ARC Review: American Royals by Katharine McGee

Title: American Royals
Author: Katharine McGee
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Hardcover, 448 Pages
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019


Summary: When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American. And their country was born of rebellion. As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

I was lucky enough to score an ARC of AMERICAN ROYALS at BookExpo this year, and let me tell you, I was so super excited that I started reading it right there on the show floor because I didn't want to wait! And I'm super glad that I did, because I tore through this book so quickly and just couldn't put it down -- I have so many incredible things to say about it, so be prepared for a really fangirly-type review! So without further ado, let's get into it:

As the summary explains, this story is set in a world where instead of being made president after the American Revolution, George Washington is made America's very first king. So the story is set in modern-day America, with Princess Beatrice getting ready to become America's first queen instead of Queen-consort, ever since a decree was passed that made the firstborn child the immediate heir, regardless of their sex. But Beatrice has more on her shoulders than she wants, suddenly finding herself overwhelmed with responsibilities. And her two younger siblings, twins Sam and Jeff, have a lot more going on in their personal lives than the media would find at the surface. So this story is dealing with each of their personal struggles, as well as the struggles of those who are closest (and also trying to be closest) to them, and what goes on behind the closed doors of the royal palace is more than anybody expected. 

You guys, I absolutely *adored* this book. As someone who is a huge fan of The Selection series and will fall head-over-heels for any type of royal drama story, i knew that this one was going to be great for me. However, I didn't expect to love it AS much as I did, to the point that I can't stop screaming about it, so that was a pleasant surprise! I tore through this book because it was so incredible and I just always wanted to know what was going to happen next. I also really liked the fact that the story was told from an array of different perspectives (such as Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne, Nina, etc.), because you really got to see how miscommunication played a role in the drama, and you also learn more about the characters than the surface-level descriptions you may have gotten if you never got a chance to get into their head. It definitely makes for a really fascinating reading experience, but it wasn't hard to follow along with at all!

Like I said, this book just gave me major Selection vibes in the best of ways. Especially when it comes down to Beatrice and having to take the next steps of her life putting her country in mind instead of her heart. And like I said, I'm a sucker for any type of royal story, so all of the glitz and glamour and beautiful ball gowns and royal events were like candy to me, I ate them up so fast. I've seriously been pitching this book to anyone who would listen to me, because I know so many of my friends that loved The Selection would absolutely love this one, too.

(MAJOR spoilers in this paragraph -- skip to the next one to avoid them!) Okay, so I normally refrain from discussing a book's ending in my review, but I really need to talk about this one for a second, because it gave me literal chills as I finished reading it. I was super sad when the king died because I can't even imagine the pain and anguish they all must be feeling, but that moment where everyone is bowing to Beatrice and the city is silent and she realizes that she's the new queen? I felt literal chills popping up on my arms because it was such an intense, incredible, beautifully written scene. I loved the way that it seemed to wrap up this first book nicely while still promising the continuation of the story in the next book. It wasn't an absolute nail-biting cliffhanger, it left it off on a point of curiosity and worry but also felt wrapped up, in a way? I don't know if I'm making sense, but I loved it all the same.

Overall, I absolutely adored AMERICAN ROYALS, and I can't speak highly enough about it. If you're a fan of The Selection series, then I'd definitely recommend picking this one up, because you get all of that royal drama and heartache and glamour, but in an even more modern setting, which adds to the allure of it. I tore through this book so quickly because I seriously couldn't put it down and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. So yes, I'd absolutely, 100% recommend adding this book to your TBR *right now* (and the Goodreads button is right at the top of this review post, so you have no excuses!). This was such an incredible book and it left me with SUCH a book hangover -- I know I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, and I'll eagerly be awaiting its announcement! 




1 comment

  1. This sounds really good! Im gonna check it out soon :-)

    ReplyDelete

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