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American Royals #1
American Royals
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2019)What if America had a royal family?
When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.
As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling.
Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her.
And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.
When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.
As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling.
Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her.
And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2019
About the author
Katharine McGee
16 books6,071 followersKatharine McGee is the New York Times bestselling author of American Royals and The Thousandth Floor trilogy. She studied English and French literature at Princeton University and has an MBA from Stanford. She lives in her hometown of Houston, TX with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,981 reviews
June 13, 2022
TWO DISAPPOINTED, ANGRY, TIME-CONSUMER, MOOD-KILLER, WORSE THEN YOUNG AND RESTLESS EPISODES STARS!
When NetGalley rejected me to send this book, I gave the same reaction every time when I get rejections. I threw myself on the floor, punched the rug and gave my ugliest cries! Even my neighbors were scared that a wild animal escaped from the zoo and jumped in from our window. When I said I was the wild animal, they only shrugged. I think I should move sooner!
And after reading this book, flashbacks of my rejection moments appeared on my mind and I started to hit my head against the wall several times!!! Why did I waste my precious tears? Why did I terrorize my neighbors who are still thinking I’m a crocodile! Those tears were real, you mean people! Anyways, I’m so pissed off my wasted precious drama queen moments, I should save those acts for later rejection from a producer!
Let’s turn back to roasting the book! I was expecting a witty historical romance, not the worst version of day time soap operas and telenovelas. I felt like somebody locked me in a room and forced me watch the worst 1000 episodes of Kardashians because the book’s characters have so many similarities with them. Samantha could be great Chloe, Nina could be marvelous Courtney and Beatrice could be an amazing Kim because their life stories, their dramas and their conflicts are so unreasonable, illogical, and obnoxious just like reality show stars.
I think I donated my several IQ points and now I turned into a regular Hollywood blonde who is suffering from too many plastic surgeries, wiping her dripping saliva, hiding her mimic- less face under a big sunglasses, collecting the calories of diet cokes she has been drinking daily!
Only I liked the villain, Daphne who should slap all these characters and get control of the story. She deserves her own book! Her detailed schemes and her highly organized vendetta plans took my interest. Atta girl!
So this big was more painful then:
Listening to Miley Cyrus songs (Poor girl! What an extreme waste of local cords!)
Watching Fox news
Cooking anything in the kitchen (Correction: This is the most painful thing for my husband see my efforts to burn more foods.)
Indecisive people standing in front of me to order ice cream and trying at least 10 different tastes, ignoring the growing line reminds you regular DMV line (total nightmare isn’t it?)
People talking in the movies and giving spoilers
Reunion of Beverly Hills 900210 casting
The sum of all these things I listed might be equal to my suffering from this book. If you have high pain tolerance, be my guest and start to read this one. But my suggestion to you, pick up a better book and don’t waste your time for nothing!
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When NetGalley rejected me to send this book, I gave the same reaction every time when I get rejections. I threw myself on the floor, punched the rug and gave my ugliest cries! Even my neighbors were scared that a wild animal escaped from the zoo and jumped in from our window. When I said I was the wild animal, they only shrugged. I think I should move sooner!
And after reading this book, flashbacks of my rejection moments appeared on my mind and I started to hit my head against the wall several times!!! Why did I waste my precious tears? Why did I terrorize my neighbors who are still thinking I’m a crocodile! Those tears were real, you mean people! Anyways, I’m so pissed off my wasted precious drama queen moments, I should save those acts for later rejection from a producer!
Let’s turn back to roasting the book! I was expecting a witty historical romance, not the worst version of day time soap operas and telenovelas. I felt like somebody locked me in a room and forced me watch the worst 1000 episodes of Kardashians because the book’s characters have so many similarities with them. Samantha could be great Chloe, Nina could be marvelous Courtney and Beatrice could be an amazing Kim because their life stories, their dramas and their conflicts are so unreasonable, illogical, and obnoxious just like reality show stars.
I think I donated my several IQ points and now I turned into a regular Hollywood blonde who is suffering from too many plastic surgeries, wiping her dripping saliva, hiding her mimic- less face under a big sunglasses, collecting the calories of diet cokes she has been drinking daily!
Only I liked the villain, Daphne who should slap all these characters and get control of the story. She deserves her own book! Her detailed schemes and her highly organized vendetta plans took my interest. Atta girl!
So this big was more painful then:
Listening to Miley Cyrus songs (Poor girl! What an extreme waste of local cords!)
Watching Fox news
Cooking anything in the kitchen (Correction: This is the most painful thing for my husband see my efforts to burn more foods.)
Indecisive people standing in front of me to order ice cream and trying at least 10 different tastes, ignoring the growing line reminds you regular DMV line (total nightmare isn’t it?)
People talking in the movies and giving spoilers
Reunion of Beverly Hills 900210 casting
The sum of all these things I listed might be equal to my suffering from this book. If you have high pain tolerance, be my guest and start to read this one. But my suggestion to you, pick up a better book and don’t waste your time for nothing!
blog
September 27, 2019
Omg, I'm living for the drama. I NEED BOOK TWO RIGHT NOW
Shelved as 'simon-cowell-voice-its-a-no-from-me'
November 3, 2020EDIT: Nov. 3, 2020. It's been over a year since I last updated this review and I am STILL getting messages for it. Is Katharine McGee or her agent paying their bills or something?
I'm really interested to know where in my review did I say the author wasn't "allowed" to write it? She's allowed to write it but I'm also allowed to think the book's premise is shitty and offensive. Like what point were they trying to make, exactly? I'm so confused.
"I must remind you, this is only the premise." Why would I need reminding when this has been THE ENTIRE POINT of my review? That I'm only criticizing the premise? It really does seem that my theory of people on this cursed website sharing one single brain cell is proving to be true.
EDIT: Oct. 8, 2019. This is not the most liked review for this book anymore, but a Good Samaritan took the time out of their day to send me this message and inform me of my account settings!
I read my review again after they sent this message and it literally says 'has commented or messaged me', rendering their message completely pointless because my point still stands as anyone is allowed to message me even if we're not friends. But hey, they're the first ever person to send me a message about this review so let's all give them a round of applause for not being a pussy!
I love how they passive-aggressively called me 'angry' and 'unpleasant' but did not include any rebuttals about the actual points I made in my review. Why do privileged people always go on the defensive when someone brings up uncomfortable but important topics and frame other people as 'angry' or 'over-emotional'? It was never my intention for this review to be one of the most liked ones--Goodreads simply has this phenomena where a negative review about a book that has mostly positive reviews is treated as a novelty, but I like to think people liked this review because they either agree with me or at least understand the point I was trying to make.
As I said in my reply to them: Why does not reviewing books I haven’t read apply to me if I don’t like the premise but don't apply to people who LIKE the premise and are excited to read it? They haven’t read the book either so why is no one calling THEM out and telling them it’s “”good practice”” not to review books they haven’t read? I didn't give this a rating because I didn't want this book's average rating to be affected by my review because I AM aware that I haven't read it. Also, what the fuck is the point of a synopsis and/or premise if not to help me form an opinion before I read a book? I was criticizing the premise of this book; I never talked about the writing style or the characters or the actual plot. Get a grip, holy fucking shit.
You know what they say--only hit dogs will holler!
EDIT: This is now the most liked review for this book on Goodreads and... I don’t really know how I feel.
There’s still a part of me that has doubts when it comes to reviewing (or in this case, complaining about) books I’ve never read. But this review has been up for 3 and a half months now and so far, nobody who has read it or was involved in the production of this book has commented or messaged me to let me know I’m wrong. So this book is probably gonna be as shitty, insensitive, and history-erasing as I think it’s going to be. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
———-
Am I the only one who thinks there's something deeply fucked up about a monarchy in a country that was colonized and stolen from its native people?
One of the reasons why European countries, some Asian countries, and some African countries still have monarchs is because those countries were never successfully colonized. They gave George Washington a fucking crown? The point of the Revolutionary War was so that there was no monarchy. How are you going to have a King and Queen of America in the 21st century while knowing that land was stolen from Native Americans? What the actual fuck?
'And their country was born of rebellion'. YOUR COUNTRY WAS BORN OF GENOCIDE AND SLAVERY. Just because Alternate History is a genre doesn't give you a pass to write what seems to be racist, revisionist bullshit.
Anyways people on this cursed website AND publishers who buy shitty ass books with racist premises all share one single brain cell.
I'm really interested to know where in my review did I say the author wasn't "allowed" to write it? She's allowed to write it but I'm also allowed to think the book's premise is shitty and offensive. Like what point were they trying to make, exactly? I'm so confused.
"I must remind you, this is only the premise." Why would I need reminding when this has been THE ENTIRE POINT of my review? That I'm only criticizing the premise? It really does seem that my theory of people on this cursed website sharing one single brain cell is proving to be true.
EDIT: Oct. 8, 2019. This is not the most liked review for this book anymore, but a Good Samaritan took the time out of their day to send me this message and inform me of my account settings!
I read my review again after they sent this message and it literally says 'has commented or messaged me', rendering their message completely pointless because my point still stands as anyone is allowed to message me even if we're not friends. But hey, they're the first ever person to send me a message about this review so let's all give them a round of applause for not being a pussy!
I love how they passive-aggressively called me 'angry' and 'unpleasant' but did not include any rebuttals about the actual points I made in my review. Why do privileged people always go on the defensive when someone brings up uncomfortable but important topics and frame other people as 'angry' or 'over-emotional'? It was never my intention for this review to be one of the most liked ones--Goodreads simply has this phenomena where a negative review about a book that has mostly positive reviews is treated as a novelty, but I like to think people liked this review because they either agree with me or at least understand the point I was trying to make.
As I said in my reply to them: Why does not reviewing books I haven’t read apply to me if I don’t like the premise but don't apply to people who LIKE the premise and are excited to read it? They haven’t read the book either so why is no one calling THEM out and telling them it’s “”good practice”” not to review books they haven’t read? I didn't give this a rating because I didn't want this book's average rating to be affected by my review because I AM aware that I haven't read it. Also, what the fuck is the point of a synopsis and/or premise if not to help me form an opinion before I read a book? I was criticizing the premise of this book; I never talked about the writing style or the characters or the actual plot. Get a grip, holy fucking shit.
You know what they say--only hit dogs will holler!
EDIT: This is now the most liked review for this book on Goodreads and... I don’t really know how I feel.
There’s still a part of me that has doubts when it comes to reviewing (or in this case, complaining about) books I’ve never read. But this review has been up for 3 and a half months now and so far, nobody who has read it or was involved in the production of this book has commented or messaged me to let me know I’m wrong. So this book is probably gonna be as shitty, insensitive, and history-erasing as I think it’s going to be. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
———-
Am I the only one who thinks there's something deeply fucked up about a monarchy in a country that was colonized and stolen from its native people?
