This alternate American history where there is an actual American royal family was such a delightful and fast paced read. The characters were interesting and fleshed out. You really got to feel sympathy for them. The plots, while somewhat predictable, were still fun and kept me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait for the next book in this series because I had so much fun with this book.

This is probably my favorite contemporary I've ever read. It read like a Hallmark movie with added drama. I loved every moment.

Characters: Beatrice seems uptight when you first meet her but quickly learn that she has her emotions under tight control. She is an extreme perfectionist because she is in line to become the next queen of America. I actually found her more interesting than her wild sister, Samantha, and her wild brother Jeff. I felt bad for Samantha though because she seemed like she would actually have been on the right path if she was encouraged (positively) to do so. She just couldn't compete with her perfect older sister. Jeff seemed sweet but really naive when it comes to women! I guess he's only 18 but still! He had me shaking my head sometimes! Nina seemed like the only normal teenager, which I suppose she was. Daphne... oh boy. What to say about her. While I admire her cleverness, she is also quite scary and just plain old MEAN! She makes a good "baddie" because you feel bad for her while at the same time hate her.

Plot: I think that McGee did a really good job of making this world feel real! I normally don't like political insinuations but I have to say that I agreed a bit with some things she said. Especially the part where Beatrice is wondering what a vote would be like. And she came to the conclusion that it would basically be a mess and everyone would be corrupt... Agreed! Anyways, I liked the drama that Beatrice's position caused. She didn't really want it but has absolutely no choice. And the choices she has to make! I loved McGee's look at what America would look like as a monarchy.

Final Thoughts: If you like drama, alternate history, and lots of romantic tension, read this. That ending was so hard to read! I want the second book RIGHT NOW!

I'm guessing you already know if a series about a royal family set in an alternate universe in which America became a monarchy is your kind of thing or not, but I was so there for it and am happy to report that American Royals is as much fun as the concept sounds (think The Crown meets Gossip Girl). As a fan of The Thousandth Floor trilogy, I knew going in that the author could pull off this kind of story, and even though it was occasionally predictable--and one supporting character was noticeably underdeveloped given the role he played, which I'm assuming means there will be some plot-driving reveals about him in book two because in general the execution seemed too competent for that to be an oversight--I unreservedly enjoyed it anyway.

I am a fan of alternative realities so this concept was intriguing. Clearly part of a series, book one ends with zero resolution but I am on board for book two.

At first, I wasn't sure about American Royals, but I ended up really liking it!

It was a little hard to get into at first, and I think it's because we're getting to know 4 very different girls.  I'm always hesitant about multiple narrators, especially when it's 3 or more, and this book had 4.  I was worried we wouldn't get to know each girl and while we don't know them really, really well, we still get a really good idea of who each girl is.

Beatrice and Samantha are very different girls, and I liked both of them.  I did have a pretty good understanding of who they were, and, in Samantha's case, why she acted the way she did.  One thing that came to mind in some of their chapters was that the grass really is greener on the other side.

I don't envy either girl but I really don't envy Beatrice.  She's under a lot of pressure, considering she's going to be the first queen one day.  Samantha does have some more freedom than her sister, but it also means she doesn't get the attention her sister does.

We also see Daphne, the prince's ex, and Nina, who is Sam's best friend.  I liked Nina and Daphne was ambitious but also horrible.  Daphne was definitely my least favorite character, but she really is willing to do anything to get Jefferson back.  She was interesting, I'll give her that.  I don't have as much to say about them but it will be interesting to see where their stories go in the next book.

The story is pretty predictable in a lot of ways, but I honestly didn't care because the book is a pretty interesting What If.  It really makes you wonder how different America would be if we were a monarchy.  We get a little bit of history, and it seems to be a little bit different in the book.  Like, Russia still has a tsar.  That's the biggest thing that's different.  At least from what I can remember.  It seems like there's a lot more monarchies in this world than there actually is in real life.

It makes me wonder how different history is, especially American history.  I had trouble keeping track of some of the kings and queens mentioned, and I hope there's a family tree included in the final version.  There wasn't in this book, and that's just what I'm hoping for, so by no means is it actually going to be included.

Still, a little more background would be interesting to see.  I mean, how much would having a monarchy change America's history.  Like, did we still have a Civil War?  Did slavery still exist, and at what point did it get abolished if it did?  I have so many questions, but I know it's not going to get answered.  Still, we might get little bits of history, and I'm okay with that.

