Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I loved American Royals when I picked it up last fall so when I saw Majesty I was excited to pick it up. I remember staying up late into the night eager to finish American Royal. Sadly that just wasn't the same for Majesty.

I was quickly swept up in the drama, but honestly I also found myself kind of bored. The first half dragged on and I didn't find myself all that interested in picking up the book. I would read a chapter or two and then set the book down for a few days, which for someone who takes just a couple days to read a book is definitely a sign that the book isn't working. I did find myself eager to read the last 1/3 of the book but mostly just so I could finish and move onto something else.

I think with tighter editing and a little more character depth this book could have been great.

WOW 😍 this is my most anticipated read of 2020 and it did NOT disappoint.

First of all, this cover, y’all. I can’t wait to add this to my shelf when it comes out in hardcover.

This sequel continues to follow Beatrice, Samantha, Nina, and Daphne in the aftermath of the events from book 1. I could read an entire book just from Bee’s perspective, so obviously her chapters were my favorite, but the maturity of each character surprised me. I absolutely loved how the author highlighted each character’s growth over the course of the novel and the evolution of each relationship - familial, romantic, and between friends. Sam became a quick favorite of mine in this sequel, and Teddy 😍😍 that’s all I’ll say for now. If you know, you know.
PLEASE tell me there is a third book coming! I could read about our American Royals forever.

Thank you to Random House and Random House Children for my free review copy. All thoughts are my own!

To say I am impressed with this sequel is an understatement. I have to say, I didn't love book one. I am an avid royal reader and was so intrigued by the concept. I found the characters repetitive, unlikable, and one dimensional in book one. But in book two I was pleasantly surprised by all the growth with the characters! I want a whole book from Beatrice's point of view truthfully and I am desperately hopeful we will get a book three! I found the writing and storytelling to be elevated from book one. I felt both Sam and Daphne were able to grow into more dynamic characters. I appreciated Nina's storyline in book one more than book two but love love LOVED Beatrice's growth. This book kept surprising me with where it was going in such a good way. I've read all of McGee's books and I have to say, this is without a doubt my favorite. While it was still YA, I was totally captivated. I will gladly read a million more in this series. I'd love a history book of the Washington Monarchy in America! If you could give half star ratings, this would be a 4.5 star read for me! I loved it, was impressed by the character growth and elevated writing style, and want more. Please give us a book three!

THIS SEQUEL REIGNS. For real. This went no where I thought it would. McGee changes who you root for and who you ship and it is SO good. #teambeatriceforever

Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne, and Nina are back in action. After Princess Beatrice and Princess Samantha’s father tragically and unexpectedly passes away, Beatrice is thrust into the role of Queen. The first Queen to rule solely without a King Consort, Beatrice faces more challenges that just grief in the wake of her father’s death; she must convince both the American Congress and government as well as the American people that she is worthy of ruling on her own. Princess Samantha is suddenly the heir, and not the spare, to the throne. Living recklessly and in love with Beatrice’s fiance, Teddy, Samantha must face the reality that she needs to change her ways. However, she still wants to make Teddy jealous. Enlisting the help of Marshall, she sets out to make Teddy jealous, but the road to success is not always straight!
Daphne is a social climber and she will stop at nothing to get her way. After breaking up Nina and Prince Jefferson’s relationship, she embarks on her mission to win him back after nearly a year of being broken up. She enlists her “friend” Ethan to entertain Nina and keep her out of her way so she has an uninterrupted path to Jeff.
Nina is facing heartbreak after Daphne broke up her relationship with Prince Jefferson and when she confronts him to tell him of his ex’s toxic ways, he doesn’t believe her. But all of a sudden, Jefferson’s best friend Ethan is interested in her, and she’s not sure she can resist him.
The sequel to American Royals follows the lives of these four women after the tragic ending of the first book. Reader’s will laugh, they will cry, they will hate specific characters, and they will root like heck for others! Well-written and further developed characters make McGee’s sequel a smash!

I devoured the first book of this series even though it felt like a guilty pleasure, I couldn't put it down. That's why I couldn't wait for the sequel, which I'm sorry to say was a major letdown. Yes, the author's style is the same so the story has you hooked, BUT, some of the characters changed completely, while others had no personality or backbone at all.

Let's start with Beatrice. She is SO boring! No backbone or personality to speak of! She's that boring vanilla character on the soap opera, the one who fits with any leading male. Everyone falls in love with her, and the viewer/ reader is left wondering why. How could she go from having deep, long term feelings for Connor, to all of a sudden, falling for Teddy? So convenient for the plot, but so unbelievable. Next, the same thing goes for Ethan. For years he's carrying a torch for Daphne (though we're left wondering why. He knows what she's capable of more than anyone. How can he love or trust her?), but makes a complete 180 and falls for the runner up in boring, Nina. How does he go from the evil bitch to boring goody goody, Nina. And side point about Nina, please grow a backbone. She acts like she doesn't care that she's on the outside, but allows Daphne to break her up from Jeff and then Ethan, and has a heart to heart with her so called best friend right after, and doesn't tell her everything Daphne did, even though Samantha is slowly befriending Daphne. If my best friend were befriending someone capable of such evil, why would I keep quiet? She's allowing Daphne into the royal fold so she can potentially call the paparazzi on the royal family. Clearly, the author wants to keep Daphne around for more drama in the next installment. Typical soap opera villain who keeps getting away with everything.

