Rating: 4 / 5
I was lucky to join in with a group of book friends on bookstagram for a buddy read of AMERICAN ROYALS by Katharine McGee. The author was even able to join us for our final chat which was a lot of fun!
AMERICAN ROYALS is a YA novel which imagines life in America if George Washington had accepted a crown as king after the revolutionary war instead of the position of president. In this America, the descendants of Washington continue to hold the throne until the modern day and the current king has three children who are the main focus of the book.
Beatrice is the girl who will be queen, the first woman to inherit the crown when her father is no longer in the picture. Beatrice has two younger siblings, twins Samantha and Jefferson. Sam always feels she’s in her sister’s shadow. Second in line for the throne, she feels like she’s just the spare so she often acts the part of the wild child. Jeff is the youngest and America’s darling, though the world is in shock over his breakup with his “perfect” girlfriend Daphne. Rounding out the cast of characters is Nina, Samantha’s best friend.
The book is told from four different perspectives giving the POV to Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne and Nina. Much of the drama of the book relies on secrets and miscommunications, so it is very interesting to see through alternating characters’ eyes. While Beatrice, Samantha and Nina come across as generally positive characters for whom I felt varying affection, Daphne is the perfect villain in her attempts to win back Jefferson at all costs.
This book was a fun, light read with an interesting premise and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for some fun YA contemporary romance drama. The book ends with a cliffhanger which leaves me wondering what will happen next, so I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in 2020.
DG Reads 
1 thought on “AMERICAN ROYALS by Katharine McGee”