Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing this electronic advanced copy for review!

I have overall enjoyed the American Royals series. I really liked the first two books in the series, American Royals and Majesty. However the third book, Rivals, was not my favorite and left me feeling a bit disappointed. But Rivals did end with a huge cliffhanger which persuaded me to pick up this fourth book, Reign. I needed to know how it all ended!

I think the book does a good job of wrapping up plot points from the previous novels but also leaves room for speculation on where the characters will theoretically take themselves in the future. Overall an enjoyable read, full of the fluff and drama that I look for in this YA series.

If you’ve enjoyed American Royals thus far, I think you will find this a satisfying conclusion to the series – I did!

This was a fabulous conclusion to the American Royals series. As always, I love the small comments about the "real" history and how ridiculous it would be to have a democracy over a monarchy in America. In previous books, I've really hated reading chapters from Daphne's point of view because she annoyed me and I wanted to move on to other parts of the story I cared more about, but her internal dialogue in this book was more interesting to me and kept me reading. I loved seeing Bea and Teddy fall in love again, and seeing Sam and Marshall contend with their roles and what they mean. Jefferson is honestly the least interesting character, which I think speaks to the power of a female monarch. I adore Bea as the queen and I love that she got her happy ending. I also appreciated how neatly all the threads were tied up at the end, with every character happy with their own ending. Nina got to just be herself without being tied up in royal drama, Sam got to be a regular person living on her own, Daphne freed herself from her social climbing family, and Bea got to marry her love.

I am so sad this series is over. I loved being with these characters. I love the whole concept of these books and I have grown to love them all (except Jeff) over the course of this series. This was the perfect ending!

I would love to interview Katherine on my podcast, Raise Your Words. This series is a lot of fun to read and I’d recommend this. It’s fast paced and the ending is satisfying!!

The best thing I can say about American Royals IV: Reign is that it's better than the American Royals III: Rivals. I hadn't planned on reading this book because the last was so awful and I HATE gratuitous "cliff hangers" meant as clickbait for sales on another book, but decided that I needed to see the task through to the end, just for closure if nothing else.

The writing is still boring and mundane. The characters are still cliche and flat and mostly unlikeable. I'm guessing that that the ending was meant to set up a new series that's a spinoff featuring either Samantha or Jefferson. Again... gratuitous pandering for future sales.

Maybe some of my more vapid teen students would be entertained by the romance, and despite a (fake) pregnancy it's pretty PG overall.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

The perfect ending to the American Royals series! I loved how everything worked out for all the characters. Daphne’s ending was especially perfect, and I hope there’s a spin-off of her working for Louise. I definitely want to know more about Louise and Alexei, and I want to know who Nina ends up with. My favorite thing about this series is how everyone dates several people. It’s a very realistic way of portraying love. So many books have a couple fall in love and stay together forever, and that happens to some people in real life, but more often than not, it takes a few tries.

I am so happy I got an arc of this book. This was the prefect end to the series. I loved not only how this book ended but also how much these characters have grown over the past few books. I thought this book realy showed not only so many sided of a character. I also loved how the elements of royal life and the compleex of being royal was the focus of this book!! Such a standout read!

I have adored this whole series and this book isn't different. 5 stars!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review!

Genuinely a fun, interesting, and good wrap up for the series. I was a bit tired of the retreading of certain romances that had been decidedly put to bed but fans of the series will be very very pleased.

While it wasn't my favorite of the American Royals series of books, it definitely was a good way to close out the series. Not only were readers treated by callbacks to some of the characters they may have almost forgotten about, story lines got the closure -- or the possibilities--- that the reader so desperately wanted. I also loved that just when you thought "Oh i totally know where things were going"--- well it didn't.

Overall a great way to end the series!

There's comically little I can say about this book without it being a spoiler that's not already listed in the synopsis on everything, so there's that.

I've felt the way about the last few American Royals that I feel about most unexpected sequels: I appreciate getting to return to the world, but I don't need to. I liked the book, it was fine, this was needed given the number of cliffhangers left in Rivals, but there were also parts that were just *eyeroll*. Like, a major event was put off so another major event could apparently happen first, and then they thought "Screw it, let's do it the proper way anyway."

I did love the little nod to Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, though.

Thanks, NetGalley!

I devoured the first two books in this series. This one felt forced, without as much of the dish and commentary on royal life and democracy as the other two. I'll recommend only as it concludes the storylines.

these books are so silly and I can't put them down. what's that? The QUEEN OF AMERICA has RETROGRADE AMNESIA? how are those rascally royals ever going to get out of this one!!!!!

American Royals IV: Reign
By: Katharine McGee
Review Score: 4 Stars

Five Key Feels

-This book hooked me right from the start!

-McGee does such an amazing job of building a world where America has a Royal Family, I love being immersed in it.

-I am surprised by Nina most of all in this story (for several different reasons).

-There were a ton of storylines that need to be tied up, so it felt a bit rushed at times.

-I loved the Epilogue, to see where all the characters ended up.


———

American Royals IV: Reign was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Random House Children’s. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 8/29/23

Yall. The way I screamed when this book popped up in my Netgalley approval list! I have loved all the other books in this series, and I could not WAIT to find out what happened after the last book’s cliffhanger!

This was a really satisfying end to the story. There were quite a few characters (all the way from the first book), so that was a bit disorienting for me as I tried to remember who they were all, but otherwise, I enjoyed seeing how their stories unfolded.

I really enjoyed this last book in this series, and I am sad it’s over!

