I enjoyed this book, but I definitely liked the first one better. This just kind of ended, without any real solutions or closure.

Majesty takes place a little bit after American Royals and its shocking conclusion. There is a lot of romantic and family drama in this book. There is revenge, betrayal, and commitment throughout this book.
I was not a huge fan of American Royals, but as I listened to Majesty, I found myself enjoying it. The character development was great and I loved who ended up with who. I wish there was more to some of the character endings though.

When I finished American Royals, I couldn't wait to read Majesty and it did not disappoint. Since American Royals ended on a major cliffhanger, I'm not going to give details. All I'll say is that everything was mostly wrapped up in this second volume (although I really, really hope there will be a third book) and that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just go ahead and read this series- it's so much fun!

I liked the first 75% and loved the last 25%. I thought the character development was really good, but I wasn't as invested in this storyline as I was in the first book. I liked where everything ended up and really liked all the romances.

Earlier this year I read "American Royals" (book 1 in the American Royals Series). I was so in love with it! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of book 2! I feel like Majesty had so much hype around it because the first book was loved. So I tried to go into reading this with an open mind and NOT play the comparison game. Majesty became a beautiful journey of where our beloved characters are headed in life. Did it still leave us wondering at the end? Yes. Are we all praying and hoping for an eventual book 3? Heck yes! But I think Katherine McGee is a stand-out writer and will read and rave about anything she writes.

Rating: 4.5/5
Summary from Goodreads:

“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....”

Thoughts: I loved the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Majesty! Following the first book, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted for each character. However, Majesty turned that upside down in the best ways possible. I want to be best friends with Beatrice and Samantha. Majesty explores how each character has their definitions of happiness challenged. The reader sees each character grow and decide what they really want, in addition to navigating a new family dynamic and government. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Beatrice and Samantha’s journeys were so fun to read and root for. McGee’s attention to detail created this amazing universe where strong women are in charge and ready to fight. I read this close to the election and it was nice to step into an alternate universe where an incompetent orange man didn’t exist (even though we thankfully get to evict him soon). I would absolutely love another book in this series so I could see Beatrice thrive as queen!

*Thank you to Random House for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I picked up the first book in this duology last year on a whim and I was utterly charmed, which made me think this book would be a nice Election Day distraction. And it was! I ripped through it last night and this morning, thrilling to the romantic tribulations of now-Queen Beatrice and Princess Samantha Washington and their friends. I loved the way McGee complicated all of the romances and made the complications feel real and human and relatable even as we’re looking at royalty. Also, I dug the politics chugging in the background - I could read a whole book about Beatrice modernizing the American throne (that showdown at Congress, pump that shit right into my veins).

I loved this book just as much as I loved the first one! Cute, fun, sexy, and catnip to anyone who loves royal fiction. The new characters were engaging and the development of the returning characters felt natural. I really enjoyed the love triangle's evolution and especially Daphne, but I wish the next one was available now!

WHERE IS JEFF?!?!?!
Excuse me. Sorry. Let me start over.
I was SO EXCITED for this sequel to Royals, which was like a juicy, DC-based Gossip Girl that fulfilled my YA dreams. However, MAJESTY was a let down. McGee seems to have leaned a bit too far into exploring "women in power" and neglected some of her characters and previous storylines in the process. I wasn't annoyed by the downright riches and privilege of the characters in the first book, but found myself rolling my eyes at the #royaltyproblems and (in my opinion) now-tired "but I'm the same as the other ruler, just a girl, so why are you treating me differently?" angle. I did like some of the new characters, but SO MISSED Jefferson! Like, where did he go?! Why did he get so hollow and vapid?! I'm hoping this is a case of "Book 2 Just Sucks" and that there will be a resolution through Book 3 that is more satisfying that this ending. Yet... this is supposed to be a two book series. The heartaches just keep coming, folks. :(

I loved the sequel to American Royals: Majesty. It is fun to imagine American with a royal family. I enjoy how the author takes the view point as more behind the scenes and not all about what America would necessarily see. This is a great YA book and escape from reality in our current day of politics. You see how being Royal effects each family member and also the relationships surrounding them. Beatrice reminds me a lot of young Queen Elizabeth when she has to assume the crown from her father.

I was not the biggest fan of how both Washington sisters suddenly realized that their true love for the first book was indeed not their true love. I mean for one of them to feel that way, I get it. But for both of them to change their mind and for it to be tied up in to a bow. I'm not sure what is to come but I hope Daphne is not a part of it and I hope America continues to shut down the sexism in her own country. I also noticed ties in to the show The Crown and with hints to the British Royal family and I didn't like that.

