I was slightly dubious upon reading the blurb, considering this book smooths over the actual history of America being built by slavery, genocide and colonisation but hey-ho, I can suspend my disbelief for one book. Which turned out to be the wrong idea. It’s all highly implausible, with so much going on between the characters who barely even interact and a dull and predictable plot.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

American Royals is set in an alternate version of America, where George Washington was crowned and his family continued as the monarchy. Beatrice will become the first Queen of America after her grandfather changed the law when he was still King. She has a brother and sister, Jefferson and Samantha, twins a few years younger.

The idea of the book interested me, I don’t know if it’s the change in history or just the expected teen drama/love triangles which there was plenty of here. Honestly, there was just too much going on I think to really have a stand out character except from the obvious Bee who started grating on me towards the end. And don’t even get me started on Jeff, that boy is written as a complete idiot. Daphne was just annoying and a stereotypical mean girl. Sam was probably my favourite character, but she was so self-absorbed that she was just annoying by the end.

When the second book comes out I’ll maybe pick it up and give it another try, maybe there was so much in this book to set it up for everything in the next one?

2/5 stars

This was a great read, I really love how the characters and their stories worked together giving you so many themes and emotions to get involved with. I couldn’t put this book down!

With a description of Crazy rich Asians meets Gossip Girl I was all over this one!

The story of a fictitious American royal family full of secrets and torn loyalties. The fact there is a great story line here, the writing is brilliant which means you could find yourself finishing the book in one sitting (as I did). I now have been left with quite the book hangover and wanting more!

Sadly I didn't get very far with this book, the prologue starts with a huge assumption that the reader is American and knows American history and I was totally lost as a British born English person. It really put me at a loss to understand the story being told. I knew the premise of the story that was to be told, that's in the title but without any knowledge of American history I assumed it would not be needed or a brief history applicable to the book would be offered.
After the prologue the formatting of the pdf as delivered to my kindle also is way off. One full line of words then one word and its like this throughout, 1 line then 1 word on the next line then one sentance. I was really looking forward to this book but so sad I felt excluded after reading the prologue I had no idea what it was talking about.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m very intrigued to find out what happens next in ‘American Royals 2’. I thought there was just enough drama to keep the reader interested and also surprisingly enjoyed all the historic references. The storyline also reminded me of Kiera Cass’ ‘The Selection’, highly recommended read for any teen.

This book made me laugh, squeal and cry. I'm not usually one for non-fantasy books but this one intrigued me, apparently cliché is my new guilty pleasure, and boy was this one cliché - I loved every second of reading it.

The story is told from the perspective of four different people. First we have Beatrice; she's the oldest sibling, and thanks to the law her grandfather changed she'll be the first Queen of America (whereas before it would have skipped the girls so that the oldest boy was the heir). Next we have Samantha, second in line for the throne and twin to Jefferson (only just older than him). Then we have Nina; a 'commoner' who has been best friends with Samantha since they were children. And lastly we have Daphne; Jeff's ex girlfriend who can't accept he dumped her, but she is determined to win him back for the title and not Jeff himself.

Not sure if you can tell by that summary but I do not like Daphne one little bit. She has multiple opportunities to redeem herself throughout the book but she's power hungry and will do anything to get what she wants. You can definitely see that it comes from her mother pushing her, but I don't think that excuses her behaviour at all. 

I know literally nothing about American history (history has never been my favourite thing to learn about, plus in school we only learnt about British history and Ancient Egypt). I feel like if I did know more about American History I might not like the book as much, but at the same time this book is very much an alternative universe and I think people should remember that this is fiction when reading it.

The book is pretty predictable with who is clearly going to end up with who, but I was still hooked on it and cannot wait for book two

Not being a fan of the Royal Family (even though I am English!), I wasn't expecting to love this book, however I was wrong! I was drawn in really quickly by the relationships between characters and their relatable situations, despite many of them being Royals.

The romances, friendships and familial relationships were all beautifully written, with many twists that I wasn't anticipating. It has been a long time since I read a book that made me want to do nothing else but read to find out what was going to happen next, one that made me laugh and also cry a little. As a huge fan of 'The Princess Diaries' as a tween, I loved the nostalgic tinge this novel had for me. I also found the concept of America having a Royal Family fascinating.

