As a social studies teacher, I always love alternate history what-ifs. Every character is fleshed out and realistic (even the royals), and there was far more of a plot than I was admittedly expecting. This series has something for everyone and should appeal to a wide range of ages (it was a student who begged me to read the first one so she could discuss it with me).

I really enjoyed reading this novel and it was so much fun and escapism. I think my students would love the romance and the world that the characters inhabit. I really liked the incorporation of the issues of privilege, whether of race or wealth, that this book added to the interaction between the characters. I also thought that the character of Jefferson finally got more depth like the other characters have had before. I really loved the dynamic between Nina and Daphne throughout the novel and that was also the biggest issue I had with the novel was how that played out in the end. I felt like all the character development was destroyed in the last few chapters with these two which was the most intriguing part of the novel for me.
That being said, I am super curious as to what would happen next and would read another book about these characters.

This book was so good and exactly what I wanted it to be! A lot of people seem to be saying they didn't enjoy it as much as the rest of the series, but I loved it.

Ugh!!! I just love this series but it makes me sad that it doesn’t feel quite the same! However, I still really enjoyed it!

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

Yes, this is a children's book. Yes, I am 42 years old. Did I jump a the chance to read the third book in this far fetched series that wonders, "What if George Washington became king instead of president?" You betcha!

The next chapter in the saga of royal siblings, Beatrice, Samantha and Jefferson, does not disappoint. Of the three, I would have to say, I enjoyed this the most. We follow the ups and downs of the siblings' love lives, while dabbling in foreign relations. Of course, the story is over the top and silly and like its predecessors left the door wide open for the next book...stay tuned.

I absolutely devoured the first two books in the American Royals series and, unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to the previous installments. Did I still enjoy it? Yes. Will I read book 4 when it comes out? Absolutely. Should you read this book if you liked the first two? I would recommend it. Just go into it with tempered expectations.

Personally, I didn’t feel that there was enough of a compelling plot driving this book. Especially with the alternating perspectives, I found the book very easy to put down, which is not usually the best sign. Only two of the four perspectives had my attention for most of the book, so when I got to chapters from the POV of characters I wasn’t invested in, I didn’t feel the urge to keep reading.

All in all this was an easy and fun read but fairly forgettable. I’ll be looking forward to the next one and hoping for a more compelling storyline for the characters I have gotten invested in.

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODDDD *inhuman screaming*

Okay, now that that's out of the way, who gave Katharine McGee the right to play with my emotions that way??? That ending oh my god I will never be over it! I need the next book now!
Rivals was so entertaining, and so much fun to read.
Daphne, though I hate her, is one of my all time favorite characters ever. She is written so. Well! She is so dynamic, and so interesting. I even felt *slightly* sorry for her in this one.
Beatrice, oh Beatrice. She started off as insecure as ever but she had some amazing growth as well!
Nina and Sam were fantastic as well, and I am excited to see where they end up as the grow!

All of the stars, all of the awards to Katharine Mcgee and Rivals!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Katherine McGee, and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't sure this series could get any better than it already was, but Katherine McGee totally rocked it!
Our characters are pretty much where we left them after the second book. Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis, but as things get more serious the outcome could not be what they hoped for. Beatrice is still with Teddy, but a new friend may interfere with their relationship. Finally, Nina and Daphne have always competed for Lord Jefferson, but now they both have a new rival that's also competing for Prince Jefferson's heart.

I LOVED this book as much as the first two. I won't say too much as to not give anything away, but it was great. Bottom line: I loved that Beatrice and Sam were both not only more outspoken, but also more true to themselves and didn't try too hard to fit the mold of other people.
I also liked that Nina and Daphne were less catty to each other and more kind. I am so excited to recommend this book and the series to others!

