A few months ago I devoured American Royals within a day or two and the ending infuriated me. I needed to know what happened but the 2nd book, "Majesty" was so far away. Thankfully, I got approved for the NetGalley ARC and was able to read the book before it's release date... which was yesterday, September 1st.
I recently finished the book and wow, I think I loved it even more than the first. If you don't know, American Royals is a novel series that dreams up what the United States would be if they had lost the American Revolution and there was a monarchy still in place. It's America with a Royal Family, the Washingtons to be exact and Beatrice is set to become America's first Queen.
American Royals is about Beatrice's journey to prepare for her coronation and also showcases her parents trying to make sure Bea is married before that happens. Bea also has twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson who are, of course, the wild twins of the palace. They have their own storylines that intertwine with Beatrice's, mostly how they live in her shadow.
I can't give too much away about the first book, so don't read the rest of this review if you haven't read American Royals. However, I HIGHLY recommend reading American Royals, it's everything I love about books; romance, family, royalty, and fantasy. It's the perfect series.
Now for "Majesty".
Publisher's Summary
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...
My Thoughts
Majesty was majestic in every way possible and it honestly didn't happen the way I thought it would. Nothing went as it was planned out in my head and I'm so happy that it went the way it did.
Beatrice is queen and she's finding her footing, Samantha is letting go of Teddy and finding new love while Jefferson is being pulled back in by Daphne. Nina is getting involved with someone she should really stay away from, and leaving Jefferson in the past. There is so much going on in the book but it's so easy to keep track of.
Both American Royals and Majesty are told from different perspectives: Beatrice, Sam, Daphne, and Nina. The girls are so different yet all want the same thing, to be happy with their lives.
There is more substance to the 2nd book, of course, because that's just the nature of sequels. There is so much to everyone's stories and I love seeing it play out.
I loved seeing Beatrice be Queen and be happy, I loved seeing Samantha come into her own yet Nina and Daphne's stories made me less than pleased. Daphne is truly my least favorite fictional character ever; she is mean, vicious, and only after what she wants. She has no regard for anyone but herself and it is infuriating. McGee has written Daphne perfectly because you don't feel bad for her and she has not one redeeming quality.
Nina fell flat for me this book because I feel like she really belongs with Jefferson and there was no interaction with him this book.
I really did love Majesty and it tied up a few loose ends from the first novel but there is still so much story to be told, so much that I need to know. I think it was set up perfectly for the 3rd novel, whenever that is coming.
If you are in need of a feel-good book series that you can dive into and forget about the world, this is it. If you love royal books, you need to read this. If you love YA books, you need to read this. It's just such a good series and beautifully written!
xoxo
B
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