Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Majesty (American Royals II) by Katharine McGee for an honest review. I read the prequel American Royals immediately prior so i was very familiar with the characters and the storyline. Like it’s prequel, the chapters switch off point of view between the Queen Beatrice, her sister Samantha, Samantha’s best friend Nina, and Daphne, Prince Jefferson’s ex. At the end of American Royals, i was disappointed that some characters had broken up and weren’t with whom i felt were their true love. As this book progressed, i saw that people grow and that love can change. This book also deals with topics which are happening in current events as well. Beatrice is the first Queen and is heading into the position unmarried and has been warned that America might not be ready for an unwed monarch. She faces sexism during the first few months of her reign. Also, Samantha, the former “bad girl” spare who is now the heir begins dating an African American Duke and he ends up getting the bad publicity due to his race. While some parts of the book were a little predictable, i really did enjoy this book and recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

I loved the first book and thought I had an idea of where Katharine McGee would go with book 2. I was wrong. This book is just as good as the first one. There is the drama, romance and great character growth. The only character I wished I had a little more of was Nina. I am hoping for a book 3 but I also really enjoyed this one and how it ended.

Majesty, the second book in the American Royals series by Katharine McGee, picks up where the first book ended. The soap-opera style narrative is ideal for fans of The Selection series, which shares the fluffy, feel-good drama placed against the backdrop of royalty. It's a fun read, not particularly deep or well-written, but enjoyable—especially in these crazy times.

This sequel surprised me a great deal. I have never seen a book able to completing change my opinion of so many relationships and people in such a convincing way. I really liked seeing Beatrice's growth as she steps into her role as queen and in her role as a powerful woman. I also enjoyed experiencing Samantha's unique personality become useful and appreciated by various people. Even Daphne has a bit of... growth? I still don't like her. It was an amazing second book that did a fantastic job of added to the original story while remaining its own story and being extremely satisfying!

As Queen Beatrice's wedding approaches, the favorite female characters of Amerian Royals are busy in their love lives. American Royals II: Majesty continues the stories of Queen Beatrice, Princess Samantha, commoner Nina, and hopeful princess-to-be Daphne. While cliff hangers from the first book are decided, new ones emerge.

I absolutely loved this book, even more than the first one, which hardly ever happens for me! This was a quick read simply because I couldn't put it down. Author Katharine McGee has a direct writing style that moves the story along. I couldn't wait to see what the next chapter would bring. I love the premise of what if America never had a president, but instead had a king whose family ruled for generations. This book is so fun!

I would recommend this book for any 8th grade or high school girl. College girls may also enjoy it, as well as fans of Will and Kate and Harry and Meghan. Thank you to Net Galley, Katharine McGee, and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I found this book to so much fun. I really loved this sequel book in this american royals series. I really loved diving into characters again and also seeing the lead up to THE WEDDING. This book also explored new relationships that were no the focus of book one and I loved them all. McGee has made me fell connected to all theses new romances and I loved them. This book also tackled diversity issues in the royal family, grief and siblings dymanics. I found this book to such a fast page read. I really hope we see these characters again!! Cause I loved them :)

Just like the first book in the series, this book has an un-put-downable-ness to it. Each chapter flows like water into the next, so I could not shake myself from the story. The same familiar characters are here, but with great growth and character development from most of them. I love how both Beatrice and Samantha come into their own throughout the story. Many of the more minor characters do as well. I’m looking at you, Nina and Ethan. Rarely in all the reading that I have done have I found a villain that I despise more than the one in this story. All of this leads to a new book in the series I cannot wait to read. Great for fans of The Selection Series, I can imagine this book will be loved by high school readers world-wide!

First sentence: The morning had dawned dreary and gray, with a mist that hung over the streets of the capital. It was, the media correspondents all agreed, appropriate weather for a funeral. They stood behind a velvet rope to one side of the palace doors, swapping cigarettes and breath mints, hurriedly checking their lipstick in their phone screens. Then the palace’s main gates swung open to admit the first guests.

Premise/plot: Majesty is the second book in the series. (The first one is American Royals). The series has a unique-ish premise: what if George Washington had been crowned King after the war ended? And what if he had actually you know had biological descendants to inherit the crown? And what if America still had a Monarchy?

So Beatrice has just inherited the throne and become America's first QUEEN. But some--many? few?--can't imagine her ruling America on her own. Could a woman possibly handle the task of ruling a country on her own?!?! Beatrice must marry Teddy practically immediately so there will at least be a king-consort by her side. But is this what Beatrice wants? What Teddy wants?

So Beatrice has two siblings--twins--Samantha and Jefferson. And this soap opera wouldn't really be soapy if they didn't have tangled love lives. Samantha is still bitter over losing Teddy to her older sister...will she find a new man in this second book? Perhaps even finding one that is a better fit for her?!