One of the reasons why European countries, some Asian countries, and some African countries still have monarchs is because those countries were never successfully colonized. They gave George Washington a fucking crown? The point of the Revolutionary War was so that there was no monarchy. How are you going to have a King and Queen of America in the 21st century while knowing that land was stolen from Native Americans? What the actual fuck?
'And their country was born of rebellion'. YOUR COUNTRY WAS BORN OF GENOCIDE AND SLAVERY. Just because Alternate History is a genre doesn't give you a pass to write what seems to be racist, revisionist bullshit.
Anyways people on this cursed website AND publishers who buy shitty ass books with racist premises all share one single brain cell.
July 6, 2022
Well. This didn’t go very well.
I love a fun, fluffy, romance-y read. I love royalty tropes. I love Ragtag Groups Of Quirky Teenage Friends. I even love...some drama. And when I picked this up, I thought I would either get that or a big heaping cereal bowl of disappointment.
Maybe my expectations have been irrevocably made too high by Red, White & Royal Blue, but...boy oh boy did I get the latter.
It also could have been my fault for not realizing this was the first in a series. I was like...WHERE is the PACING. WHY is this so SLOW. WHEN is ANYTHING going to HAPPEN.
The plot didn’t even really start until the halfway point, and plot is a strong word. So is start, for that matter.
Which, I mean. Kinda makes sense, because the story is being stretched out over multiple books. But not really.
I can’t pretend to know what will happen in the next book(s), but I want to say: AT LEAST the events of the second one should have been included in this.
For my own sanity and well-being.
Because legitimately nothing happened until the book was almost over.
And now my brain is broken.
This was not helped by the fact that there is not one, not two, not even three but FOUR. PERSPECTIVES.
FOUR OF THEM.
Which is bad even if you’re invested in a character or two, or all of them (if you can even imagine), but is a neverending hellish cycle of suffering if you dislike them all.
And boy oh boy did I dislike them all.
Folks...these are some horrible people.
They are SO. AWFUL. To each other. They don’t care about anyone else, only their own ambitions. They act without thinking of others and they hurt each other accidentally or on purpose and the whole entire book is just mean careless people making other mean careless people feel like sh*t.
And that’s not even the worst part.
Even more terrible…
This was not like other girls-y and girl hate-y as hell.
And I don’t care about any of the 3-4 ships, and I hope all of them perish.
(I know that sounds mean but remember they’re fictional and therefore it’s fine.)
Bottom line: ACK!!!!
This is such an unpopular opinion.
---------------
pre-review
it was the second option.
review to come / 1.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
this book seems RIDICULOUS.
which is why i'm either going to enjoy every second of it or hate it with my life.
I love a fun, fluffy, romance-y read. I love royalty tropes. I love Ragtag Groups Of Quirky Teenage Friends. I even love...some drama. And when I picked this up, I thought I would either get that or a big heaping cereal bowl of disappointment.
Maybe my expectations have been irrevocably made too high by Red, White & Royal Blue, but...boy oh boy did I get the latter.
It also could have been my fault for not realizing this was the first in a series. I was like...WHERE is the PACING. WHY is this so SLOW. WHEN is ANYTHING going to HAPPEN.
The plot didn’t even really start until the halfway point, and plot is a strong word. So is start, for that matter.
Which, I mean. Kinda makes sense, because the story is being stretched out over multiple books. But not really.
I can’t pretend to know what will happen in the next book(s), but I want to say: AT LEAST the events of the second one should have been included in this.
For my own sanity and well-being.
Because legitimately nothing happened until the book was almost over.
And now my brain is broken.
This was not helped by the fact that there is not one, not two, not even three but FOUR. PERSPECTIVES.
FOUR OF THEM.
Which is bad even if you’re invested in a character or two, or all of them (if you can even imagine), but is a neverending hellish cycle of suffering if you dislike them all.
And boy oh boy did I dislike them all.
Folks...these are some horrible people.
They are SO. AWFUL. To each other. They don’t care about anyone else, only their own ambitions. They act without thinking of others and they hurt each other accidentally or on purpose and the whole entire book is just mean careless people making other mean careless people feel like sh*t.
And that’s not even the worst part.
Even more terrible…
This was not like other girls-y and girl hate-y as hell.
And I don’t care about any of the 3-4 ships, and I hope all of them perish.
(I know that sounds mean but remember they’re fictional and therefore it’s fine.)
Bottom line: ACK!!!!
This is such an unpopular opinion.
---------------
pre-review
it was the second option.
review to come / 1.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
this book seems RIDICULOUS.
which is why i'm either going to enjoy every second of it or hate it with my life.
October 17, 2020
like gossip girl without the flavor
January 7, 2020
this story reminded me exactly of KMs other series, ‘the thousandth floor.’ which is to say, i had fun reading this.
this isnt as drama-filled, but the heavy cast of characters and how their lives intertwine and mix with each other is very on-brand for KM. i know some people may complain about the length, especially because there essentially isnt a plot, but i didnt mind it. i had fun and enjoyed reading about each of the characters and their relationships with each other.
like i said, there really isnt much going on other than character interactions and some slight world building, but i think a pretty decent foundation is laid for what i hope to be an entertaining series.
↠ 3.5 stars
this isnt as drama-filled, but the heavy cast of characters and how their lives intertwine and mix with each other is very on-brand for KM. i know some people may complain about the length, especially because there essentially isnt a plot, but i didnt mind it. i had fun and enjoyed reading about each of the characters and their relationships with each other.
like i said, there really isnt much going on other than character interactions and some slight world building, but i think a pretty decent foundation is laid for what i hope to be an entertaining series.
↠ 3.5 stars
August 23, 2021
¿Me gustó? Me gustó. ¿Le faltó un toque? Le faltó un toque. ¿Pienso leer el segundo? Pienso leer el segundo porque eSE FINAL AMIGOS ME PASÓ POR ENCIMA CON UN CAMIÓN
September 30, 2019
Book gifted to me by Jacqueline! (Thank you so much, bb!)
Gosh, I really loved this.
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❤ I read this for Contemporaryathon Round Five!
Gosh, I really loved this.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Twitch
❤ I read this for Contemporaryathon Round Five!
May 19, 2020
"From now on, you are two people at once: Beatrice the girl, and Beatrice, heir to the Crown. When they want different things, the Crown must win. Always."
Katharine McGee's American Royals is an entertaining, soapy romp built on a terrific concept: when the Revolutionary War ended, the American people offered George Washington a crown, and he accepted. The House of Washington has remained on the throne for more than two-and-a-half centuries, and America is as obsessed with stories about the royal family as other countries with monarchies are.
Princess Beatrice is next in line for the throne. Thanks to an edict from her grandfather, the crown will now pass to the oldest child regardless of gender. Beatrice will become the country's first queen regnant, a role she has been preparing for her entire life. But while she's always been the dutiful daughter, doing whatever has been expected of her, whatever her parents have asked her to do, the closer she comes to the moment she'll rule, the more she wonders whether the sacrifices she has had to make were truly worth it.
When her parents tell her it's time she choose a suitable husband (read: a member of the nobility) she prepares to be the dutiful daughter as always. But then she realizes her heart wants to go in a different direction, and then she can think of nothing else. Is her choice either to ignore her heart and find someone she someday might fall in love with, or follow her heart and disobey her parents—and risk losing the throne? The choice she must make impacts more than just her, and she knows she's bound to hurt someone in the process.
Her younger twin siblings, Jefferson and Samantha, have it a little easier, since they're considered "the spares" with Beatrice as heir to the throne. Both struggle with their identities—what are they expected to do if they won't rule the country? Why does it really matter what they do?
Even more than that, however, both siblings have their own romantic struggles. Samantha, who has always been the carefree, impulsive one, is in love with the one man she cannot have, and Jeff, despite the intense attention from a beautiful and suitable young woman who is determined to land him, is in love with a young woman who wants nothing to do with the scrutiny that would be aimed at someone dating a prince, no matter how much she loves him back.
I was hooked on American Royals from the first few pages. McGee has created a compelling, fascinating story that reminds me of all the reasons people are so fascinated by stories about William and Kate, Harry and Megan, and Charles and Camilla. Nothing particularly surprising happens in the book but it's just so well-told, with healthy doses of melodrama, that I couldn't put it down.
There is one character in the book I absolutely loathed, and of course, you were supposed to feel that way, but I honestly began skimming the sections where she appeared after a while. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that the ending didn't quite feel complete, since it was merely setting up McGee's next book, which is due out in the fall of 2020.
If you find yourself unable to turn away when the news media covers the latest news about what Princess Kate is wearing, or a trip that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are taking, if you woke up super-early to watch one of the royal weddings, American Royals is definitely for you. Can't wait for the next book!!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Katharine McGee's American Royals is an entertaining, soapy romp built on a terrific concept: when the Revolutionary War ended, the American people offered George Washington a crown, and he accepted. The House of Washington has remained on the throne for more than two-and-a-half centuries, and America is as obsessed with stories about the royal family as other countries with monarchies are.
Princess Beatrice is next in line for the throne. Thanks to an edict from her grandfather, the crown will now pass to the oldest child regardless of gender. Beatrice will become the country's first queen regnant, a role she has been preparing for her entire life. But while she's always been the dutiful daughter, doing whatever has been expected of her, whatever her parents have asked her to do, the closer she comes to the moment she'll rule, the more she wonders whether the sacrifices she has had to make were truly worth it.
When her parents tell her it's time she choose a suitable husband (read: a member of the nobility) she prepares to be the dutiful daughter as always. But then she realizes her heart wants to go in a different direction, and then she can think of nothing else. Is her choice either to ignore her heart and find someone she someday might fall in love with, or follow her heart and disobey her parents—and risk losing the throne? The choice she must make impacts more than just her, and she knows she's bound to hurt someone in the process.
Her younger twin siblings, Jefferson and Samantha, have it a little easier, since they're considered "the spares" with Beatrice as heir to the throne. Both struggle with their identities—what are they expected to do if they won't rule the country? Why does it really matter what they do?
Even more than that, however, both siblings have their own romantic struggles. Samantha, who has always been the carefree, impulsive one, is in love with the one man she cannot have, and Jeff, despite the intense attention from a beautiful and suitable young woman who is determined to land him, is in love with a young woman who wants nothing to do with the scrutiny that would be aimed at someone dating a prince, no matter how much she loves him back.
I was hooked on American Royals from the first few pages. McGee has created a compelling, fascinating story that reminds me of all the reasons people are so fascinated by stories about William and Kate, Harry and Megan, and Charles and Camilla. Nothing particularly surprising happens in the book but it's just so well-told, with healthy doses of melodrama, that I couldn't put it down.
