To use an old Reddit adage to sum up my experience with this book: "and then everyone clapped"

I REALLY wanted to like the book. The cover is stunning, the premise of an American rapper/British Prince romance is definitely intriguing, it's fairly heavy on the spice but ultimately it fell very flat for me. I feel like I enjoyed the first 60% of the book and then it started to go off the rails, the dialogue got progressively more unrealistic and cringey, a character would be completely self contradictory without any lead up to opinion/emotional changes. For example, the first time the couple got together I felt a little bit of whiplash because earlier in the same chapter Jameson is pretty adamant that he doesn't want to be with her and then the next moment they're kissing on the couch without really a change in heart being established in the narrative. Like I remember I had to reread that section because I thought I had accidently skipped ahead a chapter or two. There were definitely some pacing issues throughout the entirety of the book.

Dialogue seemed unnatural and forced, especially towards the end. The British royals in this book clearly are supposed to reflect the real life royal family but they ended up coming across as one-note villianous charicatures of easily recognizable public figures. There were so many moments that took me out of the story because I had to ask myself Who actually talks like that???

Another thing: I think the author wrote themselves into a corner by having the royal family be so vehemently against everything that Dani is so any final solution that the book could come up with for the couple to get their HEA seemed unrealistic. All of the conflicts got resolved in the last 10% of the book and it certainly read a bit rushed.

Now I rated it 3 stars because there are still some really solid moments in this book. I liked Dani and Jameson as a couple. And The spicy scenes were frequent and certainly a highlight of the book. The overall vibe of this book was really fun and I'm sure a lot of people will genuinely have a good time. I was just kind of frustrated by the last 40% of this book.

The premise of this book was so intriguing, but the writing seemed very juvenile considering it's supposed to be an adult romance.

American Royalty was an okay read - enjoyable but very predictable and thus…a little forgettable? I enjoyed Dani’s character and the rap lyrics at the beginning of many of the chapters. Her character was fleshed out and thoughtful, and I liked that the book addressed the race issues intersectionally. The steamy parts with Jameson were great. This isn’t a vanilla romance, for sure. The interplay between them works because they are so different.

But where American Royalty fell down for me was creating a bit of a cardboard cutout of a hero. I felt Jameson was the exact person you wanted him to be - a professor prince without fault who didn’t care that much about his royal role to begin with - and thus, it wasn’t hard to see how this would be resolved. The ending also felt a little less conclusive than I hoped.

Overall, read if you really love Royal romances, but skip if you’re looking for something that really gets you in the feels.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Avon has been killing it with their illustrated covers lately. Say what you want about the trend as a whole, but between this cover, Olivia Dade’s, and Alexis Daria’s, they’ve shown there are certain styles that still scream “Romance!”
So, basically, I was sold on American Royalty before even knowing what it was about. But as a reformed Royal watcher-turned-Harry/Meghan supporter, I just ate this premise up. I did have some reservations, because some habits in that regard do indeed die hard (and I still have lingering resentment over how the British Royals were caricatured while barely being fictionalized in RWRB), but Tracey Livesay managed to make it work for me.
Royal Family drama is as central to the fictional narrative as it is in the real one, but aside from a few broad parallels, they’re clearly fictional. I appreciate the way the alt-history of the fictional Queen and current royals is briefly dropped into the beginning, describing where the timeline diverged from our own as well as the myriad scandals the family have gotten entangled in. None are particularly sympathetic (except Jameson’s mother Calanthe who really comes through at the end), but there’s a sense of their relationship with the press, as well as the complex feelings each feels about being a royal.
Jameson is pretty interesting. I like how he has forged his own path, stepping out on his own as a professor of philosophy. Despite this being a contemporary, he very much evokes a historical romance hero archetype of an heir (albeit only to a royal dukedom, as he’s farther down in the royal succession itself) who is determined to avoid his licentious father’s mistakes. I also did like the touch of irony that while his parents’ marriage doesn’t resemble Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s in other respects, there’s a sense of poetic justice with his father having died tragically in an accident while off with his mistress.
Dani is wonderful, and I love her passion and drive for her career. She’s incredibly easy to like, with enough attitude to shake up Jameson’s life…and the conventional Palace protocols.
The romance grew on me over time. Jameson definitely comes off as a bit of a jerk at first, which seemed off-putting to me, and he also was very much led by his lust, which didn’t exactly help. But she’s obviously no shrinking violet, and I like that she challenges him to get out of his comfort zone even more than he did before. And the way they bonded over losing their parents was also really touching.
The one minus is that I really wish there had been a little more development to who everyone in the family was and how they fit in beyond the superficial, especially their ages. At one point there’s a reference that vaguely suggests how long the Queen has been on the throne, but there’s no indication of how old her children are. Jameson is her grandson, and his father was a younger son, but the others, especially Julian, the Prince of Wales, are written as if they’re roughly the same age. And with the end setting up a scandalous affair between Julian and American pop star Samantha Banks, Dani’s rival, I’d like that to be more clear.
This book is a lot of fun, and super sexy. If you love royal romance and a Harry and Meghan-like love story, I recommend keeping an eye out for this one!