My Rating: 4 stars.  I didn't love it, but I still really enjoyed it.  It was hard not to cry and I was definitely crying by the end of the book.

Welcome Back!

Alright, I know it's been kind of a long time but I had another big change! I got another new job and made a huge change! This new job allows me much more time to read and work on my site and bookish content. I officially start my job this week and I could not be more excited. Since leaving my other job I have finished three books in two days so this is an amazing start so far. American Royals was given to me as an ebook ARC from the publisher and I was beyond excited to get a copy! I love Katharine McGee's books and to see that she had a new series coming was so exciting. Plus I really love reading anything about royals families so I knew I was going to be utter trash for this book.

SPOILERS AHEAD

America has won the Revolutionary War and now is offering George Washington a crown instead of a Presidency. Fast forward two and a half centuries and we are in the present with the current monarch (George Washington's descendant's) and the very first woman is about to take the throne as Queen with a King Consort. Beatrice will be the very first-ever Queen of America after the laws were changed under her Grandfather. Beatrice also has two siblings (Samantha and Jefferson, twins) who are just finished with high school and taking their gap year before figuring out what comes next. Beatrice is approached by her parents one day, they suggest she start looking for someone to date, someone to possibly make into her King consort. They present Beatrice with a file and she is to meet the gentleman at the upcoming ball. However, her and Samantha both meet the same guy at the ball and things take off from there with the sisters struggling with feelings over this guy and Beatrice struggling to get to her true love (major spoiler alert; it's not this guy from the ball). On top of all the sister love struggles, we have Jefferson who has broken it off with his long-time girlfriend and is shaking things up by dating a close family friend (who is not exactly royally approved).

The summary above sounds like lots of romantic drama and while this book totally brings the royal romantic drama it also has other plot lines and I loved every single one of them. I was total trash for this book just as I predicted. I never wanted it to end and I never wanted to put it down. The book was told in three different perspectives and I constantly found myself wanting to read each and every one of them (which is not always the case in books with multiple perspectives). I know there is going to be a second book and I find it hard to wait a year for this sequel because I just want more. I want more about the characters, I want to see where things are going because the end of the first book was WOW, and I just want the book now! I am giving this book five stars on Goodreads, I have already ordered a physical copy to be here on the day it comes out and I totally suggest you get yourself a copy too!


**I was given an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The concept of this book really intrigued me. What if George Washington, instead of being the president of the United States, he became KING of the United States. What would America look like today?

American Royals follows the lives of four women. Beatrice, the future queen; Samantha, the next in line; Nina, Samantha's best friend, and Daphne, the ex-girlfriend to the prince.

The book is full of teenage drama and love triangles. The world-building for this book really took me in and I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. Each of the girls was relatable and you really felt their emotions and the difficulty of having so much pressure on them.

The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I can't wait to see what's next for these girls because there was a lot of open-ended situations that kept me hooked enough to read what's next for these girls.

Definitely a book my teen girls will enjoy!

The alternate reality of the United States being led by a monarchy at first seemed comical, but it’s easy to be pulled in by the story and suspend disbelief. The author expertly weaves in elements of real life modern monarchy situations with the fictitious modern Washingtons that make a US monarchy plausible. Seeing the multiple pints of view added depth, though I would have liked to see more from the King’s and Queen’s perspectives. And, oh that cliff-hanger ending - I could see this storyline going to a trilogy or even a full series, following Beatrice, Sam, and Jeff as they navigate their evolving roles.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So let me start with this. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I would like this book or not. I never picked up Katharine’s other series, The Thousandth Floor, even though I was intrigued by that series mostly because that cover was so beautiful. But that kind of drama is not my cup of tea. I like some drama, don’t get me wrong. But I can’t handle overly extra highschool drama like the old tv shows I used to love. But since I got approved for American Royals I thought I’d give it a try, plus the synopsis really interested me.

I was not disappointed by this book at all. Also, I had no idea that there would be a sequel to this book. I kept seeing that I had 10 more pages left and nothing was getting resolved. And what an ending that was. But let me not get too far ahead of myself. I ended up enjoying this book. There was just enough drama in it to keep me interested but not make me roll my eyes. And I really liked the characters a lot. I loved how each character was so much deeper than you originally thought.