I don’t enjoy this sequel as much as the first. The romances from the first story were all changed this time, the characters not as much fun, and the plot was just ho hum. Not sure I’ll give the next one in this series a read.

Absolutely amazing follow up to American Royals. I can't wait for the next book! Katharine's writing is so fantastic and the story really sucks you in from the beginning!

I enjoyed this book even more than American Royals. Certain aspects of the first book felt rushed, like the relationships that the siblings started throughout the book. In this one, all of that makes a little more sense, the characters grow and take more time with their experiences and feelings. I loved this book and really loved the ending with its feminist vibes. There is a lot of push for change, bucking tradition and making things better for the future, which is very fitting for this generation.

Majesty (American Royals II) By Katharine McGee

Rating 2 / 5 Stars

Publication Date - 9/1/2020

** Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and of course, Katharine McGee, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me be honest. I loved American Royals. I became invested in the characters and the relationships which developed. Majesty pretty much ruined everything I loved about AR. So how is that possible? Well, those relationships I loved - they are nothing and not necessary here. Everything that is done to build up complex and beautiful characters - who cares. This book just didn’t make sense.

Here is the thing - this book made me hate all the characters I came to know and love. Is it possible to do that in book 2 of a series? Normally, that comes in the conclusion of a series for me.

I am a massive fan of McGee, so I cannot give this book lower than two stars. I believe so much more could have been done with this book, and I hope that if she continues the series, she will return to the beauty that was American Royals. Perhaps she can give us a realization that Majesty was all a nightmare and book three will be the actual plotline.

Well that was a rollercoaster or my emotions! MAJESTY is my very much anticipated sequel of 2020, so to say I was excited when I finally got my hands on a copy is an understatement. I was a little disappointed though, cause it took me a while to get into it. I thought I would have devoured the whole thing in a single sitting . . . and I didn't. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, cause I really did.

It's funny to imagine America as a monarchy just two weeks before the 2020 US Election, but funny was all it was.

As much as this election sucks, I'm glad we don't have a monarchy. One thing I've really enjoyed about this series is it's stayed fairly unpolitical. There were a few political things brought up in the course of the story, like race, inequality, sexism, and others, but the story stayed focused on the romance. Because come on, while this might be a political setting, this is a romance book. It's all about that looooooove.

And boy, was it full of love and heartache!!

There were some serious Princess Diaries 2 vibes in this one and, I'm not complaining whatsoever. The only thing I will complain about is that Nina got shorted in this book, and I'm a little bitter about it. I'm still kind of reeling from all of the drama, wondering how all of the twisted love triangles will ever be resolved, but I am here for it. So, I'll leave you with me, eagerly anticipating when the next book will come out. Will it all be resolved? Who knows? But I can't wait to find out.

4.5/5 stars

I wasn’t going to write a review about this book, but then after I listened to it, I knew I had to. Especially if this is the last one. Everyone needs to hear all my gripes about this one.

America is getting their first Queen. But are they ready? Follow along with all the rest of the drama that’s happening at King’s College and the Palace. Like finding Nina finally falling for someone else, how Daphne is still a jerk, and so many other things. Can Beatrice keep it together to reign over her kingdom as well as keep all this drama in line?

OK I’m going to start off with what I liked. I decided to listen to this and not read it because I saw who was narrating it. Brittany Pressley is one of my favorites, and it doesn’t matter what it is she narrated, I’m going to give it a shot. She just has all the right inflections, the best accents, and Idk, I always get sucked into the story she’s reading.

Which is why I’m even writing this review. I was so annoyed with this. I really hope this isn’t the ending, because if it is, this conclusion didn’t answer anything. To be honest it raised more questions than anything else. Definitely not a plot for a conclusion. If it turns out that this isn’t the end, I will change the rating, but even still, not by much.

As for the characters, I had issues with them too. Daphne is still one of my least favorite character of all time. But in this book, I was so annoyed by her. **SPOILER** Like why did she decide to give the one person who deserved NOTHING, everything?**END SPOILER** And everyone else had to change plans and they still weren’t happy. I just thought it was a weird turn for this book.

This wasn’t what I was expecting and the plot and characters weren’t great, but it was still drama filled and entertaining. It did the job of me getting lost in a book thanks to the narrator, but I can’t say it was because of anything else. Someone update me if they say this isn’t the end of the series!

Nothing hurts more than absolutely falling in love with the first book in a series...then having your soul tragically crushed by a disappointing sequel.

