A Queen’s Game
Katherine McGee
Publishes November 12, 2024
Thank you and random house children’s for this ARC!

I adore Katherine McGee’s writing. Her American Royals series hooked me with its compelling characters and royal storyline. I’m forever a Bea and Teddy fan. This new novel, A Queen’s Game, is just as intriguing and in a historical setting.

This novel follows three royal women, May, Helene, and Alix. And they are all after a prince. That, however, is where the fairy tale ends.

Each woman holds a different place in royal society with very different family situations. I grew to understand and empathize with each, even when some really terrible decisions were made. The story itself is captivating, but I truly loved the character depth and growth.

I also found it funny that of course the American in the story is brash and pushy.

This book is listed as YA, however there are a lot of references to sexual relations. It’s never described, but I was a little surprised by the numerous mentions. I even double checked if this book was YA. I think YA can mean different things to different people so I wanted to note this.

Like the American Royals series, this first book ends with unfinished business. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes in book 2!

If you liked Katharine McGee's earlier books about American Royals, you will also enjoy A Queen's Game. This follows 3 of Queen Victoria's granddaughters though their personal royal relationships. Even though the setting is the Victorian Era, McGee's writing style makes the reader feel like they are a part of the inner circle.

i received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley.

I think this novel may be a win for young fans of historical romances, but it didn't work for me. It's based in historical reality but somehow feels anachronistic. I didn't dislike the story, but it seems to be a start to a new series. That's disappointing. American Royals should have be one novel, or at most two. I'm not willing to follow McGee into another series.

American royals like but set in 19th century Europe . Absolutely excellent read and I cannot wait for the next (please ) installment. This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A Queens Game was a quick and easy read, full of historical women and their gossip/daily demands. Very similar to her other series, American Royals! I enjoyed the characters story and was definitely left wanting to know about how each women’s love life as well and their friendships would turn out. This may change with publication, but author repeated phrases quite a bit throughout the book - not my favorite. Either way, still a great read!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I had enjoyed the American Royals series from Katharine McGee and was excited to read other books from the author. A Queen’s Game worked with the historical setting that I was hoping for and was hooked from the setting and how the characters worked in this universe. I thought it had that element that I enjoyed from the other books and was glad it was so well done.

I was a huge fan of American Royals, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to the hype for me. I had a hard time liking and being invested in these characters. I still enjoyed it, but not a 5 star like American royals was for me.

4.5 stars.

This is for anyone who loves a good historical fiction royalty romance novel. It is a closed door YA romance. Eddie (future King of England) needs a bride. His grandma picked one, he picks another, and another girl wants him. There are love triangles, court politics, and a lot of longing looks. I was not able to put this down once I started reading. It was so good!

I have not read her American Royals series, but I definitely will after reading this. It was captivating and I can't wait for book 2.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the arc! All opinions are my own..

As someone who would, literally, drop everything to read the American Royals series, I guess you could say I was interested in this one. It's very similar stylistically, naturally, except the plot is set in the 19th century with European royalty. So, different, can't you tell? "A Queen's Game" had as compelling of language as ever. Despite the obvious regency setting, the story really did feel quite modern which made it exponentially easier to read as a modern human. I ended up really digging "A Queen's Game." I mean not as much as American Royals, but definitely a close second. Like, "A Queen's Game" is really the regency precursor to the American Royals series. And then that ending, oh boy, I fear I need more content/answers STAT.

Entertaining read of what I'm sure will be an amusing series. Sometimes found it hard to remember which POV I was reading, but I can often have that with multi POV books

Thanks, NetGalley!

This book is the perfect follow-up to the Dear America and Royal Diaries historical fiction that I grew up reading in the early 2000s. I really enjoyed reading about how all of these young women were tied together (though I have to admit, I did google to find out where they all ended up). Based on where the book ends, it clearly is meant to be a series—though I would have liked for the story to be tied up in one book (similar to the historical fiction novels I used to read). Still an enjoyable read, and one I would recommend alongside Dear America and Royal Diaries!

