Book Review: American Royals by Katharine McGee

Pages: 448
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Pub. Date: September 3, 2019
Publisher: Random House
Source: Library
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "What if America had a royal family?   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.  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."

Imagine an America that has a Royal Family and a monarchy made up of George Washington's descendants. An interesting concept, yes? Now imagine the usual drama that occurs within a Royal Family - there's gossip, romance, secrets, court intrigue, and more.  Princess Beatrice is next in line to rule and will be the first queen.  Her two younger siblings, Princess Samantha and Prince Jefferson, are also in line for the throne, but they know that Beatrice will do well; after all, America loves her! Since Samantha and Jefferson don't have the pressure that Beatrice has, they can live a little more dangerously than Beatrice who must act perfectly at every occasion.  Beatrice is feeling the pressure to date and find an appropriate match even though her heart belongs to a commoner.  This obviously creates some problems for the Royal Family not to mention Samantha and Jefferson's wild antics. If you love stories filled with gossip and about Royals, you will enjoy American Royals by Katharine McGee, which is the first installment in the series.

Beatrice is the sort of character that you can feel for in American Royals.  She doesn't have much choice in things and has always been responsible as she is next in line to the throne after her father. This is obviously a large burden to bear. Her life has been all about that for years and the idea of doing what her heart desires is a foreign concept to her.  Her parents remind her that she needs to find a good match for America and find someone to help support her when she is Queen.  They introduce her to many suitable and Royal Americans, but no one has captured her heart quite like her bodyguard.  Clearly, this is a major problem in American Royals.

Samantha and Jefferson are twins and since they aren't being groomed to rule, they have more leeway than Beatrice. They take a glamorous trip during their gap year before college and run away from bodyguards on a daily basis. You get the idea.  Samantha is best friends with a Nina, a commoner, and she has become very close with the Royal Family.  Maybe a bit too close, especially when Nina and Jefferson have some chemistry. This can't end well, right?  Then there's Jefferson whom the American public love to swoon over.  Think Prince William (Duke of Cambridge) in the early 90s.  The public is always interested in who he is dating as he is much sought after, but his ex-girlfriend won't easily let him go. She tries to manipulate him at every turn in American Royals and is hiding some major secrets.

American Royals is a soapy escape and reminiscent of Gossip Girl and the British Royal Family. I loved the idea of an American Royal Family and it definitely was a fun concept to explore.  McGee throws some major surprises in American Royals and because of this, I will definitely be picking up book two, Majesty, which comes out this September.  

What do you guys think? Did you read American Royals? Do you enjoy stories about the Royals? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.