I was granted this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I read American Royals, I absolutely inhaled it in a day and a half. It was cheesy, over the top, and juicy. Gosh did I love it. The use of tropes was on point and I had such strong feelings about pretty much all of the relationships portrayed in it and I was both excited and nervous for Majesty. I am pleased to report that I inhaled the sequel with the same voracity as the first. I had no idea how McGee would pick up this story from where she left it but I had some vague thoughts. Needless to say, there was no way I could have predicted the turns I was about to take. I’m trying to keep this review mostly spoiler-free but I won’t be able to give a full review without touching on a couple of the crucial elements. I
’ll try to keep it vague but if you don’t want any spoilers of any kind, look away now.

There is a huge turnaround in this book and a big departure from what I perceived to be the trajectory after the first book. I’m not going to lie, I kind of resented the about-face when I first started reading it. Like I had been so invested in the couples from the first one and I was then surprised and a little annoyed at the shift but I kept with it because I was still very attached to these characters and I wanted to see them through.
After completing the duology I can definitely say that McGee makes such expert use of tropes. In American Royals, there had been several of my favorites at play, and while the same tropes weren’t revisited in Majesty, she managed to introduce another marvelous bunch including some of my favorites: fake dating and arranged marriage. Through these tropes, I suddenly found myself invested in all new ships and dynamics and my annoyance had evaporated. Having finished it, I have to say I was so very surprised at how much I liked it. Like if you told me where we’d end up at the beginning of the book, I wouldn’t have believed it nor that I would be happy with it and yet, here we are. I’m really quite pleased actually. I found it to be a twisty and yet thoroughly enjoyable conclusion. I would probably read several more of these books. I loved these characters and this world.
The one real criticism I would level is that I wish that the books and the series in general were longer. Each book had four different point-of-view characters and considering each one had a different love interest in the second book than they had in the first, I would have loved to see more development and more time with each ship. While a complete and enjoyable journey, I couldn’t help but feel like each relationship was just given to us in little bite-sized morsels that we have to make a meal out of and I feel like we may night have gotten as much meat as we should have. I’d also gone into Majesty, fully expecting this to be book 2 out of 3 only to learn it was a duology when I was a little less than halfway through. Maybe I’m just greedy but I feel we should have had a third to really do each storyline full justice.
Overall, I adore these books and I’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read each, I just wish this would have been a trilogy.

After the death of the King of America, Beatrice has become Queen. Her upcoming wedding is still going on as planned and its affecting everyone. Princess Samantha is still trying to live her party girl image while realizing that she is now the heir to the throne, and has to start acting like it. Nina is trying to deal with her very brief but very public relationship with Prince Jefferson. And Daphne will still do anything to get Prince Jefferson back. Lots of scheming, growing and love occurs with the climax of the story being the wedding of a century.

I was so excited to read what happened next to the American Royal family and the people they are involved with. Although I truly loved this novel, it was not as addicting as the first one. I read this at more of a lazy pace, I got to it when I got to it, I wasn't rushing through it like the first one. This novel was truly a book o self discovery for all the characters. It taught lessons rarely taught in YA; you can fall in love again, you aren't always in love when you think you are, sometimes you can't fix everything by saying I'm sorry. But in the end it was delightful to see all of these characters follow their heart and gut instinct.

Cute concept and great follow up. I hope there are more in these series because I am not ready to leave these characters

I can't say that I am totally in love with the end couplings, but McGee is such a poignant author! She captures your attention and just runs with it. While I didn't really feel satisfied with the end coupling and the slight changes in characters, it did make sense! With Beatrice becoming Queen, everything changes. I still really enjoyed the book and was immediately enraptured with the story.

I really enjoyed the sequel to American Royals and the dramatic, glamorous conclusion to the stories that left me pretty pleased with he series. If anything I did wish Daphne had seen more consequences to her actions and Nina had actually gotten all the painless happiness she deserves.

Majesty 👸🏼🤴🏽

And once again Katharine McGee absolutely delivers a royal romance that was just made for my royal obsessed heart 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Her character development is literally so freaking superb. I love how she writes with every chapter dedicated to a different character while still seamlessly leading into each different chapter.

