[Rachel’s Review]: American Royals by Katharine McGee

American Royals
by Katharine McGee
Series: American Royals #1
Pages: 448
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 3rd 2019
Genres: YA
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC
Goodreads

What if America had a royal family? If you can't get enough of Harry and Meghan or Kate and William, meet American princesses Beatrice and Samantha.
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.

Ya know how sometimes you read a book and it’s just so fun that it hardly even feels like reading? This book was like watching a reality tv show or movie play out right before your eyes and I enjoyed every minute of it!

American Royals is an alternative history where George Washington decided to become King instead of President, starting a dynasty that leads to Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson Washington, three siblings who are struggling to mesh together their real and royal lives.

Beatrice is preparing to be the first Queen in American history, and the pressure of all the eyes on her is kicking her stress level up to 1000. She has always kept a tight grip on her emotions and been the model heir, but as the time for her to be Queen draws closer she thinks more and more about the life she could have outside the restraints of royal duty. Caught between the one she loves and the throne she always knew she would inherit, she is desperately searching for a way to bring her two worlds together.

Samatha and Jefferson have always been the fun party twins of the royal family and are each struggling to make more out of their lives than just being the entertaining royals the media wants them to be. Samantha has always hated being the “spare,” the extra heir who she thinks is only around in case anything happens to Beatrice. The last straw is watching Beatrice grow close to the man Samantha cares more for than anyone else in the world. Jefferson, however, is just trying to date his sister Samantha’s best friend Nina, a commoner, without the whole world crashing down around him. Nina’s struggles with the spotlight coupled with the reappearance of “perfect” ex-girlfriend Daphne leads to some major drama. Daphne is a schemer and a terrible person and yet I love her??

This was such an interesting story about family bonds and the struggle between a normal and royal life. I finished it in two days because it was so fast paced and action driven. Plus it had some of my favorite tropes including two people snowed into a cabin together who won’t admit their feelings for one another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Definitely pick this up if you are a fan of reality television, rollicking royals and/or major family drama.