There is one character in the book I absolutely loathed, and of course, you were supposed to feel that way, but I honestly began skimming the sections where she appeared after a while. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that the ending didn't quite feel complete, since it was merely setting up McGee's next book, which is due out in the fall of 2020.
If you find yourself unable to turn away when the news media covers the latest news about what Princess Kate is wearing, or a trip that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are taking, if you woke up super-early to watch one of the royal weddings, American Royals is definitely for you. Can't wait for the next book!!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
October 6, 2019
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Somebody was comparing AMERICAN ROYALS to CRAZY RICH ASIANS, and I think to do so is really unfair because CRAZY RICH ASIANS tapped into a lot of dialogues about race, class, and culture that AMERICAN ROYALS doesn't really do. Oh, it tries, but if anything it's just a thought experiment designed to write yet another frothy story about princesses. And if that's your cup of Earl grey tea, more power to you, but I think it's dangerous-- and disappointing-- to build AMERICAN ROYALS to be anything other than what it is: mindless fluff.
AMERICAN ROYALS takes place in an alternate universe where Washington did agree to be America's new King, leading to a lineage of nouveaux royales called "the Washingtons." There isn't really a plot-- it's entirely character-driven, and most of that character development revolves around drama, drama, drama. Dating, marriage, secret relationships, catty mean girls, and revenge, oh my. This has more angst and big misunderstandings than your favorite K-drama. And just like a K-drama, the interactions between the characters make up all the story line.
I'm including a brief summary of character bios that contain **very light spoilers**
👑 = royal
⚪️ = common
🎩 = rich and upper-class but not part of the royal family
👑 Beatrice is the heir to the crown. Everything is riding on her to be the perfect American princess. In the eyes of her family, it seems like she can do no wrong. All that's left for her to do is marry well and make her parents proud... but the true love of her life isn't someone her parents would approve of.
👑 Samantha is the spare and the prodigal wild child. She's spent her whole life in her big sister's shadow and always feels like she can do nothing right. She's in love with a handsome young noble named Teddy, but to her horror and heartbreak, Teddy is one of the suitors in her sister's lineup.
👑 Jeff(erson) is Samantha's twin brother, and Beatrice's younger brother. He also has a wild streak, but because he's a boy, he gets away with a lot of the things Samantha does not, and everyone just says he's sowing his wild oats. Many girls hope to snag him and have him make them a princess, but he's not too socially keen and has two girls fighting over him: a gold-digger and a childhood friend.
👑 Teddy is one of the noble lords Beatrice might marry. It seems like he's Beatrice's top choice, but he's actually in love with Samantha. It's not clear how far he'd go for power, even at the cost of love.
🎩 Daphne is Jefferson's ex-girlfriend and a self-made noble. She's spent her whole life molding herself into princess material and is determined to snag her ex back at any cost. But she has some very dark and sinister secrets under her designer belt that could wreck everything she's strived for.
🎩 Ethan is Daphne's friend and accomplice, and would like to be
so much more. He knows all of her secrets and has the power to ruin her,
but he'd rather she date him instead.
⚪️ Connor is Beatrice's bodyguard. The two of them are attracted to each other, but they can never be... or can they? *I Will Always Love You* intensifies in the background.
⚪️ Nina is the daughter of the royal cabinet minister and childhood friend to Samantha and Jeff. She is also in love with Jeff, but he's a stupid mcstupidson and doesn't realize that his ex-girlfriend is playing a long con to get him back. Nina isn't prepared for fame or infamy in the slightest, and when her romantic ventures with Jeff break the news, she isn't prepared for it in the slightest.
Now you know the backstory, and if you think those are spoilers-- NOPE, not really. That's just everything you need in your toolkit to understand this 400-page drama fest and why these characters continually make stupid decision after stupid decision. I won't lie and say it wasn't entertaining, because it was, but 400 pages made this book seem really long without much in the way of plot, and it ends on the biggest cliffhanger ever, so by the time you get to the end THERE'S NO CLOSURE.
I think if you're a fan of Meg Cabot, K-dramas, and drama for the sake of drama, you'll probably like this book. But don't go into this book expecting a heavy plot or serious topics. It's pure froth, and while that might not be my cup of tea, you may find that it could quite possibly be yours.
P.S. All the heavy winking at "wow, isn't monarchy so much better than the utter chaos that would be an American democracy?" got really irritating. Monarchies have their own problems, hierarchically-based caste systems being one of them. So don't get high and mighty with me, book. Just don't.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
3 stars
September 4, 2019
AMERICAN ROYALS was a concept I was excited about because, for all the royalty romances out there, we've never had one that reimagined, and rewrote, American history to fashion them with royalty (or at least I’ve never seen/read one!). Beyond that, however, I didn't really know what to expect. My guess was drama, politics, and many things in between.
It's definitely drama. Politics, not so much. This is all drama. It's like Gossip Girl on steroids in some ways, I think. Maybe. I only watched like two seasons of that and it was a long time ago and okay maybe I should move away from this comparison.
Princess Beatrice is the eldest, the heir, set to become the country's first Queen. The laws have changed and the monarchy is looking to be more progressive in regards to inheritance with women not being passed over for just having the bad luck to be born first but female. Yay! But only in that one way. Welp. Commoners are still not eligible for marriage and lo and behold isn't that who Beatrice finds herself falling in love with? All despite trying to still adhere to the law, to tradition, and find herself an actual suitable match her parents, and the country, will approve of.
Then there's her siblings, twins Samantha and Jefferson. They have a commoner friend, Nina, with whom they grew up with. Who is trying to keep the royal and regular sides of her life separate. To distance herself from the twins after an event that happened the night they graduated high school.
Sam, who is everything Beatrice isn't, who is directionless, troublesome, and Jeff who is beloved by all. And who dumped his longterm girlfriend, Daphne, even though she has no intention of staying dumped.
This book is a lot. I thought I was actually enjoying it at first, despite some of the nastier drama, but honestly I think I kept expecting something of this book that it wasn't. And that's on me. I was feeling leftover heartwarming RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE feelings and I thought this was going to be more rom-com, maybe, or just.. fuzzier. But it’s not.
AMERICAN ROYALS is definitely more in line with a soap opera, or reality shows (no shade! but I hate them), while still being clever enough to be riddled with the strangeness of the reimagined history, historical figures, and different way of life. As weird as it was, I sorta liked it, but it might be weirder for actual Americans who actually care, or are patriotic, about it all. I think this book will be a love or a hate; you'll love the drama or you won't, you'll love the alternate universe feel or you won't. And while I definitely didn't hate it, I just didn't love it.
I couldn't find myself feeling much for any of the characters or their various plights or plots; I never lost myself in this story or world, I was always keenly aware I was just reading about them. The only one who got much of a reaction out of me was Daphne. At first I just hated her, felt icky about her, but more and more I had to kind of admire her. Not for good reasons. But hey, at least she inspired a reaction.
I might read on, as it's definitely not a standalone, but I'm not sure I'll be clamouring for the sequel with the kind of curiosity I had about its predecessor. Mostly I'm just hoping it's not a trilogy and everything wraps up in two books. Guess we'll find out.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
It's definitely drama. Politics, not so much. This is all drama. It's like Gossip Girl on steroids in some ways, I think. Maybe. I only watched like two seasons of that and it was a long time ago and okay maybe I should move away from this comparison.
Princess Beatrice is the eldest, the heir, set to become the country's first Queen. The laws have changed and the monarchy is looking to be more progressive in regards to inheritance with women not being passed over for just having the bad luck to be born first but female. Yay! But only in that one way. Welp. Commoners are still not eligible for marriage and lo and behold isn't that who Beatrice finds herself falling in love with? All despite trying to still adhere to the law, to tradition, and find herself an actual suitable match her parents, and the country, will approve of.
Then there's her siblings, twins Samantha and Jefferson. They have a commoner friend, Nina, with whom they grew up with. Who is trying to keep the royal and regular sides of her life separate. To distance herself from the twins after an event that happened the night they graduated high school.
Sam, who is everything Beatrice isn't, who is directionless, troublesome, and Jeff who is beloved by all. And who dumped his longterm girlfriend, Daphne, even though she has no intention of staying dumped.
This book is a lot. I thought I was actually enjoying it at first, despite some of the nastier drama, but honestly I think I kept expecting something of this book that it wasn't. And that's on me. I was feeling leftover heartwarming RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE feelings and I thought this was going to be more rom-com, maybe, or just.. fuzzier. But it’s not.
AMERICAN ROYALS is definitely more in line with a soap opera, or reality shows (no shade! but I hate them), while still being clever enough to be riddled with the strangeness of the reimagined history, historical figures, and different way of life. As weird as it was, I sorta liked it, but it might be weirder for actual Americans who actually care, or are patriotic, about it all. I think this book will be a love or a hate; you'll love the drama or you won't, you'll love the alternate universe feel or you won't. And while I definitely didn't hate it, I just didn't love it.
I couldn't find myself feeling much for any of the characters or their various plights or plots; I never lost myself in this story or world, I was always keenly aware I was just reading about them. The only one who got much of a reaction out of me was Daphne. At first I just hated her, felt icky about her, but more and more I had to kind of admire her. Not for good reasons. But hey, at least she inspired a reaction.
I might read on, as it's definitely not a standalone, but I'm not sure I'll be clamouring for the sequel with the kind of curiosity I had about its predecessor. Mostly I'm just hoping it's not a trilogy and everything wraps up in two books. Guess we'll find out.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
November 10, 2019
I had seen low ratings for this book, but hadn't read the reviews, so I had hoped that I could find some enjoyment from this book but I did not.
In an alternate history, George Washington became King after the American Revolution was won. Centuries later, House Washington is still on the throne. Now, Princess Beatrice is first in line for the throne and will be the first Queen, but her parents are pushing her to get married.
This book is a disaster. First, the world really isn't explained well at all. Why did the United States become a monarchy after they were fleeing one? How in the world would Beatrice be the first Queen? Just why. All of it is a big fat why. Some of it might have been pieced together if there was more focus on the royalty aspect, but there wasn't. The royalty was all just a ploy to have these forbidden romances and nothing more. There are other ways to have forbidden romances that would make a lot more sense than this.
The romances themselves were a nightmare. I couldn't get myself to care about any of them. All of the characters were so messy and this really felt like some TV soap opera more than anything. There was so much cheating throughout this it was awful and no one seemed to have a problem with it. Also, for having a bunch of forbidden romances with royals and not one of them LGBT?? Come on. That would have made this better... maybe.
There are multiple POVs in this book, Beatrice, Samantha, Nina and Daphne, but each of these girls only exist to talk and worry about the guy they like. That's it. There was no discussion about their royal duties or whatever else they were struggling with. There was no forming bonds whether it was family or friends. Nothing. They were solely concerned about their love life. It's infuriating to read. Women are more than the person, in this case guys, they like, but each of these characters were only reduced down to that. There worth was based on the guy. For a book set and written in modern times, it all felt incredibly old-fashioned.