Daphne was just as awful as ever, Bea was a bad ass of a queen trying to learn her way with a new role she wasn’t ready for with a government body that doesn’t support her, Sam was just as I expected her to be at the beginning but she turned out to be so much more at the ends, Jefferson was basically a let down but whatever we can look over him because his sisters make up for his stupidity, and Nina (ugh I love her) was more of a background character this storyline but she was still such a delight.
I also really loved all the new love interests in book two, Ethan and Marshall. Y’all know I love a good fake dating story and this book absolutely delivers on that romance trope.

Steam level 🔥
Star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hey @randomhouse, can there pleaseeeee be a book three?!?!?!

I enjoyed how the characters grew up and into themselves in this book. It still blows my mind to think of America as a monarchy, but it’s a fun change to history. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the female characters and their romance plot lines. And while there was romance, the girls this time really found themselves on their own, rather than finding themselves in their respective male counterparts.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Wow oh wow, I was not ready for this book! The ending of the last book truly gutted me, so starting this book after all of that pain was a lot to handle.

The emotions run high in this book as new bonds start to form, bonds made in the previous book get broken, and our characters move further into their own destinies.

I really did like this book, but I did feel like there was so depth that was lacking in a lot of the characters' romantic relationships. From the 1st book to the end of the 2nd, the different relationships have changed so dramatically, and it didn't feel like the proper depth and development of these relationships was given its due. I am curious to see how the next book will develop them deeper.

3.5/5 stars!

An unsatisfying conclusion with a lot of loose ends
In the first book, the author makes us fall in love with the characters. Beatrice with her forbidden love with Connor, Nina, and Prince Jeff, who together tried to keep their relationship afloat with all the obstacles that were put in the way because of Daphne.Sam liking Teddy, her sister's fiancé. For me, it was a drama that hooked me from the first pages.
In this second book, the author forgot all the main plot of the first book and decided to switch the relationships of each of the characters that you had fallen in love with. All the relationships that had been established in American Royals were paired with someone else's partner. It makes everything you read in the first book obsolete.
Daphne the antagonist of this story trying to match Nina with Ethan, knowing that she is in love with him, yet she does everything possible so that Jeff has a clear path for her.
*****Spoilers Alert *****
How is it possible that Daphne being the worst character I have ever read has gotten away with it in the end, unhappy but with Jeff by her side? I'm not happy with that. Daphne never grew up as a character and they let her be a miserable person until the very end.
Let's talk about Jeff one of the most beloved characters in the first book and that the author decided to completely forget about him.
They left unfinished things in the end, unsolved problems like Daphne's and Ethan's sleeping together in the first book. Is Jeff never going to find out about that? I refuse to think it ended up like this.
I finished this book at two in the morning and couldn't sleep because of how upset I was at the ending. Is this the last book? I really don't know.
2.5 stars
Thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This sequel did not keep me as engaged as the first novel. It felt that the slow burn and build to the second book that was present in the first book, was torn down and an entirely new plot arc was created. I only enjoyed half of the plot lines and was dissatisfied with some of the endings.

This is an excellent little bit of escapism filled with fraught social interactions, political complications, and romance. Katharine McGee has, once again, created a look into a universe that is funny, sweet, and compelling. Fast moving and drenched in drama, this is the perfect read to pull anyone out of a quarantine reading slump.

I loved the book! I have stopped reading YA books but for Katharine McGee I had to break my own pact. She never disappoints you, I loved to see Beatrice's and Samantha's growth.

I felt bad for Nina, how each book ends with Daphne ruining it for her.

I can't wait to see how Bee will rule in her own way and show them what a Queen can do!

Majesty was a great follow up to American Royals! Bea’s character development was satisfying, I was a little worried about that but it wasn’t a problem at all. I wasn’t *quite* as engrossed as I was with the first book, but that’s to be expected with the second book in the series. I’m looking forward to the third book though, they always have a lot of promise and there are definitely things I’m still curious about. Essentially, this was a solid read and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

What a fantastic follow up to American Royals! It had been awhile since I'd read the first one and I was worried I would need a re-read, but NOPE! I was pulled back in right away from the beginning of Majesty and was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the story just as much as the first one, and absolutely loved Bea as a character. It was a refreshing escape from reality and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really loved AMERICAN ROYALS and the followup, MAJESTY yet I felt there were so many questions left unanswered in the second installment. I really hope there is a third book to clear things up.

