As with the other American Royals books, I love this premise so much and these characters are great yet the plot under delivers. Most of the book there is barely any plot and then in the last third things take off in a big way, only to leave you with a huge cliffhanger. Overall, it was fun to be back in this world but the plot and pacing did not make it a very satisfying read.

The third instalment of "American Royals" was full of our favorite characters growing up! What started out as a fun book about America if it were a monarchy has turned into a series about young women dealing with the pressures of society, new relationships, and big life changes.

I really loved the story lines of Beatrice and Nina in this one. As a YA Novel, this book so beautifully tells the story of what can happen when we live our lives trying to impress others. We see how difficult it can be to succumb to the pressures of others in so many characters of this book from Daphne to Beatrice to Louise. Katherine McGee does such a beautiful job taking a fiction book and making it so relevant to the real world.

My new favorite in the American Royals series! I do feel like the title is a misnomer due to the fleeting “rivalry” between the two, but it was highly enjoyable and really brought me back to the feeling of reading the first one the very first time.

After reading the craziness that was Majesty in 2020, I had my fingers crossed for another book in this series and couldn’t wait to dive in when it hit my Kindle. But, I have to say that I felt similarly let down with where the plot went in this one.

I love the concept of this series - seeing a hypothetical world where the US is ruled by a monarchy in the Washington family is really fun, but I think the execution leaves something to be desired. More often than not, it feels like a monarchy version of Gossip Girl…everyone is keeping secrets, no one knows how to communicate and no one takes the time to think through the implications of their actions rationally.

Beatrice is totally entrenched in being queen and her duties, so much so that everything else falls to the wayside, including her family and Teddy. I liked the little allusions to the gender inequality female rulers face but Beatrice’s story felt a bit uninteresting. Sam’s quick switch from party princess to responsible heir was a little disorienting. But her relationship with Marshall and their struggles to figure out love and duty were interesting to read and set things up to get really complicated in the future. My least favorite storyline though was Nina, Daphne and Jefferson - Nina continues to lean into her naivety in this book and Daphne seems to grow but then quickly switches back to her conniving ways when the situation calls for it. Jefferson continues to irk me since he’s the only Washington whose POV we don’t get in these books. I’d love to hear from him so that I can think of him as more than the people pleasing, go with the flow, human version of a golden retriever that he’s written as. Also, where was Ethan in this book? I missed his character more than I expected since he was so integral to this group’s progression over the years.

It felt like so much of the actual action that mattered happened in the last 20% of the book and, because of that, everything felt rushed and not fully fleshed out. There were a lot of big developments, some you could have seen a mile away and others that were a complete surprise. I’m kind of curious to see where things go from here, but the turn that things took in the end is making it difficult for me to be excited about the (potential?) next book in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Katharine McGee & Random House for an advance copy of this book!

This book will be published on May 31st.

When the opportunity came to get an advance copy of this book, I had not had prior knowledge to this series and what to expect. After backtracking and reading the first two in the series I instantly fell in love with this world.

“Maybe growing up meant letting go of the desires that no longer fits you and discovering new ones buried in layers of yourself that you hadn’t known existed.”

The book did start off a little slow for me and I was kind of floating out when Beatrice was discussing all the politics and the rules. But once we got past that, it really revved up for me.

Going to do a mini round up of each character.



Beatrice: Beatrice is coming to terms with being the Queen of America. She is learning to navigate this position as well as balancing her relationship with Teddy and trying to make friends.

Samantha: Samantha did a lot of growing and soul searching on what she wants. She loves Marshall and wants to have a normal life but isn’t sure if she wants to give up her crown.

Daphne: Daphne learns that her title may be stripped and that she no longer has the money she once had. She holds on tight to her relationship with Jefferson even more because of this.

Nina: Nina’s feelings for Jefferson becomes even more complicated. She pairs up with Daphnie to work together to take down an ultimate mean girl.