I was nervous how I’d feel about A Queen’s Game, after really enjoying the American Royals series. Would a new series that is somewhat based on history be able to live up to its predecessor? I actually ended up liking A Queen’s Game more than American Royals.

The novel is based on May Teck, Alix of Hesse and Helene of Orleans, vying to marry various heirs to thrones in Europe. There’s the rivalry, drama and twists that McGee used in American Royals, but I actually found myself really liking each of the princesses, despite the things they sometimes did to each other. Their developing friendships were as intriguing as the relationships they were trying to forge.

The ending was a mild cliffhanger, but it made me really want more! So I’m looking forward to the sequel, whenever that may be.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Katharine McGee for the ARC.

This book was…fine. I expected this to be a standalone novel but unfortunately it appears to be the beginning of a series, and I’m not sure if I will continue reading it. The premise is good- three different young women vying for attentions in 19th century Europe British circles, trying to find love during courting season. But the substance of the book was lacking in my opinion. Nothing substantial happened in this book… lots of gossip and talking, not much progression or development of characters, and no resolution at the end of the book. It felt like it was missing more chapters at the end. Kind of bummed, as I was looking forward to this book.

An enchanting and addictive addition to McGee's canon! I appreciated the historical details and the humanization of the characters. No one was villainized and characters were treated with nuance. I look forward to reading the next installment in this duology.

🤍 Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc 🤍

I absolutely loved the American Royals series, and this book kept up with the signature drama, glitz, and glam of this authors writing.

Sadly, this book was not my jam. I felt like it was too much like her first series and the historical figures really threw me off.

For the reader who loves:
• historical figures dramatized
• all the drama
• multiple POVs
• bingeable reads

★ ★ ★ ☆/5 (3.5 Stars)
Steam: vague open door

I had not read Katharine McGee's other books yet, and now I am so excited to get to read them. A Queen's Game was written in a way that made me want to turn each page as quickly as possible. I am not the biggest history buff, and when it comes to the British monarchy my knowledge is mainly from TV shows like Bridgerton and The Crown. I enjoyed the history part of the book and loved learning more about how intertwined different countries are.

This was kind of a rinse and repeat of American royal. The author obviously took a lot of liberties with the historical accuracy. It’s definitely a work of FICTION. But easy enough to read!

Thank you so much for letting me read this early release book! My tween daughter & I both loved it! We adore Katharine McGee, and hope she writes more stories with strong characters and fun plots. Excited to share this book with my audience!

Big thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC! I loved McGee’s other royal series, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to dive into her latest! This has Bridgerton vibes but with actual historical royals.

Instead of America, we go back to the royals of England and the surrounding countries. We meet three very different girls: May of Teck, a…distant royal cousin; Alix of Hesse, a German royal and one of Queen Victoria’s favorite grandchildren; and Heléne d’Orleans, an exiled French royal. The three girls navigate over the course of a year, dealing with everything from arranged marriage to parental strife, crossing each other’s paths to bring history to life.

I did not realize at first that these characters are based on real people from history, and I actually like that a lot! I think McGee gives them enough fictionality to make these girls her own, while also keeping true to their histories. Much like her original series, McGee gives us three protagonists, and each one has a distinctive voice. While the story jumps from months to the next year, it doesn’t feel inconsistent; it actually feels fairly natural, as we do learn what has happened in the time missed in snippets.

I think McGee did a great job setting up a compelling story with an ending that heavily hints that there’s more to this story, and it does so without feeling rushed or forced. She offers twists and turns that surprised me, leaving me eager to read on and find out what happens next.

If you are a fan of her previous series, a fan of history, or a Bridgerton fan, this book is very up your alley and I cannot recommend it enough. I’m already hopeful for a sequel, because I’m dying to find out what happens!

i thought this book was SO fun. i’ve loved ever book by katherine that i’ve read so there’s no surprise. and i’ll b posting my review on my instagram @vanessas_bookreport soon!!