I had an absolute blast reading the first two books in this series back in 2020 and got quickly invested in all the drama, romance, scheming, and royal mayhem in this series. That said, this most recent installment was a bit of a slog, unfortunately. There just wasn't enough plot to sustain this book, and because of that, it felt like everything was repeated again and again in each chapter which got incredibly tiresome to read. Also, we've been following these same characters for three books now and every time it feels like one of them has had a breakthrough or enemies have become allies, or romantic relationships are progressing, all is quickly reverted for the sake of prolonged drama that no longer feels necessary. As usual we ended on a cliffhanger and I'm intrigued by the possibilities it opens up, especially in regard to Jefferson's POV should there be more books (I very rarely say this IRL but in this case, LET THE MAN SPEAK!) but I sort of hope the next book wraps up this overall interesting and entertaining series while there is still enough story to tell.

So glad we got a third installment in this series. The second one was great- but I needed more ends tied up. So glad we got more time with these characters.

I recieved an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

7/10 stars - If you enjoyed the previous American Royals books, you'll enjoy this one, but I do not recommend starting with this book - to understand the dynamics and cast of characters, you truly need to start with the first book.

I enjoyed the evolving dynamic between Queen Beatrice and Princess Louise, as well as the amusing other new younger international Royals introduced. It gave Beatrice a completely new cast of characters to interact with, and I loved it!

The one major meh from me was the introduction of Gabriella Madison - it felt almost like the author needed an antagonist to keep the Nina/Daphne/Jefferson drama going so she threw Gabriella into the mix. The whole triangle (square?) felt rather tired compared to an otherwise frothy and amusing book. I could tell the author was trying to make Daphne a more sympathetic character, but I'm not sure that's really possible given the laundry list of truly awful things she's done. .

I will definitely be back for book 4, but am hoping for some new plot lines and fresh characters.

I was glad to be back in the world of the American Royals although this one felt a little more cookie-cutter with even less believable plots than the previous books. I liked getting to know Daphne and an unlikely friendship between her and Nina led to some welcome surprises in the storyline. Sam and Marshall's relationship drama was more predictable but fine, but I wondered why Sam and her brother had basically no interaction. I still recommend this series as a great 'beach read' type book that has good writing, a fast-paced plot (even if predictable), and charming characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Truthfully if it wasn't from Netgalley or from the library I wouldn't continue with the series. I am annoyed that I am invested. I know this book is written for a younger YA audience but I love the idea of this book. It bugs me that it has SO much potential but every new book every character becomes some one entirely different. I also dislike when characters are so clueless and would never ever act how a normal person would act, let alone someone royal (I am looking at you Jeff) I get so frustrated when I read this book because I want to love it. I really think the premise was genius and so unlike anything I've ever read but it always reminds me of a badly written soap opera and I read mostly for entertainment and this is even too all over the place for me.

I am not okay.

I finished this book yesterday and I am still just dumbfounded at how this ended. I want to be mad, but also I'm not? Like the sheer audacity to set up a 4th book like this is great I won't lie but UGH. WHY.

I wanted this book to have a gracious ending, and maybe that is my issue with it is that I didn't get what I wanted. I found myself wanting more throughout the middle of this book. It started to drag a little for me and really without any real substance or drama for my liking. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely some drama and it felt intense, but idk, I was missing something. I did like the League of Kings content and really getting a bigger understanding for how this world works with a royal monarchy in America. This book also tackled some bigger topics like gender roles, privilege, and racism more than the other ones have before so that was a great piece to this book.

When I read the first two books of this series I loved all of the POV's with Beatrice, Sam, and Nina. Daphne? Despised her. But in Rivals I found myself just wanting to get to her POV as fast as possible. Her character growth was something I didn't expect to appreciate (or start to, in true Daphne fashion things changed). I really wanted this book to have more for Nina. She deserves it all and every time I feel like she draws the short stick as far as wins go. I was also surprised to find that I was looking forward to Beatrice's POV the least. She was my favorite but for some reason I could not get with it this time around. Sam though, oh I just loved her in this one. I kept WAITING for her to figure out the resolution to her and Marshall's situation.

I could tell something was going to go down at the end about the 85% mark when things started taking a quick turn and I realized there wasn't going to be time to figure it all out. All I have to say is when that next book comes out (because it has to at this point right?) it better be the best damn book of this series because it is set up to be. My expectations are already too high lol.

