This third book in the American Royals series finds Beatrice in her role as Queen after losing her father. Her relationship with Teddy is strained as they figure out what his role will be in this new dynamic. Samantha and Marshall are going strong even though no one thought their relationship could go this far. Which puts Marshall in a difficult position of deciding to stay with Samantha or keeping his dukedom. This book also finds a strange new ally between Nina and Daphne as they come together against a common enemy: Lady Gabriella Madison. Will they be able to work together or will old rivalries come to the surface? I loved diving more into the characters' relationships in this series. I really like exploring the new friendship between Beatrice and Princess Louise of France. It brought out a completely different side of Beatrice. But the ending definitely leaves me wanting more. I sure hope there will be a fourth book in this series.

This story has such an interesting build-up. I remember absolutely becoming obsessed with the first book, and the second being a minor let-down. It just seems like the drama continues to cycle through and everyone continues to affront the same problems. As much as I wish I could've loved this one, something was missing. I will say though, I am in way too deep so I will absolutely be grabbing the next book once available because cliffhangers should be illegal.

I was already a HUGE fan of the first two books, and this book just fueled my addiction to this series! Katharine McGee just has a way of pulling you into the story every time! Love it!

I've been a big fan of this series in the past, but the third installment was a miss for me. Most of the characters feel like they are not making any progress from book to book, but instead going in circles. The majority book is set during a convention of kings and queens. Beatrice is trying to prove herself as a trustworthy queen while managing her relationship with Teddy. (Side note: Teddy is kind of a snooze. Where is Connor??). Sam is trying to figure out her deepening feelings for Marshall, and Daphne and Nina are forming an unlikely alliance.

For the most part, I was bored by the plot of Rivals. 90% of the way through the book things began happening at a very rapid pace. Did I like the things that happened? No. Will I read the next book to see how they resolve? Probably.

I often compare this series to the book equivalent of a People Magazine. Normally, I love this, but occasionally there's an issue that doesn't catch your interest. It was still a fast, soapy read, and I feel invested enough in the series that I will probably continue.

Holy Cliffhanger!!! So I totally thought this was a trilogy, but that was definitely not an ending and I need more.

I adore this series, I have come to love these characters and can't wait to see what happens with them...Daphne is still the worst, I don't care if she almost became better that last bit made me go straight back to hating her.

This series has become one that I can so easily stay up past my bedtime just to see what happens next in the alternate version of America that has a Monarchy instead of a Democracy.

I liked the take on this book not focusing on Beatrice and her succession as queen but on the side characters in the previous books. There is a lot going on in this story from Daphne and Nina's joining forces to bring down Gabrielle, the love triangle between Daphne, Nina and Jefferson, Sam and Marshall's relationship to Beatrice's first role in the king's summit.

I enjoyed all the stories and my main complaint is that it leaves on another cliff hanger!! I have to wait impatiently for book 4.

I had been eagerly awaiting the third book in this series—the author does an excellent cliffhanger that always leaves you wanting more. While I still liked the first book best, this gave me the cotton candy, alternate-reality fun book I was looking for and I read it in one sitting. Honestly Beatrice has become my least favorite character and I felt like her storyline was rather dull and juvenile but I loved the character development and growth in all the other main characters. Sam in particular.

First, I am forever grateful to have a chance to read this book in advance; I love this series and am thrilled it is continuing!

This book felt like returning to old friends - both a warm hug, and a dramatic catch-up session. This book is almost all drama - to the point where I felt like some of the motion was lacking? However, I loved the prestige of the League of Kings, my ongoing love-hate relationship with Daphne (mostly hate at this point), and the variety of relationships and what they represented.

And holy woah - that ending! Can't wait for the next installment and I feel like lovers of the series will enjoy this new continuation!

The third book in the American Royals series, Rivals, is a little slow at the beginning. The drama is a little stale, seemingly the same problems as the first two books, It does pick up, and leaves you with a huge cliffhanger, so I did enjoy it more towards the end. I definitely recommend the first two books, and will read the fourth as soon as it is available.

This was. a wild ride that ended in a cliffhanger. I am glad that book 4 is coming. I loved being immersed back in this world of American royalty. I am looking forward to interviewing Katharine. for the podcast in a few weeks.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

First of all, HOW DARE IT END THAT WAY? I HAVE BEEN IN CLIFFHANGER ENDING AGONY FOR EACH OF THESE BOOKS. I JUST WANT A BREAK.

Okay, since that’s out of the way. I’m a sucker for these books. This is the third book in the series, and I continue to be drawn in to each character, the world system (you know, revisionist history) and how the characters continue to develop and interact. I particularly liked Daphne’s development this book, but honestly the star deduction is due to the ending and how it just completely disappeared for the “girls can’t be friends when it concerns a man” trope.