Because the characters were all reduced down to their romantic life, none of the characters stood out. They all blended together, the women and the men. Each character was the same. The romance was the only thing that mattered in this story. Not the world-building or the character building, it was simple the romance and even that went up in flames.
I had hoped to find something positive from this book as I was writing this review, but unfortunately, I came up short. This book is a complete mess that has left me baffled and feeling like I should not be picking out books in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.
In an alternate history, George Washington became King after the American Revolution was won. Centuries later, House Washington is still on the throne. Now, Princess Beatrice is first in line for the throne and will be the first Queen, but her parents are pushing her to get married.
This book is a disaster. First, the world really isn't explained well at all. Why did the United States become a monarchy after they were fleeing one? How in the world would Beatrice be the first Queen? Just why. All of it is a big fat why. Some of it might have been pieced together if there was more focus on the royalty aspect, but there wasn't. The royalty was all just a ploy to have these forbidden romances and nothing more. There are other ways to have forbidden romances that would make a lot more sense than this.
The romances themselves were a nightmare. I couldn't get myself to care about any of them. All of the characters were so messy and this really felt like some TV soap opera more than anything. There was so much cheating throughout this it was awful and no one seemed to have a problem with it. Also, for having a bunch of forbidden romances with royals and not one of them LGBT?? Come on. That would have made this better... maybe.
There are multiple POVs in this book, Beatrice, Samantha, Nina and Daphne, but each of these girls only exist to talk and worry about the guy they like. That's it. There was no discussion about their royal duties or whatever else they were struggling with. There was no forming bonds whether it was family or friends. Nothing. They were solely concerned about their love life. It's infuriating to read. Women are more than the person, in this case guys, they like, but each of these characters were only reduced down to that. There worth was based on the guy. For a book set and written in modern times, it all felt incredibly old-fashioned.
Because the characters were all reduced down to their romantic life, none of the characters stood out. They all blended together, the women and the men. Each character was the same. The romance was the only thing that mattered in this story. Not the world-building or the character building, it was simple the romance and even that went up in flames.
I had hoped to find something positive from this book as I was writing this review, but unfortunately, I came up short. This book is a complete mess that has left me baffled and feeling like I should not be picking out books in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.
March 17, 2024
❝ Who said anything about forgetting? The point of forgiveness is to recognize that someone has hurt you, and to still love them in spite of it. ❞
3.80 ★!!
꒰ 💎 ꒱ When I was little, I was obsessed with princesses. I practically lived in my princess dress-ups, sometimes I would even insist on wearing them over my pajamas to bed. My sisters and I would spend our free time playing imaginary princess games, eating our imaginary princess food and sleeping in our imaginary princess canopy beds, while our imaginary servants and butlers waited on us. I have one distinct memory from when I was nine or ten years old, when I wore a giant hoop skirt gown on a walk with my family. I find it all kind of ironic, because now, I am perfectly content being an average person in America. My little self clearly wasn’t aware of the things that come with being royalty, especially in our modern world. American Royals is a perfect example of that. It captures all of the up sides of royalty, but also the down sides.
꒰ 📸 ꒱ Plot & writing: quick synopsis: When American won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.
꒰ 📸 ꒱ To sum it all up, the plot was basically drama. Boy drama, girl drama, royal drama, and family drama. But it still included a few more serious issues, which helped give it some depth. I also thought the twist of George Washington becoming king instead of president was pretty clever, and also ironic. All the drama made this book anextremely addictive and fast paced read. I never got bored with it or wanted to put it down. I probably would have binged the entire thing in one sitting if I had the time. I’m convinced the author laced it with some kind of drug because I’ve never read a book so entertaining and addictive before. If I based my rating solely off enjoyment, it would’ve been a five-star read. But the ENDING… I was actually crying. I need the next book omg.
꒰ 📸 ꒱ As for the writing, it definitely could have been better. It wasn’t beautiful, like Ann Liang’s, or quirky, like Katherine Center’s. There was no unique quality to it. But the style did fit the story well and was accurate to the way young adults actually think.
꒰ 👑 ꒱ Main characters: American Royals followed the POVs of four different girls. I love when books have dual POVs, and I really enjoyed reading about all of them. They sure had a lot of ✨dRaMa✨ lol, but also some more serious struggles and issues. Overall, I was able to connect with each of the girls well. By the end, I felt like I knew them on a personal level.
꒰ 👑 ꒱ Beatrice:
♫ ∿ Surface Pressure | Jessica Darrow
give it to your sister, your sister’s older, give her all the heavy things we can’t shoulder
I feel like I say this often about fictional characters because I love hugs, but I wish I could give Beatrice the biggest hug right now. Especially after that ending! I didn't love her at first, but by the end I really admired her loyalty, and willingness to sacrifice things for the sake of her country. I get stressed out so easily, I can’t imagine carrying that kind of pressure on my shoulders. I really hope in the end she is able to marry for love <3
꒰ 👑 ꒱ Nina:
♫ ∿ pretty isn’t pretty | Olivia Rodrigo
and none of it matter and none of it ends, you just feel like crap all over again
Nina, my fellow bookworm! It’s so cute how she works at a library, I want to be besties with her. Being Samatha's best friend, Nina always tries her best around the royal family, but someone always has to mess things up for her, it's so sad. I want to scream at the paparazzi fr. She deserves so much better in life.
꒰ 👑 ꒱ Samatha:
♫ ∿ The Man | Taylor Swift
what I was wearing, if I was rude, could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves
My fellow twinsie! She’s so oblivious though haha. Sam says she had twin telepathy with Jefferson and blah blah blah, but she can’t tell when he’s dating her best friend?? Please. My twin sister couldn’t hide that from me no matter how hard she tried lol. Sam, as she likes to call herself, is the 'spare.' Therefore, she struggles with feeling out of place and always second best. She is also a bit quick to anger, rash and judgy. I think McGee could give Sam a great character arc in the next books, so I'm hoping to see that!
꒰ 👑 ꒱ Daphne:
♫ ∿ you should see me in a crown | Billie Eilish
You should see me in a crown, your silence is my favorite sound, watch me make ‘em bow one by one by one
Daphne was definitely the villain in this story, and I think her POVs were my favorite. I was sad because she got the least number of chapters out of the four girls *blows noes*. Daphne was the most interesting character to me, because she's a... well... psychopath. She puts on a perfect show for the media, but on the inside, she's rotten to the core. Seriously, how can one be THAT manipulative and selfish and not feel guilty about it? And for what, a crown? A title? A prince? Daphne's parents are partly to blame, but still. Its giving Coriolanus Snow omg.
꒰ 🍒 ꒱ The romances: Oh em gee this book had sooo many ships and love triangles it was kind of insane! It felt like everyone had a crush on someone that somebody ELSE had a crush on smh (does that even make sense??) It was kind of fascinating to me because I’ve never been in a relationship ahaha.
꒰ 🍒 ꒱ Beatrice + Connor:
♫ ∿ Its Nice to Have a Friend | Taylor Swift
something gave you the nerve to touch my hand
Beatrice and Connor are the classic ‘forbidden-bodyguard-and-princess’ romance story. As cliche as it sounds, they’re definitely my favorite couple. Connor is so good for Beatrice. He’s the only one who really knows her, not as the future queen, but as a normal person. If you're royalty, you need someone like that in your life. Their interactions were adorbs and a little scandalous hehe. Fingers crossed that they get their hea.
꒰ 🍒 ꒱ Samatha + Teddy:
♫ ∿ I’ll Be Waiting | Cian Ducrot
if you ever wanna be my one, I’ll be waiting
I don't have much to say about them. Honestly their relationship is a mess atp 😭 my poor babies, I just want them to be happy together.
꒰ 🍒 ꒱ Nina + Jefferson:
♫ ∿ Traitor | Olivia Rodrigo
you didn’t cheat but you’re still a traitor
Ok. Jefferson is literally a huge walking red flag, you could spot him from a mile away. He believed his freaking ex’s word over Nina’s! You’d better redeem yourself soon buddy, because it’s not looking good for you. I hope Nina dumps you because you deserve it. I think they’re my least favorite couple, because they lacked in chemistry, but they were still so sweet together ☹️ I loved their late-night Wawa runs those were so special <3
꒰ 🍒 ꒱ Daphne + Ethan:
♫ ∿ I Did Something Bad | Taylor Swift
they say I did something bad, then why’s it feel so good?
The scandal that somehow hasn't been leaked yet 🤫 honestly Daphne needs to give up on Jefferson already and date Ethan! They seem like a great fit for each other. They only had a few moments throughout the book, but I loved their banter, and they had so much chemistry too. I hope Daphne and Ethan’s relationship becomes more developed through the rest of the series.
꒰ 💎 ꒱ I'm so glad I finally gave American Royals a try because I loved it! I wish I was still reading it honestly; I was so sad when it ended. It was so addicting and fun, definitely a 'guilty pleasure' series haha. I need to go to the library to get the next book soon omg. Okok that's all for now xx,
~Ella
꒰ 👑 ꒱ Quotes:
❝ But he isn’t…❞
❝ Isn’t what? ❞
❝ He isn’t you. ❞
❝ Sam had long ago resolved that if she couldn't be beautiful, she should at the very least be interesting. ❞ (Jo March who-)
❝ It was so much easier to break an arm than to break your heart. Hearts didn’t heal themselves. Hearts didn’t remake themselves stronger than before. ❞
❝ All she knew was that one day she woke up and her love for him was simply there, like newly fallen snow. Maybe it had been there all along. ❞
November 26, 2019
Come for the concept, stay for the drama. This was a near-perfect blend of Gossip Girl, modern day royalty, and drama.
Concept: ★★★★★
Drama: ★★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★
Romance:★★★★
What would have happened if George Washington had accepted the offer to become America's king? As our history books state, he said no, and the Presidency was created.
But what if...
American Royals follows the modern-day lives of America's royal family—the House of Washington. A perfect mishmash of British royalty with a distinctly American twist, American Royals was SO MUCH FUN.
Beatrice Washington is the first born, and the first woman chosen as next in line for the throne. An 18-year-old with her life planned out down to the man she's supposed to marry, she secretly dreams of being allowed the freedom of choice in the land of the free. But what's a princess to do when the whole world is watching?
Samantha Washington is one part of two—her twin brother, Jefferson Washington, is America's heartthrob—and Sam's the mess up. Known as the spare, Sam realizes that the only way to carve her mark into history is to be the loudest, the worst, the most—anything and everything that Beatrice isn't. What's a spare to do when all she wants is to make an impact?
Nina Gonzalez is Sam's best friend and the daughter of the royal court's Chamberlain. She's grown up in the halls of the palace all her life, and Sam and Jeff are her closest friends. It's not her intention to fall in love with the prince, but when one night crosses the line, will she take the plunge and risk the wrath of the American people to be with her knight in shining armor?
