I started this book expecting it to be a send up of our young Royals. However, this book blew me away and I personally can’t wait for the next instalment. You really felt empathy towards the characters and the author has left us desperate for more.
Beatrice is the Princess in line for the crown. Told to marry for duty but in love with someone else. Her younger sister Samantha. Fiesty and a rebel. In love with someone she can’t have. , Jefferson is Sam’s twin brother. He’s split from Daphne. Who is desperate for a Prince but not necessarily Jeff. And finally there’s Nina. The best friend of Sam with feelings for Jeff. However, she’s a commoner and Daphne will move heaven and earth to get her Prince.
A fast paced novel. Loved every minute.

Half a step away in the wheel of alternate universes, George Washington became a king instead of a president. In present day America, his descendants still sit the throne, active and involved in all the day to day affairs of state. The king's three children struggle to define themselves and find their roles in the monarchy.

This is a really tricky book to review. On one level, it's a relatively frothy read, following the relationship troubles of the three children of the American Royal Family. Beatrice is preparing to rule as the first ever Queen Regnant, which apparently also means she has to get married. Go, feminism. Sam(antha) has decided that as she's 'only' the spare, she'll go wild and crazy. And Jeff(erson)...is there also? He's not a POV character; instead we have his axe crazy ex girlfriend, and Sam's best friend, for a total of four POVs.

Bad parts first. The novel has a habit of plunging you into flashbacks without any warning, tense change or font difference to mark it out. I was reading an early release Kindle format, so it's very possible this will be different in the real book, but it did catch me out several times. Secondly, there's a long stretch in the middle where I was reading and reading and nothing seemed to be happening. The plot wasn't advancing, I wasn't getting nearer to the end, it was all just *stuff*.

But those things aside, this is a fun read. I loved Beatrice and how hard she tries to do right, and I loved Sam's confidence. And Jeff...was also there. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book, after that huge change in the closing pages of this one. 3.5 rounded up over all.

Whilst I wouldn't regularly pick up this type of book, when I read it was a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Gossip Girl, I was tempted as I have to admit to having loved both as guilty pleasures when I was looking for a bit of escapism. And this book delivers what it promises - a great fun, easy read that will definitely appeal to the YA market, and it certainly worked perfectly for a book I could read in one day while sitting in the sun.

The book reimagines America if George Washington had become its first King rather than President and follows the story of the current Royal Family. For the first time the next ruler is going to be a Queen rather than a King. Told from the perspective of four different women, including the future Queen Beatrice, the book combines romance, drama and a peek into how we imagine life in a Royal Family must be. The only criticism is that the ending is a little frustrating, leaving plenty of loose ends, though once you turn the final page and realise the next book is already in the works that makes more sense - and I have to admit I will probably read it to find out what happens next and for my next dose of escapism!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy.

American Royals is the first in a series from Katharine McGee. It's America as we know it, but instead of a President ruling the country, a king does. One in a long line of successors from America's first king George Washington. And for the very first time, thanks to a change in the successor's act, America is to have their first Queen, Princess Beatrice. While still young at 22, she has trained to be a queen since the day she was born. She understands there is Beatrice the person and Beatrice the queen and knows the sacrifices that come with her crown. So when her parents pressure her into dating some eligible bachelors she agrees, even though her heart isn't in it. She's secretly in love with someone else.



Her younger sister Samantha feels like she's nothing, forever to be Beatrice's younger, wilder sister. A spare part, 2nd in line. She envies her sister and the way America adores her. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger at a party has a spring in her step, though trouble is always around the corner with Samantha.



Samantha's twin brother Jeff has split from a 3 year relationship with Daphne and is now falling for Nina, Sam's best friend and daughter to the Minister for Treasury. Nina is hesitant though. Despite knowing the Washingtons since she was 6, she isn't ready for a public relationship and all the pressures that come with it. Daphne is also determined to get back with Jeff but to what ends?



The book was a fun YA book, a little bit too long considering there are multiple points of view (Beatrice, Samantha, Nina and Daphne). It doesn't get confusing but I think having 4 POVs did slow down the pacing at times. It also meant that you'd just be getting into one person's narrative and looking forward to what was happening and then it would change. The tones never changed that much either and I do think it might have benefited from having the POVs from the men in the book. Perhaps that will happen in the next book in the series? Part of me likes the idea of reimagining American history. There were hints to the troubled past America has, such as slavery, and while it wasn't expanded upon, I'm glad it wasn't erased entirely. It does raise a question of the idea of a white monarchy in a country that already had native peoples and the fact that the whole point of the American Revolution was to get rid of a monarchy. That's the part of me that didn't like the reimagining part. However I did manage to cast that aside while reading it, as what the book does well is that it's like a soap opera. I could easily imagine it as a TV show. It was a very entertaining and light read, a fun YA novel that teenagers will enjoy.

Mostly a fun read, imagining a royal family for America and getting an insider’s view of how truly human and flawed they are with their rather “unroyal” behaviour behind closed doors and even in the eyes of their “people.” I went into reading this with the expectation of it being like Gossip Girl times 100, and I wasn't far off!