Beatrice is coming into herself as Queen, and I just want someone to give her a big hug and hold her hand and tell her she’s doing awesome. Nina is starting to annoy me because I don’t think she’s doing much for the plot at this point besides be eye candy for Jeff and Sam’s best friend. Sam is one that truly made this book better, especially with the intricacies of her and Marshall’s relationship. Jeff is an idiot and needs a reality check.

Also, yeah, the ending was upsetting but also opens up SO MANY WAYS TO CONTINUE THIS SERIES.

3.5 stars

Here are my two top tips before I really get into this review: (1) Don't try to read this without having read the other two first. (2) Know that this is not the final book in the series. It's going to FEEL like a middle book, and there's also a confirmation that a fourth is coming in the end notes.

All of the folks we love - and those we love to hate, so Daphne - return to this third installment of _American Royals_. Everyone is struggling in their own ways, and this "rivals" setup gets employed in a pretty intriguing manner throughout. As usual, the characters share perspectives here. Beatrice is grappling with her role, her love life, her past decisions, and the idea that she has never had a real gal pal (which is mostly where her "rival" situation comes in). Sam is having similar struggles with her role, choices, and love life, but her "spare" situation (what a gross term) really distinguishes her from Beatrice. Though she has been one of my favorites in earlier books, her storyline fell a little flat for me in this round, and I am rooting for more Sam action in #4. The standout rivalry pairing is with Nina and Daphne (no one is surprised), and it is fun to watch the two of them battle common enemies instead of just each other. These two kept me the most engaged throughout by far.

I enjoyed this book overall, but my knowledge of/relationships with these characters from the earlier novels was vital to that outcome. Some of the scenes feel a little long and the emotions a little intense based on what happens just in this context of this work, so having that background is essential for really understanding and appreciating the characters' current states.

I really need to read this fourth book now. McGee leaves readers with a lot of questions, and I am very much looking forward to the answers!

Katherine McGee blows me away again! I thought this was the end of the series but is there more to come??

Official Blurb:

“Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.

Relationships will be tested.

Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own?

Strangers will become friends.

Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world. When she meets a glamorous foreign princess, she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost?

And rivals will become allies.

Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson. Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison. Can these enemies join forces, or will old rivalries stand in the way? “

Character thoughts:

Daphne- She is definitely one of the most interesting characters in the series. She is willing to do anything to get where she wants. I think that Daphne showed a lot of character growth, but it was all thrown out the window by the end.

Beatrice- Beatrice has been going through a lot lately. She feels as if she has to take it on her own, being America’s first queen. When she finally meets the people who make her feel less alone, they aren’t who they say there are. I just wanted to hug Bee, she’s been through so much.

Sam- I’m so happy that Sam finally found herself! She’s grown up so much throughout the whole series.

Nina- I still love Nina! But surprisingly enough, I don’t think I have too much to say about her.

This book was one of my most anticipated releases for the year and I screamed when I found out it was going to be coming out, especially after Majesty! I had fun reading it and I hold a lot of fondness for all the characters. They’ve got me through the pandemic and given me a chance to imagine a different world. I would say that this book and the whole series is worth a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the first book in this series! I was really gobsmacked by the second book in the series, and did not enjoy it at all. I hesitated about reading the third, but wanted to give the series another chance.

Rivals was interesting. There were still many things I didn't like going on in the story. Nina, Daphne, and Jeff make me crazy. I wish I could read the book without reading about any of them. Beatrice and Teddy still don't seem to make sense to me.

The one thing that will keep me reading this series (besides the fact that it ends on a huge cliffhanger), is that I genuinely loved the storyline revolving around Sam and Marshall. I thought that the struggles they face were really well thought out and were realistic. Their issues surrounding being a mixed race couple, and the issues surrounding their positions in the monarchy were well done.

I liked this one much better than the second, but am interested to see what kind of turns we are in for in the last book. Maybe that one will be the one that redeems this series for me.

Thank you to Random House Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was just...aggressively fine for me. Rivals is the 3rd installment of the American Royals series and follows Beatrice, Sam, Jefferson, Nina, and Daphne as they continue to deal with the fallout from events of previous books.

The thing about this book is that...genuinely almost nothing happened until about 75% of the way through. It was SO boring. I'm also annoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger becuase I think ultimately I just need this series to end.

I did enjoy seeing a different side to Daphne, though I do think almost all of her character growth was thrown out the window at the end there.

I think I just need to be done with this series and I am not the target audience. I think if you love YA, you might like this series. Though I think in particular it is meant for younger YA readers.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview! This book makes up for bookn2 in the series. I very much look forward to the 4th book.

I love this series so much and was thrilled when I learned a third novel would release. I desperately wanted to know how Sam and Nina's tour went, how Beatrice adapted to her role, and how Daphne was behaving. Plus I needed the latest gossip on all their love interests.

