Genre: Contemporary/Alternative Universe Romance Age Range: YA Star Rating: 4 stars Series: Yes - second book of duology
*SPOILER ALERT: contains SPOILERS for AMERICAN ROYALS*
Synopsis:
Is America ready for its first queen?
Power is intoxicating. Like first love, it can leave you breathless. Princess Beatrice was born with it. Princess Samantha was born with less. Some, like Nina Gonzalez, are pulled into it. And a few will claw their way in. Ahem, we’re looking at you Daphne Deighton.
As America adjusts to the idea of a queen on the throne, Beatrice grapples with everything she lost when she gained the ultimate crown. Samantha is busy living up to her “party princess” persona…and maybe adding a party prince by her side. Nina is trying to avoid the palace–and Prince Jefferson–at all costs. And a dangerous secret threatens to undo all of Daphne’s carefully laid “marry Prince Jefferson” plans.
A new reign has begun….
Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.
Review:
What draws me to these books is the insane whirlwind and over-dramatic nature of their love lives. It’s just so excessively insane and I love the sheer hedonist escapism of it all. I raced through MAJESTY, wanting to see what bonkers twist would come next. The series is so far from what I usually read – “guilty pleasure” books that are the perfect pick-me-up.
The romances in this book went a very different way from how I had wanted them to go at the end of the first book. Of the three pairings I wanted, not one happened! While being cagey about the ending, one of them really does make sense and the one I wanted… I would have loved it, but I suppose this ending makes sense and probably is more ethical?
The romantic arcs are breakup arcs to start with, largely. Beatrice, Samantha, and Nina have made choices to end their romances, and so have to deal with that – as well as the world watching them. I’m not much of a romantic. Well, I’m not so bothered about the romance. I love where Nina ends up, though. For a book around love and romance, having her romantic arc end there is a nice breath of air – and far more inclusive of different romantic experiences.
Beatrice’s arc is both frustrating to see her go through a world that sneers at her (first American Queen) and because it takes her so long to do anything/realise what’s happening. But when she does, it’s SO satisfying, because there’s all this pent up frustration.
I didn’t like Daphne’s ending. She’s a horrible, self-absorbed character – and I did like seeing everyone realise that about her. She has consistently been my least favourite of the girls, and I had no idea if I was supposed to like her, or if she was meant to be disliked – and thus a really good foil for the others.
However, I didn’t feel she got her just deserts, ending up with a boy who did not deserve her at all – and was just going to get hurt down the line. I mean, it felt like the most realistic ending for her, but not a satisfying. I wanted it to end on her rejection by someone else. When her final scene started, I was hoping she’d say no, she’d complete the arc that had been shoved into her last few chapters.
All in all, a satisfying series ending, and one I will return to no doubt!
Read my reviews of other books by Katharine McGee:
American Royals (this series):
- AMERICAN ROYALS (#1)
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 