My first Tracey Livesay read and it was good! I assume that this book takes some inspiration from Megan and Harry and I think it will be a reason that folks will read it. It is not a retelling of the real-life love story, it is a funny and sexy (sometimes steamy) romance novel.

Prince Jameson is a professor who avoids the press and according to the queen, his princely duties. She persuades him to be the royal family spokesperson for a concert to honor her late husband. Jameson does not take it very seriously and when asked to recommend a performer, he asks folks in a pub. Someone says get the rapper Duchess.

Dani "Duchess" Nelson is a rapper who wants to be known as more than a rapper by expanding her cosmetics brand. Duchess the rapper's persona seems to be inspired by Nicki Minaj. Due to an ongoing social media beef with another performer, Dani needs this concert for positive publicity so that she can get a buyer for her cosmetics line.

Dani and Jameson meet and sparks fly... These two characters have great chemistry and what I loved about this romance was that they were adults about the relationship. They understood the challenges but grew to be not just lovers but friends.

Although I liked the book, I can only give it 4 stars because I did not like the epilogue. I had hoped it was a Jameson and Dani (Duchess) one year later update. Instead the epilogue focused on a despised character. I am curious why the author made this decision because it is not the typical epilogue... at least for the romance novels I have read.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this ARC in exchanged for my fair and honest review. All opinions contained in this review are my own.

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay- 2

So, this is going to very short, I simply failed to enjoy this story, there was no chemistry that I felt between the characters, no pining no relationship. At one point, it really was only the attraction that Jameson had towards Dani’s body and no love even. They see each other once and Jameson is ‘oh so horny’ like what the heck?!

I am disappointed to say the least because I honestly wanted more that ‘her sexy curves’ and ‘my hardened dick’ and a silly freaking conflict. Honestly, I did not like this story, and there was no basic conversation before that had almost done the deed, like what in the world? I know New Adult books have a lot of spice and I’m not being prude but I’d like some character bonding before they do the freaking deed.

This story had a lot of potential and I was honestly looking forward to reading this but I’m disappointed because it just failed to deliver what it has promised (at least that’s the case for me) and seeing so many reviews, it almost feels like I’m in the minority here because so many enjoyed this book.

This was a fun read. When do you ever see a Black woman rapper as the protagonist of a romance?? Thank you Tracey for delivering this representation I didn't even know I needed! I also appreciated the total opposites attract relationship between Dani and Jameson. And I know this read was sexy by my high standards because I was so afraid someone would read over my shoulders.

I had two major issues with the read. One, the pacing was not particularly even--oscillating between too slow and too fast. And I had to suspend disbelief quite a lot for this read--some of the situations and conflicts did not ring true.

Ultimately, I do think this is worth the read--again for the fun, but also for the very unique story and rap artist protagonist!

American rapper Duchess is invited to perform at a concert held by English Prince Jameson, a rigid but charming professor who would prefer to stay out of the royal limelight. The two clash immediately, but their conflict quickly turns steamy as they realize their lust for each other. As they spend more time together baking and watching movies, their connection deepens into love. This is a fun story that doesn't have a ton of depth, but is certainly good for a quick read.

Can I just say I love this cover? Seriously, Dani looks so gorgeous and it’s just a work of art.

In terms of the book, I did enjoy it, but I have some mixed feelings. I’m a big fan of romances with a lot of different factors for angst, as well as a couple you ultimately find yourself rooting for, and for the most part this book delivered on these elements. But, at the end of the day, I can tell this wasn’t exactly the romance for me, for a number of reasons.

I’ve seen this likened to a “Meghan and Harry” esque fanfic, but I don’t think that does this book justice. Sure, we’ve got the idea of an American woman marrying a British prince, but the dynamics are very different. I’m not going to claim this book is completely accurate to the monarchy, or really to anything. However, I personally don’t think a romance has to be completely true to the source, after all it is a source of escapism. So this isn’t the romance for realists, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing.

