This third book in the American Royals series wasn’t my favorite. For me the novelty of American royals has worn off and the story isn’t making up for it. The book dragged for me, especially in the middle and it seems like we’ve been through the on-again, off-again relationships of several characters before. Ending in a major cliffhanger sets the stage for Book 4 but I’m not sure I’m enthralled enough to follow through. If you have a keen interest in the continuing story of Beatrice, Sam, Jefferson, Nina and Daphne and enjoy the posturing and politics of the League of Kings, this book will probably do it for you. I didn’t find it captivating.

The Washingtons are back in this third installment of The American Royals series! If you have not read these yet I definitely recommend. Warning, this book ends on a major cliff hanger and I need to know what happens in book four!! I really enjoyed how we met some new characters but also learned more about current characters. Definitely recommend this YA drama that takes a unique spin on if America was a monarchy.

After book two left us hanging I was so thrilled we were getting a third book but now I NEED THE FOURTH BOOK ASAP, if you know you know!

I felt like this book moved faster and was better paced than the second book, and so many of the young royals and friends really got to grow and mature. But for a cast of characters who feel their futures and fates were decided for them, WOW oh WOW there is still a lot of uncertainty!

After enjoying the first book and being fairly blown away by how much I liked the second book in this series, I was skeptical about where a third installment could go. Unfortunately, it went backwards. This book saw each of the main characters regress after all the significant growth they experienced in book 2. Beatrice's hard-earned confidence is completely eroded in this book, and Teddy is a mere afterthought. Nina and Daphne are back to where they were in book 1 - caught up in Jefferson, the most boring, one-dimensional character in this series. While Nina and Daphne's story did have some nice moments, it was completely overshadowed by the introduction of a total cartoon villain who lacked any nuance or depth. Sam somehow was the most tolerable part of this book, but I just find her and Marshall's relationship so uninspiring. The ending of this book is a cliffhanger, but it doesn't feel earned or compelling, it simply feels exhausting. Unfortunately, I think this is the end of the road for me and this series.

Thank you so much to the publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Rivals is the third installment of the American Royals series. While the story kept me engaged, waiting to see what would happen next I have to admit I was expecting more resolution to happen within the long awaited third novel. With that being said, I did enjoy learning more of Daphne’s perspective and one actually grows to somewhat even like her but her character’s true colours always tend to come out.

If you’re not into cliffhangers, this book is definitely not for you. I have mixed feelings about cliffhangers as I get frustrated with them but they do the trick because I am eagerly waiting for the fourth book so I can find out what will happen next.

This is a delightful and light hearted summer read. Lots of fun royals drama: friends and rivals, relationships, and everything in between. It is a little bit hard to imagine an American being an actual Royal, but it makes for a really fun read. This is the third in a series but can be read as a stand alone as well. This is very entertaining and enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I absolutely loved this book and I am so enjoying this series. It is lighthearted and fun and is the perfect summer read. Really hoping Katherine writes a fourth book to this series - I hope to be reading more about the Washington's soon!

When I found the first book, American Royals, I loved it and all the characters and dynamics between the 4 young women and their POV. I didn’t know what to expect with Majesty, I was just happy to have another book in this world to dive into. Then when Rivals was “Read Now” on Net Galley I snatched it as fast as I could! Even if it took me a few months to read it.
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And like Majesty, I didn’t know what to expect with Rivals. These women that we’ve come to love, and love to hate have many changes and transitions to explore. College, duties, relationships - this book had all kind of ships. Family, dating, friends.
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There were lots of times that I was rooting for one person then when the chapter switched to a different POV, so would my cheering. 😂
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400 pages later and my goodness what a doozy! I can’t say anything more without giving something away. 😅
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It’s time for the League Of Kings conference which is about a month long event? I can’t remember but the book starts and ends with events tied to it. USA is hosting so Beatrice is busy, Samantha is going along too. Nina and Daphne are starting college.
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I think McGee did a great job showing growth to these characters that we love as they’re finding their way as they define their wants and needs. Some go to great lengths, some are left behind. Hopefully the next book will have more answers.
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Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for the e-arc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions. This book releases tomorrow!

Rivals is the third book in the American Royals series and probably my favorite so far. I really didn’t love the second book so I wasn’t sure if I was going to pick up Rivals but I’m really happy I did. I think it was the best one so far. I don’t know if it was because I had low expectations or because the plot was much stronger but I really enjoyed this book. In Majesty a lot of the characters became unlikable and in Rivals they all had a chance to redeem themselves. The plot was really well paced and a super fast read. I think my favorite part was meeting all of the other royal families from around the world.

Spoiler alert - there was a cliffhanger which means we’re going to get a fourth book!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot get enough of this series, of these characters, or of Katharine McGee’s writing.