This was such a fun read with all sorts of things happening. We get drama and intrigue and plotting and romance. The choices made sense for the roles and evolving ages of the characters. And I liked seeing some character growth.

But I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Without giving spoilers, I will only say that it felt like it went in the wrong direction. On the other hand, it did it's job in making me anxious to read book 4. I hope the wait won't be as long.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy. These opinions are my own.

Beatrice, Samantha, Nina, and Daphne are back! Despite the fact that Majesty was designed to be the final book in the American Royals duology, Katharine McGee returns to expand the world of the Washingtons and other characters in their orbit.

Beatrice takes on the role of queen, overseeing the League of Kings conference. Relating to the challenges of others around her, especially Princess Louise of France, Beatrice finds her relationship with Teddy strained. Will she be able to get her “Protection of the Global Climate for Future Generations” initiative passed and hold on to her relationship?

Samantha, now the heir to Beatrice, finds herself caught at a crossroads in her relationship with Marshall. The two have become the center of the race conversation in the nation. Adding pressure to the couple, Marshall would have to give up his position as a duke should they decide to marry in the future, dismantling the legacy his family has built as the only ducal seat occupied by a person of color. Will Samantha be able to keep her relationship on course?

Nina is doing well in school, looking forward to her second year at King’s College. When her financial aid is revoked due to an encounter with Lady Gabriella Madison, Nina finds herself turning to an unlikely ally: Daphne Deighton. Daphne has her own problems. Her father’s baronetcy is threatened by Gabriella Madison’s father who seeks to position his daughter as the future princess. Will Nina and Daphne be able to take down Gabriella or will they destroy each other along the way?

While the first two novels focused mainly on the drama in and around the palace in Washington, D.C., Rivals expands the world these characters are living in. The League of Kings functions as a way for the reader to meet a slew of new kings and queens, most of them unimportant to the plot. However, the aspect to focus on is seeing how global politics functions with countries governed by monarchies.

There are a few standouts among this group, specifically Louise, Sirivannavari, Bharat, Alexei, Dmitri, and Frederick. Beatrice finds herself becoming part of Princess Louise’s inner circle, which includes an unexpected trip to France. As a reader, I enjoyed the fact that Beatrice found a group of friends at the League of Kings since much of her story so far has focused on her romantic relationships. Between Beatrice, Louise, and Teddy there is some drama, though it is not what you might expect. I found this to be a bit forced, though I understand that the point of the American Royals series is to hype the drama and gossip. I was surprised by the way McGee left Beatrice at the conclusion of Rivals. Based on the cliffhanger, it is clear that there will be a fourth book.

Samantha’s chapters were equally as engaging. Having an interracial relationship as royalty was handled relatively well in Majesty, but Rivals really sought to tackle the challenges of being in the public eye and maintaining a relationship. This was also emphasized by the expectations of both Samantha’s and Marshall’s families and their respective legacies. Both Samantha and Marshall find that their relationship sustains them, but they also feel powerless to their circumstances. Though Beatrice is a balm for Samantha, Aunt Margaret receives the MVP in this storyline and I wish she had more page time. I’m excited to see how McGee resolves Samantha’s story.

Finally, Nina’s and Daphne’s threads are almost inextricable in Rivals since so much of their time is spent together. Prince Jefferson is right when he says that these two are more similar than they think: they know their own minds; they’re stubborn; and they fiercely go after what they want. Seeing Nina and Daphne plot against Gabriella, who is basically Daphne turned up to twenty, was very enjoyable. As a reader, I hope the budding relationship between these two is not irreparably damaged by some of the events in the final few chapters. They’re delightful together.

Overall, Rivals was an excellent addition to the American Royals series. This may be the strongest entry yet as it expands the world but focuses more on the interpersonal aspects of each character. If you like the American Royals series, you’ll be delighted by Rivals and you’ll eagerly be waiting for the next novel.

This series continues to deliver! Majesty (book #2) was crying out for a third book, so I was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on Rivals. Rivals picks up right where Majesty leaves off and is told from the same four points of view of the previous books.

Beatrice is still adjusting to life as Queen, hosting her first international summit. Samantha and Marshall are figuring out what their relationship can look like while the country makes them out to be a symbol of race relations in America. Nina and Daphne find themselves as unlikely bedfellows when they find a common enemy.

This series is compulsively readable, and that was definitely the case with Rivals. Once I picked it up and got immersed in this universe again, I didn't want to put it down. I liked seeing the continuation of many of the stories that were unresolved in the earlier books, but I thought some of the contours of those stories felt repetitive throughout this book. This one ends on another cliffhanger like Book #2 so hopefully we'll finally see some resolution in a future fourth book?

Thanks to Randhom House Childrens and NetGalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited for this book but a little disappointed. I feel like it was almost the same thing as the second book. The ending did get me and I was shocked by the ending. But I feel like it was the same book as the second one almost.