This book was amazing! Just as witty and snarky as the original, with new characters added that provided more depth to the story. This saga is very soap opera-esque, and I loved every trashy tabloid minute of it. 5 stars!

Katharine McGee really flips the script this time with American Royals 2, all of our favorite characters are back but the ending of the first book has really matured each of them. There is the same heavy dose of back-stabbing drama and scandal but this time we get to hear a little more about the re-envisioned America. I was happy to hear more about the politics and shape of America in the monarchy.

All of the relationships have evolved and each character has really taken the time to assess their circumstances and decide just who they want to be in this world. Their stances are modern and refreshing. There is one storyline that is fitting for current times and focuses on the harsh treatment of the minority characters by the press and the realization that the monarchy played a role in the adoption of slavery. I really like how that was handled as I felt the first book was a little white-washed like most royal stories.

This sequel is everything you want and more from this fun series. I just hope we get to see these characters again!

A fun and surprising sequel that expands upon the first book's drama, character development, and plot twists.

To give some context, I want to say I loved the first book. It had that lovely opportunity for light escapist reading, as well as some very interesting and complicated characters. All in all, this sequel continues in that vein. The author does a good job of balancing four POVs and working off the cliffhanger of the first book. Some of the characters, particularly Bea and Sam shows character growth, and even Daphne was given more context.

I appreciated that this book attempts to delve into some deeper issues including racism and sexism, but without much basis in the first book, and while balancing all of the other plot lines, this felt tacked on and underdeveloped, which ties into my main criticism of the book.

For a good portion of the book, I felt everything was working well and leading up to a thrilling final installment (third book). But partway through, it became apparent this was written as a duology (at this point at least), and from that point on things seemed very rushed.

To clarify, I think the different storylines wrapped up pretty well given the situations, however it was so rushed that it took much of the believability out of it. The characters fell in love with different people and discovered new passions extremely quickly, with very little lead up. This is partly due to the four different POVs alternating, which means you effectively spend less than ten chapters with a given character, simply not enough time for such a drastic character change. Personally, I think this book would have been much stronger had it focused on the character development and utilized a third book to bring all the pieces together--or had one of the POV character's been cut.

All in all, I still very much enjoyed reading it, but I was left wanting more from the story and characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Random house for an ARC!

I couldn't love the first book in this series more, so I was ecstatic about this read! It's definitely worth the read for the fans of #1 and I was not disappointed by this sequel. The cliffhanger at the end of #1 is given life in this second book and I loved the plotlines of all the women, with the exception of Nina.

This sequel was equally as captivating as the first (American Royals!) I loved following the same four girls for more of the story, and based on the ending am really hoping there is a third.
The story is fun, while touching on some important topics and how they handle them with a monarchy instead of a democracy. It is a really neat story line overall, what if we were ruled by the Washington’s?
Recommending both books to everyone for sure.

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I was SUPER excited to get approved for this ARC because I LOVED American Royals. I really really enjoyed coming back to this story, and especially loved seeing Beatrice and Teddy's relationship blossom and turn into something real. Sam and Marshall were adorbs and I loved that they touched on prejudice and racism with their story. Nina and Tyler were cute and I do hope they stick. Now, I still dont like Daphne and I really don't love that she is still pursuing Jefferson even after she realizes she truly doesnt love him.

I dont see signs of a 3rd book yet, but I really hope we get one! I want to see Bea step into her role as queen now that she is determined to rule her own way, and to see how everyone else develops.

Such a great series.

I was thrilled to get this e-ARC from Random House Children’s and NetGalley! I loved the first book in the series, AMERICAN ROYALS, and must say the sequel MAJESTY is delicious, with fully fleshed characters and a narrative that cries “trilogy.”

Why do some books engross us for hours, leaving us wanting more when the last page is turned? For me, characters are key. I’ve grown to care about heir to the American throne Beatrice, her twin siblings Jeff and Samantha, their intoxicating love interests, even bad girl Daphne.

In MAJESTY they mature, with strengths and flaws even more exposed. Some have called the series a soap opera. I find it filled with wisdom about relationships — families, friendships, love — and pressing issues of race, gender, and power.

As in the first book, MAJESTY’s ending left me breathless, with big questions still unanswered. I pray the author is hard at work on Book Three. Hurry, Katharine, your subjects ... er ... fans are waiting!

Pub Date 01 Sep 2020

Huge hugs again to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

P.S. Adore that cover!

#AmericanRoyalsIIMajesty #NetGalley

Much better than the first book in the series. Such a fascinating concept of an American royal family and aristocracy.

In many ways, this was a perfect book two. I hope that this is just the middle of a trilogy, as there were a few storylines that were left unresolved by the end. I loved the first book and re-read the entire book before I went straight into this E-ARC (thank you, Net Galley, and Random House Books). In the first book, the plot was very Gossip Girls -ish with the different romances being key to the story. In this book, Bee is the Queen of America, and we see her mature into the job. I feel like this story is incredibly timely as it addresses Racism, the Press in this country, and women's leadership roles. If you were all about the romance- don't worry, it's still ongoing, and all of the couples do some growing up before the end.
The history geek in me adored this alternate timeline of America. In this book, we find out even more about how it all came about, and I found it particularly funny that the characters looked down on the European Royal Families and their issues.

A fulfilling conclusion to an interesting story. Not quite where I thought things may go but I can't say I'm disappointed. The thought of American royalty is still so foreign but I love Beatrice really taking charge and letting America know women can be in charge.

