This was such a fun read. I liked seeing the big but also subtle ways this America is different. Beatrice was my favorite POV. Sam was good and I liked how manipulative Daphne was. Nina's story line was the part I didn't really like. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

Who can resist an alternate history where the US has a royal family? Where George Washington decided to be king and that's what we got. It's now contemporary times and we get to follow the royal children as they fall in love and grow up right before our very eyes. We also follow some commoners who are close to the royal family in some way.

The storylines in this book--all the romance and whatnot--are fun and have enough twists and turns to keep everyone guessing. There are the villainous characters, the ones who only want the royals for the title. There are the good ones, who don't care about any of that. But I wished there was more on the actual country, and how that was different with a royal family. For example, freedom of speech is still one of the main tenets of being American. How did that come about? I'd definitely take a prequel explaining it.

I will also say, if you've seen The Crown, you may feel some of these plot points are familiar--in part because many of them are the most interesting way to tell stories about the royal family. And yet, I struggled a little because I felt like I knew the real version of this story. But if you haven't watched The Crown, or don't know Queen Elizabeth's story, or just love it, this will work for you.

ARC received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

This took me way longer to finish than necessary. I drifted in and out of it for nearly two weeks. Not sure why.

The storyline is very The Royals meets Gossip Girl, and the premise is an interesting one to think about if American history went differently. Some parts and characters were dwelled on longer than necessary; Daphne and her sociopathic ways were scandalous at first, but tired by the end. And honestly, it was hard to remember that most of these characters were high school age given the social circles and situations/events they were a part of.

The only storyline that remotely held my attention was Beatrice and Connor. I wanted more flashbacks to their early days, but I ate up any chapter that was focused on them. I liked Samantha, too and her journey of starting to find her adult-self.

Super cute story that will appeal to a lot of different students. Alternative history, romance, and comedy readers will all enjoy this one.

This book is a combo of some of my favorite genres - YA, royals, and romances. I love the twist on an American Royal. It's something different. It's fun to think of an America that had royalty. The story is really fun and I enjoyed it a lot! It's a great YA, a great Royal, and a great Rom!

Great novel, highly recommend for those who enjoy the genre. Will be recommending for immediate purchase.

Alternate history can be a lot of fun. A really skilled author/historian can spin a complex world off of a simple change in our history. And that's what I thought we were getting here. It's a change of a small moment - George Washington becomes king instead of president. So we have a United States that is a monarchy. And It's fun to speculate how our world might have been altered by that change. The thing is, McGee doesn't really use that to full effect. Instead of considering how our society would be altered by being run by a king, the bulk of the plot is focused on love stories and duty to country. We have three couples not approved by society and the exploration of whether love will win over duty. The thing is, that plot could be told in any number of monarchies. There's not much uniquely American about the plot and no space given to a changed landscape. So the charm that I felt going into this book wore off quickly. It's possible that McGee will incorporate more of these elements in future volumes but this particular book was a disappointment.

My initial thoughts on starting this were "this is weird." When I hear George Washington, I think of the 1700's. But hearing this in conjunction with laptops, the internet, and their phones, it threw me for a loop at the very beginning. But as time went on, I got more used to it. And that's when I started to enjoy the story so much more.

All we've ever known for America is a democracy. But what if America was run by royalty instead? What is George Washington was a king and not an elected President and has run America for 200 years? Suddenly things are changing. Princess Beatrice is the next up on the throne and she’s the first girl to do so. Then there’s her sister, Princess Samantha, who is “spare” no one cares about. And Prince Jefferson, who missed the throne by one generation, is spending most of his time fighting off girls who are fighting over him.

I hate the saying “it was like watching a train crash and not being able to look away,” but that’s exactly what this was. I didn’t hate it, but at some points it was just way too much drama. I get that this is the more than likely how things would happen, with all the rumors and backstabbing and Instagram drama, but that’s normally what I would stay away from. My anxiety spikes when that stuff happens IRL, so I was pretty surprised when I listened to all of this.

As for the characters, I don’t remember really liking any of them except Beatrice. She was willing to do whatever it took to remain herself. She didn’t let anyone change her. She was tough as nails and still stood tall after it was all said and done. The one I despised the most was Daphne. I don’t feel like she deserved anything she had and I really hoped she ended up with nothing. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again… If she ends up with the thing she wants most, I will DNF book 2. I don’t care where I am in the story. That’s how much I didn’t like her. To go as far as she did? Yeah, she’s unhinged. And I don’t like that. Maybe that’s just me, but no, I can’t do it.

