I was thrilled to get this e-ARC from Random House Children’s and NetGalley! I loved the first book in the series, AMERICAN ROYALS, and must say the sequel MAJESTY is delicious, with fully fleshed characters and a narrative that cries “trilogy.”

Why do some books engross us for hours, leaving us wanting more when the last page is turned? For me, characters are key. I’ve grown to care about heir to the American throne Beatrice, her twin siblings Jeff and Samantha, their intoxicating love interests, even bad girl Daphne.

In MAJESTY they mature, with strengths and flaws even more exposed. Some have called the series a soap opera. I find it filled with wisdom about relationships — families, friendships, love — and pressing issues of race, gender, and power.

As in the first book, MAJESTY’s ending left me breathless, with big questions still unanswered. I pray the author is hard at work on Book Three. Hurry, Katharine, your subjects ... er ... fans are waiting!

Pub Date 01 Sep 2020

Huge hugs again to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

P.S. Adore that cover!

#AmericanRoyalsIIMajesty #NetGalley

Much better than the first book in the series. Such a fascinating concept of an American royal family and aristocracy.

In many ways, this was a perfect book two. I hope that this is just the middle of a trilogy, as there were a few storylines that were left unresolved by the end. I loved the first book and re-read the entire book before I went straight into this E-ARC (thank you, Net Galley, and Random House Books). In the first book, the plot was very Gossip Girls -ish with the different romances being key to the story. In this book, Bee is the Queen of America, and we see her mature into the job. I feel like this story is incredibly timely as it addresses Racism, the Press in this country, and women's leadership roles. If you were all about the romance- don't worry, it's still ongoing, and all of the couples do some growing up before the end.
The history geek in me adored this alternate timeline of America. In this book, we find out even more about how it all came about, and I found it particularly funny that the characters looked down on the European Royal Families and their issues.

A fulfilling conclusion to an interesting story. Not quite where I thought things may go but I can't say I'm disappointed. The thought of American royalty is still so foreign but I love Beatrice really taking charge and letting America know women can be in charge.

Thank you NetGalley for sending an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Majesty was a cute, quick read. I will Say I was a little underwhelmed compared to the first one. It bothers me that all of the relationships have the same things happening all at the same time. Also, the way I love you is just thrown around, yet written like they’re soulmates is just annoying! They all just acted like immature 15 year olds in this one, which was disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. As soon as I was approved to read this book, I instant began reading it and it did not disappoint. I adored the first book and loved this one just as much. The characters in this series are very relatable despite the fact that they live in a “royal” world. The author does an amazing job with character development, every single character is different and has their own quirks. I did hate that there wasn’t more Jefferson in this book, I really wanted to hear more of his story. I really hope that their will be a third book since there wasn’t a good sense of closure for the characters at the end, but also because I want more of the royal family!

I got this book thanks to Netgalley and enjoyed this second installment to the American Royals. I will say this is a book for high school and up and is a fun engaging read but at times the characters could have been stronger. I think if you want a book for students who do not read a lot this might be a great option. It has a lot of drama and romance.

I was so excited to received an ARC of Majesty. The premise of the United States having a monarch and royal family with a Queen at the helm is a delightful concept. The book picks up right were American Royals left off and delves back into the world of Beatrice, Samantha, Daphne, and Nina. This sequel took the characters introduced in American Royals and explored their growth as they figure out who they truly are and what they want. Throughout the book I was rooting for certain couples to get together and for someone to FINALLY expose Daphne. However, McGee doesn't play it safe by making those choices for her characters; it would have stunted their growth and ability to recognize their true selves.. Also, I appreciated McGee incorporating quick plot recaps of the first book (where appropriate) since it has been a few months since I read the first book. Majesty leaves the possibility of book 3 open, and I would be thrilled to read.

While I wish this book had leaned more into the social and political intrigue in only brushed against and less on the tidy romances, I enjoyed the book and think it would be a great jumping off point for discussions about government, gender and race with audiences that feel uncomfortable or uninformed with such topics.

Full review at: nodistancebooks.com

In this second book to the American Royals series, the imaginary American Royal family is back and Queen Beatrice is taking the throne. Majesty was full of drama and intrigue, and I cannot wait to see what book 3 (which better be a thing!) brings for us all.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC ebook!

This was such a satisfying follow-up to American Royals! It feels a lot like a Gossip Girl meets the monarchy, and was so much fun from start to finish. It was enjoyable to watch Beatrice come into her own in this sequel, and the balance of romance with other personal journeys that the girls/women go on. The relationships between Beatrice and Teddy and Marshall and Sam were especially sweet. I also appreciated the nods to issues with the real-life british monarchy. McGee’s writing is clever and engaging and I’d be happy to read more in this series!

I was so excited to read the next chapter of Bee, Samantha, Nina and Daphne's lives... and this didnt disapoint. I walked into the book with a clear outcome I wanted to have happen.... and it didnt. As I was reading, I started changing my mind and rooting for different people and different relationships. I could not put it down and finished in on sitting. I felt myself transported into the world of the Washingtons and dreaming of the American Royal family. A great follow up in a fantastic series.... Let's hope for a third!!!

5 stars!

You best believe me when I say I have never been more excited to receive an ARC before in my life! I requested it on Netgalley the minute I finished the first book in American Royals (which was quite a while ago, I'd been eagerly waiting for a status update on this book!) and it lived up to every expectation!

