With the third book in the American Royals series, Katharine McGee has written a novel that speaks volumes to what we are experiencing in our country despite the fact that her fictional America is home to a monarchy.

In Rivals, America is troubled by the fact that a woman sits on its throne and thus, Beatrice’s story hits incredibly close to home. I so admired her resilience for change in this third novel and loved that she was able to find camaraderie in a fellow female ruler. McGee displays the plights that women in leadership positions face and it was lovely to be able to escape into a world where Beatrice could carve out a place for herself on a global scale.

Daphne and Nina’s stories intertwining was not on my bingo card but I found it incredibly interesting to watch them band together against a common enemy. We are introduced to an adversary who’s a formidable opponent to Daphne which only heightened the drama. My sympathy for her grew tenfold as did my desire to see more of Daphne and Nina’s fledgling friendship. Also, a quick side note: I keep finding myself exasperated with Prince Jeff. I know he’s often out of the loop and gives off intense golden retriever energy, but this guy is a horrible judge of character. I will never understand how he is so ignorant to the horrible people that surround him.

Samantha’s growth has continued its steady uphill trek. Readers are privy to her inner conflict when it comes to her royal position and the implications of what it would mean to leave the privileged space she was born into. The conversations around her and Marshall’s relationship, and how race unjustly plays a role in public opinion, reminded me a lot of how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were treated. This storyline was handled in a thoughtful manner while remaining hopeful for positive change.

In true Katharine McGee fashion, Rivals ends on the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers, where the fates of our favorite characters and the country as a whole hang in the balance. This series is so addictive. It’s escapist, exciting, and you never know what’s going to happen next. I am so ready to see where the final installment leads us.

Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katharine McGee could write a grocery list and I would read it. Seriously. I love her work, I love the world building and character development, and I love love love devouring her writing.

I just have no interest in continuing with this series anymore, although I really did love it at first.

"Maybe growing up meant letting go of the desires that no longer fit you, and discovering new ones buried in layers of yourself that you hadn't known existed."

Okay. Here's the thing about this book (and, incidentally, a big pet peeve of mine): this is classic Soap Opera Fiction. By which I mean, authors undo *everything* they've spent X amount of pages doing just so that there'll be tension / conflict / plot in the next book. I find it particularly infuriating as a reader because while actual soap operas are ongoing (General Hospital has been on the air for 61 years!) and rely on the tropes to perpetuate the plot, series typically have a fixed end. While I know this may not be everyone's opinion, I prefer it when stories evolve with their plot, instead of moving 2 steps backwards, 2 steps forwards.

Let's break it down by character.

Let's start with Samantha who, arguably, had the best arc in this book, because much of her growth wasn't undone in the end -- things actually moved forward in her plot point.
Pros: Sam learns to think outside of herself and her royal role (although why no one suggested the option she ultimately chooses before, IDK).
Cons: We spend a bit too much time with Sam & Marshall questioning things -- like, didn't we establish at the end of the last book that they genuinely cared for each other? Ugh.

Beatrice: Queen Bee gets runner up-status for most engaging arc.
Pros: She *finally* starts to act like a queen* (*in the context of these books) and we see her engage more with "ruling" than just worrying about her love life. We also get a glimpse at the international stage through the League of Kings.
Cons: Teddy doubting the strength of their relationship and being annoyed that he's giving up everything to be King Consort.
One--wasn't this pretty well established in Book 1? That that's what he was brought to Washington to do? Because his family was almost bankrupt (which seems to have been forgotten with the exception of passing allusions to their money troubles).
And Two -- they *just* got back from a 3 week "honeymoon" and Bee has to go to this BIG monarchy event -- like, why are you whining, Teddy?! Of course she's busy!
It just seemed unnecessary and implausible within the context of the story. It made Teddy seem a bit too 'fragile masculine character' and set up the "cliffhanger" at the end. (Which was straight out of a soap opera. Ick.)

Nina: Despite all the backwards steps Nina takes, she still comes in third.
Pros: ...IDK. Nina used to be one of my favorites but now...
Cons: Girl literally ended last book saying she was done with boys only to end up realizing "JK! I'm still in love with Jeff!" Also, I feel like McGee was even more heavy-handed with the "I read books! I'm quirky and different and not like other girls!" trope in this book.

