"American Royals" was an enjoyable read, but it didn’t blow me away. The premise of imagining an America where the monarchy never ended is a fun twist, and McGee does a good job of creating a royal world filled with drama, romance, and the pressures of living under the public’s eye. I liked the characters, though some felt a bit predictable or over-the-top at times, especially the royal siblings. Still, there’s something oddly compelling about the way McGee weaves in politics, family dynamics, and relationships.

While I appreciated the setting and the alternating perspectives, some of the plot twists felt a little too contrived. That being said, it was an easy, escapist read that kept me turning the pages. It’s definitely not the most groundbreaking book, but it’s fun if you enjoy royal dramas and light YA fiction. Overall, a solid 3 stars—good, but not unforgettable.

The first time I tried to read this it was a bit of a struggled. My second attempt went much better. I enjoyed the alternate reality of the US having a monarchy and royal life. This was a good read that I could see adapted into a great teen drama.

I love this book! This would be an amazing book club book with lots of opportunities to discuss “what if.” This alternate reality feels very real and so do the characters.

I don't read much YA, but this was really cute and funny. I also loved the fact that it was written as an alternate reality--George Washington becomes a king instead of president. Filled with romantic messiness and love triangles, family drama, backstabbing, it was a fun and engaging read. I thought the premise was incredibly unique. It was interesting how she tied historical traditions of Royalty with modern day important topics like same sex relationships, issues surrounding class and race, and treatment of Native Americans. A cute read!

There are several things I loved about this book. It takes place in an alternate universe in which George Washington had become king instead of president, so that not only is the US still ruled by his descendents but that other countries still have monarchies as well, and were never influenced to have a presidency. The book breaks the fourth wall in an amusing way throughout the story as characters contemplate or tell each other "imagine a form of government in which people could vote" and deciding that voting would invite more power-hungry people to be elected.
The story also sheds a lot of light on how much responsibility is put on teenagers whose parents are in charge of a country, or who are heir to the throne. It shows how insane it is that there have actually been monarchies that put that much pressure on teenagers, and that for that reason alone it's already a very good thing that fewer countries actually have monarchies today.
Another great thing about this book is that the story shows that even the villain, who seems like a terrible person, is really also just an 18-year-old with awful parents who have only ever fed her ambition and never been a voice of reason for her in her life.

What an interesting take on the romance/women's fiction genre! I loved the way that McGee writes dialogue.

This is absolutely screaming to be a Netflix or CW adapted series and people would go nuts for it. It's that sort of drama, where I feel like I've just read a trashy magazine and I love it.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

When I first requested American Royals, I ended up going on a blogging hiatus and never got around to reading American Royals. I recently decided to read it so I can properly leave a review and I am so glad I did. Because I loved this book and immediately picked up the sequel.

Hands down one of the most interesting concepts, America has a royal family. I never thought what this would be like and I feel like this book nailed it. Not only was the concept interesting but this book was fantastic. I devoured it in a single sitting and immediately started reading the next book. My only issue with this book is that there isn't a third book in the works yet. That needs to happen.

Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson quickly became my favorite royals. All three siblings were so different but they cared and loved each other so much. Watching their journey and seeing where they ended up was so fun.

But seriously can there be a third book?! I need more!

I had a good time with this book. It's not the best book by any stretch -- and yes all the criticisms you've seen are somewhat valid -- but it's also an escapist dream. This is so easy to get into and the premise is a familiar fantasy to most women I know. I could have done without some of the baseless drama but on the whole, it's exactly what it promises to be: light, easy, fun. I am not sure a series is the best way to go since books like this work best when you don't spend too long in them/asking questions but hey, I am not mad at American Royals.

I loved this book! Princess Beatrice is going to be America's first queen and the pressure is on to find a worthy husband. This novel is filled with friendships, royalty, and a love triangle...or two. The best part? Book 2 is already out and I can't wait to read it!

Something about alternate Royal Histories is like cotton candy to me. American Royals is not a hard hitting re-imagining of history by any means, but that's not why we're reading it. We want the drama and fanfare of British Monarchy in America but only as a fantasy -- or least, I personally wouldn't want this in real life. Sometimes royal escapism can be entertaining, albeit soapy.