Big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me this eARC! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I finished this book in a day and I got hooked on it fast! Firstly, the plot was every bit enjoyable, it was quite an adventure! I loved the development between the characters and how they (most of them at least) grew to find themselves as an individual. The maturity shown, especially in Beatrice, Nina and Sam (nearing the end) was a joy to read. I loved the different characters and especially how although Daphne is the antagonist, there's more to her than meets the eye as she starts discovering herself.

The first book in this series was mostly following the romances between each of the characters, but what makes me like this book more is that it shows more than just each person's love life. Important topics like racism, that is deeply rooted in America after centuries of oppression cannot be ignored. Especially in a book about American royalty. And sexism, both of which have existed in America since the start and needed to be addressed. The sad fact that racism and sexism are still very real to this day (in the book and in real life) are deeper issues this book touches on.

I am happy with pretty much all the decisions made by each character in the end :)
Except one thing... <spoiler>Jeff and Daphne!!! </spoiler> though it makes sense with their character and I'm excited to see how their story progresses.

It was a little crazy and hectic! Not quite chaotic and unnaturally rushed, but it was one thing after another. Although I'd bet that would really be how royals live (and it did keep me wanting to read more) so I'm not too mad about it.

All in all, this book was utterly fantastic and a solid sequel to American Royals! A fun story that goes deeper than just romances with characters we've met before (and new ones!!). Seeing them continue to grow and find themselves is a real treat to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Katharine McGee and am looking forward to any future installments!

Again, thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me this eARC, and all opinions are my own :)

I had the giddiness of a child on Hanukkah evening when I got the ARC of this text. The number of students who have previously yanked the first one off my bookshelf is too many to count, so I eagerly opened this precious sequel and dived in and read it in one big gulp. I can genuinely say I enjoyed this sequel better than the first American Royals. There is new drama to be found as Beatrice takes the throne, and her relationship with her younger sister Sam and the conflict that ensues is tender and frustrating. Speaking of frustrating, readers will both delight (I always enjoy a good villain) and want to scream as Daphne does what she does best. Readers will want to keep turning pages to find out how far drama will go in this next volume. I cannot wait for it to continue. Katherine McGee weaves the best tension and romantic rendezvous. I have found that I will happily devour anything she writes.

Bee is now Queen of the U.S. and has decided to go through with her wedding to Teddy. Sam decides to hurt Teddy's feelings by fake dating Marshall. And Ethan is tasked by Daphne to keep Nina away from Jeff. But will everyone end up as they plan or expect?

I really liked how this story centers on all of the choices we make--big, small, and in between. All 3 girls finally learn to stand up for themselves, and Daphne gets her just desserts. Girls should always get a chance to run the show!

Outstanding character development.
I have never been so personally proud of a set of characters. Beatrice and Samantha grow leaps and bounds in this sequel. They really find themselves and find each other.

The story sets off a couple months after the death of the King Of America. So not only are the Washington's dealing with a family tragedy, but they have to work on how to pick up the entire country after the tragedy, with something they have never had, a Queen.

Beatrice struggles to learn how to be Queen of America, but more importantly, a woman. She has been trained on being a Queen, but no one can teach her how to be Beatrice Washington. And Samantha has to learn how to actually be a sister, and overcome her identity as a spoiled spare.

Nina grows as well, and though I did not enjoy her story as much as Beatrice and Sam, I thought it fit so well in the book and was a pleasure to read. Daphanie is not a character I like. But I think her story is important and represents a lot of ladder climbers.

The only character not really represented in this sequel is Jefferson, which I was surprisingly okay with. I got so caught up in the other characters that I didn't really mind it.

This is a wonderful sequel and I really enjoyed it. If you enjoyed the first book you will be even happier with this one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for letting me read this book for an honest review.

This was completely different than I expected, and that's a great thing! Everything was flipped on it's head with this book! I love how Bea and Sam grew and evolved during the course of the story. I was disappointed with Nina and Daphne, it feels that they just stayed the same and maybe Nina devolved, if that is possible. She just wasn't as strong as she was in the first book. That being said, everything else was so fun.

It's really hard to give a review of a sequel, but here it is- GO READ AMERICAN ROYALS! Truly a fabulous read, one that I have been sharing with so many patrons. It is SO GOOD!
The premise is this- what would have happened if George Washington had become King of America, instead of president? You would have a monarchy of Washington's and now America is about to have its' first Queen.
Beatrice has been raised for this. She just didn't expect it to happen so soon. Samantha has now been promoted to heir, a title she was not expecting either, and she needs to adjust to that new role. Daphne is still causing problems for everyone with her social climbing, and Nina as always, gets caught in the crossfire.
This sequel is just as good as the first, and I highly recommend it.

Second books in a series are hard. So many expectations come from the first book and while I really enjoyed Majesty and seeing the growth of the characters ultimately it wasn't what I wanted. What I loved from it was the strong vibe of female empowerment, The Princess Diaries vibes, and the growth of all the narrators (also I kinda loved how Jefferson's story/relationship ends but I don't know entirely why). What I didn't like was all the setup from the first book seemingly going kinda nowhere relationship wise. What I'd hoped for from this sequel was learning more about the Washington's history as the royalty of America, and while some of that did come into play it all felt pretty much the same as now.
McGee does a good job with creating interesting characters you want to get to know and root for and she's great at building plots with interesting twists you don't always see coming.

TL;DR if you liked the first book you definitely want to see how it turned out. If you think it's going to be too different from the current timeline you'll love it. If you aren't sure you want to pick it up maybe turn to Katharine McGee's other series The Thousdanth Floor.

I actually liked it more than book one. There is some real growth here, sisters who support each other, relationships that work. I am waiting for book three though, because I'm going to need that happily ever after moment.