Thank you Book Club Girl for the opportunity to read an early copy of American Royalty. I really enjoyed this book. I had never read any of Tracey Livesay's books before but I definitely plan to now.

Wow. Some days you need a book to escape from your own day to day and insert yourself in someone else’s glamorous life. Tracey Livesey’s American Royalty does that with ease, even while stripping away the benefits of fame and fortune to show the perils that lie underneath.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dani, aka Duchess, is a famous American rapper with a skin care line designed for women of color. She wants to grow her company, but a manufactured beef with a pop star is messing with her reputation. When she gets the chance to perform at a star studded concert to honor royalty, she jumps at the chance to move the focus back to her music and her business. Prince Jameson is a university professor who just wants to stay out of the spotlight. But his grandmother the Queen has other plans and insists he spearhead a celebration of his late grandfather’s charitable works. He suggests Duchess as a musical guest on a whim, and has no idea what he’s gotten himself into. When the two meet, sparks fly immediately. But can they merge their two very different lives?

I loved this book. Dani and Jameson were both engaging characters that immediately pulled me into their distinct lives. I especially liked the celebration of Dani’s business acumen. The differences between their public and private personas felt realistic, as well as their initial discomfort with each other. And the chemistry between the two is scorching! 🥵

There is no way to read this book without thinking of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The differences between “regular” celebrity and royalty is vast, as well as the role of racism in how the press and paparazzi treat them. While Dani thinks she’s prepared, she not. Jameson attempts to protect her, with mixed results.

This romance is smart, charming, hot and insightful. Dani and Jameson are amazing characters who richly deserve their happily ever after. If you like celebrity or royal romance, dive into this immensely satisfying book now!

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

I'm so sad that this ended up being a DNF for me, because the premise and the cover (OMG gorgeous) really drew me in! Unfortunately, the beginning chapters were quite slow-moving and the character's voices didn't appeal to me. I was shocked by how long it took for the two main characters to meet and once they finally did, the chemistry was missing.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This book was very fun and flirty! Anything with a British Royal romance immediately sparks my interest and I’m glad to say that American Royalty held it. Dani and Jameson had great chemistry and the steam was there for sure.

I will say, although I enjoyed this book, the romance seemed a tad bit rushed and therefore unbelievable to me. There are some odd time jumps, and while we do get a few cute romantic moments, a lot of the interactions that we get of Dani and Jay are primarily physical. This is of course still good, but the ending doesn’t particularly make sense given this context.

Speaking of the ending, it felt VERY rushed. The major conflict shows up extremely late and is then resolved extremely fast. It left me feeling a little disoriented.

Overall though, this book was easy and delightful to read. I did enjoy it, but my advice to future readers is just to not take it too seriously. It’s a fun, flirty, romance with an interesting concept, and I definitely recommend it for lovers of romance.

I almost did not finish this book. The first 30% was so boring!! It took that long before the main characters even met. There was no slow build or tension between the characters. Dani and Jameson jumped right in after just having met. I like that build up and sexual tension before the two love interests actually get together. The last part redeemed this book a little and changed my rating from a 2 to a 3 star review. If the author would have cut some of the first part of the book and used it to build Dani and Jameson's relationship a little slower it would have made this book much better.

Who doesn't love a royal romance? How about a celebrity romance? What if I told you that American Royalty had a relationship between a royal and a pop star and an interracial one at that? This is the first book I have read from Tracey Livesay and I am definitely eager to pick up her backlist after this! If you see the cover, you might think this is based on Meghan Markle & Prince Harry, but the characters couldn't be more different - starting with a reclusive Prince who is new to the spotlight.

I can't say enough good things about this book, so let Duchess (Dani) and Jameson speak for themselves on June 28th when you pick up a copy!

Thank you to Avon for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Add to your tbr if you like:
- forbidden romance
- grumpy/sunshine
- forced proximity
- the tv show The Royals

Loosely inspired by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (with a dash of Megan Thee Stallion), this is a steamy contemporary romance for your summer tbr! This was an insta-lust between reserved philosophy professor, Prince Jameson, and world famous rapper and skin line mogul, Duchess. I love romance with dual POVs and getting to feel their chemistry explode throughout the book. Jameson is a reclusive royal with major grumpy vibes when he meets Duchess. Used to working a crowd and having most men fall to their knees, Duchess (Dani) definitely knows how to bite back when her usual sunshine meets a stone wall. I loved Dani's cultivated "take-no-shit" attitude and Jameson's feelings growing in ways he never expected. They both have certain perceptions of the other and they slowly peel back the façade they put on for the public and get to actually know one another. There was also set up for potential future books with Rhys, Nyla, and Samantha.