I love how each MC had their own storyline and yet were all similarly connected. One theme that ran through them was friendship and the sense of belonging. 

The relationships all made me so happy. I really thought we were going to get a new Daphne but we saw some rewarding qualities and almost redeemed herself. I cannot wait to see how Beatrice continues to grow in her role and take on the world.

Without saying too much the way the ending was, it has led me to believe that there will be a 4th installment?! I am here for it!!! I am also excited to read the novella that is a prequel called "Inheritance."

4.5

I think this might be the best book of this series so far. The only reason I've given it 4 instead of 5 stars is due to Jeffrey being so absolutely clueless. He's written as this charming, sweet and funny prince but how in the world does he not see what is really going on?? Not only that but his back and forth with Daphne and Nina is getting really old and just ridiculous at this point. Maybe he needs some time being single to gain some perspective but the way he goes back and forth between the two just makes him out to be a total jerk. My heart broke for Beatrice on this one. She so badly wants a trustworthy friend, I think she should have turned to Teddy for this but I did still enjoyed the storyline. Marshall and Samantha were spectacular. I even enjoyed seeing the other side to Daphne, although I still think she deserves more punishment from all she's done in the other books. If you liked the first two books in this series chances are you'll enjoy this one as well. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This is the third in the American Royals series, and I think it was really good! We start to see some of the realities of the royals' new lives as they navigate new responsibilities and roles. We also see a lot of personal changes in the characters. I do really enjoy this series and hope it continues on!

3.5 Since I feel committed to finishing this series because I’m invested in the characters, this was a good addition to the series. I honestly thought it would conclude the story so I could move on, but sadly this ended with several loose ends. Everyone is so mean and thoughtless and self absorbed. Reading this series is my guilty pleasure because all of the characters seem plastic and fake, but I suppose that is the world of American royalty.

Read This If:
•Enjoyed Red, White, & Royal Blue
•Wondered what United States would be like if we had a monarchy

Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It’s been a while since I read the first two books., so it took me a min to refresh my mind. I went on a roller coaster of emotions with Daphne’s character in this one! The surprising team up/friendship of two characters, I was so here for it! That ending though, oh my goodness. We def will need another book, because I for one, absolutely need to know what happens next.
 
What I didn’t like:
•Jeff is still awful in my opinion
•The will they won’t they with Nina and Jeff (girl, you can do better

What?! I was thinking this was the final book in the series but am now anxiously awaiting the 4th! I loved this one the most even though they are all fantastic reads! What a wild ending.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was fun! I loved the first two books in this series and was so excited to get an advance copy of the third. While I enjoyed it - let’s be real Katharine McGee’s writing is flawless, effortless and so flowy- I just didn’t feel as invested in this story as I did with the first two.

Now…this third book (as well as the first two) would make an epic series on Netflix or the CW….it would be a fan favorite instantly! I’d watch :)

All in all an enjoyable read, but not as high up therefor me as the first two.

All our favorite characters are back along with a few new ones!

My favorite rivals are definitely Nina and Daphne. I was riveted by the shift in the dynamic of their relationship. Sam and Marshall remain favorites of mine. And Jefferson, sweet Jeff, you have to love him, but he still kind of gets on my nerves! Beatrice continues to struggle balancing who she is as a person and being queen.

I was slow to the American Royals game and read books 1 and 2 back to back. Also, when I finished Majesty, I knew another book was coming. Rivals is a great addition to this saga of American royalty, and I certainly hope there is more to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐
G for a closed door book that has some romance

Okay, when is the CW picking this up as a new TV show? Because I swear these books are made for it.

After enjoying the first two books of the series, I was excited to snag the third book prior to publication. These books are great when you're looking to escape the current craziness going on in the world. As with the previous books, the readers follow the four heroines through a series of new situations as Beatrice in her first major move as queen to host a world leader summit.