Jefferson and Nina have broken up. But will Nina be ready to move on before Jeff? Perhaps. Regardless Daphne can't keep her interfering hands from playing puppet-master. Ethan, Nina, Jeff--she wants to control them all. And that's leaving off her supposed, supposed best-ever friend who spent the whole first book in a COMA. (She's not in a coma in book two).

Life goes on.

My thoughts: I didn't love the first book. Perhaps I'm just a little too old to get giddy about a book founded on such a silly premise. George Washington had no children. George Washington had NO children. But there is something breezy about both books. Even if it was ridiculous, I raced through the first book...and now the second. Not because I found it intelligent or well-written or super-clever or thought-provoking. But because it was almost the exact opposite.

I will say this, I definitely found the second book better than the first. I repeat I found it way more enjoyable than the first book in the series. I found it satisfying in the end.

The series definitely reminds me of Anna Godbersen's series: Luxe and its sequels. Which I believe Luxe is a copycat Gossip Girl. Which I suppose makes this a copycat of a copycat Gossip Girl? But one scene in particular appears to have been largely inspired wink-wink-wink from Gone With The Wind. The whole confrontation between Rhett and Scarlett is almost duplicated between two characters...I won't tell you WHO. Now that I've seen this character speaking Rhett's lines I'm not sure I'll be able to look at him the same way again. And that's not necessarily a bad thing! Perhaps it makes me like him even more?

First of all, I never want this series to end! I need to know how these characters spend the rest pf their lives, i need to know about the lives of any children - in other words this series just needs to keep going and going! I am way too emotionally invested in the love lives of these characters. I need to know that Beatrice and Teddy get their happily ever after. I need to know who Nina chooses - Ethan or Jefferson? (And isn't that a great problem to have? We should all be so lucky to have to choose between a sexy prince and his sexy best friend.) I need to know if Marshall is Samantha's true love. and I really need to see Daphne rot in the hell of her own making! This is one of the most perfectly constructed escape reads I've read in a very long time. Sure it might be that its the middle of the pandemic and I'm starved for entertainment but it could also be that this is just a fun, guilty pleasure read that helps all the outside worries, stresses and anxieties of the day fall away. My sell for this book would be "Forget your own troubles and worry about the troubles of the House of Washington instead!'" Because honestly those were the best few hours I spent over an overwhelming news weekend. Katharine McGee brings the characters to vivid life. She almost has me convinced that having a monarchy instead of a democracy would, at the very least, be much more entertaining. The only problem with this book is that ends and now I will have to wait a year for book 3! I have no idea how I'm going to do that. Help!

It took me no time at all to get into this sequel!! I love that the characters got all swapped around. At the end of the first book, I was so into the couples that were established in that story, and I went into this one thinking I wouldn't be a fan of the change up. But I was soooo into it! This is probably the one book/series where I don't mind the alternating character chapters. I'm such a fan of this series and I can't wait for the next one!

The follow up book made me think that it is a typical middle child. Everyone I. This book is crying for attention, and just when you want to cheer them in, they make a bad decision. To boot, there are some real manipulated charcuterie that lie cheat and steal to get what they want. I can’t wait for the one, so we can see how come Oder these choices play out. I love these characters and want to punch them and scream my opinions at them!

Katharine McGee does it again in her sequel Majesty. Majesty is a whirlwind of relationships and royal events. Before I knew it, I was hooked into the royals' and friends' drama. I find McGee to be a sneaky author. I find myself reading along, making predictions, and getting to know new characters. But then out of nowhere the end is sneaking up on me and I'm just not sure how everything is going to work out. That race to the ending is super satisfying. Thank you to NetGally for providing another enjoyable read!

The first in this series left me only appreciating one character, Samantha, and feeling disappointed in her. But this sequel gives Beatrice some great development and will leave the reading feeling at times angry with her, frustrated for her, and cheering her on so strongly. The treatment of Beatrice honored past women who took on the job of running a nation despite the chastisement of overbearing men.

Once again, some of the best parts of this story are the alternative history. It is set in a US that chose monarchy after the Revolution. But where this story really shines is now it address real-life divisions and struggles in our real America, which manage to ring so true!

Hoping for a third book in this series.

I was given an early release copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Majesty was everything I wanted it to be and more! I loved the expansion of the world and all of the new characters that were introduced. So fun to meet the new peerage families and get more history. You can really tell Katharine McGee did her research while writing this. Literally the only complaint I have is having to wait another year for the next book!