I was so excited for this book since I love Harry and Meghan, but unfortunately this was a DNF book for me. I found myself struggling to get through the beginning and the story wasn’t keeping my interest.

Thank-you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the chance to review this book.

4/5

This cover is just glorious lets just say that!

This was a fun read! I liked the chance to get to escape in to a story about royalty in a different way.
I like what was done with Dani's character! It made the story seem fresh and new!

The chemistry was palpable between these two!

Dani was great and Jameson really grew on me!

Overall so much fun! I can't wait to get my paperback copy!

It's a fast read (if you don't have toddlers and infants needing attention), and it's very well written.
Jameson and Duchess (Dani) are deep insightful characters that are 3 dimensional and grow together throughout the story. They are a great couple, suitably matched in such a unique way that has this possessive jealous streak running through them in a way I loved.
This book isn't heavy on the "Rom" or the "Com" in its promise to be a RomCom novel. That aside, I enjoyed the story, while it isn't a direct Meghan Markle/Prince Harry story pull; it does denote some of their journey-mainly with race if nothing else.
Side note: anyone expecting this novel to be "researched" in order to properly fit into what the actual UK monarch would it wouldn't do-this isn't the book for that. It's romantic fiction, with sexy sch-mexy sprinkled generously all over.

I'm going to be honest, I couldn't get into this one. It felt entirely too unrealistic because the two main characters were such big and famous figures. Maybe I need to read it on vacation to see if I can get in to it again.

This was such a fun read!
Dani, known as Duchess, is an American rapper known for oozing sexuality and confidence on stage. When a rival musician creates a fake string of very bad press for Dani, Duchess has to find a way to get in the public's good graces again.

A charity concert by the British royal family? With an incredibmy sexy, buttoned up, professir by day Prince by night? Say less.

I loved the dual points of view and distinct voice for both Jameson and Dani. I felt their chemistry on every page! They were combustible. I loved that the heroine was a sexy, confident rapper who also loved wearing cozy sweats and trying to learn how to bake. She's one of my favorite heroines I've ever read!

Jameson left a bit to be desired at first. He was frosty and a bit of a jerk, all in the name of hiding his attraction.

This was an unlikely romance between a prince and an American rapper and I really had a great time reading this!

Phew, did someone turn up the heat in here?! Tracey Livesay’s American Royalty combines two of my favorite things: music and the Royals. Danielle “Duchess” Nelson is one small step away from achieving all she’s ever wanted in her music career, no not money: but freedom. But on the eve of the deal, everything falls apart. The only way to not only save her career, but her reputation in general, is to gain back the good graces of the public. Enter, Prince Jameson who’s family is in some royal trouble of their own. When he’s put in charge of securing the entertainment for the late King’s honor, he unknowingly books Duchess thinking he’ll be getting the refined and royalty he and his family are used to. Oh, he could not be more wrong. American Royalty is sexy, heartwarming, and feel-good; and serves as the perfect reminder that sometimes breaking royal tradition (or tradition in general) is vital. Thank you NetGalley for this early look into the absolute badass life of Duchess!