For me, I think my favourite parts were the inner glimpses we got to see into both Dani and Jameson’s lives, as well as some of their eventual dynamic. Tracey Livesay has taken the classic trope of a dual-POV where we watch as the two characters completely misinterpret eachother’s feelings, and absolutely thrived with it. Part of the reason this worked is because this book sought to level the playing field between our two characters, while also being realistic about the real-world advantages and privileges that Jameson held as a white man, who was also a part of a wealthy monarchy. Even further, they had a life outside of their love interest, from Dani’s life as both a rapper and a businesswoman, and Jameson’s love of philosophy and teaching. I still wish these elements had been expanded upon, but I was glad for the time on page they did receive. This ultimately led me to root for Dani and Jameson, and their working toward a healthy dynamic despite the many obstacles in the way.

That said, I had a few problems with pacing or overall timing for things. I don’t mind the time it took for Dani and Jameson to have gotten together, temporarily and then permanently. But it felt like any of their real problems or relationship revelations didn’t get the time or development they deserved. The first portion of the book where they met was really strong in this area, and the characters are well developed because of this work done on the front end, but it starts to falter in the home stretch. The moments of turmoil didn’t feel nearly as smooth as the rest of the book, like the idea was there but it didn’t get nearly the same care and polish that was given to developing the characters and relationship. Most stilted of all was the epilogue which just left me confused (maybe a setup for a possible sequel, but not quite done in a way that got me overly excited for it aside from the author), and feeling a bit like the HEA was ruined. We get some great foreshadowing and overview of problems, but they don’t feel as if they’re given any breath. Furthermore, I wasn’t a huge fan of how overly sexual Jameson’s inner thoughts about Dani were, although they were at least somewhat justified and reciprocated. He develops into a love interest I can mostly root for, but it ended up feeling out of character with some of the other great character work that had been given to him.

At the end of the day, I did enjoy this book, and I found it pretty hard to put down once I really got into it. There are definitely flaws for me, but as someone who’s generally a fan of romance, I would still definitely recommend this. And I’ll be watching out for any other books Tracey Livesay writes in the future!

I really enjoyed this book! Dani and Jay are absolutely adorable together and I found myself giggling and kicking my feet during their scenes. I do think it took too long for them to meet, the first third of the book drags a bit, and then the conflict/resolution feels rushed and a touch underdeveloped in comparison.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and Black History Month I give you, American Royalty by Tracey Livesay 🥰🥰

This was a delightful read, I was entertained throughout. The pacing was perfect and I loved Duchess and prince Jameson’s chemistry! That bathroom scene!! 😏😏🔥

The blurb says “…Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, a prince who wants to live out of the spotlight falls for a daring American rapper who turns his life, and the palace, upside down.”

We need to change Meghan Markle to Meg THEE STALLION because that’s who Duchess was heavily inspired by. She’s a rapper with long term aspirations of expanding her skincare line geared towards WOC called “Mela-Skin“ into an empire, and I loved that about her. Along with her “take no shit” personality, she was awesome to read about.

And then there’s prince Jameson, a royal who naively thinks that he could live a normal life out of the spotlight as a professor. His journey was cool to read about as he maneuvers through British politics and manipulated into doing something he hates, which eventually leads him to meeting Duchess 🥰

Realistically, their relationship would’ve probably never worked because of Prince Jameson’s status, but I enjoyed the story overall and would highly recommend it.

This releases June 28th and I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy because this belongs in the collection 🙌🏾♥️.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶 on the spice meter

#romance #20booksbyblackwomen #blackhistorymonth

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

CW: death of a loved one (past), grief, parental abandonment, toxic family relationship, sexual harassment, racism

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f royal romance
-frenemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-only one castle
-elements of forbidden relationship
-just a hookup
-British baking appreciation
-rub a dub dub sexy times in the tub

This book was escapist and full of drama. Two people who on paper are opposites, a buttoned up British professor and prince, hosting an American rapper. Add in a dash of my immediate attraction to you is frustrating the heck out of me and these two bump heads along the way until they are bumping other things.

This one was a bit heavier on the external drama vs. the internal romance for my personal preference but the writing was excellent and the sexual chemistry was burning off the page. The epilogue had me so intrigued if there's more to come with this series or not. Full of letting your inner self show to that right person and letting your walls down this was a fun read.