Insta-lust isn't always my jam and I wish that Jameson's original grumpiness hadn't been solely based on hiding his attraction and sex dreams he had about Dani before ever meeting her in person; she experiences that enough with men in her industry. Their relationship had sweet moments, but was mainly focused on lusting after one another, I would've liked to see more depth into what their future could potentially look like. There are also a few weird time jumps or awkward cuts in scenes, which occasionally made me flip back a page to reread.

Overall, this is a fun read for your summer tbr, very heavy on the steamy scenes and Dani's focus on her career!
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Net Galley for this eARC. This is a voluntary review.

Content warnings: sexism, racism, sexual harassment, grief, past loss of a family member

Dani "Duchess" Nelson is an American rapper who used rapping as her gateway to fame and financial success, but she wants to leave the business and focus on her skincare business. MelaSkin creates skincare products for women of color, which Dani is passionate about much more than her music.

Prince Jameson is a philosophy professor at the University of Birmingham in the UK. His deceased father was a senior royal, and the prince was allowed to continue normal life after his father's death at his mother's request. But his grandmother, Queen Marina II, wants Jameson to begin his role as a working member of the royal family with a concert to honor her late husband. Jameson is expected to step up and become one of the few royals without an associated scandal.

Jameson knows nothing about music and asks a student for recommendations of potential performers, and Duchess is mentioned. Jameson thinks it's amusing to have a performer named Duchess at a royal event and submits her name without looking into her career. Dani needs good publicity after a pop star posted a video on social media that made Dani look bad, so she accepts. But the queen was not expecting a risqué hip-hop act to be performing.

When Duchess arrives in the UK, she finds that her rented cottage sprung a leak. This forces her to move into the main house, which happens to be Prince Jameson's sprawling country estate. Dani and Jameson have a terrible first meeting, but in private they admit they're attracted to each other. When Jameson tries to correct his first impression, he ends up spending a lot more time with Dani. Will they be able to overcome their dislike and admit their desire? And once the queen finds out, will it all fall apart?

Recommended for royal watchers and fans of interracial romance.

Representation: African-American main character, interracial romance, orphan, female business owner, black business owner, POC side character

An homage to Harry and Meghan? Sign me up! In this book, we see famous rapper Duchess aka Dani get asked to play at a charity concert for the Queen of England. When she meets her host, Prince Jameson, there's an instant attraction but his cold demeanor is hard to overcome. Eventually the two break down their walls and try to determine if their fling is for the duration of her stay or something that can be forever--but, of course, it's not entirely their decision, as royal family and the paparazzi seem to get in the way.

I went into this book a little bit nervous, because taking such blatant inspiration from real life can be challenging, but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this book. My main complaint is that there seemed to really only be a physical connection between the two main characters. And I love a good steamy romance, but this jump to the physical really seemed to only reinforce the heroine's oversexualization, which she complained about throughout the book. It seems as though, for at least the first half of their fling, the prince really only viewed her as a sex symbol. I didn't trust that he really liked her for her. But, the book was still a fun read, especially for royal watchers and Harry and Meghan fans.

Thanks to Avon for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the gifted copy!

AMERICAN ROYALTY had a lot of potential - it is a Harry and Meghan esque story but instead of Meghan Markle, we got a Megan thee Stallion type character in our female MC, Dani “Duchess” Nelson - an unapologetic, vibrant famous rapper.

On the other hand, our male MC, the introverted Prince Jameson who wants nothing, was extremely unlikable. While I LOVED Dani and was rooting for her through the entire story, I couldn’t stand Jameson for most of the book.

I couldn’t really get a handle of the pacing of the story. The two MCs don’t meet until about 25% through the book. They got off on the completely wrong foot, which was fine and caused for some amusing moments, it turned to lust SO quickly it gave me whiplash. I wasn’t convinced that these two felt anything for each other other than lust.