From the typical sibling squabbles to the fawning deceivers, who can be trusted? Some beautifully quirky and fun moments, some heart-wrenching moments and moments that will leave readers scratching their heads. This family is as real as any commoners, all while having to keep a regal public persona. I felt the pace in some places felt a little rushed, but I was completely bowled over by the ending!

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋
This was so different and very enjoyable to read.

The characters so interesting and intriguing, all with different aspects to their lives but all in similar situations, looking for love , honour and a way to find the perfect life for them .

The future monarch loving the wrong man , needing to marry for the country and not her own wants .

The Spare falling for someone she can’t have because his duty takes him elsewhere.

The Prince loving a commoner, duty says she must have a title, but does he care enough to see when the person he trusted is using him.

The best friend who loves the Prince like a brother , but has a secret desire of his own .

The fiancé , who is marrying because you can’t refuse the future Queen , even if you heart lies elsewhere.

The Bodyguard, who’s loved his unreachable lady for so long , and knows it’s never to be.

The Ex , deviously plotting her next move , removing the competition in any way she can .

The friend who loved the Prince from being children together, can he see her worth , and can she deal with the fallout of the press .

It’s devastating in it complexity, and very moorish reading.
You’ll be hooked for sure .

Note this is not the full story just the first instalment.
Sad but true , I didn’t know and felt a little let down at the end ,
Hence the four stars, not five.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

I would like to thank netgalley and Penguin for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and can't wait for the next one!

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I read it in a day. The writing was quick and easy to read. Samantha was very quick witted and along with Nina, they were my favourite characters.

This book was a fun, entertaining read. The premise is simple, what if America has royals like in the UK.
It was funny at times. Unfortunately it fell a little flat when it comes to a proper plot or real character development. But, the idea is definitely interesting.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome to the American Royalty! It’s here that we meet the monarchy of America, or shall we say it’s children.

The future Queen of America, Beatrice, has been getting ready for this role her entire life. She’s been learning the ropes and gaining an understanding of the politics in readiness for the moment she is required to step up, even though she has been doing this, it completely throws her when her parents suggest that it’s time that she found a ‘husband’, this is where everything starts to go downhill.

Not only does Beatrice panic at the small pool of prospective husbands to choose from but she also realises that she’s already in love, a forbidden love, a love that she is unable to pursue.

Although Beatrice’s siblings do not have the same amount of pressure on their lives, they still struggle to be part of their ‘Royal’ household. Princess Samantha and Prince Jefferson are both a little wild and have had to be brought back home from their ‘gap year’ because they keep ditching their security detail! Much to their dismay they now have to ready themselves for a Ball.

Samantha, always ready to get into mischief meets a very lovely fellow at the dreaded ‘Ball’ and persuades him to meet her in the cloakroom and things get a little heated, however not all as it seems and as it turns out Teddy is there to meet Beatrice, the future King consort!

Meanwhile on the terrace Nina, who has been friend with the twins for like forever, has slipped out for some air and is interrupted by Jefferson, who then apologises for his behaviour at Graduation, to which turns into a long-awaited kiss.

Lastly, we have Daphne, who is trying her best to get Jefferson back, she will get him back at any cost, but will Ethan, his best friend ruin her chances?

The format of this novel is set out in the POV of – Beatrice, Nina, Samantha and Daphne. The story is folded into each character’s point of view and is easily followed. I felt that these characters were well written and encompassed a level of understanding of each of their roles, the future Queen, the ‘spare’ sister, the friend who turns into a flame and then the ex-girlfriend who is so manipulative and just cannot let go. Although I did enjoy this novel I did find it a little repetitive at times and kinda slow on the uptake. It could have been shorter and more defined, but ultimately a nice holiday read.

A romance set in an alternate history, American Royals is a story about the four young women of and around the royal House of Washington. There’s Beatrice, the Crown Princess groomed to be the first Queen of America, her younger sister Samantha, a wild child, Sam’s childhood best friend and her twin brother Jeff’s secret girlfriend Nina, and Jeff’s ex and social climber Daphne. Each of them have complicated romances, set against their intersecting and complicated lives, and their wants and desires. Bee is falling in love with her bodyguard, which is ill-advised as she is being married off to Sam’s crush Teddy; Daphne is scheming to get back into Jeff’s life while Nina is trying to figure out how she fits into his.

Firstly, the plot and writing shine in this book. The perspectives are varied, and the voices are distinct, with the change of PoV hardly distracting from the story of another. Additionally, while this is technically about romance, duty and power, the story is more about these young women themselves than about their love life; the men are, for the most part, too boring to be of interest, to be frank. Their personalities are also set against each other well – we have Bee and Daphne both having a public face for the adoring masses, but while Bee’s private face is one of anxiety and duty, Daphne’s is that of a schemer and she is the antagonistic character. Similarly, while Sam and Nina are both facing the ire of public opinion, one is seen as a spoiled princess while the other is seen as a gold-digger. And yes, Sam and Daphne are both terrible in different degrees – Sam holds her sister’s engagement against her even though she knows it is more political than for love (which was an overreaction for a guy she kissed, like, twice), while Daphne deliberately harmed a friend and is out to ruin Nina’s life. And all of them are entertaining to read through.

However, there’s the fact that this alternate history setting comes across more as a fantasy monarchy version of America than actual re-imagining of history. The world-building is very sparse, and it glosses over what changes could’ve happened, and practically wipes away the whole complicated mess that is American history with the brush of ‘it was a monarchy so things worked out quite well’. Not only that, it then goes further to suggest that because of America never ‘inventing’ democracy, no other notable European nation employed it either (I don’t know what this means for the World Wars, so it brings up a lot of questions again, but let’s not go deep into that here). It basically goes like – so what if in the current world, America always had a monarchy instead – without any much thought in that direction; and honestly, if that was just the route it wanted to go, a dystopia setting like The Selection would have been more its speed.

Overall, while it is an engaging read, it doesn’t utilize its setting well.

This book was really not what I expected and sadly just not my thing. The story focuses on an alternative America that has it's own Royal Family and ........ well that's about it unfortunately. No real character development or plot and I found it all a bit silly and irritating if I'm completely honest, particularly the King's 'illness'!
I hate to be so negative and I'm sure this would be a good read for others but it's 1 star for me unfortunately.

***SPOILER FREE REVIEW***
American Royals is a book with such an imaginative storyline. I loved The Thousandth Floor series by Katherine McGee so was really excited to be able to read this book early.
I was hooked by the idea this book was based on - George Washington becoming the first King of America. I don’t really know my real American history being a Brit but it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this story.
This isn’t a five star rating for me because compared to her previous books some things about the writing did annoy me a little or seem a little sloppy in places but hopefully these things will be fixed in the finished copy, which I will be buying! Also the ending almost left you at a real cliffhanger like you were waiting for answers and just gearing up to see what happens but you will have to wait for most of those answers until book two. So maybe wait to read this until nearer book two is released if you don’t like that kind of ending!

I really enjoyed this book, despite the rather confusing start. We get introduced to so many characters right from the bat and it proved complicated to remember who was who. The plot is more romantic than political. Each girl vies for the affection one some other boy and although it's entertaining to read, I only found Daphne and Ethan's dynamic actually interesting.

I'll read the sequel for sure, but I wish there was more political conflict rather than romantic conflict.

DNFed halfway through.

I really, desperately wanted to love this book because it sounded like such good summery fun, but it just didn't work for me. The first 100 pages or so were interesting enough, however it just couldn't hold my interest after that. It's a bit harsh to say this book was boring but...

I really think that American Royals would have been an infinitely better book if it were written for an adult audience rather than a YA one.

I thought I’d give this book a go as a light summer read. It’s not the sort of thing I’d normally select, but I was enjoying it very much. However, I found the way it ended really irritating. There was no resolution whatsoever. It’s made clear that this book is the first in a series, which is fine, but each book in a series needs to stand on its own, it can’t just be chopped off abruptly.. There are several strands running through the story, not one of them was resolved, leaving me feeling unsatisfied and a little bit cheated. Epic family series can be great, but you have to give your reader an ending to one strand at least, whilst maybe weaving in something that will be a bigger plot line in the next book. I’d give the second book a go, but I’d be approaching it with some trepidation. Fingers crossed it will be more assured.

This is a teenage story about The Washington family who happen to be the monarchs of America. Yes thats right. Instead of breaking away from British Monarchy, they copied it and America is ruled by the descendants of George Washington.

There are 3 teenage kids of the ruling monarch, Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson, Beatrice is next in line to be Queen and lives a life of duty and responsibility, while the other 2 have more freedom.

This is a satirical take on what life would be like, it was well written, but it read like a teenage soap opera. I thought it was okay, but i have no interest in reading the sequel as i feel its a bit too young for me.

Teenagers will love it though.

4 stars

This book is based on the premise that George Washington became the King of America and his ancestors are still in the place of royalty. We have the King and Queen (who we barely see) and the Queen to be Beatrice, her brother Jefferson and sister Samantha.
I really enjoyed the sibling dynamics and the different personalities, the general storyline and the gossip girl like feel given to a story about Royalty. It is an easy but quite long read.
Each of the siblings had their own stories and we saw things from their points of view as well as Samantha's best friend and Jefferson's ex girlfriend. I enjoyed that we got so many POV although I wish we had more from the King and Queen as this would add an extra dimension to the book. At points it was rather teenagerish and I wanted to tell the characters to grow up!
The writing was good and here was a nice flow to the book. It was almost a 3.5 star for me but I upped it to 4 stars because I have been thinking about it alot since!
I look forward to seeing how the next book continues.

I received this e-book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not really my thing. A bit too frothy and smacked of the Princess Diaries, something I think teenagers will enjoy but not for me.

DNF at 18%. I enjoyed the first chapter but found the switching of POV characters really jarring, making it difficult to build up sympathy for specific characters. I loved Princess Beatrice but found the other characters annoying, especially Daphne.

The concept is really fun, so I'm sure it will be a popular read, it just wasn't right for me.