I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel, I'm not sure how I am going to wait a year!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Reading the blurb, I knew this was EXACTLY the kind of book I wanted to read on holiday (and I did!) I love stories that take a historical event, change it and imagine how that would have affected our modern-day world. I also love the Royal Family (being a Brit, you love them or hate them - like Marmite) and I'm obsessed with the Elizabeth / Margaret dynamic in The Crown, I also love a good old-fashioned love story and this had it all.

I don't give 5 star reviews often but I absolutely loved this book and it was perfect pool-side reading. I really don't want to wait until Autumn 2020 for the next book!

The publisher, Penguin Random House UK Children’s, kindly offered me an advanced reader copy (ARC) of American Royals by Katherine McGee via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my humble opinion.

American Royals is such a fun book to read. It's told by 4 perspectives: Beatrice, the heir, Samantha, the second-in-line for the throne, Nina, Samantha's best friend, and Daphne, Jeff's ex. I don't usually enjoy books with so many POVs; 2 is more than enough for me. But the author did an outstanding job with creating a distinct voice for each girl. I always knew whose perspective I was reading without actually reading their name in the beginning of each chapter. Not only were their voices distinct, but the characters were extremely well-developed and fleshed out. What really resonated with me, though, is how relatable all the girls were. Beatrice with the burden of the world on her shoulders, Samantha who was always neglected, and Nina who strove for happiness. To be honest, I didn't care for Daphne at all. As a writer, I understand why they thought her voice was needed to be heard in the story, but I didn't like her character. However, the author managed to even make her a bit relatable. I also loved that their voices were authentic teen voices.

The world the author created was cool. It was a delight to see the changes she made to history. I loved how she showed the double standards regarding Jeff and Samantha and Beatrice and Samantha. But what I didn't particularly like much was the archaic notion of royals not marrying non-royals. This is a modern story, with current references to pop culture, etc, yet the book still featured this archaic notion. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden married our current Queen Silvia in 1976, when she was a German translator to the Argentine consulate in Munich. Our Crown Princess Victoria married her personal trainer. Prince William of England married Catherine Middleton in 2011. And Prince Harry also married a non-royal, Meghan Markle. Times have changed, and there is plenty of precedent. I don't quite understand why this story had to find a crutch in this archaic notion when it could have been more feminist and more modern. This is the major reason why I don't rate it with 5 stars. Furthermore, it's not diverse in any way. Books should reflect our society. Monarchy or no monarchy, no country consists only of white straight people. Representation matters, and we should do better.

Overall, it's a delightful book, and the comps are spot on. American Royals is Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl. It's a fun ride, and I can't wait to read book 2 that comes out in autumn 2020, according to my ARC. Very interesting world-building/alternate history. Extremely well-developed characters!! If you enjoy lighthearted YA contemporaries, you don't want to miss out on American Royals!

4 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Katherine McGee
Publisher: Penguin/Penguin Random House UK Children’s

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I requested this book, but I am definitely glad I did.

Imagine America with a royal family.
Imagine knowing you would be Queen one day.
Imagine knowing you would never be as important as your sister.
Imagine a life where you can't wear what you want, eat what you want, love who you want...

And all the ups and downs of being a Royal, with all the expectations on you.

We are introduced to the Washington family. This is America's first family, in a Royal way.

The King and Queen, and their three children; Beatrice, heir to the throne and on course to be the first-ever female monarch of the country, and in love with the wrong person, Samantha, one-half of the Royal twins, a Princess with a mischevious streak, and is in love with the wrong person, and Jefferson, the other twin, a fun-loving eighteen-year-old, who just happens to be a handsome Prince, fighting off the advances of many, yet in love with the wrong person.

A bit of a running theme there.

Forbidden love.

Connor, a member of the Royal Revere Guard.
Teddy, or rather Lord Theodore Eaton, a prospective groom for the Heir to the throne.
Nina, best friend to Princess Samantha and daughter of a Latino lesbian couple, one of whom happens to be a Cabinet minister.
Daphne, titled socialite, and daughter of a Baronet who has spent every moment of her life preparing to be a princess.
Ethan, best friend of Prince Jefferson, and holding a torch for someone.