This an opposite attracts love story. Duchess is an American Rapper whose reputation is being questioned. In order to redeem herself in the eyes of her stockholders, she accepts an invitation to sing at a Royal event in London. The face of the Royal event is the reclusive prince, Jameson, who enjoys academia more than his responsibilities for the crown.

These two unsuspecting love interests come together, by forced proximity, in a Royal countryside estate weeks before her performance. Their passions radiates off the pages and the steam makes this book too hot to hold.

Duchess is a smart, savvy, sexy women, who know exactly what she wants. Jameson is philosophical man who is questioning the rules of the crown when it comes to matters of the heart. This royal romance blew me away and the audio narration was simply fantastic.

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and Harper Audio for the complimentary copy of the e-book and audiobook.

Dani “Duchess” Nelsen is the biggest name in hip-hop. Strong, determined, and looking to forge her own path and own not only her body and sexaulity, but also her own destiny by running her own line of skincare products for darker skinned women like herself. A feud engineered by an up-and-coming popstar is harming her chances of collaborating with a major skincare brand. When by pure chance, she is invited to perform at a concert in honor of the late Prince Consort, she jumps at the chance to refresh her reputation. Jameson, grandson of the Queen, is the black sheep of the family, preferring his position as a professor rather than a senior royal. But Queen Marina is tired of her children gallivanting and creating publicity stunts, so she calls on her grandson to be the public face of the event, which means hosting Dani for a few weeks leading up to the event. The mutual attraction between Dani and Jameson is palpable, and despite knowing it’s a bad idea, they fling themselves at one another and tell themselves it’ll only be for a couple weeks while she’s in town. But with scandals chasing both of them, it’ll be more important to hide their passion from the public eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed American Royalty, despite the fact that celebrity romances and insta-love are not my usual tropes. Dani is passionate and filled with life and Jameson is buttoned-up and reserved. The celebrity trope worked well primarily because they are *both* celebrities, even though Dani is self-made and Jameson’s is inherited. While their stations as Black rapper and white English royalty lead to some obvious social commentary (and nods to Meghan and Harry!), it’s executed with a light touch that perfectly suits the nature of the book.

There’s always a risk you run when an author doesn’t have the romantic main characters meet until the a quarter of the way through the book, but in this case Tracey Livesay gives us a chance to meet each Dani and Jameson on their own and get us invested in their individual characters before we see them on the page together. It worked really well here because as the relationship builds we can see them both as strong individuals and a swoony couple, and understand how different their worlds truly are.

This book is passionate and sexy and fun, and a perfect read to pick up for your next weekend getaway.

First of all, I have to note that this is the most beautiful cover I have ever seen. I requested this book from netgalley because of a friend's recommendation but also for that gorgeous cover.

Moving onto the story, I loved this book! A few parts fell a little flat but over all I had such a fun time. Based on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance, this book follows the story of an American rapper and her love affair with the Queen's grandson. These two characters have AMAZING chemistry and every scene with the two of them was on fire. It also dealt with a lot of important issues in a careful and clever way.

My only negatives are that I wish the end of the book was stretched out a bit more in terms of their relationship. I wanted to see them together more and I felt like, after they first got together, we didn't get to see their chemistry as much and it was just them getting into bed together.

Overall, I loved this book and adored the characters!

A rom-com with sharp (not slapstick) humor, the blurb of this book full-on states that we’re supposed to be working with Meghan Markle and Prince Henry vibes. While I definitely got that energy from the couple, I think I actually got more of a Lizzie and Darcy vibe.

Dani is an outspoken, bad bitch A-list musician with a fledgling skincare empire who fought tooth-and-nail for everything she’s earned. Jameson is quieter and a bit socially awkward (*cough* like a true Darcy) - while he’s literal royalty, he’s skittish and hates the limelight, preferring his subdued life away from Buckingham Palace as a university professor. I wonder how many carriages he has?