So, this was cute.

I got a kick out of the alt-history, mostly, but also loved a couple of the characters.

It *is* very YA Romance trite at times. I mean...there's no mystery about which boy likes which girl and what will happen with certain people.

Hated the ending because it wasn't an ending.

I'll eventually read book 2 - not out of a driving curiosity about what happens next (I already know that), but because I really did enjoy our alt-US and the book is a feel good. We need feel good books right now.

am so glad that I decided to give this book a second chance. I preordered this book and actually received an arc from Netgalley before it came out. This book follows the royal family of America and a couple of the Princesses friends. I loved the family aspect of this book and how invested in their roles they were. I feel like I really connected to Beatrice and Samantha especially Beatrice though. Beatrice along the way is being set up for a marriage that she may or may not approve of and we follow that journey all the way through. I am glad that she ended up writing a sequel to this book because I absolutely need to read it. The cliffhanger at the end of the book really makes you want to pick up the sequel immediately. I recommend this book to anybody and everybody if you love a contemporary with royal family involved.

Majestic and fun and heartbreaking.

Not only does this story have an exciting and interesting premise -- America, but royal from the beginning, starting with King George I Washington -- but it delivers on that premise and its promise forcefully and wonderfully. These characters are amazing, the strands of their lives woven together and told deliciously. It's been hard waiting for the sequel, to see how things go. But if you're on the fence about this book, grab it! It's worth the read.

I was so excited about this book at first. I was. But America with a Royal Family? It doesn't work. The book itself was entertaining and good though. But will I read the next book? Yes because I'm curious how this story will play out.

This is such a fun concept! I like the idea of blending royalty and the USA. Katharine always delivers on fascinating, high concept books. Unfortunately, the writing stumbles at times. It's not the smoothest writing, but it's still a lot of fun overall.

If you're on the hunt for a story to escape into, American Royals may be just what you need. This story imagines a world where George Washington was crowned king instead of president, resulting in a monarchy and line of succession that remains unbroken up until today. Readers are offered four different female perspectives, each with a tie to the royal family:

Beatrice, the proper eldest princess who has been groomed all her life to become queen
Samantha, the free-spirited princess who tends to be overlooked in favor of her sister and brother
Nina, a commoner who has been friends with Sam and her twin Jefferson since childhood
Daphne, the ambitious young lady who was dating Jefferson for years until he broke up with her

As you can imagine, each young woman has a lot on their plate. American Royals follows the four as they confront their own desires, obstacles and relationships in a series of events that definitely don't lack for drama (and it's very much à la Gossip Girl or any other contemporary teen drama you can think of).

Having read two of McGee's previous novels, I fully expected to get swept up in the glitz, glamour and darkness of this story... and that's exactly what happened. McGee's writing is so easy to consume that I read this one pretty fast, despite the fact that it was lengthier than I'd anticipated. The plot does take some dramatic turns, which is unsurprising considering the amount of secrets and pettiness that abound, and not unexpected if you've dipped your toe into similar teen dramas. But I enjoyed the alternate history, the characters (particularly Beatrice and Nina of the four narrators), the relationships and, yes, I enjoyed all the drama too.

It was a welcome reprieve to escape into a fictional world like the one in American Royals at the time that I'd picked it up. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it! I'm curious about how it all wraps up in the sequel (which came out fairly recently), and I definitely plan on checking it out.

Interesting concept. Well written and cute characters. I liked this book a lot and can’t wait to read the second one

What if George Washington had been made King George I of America? This premise lays the groundwork for this fantastic young adult novel. Princess Beatrice is the heiress to the American throne, the first woman ever to hold that distinction. She has twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, who as the "spares" get to have so much more fun than Beatrice. Told from the perspectives of Beatrice, Samantha, Nina (Samantha's best friend who is also a commoner), and Daphne (Jefferson's scheming ex-girlfriend), this is a fun read filled with tons of royal drama as Beatrice is tasked with finding a husband, Samantha falls for the wrong guy, Nina falls for Jefferson, and Daphne works to get Jefferson back. I loved this one and can't wait to read the sequel!