In American Royals, instead of having a president and a democracy, Katharine creates a new America. An America that has Queens and Kings and Nobleman. This book is a multi-POV. We follow Beatrice, Samantha, Nina, and Daphne. Beatrice is first in line to inherit the throne and the oldest of 3 children. She will be the first American Queen regnant ever. All her life she has known that this was her duty and has been planning her life to take this roll. She has always been fine with this until one day she realizes she has no control over her own life and she is no longer happy about it.

Samantha is Beatrice’s younger sister, and twin to her younger brother Jefferson. Samantha is the complete opposite of Beatrice. She is not tied down like her sister is to the crown and she does whatever she wants when she wants. She and her brother are always having fun and getting into trouble. There is so much more to these twins than the world ever gets to see, but because they are just the siblings of the Queen they are not as important as her, and that really bothers Samantha sometimes. Jefferson is just as outgoing and fun as Samantha, but because he is the prince he doesn’t get in as much trouble as her. Even though he doesn’t have his own POV he is a pretty main character, especially since 2 girls want his heart.

Nina is Samantha’s best friend since forever. They met when they were younger because Nina’s mom worked for the King. Even though Nina was a commoner, she grew up right along with Samantha and Jeff doing everything with them. Until they all graduated they were super close. But once Nina started college and Samantha went on tour and then when out exploring the world with her twin, they drifted apart a bit. Nina has to figure out if she is really cut out for that life or if she is happy living her college life not being in the limelight at all.

Daphne is the ex-girlfriend of Jefferson. They dated for 3 years and everyone absolutely loved them together. Especially Daphne. But because of certain events, Jefferson ends up breaking up with Daphne. But Daphne has not worked her whole life to become a princess just to be dumped. I didn’t just love Daphne’s parts, but they were very entertaining.

Overall, I liked this book. I am not sure if I will reread this book before the next book comes out, honestly, I probably will, but I will definitely be reading the second book when it comes out. I have to know how everything is going to turn out. This was a fun, quick read and I didn’t want to put it down. I recommend this book for those of you who like drama and romance. What a crazy world America would be if it was anything like it was in this book.

This was a fun and light read for me and I was very quick to breeze through it.
Enjoyable romp through an America that could have been if George Washington had become our first king and his descendants followed in his path through the last 200 years.
This story is about three children of the present day king and how difficult it is for them to navigate between the rules of the history and tradition, and to find love in a modern day relationship. I particularly ate the romance part of it up with a spoon. The characters are very likable and I found myself rooting for all of them:

I instantly felt for Beatrice, who is on track to be the first Queen in American history and her struggle with the expectation to find a suitable husband. I really respected her conflict of duty and how she starts off having never really dated around because she didn't want to embarrass her family. And then she must figure out what she should do when she finds the only man she wants will never be on the acceptable list. i mean that is delicious tension right there. I definitely liked Beatrice the more I read her.

Then we have her twin siblings Jefferson and Samantha. Jefferson is America’s first son who is the most chased after young man in the country and is the target of twisted ambitious desires. That boy really got himself right in a thicket.
And then there is his twin, Samantha, who rebels against all the rules in order to make her life count for something, and to survive being the “extra” child. That is a struggle I could feel palpably. While a lot of the American people just wrote her off as less interesting or more of a troublemaker, i was drawn to that worry of feeling insignificant. and in the corner of romance she has a long road ahead of her when the only guy she really wants is earmarked as one of the few suitable suitors for her sister, the Queen to be. ugh, the drama killed me.

It is surprisingly easy to imagine this fanciful tale as real life because of the intricate backstory interwoven throughout the tale and the details that enrich their lives. I really enjoyed all the details and parallels and couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live in that world.
I enjoyed the entire scenario but as it progressed, it just seemed more predictable to me so that dampened things just a touch. There was even one scene that just seemed like a close echo of a scene from the Crown so that jarred me just a little.
I'm very much hoping for a sequel as it all ended unresolved. that's not a bad thing but now i need more!

I read up to 35% into the book and finally gave up on it. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I know this is is fiction, but the characters were too unbelievable. Also, after I started reading this, I thought, WHY would then colonists give George a crown instead of the time-limited presidency. It just didn't make sense.

I will not be leaving a rating (I dislike leaving bad reviews).

