Majesty was everything I wanted it to be and more! I loved the expansion of the world and all of the new characters that were introduced. So fun to meet the new peerage families and get more history. You can really tell Katharine McGee did her research while writing this. Literally the only complaint I have is having to wait another year for the next book!

Not many sequels are able to match the quality and expectations set by their predecessor, but MAJESTY may be one of the few books that is able to do just that (and maybe even surpass!). I loved escaping back to this world where America has a monarchy and Beatrice is its first ever queen regent. Of course I found her chapters to be the most compelling; I could read an entire book just from her perspective. I also especially enjoyed watching Samantha develop into a mature, smart, young woman. I wasn't as invested in Nina's story, and Daphne continues to be the character you love to hate (and I would've liked to see her called out for her manipulative tactics a bit more). Katharine McGee has a talent for writing female characters, but Teddy also shines in book two. Although there is a satisfying conclusion, I hope a third book is greenlit because spending time with these characters is so much fun.

THIS BOOK.

Before I begin my review of this incredible sequel, I have to give a huge shoutout and thank you to @randomhousekids @emmabenshoff and the amazing @katharinemcgee for the eARC of Majesty. This book was in my top three most-anticipated reads of 2020, so I was literally jumping up and down when I found it in my email inbox!

This book absolutely knocked me off my feet. When American Royals ended on a cliffhanger last fall, I knew I'd be waiting with bated breath for Book 2, and Majesty absolutely delivered. Picking right up where American Royals left off, readers accompany Beatrice as she becomes the first queen of America, not even two months after her father has passed away. In the midst of her grief, she is forced to evolve from a girl to a woman, from an heir to the Crown, and the growth she experiences throughout this book (personally, mentally, emotionally, romantically, and politically) is remarkable. Watching her come into her own made me so proud, and I loved learning more about her struggles, fears, and dreams as she strived to not only serve her country, but to remain true to herself.

While this book largely focuses on Beatrice, McGee also further develops the characters of Samantha, Nina, Daphne, Teddy, Jeff, and Ethan through multiple POV narration, while throwing in a couple new characters too. Full of heartwarming moments, witty dialogue, some shady scheming (I'm looking at you, Daphne Deighton), a hearty helping of romance and lots of girl power, this book will have you flying through the pages (I finished it in about 48 hours) and yearning for more!

Hold on tight and get ready for September, readers, because "a new reign has begun." This is a book you'll definitely want to read, and I can't wait to see where Katharine McGee takes this story next!

Majesty has so much heart, book 2 of American Royals is bound to sweep you off your feet. Its witty, dramatic, honest, and gives you an intimate look at what "being an adult" is all about, and choices were sometimes forced to make and overcome. I devoured it. A class act for sure, Katharine McGee's American Royal story is going to stay with me (and you) for a while. Beatrice, Daphne, Samantha, and Nina are back, and once again... I'm left wanting more, more, MORE.
"It doesn't matter who your father is. You know that, right? His choices don't determine who you are. Only your choices do that."

The girls seem to do the same thing at the same time and it kinda confuses me. In the first book, they were all with the man they wanted to be with at the same time, and then they all broke up at the same time. This book has a similar effect just with something else. What’s the point of this? Is it to show that the girls are very similar to each other but different, in the end? I don’t think that I completely dislike it, but I could live without them all having the same storyline.

As usual, I'm super confused by Jeff and his character. His character just seems to do whatever is best for the storyline instead of acting as Jeff, a distinct person with the ability to make his own decisions. Perhaps we'll see more of a person in the third book.

I did like that we were able to see significant growth in each of the characters. I thought for a second we were just going to be hit with the fact that they were different, but there was some gradual growth there. I think I saw the most growth in Beatrice though. I truly felt the power and resolve in what it meant to her to be Queen.

I also liked the fact that each character seemed to have "another side" to them. I'm still not sure how I feel about exploring these depths in the form of new relationships. Part of me wishes we could have seen this depth and other sides of the characters through different methods and other parts of me are okay with how everything happened.

Overall, I have lots of mixed feelings from this book. I'm still trying to understand how I feel about all the new relationships and changes we're seeing in the characters. I think most of it is for the best, but I still have an assortment of thoughts and feelings to go along with it all.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*The review will be posted to my blog the day of publication and to consumer websites a week or two before publication.*

This series continues to be so much fun. It is a perfect summer read! Great for both YA and adult readers who like drama, romance and humor.

I love the way the author switches from one character's perspective to the next. It really makes these books impossible to put down.

Majesty picks up soon after the end of American Royals. Beatrice and Connor are no more, Jeff and Nina are no more, Ethan is still hopelessly in love with Daphne, Daphne is still on her one-track warpath to get Jeff back, and Sam is still pining over Teddy. How will this cast of characters finagle their drama, their underhanded manipulating, changing feelings, AND successfully rule America with Beatrice as the new queen?