Next, let's talk about Jeff. How blind (and boring) can you be? Goes from Daphne to Nina and back to Daphne again. Never really explained. We know how Daphne feels- she never really loved Jeff, she always loved Ethan. But how is it so easy for Jeff to go back and forth? Does he truly have feelings for anyone or is he just an empty shell?

I guess, the reasons I loved the first book, became too unbelievably annoying in the second.

Katharine McGee has done it again! I found American Royals enjoyable but Majesty blew me away. At the center of this novel was so much more than the romances for each of the four female leads, it was a story of discovery and validation. This was a page turner that kept me wanting to see what would happen next. Every reader of teen-centric royal novels will love the arcs showcased in Majesty and look forward to what will unfold in any future novels. This will surely me a must read this fall.

“Pizza sounds delicious,” she amended. “Mushroom, please.”
He let out an indignant breath. “It’s a pizza, not a salad.”
“If you weren’t going to listen, why did you bother asking?”
“Because I assumed you had better taste than to want vegetables.”
Can you see why Ethan is my absolute favorite?

It’s official. No one writes characters like Katharine McGee. She drew me in with The Thousandth Floor and the plethora of painful characters. Now she’s worked her magic again, but with a twist. The American Royals series is insanely clever because all four povs are women: Beatrice, Nina, Daphne, and Sam. They’re not always likeable, but they’re always interesting. They are the main driving characters of the story, and they all have agency. Their relationships and lives are all messy and complicated, but they’re well developed and thought out. They’re all different too, something that you rarely see in one book. I feel like most YA novels have some iteration of the same heroine, and it’s nice to see one book with so many different types of women. The multiple povs also allow you to get into your heads, and Katharine McGee shows you what they’re thinking and feeling, not just what they’re doing.
As far as the boys go, Ethan is my favorite. Teddy redeems himself quite well after his behavior in the first book, and he started to grow on me as well. I was most disappointed for Jefferson, though, who kind of just fades into the background and becomes nothing more than the object of Daphne’s obsession. We hear a lot about him, but we never really get to see him.Considering that he’s directly connected to every narrator, it was kind of surprising how little he is mentioned at all.
The name of the game this time around is growth, and we don’t see any from Jefferson. Everyone else, though, holy cow. All the aforementioned characters go through complete 180s, which can be kind of disorienting, especially if you liked them the way that they were before. There is a lot of drama, and some of it feels a tad forced, but it’s still pretty fun. The zingly one-liners and bantering between characters was enjoyable, and I sped through this book in two nights.
Somehow, though, this series just isn’t able to raise the stakes the way that The Thousandth Floor series did. The characters are just lacking the same dangerous mix of desperation and determination. The only one that comes close is Daphne; the other characters are just angsty and insecure. This all just serves to villainize Daphne, especially in comparison to all the other characters who are inherently good, if somewhat confused. Daphne is pretty similar to Leda, except she is selfish and single minded where Leda was fiercely loyal and loving.
Beatrice’s struggles to rule America were the most interesting; I was possibly influenced by the fact that I was in the middle of studying about the Presidency for AP Gov, and possibly influenced by my affinity for young monarchs. I would have appreciated some higher stakes for the politics, though. Something to bring some weight to the storyline. Though the first book ended on a serious note, this one just seemed to float along. Still, the references to American government were priceless, and Beatrice’s uphill battle was well expressed.
Out of the four storylines, one wraps up neatly, two reach resolutions, and one still has some underlying tension. It’s a pretty nice ending that gives a good sense of closure but still left me with enough curiosity to pursue the next book. And it doesn't have an overwhelming amount of loose ends that I’ll inevitably forget.
Overall, Majesty was a fun read that really dives into the psyche of its characters all while riding a breezy and fresh plot.

Following up on the delightfully frothy and scandalous American Royals, Majesty continues the story of an American royal family. Merging historical events and places with an alternate reality lends authenticity to the world building. The shifting narrative voices between Beatrice, Samantha, Nina and Daphne highlight the points of view of four young women trying to make their place in the world. Their aristocratic world doesn’t isolate them from heartache and betrayal, and as their stories merge and connect, they each learn what they want and determine what is worth fighting to keep. I sped through this title in one sitting, and I’m excited to meet these characters again and see what happens next!