This book was a crazy ride. I never knew whether I should be rooting for the characters or despising them, usually both. It definitely satisfied some of my issues with the second book, but it’s left me with so many questions for the future of the series! I didn’t love how much parts of the book mirrored things in the other two novels, making me feel like I’ve read it before, but I guess that’s also how life goes some times. That certain people are stuck in endless loops. I just would have liked this book better if someone had escaped the loop.

This book hurt me. Was it great? Definitely! It’s just that it left me with so many emotions for everything the characters went through during this book. I loved the character growth we saw from the girls, but I didn’t really love the fact that I felt like there was also some regression at the end, like we’re trapped in this endless cycle of the books all ending with everyone either miserable or oblivious to what’s going on around them.

I have loved this series. This one was no different. I love how the author has kept this storyline going. I was pleasantly surprised to see some good character development. I’m hoping for a 4th book because I need some answers and closure! I really enjoyed this one.

This was so fun, and I really want for this series to be turned into a CW series.

Though Beatrice continues to be the main character, both Daphne and Nina get their time in the spotlight too. I enjoyed getting to know both of their characters better, especially Daphne, who is humanized in this book.

The thought of royalty in America can seem so unfamiliar, but the setting and backstory are all so well written that their world is easy to understand. Though the book was a little slow at times, it was really enjoyable. The tension went from about a 17 to a 100 in the last few chapters of the book, and I could not read it fast enough. I need a fourth book now.

I LOVE the world that Katharine McGee has set up in the American Royals series. I love the concept of America as a monarch and imagining what that would look like (such as Hawaii still being it's own country!). I really enjoy the focus on creating strong female characters throughout the series. It is all so fun.

I have really hated Daphne's character throughout the series, and finally enjoyed her story. She is finally learning the meaning of true friendship, even if she was trying to manipulate someone else as it happens.

In previous books I felt that each character's story intertwined a bit more than in this installation. Daphne and Nina were certainly intertwined, but Samantha and Beatrice were very different storylines than the rest of the book, especially Beatrice. It felt like she could have been her own standalone book rather than being interwoven into this book. Alas, this book was setting the scene for the fourth installation.

I would love a quick sketch of a map of what the country looks like with the different dukedoms. This would help visualize where every place is, especially when you read the books with time in between. Also, it feels like Jeff's point of view should be worked in every once in a while. He feels like a main character, but we never know what he thinks or what his motivations are.

I can't wait for book 4. I'd also love it if this got turned into a tv show on some streaming service.

I never use this word but Y’ALL. I finished American Royals III: Rivals last night and you’re not going to see this review for a while but…I am UNWELL. I am so torn. The reader in me is shocked, the fan in me is livid, and the writer in me is impressed. First of all, Majesty was PERFECT. I enjoyed American Royals but really only cared about Beatrice’s POV. Then the world and plot just blossomed in Majesty, since it was originally supposed to be a duology. But due to reader interest, McGee was able to secure a deal for a book three…and it seems a book four.

I think Rivals is the book that suffers from Middle Book Syndrome, trying to set up so much for the final installment, but at the expense of the characters that will anger some readers. This is so hard to do without spoilers. I haven’t been that shocked and angry reading a book in a long time but also impressed! McGee is ballsy with these characters. I AM SO TORN. I loved so many aspects but also felt it dragged yet I love the world. It’s a roller coaster, clearly.

What I Liked:

Daphne’s Character Arc—Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d type that. Although there is a moment towards the end where I facepalmed myself and was like “no no no! don’t do that!” and I still don’t know how I fully feel about it.

The Expansion of the World—I’m fascinated by the history of the America with a monarchy, which lead to most other countries keeping theirs! I want more of it. Give me the historical fiction/romance, Katharine! I want it all.

Action Late in the Story—It kind of felt like there was a lot of nothing until the last 17% of the book. Then I could not put it DOWN.

What Didn’t Work:

Action Late in the Story—But at the same time, why did we have like 50% of the book not matter?! Make every page count or edit.

Too Much Exposition/Philosophizing, not Enough Expansion of the Plot—I kept looking at the page count and knew there was no way everything could be wrapped up and while I’m sure that’s fun, UGH it’s frustrating as a reader.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: N/A Overall Rating: 3.75 but 4 for the end
Content Warnings:

Blackmail, car crash, drug use