And all those POV’s with characters I didn’t really like, this was not fun. This is hard for me when there’s only 2 POV’s and one of them is someone I don’t care for, so having 3 out of 4 that I don’t like was troubling. It just didn’t work for me and if I had been reading a physical copy, I would have skimmed it instead of listening all the way through.

As for the ending, there is a cliff-hanger, and I hated it. I don’t like cliff-hangers because it usually means that nothing was resolved in the book, that it just ended, and that’s exactly what happened in this one. There was so much going on and then it was just over. Nothing was resolved and Book 2 is going to be just another long continuation of this one. And this book was already long.

What mostly saved this for me was the amazing narrator. Brittany Pressley is one of my favorites, and I had actually just finished something else that she had narrated, so it seemed like destiny when she I found this one by her too. So because I love her work, I could overlook the fact that I don’t really like history and that this wasn’t exactly something I was really interested in.

This wasn’t something I particularly loved or something I particularly hated, but I read it. I’ve added Book 2 to my TBR, but we’ll see how things go with that. I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing this or not. Unless that is, someone tells spoiled Daphne no and they continue with using the same narrator for Book 2 lol

Katharine McGee's series, The Thousandth Floor, sucked me right in with its drama and even though there was no other plot to speak of I couldn't get enough. American Royals was all of that, with some plot thrown in for good measure. It was impossible to put down. Between the drama and the crown there is much to love about American Royals.

American Royals is a re-imagined current time where the only that that's different is instead of democracy American has royal crown. McGee kept it from getting too crazy by keeping a lot of the "normal" things the same, and just changing this aspect.

There was so much drama, but that's what brings me to McGee's books. There is a love triangle of sorts (person A likes person B but is pretending to like person C who actually likes person D). There is a maze of relationships to work through, including the ones between the royal siblings.

Beatrice is destined to be queen someday. The twins, Samantha and Jefferson flounder about as they are "not important". They're navigating their roles as well as their relationships.

If you like drama and fun, I highly recommend American Royals. I couldn't put it down!

The Royal Family has always held a special spot in my heart, so when I learned that the premise behind Katharine McGee's young novel, American Royals { @katharinemcgee @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse #partner } was that America was a monarchy ruled by the House of Washington, I knew I had to read it!

Participating in a the #americanroyalsbuddyread with an incredible group of ladies, I had so much fun reading this book. Although it's billed as a young adult novel, its characters are older in age and more mature than the typical YA characters, and I think that's part of the reason it appeals to such a wide age range. From imagining an alternate history for America, to allowing the crown to pass to the first daughter instead of the first son, McGee did an amazing job of creating a more progressive monarchy in terms of politics, even if its still not necessarily progressive when it comes to matters of the heart.

I also truly loved the characters and found myself rooting for them, especially Beatrice (who is next in line for the crown), and the twins, Samantha and Jeff. Even the tertiary characters of Nina and Daphne drew me in, since the book is told in alternating chapters from all of their perspectives. The romances in the book hooked me too, and I'm definitely Team Beatrice and Connor!

And did I mention the ending?!? Amazing! This is book one of this series, so my only wish is that I didn't have to wait for the second book to come along. But don't worry, I'll be getting my hands on it as soon as possible because I can't wait to see where this series goes!

Thank you so much to author Katharine McGee and Netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review, and an extra huge thanks and lots of hugs to Katharine, who joined us for our final book discussion and made it so incredibly special! If you haven't read this book yet, do so ASAP! It's amazing and you won't regret it!

This was such a fun book! The multiple narrative perspectives were interesting, and each character had her own voice. I like that the prologue establishes the necessary background with the vital, "What-if George Washington had accepted a kingship rather than presidency" question.

I'm excited to read the next in the series - anyone who enjoys reading/watching royal-family based films/books, will enjoy McGee's fictionalization of America's royal family.

A very fun and entertaining read!

In this novel we explore what would happen if the US had a monarchy. I really enjoyed those aspects and the world building. I liked that the 13 original colonies became dukedoms, and all the other name drops of the royal families of other countries. It was a very original concept that I thought was executed well.

This novel was only a little bit ridiculous, but super compelling nonetheless. I found myself flipping though the chapters so quickly wanted to know what would happen next with our drama filled royal family. I also really enjoyed the four main POVs and their relation to one another. Each had their own motivations and each had an individual voice.