This may be the best book in the series yet, and as usual, I cried, I cheered, and find myself desperately hoping for more, which it looks like we may get based on the ending.

True to McGee’s format so far, questions were answered from the previous book (Majesty: American Royals II) and she dove deeper on topics like race.

Fans of McGee’s will love this, fans of anything royal will love this, and I highly recommend that if you haven’t read any of the American Royals series, you pick up all three books.

**Many thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.**

Thank you so much to @katharinemcgee @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for my e-ARC of Rivals!

Well y’all, Katharine McGee @katharinemcgee has done it again. I’ve really enjoyed every American Royals novel, but this has by far been my favorite.

In Rivals, we see alliances formed, friendships both developed and dissolved, secrets kept, loyalties betrayed, and so many coming-of- age storylines.

I came to really love and appreciate Beatrice and Sam and all of their growth and development in this third book. I even started to warm to Daphne in light of her forming an unlikely friendship with Nina, built around their mutual hatred of Gabriella. Alas, it seemed like a few steps forward and a HUMONGOUS leap back as Daphne inevitably let her true colors and manipulative nature shine through once again. And friends, I’m not sure if she’ll be able to come back from this one.

I actually think Sam’s storyline was my favorite in Rivals. While I was invested in Beatrice, Daphne, and Nina, Sam’s story touched my heart as her eyes were opened to racism, sexism, love, and living life on her own terms. I was so proud of her, and I’m excited to see where her journey goes from here.

Katharine, this series just keeps getting better, and I’m hoping and praying there will be a Book 4 because there are definitely some things I need answers to (IYKYK).

RIVALS hits shelves May 31 (just 9 days away!), so get those library holds and pre-orders in because this is one book you won’t want to miss!

I love this series and was very excited to read the latest installment.

What an escape! This book is everything I look to when the world is so heavy. An easy, fun read that takes my mind into an imaginary world away from our tragic reality. It was honestly perfect after what happened in Texas, so thank you for the moments of escape and joy Katherine McGee.

If you don’t know, these books take place in a world where we made George Washington our first king rather than President. And it takes place present day with his heirs continuing to rule our country. I wonder if a king would have the guts to take up gun control

I can’t really say a lot about this book that doesn’t give away the plot, but I think anyone who enjoyed the first two books will enjoy reading this one, and it certainly sets up the fourth book to be a doozy! If you haven’t read the first two books of the series I would definitely recommend picking those up first— they’re not really meant to be standalones.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I have enjoyed this series so much. The drama, the chaos, the escape from everyday life. I love most of the characters, but several of them you can’t help but hate. Yes, I’m looking at you, Daphne (but she is more likeable in this edition).

It does drive me crazy that there is a crazy unthinkable cliffhanger at the end of each book. Now I just need to wait until book 4.

Majesty didn't live up to American Royals for me, so I went into Rivals hesitantly, but this might be my favorite book of the series so far! I really enjoyed getting a larger understanding of this alternate universe, and I actually wish we'd seen at least glimpses of this global landscape in book 1. I also loved the amount of character growth! Rivals drastically changed my opinion of at least one character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access in exchange for my honest review.

I was super excited to see the continuation of the story which ended on a cliffnote in the last book, but I was somewhat disappointed by this latest installment. While it was a quick read, many things are still left unresolved at the end of this book. The creativeness of the background and details for the historical context remain engaging and please this US history teacher!

First, let me just reiterate how much I loved American Royals and how much I really liked Majesty. I don’t typically read YA, but those two books were great, providing just the right of amount of Gossip Girl-like angst and drama to keep me coming back for more. So, of course I was ecstatic to get an arc of Rivals and couldn’t wait to dive back into the world created by Katharine McGee. I had super high expectations and was so ready to finally get some closure.

Yeah, maybe I should have adjusted those expectations.

That isn’t to say that Rivals was a bad book. It wasn’t. In fact, it was everything one should come to expect from this series: a ton of drama with little finality. I think, maybe, I’ve just come to expect a series to conclude in trilogy format, and it’s not that I won’t read a fourth book—I’m pretty invested now—I was just jonesing for that conclusion; for Bea to find her way, for the villains to FINALLY get their comeuppance. I wasn’t ready for more of the same and certainly not for yet another cliffhanger ending. I also wasn’t ready for a certain b with an itch—cough *Daphne* cough—to sink any lower than she already had in books prior. Quite frankly, I was disappointed with the direction the author decided to take Daphne as she spent the entire book making you—almost—like her, only to make her do something at the end that is utterly unforgiveable, which is pretty bad considering Daphne put her bff in a coma.

Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is that I was underwhelmed by this installment. Bea’s story was, frankly, boring; I’ve never been a fan of Samantha; and Jefferson needs to grow a pair. The only character I really cared about was Nina, who is something of a constant whipping boy throughout this series. Will I read book four? Yes, I will. However, if this story doesn’t finally get the conclusion it deserves in that installment, that’s probably where I’ll end my journey.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO RIVALS BY KATHARINE MCGEE?
Katharine McGee’s American Royals series is one that works really well via audio. So, it was not a question in my mind that I needed to pick up Rivals via audio and listen to it ASAP. For once in my life I actually got through an ALC (advance listening copy) before release date. I am sure I haven’t said it enough, but wow will I miss Volumes and being able to listen to all these great Penguin Random House audiobooks. Rivals, fyi, was exactly what I expected for a listening experience. I find this series addictive and easy to listen to!

Rivals is the third book in Katharine McGee's American Royals series. It follows pretty quickly on the heels of the events of Majesty.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Rivals is the third book in Katharine McGee’s American Royals series. It follows pretty quickly on the heels of the events of Majesty. So if you aren’t down for spoilers, it might be time to look away. Also, why read the review of the third book if you haven’t read the first or second? This book has our main point of view characters at different junctures. Beatrice is now queen and about to go to a conference called the League of Kings where the real work gets done behind the scenes. Samantha is navigating her relationship with the Duke of Orange, Marshall, which is getting a lot of press and pressure.

Meanwhile Nina is in her first year at King’s College and in the orbit of Lady Gabriella Madison who is a real piece of work. Daphne, meanwhile, has learned her family doesn’t have the funds to send her to King’s College and so she takes a “gap year.” She’s the one dating Prince Jefferson. As it turns out though, Gabriella seems to have her eye on Jefferson. And so, Nina and Daphne form an alliance to take on Gabriella. A lot of drama is about to go down and I AM HERE FOR IT.

HOW DID I LIKE RIVALS?
I really enjoyed listening to Rivals. This is a book where I didn’t take it too serious. It was perfect for the purpose of palate cleanser and moving along the series. I did not like how it ended with a lot of loose ends. At this point, I am aware another book is coming out in the series. However, I would have liked some kind of resolution to all the different threads. Rivals does move along at a fast paced clip though. I was never bored and liked how the story had consistent pacing and never became navel gazey. Oh and somehow this book redeemed Daphne for me? Even though she does do something horrible at the very end, I totally get her motivation.


HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of Rivals is narrated by Brittany Pressley who has also narrated the previous two books in the series. I am very hopeful Pressley comes back for the fourth book because her narration is perfect. I could listen to this audiobook at varying speeds and understand and retain what was happening. Of course, I felt under pressure to listen to this one faster and it did not come back to bite me in the behind. Rivals is 12 hours and 31 minutes long. Those hours fly by though, I promise.

Fans of the first two books will be happy to know that the third book in the American Royals series, American Royals III: Rivals, does not disappoint!

After thinking the series was going to end after book 2, I was elated to find out that there would be a third AND a fourth book to the series. I was not done reading about the drama of the Washington family and everyone around them. The drama definitely continues in book 3 and ends on an epic cliffhanger. No matter your favorite character, everyone will find some to root for (and possible hate??). From political navigation to double-crossing to just trying to be a normal college student, American Royals continues to the fictional world where America has a monarchy while also being oddly relatable.

The author keeps the intrigue high while creating a story that is appropriate for many ages. With that in mind, while there is a "fade to black" nature taken with sexual encounters, readers should be aware that there is some mention of casual drug use.

All I need now is book 4 to find out what happens next!

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Rivals: American Royals #3 by Katharine McGee
A special thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this title all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Picture this… America but with Queens and Kings! This is the 3rd book in the series and holy cliff hanger!!! I really thought this would be the last book but that’s not possible now. You get little images of Beatrice as queen now she’s becoming more comfortable in her role. Sam is settling in as heir to the throne, Daphne is still after Jefferson and Nina is trying to be normal. Without spoiling anything I’m still waiting for the non prince to come after the girl. I’m probably the only one that wants Connor back. Looking forward to the now confirmed book 4.
This is not a book to pick up without having read the others in the series. This book comes out on 5/31.

“No one ever fully shed their teenage selves, did they? No matter how much you grew up, your old anxieties and insecurities would always be there, knitted into the fabric of your being.”
— 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙄𝙄𝙄: 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙨, Katharine McGee

If you haven’t read the first two books of this series, there’s not a whole lot I can say about this third installment that’s not spoilery, so instead I’ll discuss the vibes.

Which were immaculate.

Being back with these characters after such a long hiatus made me so damn happy. I even found myself liking DAPHNE 😮 never thought I’d see the day.

All four of our MCs were back and better than ever. All were strong, independent, and struggling to find their places in the world. McGee once again did such a fantastic job at balancing all four voices and making each one of them distinct.

And every single page from start to finish was utter perfection. Full of reveals and drama and glamour and so much love, I highly recommend picking this one up.