American Royals by Katharine McGee
“‘I swear,’ Beatrice had whispered. She didn’t remember consciously choosing to say those words; it was as if some greater force, perhaps the spirit of America itself, had taken temporary hold of her.”
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.
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.
The duty. The intrigue. The Crown. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee imagines an alternate version of the modern world, one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded--and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history.
Um wow. Katharine McGee dazzles with yet another insane set up (!). It’s no secret that I was absolutely fascinated with the Thousandth Floor series (the second two books more so than the first), and I am floored with this brand new, mind-bending plot. I pre-ordered this book, okay?
The idea of an American royal family is insanely witty, and the book sneaks in some clever one-liners about American history, but he character’s lives seem to follow some basic principles we’ve all seen before. The story follows four women living in and around the palace; Princess Beatrice, Princess Samantha, Sam’s best friend, and Prince Jefferson’s ex-girlfriend. The guys are all there to be love interests, don’t really have much going on, and all are pretty clueless except the one who just knows too much. I think that it’s the link between the Washington sisters that proves to be a highlight, as Sam and Bee come to understand and support each other better. All the other relationships fluctuate from one end of the spectrum of the other with alarming speed, and they just keep rehashing the same problems over and over again. I’m not exaggerating; every relationship (platonic, familial, romantic) has a dramatic disagreement on the same topic at least twice. Indecision is probably my least favorite quality in a character, which means that I naturally gravitated toward the one person who knew exactly what was going on and what they wanted to do about it (Hint: they get the least screen time)
Parts of the storyline seemed to create Selection vibes, especially on Beatrice’s end. Jeff’s absolute cluelessness about Daphne was discouraging, but she reminded me of Leda from The Thousandth Floor.
The ending seemed rather abrupt, and nearly every storyline ended with a sudden cliffhanger. I have no answers at all, and it didn’t offer much closure.
Overall, I found the idea of a modern-day royal family interesting, but American Royals didn’t live up to the court intrigue that I was expecting from a royalty buff like Katharine McGee. The plot feels like something I’ve seen before, but it’s the lovable characters that steal the show.
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.
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.
The duty. The intrigue. The Crown. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee imagines an alternate version of the modern world, one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded--and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history.
Um wow. Katharine McGee dazzles with yet another insane set up (!). It’s no secret that I was absolutely fascinated with the Thousandth Floor series (the second two books more so than the first), and I am floored with this brand new, mind-bending plot. I pre-ordered this book, okay?
The idea of an American royal family is insanely witty, and the book sneaks in some clever one-liners about American history, but he character’s lives seem to follow some basic principles we’ve all seen before. The story follows four women living in and around the palace; Princess Beatrice, Princess Samantha, Sam’s best friend, and Prince Jefferson’s ex-girlfriend. The guys are all there to be love interests, don’t really have much going on, and all are pretty clueless except the one who just knows too much. I think that it’s the link between the Washington sisters that proves to be a highlight, as Sam and Bee come to understand and support each other better. All the other relationships fluctuate from one end of the spectrum of the other with alarming speed, and they just keep rehashing the same problems over and over again. I’m not exaggerating; every relationship (platonic, familial, romantic) has a dramatic disagreement on the same topic at least twice. Indecision is probably my least favorite quality in a character, which means that I naturally gravitated toward the one person who knew exactly what was going on and what they wanted to do about it (Hint: they get the least screen time)
Parts of the storyline seemed to create Selection vibes, especially on Beatrice’s end. Jeff’s absolute cluelessness about Daphne was discouraging, but she reminded me of Leda from The Thousandth Floor.
The ending seemed rather abrupt, and nearly every storyline ended with a sudden cliffhanger. I have no answers at all, and it didn’t offer much closure.
Overall, I found the idea of a modern-day royal family interesting, but American Royals didn’t live up to the court intrigue that I was expecting from a royalty buff like Katharine McGee. The plot feels like something I’ve seen before, but it’s the lovable characters that steal the show.
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