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #randomhousechildrens #americanroyals #americanroyalsreign #katharinemcgee

What a fitting ending to a great series! I’ve truly loved the American Royals series, and I’m so pleased with how Katharine McGee ended the series (except for one small thing, but it isn’t enough to ruin my love for this book).

I’ve always loved the concept of imagining what America might look like if George Washington was the first king instead of the first president. I think McGee is a genius for flipping American history on its head and creating this alternate universe. But what I loved the most were the strong female characters, watching those characters grow from teenagers to new adults, and seeing that even royals have very real, very normal problems.

I will read anything McGee writes and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for this digital ARC.

Adored the final installment of the American Royals Series! This was a beautiful way to end the journeys of Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne, and Nina. Was there romance? Of course. Deception? Obviously. Power struggles? Without a doubt. But the best part of this book and the series was the strength and ferocity of the female characters. So pleased and I know my students who are obsessed with this series will be lining up to read it as well! Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

(Posted to good reads!)

This series of books has been one full of ups and downs.
*Royals was a five-star for me. It entertained me a lot. Originally, if I'm not mistaken, it was a single book, and the author decided to continue with a series.
*Majesty was my least favorite book. It seems that the author did not know what she wanted to do with the characters. Honestly, it was a book with poor execution and little imagination from the author.
*Rivals the third book was 3.5 stars for me. This book completely changed my image of Daphne, who became my favorite character after being the worst.
* In this last book, Spoilers ahead, I did not like that the author introduced a new romance to Nina like really? we dont need in the last book a new character to create another love triangle with Nina, a character that she believed to be the only quirky girl who likes to read Jane Austen. I also found Beatrice losing her memory so cliche, I can't believe that she didn't come up with something more original than that.
In conclusion, I liked the book, but the ending was a little predictable.
3 stars

First sentence: The sound of a door swinging open, and a sharp intake of breath.

Premise/plot: Reign is the fourth and perhaps final book in the American Royals series by Katharine McGee. The series premise is relatively simple: what if George Washington had been crowned king and his (non-existent) descendants reigned through the centuries. The series is contemporary alternate history. The series introduces us to three Washington heirs--Beatrice (the oldest), Samantha and Jefferson (twins). These young-ish royals have a balancing act on their hands--how to balance drama-filled love lives AND maintain a good reputation in the public spotlight. Beatrice, now queen, is relatively tame--boring, even. She had her love triangle in the first two books, I believe. She chose Teddy, and that's it, right???? Well, what if she has amnesia from that car accident in book three???? Samantha is the 'spare' who loves drama. What happens if she were to LOSE her title and government funding? What if she were to be thrown out of the royal family and walk away from her duties and become a regular citizen? Read and see, I suppose. Jefferson, poor, poor, poor Jefferson. Out of all the siblings, he has NO VOICE because the author chose not to give him one. He exists solely to be the middle of a sandwich. (I jest, mostly). Daphne and Nina are the other two in this oh-so-stupid love triangle. Will Daphne marry her prince? Will Nina move on from Jefferson? (She hasn't in three books...)

My thoughts: There's one big question you may have--if you're like me. DOES THIS BOOK HAVE ETHAN? The answer is YES. Ethan returns. And Daphne's chapters are entirely better for it. Nina also gets a new love interest, another ROYAL interest.

I have a hate-love-hate-love-hate relationship with these books. I don't know ever why I keep reading them, and why I can't stop reading them. The history is SO incredibly pointlessly wrong. The world-building is shallow and unexplained at best. The modern/contemporary world is barely different at all. You know it would HAVE to be different if we were to take the history stuff seriously.

I loved the way most of the stories wrapped up. So I am happy that I've read this one.

look i know this review is supposed to be all professional and everything but i just can’t right now. this series means so so much to me and i just can’t explain it. i loved all four books with my whole heart and don’t even know what to do with myself now. anyways, read the american royals series. it’s worth it.

Katharine McGee's American Royals IV: Reign is a fitting conclusion to the thrilling and captivating series that has swept readers off their feet. Packed with intrigue, romance, and political maneuvering, this fourth installment continues to explore the lives of America's royal family, delivering a satisfying finale that leaves no loose ends untied.

One of the standout aspects of this book is McGee's ability to create a rich and intricate world where the lives of the American royals unfold. The attention to detail in the setting and the exploration of the complexities of monarchy and its impact on the characters' lives are commendable. The author beautifully portrays the weight of expectations and the sacrifices required of those born into power.

Reign thrives on its well-developed cast of characters, each with their own distinct personalities and struggles. McGee skillfully weaves their storylines together, keeping readers engaged and invested in their journeys. From Beatrice's quest for love to Nina's pursuit of her dreams, the characters' growth and personal battles make for compelling reading.

The novel maintains a brisk pace, blending romance and political intrigue seamlessly. The web of relationships and forbidden love interests adds depth and tension to the plot, making it difficult to put the book down. McGee's writing style is engaging, and her ability to balance multiple storylines without losing focus is commendable.

However, one minor flaw in Reign is that some of the plot twists and resolutions feel slightly predictable. While the overall narrative is enjoyable and satisfying, a few moments lack the element of surprise that readers may have come to expect from this series. Nonetheless, the character-driven nature of the story compensates for this small drawback.

In summary, American Royals IV: Reign provides a magnificent end to the saga that has kept readers enthralled from the beginning. Katharine McGee's skillful storytelling and vivid imagination shine through, creating a world that feels both familiar and enchanting. With its engaging characters and intricate plot, this book is a must-read for fans of the series who have been eagerly awaiting its conclusion