I am such a fan! The last book left readers wanting more and Katharine McGee DELIVERED in a big way. The story starts off just where book #1 left off and continues in a such a fabulous direction. The characters get further developed and the drama just gets better. I can't wait for more.

Picking up where “American Royals” left off, “Majesty” follows Beatrice, Nina, Daphne, and Sam into the beginning of a new regnal era. In this book, our characters begin to really grow up, and come into their own, making strides in learning about themselves, and what their lives look like as adults. While many YA sequels follow this coming-of-age storyline, “Majesty” does so in a way that is refreshing, and more introspective, with a gratifying and grown-up end. As an adult reading this title, I can’t help but feel like I wish this was a book that I’d had to read as a young adult, with lessons centering on power and self-reliance in a way that isn’t trite or excessively sentimental. Brava, Katharine McGee, you’ve done it again, and the sequel is better than its predecessor.

I was beyond excited to read Majesty because I absolutely LOVED American Royals. While Majesty was great, it did not live up to the expectations that book 1 had set for me. My disappointment revolved mainly around a couple of the main characters.

America is a monarchy and the Washington family (descendants of Gen. George Washington) rule the country. The country tragically loses their King at the end of book 1 and Princess Beatrice, the heir, prepares to step into the role. Majesty focuses on Beatrice taking on the role of Queen and preparing to marry Teddy, one of the suitors her family picked for. Obviously there is a lot going on with Beatrice -- so why is her character still so boring? I would have liked to have seen more with the Beatrice/Teddy/Connor love triangle. Only there never really was a triangle because Beatrice just ditched her true love, even when he returned, there really wasn’t a fight about it.

Another bore is Prince Jefferson. He didn’t have much of a storyline other than the back and forth between Daphne and Nina and supposedly loves both. And somehow he cannot see Daphne for who she really is.

Nina - ugh. If she loved Jefferson for so long, first, why did she listen to Daphne and dump Jefferson in book 1? Now in book 2, she falls for the first guy to give her attention since Jeff -- who just so happens to be Jeff’s best friend, Ethan (who Daphne told to date Nina to get her out of her way).

Ethan - I actually liked this character. I got major Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl) vibes from him. He is the best friend of the Prince who is secretly in love with Daphne, the prince’s on-again off-again girlfriend. At one point he mentions that he doesn’t know his father and his mom said she loved his father but couldn’t be with him. So my thought immediately was that we were not hearing the end of that yet and his father was probably someone royal - maybe even the late King George? But that actually WAS the last of that and it wasn’t mentioned again. So much for that potential plot twist.

Then you have Princess Samantha - the spare that turned into the heir. I like her. I get Serena Van der Woodson (Gossip Girl) vibes from her. She is a party girl, but turns out she can get herself together if needed. The fact that she loved Teddy but then loved Marshall instead didn’t bother me. Her character is one to act impulsively, so it made sense that she was head over heels for Teddy - especially when she knew he was out of reach and marrying her sister. She and Marshall go well together.

And Daphne - she is deceitful and conniving, but she spices things up! I see more to Daphne in the future with the Himari situation or even with her past with Ethan.

Although I tore apart the characters, I did actually enjoy the book! I feel like although there wasn’t a cliffhanger ending, McGee did leave it open to another in the series -- which I look forward to!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being as royally obsessed as I am, when American Royals came out I knew I had to read it immediately and I loved it immediately. I am as equally in love with Majesty. The story picks up right where we left off, and its full of love, drama and back stabbing. A great concept (an American royal family) makes for an intriguing read.

Majesty was another delightful dive into America as she might have been. I am a reader who dearly loves revisiting formerly loved characters so I always enjoy a sequel. However, despite sincerely enjoying it, I did feel like this one had some plot holes. Namely, there didn’t seem to be much plot to it. Not a lot happens in this second installment other than some slightly weird swapping of “dance partners”. If you liked the first one, Majesty is worth a read. Just be prepared for that familiar second book slump that many series fall prey to.

Although I was disappointed by some of the writing in the first book in this series (American Royals), I was maybe a little interested in seeing where the story went.

Although the trio of royal siblings are 18-19 and 20-21, this series is more appropriate for ~15-year-olds-- because that's how hold the characters act.

Like all tropey romances, 98% of the drama results from characters not speaking to each other and being honest about their needs. For fans of angsty YA romance for sure.