Not many sequels are able to match the quality and expectations set by their predecessor, but MAJESTY may be one of the few books that is able to do just that (and maybe even surpass!). I loved escaping back to this world where America has a monarchy and Beatrice is its first ever queen regent. Of course I found her chapters to be the most compelling; I could read an entire book just from her perspective. I also especially enjoyed watching Samantha develop into a mature, smart, young woman. I wasn't as invested in Nina's story, and Daphne continues to be the character you love to hate (and I would've liked to see her called out for her manipulative tactics a bit more). Katharine McGee has a talent for writing female characters, but Teddy also shines in book two. Although there is a satisfying conclusion, I hope a third book is greenlit because spending time with these characters is so much fun.

THIS BOOK.

Before I begin my review of this incredible sequel, I have to give a huge shoutout and thank you to @randomhousekids @emmabenshoff and the amazing @katharinemcgee for the eARC of Majesty. This book was in my top three most-anticipated reads of 2020, so I was literally jumping up and down when I found it in my email inbox!

This book absolutely knocked me off my feet. When American Royals ended on a cliffhanger last fall, I knew I'd be waiting with bated breath for Book 2, and Majesty absolutely delivered. Picking right up where American Royals left off, readers accompany Beatrice as she becomes the first queen of America, not even two months after her father has passed away. In the midst of her grief, she is forced to evolve from a girl to a woman, from an heir to the Crown, and the growth she experiences throughout this book (personally, mentally, emotionally, romantically, and politically) is remarkable. Watching her come into her own made me so proud, and I loved learning more about her struggles, fears, and dreams as she strived to not only serve her country, but to remain true to herself.

While this book largely focuses on Beatrice, McGee also further develops the characters of Samantha, Nina, Daphne, Teddy, Jeff, and Ethan through multiple POV narration, while throwing in a couple new characters too. Full of heartwarming moments, witty dialogue, some shady scheming (I'm looking at you, Daphne Deighton), a hearty helping of romance and lots of girl power, this book will have you flying through the pages (I finished it in about 48 hours) and yearning for more!

Hold on tight and get ready for September, readers, because "a new reign has begun." This is a book you'll definitely want to read, and I can't wait to see where Katharine McGee takes this story next!

Majesty has so much heart, book 2 of American Royals is bound to sweep you off your feet. Its witty, dramatic, honest, and gives you an intimate look at what "being an adult" is all about, and choices were sometimes forced to make and overcome. I devoured it. A class act for sure, Katharine McGee's American Royal story is going to stay with me (and you) for a while. Beatrice, Daphne, Samantha, and Nina are back, and once again... I'm left wanting more, more, MORE.
"It doesn't matter who your father is. You know that, right? His choices don't determine who you are. Only your choices do that."

The girls seem to do the same thing at the same time and it kinda confuses me. In the first book, they were all with the man they wanted to be with at the same time, and then they all broke up at the same time. This book has a similar effect just with something else. What’s the point of this? Is it to show that the girls are very similar to each other but different, in the end? I don’t think that I completely dislike it, but I could live without them all having the same storyline.

As usual, I'm super confused by Jeff and his character. His character just seems to do whatever is best for the storyline instead of acting as Jeff, a distinct person with the ability to make his own decisions. Perhaps we'll see more of a person in the third book.

I did like that we were able to see significant growth in each of the characters. I thought for a second we were just going to be hit with the fact that they were different, but there was some gradual growth there. I think I saw the most growth in Beatrice though. I truly felt the power and resolve in what it meant to her to be Queen.

I also liked the fact that each character seemed to have "another side" to them. I'm still not sure how I feel about exploring these depths in the form of new relationships. Part of me wishes we could have seen this depth and other sides of the characters through different methods and other parts of me are okay with how everything happened.

Overall, I have lots of mixed feelings from this book. I'm still trying to understand how I feel about all the new relationships and changes we're seeing in the characters. I think most of it is for the best, but I still have an assortment of thoughts and feelings to go along with it all.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*The review will be posted to my blog the day of publication and to consumer websites a week or two before publication.*

This series continues to be so much fun. It is a perfect summer read! Great for both YA and adult readers who like drama, romance and humor.

I love the way the author switches from one character's perspective to the next. It really makes these books impossible to put down.

Majesty picks up soon after the end of American Royals. Beatrice and Connor are no more, Jeff and Nina are no more, Ethan is still hopelessly in love with Daphne, Daphne is still on her one-track warpath to get Jeff back, and Sam is still pining over Teddy. How will this cast of characters finagle their drama, their underhanded manipulating, changing feelings, AND successfully rule America with Beatrice as the new queen?

There's drama, but it definitely felt like season two of A Hot Teen Show. There are Big Feelings, but it's sorta clunky. And the misogyny that Beatrice puts up with from MULTIPLE and VARIOUS entities is so not cool. Like, she gets it altogether again by the end, but I was ready to throw my tablet out a window because of that stupid Lord Chamberlain. With all of the kick-butt female protagonists out there in YA right now, I really expected better. The girl-power was too little too late.