Steam: 3.5

We all know that I’m a sucker when it comes to stories involving royalty. Give me an English Prince and an American girl he shouldn’t be with and I will happily spend hours in that world.

When I first met Duchess/Dani I loved her. She is no nonsense, strong, and determined to make a difference. I loved the fact that she was a rapper, and her internal thoughts surrounding the music industry were insightful and felt real to me.

Jameson is a college professor and a Part-time Prince. He rides the fine line between normal existence and royal with duties and expectations not his own.

Jameson’s interactions with the Queen felt real to me, and really displayed the strange family dynamic that occurs when being a member of your family is also kind of your job.

The love story for these two was cute, but I will say I felt it moved too fast. Jameson is kind of a jerk to Dani initially, for essentially no reason. I get feeling frustrated at his situation, but Dani was truly an innocent bystander. Their whole relationship takes place over the course of around three weeks and I wish it had been a longer time frame to make it feel more believable.

The transition from enemies to lovers also moved fast and I wish we’d had a few more scenes where their relationship built back up, but once they were in a “relationship” I did thoroughly enjoy them together.

The third act conflict was a bit late, and I honestly was shocked when I was 85% through and it hadn’t happened yet, but having said that I do think it gets wrapped up well.

I was VERY excited to read the epilogue and can’t wait to read Sam’s story. As one of our antagonists I truly can’t wait to see her attempt to redeem herself. I’m assuming there will be a second book with her and I’m crossing my fingers for it! 🤞🤞🤞

All in all, if you love royalty tropes you’ll enjoy this one! It does a great job at revoking stereotypes and showcasing the importance of being true to yourself.

I love reading American Royalty!! It was a beautiful love story between two unlike suitors. It was an authentic and beautiful love story. I can't wait to read more from Tracey Livesay!!

This book was such a fun read! It had the right amount of necessary drama and the spice was *chef’s kiss*. If your favorite book tropes are instant chemistry, forced proximity, and opposites attract, then this story will not disappoint!

This story follows rap sensation Danielle “Duchess” Nelson who’s childhood trauma was defined by neglect and feelings of being unwanted. But now that she is successfully fulfilling her childhood dreams of independence, she wants to branch out into business for stability. But with success comes scandal, and now she has to figure out a way to get out of a mess she didn’t create before her plans of being a business mogul die.

Professor James Alastair Richard Lloyd, the Duke of Wessex, lives a normal, borderline recluse life teaching at the University of Birmingham. His childhood was defined by scandal and tragedy and he does everything he can to dissociate from his family’s legacy and forge a path of his own. But when the Queen calls, you answer. The monarchy is in danger, but the Queen has plans to clean up its image and Jameson is a key pawn in this PR nightmare.

James reluctantly accepts the Queen’s “offer” to spearhead a benefit concert in honor of his late grandfather. But when he meets the headline act, he’s immediately drawn to her. Likewise, Dani to him.

They both can’t afford to be involved in any more scandals. And an overly sexualized rapper from New York dating a prim and posh professor-prince from the UK is definitely cause for some tabloid fodder.

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay evokes the real-life story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle through a fictional rapper named Duchess and a prince who prefers books to the royal lifestyle.

When Prince Jameson is pulled into the spotlight by his grandmother (also called the Queen) to bring some new life to the monarchy, he's pressured into hosting a benefit concert. And, he's put on a crash course into Danielle, known as Duchess to her fans. Neither one is what the other expected, and their chemistry is off the charts.

I am always here for a royal love story, and this one had a stronger start than ending IMO. It felt a bit too derivative for a love story I'd call exception, but it was a fun way to pass an afternoon.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

This I was my first book that I’ve read by Tracey Livesay and I have to say, I’ll definitely be adding her backlist to my TBR and I’m eagerly awaiting her next release.

Inspired by the romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Dani and Julians romance was deliciously sexy.

The way Tracey Livesay wrote Dani and Julians perspectives was so vastly different from one another it captured their personalities really well.