Unfortunately, I don't think this book was anything new compared to the last few books. The drama was fun and it did keep me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next, but I didn't love how all the momentum in this book was mostly driven by the women being catty and one upping each other. Is it too much to ask for a couple shitty men causing trouble in the Kingdom of the United States?!

I loved the redemption arcs in this book but ultimately, the ending really changed things and left me wondering what will happen next. I enjoyed how Katharine included more diversity in this book and thinks she's really taken feedback from her readers into consideration. I'm super curious what will happen in the next book after the cliffhanger ending so I'm glad there will be a book four! I'd recommend this series if you enjoy Gossip Girl or The Royals for some soapy royal fun.

Thank you PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's been a while since I've read the second book, so it took me a few chapters to remember what happened. I loved all the characters in the prior books, except for Daphne. Beatrice and her storyline was my favorite.

I can't say that for this book. Her storyline was my least favorite and Daphne's was my favorite!
(And then Princess Sam and Marshall's problems.) I found myself looking forward to Daphne's chapters the most. There's a lot going on in this story and it felt extremely long.

The audiobook was narrated by Brittany Pressley is the narrator. It's been awhile since I've listened to her and I have no idea why. She is so good! With there being four main female characters (Beatrice, Sam, Nina and Daphne), she is able to change her voice enough to know which woman is speaking. I need to listen to more audiobooks narrated by her.

The ending...ugh. A cliffhanger. Now I have to wait to see how it all turns out. (and remember what happened in this book. LOL)

First sentence: Beatrice pulled her arms overhead in a stretch.

Rivals is the third novel in the American Royals series. For those not familiar with the series, the premise is that George Washington became King instead of President. The Washington family has been reigning since the Revolution. There are three Washington siblings: Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson. America is not the only nation that has been re-imagined with a royal family. I would say almost all nations/countries have a reigning royal family. Not that McGee spends the majority of her text filling in and filling up her world. The series specializes in the adventures/misadventures of the love lives of the three Washington siblings. Not surprisingly, the book is told with alternating narrators. Surprisingly, Jefferson is not one of the narrators. Instead of Jefferson's voice, readers are "treated" to two potential love interests Nina and Daphne.

To "refresh" your memory, at the start of this novel:

Beatrice is NOT married to Teddy (though she spent all of book two engaged and planning a wedding). But the two are still together.
Samantha (a twin) is head over heels with Marshall (a man that she fell for while pretending to date). The two have some conflict because it is an interracial relationship.
Jefferson is "on" with Daphne. But his friendship with Nina is "on" as well. The previous two books has been very messy with these three. HOWEVER, in the first two books, it was not a triangle but a rectangle. Ethan was always on stand by to switch out with Jeff. Whichever girl wasn't currently with Jeff was secretly (or not so secretly) with Ethan.

So what does the third book offer readers?

[sound of silence]

Honestly, I feel this third book is a huge step backwards from the first two books. Turns out, I must have a secret (or not so secret) liking for Ethan. I don't know if it is Ethan himself, or, the fact that he offers some tell-it-like-it-is chaos. I honestly don't know if that's the best description. But there is no pretense, not really, with Ethan.

Beatrice. It's not that I hate Beatrice, I don't. I think it's just that the author seems BORED of this character and like her chapters are a chore to write. There seems to be a disconnect with the way this character is written and how the others are written. I don't know that it's fair to say that Beatrice is playing at being a grown up in this one. But I just found her scenes where she is being a FIERCE Queen a bit ridiculous. (There's one laughable scene, not meant as a joke, where she stands up and make a speech ... and I won't continue with spoilers, but seriously. Just no.) Still, I didn't like how this one ended for Beatrice. It was just like the author was like DONE.