I was interested in the alternate reality of this story, but it wasn't expanded on in book 2 at all. Weirdly, lots of the plot and interpersonal crap from the first book were revisited and summed up for the reader, but not the alternate world. These definitely cannot be read out of order, and the repetition was a little annoying.

Some of the characters made some strides toward growth, but even as a teen I would have been annoyed by most of their behavior.

".... it's easier to believe in things, believe in people, when you read about them in books. They're so much safer when they're fictional. The real-life ones... I'm not sure how to handle them.”

Thank you Random House for Young Readers for sending me a copy of AMERICAN ROYALS II: MAJESTY to read and review!

I adored everything about AMERICAN ROYALS (especially the drama) so I was thrilled to have an opportunity to read the sequel. I kept telling myself that I was going to wait until closer to the publication date to read it but, as always, I lack any form of self-control and dove right in.

I was fully prepared to spend my time rooting for all of the couples that I had fallen in love with in the previous book but MAJESTY threw me a curveball and it was fantastic! Just like the first book, I was fully immersed in the storyline and loved all of the salacious royal drama that flowed so easily from the pages.

As with any sequel, I was a bit skeptical at first. Would I love it as much as the first book? Would the characters personalities still shine as brightly as they did before? Would I still think that Daphne was a terrible person and hope that she trips and breaks…. a nail? The answer is, yes. Katharine McGee is truly a talented author and wrote a seamlessly executed sequel.

If you haven’t had a chance to read AMERICAN ROYALS yet… 1. What are you waiting for? 2. You must read the first it before you begin MAJESTY. The sequel picks right up where the first book ended and if you neglect to read the first book then you will be lost and unable to enjoy it.

Now, I’m going to need Katharine McGee to write book three.

Thank you to Katherine McGee and Random House for Young Readers for gifting me this book.

AMERICAN ROYALS II: MAJESTY will be released on October 1, 2020. Add it to your reading list today!!

American Royals was one of my favorite books of last year and Majesty was one of my most anticipated for 2020 and it lived up to every expectation. Most of what I loved about it is spoiler-y so I'll try to be vague but the relationship pairings ended up being exactly what I wanted. This is again very romance heavy but there was a decent political side plot that I would have liked to see more of.

Sam, Nina, Daphne, and Beatrice are narrating once again and I think each is given the perfect amount of page time, though as Beatrice and Sam are my favorites I always want more from them. I think each woman received a great ending, especially Beatrice (again, I'm biased). Everything wraps up nicely but leaves room for a third book which I hope and pray will happen.

Overall, this is such a fun, lighthearted series about love, friendships, family, and sisterhood and I cannot recommend it enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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

The second installment in the American Royals series does not disappoint. It’s fast paced and engaging, and surprised me quite a few times. Beatrice and Samantha continue to be outstanding characters that embody everything a modern princess should be. The romantic musical chairs led to some odd pairings that I ended up really rooting for. The ending was not what I was expecting and does not really feel like the end of the story, so I’m really hoping there’s a third installment in the series announced soon!

Enjoyed this second book even more than the first one. Still a few plot points hanging for a third book.

review// And @katherinemcgee does it again! Ever since finishing #AmericanRoyals, I’ve been eagerly waiting this sequel - and thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the e-ARC!
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Things I Loved: New supporting characters that I’m hoping we see more of in another book. Strong female characters. All the pomp, circumstance, and licensed products that I’m sure would go into royal, American, wedding. Satisfying character growth.
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At times, I was frustrated with characters who seemed to just go back and forth on a dime on who they liked, their thoughts and motivations - but it was written and developed in a believable way, so I don’t think it took anything away from the story. We see satisfying character development from many of the main characters, and, again, we are left with a major cliffhanger and my almost immediate desire to have another book in the series. Pre-order or add this to your library queue now - because I can guarantee this will be a popular read come September! {5/5 stars}
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#bookstagram #bookworm #bookblog #reading #goodreads #bookreviews #library #newbookstagram #bookreview #bookish #KatherineMcGee #Majesty #AmericanRoyalII #AmericanRoyalIIMajesty

Rarely does a sequel meet the magic of the first book, but Majesty just isn't another sequel.
It might be even better than American Royals.
So much about the first book was in anticipation - of Bea ascending to the throne, of Sam and Jefferson finding their path, and of Daphne and Nina circling each other without with minimal contact.
Majesty is where all the action happens.
Bea is the uncoronated queen and finding herself and her voice, Sam is figuring out what it looks like to be the first-in-line, and Nina reclaims her life - or so she thinks.
And Daphne, the shit stirrer you. couldn't stand in the first book, proves the old adage that there's more than meets the eye.
The end of this book offers a little more closure than American Royals, but sets up the third story perfectly. I can't wait to see how McGee sums out this trilogy.