I wanted so much more from the story. While there is plenty of steam, the book doesn’t really go anywhere else, even when the writing hints at it. Since this story is so heavy based on Harry and Meghan, I’d hoped we’d get to know Jameson and Dani on a deeper level since Harry and Meghan have been so open on how their relationship has been affected by the spotlight.

I so wanted to like this book - Dani/Duchess was a great character, but she was the only one I was invested in.

If readers can suspend reality and the connections to Harry, Meghan, and the royal family, I see this having the potential to be a popular summer read!

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 (rounding up)

What if Meghan Markle was also Megan Thee Stallion?? First of all, like most Americans, I'm a sucker for a "commoner" and Royal relationship. Add in the fact that it's an interracial romance and that "commoner" is a rapper, and I'm sold!

Dani might not be royalty, but she is known as "Duchess". More than that, this woman is a QUEEN. The confidence. The charisma. The fact that she rocks a pair of sweat pants. I loved her, start to finish. Jameson on the other hand, took some warming up to. I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary about the royal family's prejudice (*cough* racism *cough*) and everything about Black women working in the music industry, but the romance itself wasn't my favorite. To start with, the couple doesn't even meet IRL until more than a quarter of the way into the book. From there, it's mostly insta-lust... but where's the love? There were also a few extra plot lines that just never seemed fully-developed.

That being said, the sex scenes and physical chemistry between Dani and Jameson more than made up for the so-so romance. This wasn't my first Tracey Livesay and it definitely won't be the last!

Thank you, @netgalley, and @avonbooks, for the eARC and in return, an honest review.

“This. You. Us. That’s all I care about.”

My Thoughts:
This book is an adult fiction, contemporary, and an interracial romance. It was a quick read with some spiciness. I think it is more of lust than a love story although there were some cute and thoughtful moments. This is definitely not a slow burn romance.

Dani aka Duchess reminds me more of Rihanna, a successful singer and business owner. Dani is a strong female character. Smart, fearless, and hardworking. Prince Jameson is relatable in the sense that no one likes to be told what to do or who to love for the sake of the family. But otherwise, he’s ok. I think the ‘romance’ was a little fast and short. It did end on a high note.

The book is described as evoking the real-life romance of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. I didn’t want to go there. I read it as it was described…fiction! No comparison, speculation, or expectations.

I have never read from Tracey Livesay before, so I’m kind of interested to see how much I would like her newest book, American Royalty. And this book will bring the total opposite of attraction to another level.

Danielle ‘Duchess’ Nelson and Prince Jameson were the total opposite of each other. Like they have nothing in common, except for their denying sexual attraction for each other. Their chemistry is off the charts whenever they keep denying their attraction. They are born into two different worlds, so there is no way for them to collide. But yet, they can’t seem to not fight their attraction for each other.

Their romance together is a bit forbidden since she is a pop star and he is a royal prince. Yet, they are perfect for each other.

Oh this book. I had such high hopes - an rapper and a Prince?? Yes please! Unfortunately this book fell flat for me.

I will start by saying that I kind of adored Dani/Duchess. I loved a lot of things about her character, how she was so driven and smart, quick with her responses but also knew when to control her emotions. She was great. But the whole point of the story - her and Prince Jameson falling in love - was just so bad. The transition from "we're supposed to not want anything to do with each other" to "now we're sex buddies" to "now we're in love with each other" was so choppy. Their relationship didn't come across as something with real connection or depth at all since majority of the time was spent with them just lusting after each other. I feel like this just didn't hit the right tone, especially since in the beginning it was made clear that the men in charge of her rapping career were sexualizing her in order to make money. Jameson immediately sexualizing her was just a continuation of what was wrong with the men already in her life. And with majority of the story focusing on their physical relationship there was no time for the emotional relationship to ever develop or feel real. I would've loved some of their interactions to not include James thinking about getting an erection or Dani thinking about her nipples hardening or her panties getting wet. Like, really, every single interaction? It became a bit much. And they were both very immature through a lot of it! It became pretty annoying.

Anyway, this story had major potential. It's too bad the execution was such a flop!

Dani, or Duchess as her fans know her, is a successful American female rapper, who has been killing it in her career. However after a little drama is shared on social media by a rising pop star, some of the companies Dani is hoping to work with back out of their deals with her. She’s lucky to get the opportunity of a lifetime when she is asked to perform at a concert hosted by the British royal family. When she arrives she meets Jameson, a prince who would prefer to stay out of the spotlight. They end up very quickly realizing there is chemistry between them and start a short term relationship while Dani is in town, despite the Queen’s disapproval.

Oh my goodness I adored this book. I love a good British royal family moment and this book was a fabulous fictionalized version of that with a strong female lead. Dani was an incredible main character. She was so strong and really stood up for herself in a male dominated industry. She knew what she wanted and had no problem going for it. I loved her so much. This book was so fun and so steamy and one that everyone needs to have on their radar!

Thank you to Avon Books for the advance copy.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This was a fun and quick contemporary romance that has a nice nod to British royalty with Harry and Meghan’s love story. Dani/Duchess is an American rapper who also runs a successful skin care line for Black women, who due to a feud with a pop star needs to do some image control. Jameson/Jay is a Prince of England (grandson of the Queen), who is a professor but forced into the spotlight to plan a royal concert fundraiser. These two main character’s worlds collide with instant chemistry when Jameson selects Duchess to perform at this event. I thought this was overall a very fun read, and I enjoyed the chemistry and open door scenes between the two main characters. The only thing that didn’t work for me in this story was the pacing being off throughout the book, with the end happening quickly. I would have loved to see a longer epilogue! But overall this was fun and lighthearted, with the right amount of instant-love and chemistry between two successful and smart characters from different worlds. I recommend this book for fans of royal love stories, contemporary romance, and a fan fiction vibe.

Book: American Royalty
Author: Tracey Livesay

I wanted to love this book, the premise really drew me in. Unfortunately, it was just okay for me. I felt the pacing was a little slow at the start of the book and I wish that the relationship was built a bit better, instead of just what felt like Insta-lust.

This story keeps you wanting more. I love the celebrity trope and how the author wrote Dani. Dani is a badass. I loved seeing the background of her business, and her inner dialogue. However, I would have loved to see more of the Prince he was more of the grump in the story and I wish we would have seen more of his backstory in the beginning but it came out towards the end. I also feel like we needed to see more of their relationship to make it more believable. I loved the writing and the representation.

I was gifted this book from Net Galley/ Avon Publishing in exchange for an honest review as always all words are my own.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate how stunning the cover for AMERICAN ROYALTY by Tracey Livesay is stunning!!

I’m an absolute sucker for a royal romance and this one did not disappoint in the least!!

The pacing was perfection, I loved getting to read from Dani and Jameson’s POVs. Getting to hear from both of them just really added something extra that just really sold the story. Reading about their mutual pining and all of the not-so-secret glances they would throw each other’s way? Immaculate vibes 🤌🏼

I feel it in my could that this one is going to be THE summer romance to read! If you’re a fan of the British monarchy and the drama that follows them (think Prince Harry & Meghan Markle) - this is the book for you!!

Thank you so much to Avon Books for the gifted ARC and the opportunity to read an e-ARC!

I will forever read books where "ordinary" people become royals or date royals - they are my catnip. American Royalty takes that trope even further and allows our "ordinary" person to be royalty herself but in a different way. Dani ("Duchess") is not only a successful rapper but runs an incredibly successful skincare brand catering to darker skin types. When she tries to reshape her image after a scheming pop singer tries to use her for her own career she ends up in England about to perform as part of a tribute concert the Queen is putting on. While she is there she meets Jameson, a prince who is just trying to help his grandmother while also avoiding scandal.

All the parts are here and I loved reading Dani and Jameson's different POVs as they try to navigate what they want versus what people around them want. It takes a while for them to even meet and then their relationship takes off immediately, their chemistry palpable on first meeting. Something felt a little off with the pacing for me - maybe I wanted more time with them pining and getting to know each other?

I did really love the romance and both characters were well defined on their own. However, I thought the ending was kind of rushed and although it was satisfying, I felt left a little wanting. There were a lot of lingering threads and also one of the most dysfunctional royal families I've ever read.

Overall, I enjoyed this fun romance and would definitely recommend to fellow lovers of royal romances.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Avon for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.