I am absolutely fascinated by royal romances and all the obstacles the couples have to overcome to finally be together. American Royalty features a prince turned professor who reluctantly performs his royal duties by booking Duchess, an American rapper, for a tribute concert. They’re an unlikely pair but the two quickly hit it off and have an immediate attraction. Tracey Livesay has crafted such a unique and fun royal romance.

After starting American Royalty, I looked up and realized 100 pages had gone by. This romance is an engaging, windswept tale that just made me feel lucky to be a romance reader. I really appreciated the dual perspective story and it was interesting to see the romance from both Dani and Jameson's perspectives. Obviously a royal romance has quite a few obstacles so I really appreciated seeing the characters work through their complicated roles and feelings as they admitted their feelings for each other.

This steamy and charming romance is perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert's The Princess Trap.

When I saw this was an interracial romance between and an American rapper and a prince I knew I had to read this. This was a fun read and and I liked the set up of the story. What bothered me though was the third act break up. That's become a pet peeve of mine in romance books and it just felt so unneeded. Also the time jumps in the couples relationship felt a little weird. Like I wanted to see more of them developing feelings for each other but it was mostly lust filled and then we would jump weeks forward in their "relationship". Over I liked this story but wasn't super connected to the characters. 3/5 stars.

Tracey Livesay’s American Royalty was one of my most-anticipated romances of the summer! I was completely ready to fall in love with Prince Jameson and Danielle "Duchess" and follow along with their love story, wherever it may take them.

As I started reading, I was pulled in right away by Duchess’ personality—it came through in the way she interacted with other characters as well as her inner monologue. She radiated role model, strong female—I just loved her!

I wish I could say the same about Prince Jameson. I really really wanted to like him, and expected him to become a new book crush. I just couldn’t really get a read on his character though, and it didn’t help that I didn’t enjoy the voice or style of the narrator for his parts of American Royalty when listening to the audiobook. I tried pausing the audio and reading those parts myself, but by that point, the narrators voice was stuck in my head.

That’s okay though because I was all there for Duchess—I really really rooted for her. Plus, there was some spicy spice in American Royalty as well as many other aspects of the story that I liked. For example, I didn’t expect the ending, which was nice, because I like to be kept guessing. I enjoyed American Royalty quite a bit!

This was a sizzlingly sexy romance starring black rap artist and beauty mogul, Duchess, and the painfully Caucasian British monarch, Prince Jameson. What ensues is a romantic love story taking place within the palace, while battling misogyny, racism, and the media. This book is multidimensional, and as I said … steamy.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & Avon for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are few books that make me squeal out loud - to the point of other people in the room are wondering what the heck is going on. THIS is one of those novels. This book expertly gives the reader a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and it’s such a pleasure to get on board. The story follows Dani, a famous American rapper called “Duchess” who is invited to perform for the British Royal Family. She’s invited as part of a week long celebration to honor the legacy of the late monarch. Her host: none other than Prince Jameson, a reluctant member of the royal family just wanting to live a normal life as a college professor that happens to have some very famous people in his family. What happens next is a satisfying tale of romance that takes several twists and turns between two people that had lottery-winning odds of getting together. I won’t spoil it for you, but it is such a good book. The romance. THE STEAM - let me just say that I highlighted so many passages on my Kindle that it looks like a rainbow. The spicy scenes are beyond epic and squeal worthy. Jameson is so freaking SWOON-worthy. Oh my Lord. Anyway, it is a well-written tale of two people who have to live under the public microscope, and also have to wrestle with the challenges of an unexpected relationship. They both want to make their own decisions in life, but they both are beholden to other people and obligations. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and, again, this book is satisfying in so many ways. This book gives the reader all the feels. NOTE: I was provided an ARC Copy of this book in exchange for a review. This is honestly one of my favorite reads of this year. Great writing. Great Story. Great Prince.

This was actually quite cute. I don’t know why, but going into this I didn’t expect a forced proximity trope. Dani and Jameson are put together to help plan something where she will perform and I think having them be so close (physically) was a benefit for the book. They had such a connection and you could feel their attraction leaking off the page. I guess my only hiccup would be that the final act felt a little rushed, but I still had fun.
I will def read more by this author and see if I still like it :)

Give me a royal romance story every time! So excited to see an amazing twist to the royal love story between a prince of England and an American rapper! Duchess is a famous rapper who is trying to make a name in the music industry in order for her to do what she really loves - her skin care brand. She wants to be her own boss and make her own decisions instead of dealing with the life of a rapper who is being told how to dress, act, etc. Unfortunately she gets caught up in a scandal involving a pop singer and in order to try and fix her reputation so she can make a deal with her skin care brand she takes an offer to perform at a special concert for the late Prince John in England. Prince Jameason does not like the royal spotlight and has to be in charge of presenting at the royal concert and finds himself face to face with Duchass.
The sparks were hot and I liked the background of each character. Unfortunately I did not like how fast the romance was. Didn’t feel like there was much emotion between them. Liked it but was going for more.