If you’re looking for a fluffy and romance heavy read, you will really enjoy this. I am definitely interested in continuing with the series. We end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what will happen to our characters next.

I had not originally planned to read American Royals by Katharine McGee, but after hearing a lot of interesting things about the book, I decided to check it out. TI thought I knew what to expect when starting this book, but it was actually not at all what I was expecting.

Imagine a world where George Washington became king after the Revolutionary War instead of president. And two and a half centuries later, his descendants are still on the throne. That is the world you will experience when you read American Royals.

Let’s start this off with the characters. There are a lot of characters in this book, and you read the story from quite a few different viewpoints. (I admittedly got confused by this more than a few times, especially when I wasn’t paying close attention between the chapters.) There are two princesses and one prince in the story, and all are children of the current king. One of the princesses is set to become the first queen ever, which I thought was interesting, and I am definitely curious to read more about this as the series goes along. My favorite from the story was Nina, who was a friend of one of the princesses, and who felt the least dramatic and most down to earth.

The storyline was definitely my most favorite part of this book, and I like that it felt very original. I can’t think of any book I have read with a storyline like this, though I am sure there are probably some out there. It was interesting to think of American with a king instead of a president, and I think the author did a good job of creating this world where that actually happened. That was all definitely interesting, and I’m curious to see where it is going to go in the next book, especially after a pretty massive cliffhanger ending.

Overall; American Royals was not at all what I was expecting, but was a pretty interesting read nonetheless. I’m curious to see what happens in the next book, which is currently untitled and without a release date, and I’m also curious to know how many books will be in the series. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for that information.

I NEED BOOK TWO NOW.

American Royals is a campy, soap opera worthy romp with a twist: when the Revolutionary War ended it ended with George Washington wearing a crown instead on a constitution. House Washington remained in power all the way up to the setting of American Royals. I can only hope that this is picked up for a Netflix movie as it'll include paparazzi, scandal, romance, sexism, women in power, media, and so much more.

If you go into this expecting a fun diversion, you will enjoy it. Beatrice is set to be the first queen in American history after over a century of laws against it, but her parents would like to see her married and settled down "for the country" before she takes the throne. Except her younger sister Sam might be in love with Bea's parent-approved fiance. And Sam's best friend is in love with Sam's twin Jefferson. And Jefferson's ex wants him back.

It's a lot of romance drama, but it really works. I wanted happy endings for everyone, but there's a sequel so I'm going to have to wait!

Beatrice’s character really grew on me. At first I found her to be too cardboard and flat. Though her love interest was predictable, I think it helped to grow her character. Normally I’d be disappointed that a guy was the reason for depth, but I’m okay with it since this book is very boy-crazy. Beatrice is at least the most mature out of the Washington siblings—she doesn’t assume anything with her parents, and quietly accepts her fate out of duty and respect for her country and crown. She’s not the most exciting character, but she’s definitely the most relatable somehow.
I also really liked the little
I gave American Royals 4 out of 5 stars because there were two characters that lowered the enjoyment level for me.
1) I really disliked Jefferson, a character so central to the plot but so underdeveloped that he didn’t even get his own chapters. He was honestly my least favorite character overall. He was BEYOND naïve, and did that super annoying thing where he chooses to believe the “bad girl” over the “good girl.” That’s one of my least favorite tropes of all time. He’s already in a semi-love triangle with Daphne and Nina. If I have to suffer through that, I shouldn’t have to suffer through another tired trope on top of it.
2) I enjoyed Nina at first, I really did. She was normal, and you can’t help but root for the underdog. I thought her friendship with Samantha was endearing—who doesn’t want a princess for a BFF and have said princess put you over every other potential bff out there? But as her relationship with Jefferson “developed” (I use this loosely), I started to lose interest. At the first hint of animosity from the press, Nina grasps onto her negative feelings and lets them override the decision to be with Jefferson. Her decision didn’t come lightly either, so I don’t understand why she’d go running at the first bit of exposure to negative press. I mean, I would PERSONALLY run from Jefferson because he’s a snooze and seems like he has no interests outside of…actually, he didn’t seem to have any interests whatsoever. A smart girl like Nina and a piece of cardboard like Jefferson shouldn’t have dated in the first place.
So outside of my gentle applause for Beatrice, you may be wondering why I rated this highly. I actually looked forward to Daphne’s chapters because who doesn’t love a villain with a backstory? Daphne was an overblown, narcissistic rich girl and even though I was mad that she was the redheaded character (IT’S 2019 STOP MAKING REDHEADS THE VILLIANS PLEASE! WE CAN’T HELP WHAT COLOR OUR HAIR IS!) she was enjoyable. I liked seeing her scheming and warring with the pressure from her parents. I can understand grasping at what little thread you have to elevate your status towards an admirable future. Also, Ethan was somehow way more developed than Jefferson and was the realest character ever. Thank you, Ethan, for calling out Daphne for not being interested in Jefferson! I actually want to see how their relationship develops in the next book.
Lastly, I enjoyed Samantha, aka the Spare (like the backup royal sibling in case the other two croak). She got on my nerves at first, but I ended up appreciating the relationship she had with Nina. Samantha’s dedication and loyalty to her friend stood out from Jefferson’s lack of arc (the underdeveloped friendship with Ethan, his inability to trust Nina, etc.) and made up for her inherent selfishness. She’s selfish because she’s misunderstood people! Not selfish because she’s a prince/heiress/whatever.
So yeah, I think this is a fun little read. I love AU’s that present an alternate reality that could have actually happened per history, not just doomsday/dystopian predictions. I will definitely look out for the next installment.