Folks, I too have been hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hoodwinked, led astray!! *high five if you understand the reference* When I first read American Royals at the beginning of the year, I thought I had found a new favorite series. However, after finishing its lackluster sequel, I now have trust issues.

Majesty is the finale novel in the American Royals trilogy duology, following the lives of Beatrice, Samantha, Nina, and Daphne. Through their perspectives, we unveil the drama of fake American politics, secrets of high society, and all the angsty romance.

This book takes all the character development and personal growth in the first book...and yeets it into the wind. Their personalities do a 180, and everyone becomes an empty shell of their old character. Beatrice becomes less independent and firey; Samantha returns to her childish self. Nina loses her fighting spirit, but good ole Daphne remains a conniving social climber.

Let’s take a second to talk about the romance...and how I hated it. I was such a big supporter for Beatrice and Connor, Sam and Teddy, Nina and Jeff, and Daphne and Ethan. It made sense but nooOoooOOoo. Katharine McGee thought we needed to change everything up. What was the purpose of developing the relationships in Book 1 if they served virtually no purpose in Book 2?

The author intentionally creates the most frustrating scenes and pushes her characters to make idiotic decisions (with no logic backing them) to get a rise out of her readers to push them to keep reading. Well, it works. At some point, I stopped reading for enjoyment and was simply reading to finish the book.

The ending itself is what leaves me feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. While it is arguably a realistic ending, the execution was both underdeveloped and underwhelming. As a conclusion to the series, this was a huge disappointment because it simply just seems incomplete.

I ENJOYED…
☂️
- Just like its predecessor, American Royals, Majesty is the kind of book I can’t help but be trash for. All the royalty drama, it’s just something I really dig, okay. Once again, this sequel was addictive and I was invested in each of the characters’ fates and relationships.
- I really enjoyed Beatrice’s growth as a character: in fact, I think it was one of my favorite things about this book. From the uncertain heir fighting to find her place and her voice to the Queen she deserves to be, her growth was lovely to follow. Her romantic relationship in this book took a 180° turn from American Royals and, while this surprised me a lot, I ended up enjoying her relationship and feelings, too.
- Samantha’s chapters were my favorites as well. From wishing to be in the spotlight to finding her own voice and purpose, Samantha was a wonderful character to follow. I love her boldness, her little spark of rebellion and, in Majesty, I rooted for her relationship SO much! In fact, I think it was my favorite of the lot. I love the fake-dating trope and felt like her suitor and her were a good match.
- I have conflicted thoughts about Daphne. She feels like a Blair Waldorf, but lacks a little bit of the flair and incredibleness of that character, to me. Still, I felt like I could understand her and her motives a little more in this book and I liked that, too, a lot.
- Our fourth and last character, Nina, didn’t get as much page-time and spotlight as in the first book, which made me a little sad. Her story still entertained me, but I wished for a little more!
Majesty, Katharine McGee aesthetic

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…
☂️
- I’m sad to say this, but…I understand where the bad reviews for this sequel comes from. Without giving any spoilers, what disappointed me the most in Majesty is that it’s supposed to be a sequel. It’s supposed to follow up on what happened in American Royals, especially when it comes to the relationships it spent an entire BOOK building together and… well, on that part, the book didn’t deliver.
- I also expected to get more of a conclusion than I did, here. I feel like so many characters’ actions weren’t properly explained, thrown into light as they deserved to be, especially regarding Daphne. Since this is a duology, I’ll never get that properly wrapped-up and it feels a little frustrating.

OVERALL
☂️
- Despite my criticism, I still had a good time reading Majesty. I was entertained from page one and invested in the characters’ fates and relationships and dramas. I just wished for more development here and there and more consequences for the characters’ actions, too, especially to wrap-up a duology.

- If you’re into Gossip Girl, The Thousandth Floor and these kind of book series, I’d recommend Majesty. Despite its flaws, this book is very character, relationship and drama-focused and I had a fun time reading it. If that sounds like your thing, check it out!

Is America ready for its first queen? 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. review: Majesty is the sequel to American Royals, and without giving too much away, it picks up right where American Royals left off and everything seems to be falling apart at the seams. Majesty continues to follow Beatrice, Samantha, Nina and Daphne as they enter into a new season, one of change, loss and new expectations. I really loved seeing how the characters dealt with their struggles. I absolutely loved this sequel and really liked the storyline, although it’s not at all how I predicted it. This book ended on less of a cliffhanger than American Royals did, but I’m still crossing my fingers for a third book. rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️