I really like Tracey Livesay as an author. I just could not get into this story of royalty and celebrity. Maybe it mirrored real life too much? Maybe it was my mood. But I just never settled into it. Thank you so much for letting me try both on audio and on kindle.

I wish I could say that I liked this book. But, it just wasn't for me. I believe a lot of people will like this book - it feels like it could've been written yesterday especially with the state of the world regarding Black women musicians and the royal family. The references were true-to-life and the backdrop of the story was extraordinary. And yet, it did not jive with me. I think I have come to the conclusion that modern royalty books are not it for me. I've tried and the only one that I hold in high regard is The Princess Diaries.

The characters were good, decently characterized, and have problems that people of a higher tax bracket have. Those problems are fun to read about if they're done in a way that I think is both well-written and not dismissive of the readers that are likely not of the same tax bracket. And both characters either came from a lower tax bracket or distanced themselves from the pomp and circumstance that came with wealth (though the leading man still had all of the wealth that being a part of the royal family granted him but he at least did not wield it as a weapon). But despite decent choices regarding the way these characters see wealth, they did not feel like real people some of the time. And it detached me from the story.

...When there was a story. A lot of the book was *insert peach, eggplant, sweating emojis* out of nowhere. Which is fine but I did not expect that from this book. I was not in the right headspace from that and often times it happened when I detached from the story so it just sort of washed over me instead of being interesting or sexy.

It was not a bad book though. It was just not for me. I would suggest seeking some positive reviews because it might be for you!

Megan and Harry but think more Harry and Meg the Stallion. I loved this book! It was funny, sexy and just overall lovely. The cover is enough to make me want to purchase a physical copy because I need something as beautiful as that on my shelves.

I have read and loved Tracey Livesay books in the past, but unfortunately American Royalty is not hitting the mark with me. It takes closer to 30% for the couple to even meet and the chemistry is not present for me. I really wanted to love this book as the concept sounds amazing, but sadly I am deciding to dnf at 47%.

this was one of my most anticipated stories for 2022 but unfortunately, it just didn't hit all the marks I wish it did. there were pacing issues, a lack of development for the characters besides dani. jameson just felt like a jerk, especially when he first met dani, then completely changes when he let's his lust take over. the spice scenes for this book weren't as fulfilling as I wanted. a little more chemistry for the mcs would've helped.

it leaned towards instalove, which is a trope i'm not a big fan of, and there weren't enough actual bonding conversations to make up for that. I felt the story gave some scenes too much and others - that felt important - a quick brush over. there were more times I was struggling to find the motivation to finish, than times I was really moving with anticipation. the ending was also unsatisfying for me.

I was hoping for better. It’s hard to have a romance when only one of the characters is likable. Rap singer Dani or Duchess as she is known professionally is smart and driven. She is a strong black woman trying to control and grow her brand while dealing with a misogynistic manager and industry leaders. They only want to control her and have her make money for them. To get a break from a made up social media feud she accepts an invitation to perform in England at a concert benefitting the Queen’s late husband’s charitable trust. Once there she finds her self sharing a manor house with the queen’s grandson Prince Jameson.

Prince Jameson doesn’t perform royal duties and is a professor of philosophy at a University. To improve the Royal image the Queen herself tasks him to the organize the events leading up to and including the Royal Concert. Jameson is beyond grumpy to Dani and then after only two days is jumping on her because he claims attraction between them. His attraction is the week he spent getting off watching her videos before her arrival not getting to know her. But she accepts his advances and there is a lot steamy action and a couple of cute dates. Dani is an interesting character but Jameson is not.

The author throws in every bad royal cliche. There’s the manipulative monarch, obnoxious and priveleged Prince of Wales, family infighting and jealousy. Everything seems superficial. The ending is also very abrupt with choices made but nothing resolved. A major plot point (her side hustle) gets dropped too. Maybe because this is inspired by Harry and Meghan the author isn’t sure what the HEA should look like. It also may have benefited from an epilogue that isn't the next day. If there were some get to know you conversations before jumping to steamy I’d rate this higher but I’m stuck at two stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.