American Royalty was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so when I received an arc of it, I was ecstatic. Sadly, I had a few issues with the book that resulted in a generous three-star rating.

My first issue was something that I don't normally have a huge issue with, I just don't think it worked well within the context of this story. Dani and Jameson's connection is very insta love-y. The two characters don't even officially meet until 25% through the book, but they are having sex and confessing their feelings by the halfway mark of the book. This brings up another issue that I had. For a romance book, the characters don't share a very strong romantic connection. Their feelings are rooted in lust for each other, which wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that they try and take their lust and disguise it as love for one another. When we finally do get to them confessing their feelings for each other, it feels too late in the story. I would have rather had them have a frank conversation about their feelings earlier.

I am a sucker for books about royalty, which is why I was so excited for this book. But for a book so firmly rooted in royalty, the royal family is not realistic at all. Especially since it is a thinly veiled caricature of the Windsors. Normally I love it when an author takes some liberties, but these liberties just didn't work for me. I am not normally one to criticize my romance reading for being too unrealistic because romance is the highest form of escapism, but this was too unrealistic to not call attention to it.

Some of the dialogue is weirdly stilted and awkward. The characters were saying things that you would never say in real life. There were times when I would skip half the dialogue because it made me cringe so badly. Going along with this, the inner monologues of Dani and Jameson were also ridiculous. Dani's consisted mostly of her saying "oh I am so wet" over and over and Jameson's was the same thing just replace "wet" with "hard." It was ridiculous.

I was willing to overlook all of these, but I think my real issue came down to the fact that I didn't feel like Dani or Jameson had any real personality or chemistry. I felt like you could have inserted any number of characters in their place and still would have had the same story. There is always a conversation in the book community where people will ask what book couples' relationship doesn't last outside of the timeline of their book. I hate to say it, but I don't think Dani and Jameson would last outside of the events of their book.

Something I did like, though, was the plot and actions in the story. I loved the backdrop of the charity benefit. I thought it was unique and a fun way to push the characters together. The dates that Jameson planned for Dani were also adorable and the high point of the romance in this book.

I think I would give Tracey Livesay's writing another chance because I did think her writing style was fun, I just don't think this was the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I love Tracey Livesay's writing and this still was better than I expected! I found the dynamic between the two MCs to be very charming and believable even though they were in a very unbelievable setting - which is what I need from these kinds of plots. It also did the quintessential romance job of making me want stories for a bunch of side characters.

While I was reading, I kept thinking that this book is what hapens when "Eve" would have met Prince Harry instead of Maximillian. LOL. I was so overjoyed by the book. It was so good. Enemies to lovers is my fav trope. Dani was such a fierce and fun heroine who knew who she was and what she wanted.

Duchess is a Black woman taking over the American hip hop scene and she is focused on taking her brand to the next level. Silly gossip is threatening everything, and she needs something big to get her plan back on track. When the British Royal Family reaches out to have her perform at a massive benefit concert, she knows it could be just the thing. Arriving early for some R&R, Duchess is ready to sit back and relax except for the very annoying (and hot) Jameson who isn’t being a very gracious host. Their tension threatens to boil over into a full out brawl, or maybe just a roll in the hay!

This was an incredibly sexy romp and a really fun read. Duchess is such a self assured woman which I really enjoyed reading. She does not taking anything from anyone and is a savvy businesswoman to boot, she truly has it all. I enjoyed reading about her and Jameson falling for each other and the setting of the royal concert and all of the festivities was so fun. Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable story and great characters! I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

This was a super quick, fun and easy read for me. Really enjoyed the characters and their complexity. The book/ story felt a bit rushed in some places (for me of course) but I feel like it just worked for this story. If you're looking for a quick and fun read I would definitely recommend this one! Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC!

I really liked the idea of this story. A lot of royalty tropes have to do with mistaken identity, but this one was different. Unfortunately the execution fell flat.
The pacing was really strange. We spent scattered months, almost a year, with the main characters before they even meet. Then once they do meet, there's no chemistry. At least, I didn't buy it. The fact that Jameson was lusting over Dani for months before she arrived really bothered me. There's no other way for me to describe it other than gross.
I did enjoy the discussions Dani and Jameson had about Black women's beauty routines. I wish they had been spread out more and not lumped together. And also that Jameson didn't turn them into jokes.
There wasn't really any conflict depicted. Yes his family was the worst but the actual conflict that was shown on page was weak. But again, I think it was a pacing issue. It didn't really come to a head until 94% which is entirely too late.
Overall, it was fine, but nothing too memorable.