This Young Adult romance paints an alternate history picture of an America where George Washington became king and his descendants still reign. The focus is on Beatrice, the heir, and her twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson. It is a light and enjoyable read, although I was not expecting the unresolved cliffhanger ending. But I will be looking forward to the next entry.

I enjoyed this book! It was a fun, easy romp through an alternate history of the United States, one in which George Washington did not refuse the offer of kingship. The characters were believable, the romances were just a bit steamy, and the story was interesting. I enjoyed this and will be recommending it for my romance readers.

This is essentially a less obnoxious, far more well written version of The Royal We.

For the most part, I have no complaints about the quality of this book. Katherine McGee does high-quality brain candy better than almost anyone else, and this is no exception. While it’s very similar to The Royal We in premise, the writing is infinitely better and the protagonists are likable and relatable instead of insipid and irritating like they were in The Royal We. Can you tell I hated The Royal We?!

Still, royals aren’t my thing, in real life or in fiction, so I was disappointed that this was the topic for McGee’s next series after The Thousandth Floor, which was excellent and one of my favorite light reads in recent memory. Given that, my three-star rating here is more about preference than quality. It’s not a five-star book (too lacking in originality), but if royals are your thing, this is easily a four-star offering.

And even if, like me, royals aren’t your thing, you won’t be bored reading this. It’s propulsive and populated by likable (if predictable) characters.

I'm a huge fan of literally any book involving a royal family, so as soon as I heard about this book I needed to read it immediately. The dynamic of an American royalty is so interesting and was addicting to read. The sequel can not come out earlier.

Imagine an America without a democracy, but with a monarchy. Beatrice is an American princess, who is destined to be the first queen regnant. She must follow perfectly in her ancestor’s footsteps to prove that a woman is up for the job of ruling America. Beatrice’s parents have decided that it is time for her to find a husband, enter a lavish ball. Beatrice’s younger fraternal twin siblings, Jefferson and Samantha come back to town and bring their rebellious ways along with them. Jefferson finds himself drawn to Samantha’s commoner best friend. Samantha and Beatrice have set their sights on the same guy. How can these young royals be happy, while also keeping the country under control?
I think I wanted to like this novel. I wanted to get wrapped up in the romcom fluffy world of princes and princesses. However, a monarchy in America never truly set well with me. Also, I found myself only interested in the Jefferson storyline…however, a prince named Jeff was hard to overcome. While I know this will be a series, I do not think that I will be reading more from this family.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book is drama. It’s so extra. It’s reality TV on the stage of an American monarchy and I just adore it.
Firstly, it has the perfect opening for this story. After all, this is about the princesses of America, so history must have taken a drastic turn somewhere. Where, you might ask. During the American Revolution, when George Washington took the crown he was offered. And that is how the story opens, telling a history that ‘everyone’ knows, the beginnings of the American royals.

One thing that this book has (though it doesn’t focus on it too much) is mentions of American politics. Though I am no expert in fields of government, I believe that America has (in this book) a constitutional monarchy, similar to Britain’s. And its two parties are, as it was in the times of the American Revolution, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. In fact, it draws a lot of things from the Revolution. There is the Revere Guard (similar to the Secret Service) named after Paul Revere, among other things. Just little quirks that any American should be able to pick out and say to themselves, that’s different.

In fact, that’s one of the reasons I believe this book will have such a different reception in America versus England. America is used to our government. As an American, any time I read ‘future queen of America’ or something of that ilk, I shuddered. In part because it is strange and partially because it feels wrong. Meanwhile, England still has their queen, and they are used to it. This novel is not a drastic departure from the norm for them, as it is their reality.

I believe the author draws a lot of inspiration from the British monarchy, and the effects it has on their people. She writes of a great obsession over the royal family, and an adoration over the royal wedding, something America has never felt for its first family.

The story is told from four points of view. The first is Beatrice, the heir to the throne, who will become the first Queen of America. She’s poised on the outside, but inwardly struggles with love and duty. The second is Samantha, Beatrice’s younger sister. She is a wild child who can never live up to her older sister’s charms. The third is Nina, Samantha’s best friend. She’s been friends with the royal twins (Samantha and Jefferson) since she was small, but now she is trying to find a life in the ‘real world’ outside of the royal bubble. The fourth (and my least favorite for …character personality reasons) is Daphne. She was dating Prince Jefferson (cough cough for his title) but he broke up with her, and now she is fighting to get him back. This really does read like an episode of reality TV (which I don’t watch, but I loved this).