I wish the entire book was from Duchess’ POV because she’s a fascinating character, and I wanted to know more about her and her world and her challenges. Whenever the book switched to Jameson’s POV, I lost interest and was put off by how quickly he sexualized Duchess before even meeting her, The insta-lust between the two was also too much and some of the dialogue during the sex scenes was cringe-y. And the ending was just so abrupt, with an epilogue about a third character I never even cared about, leaving the story feeling unfinished and unsatisfying.

I liked the premise— American Rapper and British Royal hit it off while working on a charity concert— but the insta-love ruined the suspension of disbelief.

Points for the lyrics by fictional rapper, Duchess, at the start of her chapters.

This book….it’s everything.

Dani is a successful rapper, with the stage name of ‘Duchess’ and she’s looking to what’s next in her career. She has started a skincare line for women of color and is trying to sure up a deal with a professional skincare company when some bad press puts a dent in her image.

In a bid to turn things around she agrees to perform at a charity concert in honor of the late Queen Consort…in England. Due to a mix up she ends up staying at the private resident of Prince Jameson, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, and isn’t exactly thrilled at having a house guest…especially not an American rapper.

Despite their obvious attraction, the two get off to a series of rocky starts before they begin to warm up to each other. But all this time spent together out in the country lets them get to know each other away from prying eyes, and they soon begin to fall…first in lust, then in love. But they’re from two very different worlds, they couldn’t possibly work long-term. Could they?

This book is steamy, moving, funny, and smart. I adored both of the lead characters but particularly Dani. She was intelligent, driven, sassy but still down-to-earth and caring.

I read part of this one, and listened to the rest on audiobook. If you’re into audio you really really need to get this one, it was excellent! It’s narrated by Antony Ferguson and Wesleigh Siobhan, and while they were both amazing, I could listen to Wesleigh Siobhan all day. Just so, so good. The audiobook is 10 hours 46 minutes, and is definitely one I’ll be listening to again soon.

Content warnings for racism, classism, sexual harassment, parental death and more.

i wish i liked this, but unfortunately i wasn't into the writing style. i might give it another chance in the future. thank you for the arc.

This book was a fun rom-com. I will admit that it took me some time to really get into it but that was on me. I don’t really read books that have to do with royal characters/families so I felt like it might be predictable.

However, once I got past the first few chapters, I began to enjoy it more. Danielle aka Duchess wants to reach for the dollar signs and is hoping to sign a deal that will get her some more. She’s already a top woman in hip hop but she knows once she does this she will be able to have more control over her life (managers aren’t always the greatest).

Dani ends up getting in a bit of a social media downer so she has to come up with some ways to get her image back in good graces. Little did she know that it would send her all the way to England.

Prince Jameson aka Professor Jameson, has been put in charge of an upcoming royal event by his grandmother, the Queen. She put him in charge to gain some good press and well, make his presence known in the royal family. He prefers to stay out of the family and hates that he’s been tasked to do this. However, being a professor has its perks especially when your students can help with musical suggestions.

Dani and Prince Jameson’s worlds collide. At first, they clash on so many levels but can’t deny the attraction. Once they get to know one another, they can’t help the way they feel. Their chemistry is fire, I loved the quiet moments when they expressed their feelings and finally, the bed rocking scenes were well worth the wait.

Thank you @harpercollinscanada for the eARC!

I don’t know if it was because I read this book over several days, or because I was unwell for half of them, but this book was a strange reading experience. Let me start by saying how excited I was to read this “Meghan and Harry” romance; I was all on board with the premise and the promised tropes, but the execution was severely lacking. And I really did want to love this book. The good things? Dani and the steamy scenes, Dani’s friend Nyla and fellow musician Liam Cooper.

First of all, the hero and heroine don’t even meet for the first 25% of the book, during which time it drags on with unnecessary build up, and when they do meet, it’s more meet awkward than meet cute. Which can work sometimes but this wasn’t adorable awkward, just plain awkward with the Prince’s snobbishness competing with his immediate h0rniness for Duchess. Duchess aka Dani is the best thing about the story (except some out of character behavior which is par for the course for this book), and it feels like she gets all the personality that’s lacking in Prince Jameson. Like dude is the soggiest of white bread, hot and eligible on paper but zero going for him in actuality. Well except when he’s an unnecessarily crude h0rn dog, which doesn’t jive with his character at all, just makes him come off as a douche who’s only after Dani for her body. I’d hate him if he weren’t just so uninteresting.