It took me a little while to get into the story, but within a few chapters, I was hooked. My Kindle went everywhere with me, and I would whip it out whenever there was a spare moment to read a little more of the story.
I had my own thoughts on what the ending would be, and when it didn't pan out that way, I was teetering on edge.
How could the author leave the book like this?
Then the final page told me that American Royals was due out next year, and I heaved a sigh of relief because I really want to know what happens next!

Many thanks to NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3🌟

A modern day fairytale of princesses, kings and queens. This is a wonderful story of make believe about how America would be like if instead of a presidency there was a monarchy.
I loved the concept of this story, it's something I have never come across before, and the added extras of historical references made it seem more realistic.
We were introduced to four main characters, and the story was told through their eyes:
Beatrice, the future Queen of America. And, the first female to be on the throne.
Samantha, Bea's younger sister who feels pushed aside because her sister gets all her father's attention.
Nina, the commoner who is in love with Jefferson (Samantha's twin brother)
Daphne, Jefferson's ex girlfriend, who will go to any lengths to get what she wants.
While reading this book we forget how young these girls really are, the lives they lead are designed to make them act and be more grown up than they are. I liked reading and finding out all the protocol and scenarios they have to go through, it is a nod to the real monarchies of the world.
All the characters in the story have their own love story to tell, were they face the trials and tribulations of being in the public eye at such a grand scale. This gave the characters room to develop.
I can't wait for the second installment of this book to see what happens next for each one of them, and will they go with their hearts or their heads

I enjoyed this, it’s a little bit cheeky and you can guess who certainly one of the Royals is based on...in fact I remember reading one of the (alleged) exploits in the paper a few years ago...

It’s a cracking holiday read.

3.75/5 Stars

I’m always down for a good royal romance and I definitely did enjoy this one here, even though there were some things that, in my opinion, could have been developed a little better.
This novel is basically all about the characters’ feelings which is okay but following four main storylines all about the same thing, romance and relationships, can also become a little boring. The characters were all quite interesting but I would have really preferred to have some more pages dedicated to actual political/royal problems and their resolutions, maybe with some chapters from a general narrator, instead of a specific point of view.
Overall the characters all had their ups and downs, but my favourites were probably Sam and also Connor.
With this ending, I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, even though I don’t think there will be a lot of surprises relationship-wise because I truly believe that all the couples are pretty much set in stone by this point. Nonetheless, I’m still pretty excited to read the next book!

I enjoyed McGee’s previous series of novels, The Thousandth Floor, and was intrigued to see her take on the alternative history genre with an America ruled by the descendants of King George Washington. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This has a lot of froth but no substance, and although the The Thousandth Floor has interesting characters and an overall plot arc, this just doesn’t really have anything, with a plot that feels contrived, predictable and just dull.

The story is divided into several POV, ranging from Princesses Beatrice and Samantha, both struggling with their responsibilities and falling in love with the wrong people, Daphne the ex girlfriend of Prince Jeff and Nina the childhood ‘commoner’ friend of Princess Samantha who’s having a secret affair. I didn’t find any of the stories particularly interesting, or different from anything that’s gone before them and the voices lack any distinct qualities. At times it was a struggle to remember who’s chapter I was reading as the tones are all very one note and nondescript. They were all too similar to each other, and none of them is developed enough to carry a proper narrative arc on their own.

The character’s individual stories never really intertwine, and their conclusion is incredibly obvious from the start. Even though nothing actually is concluded here, as over the course of the novel nothing at all is resolved, clearly hinting at further novels, which I found incredibly annoying. I also found the whole concept of an American royal house a little bit too absurd. Yes, you can suspend your disbelief for most aspects of the plot and just go with it, but I found that in reality I just wasn’t invested in the concept. The world building itself is none existent, and the reader is never really told how this world has been shaped by Washington’s apparent decision to take a crown. I know very little about American ‘history’, and found that without any background here to support the story, I didn’t want to know it either.

As a positive, I will say that the writing is good and flows well, making it easy to read. McGee has the real potential to turn out an excellent novel, if given the right subject matter. I just wish the subject matter and characters were a little more exciting. Disappointing.

America has a royal family. Weird right? But actually it's quite easy to believe.