Daphne: Oh, Daphne. How the mighty have fallen...
Pros: I was really rooting for a character change. And McGee *almost* had me! For the past 2 books, I've wanted nothing more than for Daphne to get her come-uppance and have all her dirty secrets exposed. But McGee actually made me feel sympathy for Daphne! And I was rooting for her!
Cons: ...but NOPE. In the head, Daphne flips on Nina so hard and goes full Regina George all over again -- basically undoing her entire growth and arc in this book. And then she pulls a Soap Opera Trope of her own.

I honestly can't decide whether the Fake Pregnancy or the Car-Accident-Amnesia is the worst offender here. Like, why can't Bee and Teddy have an actual conversation and grow through their relationship, rather than one sulking off and the other storming after them passionately to declare their love, only to end in tragedy, ultimately bringing the former remorsefully & guiltily back to their bedside to declare their love? (As I predict will happen.)

The premise of these books is so fascinating and the characters so promising that I actually want to see them grow and evolve, and its so frustrating to watch them "slip" back into old habits. It just seems like so much could be fixed with a conversation.

I'm obviously still reading Book #4 though. I've invested this much time and energy so far...here's hoping some of the growth will stick around, ultimately.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

While I DETESTED the second book, I was still curious where everyone's story would go. I was most frustrated in the second book how everyone seemed to swap love interests. This third installment was better than the second book, but I still long for the simplicity of book 1. It seems to have gotten too dramatic, too fast. I hate not finishing a series, but I just don't think I can read book 4.

This was a great continuation of the American Royals series. It was filled with drama, royals, love stories, and did I mention drama? This series reminds me of an addicting TV show in that you can’t wait for the next installment to come out. I will definitely keep reading!

Really glad I don’t have to wait for book four because wow what a cliff hanger.

I am a little over this back and fourth with Daphne. I need her to either be a bad person or a good person.

I’m also not sure this needed to be more than two books, but I will say I continue to be intrigued (if not mortified about all these teenagers planning weddings).

This series is addicting. I found myself rooting for all the characters and each of their stories. Really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of Rivals, the third installment of the American Royals series by Katharine McGee. I love this series and cannot wait to read more!

I am OBSESSED with this series. I could not put this book down. Katherine McGee has a way of pulling you into the story and leaving you wanting more. I love this little royal family so much.

I absolutely love this series and love the way that there is a twist on modern anarchy life in this futuristic world. I have to say it's my least favorite of the entire series but still a solid 4 star read!

A great royal romance! I love this series and I hope there is a lot more to come!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Completely addicting!! Katherine McGee has a way of making you feel like this alternate America is completely relatable and sets up the story perfectly. There is a large audience at my library that loves this series, teens and adults alike!

This is the third book in the American Royals series and I LOVED it. I was so happy to be back in their world. It has been a while since I read the first two but it came back to me and the author did a good job threading in some recaps throughout. Siblings Queen Beatrice, Princess Sam and Prince Jefferson deal with various issues, mainly romantic during this third book. I LOVED Daphne's arc in this story and I can't wait to see what happens in the fourth book. The author does a great job writing about friendships and romances all while getting that YA angst perfectly. I really enjoyed this one! 4.5 rounded up.

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book definitely ups the drama with so many Kings and Queens.

As always, I loved the character growth for our girls (women, really).

Ending left me super uneasy. I hope everything gets better in book 4!

A fun continuation of the series! I just love the concept and getting to know the characters more… cannot wait for book 4!

McGee takes time to expand her world in this book, which is incredibly fun. She took the American Royal family she created, and brought in international monarchs to balance it out. Some parts of this book were tough to get through, and it is definitely not my favorite in the series, but this book did a great job of setting up for the next book, which with the cliffhanger, will be very exciting to read

I was absolutely at the edge of my seat with this book! I loved it so much and I hate I have to wait for the next. Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I should have stopped reading the series after being so disappointed in the second book. This story was frustrating because almost any growth any of the characters had was yanked away at the end, and the ending was very soap opera-like. Maybe the teens will like it more than I did.