They’re pretty hot when they get together, but the scenes start super explicit and then cut off so abruptly it’s like the book can’t decide if it wants to be steamy or fade to black. I once almost felt like I missed pages or something. A lot of things don’t make sense narratively at all, but the biggest is that these two never feel like they’re in love and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t just go back to their own lives after their fling, except them telling us. They go from bickering to hot and heavy to sappy in the span of a scene and none of it really works. And for a couple stuck in close proximity for weeks, we don’t see a lot of moments between the two really that gave me confidence in their union. Again, too much telling, not enough showing. In fact she has more chemistry with Liam.

And when they’re finally caught, it’s due to the stupidest most ridiculous mistake by Jameson and in contrast to the beginning, the climax is all hastily wrapped up in a half-ssed attempt to end the book as if the author ran out of pages and had to make do. Just like this review that I’m now wrapping up coz I don’t know what else to say.

I’m not a huge fan of the royal family, but I am a fan of American Royals by Tracey Livesay.

This book was a steamy hybrid of insta-love with a side of enemies to lovers. The first two thirds of the story were so sweet— a great mix of swoon worthy dates and some really steamy passion. The chemistry between Jameson and Dani was hot and their banter was cute.

The end of the book felt really rushed and there were a lot of people involved—too many, really. The pacing felt dramatically different from the rest of the book—which was a bit slow with exceptional detail. I was also a little frustrated because they didn’t actually talk about or solve some of the very real obstacles they would face.

Overall though, it was a fun read and I’d definitely recommend it, whether you follow the royals or not.

Thank you to Avon Books and Goodreads for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay is out now & it's a delight.

👑 British Prince + American Rapper
👑 Enemies-to-lovers
👑 Forced Proximity
👑 Secret Relationship
👑 Cute British countryside dates
👑 A hot bubble bath scene 🛁
👑 Royal Family drama

If I haven't convinced you yet did I mention the bubble bath scene?

Also there's a side character nicknamed Professor Thor & I'm going to need another book just with him.

This book was so fun and the perfect summer romance.

Dani "Duchess" Nelson needs some good PR following an incident with an up and coming pop star. Prince Jameson of England wishes to lead a quiet life, with as few royal responsibilities as possible. When his grandmother the Queen calls on his services to help organize a memorial concert in honor of his late grandfather, Jameson accidentally invites the rapper to perform.

It doesn't take long before sparks fly.

The chemistry between Dani and Jameson is instantly palpable. While it's not quite enemies to lovers, the pair definitely get off on the wrong foot (Jameson is pretty uptight and judgey, IMO). It doesn't help that Dani's lodgings are under repair and the two find themselves cohabitating under the same roof. One thing leads to another and soon there are movie nights on the couch and shared baths. Steamy, steamy, steamy!

I liked both of our main characters, especially Dani. She seemed like a truly fleshed out character and she was incredibly easy to root for, especially with all of the Samantha Banks drama and racism that came out with the palace. The royal drama seemed very realistic and I could imagine those conversations happening behind closed doors.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a review copy. I hope the author writes a follow up to this story, I really enjoyed reading from her.

This was a very good book! I liked the contrast between the royal family and a rapper. I thought that was very interesting! I also liked the inclusion of statements or rap lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. I also really enjoyed the ending. Take that Samantha!

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! I am a HUGE fan of all things royal, especially Meghan and Harry, and American Royalty is like a Meghan and Harry fanfic book. The cover of this book is STUNNING; as a biracial woman in an interracial marriage, I LOVE the representation. Growing up, I NEVER saw books with covers like this, and it makes my heart so happy to see. I loved the fact that not only was the male lead royal, but that the female lead was popular and known in her own right. Out of all the royal romances I've read, this is the first one where the female was a public figure as well. All of the other ones that I have read have had the male royal and the female some unknown kindergarten teacher or something of the like. This definitely made Jameson and Dani a power couple, and I loved the dynamic between the two of them. I loved that she helped Jameson navigate some of the publicity with his family and his station in life. Next, let's talk about the STEAM... woo, is it hot in here or is it just me? Livesay wasted NO TIME with these two getting together; this was not a slow burn, and I am here for it! Especially when so many romances I have read lately have been slow burns, but not this one. Livesay addresses issues of race and the monarchy, and I wonder what some of those conversations were like between the Queen, Prince Harry, and "The Firm." Some of the things that Dani said I would like to picture Meghan saying, and when I was reading this book, I felt like I was getting an inside look at Meghan and Harry's relationship. I loved that Tracey made Dani and Jameson real- they had their struggles and obstacles to overcome, and even though they lived in the public eye, they were so real with each other. I love the way Jameson worshipped Dani, and I thought he was so sweet to her. A professor who is an undercover prince? Sign me up. Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me a chance to read an early copy of this book!

I loved this and Tracey nailed it with this epic steamy royal romance. The perfect romance book of 2022. I love a good celebrity romance. A lot of fun!

I loved American Royalty so much! As a huge fan of Prince Harry and Megan Markle I loved that this book was kind of based off of them. I had so much fun with this one and I highly recommend it!