I really enjoyed this book. I think I might enjoy it a little more than Katharine's first series, The Thousandth Floor. Btw, I loved that series as well.

American Royals reminds me of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars where there is constant drama and mean girls. The better part of this is it seems like most people get themselves in trouble rather than mean girls ruining their life. There is only one (maybe two) mean girls in this book and that's kind of refreshing.

Anyway, I dig it. I like most of the characters and I'm invested in what happens. I'll definitely get book two.

Imagine an alternate America, one in which instead of establishing a democracy at the end of the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers created a monarchy, with George Washington as King of America. Now fast-forward to present day, where the descendants of George Washington are still in power and ruling over the American people. Such is the premise of American Royals, a new series by the best-selling author of The Thirteenth Floor series, Katharine McGee.

Meet The Washingtons. There's George and Adelaide - King and Queen of America; Beatrice, heir-apparent to the throne, and the first woman in America who will ever do so, as the succession laws have recently changed; and Samantha and Jefferson, the fun-loving, care-free twins and younger siblings of Beatrice. Also thrown into the mix are Nina, Samantha's best friend; and Daphne, Jefferson's long-time girlfriend. The relationships among these key characters are the makings of American Royals, and unfold throughout the story, told in alternating chapters through multiple perspectives.

I am the first to admit that American Royals has so much promise as a series for either YA or adults. People are fascinated with royal life, and what great fun it would be to imagine America, the land of the free and home of the brave, being ruled by a monarch. The story-telling possibilities are endless; the potential secrets and scandals, immense. Unfortunately, this is not the story that we get with McGee's American Royals. Her imagined America falls flat, and is hardly exciting or eyebrow-raising. If I had to describe it in one word, I would call it vanilla, when what I wanted was double chocolate fudge with extra sauce on top.

It should be stated that I liked this book, but I didn't love it, and the reason why I didn't love it is because McGee could have fleshed out the narrative so much more. Instead she chose to play it safe, to do more telling than showing, and to leave her readers bored in the process. Not to mention that much of this story felt like a rip-off from the British royal family.

This book is incredibly long for a YA novel - 448 pages - and yet, nothing much happens on these pages. The novel is primarily consumed with the love interests of the characters, but even this is stale. There were several times in the story where I thought McGee was going to go left with the plot, to do something daring, scintillating, and exciting, but instead, she chose the safe path - she went right, & this story plotted on much as I expected. There is such a lack of depth and dimension in this book, and I can't help but feel disappointed because, as I have stated before, it held such promise.

Read American Royals if you love books involving aristocracy, but be prepared to have a better storyline running in your head than what you are reading on the pages.

This book was a struggle for me. I wanted to like it. I really did. I was so excited about it when I read the description, but it felt so flat to me. Everything was surface level and felt so superficial. The 4 POVs didn't work for me and there was just something missing from the characters. I do see the commercial appeal for a lot of readers, I was sadly just not one of them. I will say I did enjoy Nina's voice the most out of 4 POVs. She was the only one that I looked forward to reading for the most part.

YA readers will find this story fun and intriguing. A modern take on a historical romance with a what would happen if America was a monarchy twist. The ending leaves room for a sequel with the same characters and their life struggles.