Daphne Deighton was born to be a princess. Scraping her way to the top with a smile on her face and steel in her eyes, she was Jeff's perfect porcelain girlfriend until it all came crashing down and Nina stole his heart. What's a girl to do but take things into her own hands?
Following the POVs of these four women entangled in the palace, American Royals was something else. I couldn't get enough of the clever world-building, the hate-to-love-it cliched drama, and the scheming. Nina's window as a Hispanic woman attempting to following her own path was my favorite part of this story, seconded by Beatrice's stoic exterior/mad mess interior dynamic.
This series is going to make a splash, and I can't WAIT for the next book.
Thank you very much to Penguin Random House for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Concept: ★★★★★
Drama: ★★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★
Romance:★★★★
What would have happened if George Washington had accepted the offer to become America's king? As our history books state, he said no, and the Presidency was created.
But what if...
American Royals follows the modern-day lives of America's royal family—the House of Washington. A perfect mishmash of British royalty with a distinctly American twist, American Royals was SO MUCH FUN.
Beatrice Washington is the first born, and the first woman chosen as next in line for the throne. An 18-year-old with her life planned out down to the man she's supposed to marry, she secretly dreams of being allowed the freedom of choice in the land of the free. But what's a princess to do when the whole world is watching?
Samantha Washington is one part of two—her twin brother, Jefferson Washington, is America's heartthrob—and Sam's the mess up. Known as the spare, Sam realizes that the only way to carve her mark into history is to be the loudest, the worst, the most—anything and everything that Beatrice isn't. What's a spare to do when all she wants is to make an impact?
Nina Gonzalez is Sam's best friend and the daughter of the royal court's Chamberlain. She's grown up in the halls of the palace all her life, and Sam and Jeff are her closest friends. It's not her intention to fall in love with the prince, but when one night crosses the line, will she take the plunge and risk the wrath of the American people to be with her knight in shining armor?
Daphne Deighton was born to be a princess. Scraping her way to the top with a smile on her face and steel in her eyes, she was Jeff's perfect porcelain girlfriend until it all came crashing down and Nina stole his heart. What's a girl to do but take things into her own hands?
Following the POVs of these four women entangled in the palace, American Royals was something else. I couldn't get enough of the clever world-building, the hate-to-love-it cliched drama, and the scheming. Nina's window as a Hispanic woman attempting to following her own path was my favorite part of this story, seconded by Beatrice's stoic exterior/mad mess interior dynamic.
This series is going to make a splash, and I can't WAIT for the next book.
Thank you very much to Penguin Random House for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2020
4 stars
This book was a drama-fest and I couldn't get enough of it. It's one of those stories you don't want to put down because it's so entertaining.
American Royals takes place in a world where America has a royal family instead of a democracy. The Washingtons' have been in power since the start and this is their family's story. This follows a few characters, the first being Beatrice who is next in line for the crown. The next is her sister, Samantha, and her brother Jefferson. It also follows Sam's best friend and Jeff's love interest, Nina, who is a commoner. As well as Daphne who's Jeff's ex that is trying everything in her power to get him back.
I know it sounds like a lot, but it really was easy to follow. Even listening to the audiobook, I never was lost or confused. There was, however, a lot going on. My favorite storyline was Beatrices. Mostly because she has a romance going on with her bodyguard and that troupe is one of my favorites. Not all of these characters are likable. In fact, most of them aren't in a lot of ways. But I was still completely invested in what was happening and what direction things were going in.
The way this ended has me asking a lot of questions and dying for the next one to come out. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters now. Totally a guilty pleasure read but I loved it!!
What if America had a royal family?
This book was a drama-fest and I couldn't get enough of it. It's one of those stories you don't want to put down because it's so entertaining.
American Royals takes place in a world where America has a royal family instead of a democracy. The Washingtons' have been in power since the start and this is their family's story. This follows a few characters, the first being Beatrice who is next in line for the crown. The next is her sister, Samantha, and her brother Jefferson. It also follows Sam's best friend and Jeff's love interest, Nina, who is a commoner. As well as Daphne who's Jeff's ex that is trying everything in her power to get him back.
I know it sounds like a lot, but it really was easy to follow. Even listening to the audiobook, I never was lost or confused. There was, however, a lot going on. My favorite storyline was Beatrices. Mostly because she has a romance going on with her bodyguard and that troupe is one of my favorites. Not all of these characters are likable. In fact, most of them aren't in a lot of ways. But I was still completely invested in what was happening and what direction things were going in.
The way this ended has me asking a lot of questions and dying for the next one to come out. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters now. Totally a guilty pleasure read but I loved it!!
February 4, 2020
4.5 stars - (Buddy read with Heather
I. Loved. This. Book. Talk about addicting! American Royals reimagines American history as if George Washington had accepted the title of King and in present day America, we're still being ruled by the monarchy led by his descendants. This book has a lot of perspectives, but I felt fully invested in each and every one of them. If I absolutely *had* to pick a favorite, it would be Samantha, also known as the spare. Samantha is a Jefferson's twin sister and as neither twin is inheriting the throne (that honor goes to their older sister Beatrice, the soon to be first Queen of America), they have a bit more freedom to wreak havoc. In addition to Samantha and Beatrice, we also get perspectives from Daphne (Jefferson's ex-girlfriend who's thirsty for the title of princess) and Nina (a commoner, and Samantha's best friend since childhood). This book combined so many of the things I love most- royals, romance, imaginary politics, crown jewels, and tons of scandal! Since American Royals is on the longer side (it's 448 pages) I was expecting it to take me a while to read, but I finished it in 3 sittings and while I wasn't reading, I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next. I'm basically DYING for the second book and I could definitely see myself re-reading this one!
I. Loved. This. Book. Talk about addicting! American Royals reimagines American history as if George Washington had accepted the title of King and in present day America, we're still being ruled by the monarchy led by his descendants. This book has a lot of perspectives, but I felt fully invested in each and every one of them. If I absolutely *had* to pick a favorite, it would be Samantha, also known as the spare. Samantha is a Jefferson's twin sister and as neither twin is inheriting the throne (that honor goes to their older sister Beatrice, the soon to be first Queen of America), they have a bit more freedom to wreak havoc. In addition to Samantha and Beatrice, we also get perspectives from Daphne (Jefferson's ex-girlfriend who's thirsty for the title of princess) and Nina (a commoner, and Samantha's best friend since childhood). This book combined so many of the things I love most- royals, romance, imaginary politics, crown jewels, and tons of scandal! Since American Royals is on the longer side (it's 448 pages) I was expecting it to take me a while to read, but I finished it in 3 sittings and while I wasn't reading, I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next. I'm basically DYING for the second book and I could definitely see myself re-reading this one!
February 1, 2020
“Writers got to pick the endings of their novels, but Beatrice wasn’t living a story. She was living history, and history went on forever”.
¿Ya les he dicho que adoro las historias que involucran algún tipo de monarquía? ¿No? Pues bueno, ya lo saben. No hay nada que me encante más que leer todas las relaciones que se crean, los dramas de las cortes y los momentos de elecciones imposibles. ¡Y eso es lo que hay en American Royals!
Aquí nos encontramos con un libro que se desarrolla sobre la premisa de que Estados Unidos es una monarquía. Cuando acabó la guerra, el pueblo le ofreció a George Washington convertirse en rey y él aceptó. Y ahora, en American Royals, conocemos a los Washingtons del presente. Beatrice es la princesa heredera al trono que, gracias a un edicto de su abuelo, podrá ser la primera reina en no necesitar un esposo para asumir su cargo. Pero a pesar de que Beatrice ha sido entrenada toda su vida para este momento, cuando sus padres insisten en que de todas maneras debe casarse con alguien de la nobleza las cosas se tuercen un poco, pues ella está enamorada de un plebeyo. Es entonces cuando Beatrice debe decidir si su prioridad es su nación o su corazón.
Por otra parte tenemos a Samantha, la hermana menor de Beatrice que siempre ha vivido bajo su sombra. Sam siempre ha intentado llamar la atención, pero cuando se entera de que su hermana se ha comprometido con la única persona que a ella le ha gustado realmente, empieza la guerra.
Luego está Jefferson, el príncipe, que acaba de terminar con Daphne, una chica que todos creían que era ideal para él, pero en la que realmente no estaba interesado. Jeff descubre en American Royals que está enamorado de Nina, la mejor amiga de Samantha que no pertenece a la nobleza. Y ahí empiezan todos sus problemas, pues sabe que llevar una relación con él implica quedar expuesto a la prensa y a renunciar a la privacidad.
En fin, por supuesto que hay más personajes que entran en juego, unos tremendamente guapos y con buenas intenciones y otros que parecen salidos de las garras de Lucifer, pues lo único que quieren es manipular todo para su propia ganancia.
American Royals es un libro súper adolescente y lleno de dramas de enamoramientos, sentimientos no correspondidos y dilemas entre lo que dicta el corazón y lo que es correcto. ¡Y vivo por ese tipo de tramas! Al principio es un poco difícil seguirles la pista a tantos puntos de vista y a tantos personajes, pero una vez que te familiarizas con quién es cada uno, cuáles son sus intenciones y qué problemas tienen, todo es absolutamente adictivo.
No podría decir cuál fue mi romance favorito. Me fascinaba ver a Beatrice escondiéndose por todo el palacio y por sus residencias de vacaciones para estar con la persona que realmente amaba porque eran esos momentos en los que realmente era ella. Dejaba de lado la cara oficial de la prensa y podía perderse en los ojos de ese chico que la volvía tan loca. Ay, y es que él (no quiero decirles el nombre para que no sea un spoiler) es la persona más cariñosa y desinteresada del mundo. Sabe que lo que viven es imposible, pero eso no le impide quererla con cada fibra de su corazón.
¿Y qué les digo de Sam y la persona que termina comprometida con su hermana en un cruel giro del destino? Uf, es que de verdad es muy triste leer a Sam y todo lo que siente con respecto a Beatrice. La amargura y el resentimiento que siente hacia ella al ver que le quita lo único que ha querido en su vida... vaya. Pero luego están esos momentos robados en los que mandan todo al demonio y sencillamente disfrutan de los pocos minutos en los que pueden estar juntos. Los amo. Ese hombre (cuyo nombre también estoy omitiendo a propósito) tiene un gran dilema frente a él, una gran tentación, y con cada una de sus acciones demuestra la bueno que es.