There's drama, but it definitely felt like season two of A Hot Teen Show. There are Big Feelings, but it's sorta clunky. And the misogyny that Beatrice puts up with from MULTIPLE and VARIOUS entities is so not cool. Like, she gets it altogether again by the end, but I was ready to throw my tablet out a window because of that stupid Lord Chamberlain. With all of the kick-butt female protagonists out there in YA right now, I really expected better. The girl-power was too little too late.

Great follow up to American Royals. I love how McGee writes young women, and how she gives them a good mix of both strength and vulnerability. It is a nice ending, but I still would like to know more about these characters, and wondering if there will be a third book.

3.5 I enjoyed book 2 more than the first. It was still comparable to watching a train wreck in so far as it was all about superficial instalove/lust and gossip, but this story began to delve a bit deeper into what it really meant to wear a crown and rule a country. The exploration of America as a monarchy could be a fun venture, but so far this series does focus mainly on the tawdry.

Last summer I got to go to one of the launches of American Royals where I received a copy of the book - I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day. So when I saw the sequel #Majesty on NetGalley, I immediately put in my request and was so excited when I got the approval email. Following all the POV characters from book 1, this sequel picks up where we left off and without any spoilers, it's just as good as the first. I didn't want the story to end and really hope there will be a book 3!

I read both books in this series in the past 48 hours. Katharine McGee writes page turners to be sure. However, I think I was reading just because I needed to see Daphne outed for her duplicitous, conniving behavior. I was here for all the relationship swapping and YA drama, but I don't believe that Nina wouldn't tell Sam about her experiences with Daphne. I don't believe that Beatrice would have let Daphne get away with blackmail, and Jeff isn't a real person. He's a plot device poorly executed to make Daphne's plans work. All this being said, I enjoyed the escapism of the American Royals concept, and I'll be eagerly scooping up the next book, if there is one.

** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed this 2nd book in the series and with royal family. I'm not a fan of daphne. I enjoyed everyone finding love and figuring the way out. I was wondering if beatrice is going to have a baby in 3rd book because there was no mention of protection ? I'm glad that she found love with Teddy and that Samantha found love. I really enjoyed Nina's relationship with Ethan and I hope that they end up together. I'm glad that she called the wedding off and started doing things her own way.

3.5 stars.

I ended up enjoying this follow-up more than I thought I would. Like the first book, I truly was only invested in the Washington sisters' narratives and seeing their relationships flourish. I found myself skimming (and cringing) during Daphne's chapters, and didn't find myself as interested in Nina this time around. No particular plot twists that surprised me, but a light, quick, escapist read.

When I read the first book in the American Royals series last fall, I did an actual happy dance when I turned to the final page and saw there was a sequel coming. I absolutely loved that first installment and I'm always skeptical of sequels, but this one genuinely blew me away. It somehow managed to be even better than the first! The author had me rooting for pretty much all of the love stories, to the point that I felt actively conflicted about how I wanted the story to end. I also loved the family relationships and the way the book really turns on Bea's journey to stand on her own and become the kind of queen SHE wants to be... regardless of stereotypes and gender norms. I hope there are more coming!

Words cannot describe how great it felt to be back in this world! Seeing these characters grow like they did (looking at you, Princess Samantha) was so heartwarming and deserved. Everyone ended their story on a high note, and there was room for this world to be revisited which was an added bonus. A fantastic conclusion to this duology.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I am a huge royalty fan-in real life, in books, I eat it up, so when I was offered a chance to read the sequel to American Royals, I jumped at the chance! Loved the first novel, really liked this one. Of course we have all the same characters-Queen Beatrice, the twins: Princess Samantha and Prince Jefferson along with BFF Nina and the ex-that everyone loves to hate-Daphne Dayton. Now that the King has passed away and Beatrice is now Queen-there are lots of shakeups coming for the Royals. The thing that is frustrating is that many of the new plot twists in this novel don't get resolution because, I'm guessing, there is a book 3 on the way with the number of story lines left dangling at the end. With that being said I will be first in line to get book 3!

Wow! I loved this book. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it as much as I did the first book American Royals but I did. I may have even liked this one better. I think the character development is great and I enjoyed seeing each of the characters grow in different ways. There are a few characters I do not like and it makes the story even better. I sincerely hope there is a book #3! These are the first books I have ready by Katharine McGee but I am hooked and ready to go read others by her.

What can I say about this book? I just loved it so much. I loved Beatrice. I loved Sam. I hated Daphne but I think I was supposed to. I loved the ending and just hope there is a book 3. I went through so many emotions. I laughed. I cried when Connor showed up. I was not ready for it to end.

A great sequel to an already great YA title. Perfect for royal lovers and a really interesting twist on American History. I love all the characters and could read several more stories with each of them.

A fun sequel that went in directions I didn't expect based on the ending of the first book. Still eagerly waiting for the TV show!