What a great book! What initially drew me to requesting this ARC was of course, this stunning cover and title. Upon reading the blurb, it seemed exactly the kind of romance story that I needed to read and I’m happy to write that my expectations were met.
Dani AKA Duchess is quite simply, the best heroine I’ve ever read about in a contemporary romance. This woman truly embodies the word bad ass! I love how she exudes a carefree, down to earth demeanor without sacrificing the knowledge that every man wants her, and every woman wants to be her. Cue in Jameson, whose defenses don’t stand a chance against the gorgeous Dani. Jameson is the perfect combination you can ask for in a love interest; he’s bookish, devastatingly handsome, and has a possessive streak when it comes to his girl. What more can you ask for? The chemistry between Dani and Jameson was undeniable, I literally blushed/squealed multiple times throughout this book! And the spice was immaculate- it was truly well done.
As much as I really enjoyed this book, I did encounter a few issues. I thought the pacing was a bit inconsistent, slow in the beginning and too fast at the end. I also would’ve loved to see an extended epilogue featuring Dani and Jameson sometime in the future. Don’t get me wrong though, it was satisfying as hell nonetheless! I’m just a sucker for that fluffy happily ever after.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to all lovers of the romance genre! Simply put, you need this in your life. I’m looking forward to purchasing my copy when this book releases!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This book was such a fun read! I loved the chemistry between Jameson and Dani. They were so fun to read, and oh so hot! I also liked how the characters have depth and their backgrounds were so complex and interesting to read!

I only wish that Jameson had a bit more personality. At some points he felt a little dull,but him and Dani together were a saving grace. I also would’ve like the romance and story to stay consistent through the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and so glad I got to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Tracey Livesay, Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me this ARC, and allowing me to read it.

I love love loved this book! This was amazing! I am so glad I received this ARC. The little poem sections were perfect. It made the story more interesting like seeing in the mind of the character more, when a book has quotes before each chapter it makes it so much better for me! Definitely will re read.

A romance novel based on Harry and Meghan but with more Megan Thee Stallion type vibes? Sign me tf up!

This was a super fun read and I enjoyed it! I think some of the pacing felt *off* to me and I had trouble connecting with the romance at times. Regardless, I loved Dani and her fierce personality. If you love books about royals or famous people, you'll love this one!

Also, can we talk about this INCREDIBLE COVER?!?!?

Absolutely delightful, steamy read. I loved Dani’s character the most - ambitious, thick skinned, and full of agency!

Black representation? Check! English monarchs? Check! Not-so-great first impressions? Another check! Multiple POVs? Double check! If you like just a little bit of enemies to lovers (but not enough to where the entire book is slowburn), then this book is perfect for you!

Rating: 4 stars
Spiciness: 4 stars

Overall, the story was nice! I loved the fact that Livesay made sure the heroine was representative of Black culture, as well as brought in a few themes and home values of the Black community as well. I also loved that Dani had more to her than just her music career–she also has a skin care line called Mela-Skin. One thing I didn’t like, however, was the fact that we never truly see a solution to the drama surrounding her skin care brand, which I was definitely looking forward to.

I also loved the hero as well! Jameson was very sweet and very apprehensive (and rightfully so!). I do wish his character was fleshed out a bit more in a way that was more subtle without being rushed, but for the most part I was able to understand where most of his decisions/actions seemed to originate from.

As far as the overall plot and romance goes, the story was absolutely amazing. From the dates that Jameson took Dani on to the *spiciness* of some of their “entanglements” (as the queen herself called it), this book checked almost all of my boxes!

Final verdict? I would definitely recommend this book, and I would love to read another one of Tracy Livesay’s books!

I really liked the idea of this book. I thought it was something fresh and new and a squealed when I read the synopsis but that’s kind of those short for me. The book opens up with the main character doing a video shoot where the Director wants her to rub a whole bunch of money all over her and while I get the premise that she doesn’t really want to do that and doesn’t really wanna be exposed like that and wants to take her career in a different direction but main stream is making her do these things I don’t really feel like the book needed to open up to this. I wasn’t prepared for there to be such a stereo typical view of both characters and then in other scenes they were seen in an animated light as well – so it’s just felt a bit weird to me. I am still really excited to buy it and have it on my shelf and support the author because I really do like her work and I really am excited for whatever she comes out with in the future.

Unique story idea. I loved the idea of American royalty but it reminded me of stories like red white and royal blue or majesty which did the same idea but better !Cute romance, liked it but didn’t love it. I did love the premise of a Royal romance it was cute.

I REALLY LIKED this one and fell in love with the characters against my will. Whatever you think this book is from the description? It’s better.

And the more I think about this book, the more I love it, so yeah, it’s one of the good ones.

This book is a good book, a nice book even. While I did enjoy it and had some laughs there were other parts I felt could have been improved upon. 



Dani is a badass rapper/business woman who is trying to live life according to her terms. She’s confident in herself and in her talents.



Jameson is a prince who just wants to continue being a professor and out of the royal limelight. 

He’s a grump and she’s more ferocious than the sun.

The thing I struggled with was the pacing. From the beginning Jameson has an attraction towards Dani prior to meeting her. And when Dani finally meets him she is attracted to him. But they get off on the wrong foot. You know the whole enemies to lovers trope? I love that.

However I felt like they hooked up too quickly. There wasn’t enough build up between them, not enough connection. 

That is my only issue with the book. If you’re looking for a quick smutty read then you might like this. It comes out this year on June 28th!

First off, I loved Danielle aka Duchess in this story. I could relate to her and felt the intense need to read so much more of her. She was definitely the driving force behind the book for me here. When times got slow, turn to Dani!! Once she and Jameson did get together it was fireworks for me. A great read!

This romance is full of drama and steam and I really enjoyed it.

Dani is an American rapper who goes by the stagename Duchess and Jameson is a reclusive royal who likes to stay out of the spotlight, but when circumstances throw them together their attraction blooms.

I loved seeing both Dani and Jameson's POVs in this book. I especially liked Dani and following her on the journey she takes throughout the book.

The only thing I didn't love about it is that the last quarter or so kind of moved very quickly and then it was just over. The rest of the story is paced nicely so the back end of the story seems a bit abrupt.

All in all, this was a great modern romance with royalty and celebrity elements that I loved and wonderfully written characters.

This book is Meghan and Harry Fan Fiction and I AM HERE FOR IT! Loved the female main character was a bit like Rihanna. who is building an empire. I love that the male main character was reluctant to be a working royal.

A longer review will be shared in Tiktok/Instagram.

A huge thank you to Avon Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 3🌶

What I LOVED: I’m a sucker for royal romances so this definitely satisfied that craving I had after recently rewatching The Prince and Me.

I enjoyed how Jameson and Dani’s (Duchess’s real name) royal/celebrity romance was inspired by real life Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story so there were similarities here and there. Both being in the spotlight for most of their lives for different reasons, I loved how they bonded over the struggles when it comes to the pressure and responsibilities of being famous but also, the need for normalcy and privacy. Their chemistry was instant and their slight bickering and banter had me hooked immediately. It also helped that their sexual tension was so strong, it led to steamy, scenes early on (both open door and some FTBs)

Both main leads were so endearing! Duchess is sexy, confident and hella talented! She’s the type of artist whose music I know I’d love in real life but as much as I was fascinated by the glamorous yet exhausting side of her being a celebrity, I enjoyed seeing her as just Dani who is just as beautiful and captivating.

Then there’s Prince Jameson, the Duke of Wessex or also known as Jay, the University professor. Not only is he attractive physically, but being intelligent and a gentleman adds to the reasons to love him. He’s also very sexy and naughty when he wants to be 😋

What I LIKED: One of the things I enjoyed when reading royal romances are the high stakes family drama and politics involved which adds to the tension and conflict and this definitely had that. Alongside that, the reality of Duchess’ celebirty life with all the media attention and how it affects Black women in the entertainment industry is a heartbreakingly real issue even now.

I enjoyed the fun side characters as well like Rhys, Jay’s mom (She was like a Princess Diana figure which I loved!) and Dani’s team especially Nyla! They’re the friends our main leads deserve.

What I DIDN’T ENJOY: Though the pacing was fast and engaging, I think the romance could’ve had more development. It just felt a bit rush especially with the steamy scenes in the first half of the book. I wish there was more bickering in the start, more sexual tension and pining before they went straight to the s/ex. Towards the end, it felt like they were rushing to get a HEA for the sake of the ending without actually solving the issues of both main leads. There were lots of unresolved conflict still.

Also, the royal family here were as annoying, pretentious and privileged as ever so I didn’t enjoy the scenes with them until the end.

Which then lead to a very detached and almost unnecessary epilogue. I had mixed feelings about it mostly because it featured a character I spent most of the book hating so it was odd for me to suddenly have their narrative. I’m not particularly excited for their redemption story but I’m curious as to what the author plans for them and the suceeding books!

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT IF YOU LOVE:
• interracial royal/celebrity romance
• forced proximity (roommates)
• hidden relationship
• royal family and celebrity drama