Y Jeff... ay, Jeff, eres muy tontito. ¿Cómo es posible que no veas lo sucia, manipuladora y venenosa que era tu ex? Cuando leía los capítulos de Jeff y Nina lo único que quería era golpearlos por lo ciegos y tercos que eran, de verdad. Estaba clarísimo que se querían un montón, pero los miedos e inseguridades de cada uno los iban alejando paso a paso. Aún así, me gustó mucho leer cómo Jeff entendía lo complicado que era salir con él y a lo que le estaría pidiendo a Nina que renunciara en su vida. También amaba los momentos en los que él intentaba actuar como una persona normal por ella. Eran esos pequeños gestos y palabras los que me hacían tener fe en ellos dos.
Creo que American Royals es un libro perfecto para quienes amamos las historias de amor difíciles de la realeza, definitivamente. Hay muchísimas vueltas, muchísimo drama y, encima, todo se va cocinando a fuego muy lento. Lo único que no me gustó es que no sabía que esto iba a ser una saga, así que cuando acabé el libro estaba perdidísima porque nada se resuelve. ¡Pero ya será en el próximo!
¿Ya les he dicho que adoro las historias que involucran algún tipo de monarquía? ¿No? Pues bueno, ya lo saben. No hay nada que me encante más que leer todas las relaciones que se crean, los dramas de las cortes y los momentos de elecciones imposibles. ¡Y eso es lo que hay en American Royals!
Aquí nos encontramos con un libro que se desarrolla sobre la premisa de que Estados Unidos es una monarquía. Cuando acabó la guerra, el pueblo le ofreció a George Washington convertirse en rey y él aceptó. Y ahora, en American Royals, conocemos a los Washingtons del presente. Beatrice es la princesa heredera al trono que, gracias a un edicto de su abuelo, podrá ser la primera reina en no necesitar un esposo para asumir su cargo. Pero a pesar de que Beatrice ha sido entrenada toda su vida para este momento, cuando sus padres insisten en que de todas maneras debe casarse con alguien de la nobleza las cosas se tuercen un poco, pues ella está enamorada de un plebeyo. Es entonces cuando Beatrice debe decidir si su prioridad es su nación o su corazón.
Por otra parte tenemos a Samantha, la hermana menor de Beatrice que siempre ha vivido bajo su sombra. Sam siempre ha intentado llamar la atención, pero cuando se entera de que su hermana se ha comprometido con la única persona que a ella le ha gustado realmente, empieza la guerra.
Luego está Jefferson, el príncipe, que acaba de terminar con Daphne, una chica que todos creían que era ideal para él, pero en la que realmente no estaba interesado. Jeff descubre en American Royals que está enamorado de Nina, la mejor amiga de Samantha que no pertenece a la nobleza. Y ahí empiezan todos sus problemas, pues sabe que llevar una relación con él implica quedar expuesto a la prensa y a renunciar a la privacidad.
En fin, por supuesto que hay más personajes que entran en juego, unos tremendamente guapos y con buenas intenciones y otros que parecen salidos de las garras de Lucifer, pues lo único que quieren es manipular todo para su propia ganancia.
American Royals es un libro súper adolescente y lleno de dramas de enamoramientos, sentimientos no correspondidos y dilemas entre lo que dicta el corazón y lo que es correcto. ¡Y vivo por ese tipo de tramas! Al principio es un poco difícil seguirles la pista a tantos puntos de vista y a tantos personajes, pero una vez que te familiarizas con quién es cada uno, cuáles son sus intenciones y qué problemas tienen, todo es absolutamente adictivo.
No podría decir cuál fue mi romance favorito. Me fascinaba ver a Beatrice escondiéndose por todo el palacio y por sus residencias de vacaciones para estar con la persona que realmente amaba porque eran esos momentos en los que realmente era ella. Dejaba de lado la cara oficial de la prensa y podía perderse en los ojos de ese chico que la volvía tan loca. Ay, y es que él (no quiero decirles el nombre para que no sea un spoiler) es la persona más cariñosa y desinteresada del mundo. Sabe que lo que viven es imposible, pero eso no le impide quererla con cada fibra de su corazón.
¿Y qué les digo de Sam y la persona que termina comprometida con su hermana en un cruel giro del destino? Uf, es que de verdad es muy triste leer a Sam y todo lo que siente con respecto a Beatrice. La amargura y el resentimiento que siente hacia ella al ver que le quita lo único que ha querido en su vida... vaya. Pero luego están esos momentos robados en los que mandan todo al demonio y sencillamente disfrutan de los pocos minutos en los que pueden estar juntos. Los amo. Ese hombre (cuyo nombre también estoy omitiendo a propósito) tiene un gran dilema frente a él, una gran tentación, y con cada una de sus acciones demuestra la bueno que es.
Y Jeff... ay, Jeff, eres muy tontito. ¿Cómo es posible que no veas lo sucia, manipuladora y venenosa que era tu ex? Cuando leía los capítulos de Jeff y Nina lo único que quería era golpearlos por lo ciegos y tercos que eran, de verdad. Estaba clarísimo que se querían un montón, pero los miedos e inseguridades de cada uno los iban alejando paso a paso. Aún así, me gustó mucho leer cómo Jeff entendía lo complicado que era salir con él y a lo que le estaría pidiendo a Nina que renunciara en su vida. También amaba los momentos en los que él intentaba actuar como una persona normal por ella. Eran esos pequeños gestos y palabras los que me hacían tener fe en ellos dos.
Creo que American Royals es un libro perfecto para quienes amamos las historias de amor difíciles de la realeza, definitivamente. Hay muchísimas vueltas, muchísimo drama y, encima, todo se va cocinando a fuego muy lento. Lo único que no me gustó es que no sabía que esto iba a ser una saga, así que cuando acabé el libro estaba perdidísima porque nada se resuelve. ¡Pero ya será en el próximo!
May 31, 2020
3.75 stars
jeff, if you’re reading this i am free on thursday please respond and let me know if you wanna hang out thursday which is when i’m free on thursday.
jeff, if you’re reading this i am free on thursday please respond and let me know if you wanna hang out thursday which is when i’m free on thursday.
October 3, 2023
This book is incredibly frustrating. 😬 But in a “I can’t stop reading” kind of way. 😝 Drama, angsty, flirty, frustratingly good. ❤️
November 8, 2020
i actually really enjoyed this book! the drama was so good but i’ve read her other series so i already the drama was gonna be good. i got kinda bored in the middle which honestly always happens so i cant fault the book for that
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
October 5, 2020
2.5 stars, rounded up
What if America hadn't gone the radical route of elected government officials and democracy, and instead had offered George Washington a crown and he had inexplicably taken it?
This is the intriguing alternate history of a world that could have been, with the royal siblings—Crown Princess Beatrice, twins Samantha and Jefferson—and their friend Nina, navigating the world of love, romance, expectations and social media.
It's very gossipy and filled with the glitz, glamor, gossip and grit of the royalty and celebrity worlds, with everything we obsess about in celebrities transformed into the aristocracy.
While I did enjoy the storyline and the characters—I really, really enjoyed the characters, although Beatrice got on my nerves for transforming from dutiful future monarch into a love-struck brat—I wished that the world had been better developed.
Seriously, do not go into this for the world-building.
It's alternate history, but in a world that is still based on the history that had gone before.
And because of that, I had some serious problems with this alternate history.
In this world, the major monarchies still rule—the Hanovers, the Bourbons, the Romanovs, etc—and apparently the world wars never happened thanks to a world-wide peace pact signed in 1895. This take on history—that the democratic and communist revolutions would never have happened without the American Revolution—is fascinating, flawed and very, very scary.
Okay, so this is essentially Gossip Girl with royalty.
Hear me out.
This book absolutely ignores the consequences and rippling aftereffects of colonialism and imperialism, and places a blind eye towards the power of representative government. Basically—monarchy good, rule of the people bad. It ignores all of the horrific things done by monarchs with the blithe observation that a benevolent monarchy is good because well, those people are good and meant to rule.
Also, the thing that really, really bothered me throughout this entire book was the absolute lack of slavery or American Indians.
Apparently, America exists and is divided into duchies instead of states, with a reach that seems to go all the way to the west coast (with a slight nod to Spanish and French colonization in the naming), but there's not really much history covered than that?
The fact that George Washington was a slave owner was not mentioned a single time.
Slavery was not mentioned a single time.
The colonization of America and the erasure of American Indians was not mentioned.
There was not a single Black character in this entire book (that I noticed, I could be wrong).
There were only two prominent characters of color in the book, and one was in a coma the entire time. The other—Nina—was a diversity checklist of a Hispanic (not Latinx) girl with burnished sienna skin who had queer moms. While I'm glad for the representation, it was tokenization.
Anywho.
I'm probably reading too much into this, but I was hoping for more.
I did enjoy the storyline and was entertained—mostly because I'm trash for all things royal and I have no shame about it—even if the alternate history aspect was deeply troubling and not well thought out.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
Edit: Apparently the published version mentions George Washington's descendants abolishing slavery and also that some of the Dukes are American Indians. I'm still discomfited by other aspects of the book (also, making some dukes American Indian doesn't exactly...change...the colonization/genocide aspect? Samesies with slavery and systematic racism? I'd have to read the published version but I just don't care).
What if America hadn't gone the radical route of elected government officials and democracy, and instead had offered George Washington a crown and he had inexplicably taken it?
This is the intriguing alternate history of a world that could have been, with the royal siblings—Crown Princess Beatrice, twins Samantha and Jefferson—and their friend Nina, navigating the world of love, romance, expectations and social media.
It's very gossipy and filled with the glitz, glamor, gossip and grit of the royalty and celebrity worlds, with everything we obsess about in celebrities transformed into the aristocracy.
While I did enjoy the storyline and the characters—I really, really enjoyed the characters, although Beatrice got on my nerves for transforming from dutiful future monarch into a love-struck brat—I wished that the world had been better developed.
Seriously, do not go into this for the world-building.
It's alternate history, but in a world that is still based on the history that had gone before.
And because of that, I had some serious problems with this alternate history.
In this world, the major monarchies still rule—the Hanovers, the Bourbons, the Romanovs, etc—and apparently the world wars never happened thanks to a world-wide peace pact signed in 1895. This take on history—that the democratic and communist revolutions would never have happened without the American Revolution—is fascinating, flawed and very, very scary.
Okay, so this is essentially Gossip Girl with royalty.
Hear me out.
This book absolutely ignores the consequences and rippling aftereffects of colonialism and imperialism, and places a blind eye towards the power of representative government. Basically—monarchy good, rule of the people bad. It ignores all of the horrific things done by monarchs with the blithe observation that a benevolent monarchy is good because well, those people are good and meant to rule.
Also, the thing that really, really bothered me throughout this entire book was the absolute lack of slavery or American Indians.
Apparently, America exists and is divided into duchies instead of states, with a reach that seems to go all the way to the west coast (with a slight nod to Spanish and French colonization in the naming), but there's not really much history covered than that?
The fact that George Washington was a slave owner was not mentioned a single time.
Slavery was not mentioned a single time.
