American Royals by Katharine McGee

Half a step away in the wheel of alternate universes, George Washington became a king instead of a president. In present day America, his descendants still sit the throne, active and involved in all the day to day affairs of state. The king's three children struggle to define themselves and find their roles in the monarchy.





This is a really tricky book to review. On one level, it's a relatively frothy read, following the relationship troubles of the three children of the American Royal Family. Beatrice is preparing to rule as the first ever Queen Regnant, which apparently also means she has to get married. Go, feminism. Sam(antha) has decided that as she's 'only' the spare, she'll go wild and crazy. And Jeff(erson)...is there also? He's not a POV character; instead we have his axe crazy ex girlfriend, and Sam's best friend, for a total of four POVs.

Bad parts first. The novel has a habit of plunging you into flashbacks without any warning, tense change or font difference to mark it out. I was reading an early release Kindle format, so it's very possible this will be different in the real book, but it did catch me out several times. Secondly, there's a long stretch in the middle where I was reading and reading and nothing seemed to be happening. The plot wasn't advancing, I wasn't getting nearer to the end, it was all just *stuff*.

But those things aside, this is a fun read. I loved Beatrice and how hard she tries to do right, and I loved Sam's confidence. And Jeff...was also there. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book, after that huge change in the closing pages of this one.

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.

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.