This book took me a lot longer to get through, given how much I loved American Royals.
Then again AR was stepping a little out of character for me, so maybe it's that, or maybe it is Quarantine blahs. I need all the HEAs now.
All the drama was there, but maybe too much for me right now. I would still dearly love to see this as a Netflix show.

With royal fever still in full force in the states, American Royals II: Majesty is sure to delight readers on both sides of the pond. Katherine McGee's follow up to American Royals picks up as Queen Beatrice is learning the ropes of her new role and dealing with heartbreak and a new engagement. Her younger, twin siblings, including Party Princess Samantha, are keeping the gossip mongers agog as they regale TMZ with their latest escapades-further complicating the queen's new reign. Underneath the glittery crowns, readers see real depth to Princess Samantha and a family that is still grieving. Waiting in the wings during the wedding planning, Daphne is ready to land her prince but will ghosts from the past ruin her plans? Pick up this frothy delight to find out!

I really enjoyed the sequel to American Royals; it is such an interesting concept to rewrite history and have America as a monarchy complete with various duchys comprising the different regions. The sequel lives up to the first novel and while a lot of questions are answered there is definitely enough left lingering should McGee decided to write a third novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I absolutely loved this sequel. I was a little worried going in that I knew how the plot was going to progress after the first book but I was so wrong and I am so happy I was wrong. The character growth was phenomenal.

The American Royal family has endured a huge loss when King's battle with cancer takes his life. Beatrice is next to inherit the crown and will soon find out that not everyone is onboard to serve a Queen. Sam and Jefferson must deal with past relationships and come to terms with who they are in the wake of their father death. Lies, secrets, betrayal await the royal family and will test their bond as family. American Royals II holds back the curtain to how growing up with privilege and always on display can have an effect on young adults as well as how they see themselves. McGee does a great job balancing the perspective of the royal children with their non-royal counter parts. Allowing the reader to understand the gender and social pressure each character must face. Relationships takes center stage in this sequel and really highlights how individuals can interpret situations differently. This is presented time and again when different characters get to know each other outside normal contexts, such as Daphne and Sam. The quick plot is spurred forward by the multiple narratives giving small pieces of juicy gossip or sheds a small light on lies told by other characters. This installment really allows readers to deeply understand each character's motive, desire and true intentions. The mix of Gossip Girl and Downton Abbey gives a modern twist on the Royals trope.

Review will be posted on 9/30/2020
Majesty picks up where American Royals left off; Beatrice is planning a royal wedding and preparing to follow in her father's footsteps as the Queen. Is America ready for its first Queen though? To make things a bit "easier" for all involved, she is going to marry the Duke of Boston's son, Teddy Eaton. He is pretty great, but she isn't in love with him, not like she was with Connor. But she knows deep down that their relationship can never be; he was her bodyguard! So, she throws herself into her royal duties. Then there's her sister, Samantha, who has got a lot of drama surrounding her love life in this sequel as well as Sam's best friend, Nina. Of course there's more from Daphne, who is still planning on winning over Beatrice's brother, Prince Jeff. She will go to great lengths to get what she wants as we learned in American Royals. If you are looking for a fun escape this fall, definitely give this series a try. Majesty by Katharine McGee was such a fun follow-up and didn't disappoint.

McGee is able to juggle all the different points of view in Majesty very well. However, I found myself mostly interested in Beatrice's story. Beatrice is trying to get over her first love, Connor; however, as the story progresses, she finds herself having real feelings for Teddy. I mean how could she not? He seems pretty great. Even I somehow ended up rooting for their relationship!

Nina and Samantha's story in Majesty wasn't as compelling as the first book. Nina is crushing on a new love interest (which is really complicated) and Samantha is deliciously dramatic in Majesty. She wants to make her ex jealous by dating someone new, so she and her new love interest have an arrangement. Even though this is a common trope, I will admit this part of the novel was a lot of fun!

Then of course there's more from Daphne, the character I just love to hate. She is back at it with her sights set on Prince Jeff. We know from American Royals that she will do just about anything (even her parents' encourage this) to get what she wants. So cue all the scheming!

I love McGee's premise for this series. Imagine George Washington ended up as our crowned king; it's fun to explore this alternate universe and Majesty was a great escape from our current political climate. If you enjoy all things Royal, I urge you to check out this delightful series.