The colonization of America and the erasure of American Indians was not mentioned.
There was not a single Black character in this entire book (that I noticed, I could be wrong).
There were only two prominent characters of color in the book, and one was in a coma the entire time. The other—Nina—was a diversity checklist of a Hispanic (not Latinx) girl with burnished sienna skin who had queer moms. While I'm glad for the representation, it was tokenization.
Anywho.
I'm probably reading too much into this, but I was hoping for more.
I did enjoy the storyline and was entertained—mostly because I'm trash for all things royal and I have no shame about it—even if the alternate history aspect was deeply troubling and not well thought out.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
Edit: Apparently the published version mentions George Washington's descendants abolishing slavery and also that some of the Dukes are American Indians. I'm still discomfited by other aspects of the book (also, making some dukes American Indian doesn't exactly...change...the colonization/genocide aspect? Samesies with slavery and systematic racism? I'd have to read the published version but I just don't care).
July 31, 2022
*I was sent a copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
This was auch a quick and entertaining read. I really enjoyed American Royals and can’t wait to read the sequel next year!
2020/2021 REREAD: I once again really enjoyed this book and can't wait to start reading Majesty right away. I also recommend not listening to sad songs while reading the last few pages of American Royals because I once again bawled my eyes out while reading the last chapter of it.
2022 REREAD: I once again really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to rereading Majesty and finally reading Rivals now. This time around I listened to an “American Royals” playlist on Spotify and I highly recommend doing that.
instagram || my blog || twitter
This was auch a quick and entertaining read. I really enjoyed American Royals and can’t wait to read the sequel next year!
2020/2021 REREAD: I once again really enjoyed this book and can't wait to start reading Majesty right away. I also recommend not listening to sad songs while reading the last few pages of American Royals because I once again bawled my eyes out while reading the last chapter of it.
2022 REREAD: I once again really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to rereading Majesty and finally reading Rivals now. This time around I listened to an “American Royals” playlist on Spotify and I highly recommend doing that.
instagram || my blog || twitter
February 16, 2023
⭐️⭐️ out of 5
Do yourself a favour: SKIP IT IF YOU CAN!
If you saw a lot of Teen drama TV shows/movie, or read many YA Contemporary Romance novels, you will not learn anything from this book. Especially if you already watched Gossip Girl.
This book successfully wins the award of “The Most Predictable Book I Have Ever Read”. 👏🏼 It tried to much to be like Gossip Girl (the TV show), but it failed (the plagiarism section is below).
Most of the characters were really two-dimensional and it had so many occasions to build spicy drama, but when an opportunity showed up, it was missed. The drama was just childish and based on miscommunications. I did not gasp a single time, which is kinda a catfish when the reviews and blurbs promised scenarios as jaw-dropping as those in GG. At least the writing was fine, so I give points for that. No joke, I really predicted everything that happened in it... Not enough plot for too many pages. I expected spicy food, but I ended up with only bland bread.
Plagiarism
Ok... So she basically plagiarized Chuck and Blair with the Daphne/Ethan relationship.
Like Blair in S1 in GG, she wants her rich and handsome ex-boyfriend (Nate/ in the book it is Jefferson) back after he cheats on her with another girl.
Like Blair, Daphne is ready to plot the most devious scheme and sabotages to earn what she wants. She only cares about herself, her wealth, her high- ranked reputation.
Like Blair, Daphne starts to get involved sexually with Ethan (who’s thy bland copy of Chuck) after a party. Like Chuck said to Blair, Ethan says to Daphne that Jefferson cannot fully love her because he doesn’t enjoy her dark side. EthanxDaphne relationship stays purely sexual for a while before Daphne starts to have feelings for him, even though she’s on the hunt for her ex. She fears that having a crush on her ex’s best friend will cause drama, so they keep the sexual relationship secret for a bit. THIS IS BASICALLY NATE/BLAIR/CHuCK in Gossip Girl!!!!!
I swear, when I was reading this book, scenes of GG popped up in my mind! Not a good sign. It’s not even parralels anymore, it’s borderline plagiarism. The author is a fan of GG herself.
....
It seems that 2020 was the year of disappointing reads for me, what other books have in store for me? There’s only one way to find out...
You know you love me
XOXO, Gossip Girl
Do yourself a favour: SKIP IT IF YOU CAN!
If you saw a lot of Teen drama TV shows/movie, or read many YA Contemporary Romance novels, you will not learn anything from this book. Especially if you already watched Gossip Girl.
This book successfully wins the award of “The Most Predictable Book I Have Ever Read”. 👏🏼 It tried to much to be like Gossip Girl (the TV show), but it failed (the plagiarism section is below).
Most of the characters were really two-dimensional and it had so many occasions to build spicy drama, but when an opportunity showed up, it was missed. The drama was just childish and based on miscommunications. I did not gasp a single time, which is kinda a catfish when the reviews and blurbs promised scenarios as jaw-dropping as those in GG. At least the writing was fine, so I give points for that. No joke, I really predicted everything that happened in it... Not enough plot for too many pages. I expected spicy food, but I ended up with only bland bread.
Plagiarism
Ok... So she basically plagiarized Chuck and Blair with the Daphne/Ethan relationship.
Like Blair in S1 in GG, she wants her rich and handsome ex-boyfriend (Nate/ in the book it is Jefferson) back after he cheats on her with another girl.
Like Blair, Daphne is ready to plot the most devious scheme and sabotages to earn what she wants. She only cares about herself, her wealth, her high- ranked reputation.
Like Blair, Daphne starts to get involved sexually with Ethan (who’s thy bland copy of Chuck) after a party. Like Chuck said to Blair, Ethan says to Daphne that Jefferson cannot fully love her because he doesn’t enjoy her dark side. EthanxDaphne relationship stays purely sexual for a while before Daphne starts to have feelings for him, even though she’s on the hunt for her ex. She fears that having a crush on her ex’s best friend will cause drama, so they keep the sexual relationship secret for a bit. THIS IS BASICALLY NATE/BLAIR/CHuCK in Gossip Girl!!!!!
I swear, when I was reading this book, scenes of GG popped up in my mind! Not a good sign. It’s not even parralels anymore, it’s borderline plagiarism. The author is a fan of GG herself.
....
It seems that 2020 was the year of disappointing reads for me, what other books have in store for me? There’s only one way to find out...
You know you love me
XOXO, Gossip Girl
June 1, 2024
This book sucked me in right away. What if there were an American Royal family? I loved the relationships, the romance, and the drama. Oh the pining. Told in four perspectives—Beatrice—the future queen, Sam, her younger sister (the spare), and Nina and Daphne, who both want to date Jefferson, Beatrice and Sam’s brother (the prince.)
What made this book amazing was the conflict built into each relationship, familial, friendship and romantic. Beatrice, destined to be queen, who has to marry, and has a thing for her bodyguard Connor who she can’t have. Her sister, Sam, has a thing for Teddy, an aristocrat who is courting Beatrice. (This was so deliciously soapy—and to make things better, Teddy has his reasons for why he needs to marry Beatrice that have nothing to do with love.) Add in Jefferson, Nina and Daphne, the latter of whom is obsessed with becoming a royal, and I ate this up.
What made this book amazing was the conflict built into each relationship, familial, friendship and romantic. Beatrice, destined to be queen, who has to marry, and has a thing for her bodyguard Connor who she can’t have. Her sister, Sam, has a thing for Teddy, an aristocrat who is courting Beatrice. (This was so deliciously soapy—and to make things better, Teddy has his reasons for why he needs to marry Beatrice that have nothing to do with love.) Add in Jefferson, Nina and Daphne, the latter of whom is obsessed with becoming a royal, and I ate this up.
August 3, 2019
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed McGee’s previous series of novels, The Thousandth Floor, and was intrigued to see her take on the alternative history genre with an America ruled by the descendants of King George Washington. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This has a lot of froth but no substance, and although the The Thousandth Floor has interesting characters and an overall plot arc, this just doesn’t really have anything, with a plot that feels contrived, predictable and just dull.
The story is divided into several POV, ranging from Princesses Beatrice and Samantha, both struggling with their responsibilities and falling in love with the wrong people, Daphne the ex girlfriend of Prince Jeff and Nina the childhood ‘commoner’ friend of Princess Samantha who’s having a secret affair. I didn’t find any of the stories particularly interesting, or different from anything that’s gone before them and the voices lack any distinct qualities. At times it was a struggle to remember who’s chapter I was reading as the tones are all very one note and nondescript. They were all too similar to each other, and none of them is developed enough to carry a proper narrative arc on their own.
The character’s individual stories never really intertwine, and their conclusion is incredibly obvious from the start. Even though nothing actually is concluded here, as over the course of the novel nothing at all is resolved, clearly hinting at further novels, which I found incredibly annoying. I also found the whole concept of an American royal house a little bit too absurd. Yes, you can suspend your disbelief for most aspects of the plot and just go with it, but I found that in reality I just wasn’t invested in the concept. The world building itself is none existent, and the reader is never really told how this world has been shaped by Washington’s apparent decision to take a crown. I know very little about American ‘history’, and found that without any background here to support the story, I didn’t want to know it either.
As a positive, I will say that the writing is good and flows well, making it easy to read. McGee has the real potential to turn out an excellent novel, if given the right story. I just wish the subject matter was a little more exciting. Disappointing.
I enjoyed McGee’s previous series of novels, The Thousandth Floor, and was intrigued to see her take on the alternative history genre with an America ruled by the descendants of King George Washington. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This has a lot of froth but no substance, and although the The Thousandth Floor has interesting characters and an overall plot arc, this just doesn’t really have anything, with a plot that feels contrived, predictable and just dull.
The story is divided into several POV, ranging from Princesses Beatrice and Samantha, both struggling with their responsibilities and falling in love with the wrong people, Daphne the ex girlfriend of Prince Jeff and Nina the childhood ‘commoner’ friend of Princess Samantha who’s having a secret affair. I didn’t find any of the stories particularly interesting, or different from anything that’s gone before them and the voices lack any distinct qualities. At times it was a struggle to remember who’s chapter I was reading as the tones are all very one note and nondescript. They were all too similar to each other, and none of them is developed enough to carry a proper narrative arc on their own.
The character’s individual stories never really intertwine, and their conclusion is incredibly obvious from the start. Even though nothing actually is concluded here, as over the course of the novel nothing at all is resolved, clearly hinting at further novels, which I found incredibly annoying. I also found the whole concept of an American royal house a little bit too absurd. Yes, you can suspend your disbelief for most aspects of the plot and just go with it, but I found that in reality I just wasn’t invested in the concept. The world building itself is none existent, and the reader is never really told how this world has been shaped by Washington’s apparent decision to take a crown. I know very little about American ‘history’, and found that without any background here to support the story, I didn’t want to know it either.