Beatrice, Samantha and Jefferson are three lovable royals each with issues of the heart. It's a book of romance, teenage years and professional duties.

I was very sceptical about the concept of an American royal family at first but I actually enjoyed the book. I have seen some reviews which damn this book for giving George Washington a crown, but hell, Trump THINKS of himself as a king so what's the issue? Take it for what it is, fiction, enjoyable and well written YA fiction.

You know how there are certain things we shouldn't love, but we do? Reality TV, terrible sitcoms, trashy magazines? Well, this is my terrible sitcom.

Initially, I rated 'American Royals' three stars, but I have bumped it up to four because I sped through this book, hungry to find out even more about this crazy little world.

This book asks the question 'What if America had a monarchy?' Now, there are a lot of problematic issues that arise by this very question. As a pre-emptive review of this has pointed out, speculating that a monarchy was built on the backs of a mass genocide of people raises a lot of red flags. However, I don't think it's all bad, and I know I am coming from not only a place of slight ignorance as I'm not American, but of enormous privilege too. McGee has not erased slavery or the mass murder of Native Americans and taking of the land from the book- in fact, she highlights it on several occasions. Obviously, as I am not a person of colour or native American, I can't speak for the success of this, but I am very interested for others to read this book and provide their honest opinions.

Let's talk about some good things. 'American Royals' is essentially Gossip Girl with more ballgowns and diplomacy. I LOVED the main character Beatrice and related closely with her struggle of feeling like an outsider and having a huge weight of expectation on her shoulders. The structure of the American monarchy is almost identical to the British one and there are some similarities between Beatrice and the fictional portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in Season 1 of The Crown. It's funny in parts and so stuffed full of drama that you can't help but be glued to it. It's compulsively readable and ends on such a cliffhanger that you'll be dying for the next book just to find out what's happening next. I'm calling it now: some TV studio is going to snap. this . up.

And for the not so good: this book is incredibly white and heterosexual. Ridiculously so, considering it's set in the 21st century. There's [I]some[/I] representation in here that isn't straight and white- one of the characters is Latina with two moms- but it's very minimal and none of them are main characters. As I already pointed out above, there's an issue with introducing monarchy into a country. Moreover, some of the historical background is just kind of...ridiculous? It's clear that stuff has been taken from real life- the mysterious crazy Aunt that they talk about is obviously a Princess Margaret pastiche- and the way they recount the history of the country is by taking the word 'President' and changing it to 'King'. I wish it was a bit more inventive- honestly, this book would have been amazing if it was just set on a fictional island with its own history.

In short, I actually really enjoyed this one. It's an easy read and has left me with such a desire to read royal romances now that I'm begging for recommendations. I'll be reading the second book when it comes out next year (if only to find out what happens next).

Really enjoyed this fun, lighthearted read. I would say that it is more YA than adult but don't let that put you off. Its really enjoyable! Thanks net galley for the copy in return for an honest review.

American Royals is not my usual style of book, however I was surprised by how much enjoyed this book. Whilst the plot is not anything new or ground-breaking I found myself unable to put this book down: think Gossip Girl meets Reign. McGee has masterfully added enough drama, emotion and romance to engage the reader from the start right through to the climatic end.

The story is told from 4 different points of view; Princess Beatrice who is the heir to the throne, Princess Samantha who is Beatrice’s rebellious younger sister, Daphne Deighton the villainous social climber and ex-girlfriend of Beatrice and Samantha’s brother and finally Nina Gonzalez who is Samantha’s best friend who’s only wish is to not be in the limelight.

The story follows the young royals and the people around them as they try to navigate a world with inescapable duty, pressure and unending paparazzi attention. It delves into the internal struggles they face from lack of freedom, lack of direction, uncertainty of who to trust and personal sacrifices required to be made for the good of the monarchy.

The cliff hanger at the end certainly leaves the reader wanting more and I will definitely be on the lookout for the second in the series due out September 2020!

This novel is set in an alternative reality where the USA has a monarchy instead of a presidency, so first off, what an excellent idea for a story ! McGee does a great job of making the royals a very likeable bunch - you can see some similarities with the UK royals but it is small enough that they are still their own characters. The story is well written and the plot is really interesting. All in all this makes for an addictive read; quite frankly I can’t wait for a sequel !