her degree and get out. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned and she finds herself in the middle of everything.
Violet finds herself attracted to two Crown princes who hate each other and are as different as can be. Rafe is the crown prince of Switzerland and seems to hate Violet for some unknown reason. The other is Alex, the crown prince of the Australasias, and he goes after Violet for her affection almost immediately.
Can Violet figure out how to tread within the walls of the school and figure out for herself what she needs and wants without being dragged into a personal battle between two bitter enemies?
Wow – what a way to begin a series! I am completely sucked in and desperately want the next book now!!
I loved Violet right from the beginning and I was happy that she got picked for an opportunity of a lifetime but right away I could tell her chances of hiding in the shadows were very minimal. I absolutely loved her friendship with Mattie and then Nolan. Mattie was such a hoot and provided a lot of insight to Violet but also had her back with many situations she was going through. I loved her toughness and I was excited to see it come out but I also respected her smarts and how she knew she really had to be careful.
So Rafe was extremely dark and broody but he had obviously gone through stuff with losing his best friend, Jasmine. Rafe was interesting as he acted like he hated Violet yet he was also very protective of her and so I knew that there was much more going on with him than we are currently aware of.
Alex was also interesting but for a completely different reason. I was curious on why a crown prince was going after an “orphan” and trying to shower her with love. I knew that Violet was attractive but with so many other royalty at the school it seemed odd that he went after her so fast. I was also curious about his past with Jasmine and how something mysterious happened and certain people believed one thing but Alex told Violet something different. I was also super curious about Alex’s temper that so many people warned Violet about as I am sure we will get a glimpse of that in the next book.
I loved Mattie, Nolan and Jordan. I can’t wait for more of them in the next book and I love that they are so protective over Violet and really there for her.
The end of the book was completely jaw dropping and I was shocked at what was revealed and I need to know what happens next!!!
Let me start my review off with an immediate apology. While I’m giving this book 5 stars I feel an explanation is needed, so my review might jump around a bit. I’ll try my best to explain my logic and how I reached my rating conclusion, so please bear with me.
Princess Ballot was an interesting dichotomy of unoriginal story and original story. We get the usual things in a bully romance: poor orphan girl starts at a new school and gets bullied because everyone else at the school is rich and popular. We also get some interesting story themes: sports romance, political intrigue, suspense and urban fantasy. I can’t divulge too much because I’m loathe to reveal spoilers in my reviews. However, I will say that while I found Princess Ballot at times unoriginal, overall I found it vastly entertaining and intriguing. See? I told you my review probably wouldn’t make much sense…
I really liked all of the characters involved, even the bullies. Violet might be the new girl but she is no pushover. I’m also loving the weird love triangle that isn’t a love triangle between her, Alex and Rafe. I saw some other reviews that mentioned not liking the “university” aspect of the academy they all attend. This is a book where “university” is a reference in the American style, meaning college level. Being an American reader I didn’t find this confusing at all, but I can see how international readers might find the reference misleading.
I did read this book I one sitting and found it really enjoyable. If you’re looking for a light bully romance I definitely recommend. Fair warning though, the book ends in a cliffhanger!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book in this Dystopian type College romance. The world has changed and is now ruled by different Kingdoms.
Violet has lived in a group home most of her life, shes considered poor, low on the totem pole but is working hard at school to try to improve her life. She wins a ballot to have a place at a prestigious Royal college all expenses paid so she is pulled out of the life she knows and thrust into a completely different world.
She is instantly befriended by Mattie and her brother Nolan, and she catches the eye of Prince Alex from Australisia who declares she will be his wife. Not sure how but she has gained the wrath of Prince Rafe, even though he is hot and appeals to her he makes it very clear that he doesn’t like her much. I personally think there is more to this as he seems very protective of the person he seems to hate.
I have a theory about somethings but I want to see how it all plays out. There are some questions raised about Violet and her past, there is so much going on in this one I am completely intrigued with what is going to happen next.
Oh my goodness! I am completely and utterly obsessed with this book. It’s dark and dangerous and dripping in mystery, a perfect book to keep your mind occupied and your heart pouring throughout the entire story.
The world building is fantastic, you’re instantly transported into a strange new world where monarchies rule the planet once again. It’s both fascinating and riveting, the build up and delivery of the entire plot. There are enough rough around the edges spoiled rich bad boys to make any romantics heart sing, I’m smitten by several and this is only book one. But honestly, the best part about this story is the tough-as-nails heroine who is fierce and dripping in both strength and determination. It’s impossible not to love Violet. Especially when you discover what a real badass she truly is.
This easily became one of my favorite new books and I can’t wait to see where this series is headed. No really, I can’t wait. I need the next book NOW! I’m dying for more Rafe, who doesn’t love a broody tattooed royal with a major stick up his butt?
I fell in love with this book from the first page.
I love dystopian books. It’s always fun to go into a make-up world with different rules, standards and expectations. Princess Ballot is more than your average college bully romance in a brand new world, it’s mysterious, secretive and unique.
The book started off slow because of all the introductions to the post Monarch War world. The plot of the story was quite simple. Violet, an eighteen year old orphan, won the Arbon Academy lottery and got a chance to go to the most prestigious university in the new world with all the rich and royals. Violet was determined to get an education and not be distracted by all the mind games and politics in the academy. Unfortunately, life has other plans for her.
The authors did a wonderful job in creating this new post Monarch War world. I loved all the characters in the story and their remarkable friendship, alliances and rivalries. Alex was a charmer and I could not blame Violet’s for falling for him even when all the other people were warning her to stay away. Rafe was a broody alpha who definitely grew on me. Nolan and Mattie were a godsend to help Violet navigate the dangerous and mysterious politics of Arbon Academy.
There were so many secrets, betrayal and manipulations. As some answers were revealed, more questions were raised and a lot of the mysteries was not resolved yet. With the shocking revelation at the end of the story, I cannot wait to find out what would happen in the next installment.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I’m sad.
I’m sad that I’ve finished this book.
I’m sad that I’ve got to wait till June for the next book.
This is the first book by these authors I have read and it most certainly won’t be my last.
I can’t remember the last time I sat and read a book within 24 hours but that’s exactly what I did with Princess Ballot. I was hooked from page 1 until the last page and even then I was left wanting more. More of these characters and more of the complicated story.
This book ended on a huge cliffhanger, one that I was prepared for or wasn’t expecting.
I can not wait for the next books in the series!