As a positive, I will say that the writing is good and flows well, making it easy to read. McGee has the real potential to turn out an excellent novel, if given the right story. I just wish the subject matter was a little more exciting. Disappointing.
October 3, 2020
What if American was run by a royal family descended from George Washington?
I LOVE this book. It is so entertaining and such a cute story. I always find princess stories entertaining and this is my favorite princess story.
I reread American Royals before reading Majesty, and I loved it as much as the first time.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I LOVE this book. It is so entertaining and such a cute story. I always find princess stories entertaining and this is my favorite princess story.
I reread American Royals before reading Majesty, and I loved it as much as the first time.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
November 8, 2019
Oof. Soooo, that was certainly... a book.
I think my major issue with American Royals is that this book doesn't seem like it knows what it wants to be. Does it want to be a thought-provoking story set in an alternate version of the United States with a monarchy? Yes. Does it also want to be a fluffy young adult romance novel? Yes. Does it also want to be a reality TV-esque teen drama? ...Yes. Are any of these elements playing nicely together? Definitely not.
This book is 448 pages and it felt loooooong. Part of the problem is that it's trying to explore three (three!!!) separate forbidden romance plots which are all fairly redundant when taken together. I get what the author was going for in creating these parallels, but honestly, no single story line brings enough to the table to justify including all three.
First you have Princess Beatrice, first in line to the throne, who is in love with her guard, a commoner. Her younger sister, Sam, is in love with Teddy, the "suitable" potential king consort who has been hand-picked to marry Beatrice. Finally, Sams' best friend, Nina, another commoner, is in love with Prince Jefferson. I think McGee thought it would be fun to have these parallels and explore how these characters with varying personalities handled the situation, but that doesn't change the fact that all of these plot lines can be boiled down to "I love this person and my social station is keeping me from being with them." The story feels extremely bogged down with all the separate romances and point of view characters.
The major characters themselves, while certainly fairly distinct from one another, are very shallowly developed. Beatrice is the dutiful daughter who is being pushed to her breaking point and flirting with rebellion for the first time. Sam has middle child syndrome to the extreme, feels invisible, and is obliviously selfish. Jeff is... well, honestly, after finishing the book I'm not sure I could tell you a single personality trait of dear Prince Jefferson. Finally, Nina, who has grown up understandably insecure as a commoner while the best friend of royalty, is basically Sam's doormat through most of the book. At no point did I feel moved to care about any of these characters, except poor Nina, who probably should have punched Sam in the face at some point early in their friendship. (#ninadeservedbetter)
But back to the issue of this book clearly not having a good sense of what it wants to be, there is a weird mixture of teenage drama and a thought experiment on how an American monarchy would have changed the world as it exists today. Both of these elements feel like they're getting in each other's way rather than meshing well together. There are some great YA books which blend the personal and political together really well. (Red, White, & Royal Blue comes to mind.) This is not one of them. The bits of political philosophizing serve only to up the page count and break up the romance plot lines without ever saying anything new or interesting.
You can read all of my reviews on my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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I think my major issue with American Royals is that this book doesn't seem like it knows what it wants to be. Does it want to be a thought-provoking story set in an alternate version of the United States with a monarchy? Yes. Does it also want to be a fluffy young adult romance novel? Yes. Does it also want to be a reality TV-esque teen drama? ...Yes. Are any of these elements playing nicely together? Definitely not.
This book is 448 pages and it felt loooooong. Part of the problem is that it's trying to explore three (three!!!) separate forbidden romance plots which are all fairly redundant when taken together. I get what the author was going for in creating these parallels, but honestly, no single story line brings enough to the table to justify including all three.
First you have Princess Beatrice, first in line to the throne, who is in love with her guard, a commoner. Her younger sister, Sam, is in love with Teddy, the "suitable" potential king consort who has been hand-picked to marry Beatrice. Finally, Sams' best friend, Nina, another commoner, is in love with Prince Jefferson. I think McGee thought it would be fun to have these parallels and explore how these characters with varying personalities handled the situation, but that doesn't change the fact that all of these plot lines can be boiled down to "I love this person and my social station is keeping me from being with them." The story feels extremely bogged down with all the separate romances and point of view characters.
The major characters themselves, while certainly fairly distinct from one another, are very shallowly developed. Beatrice is the dutiful daughter who is being pushed to her breaking point and flirting with rebellion for the first time. Sam has middle child syndrome to the extreme, feels invisible, and is obliviously selfish. Jeff is... well, honestly, after finishing the book I'm not sure I could tell you a single personality trait of dear Prince Jefferson. Finally, Nina, who has grown up understandably insecure as a commoner while the best friend of royalty, is basically Sam's doormat through most of the book. At no point did I feel moved to care about any of these characters, except poor Nina, who probably should have punched Sam in the face at some point early in their friendship. (#ninadeservedbetter)
But back to the issue of this book clearly not having a good sense of what it wants to be, there is a weird mixture of teenage drama and a thought experiment on how an American monarchy would have changed the world as it exists today. Both of these elements feel like they're getting in each other's way rather than meshing well together. There are some great YA books which blend the personal and political together really well. (Red, White, & Royal Blue comes to mind.) This is not one of them. The bits of political philosophizing serve only to up the page count and break up the romance plot lines without ever saying anything new or interesting.
You can read all of my reviews on my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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September 14, 2019
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen Australia for sending a review copy my way!
"How hard it was to be a woman in this world of monarchies, whose structures and traditions had all been built by men."
trigger warnings: cheating, death of a grandparent (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), being roofied, character in a coma,
representation: f/f relationship (Nina's mums), Latina rep, Japanese American rep.
I definitely have mixed thoughts about this one!
T H I N G S I L I K E D :
✨ the discussion on gender inequality and sexism within monarchies
✨ it was super fast paced and gripping in the same way that gossip girl is
✨ the audiobook was really good!
T H I N G S I D I D N ' T L I K E :
✨ literally ALL of the characters suck........ all of them.
✨ lots of petty drama that can get kind of annoying to read about
✨ not super memorable
I definitely didn't hate it, but I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book or not!
"How hard it was to be a woman in this world of monarchies, whose structures and traditions had all been built by men."
trigger warnings: cheating, death of a grandparent (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), being roofied, character in a coma,
representation: f/f relationship (Nina's mums), Latina rep, Japanese American rep.
I definitely have mixed thoughts about this one!
T H I N G S I L I K E D :
✨ the discussion on gender inequality and sexism within monarchies
✨ it was super fast paced and gripping in the same way that gossip girl is
✨ the audiobook was really good!
T H I N G S I D I D N ' T L I K E :
✨ literally ALL of the characters suck........ all of them.
✨ lots of petty drama that can get kind of annoying to read about
✨ not super memorable
I definitely didn't hate it, but I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book or not!
June 29, 2021
my first question for my sister when she recommended this book to me was if it was critical of george washington, and she was like "not really," but i'm pleased to report one (1) scene in which one (1) of too many point-of-view characters is like "i sure wish slavery never happened 😔" and her dad, reigning monarch, is like "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" or whatever. thus, the grown heir to the american throne contemplates that basic philosophical concept for seemingly the first time. her inner-monologue concludes that king george the first knew slavery was bad, and might've done away with it, if he only hadn't listened to his conservative advisors over his heart 💔 clearly, this canon-divergent, historical fanfiction is more politically nuanced than it's given credit for! unrelated, what's the tone indicator for sarcasm?
this universe also holds native american dukedoms so according to katharine mcgee, indigenous requests for land back would still be met with celebratory gestures if the united states practiced monarchy. good to know!
yeah - i basically feel betrayed by this novel's premise being wasted on a story without much interesting to say about governance... or even the butterfly effect? you'd think it might at least be intriguing the way the movie yesterday is intriguing when it asks, "what if no beatles?" the most creative american royals gets with it is that it's legal for 18 year-olds to drink. i desperately wanted more of those sorts of details.
understand though, that when i say i feel betrayed, i don't mean i feel disappointed because i didn't expect this book to be a realistic venture into what america would look like had george washington agreed to be king. i knew full well that it would be a romance novel that might as well take place in a fictional country like genovia, but my in-check expectations did nothing to stop me from being mad about it.
as for if i enjoyed the story for what it was, disregarding its clickbait premise? eh - enough that i allotted it two stars over one. i'm particularly invested in only two out of four points of view, and i don't think any of them are given enough time to shine on account of the others taking up too much space. i don't read a ton of multi-pov stuff, but i've never found myself so actively annoyed by the format.
and the romances? i've decided i'm only half-invested in the two i am because i like the protagonists and want them to be happy. the actual men i'm supposed to root for? personalityless haircuts. i felt like i was expected to ship these pairings according to their utilized tropes alone, and not based on any actual evidence suggesting unique or swoonworhty connections. why should i care? because prince dates commoner! because princess dates bodyguard!
a lot of my discontent romance-wise stems from most of the good stuff being mentioned in hindsight. two pairings kissed for the first time prior to the novel's timeline, and the other two kiss for the first time within the first couple of chapters! what in the fresh hell is that about?
anyway, i'm still going to read the next one because i have to know what happens and i hate myself.
this universe also holds native american dukedoms so according to katharine mcgee, indigenous requests for land back would still be met with celebratory gestures if the united states practiced monarchy. good to know!
yeah - i basically feel betrayed by this novel's premise being wasted on a story without much interesting to say about governance... or even the butterfly effect? you'd think it might at least be intriguing the way the movie yesterday is intriguing when it asks, "what if no beatles?" the most creative american royals gets with it is that it's legal for 18 year-olds to drink. i desperately wanted more of those sorts of details.
understand though, that when i say i feel betrayed, i don't mean i feel disappointed because i didn't expect this book to be a realistic venture into what america would look like had george washington agreed to be king. i knew full well that it would be a romance novel that might as well take place in a fictional country like genovia, but my in-check expectations did nothing to stop me from being mad about it.
as for if i enjoyed the story for what it was, disregarding its clickbait premise? eh - enough that i allotted it two stars over one. i'm particularly invested in only two out of four points of view, and i don't think any of them are given enough time to shine on account of the others taking up too much space. i don't read a ton of multi-pov stuff, but i've never found myself so actively annoyed by the format.
and the romances? i've decided i'm only half-invested in the two i am because i like the protagonists and want them to be happy. the actual men i'm supposed to root for? personalityless haircuts. i felt like i was expected to ship these pairings according to their utilized tropes alone, and not based on any actual evidence suggesting unique or swoonworhty connections. why should i care? because prince dates commoner! because princess dates bodyguard!
a lot of my discontent romance-wise stems from most of the good stuff being mentioned in hindsight. two pairings kissed for the first time prior to the novel's timeline, and the other two kiss for the first time within the first couple of chapters! what in the fresh hell is that about?
anyway, i'm still going to read the next one because i have to know what happens and i hate myself.
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