Sam. I think Sam is by far a more interesting character. She's had a handful of interesting love interests. Her scenes can have some drama that feels a little CW, but, her chapters move quickly. I do like her relationship with Marshall. But at the same time, these serious "notes" seem a little disconnected with the series as a whole. I have a LOT of questions about this alternate American history. And how this alternate series of events--a royal family instead of elected Presidents (and elected Congress) usually from two differing political parties--would impact EVERYTHING in society/culture. I could think of dozens of questions. I'll narrow it down to two or three--WAS there a civil war? WHEN did slavery get abolished? WAS there a civil rights movement? I could go on and on. Not just about race. But about EVERYTHING. The changes seem to be so small and insignificant they are barely noticeable.

Nina. I do like Nina. She may be even more of a favorite than Sam. But I don't always like how she's "stuck" just being a love interest for Jeff and a sidekick for Sam (when Sam wants one). I get that these three grew up inseparable and that before the series open, there are literally twelve to sixteen (ish) years of back story for these three being TIGHT. But I almost like Nina better when she's not in the shadow of the royal family.

Daphne. Would there be any action in any of the books without Daphne moving the plot forward???? She is the chaos that initiates anything and everything. Mostly. That being said, my FAVORITE FAVORITE part of this book was the new-found friendship between her and Nina. I never in a million years thought I'd be cheering for these two to be best friends. But for a couple of chapters, there was this excitement of what it could mean. What if both girls decided that there was more to life than hanging all over Jeff??? But I was unsatisfied with how these stories played out.

Would I like Jeff MORE if he narrated his love life??????? He just seems SO VERY VERY VERY empty. Like as full of life as Disney's Prince Charming (animated original)--in other words not at all.

I was disappointed with this third book. I had extremely low expectations, mind you, I wasn't expecting sudden genius. But I wanted more entertainment--even if that is twists and turns throughout.

This series is MOST irritating if you in any way like history. The more history you've read in your life, the more irritating the series will be. Same with if you are a genealogist. The idea that there could even be a Washington family to reign and rule for two centuries is absurd. But the wider you expand this fictional world, the more questions you have. Like with genetics. HOW do you get past all the genetic problems from ruling royals. So this book may be above my maturity in some aspects.

I very much loved this third book in the American Royals series!!! I love that the reader starts to like Daphne and the odd friendship between her and Nina - it's the perfect example of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" mentality and it fits perfectly! I love how bold Samantha is and her relationship with Marshall and the complications there are great. Beatrice is the quintessential first born and perfect for the role of Queen of America. And the aunt - yes!!!! Also, looking forward to book 4!!

I have feelings and no one to discuss them with.

Pros: I like what the author did with some of the characters and storylines. I thought the Jeff/Nina/Daphne triangle was handled really well (which is actually amazing since I usually despise a love triangle).

Cons: Beatrice. I was not a fan of her in this book which made me sad. I understand that she is young to carry such a huge amount of pressure and she is still trying to figure out who exactly she is but come on, stop acting like a star struck teenager.

WTF: the last 20% of the book...why?... Why? ... WHY??? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS???

Good, Bad, love it, hate it, all the feelings, but I am here until the end because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

I absolutely loved the way Majesty ended, however I would never complain about getting a third book in this series! I thought this was a delightful book with excellent side characters that we haven't see in previous installments. I won't lie, I am tired of the drama between Nina, Daphne, and Jefferson. I actually really liked Ethan in Majesty and was disappointed that he was barely a part of this book. So there were things I loved and things I was not particularly happy about, but I will still be picking up the fourth book!

The American Royals series is by far my favorite YA series and I loved diving back into the world of the Washington's! This is the perfect summer read that you won't be able to put down!!

After the whiplash of reading the second book with everyone's personalities and choices just doing a complete 180, this book was a nice return to basics. Maybe my mind got over the shock, or I just got used to it, but the characters were mostly true to form although there is a lot more political intrigue and a lot less romance which disappointed me. Felt like they swung a little too hard again with that. I am glad that I read this though, and it made me understand some characters, like Daphne, a little better even though I am still not the biggest fan. Here is hoping that there is another book in the future!