BOOK REVIEW: American Royals by Katherine McGee

BOOK REVIEW: American Royals by Katherine McGee

Release Date: September 3rd, 2019

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

4.5 ⭐️ rated by Katie Brownfiel (Instagram: @_katie.reads)

BOOK BLURB:

Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince's heart.
This is the story of the American royals.

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.


KATIE'S THOUGHTS:

I don’t know about you, but I love the British monarchy. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn for Will and Kate’s wedding...and again for Harry and Megan’s. I shamelessly binged The Crown and Downton Abbey, but I was missing a book that could capture those same conflicting experiences of extreme privilege and unparalleled scrutiny, beautiful ceremonies and seemingly inescapable traditions. American Royals (release date September 3) is the perfect edition to any royalty-loving bookworm’s collection.

Set in an alternate timeline in which George Washington became king instead of president, American Royals follows the experiences of America’s 21st century heirs: Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson. Like any other young adults, they face their challenges: deciding what ballgown to wear, choosing which college to attend, falling in love with the one person it would be impossible to date, being swept up in a high-society love triangle. Okay, maybe not all of those experiences are relatable, but the emotional core of their experiences are achingly accurate. Who among us hasn’t been jealous of our sibling or best friend for seemingly having it all? Who hasn’t felt pressure from their parents to follow a certain path in life? Who hasn’t felt lost as they try to decide who they want to be?

The novel is told from the viewpoints of Beatrice, Samantha, Nina (Jefferson and Samantha’s childhood best friend), and Daphne (Jefferson’s social climbing ex-girlfriend). Each woman is faced with impossible expectations, and though they strive to find a balance between societal pressure and their own hopes and dreams, that tension causes significant stress in their relationships and personal lives.

Nina was personally my favorite character because she is the sort of hero you can’t help but root for. As a woman of color with a part-time job and two mothers, Nina is not the woman you would expect to be a prince’s girlfriend, but, at the same time, she is exactly who you want to see in an American ruling family. Just as the world rejoiced to see Megan Markle become a duchess, so too will you want to see Nina impart her real-world wisdom on the monarchy. Plus, Nina is the sort of character you would want as your best friend.

Engrossing and addictive, prepare to have American Royals become your next binge read.
I have to warn you, though.
The ending will leave you dying to see what happens next.