Who wouldn’t love a young queen and watch her learning from the mistakes. After the death of the King, the Princess Beatrice is crowned as the First Queen of America!! She now has to decide her love interest to gain more acceptance towards the Crown. Filled with drama, love, romance and of course the familial dysfunction. Definitely a worthy sequel that lived upto my expectations!! If you loved American Royals, you’ll love Majesty.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine McGee and Random House for the ARC.

I loved some things more than American Royals in this installment (BE👏🏻A👏🏻TRICE👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻) and others fell a little flatter for me (BOO and BYE, Jeff, you boring 👎🏻)

I loved where the story went (this truly is about Beatrice’s ascension to reigning monarch), though its pacing fell a little flat for me, and I didn’t really kick into high gear on this one until about 50% of the way through. I can’t where to see where McGee take this story next!

(Also, I should mention: my capacity for most things is entirely thrown off by the pandemic. So I like to give the disclaimer that my brain could be one reason that I found the pacing a little off, not the fault of the book.)

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read an early copy!

I loved this book! I always worry about book twos in a series, especially when I loved the first book. However, this book kept up the drama and character development from book one.
I highly recommend this book (read book one first) to fans of fun, fast reads with interesting characters and a fantastic premise.

Just as complex and satisfying as the first book. It really highlights the growth of the main characters. Perfect for fans of The Crown. I love the cover.

To be completely honest, I didn't even realize this was a sequel when I first requested it. So, I began reading the first book and devoured it in hours, and the same thing happened with this one. I love how messy the relationships are, all of the drama and intrigue reeled me in. It's honestly all that I wanted in a book about the drama of an American royal family. However, this book also held a certain depth to it that was interwoven with the lighthearted romance and public scandals. It dealt with topics of racism and sexism upfront and honestly. This was such a fun, fast-paced read, and I can't wait for book three!

This was a fun read. I do wish that there had been a bit more building of Beatrice & Teddy's relationship but perhaps that will come in Book 3.

As someone who grew up in the Meg Cabot, Princess Diaries era, I am always a sucker for a good YA book with royalty and the American Royals series lives up to those standards. I adored American Royals and when I saw I had the second book, Majesty, I knew I had to read it. I enjoyed this book even more than the first. As  Princess Beatrice rises up to become Queen, we see her grieve for the loss of her father, navigate through difficult political agendas and deal with a truly complicated relationship. Katharine McGee shows us the difficulties a strong woman faces when she is the leader in a male dominated field. I loved the way Bea handled herself in this situation and look forward to the day when we see more women in our society in leadership positions.

Sam's story arc was my favorite. She is so much more than the "party princess" that the world believes her to be. She still has fun and definitely gets into some interesting shenanigans. Will her love for Teddy cloud her judgement? Or will the new party prince catch her eye? 

Daphne continues to be classic Daphne. She is still scheming and trying to win the love of Prince Jefferson. I am HERE for all of her scheming and "evil" plans. There were several side characters involved in her arc that put a few wrinkles into her plans. 

Nina's arc was the most disappointing. I felt that she was more of a side character. While she tries to break away from the Royal Family, someone pulls her back in. 

Overall, I loved this book and was able to finish it the same day I got it. The chapters switching from each characters POV keeps me interested. I had heard this was potentially a duology and am hoping that rumor is false. I need more of the characters and all of their drama. It's a must purchase for anyone who enjoyed the first book. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The drama continues! Majesty follows in the same footsteps as American Royals, it is fun and highly entertaining, I had a hard time putting it down. Somehow each chapter tops the last with the twist and turns of the Washington’s lives.

With that being said, I felt like some of the plot points resolved themselves a little too quickly. For instance, after learning her best friend drugged her, causing her to be in a coma for nearly a year, Himari forgives Daphne within a few chapters. Connor and Beatrice’s relationship was mostly pushed to the side and is basically resolved in one chapter towards the end. This was disappointing because their relationship was one of the reasons the first book was so good. I wish it had more of a chance to fizzle out.

But to me, some of the most interesting aspects of the book are Daphne’s schemes that wreak havoc in everyone’s lives. Lucky for me, that plot was left wide open. So, all I can say is; there better be a third!

Thank you, Net Galley, for the Advance Reader Copy!