American Royals is twisted history mixed with royalty tropes, and did I mention there is a scene where two people who are trying not to be lovers are stuck in a cottage with only one bed?! Yeah, it’s that great. Read it, love it, and beg for the next book, as I did.

This book definitely has an interesting plot. A lot of young girls love stories about princesses and can easily picture themselves living in a castle. I have to admit that I enjoy reading about the Fab Four in England: William, Kate, Harry and Meghan. They are constantly in the news! So why not imagine what it would have been like if we had our very own royal family in this country.

The author created an interesting world and peopled it with some fascinating characters who behave much in the way of the ones overseas. There are some characters who misbehave, and others who step into the roles laid out for them with a steadfastness and loyalty that surpasses any most of us could imagine. There are some deviations from this as the book goes on.

Overall, this is a an enjoyable story that would probably appeal to those in their mid teens. It’s marketed as a book for for young readers, but based on some of the material, parents may want to decide on the maturity of their child.

American Royals is the first book in Katharine McGee’s new YA alternative history series. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because the premise sounded very interesting.

The book begins with the following premise: after the American Revolution, George Washington became the new nation’s first king, and ever since then, his descendants have sat on the throne. An aristocratic class also developed, with titles like the Duke of Boston, but most of society is exactly the same.

The story begins with Beatrice, the king’s oldest child and heir, being tasked with finding a future spouse at the upcoming royal ball. From there, the story unfolds from four unique perspectives:

Beatrice, a Harvard grad, who is poised to become the first American queen in her own right. Even though she is barely twenty-one years old, she is expected to marry soon- and only someone from an aristocratic background will do. The problem is that she doesn’t have anything in common with any of the eligible bachelors on her parents’ list, but surely, there must be someone she feels a connection to.

Samantha is Beatrice’s younger sister. She and her twin brother Jefferson graduated from high school a few months ago, but they are taking a gap year. She doesn’t have as much pressure as her older sister, so she’s surprised when she meets the perfect guy. There’s just one problem…

Nina is Samantha’s best friend. One of her mothers is a Cabinet minister, and she has been Samantha’s best friend since childhood. She is currently enrolled at King’s College, and she doesn’t mention her connection to the royal family because she doesn’t want to be inundated with questions.

Daphne is Jefferson’s ex-girlfriend. She dated him all through high school, but they broke up right after graduation, and then the twins left on an extended vacation for six months. Now that Jeff is back in town, Daphne is determined to get him back- by any means possible.

It’s hard to describe the plot without giving too much away, but needless to say, these four young women get caught up in all sorts of scandalous goings-on. There are secret crushes, betrayals, scheming, gossip, and devastating revelations. This book is an adventure that doesn’t stop until the book ends, and since this is a series, we’re left with a ton of questions.

The protagonists are likeable- except for Daphne, who is too much of a schemer for me to sympathize with. But she’s interesting, so I enjoyed reading her sections just as much as the others.

I would recommend American Royals. The book is pretty fast-paced; there’s always something going on, and there’s a constant flow of new developments. I didn’t realize that it was part of a series, so as I got closer to the end, I was wondering how the loose ends were going to be resolved. Needless to say, the book ends on a huge cliffhanger, which is going to leave readers clamoring to find out what is going to happen next. I know I’m hooked- I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

American Royals is E's The Royals for teens. It's got drama, romance, secret relationships, social climbers, complicated friendships, and the cognitive dissonance of duty vs. love-- all with a PG-13 environment. It's deliciously juicy and reads like fanfic (stuck in a snowstorm and there's only one bed trope? check!).

What if George Washington became King of America instead of President of the United States? That's the premise of how Beatrice and younger twins Samantha and Jefferson became American royalty. This story switches between multiple narrators, so we get a full picture of the drama in the palace: Beatrice, the first female heir to the American throne who is being pushed into picking a king consort, but actually loves her guard; Samantha, the spare, who is a little wild and falls for the guy that Beatrice actually didn't hate from her marriage options; Nina, Sam's best friend who grew up playing in the palace with Sam and Jeff, and now has fallen for Jeff; and Daphne, Jeff's ex-girlfriend who is determined to win Jeff back. Not everyone can have a happily every after....

The first in a series (duology?) with a cliffhanger that had me shouting in surprised frustration.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.