This opposite attract, forbidden love romance had me rooting for the couple through it all and it was such a fun, quick read. There were times I was laughing out loud times (especially towards the end!) that had me stressed. It was overall hard to put down.

The epilogue had me rolling too, I definitely was not expecting that and loved it! Overall a fantastic story and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this book on exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/3

Please note, this review will also be published on Instagram, tiktok and Amazon on release day.

Dani, or Duchess, goes to England to perform at a royal benefit concert where she meets His Royal Highness Prince Jameson, or Jay. With a desire for some quiet, relaxation time prior to the concert, Dani finds herself spending two weeks living with Jay at his country home. In the solitude of the country, they jump right in to a spicy affair that is forbidden by the Queen.

While I enjoyed the American star falling in love with a royal prince, the characters fell flat for me. From the beginning, I feel like Jameson over sexualizes Dani. They jump quickly into a physical relationship with very little build up. From there, the story felt focused on the sexual relationship and not the plot. I struggled to connect with the story. This one was not for me.

Check this out if you’re looking for
- American falling in love with a prince
- Biracial relationship
- secret / forbidden love trope
- American rapper MC

I loved American Royalty. Tracey Livesay hit it out of the park again. She has a safe place in my favorite authors list. I smiled. I giggled. Lots of swooning took place. How can you not adore these characters? I put off finishing it. I didn’t want it to end. Brava!

This was so fun! American Royalty brings you the story of Dani, aka Duchess the hottest female rapper in the game and Jameson, son of a prince in the royal family. An unlikely pairing these two meet when Duchess agrees to perform at a benefit concert. While preparing for the show the two fall for each other and it gets steamy! Of course the Palace doesn't like what's going on and Jameson and Dani have to make some tough decisions.

If you're a fan of royal stories, steamy romance or just want a fun quick read I recommend this one. I was sucked into Dani and Jameson's story right away and flew through the first half of the book. The pace slowed down a little for me and I did kind of know where the story was going but I still enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dani is the friend that everyone wants to have in their corner. Spice Spice Spice in this book! I am in love with this book! Will definitely be buying it for my friends!

I LOVED THIS ONE!!! This book was fantastic in every way possible. It was so fast paced, steamy, and just straight up fun! I loved Dani and Jameson so much and they complimented each other so well. I love royal romances and this one just checked all my boxes. This book was more steamy than i expected but i really enjoyed it. I loved the mutual pining and the secret glances and the jealousy! Wow okay i could go on for hours. I really loved Dani, she was such a fantastic MC and i loved getting to see her grow throughout the book! Overall, this book was so great. I could read 100 more of these! I really wanted there to be a flash forward in the epilogue but i *think* there might be more books coming?? (pls dont quote me i am just speculating!!!!!) so if we see more of Dani and Jameson in the future, i will be extremely happy!!!

Think of Megan Thee Stallion meets Prince Harry (sorry Meghan, he is the only royal I can think of).....obviously (this is a romance book) they kind of hate each other at first BUT they can't ignore the physical attraction to each other either. That is my hook for this book.
It didn't take me long to fall in love Jameson but after the first couple of chapters I really grew to love Dani (and everything she stood for & how she handled adversity). Steam level is pretty decent as well :)
Livesay has done a wonderful job of making the opposites attract troupe into something fresh (imo). I also have to tip my hat to Livesay for writing rap lyrics that are at the front of chapters!

Overall: 5/5
Spice level: 3.5/5
Tropes: royal, interracial, forced proximity, forbidden, opposites attract

First of all, gorgeous cover. It definitely caught my eye and drew me in. But also, I loved the chemistry between Duchess and Jameson. This book was sexy and had great character development.

On the surface, it seems like an opposites attract story. An American rapper and a British prince. 2 people couldn't be more different. But the more we read, we see that their lives in the limelight make them more similar than they thought they'd be. Their love is a forbidden one in the eyes of the Monarchy, but that's what also made this story such a fun read.

I also love how they allow vulnerability with each other. It allows their emotions to blossom.

5/5, highly recommended