Thank you NetGalley for sending an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Majesty was a cute, quick read. I will Say I was a little underwhelmed compared to the first one. It bothers me that all of the relationships have the same things happening all at the same time. Also, the way I love you is just thrown around, yet written like they’re soulmates is just annoying! They all just acted like immature 15 year olds in this one, which was disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. As soon as I was approved to read this book, I instant began reading it and it did not disappoint. I adored the first book and loved this one just as much. The characters in this series are very relatable despite the fact that they live in a “royal” world. The author does an amazing job with character development, every single character is different and has their own quirks. I did hate that there wasn’t more Jefferson in this book, I really wanted to hear more of his story. I really hope that their will be a third book since there wasn’t a good sense of closure for the characters at the end, but also because I want more of the royal family!

I got this book thanks to Netgalley and enjoyed this second installment to the American Royals. I will say this is a book for high school and up and is a fun engaging read but at times the characters could have been stronger. I think if you want a book for students who do not read a lot this might be a great option. It has a lot of drama and romance.

American Royals II began right where American Royals left out. We continued to be enthralled in the lives of Daphne, Samantha, Nina, Beatrice, and Jeffrey. Everyone was dealing with the aftermath of the King's death and Beatrice's new reign as Queen of America. Throughout the book, Beatrice grows on how to handle her engagement to Theadore Eaten, her love for Connor, and her responsibility as Queen. It is wonderful to see her grow into a ruler that cares for her people and that her country will respect. Samantha continues to find her role in the royal family. She realizes that she now has more responsibility and learns how to handle it in her own immature Samantha way. Nina is just coming off of her break up with Jefferson and is finding her own, trying to stay out of the limelight, but seems to be always pulled back into the royal family picture. Throughout the book, Daphne continues to be horrible Daphne. In American Royals II, Daphne's schemes take on a whole new level, and Jefferson still continues to be blindsided. American Royals II is a great sequel. However, it didn't quite have the same amount of love that American Royals did. Also, there was a lack of Jefferson in this sequel that I wished we could see more from his point of view. I hope that there is a third book in this series, as it didn't end with a sense of closure for many of the characters.

I was so excited to received an ARC of Majesty. The premise of the United States having a monarch and royal family with a Queen at the helm is a delightful concept. The book picks up right were American Royals left off and delves back into the world of Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne, and Nina. This sequel took the characters introduced in American Royals and explored their growth as they figure out who they truly are and what they want. Throughout the book I was rooting for certain couples to get together and for someone to FINALLY expose Daphne. However, McGee doesn't play it safe by making those choices for her characters; it would have stunted their growth and ability to recognize their true selves.. Also, I appreciated McGee incorporating quick plot recaps of the first book (where appropriate) since it has been a few months since I read the first book. Majesty leaves the possibility of book 3 open, and I would be thrilled to read.

While I wish this book had leaned more into the social and political intrigue in only brushed against and less on the tidy romances, I enjoyed the book and think it would be a great jumping off point for discussions about government, gender and race with audiences that feel uncomfortable or uninformed with such topics.

Full review at: nodistancebooks.com

In this second book to the American Royals series, the imaginary American Royal family is back and Queen Beatrice is taking the throne. Majesty was full of drama and intrigue, and I cannot wait to see what book 3 (which better be a thing!) brings for us all.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC ebook!

This was such a satisfying follow-up to American Royals! It feels a lot like a Gossip Girl meets the monarchy, and was so much fun from start to finish. It was enjoyable to watch Beatrice come into her own in this sequel, and the balance of romance with other personal journeys that the girls/women go on. The relationships between Beatrice and Teddy and Marshall and Sam were especially sweet. I also appreciated the nods to issues with the real-life british monarchy. McGee’s writing is clever and engaging and I’d be happy to read more in this series!

I was so excited to read the next chapter of Bee, Samantha, Nina and Daphne's lives... and this didnt disapoint. I walked into the book with a clear outcome I wanted to have happen.... and it didnt. As I was reading, I started changing my mind and rooting for different people and different relationships. I could not put it down and finished in on sitting. I felt myself transported into the world of the Washingtons and dreaming of the American Royal family. A great follow up in a fantastic series.... Let's hope for a third!!!

5 stars!

You best believe me when I say I have never been more excited to receive an ARC before in my life! I requested it on Netgalley the minute I finished the first book in American Royals (which was quite a while ago, I'd been eagerly waiting for a status update on this book!) and it lived up to every expectation!

Big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me this eARC! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I finished this book in a day and I got hooked on it fast! Firstly, the plot was every bit enjoyable, it was quite an adventure! I loved the development between the characters and how they (most of them at least) grew to find themselves as an individual. The maturity shown, especially in Beatrice, Nina and Sam (nearing the end) was a joy to read. I loved the different characters and especially how although Daphne is the antagonist, there's more to her than meets the eye as she starts discovering herself.

The first book in this series was mostly following the romances between each of the characters, but what makes me like this book more is that it shows more than just each person's love life. Important topics like racism, that is deeply rooted in America after centuries of oppression cannot be ignored. Especially in a book about American royalty. And sexism, both of which have existed in America since the start and needed to be addressed. The sad fact that racism and sexism are still very real to this day (in the book and in real life) are deeper issues this book touches on.

I am happy with pretty much all the decisions made by each character in the end :)
Except one thing... <spoiler>Jeff and Daphne!!! </spoiler> though it makes sense with their character and I'm excited to see how their story progresses.

It was a little crazy and hectic! Not quite chaotic and unnaturally rushed, but it was one thing after another. Although I'd bet that would really be how royals live (and it did keep me wanting to read more) so I'm not too mad about it.

All in all, this book was utterly fantastic and a solid sequel to American Royals! A fun story that goes deeper than just romances with characters we've met before (and new ones!!). Seeing them continue to grow and find themselves is a real treat to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Katharine McGee and am looking forward to any future installments!

Again, thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me this eARC, and all opinions are my own :)