The sequel to AMERICAN ROYALS, MAJESTY does not disappoint. While America learns to adjust with a new queen on the throne, Beatrice learns to cope with everything that she lost when gaining the Queen title. Princess Samantha is caught up living her life as a princess and partying it up. Maybe she will add a party prince to her side. A new reign has begun. Meanwhile, Nina is attempting to Prince Jefferson, and Daphane has big plans to marry Prince Jefferson, but a massive secret may just end up threatening it all.

I really enjoyed the arc of the storyline and how well it flows. It was definitely an easy-read to take my mind off other matters at hand. I also loved the creative premise of a royal family in the United States. We won't be getting a royal family anytime soon, but it was super fun to at least read about a fictional "what-if." McGee really thought through the details about what would be different if the country was run by a monarchy. The strength of women is especially prevalent in the sequel, specifically among Beatrice and her sister Samantha. Some of the thoughts that these two characters have are a bit sophisticated for 18 and 19-year-olds, and I wish that Dapahne and Samatha were given more depth to their characters. Regardless, this is definitely a must-read if you enjoyed AMERICAN ROYALS.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of American Royals II: Majesty. This sequel to American Royals follows the alternative historical family of George Washington as King of America. I immensely enjoyed the first book in the series and found the second book to be equally enjoyable. I missed seeing the royal world through Nina’s eyes as she didn’t have as much story time in this book, however it was great seeing the growth and maturity of Beatrice.

The sequel to American Royals, this book follows the four narrators from the first book - Beatrice, now Queen, Samantha, struggling with the death of her Father and her new title as Heir, Nina, heartbroken about Jeff while at the same time falling in love with someone else, and Daphne, still doing everything in her power to be with Jeff.

While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first, I loved the character development of both Bee and Samantha. Bee was one of my least favorite narrators in the first book and shifted to my favorite of this book! On the opposite side, Nina was my favorite of the first book and my least favorite of this book. Interesting how that changes!

Truthfully, I was a little disappointed by the endings of Nina and Daphne but i think that's personal preference!

Majesty
American Royals #2
by: Katharine McGee @katharinemcgee
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and 1/2
.
I was lucky enough to to get an ARC of Majesty from @NetGalley and @randomhouse. *The pub date for Majesty is 9/10/2020.*
Y’ALL. I loved this, but my complaint about this book is the same as it’s prequel American Royals: it just ends. I need more, and right now this is the last book. This book is told from four perspectives: Beatrice, Samantha, Nina, and Daphne. I thought two of the four stories ended up the way I would have wanted while the other two didn’t. I need more!!! If you loved the first one, you’ll love this one too!

Majesty was definitely exactly what I was in the mood for, but, like, I'm not proud of that?

Dripping with angst and wildly predictable characters with seemingly zero motivation for...anything, there was, nevertheless, something comforting about something easy in these troubling times.

#AmericanRoyalsIIMajesty #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of American Royals II: Majesty.
I think that this series is refreshing and fun.

The royal Washington’s are back! Princess Beatrice is learning how to be queen, the first female monarch in America’s history. Princess Samantha is trying to find her place within the family, and Prince Jefferson is trying to find real love. The road to love and happiness is rocky, and power and wealth make is even more so. A fun yet thoughtful alternative history, this page-turner has romance, adventure, and everything in between.

This sequel to American Royals finds the Washington family and their friends adjusting to Beatrice being the new Queen of America. The romantic drama continues in this fast-paced, alternate history told with multiple narrators. While there is no intense cliffhanger as in the first book, this second novel makes it clear this will be a series. Fans of this fun story will enjoy getting to further explore these characters.

I love the concept of American Royals and the look at what America would be like if it were a monarchy instead. I love that everyone become more confident in themselves in this one. While it was cute, I wasn't blown away by it like I was the first. I think this novel definitely suffers from the curse of the second novel in a series. I'm still excited and invested in their stories.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Books for Young Readers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

What a wonderful sequel to American Royals! This story picks up right where the first book left off and does a beautiful job telling the next chapter in each character's story. The universe of characters remains consistent from American Royals (love them or hate them!) This is a true sequel, so definitely start with American Royals in the series. Katharine McGee left some of the storylines open, which hints at maybe, pretty please a third book?!

What I loved most of all about this book is that each of the characters becomes much more mature and nuanced, showing true character development. It would have been easy to make this a very action driven book, but while the story does proceed, each chapter spends more time with each character than the first book.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Did I drop everything and devour this book in two sittings? Yes. Yes, I did. Thx to the publisher for the gifted eARC. I’ve been dying to get my hands on this ever since the ending of the first book in the series. We quickly jump back into Royal America and I’m loving the direction we see everyone’s life taking. I’m always pulling for Beatrice to succeed in everything! I don’t want to give too much away but was happy with the Samantha development and I want to punch a great many other characters in the face. I think there’s one more book coming? I HOPE?! Will share a FULL review once the book comes out in September!