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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
High hopes that fell flat. A little to whiny but an interesting and fun concept.
I listened to this on audiobook. This is an interesting take on what life would look like if America had been a monarchy, and how the royals would live. Of course, in a YA intrigue/romance way. It was a light read with a different perspective so I will be picking up the sequel.
So cheesy and crazy. The drama and secrets is definitly the best aspect, however the relationships and characters feel very surfacelevel. Hoping to delve depper in the sequel.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
American Royals was such a fun story to read. I was expecting something a little different, but I loved the story anyway. McGee really succeeds in pulling me into the story and getting me invested in her characters. We follow four different perspectives. Four different love stories, sort of.
First, there’s Beatrice. She’s the firstborn, the heir to the throne, and the first-ever Queen of America. The expectations of her role weigh heavily upon her shoulders, but she handles them with grace. She loves someone she can never marry. And gets engaged to someone perfectly suitable. I really enjoyed seeing the struggle between her duty to her country and following her heart. We were given a beautiful view of the heir to the throne and what really makes her who she is. She was just a girl, a girl who was destined to be the leader of her country.
Next, is her younger sister, Samantha. Sam sees herself as the spare. A girl with no use. It’s very interesting to see how Sam wanted to matter like Beatrice does, but Beatrice wanted to be as free as Sam was. I didn’t love Sam’s choice of love interest. It seemed a bit insta-lovey and I just didn’t care. I wanted her to get over it and move on. I loved Sam’s relationship with her twin brother, Jefferson. They were as close as siblings to get and I loved it. But I didn’t totally understand why they excluded Beatrice.
Jefferson, or Jeff, recently broke up with his girlfriend of three years, Daphne (who is perspective number three. Jeff was a bit shallow in the sense of his motivations and goals. He’s going to go to college but what he wants to do is never really explained. He seemed more there to be Sam’s brother and to be a love interest to various characters. I liked him anyway. He was kind and thoughtful and willing to fight for what he wanted.
Daphne was more or less a villain. I couldn’t help but like her. She was devious and manipulative, but endlessly clever. She knew just what to do to get what she wanted. I really hope she gets away from the expectations of her parents in the next book and chooses to do what makes her happy instead of what they want her to do.
Finally, there’s Nina. Nina is Sam’s best friend. She is the second girl vying for his heart. I really liked Nina. She was our sense of normal in all the royal shenanigans. She goes to college and lives in a dorm, but her life is turned upside down when the press catches her and Jefferson together. I wish she’d been a little less concerned about what the world would think of her and how they wouldn’t approve of her being with Jefferson. Her insecurity was a little annoying because she would be over it and determined to make things work with Jeff and then a few chapters later she’d let everything get to her again. I still really liked her though.
Overall, this book seems to be hit or miss with most people. After reading reviews on GoodReads, I completely agree that this read like a royal soap opera. That’s exactly what it was. Days of Our Lives except with Royals if America had been a monarch instead of the Republic that it is. I would have liked a bit more history of the world, to see what else had changed because of this big difference in government. I hope the sequel gets more into it with the changes that are coming because of the way this book ended. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and goofy, but also suspenseful and dramatic. I definitely will be continuing the series.
First, there’s Beatrice. She’s the firstborn, the heir to the throne, and the first-ever Queen of America. The expectations of her role weigh heavily upon her shoulders, but she handles them with grace. She loves someone she can never marry. And gets engaged to someone perfectly suitable. I really enjoyed seeing the struggle between her duty to her country and following her heart. We were given a beautiful view of the heir to the throne and what really makes her who she is. She was just a girl, a girl who was destined to be the leader of her country.
Next, is her younger sister, Samantha. Sam sees herself as the spare. A girl with no use. It’s very interesting to see how Sam wanted to matter like Beatrice does, but Beatrice wanted to be as free as Sam was. I didn’t love Sam’s choice of love interest. It seemed a bit insta-lovey and I just didn’t care. I wanted her to get over it and move on. I loved Sam’s relationship with her twin brother, Jefferson. They were as close as siblings to get and I loved it. But I didn’t totally understand why they excluded Beatrice.
Jefferson, or Jeff, recently broke up with his girlfriend of three years, Daphne (who is perspective number three. Jeff was a bit shallow in the sense of his motivations and goals. He’s going to go to college but what he wants to do is never really explained. He seemed more there to be Sam’s brother and to be a love interest to various characters. I liked him anyway. He was kind and thoughtful and willing to fight for what he wanted.
Daphne was more or less a villain. I couldn’t help but like her. She was devious and manipulative, but endlessly clever. She knew just what to do to get what she wanted. I really hope she gets away from the expectations of her parents in the next book and chooses to do what makes her happy instead of what they want her to do.
Finally, there’s Nina. Nina is Sam’s best friend. She is the second girl vying for his heart. I really liked Nina. She was our sense of normal in all the royal shenanigans. She goes to college and lives in a dorm, but her life is turned upside down when the press catches her and Jefferson together. I wish she’d been a little less concerned about what the world would think of her and how they wouldn’t approve of her being with Jefferson. Her insecurity was a little annoying because she would be over it and determined to make things work with Jeff and then a few chapters later she’d let everything get to her again. I still really liked her though.
Overall, this book seems to be hit or miss with most people. After reading reviews on GoodReads, I completely agree that this read like a royal soap opera. That’s exactly what it was. Days of Our Lives except with Royals if America had been a monarch instead of the Republic that it is. I would have liked a bit more history of the world, to see what else had changed because of this big difference in government. I hope the sequel gets more into it with the changes that are coming because of the way this book ended. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and goofy, but also suspenseful and dramatic. I definitely will be continuing the series.
I am so sad I have to wait until Fall 2020 for the sequel.
I liked this book for what it was. It was definitely mislabeled as a romance (because a romance requires a happily ever after or at least a happy for now - this has neither).
But it was fun to step into a different world. I really liked Beatrice, the other characters (except obviously Daphne) began to grow on me by the end.
I’ll give the next book a shot!
But it was fun to step into a different world. I really liked Beatrice, the other characters (except obviously Daphne) began to grow on me by the end.
I’ll give the next book a shot!
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes