Thank you to the publisher and Cocoa booktours for this copy of the book. I really enjoyed this book it was everything and more

Conceptually I really wanted to love this book. However, the writing was strange, repetitive at points, and borderline cringey in others. This needed more revisions before publication, in my opinion.

The last thing Dani could imagine when she accepts an opportunity to perform in a tribute for the Queen of England's late husband, is that she would end up in a whirlwind romance with her grandson, Prince Jameson. It was more instant dislike to lovers than enemies to lovers, but it was still a wonderful read. I loved that it was from both Dani and Jameson's perspectives.

Who could have imagined an American rapper with an English prince obsessed with her? This was a fun read. Their relationship moved a little fast for the enemies to lover vibe I thought it was going to have.

The spice level was pretty good and it felt good for a romance in this genre. I’m excited to read the next book in the series.

Apparently this book is loosely based on Prince Harry and Meghan...a strong hint that I was probably going to enjoy it! This is a steamy contemporary romance between an introverted prince and a sexy, American rapper.

I love the dynamic between Jameson and Dani, and how things unfold. Be forewarned that the steam factor is high with this one, and it definitely works for their relationship. Overall a really good book. I look forward to reading more from Tracey Livesay.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love this twist on a common trope. I thought the rep was great, and I will definitely pick up more from Tracey.

This book was absolutely everything! Tracey Livesay knows how to give us humor and romance wrapped up on a cute little package. I adored Dani and Jameson, from their chemistry to their 🔥🌶️ scenes… needless to say, I’m tuned in for the sequel!

4.5/5⭐️

3.5 stars, rounded up.

The parts of this that worked, worked SO WELL. But the parts of it that didn't work were laced so thickly throughout the text that it was hard to get past them, which was sad.

I LOVED Dani's characterization. Everything about Dani is absolutely perfect, 10/10, no notes, I adore her. Her exploration of misogynoir in hip-hop was incredible, and I would follow her character basically anywhere. I liked Jameson a lot, but I'm always a sucker for a grumpy professor type. That said, Jameson's characterization felt incredibly lacking in comparison to Dani's, and I wasn't a fan of him lusting after Dani before they even met or began to fall in love.

I also wasn't a fan of the insta-love portion of the text, and the Samantha Banks epilogue, while giving me a chuckle, didn't give me any sense of actual closure. I also didn't love that the story ends right when things finally begin to work out.

I'm incredibly happy that a sequel is coming out, because if this had been the actual end of their story, my ranking would be even lower. I'm excited to explore more of Dani and Jameson's story, but I wish we had gotten to see more of it in their first book.

I liked this mostly but sometimes the chemistry and attraction wasn't clear (except for physical). I'll read the next in the series though!

I am having the worst book hangover from this one. This is the exact type of royal romance that I need in my life. What a refreshing take—so beautiful and wonderfully told.

I need a Duchess album STAT! Oh, and for it to be July so I can read the follow-up to American Royalty by Tracey Livesay.

Dani “Duchess” Nelson is an American rapper with a PR problem thanks to a rival singer’s untrue accusations, and it’s impacting the launch of her skincare line. Some good press would help sway investors, and let her finally have creative control over her career. So when she’s invited to perform at the memorial concert for the Queen’s husband, she’s surprised. Turns out Prince Jameson, who has shied away from his family’s spotlight and works as a professor, chose Duchess to perform based on her name alone and had no idea who she was or her genre of music.

And with some insta-lust and forced proximity, Dani and Jay go from strangers to lovers pretty quick, and then have to decide if their summer fling is worth the impact to her career and his responsibilities as the future face of the royal family.

I am kicking myself that I took forever to focus and read this! BUT now I don’t have to wait so long for the second book, so maybe past me had the right idea. Dani is a force, and I liked that I could read snippets of her lyrics at the beginning of her chapters. Jameson is such a stickler yet he can’t resist Dani and gets on his knees (SEVERAL TIMES) to worship her and beg for forgiveness when he’s groveling. *chef’s kiss*
I can’t wait to see how their relationship evolves in the next book, and how they’ll take on the crown and the press together.

I put this down a few times because I'm moody, lol! So when I got a chance to read finally get the audiobook and pick back up where I bookmarked and I loved reading along with the audiobook. This was giving all the Megan and Harry vibes, but if Megan was a rapper. I loved their chemistry together and the way Duchess hepled Jameson sees that he needs to put his self first rather than the opinions of the Queen.

This was such a blast of a read. I loved the world we entered. I loved how dimensional our characters were. I also adored watching Dani and Jay fall in love.

The sex scenes were also fantastic.

2/5 Stars

Please take this review with a grain of salt and know that I did DNF this book at the 46% mark. My Biggest issue was the writing. I just could not get into it. I was not a fan of the dialogue or the way the characters were written. I don't know if it was just the way I'm reading it in my head or if I heard the audiobook it would be better I'm not sure. It just didn't work for me. I think there is something here for sure. I think from what I read and if I could get past the writing I could enjoy this romance. Again this was just a miss for me and I'm incredibly disappointed because I wanted to love it.

American Royalty is a well-crafted romance that will appeal to fans of the genre and those who are looking for a unique and entertaining story. Livesay's writing is engaging and her characters are endearing, making this a book that is hard to put down.

Wow… 🥵🥵🥵
LIKES:
1) Royal characters… Even though this was “loosely based” on my favorite royals, the differences were awesome! Jameson and Dani were so sexy and hot. I had just read a Livesay romance so I knew what to expect! 🌶️🌶️🌶️
2) Dani was so like Lizzo/Cardi B. Just unapologetically herself and fierce in her blackness. I just loved her
3) interracial couples! I knew this is Livesay’s thing but I will never tire of the representation!
4) I loved that Jameson was a professor that was able to live a relatively normal life.
5) the ending… and that there is a sequel!!! I’m so ready for The Duchess Effect! Can anyone get me the ARC??

DISLIKES:
🚫

I really enjoyed the books from Tracey Livesay I’ve read in the past, and I had really high hopes for this one. A Royal romance with a rapper heroine? Sign me up! Unfortunately I couldn’t connect to the characters and struggled with the pacing. I don’t think I was in the right mood when I tried it. DNF for now.

I have tried to get into this one, and it's just not for me. I struggled with the language and blatant sexuality in the very first chapter (it doesn't help that I'm not a fan of rap music, and that's my fault for not reading the synopsis thoroughly).

I truly enjoyed American Royalty. This was my first book by Tracey Livesay and I really liked her writing style. I loved the two points of view and how they had very defined voices. Jameson was an intriguing hero that took a bit pull my interest. He was kind of an enigma at the beginning but it makes sense with his character. However, any character that is inspired by Megan Thee Stallion I am going to be a HUGE fan of. I really loved Dani she is probably one of my favorite heroines of 2022. She is bold, interesting, and unique. I did think it took a bit long for Dani and Jameson to meet. I wasn't the biggest fan of the third act breakup but I really enjoyed the epilogue. I can't wait to read what's next from this author and really excited to learn that I'll get to see more from Dani and Jameson.

There are few romances were I want a sequel that follows the same characters, but I am so glad American Royalty is one that is getting one! I'm so excited to see the relationship between Dani and Jameson develop deeper. Their chemistry in this one was off the charts, and their personal storylines were intriguing as well. It was a bit weak in the middle with the repetitious jealousy, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment much overall.