I'm happy enough with where it all ended up and I've absolutely loved the alt-history of this series (Netflix, get on this!) — but man, I did not love the action involving the POV characters throughout the bulk of this book.

Beatrice just has amnesia and forgets all of her character growth in the last book? And we have to bring Connor back into the mix again, despite it instantly going nowhere? Come on, we should be well past all that by now. We found out why she loved Teddy in the last book, so why do we have to do it all over again here — only worse?

Sam has all of her titles stripped after just a month of being gone — which seems insane — and seemingly gets handed the anonymous life she left for in the first place. But she inexplicably stays in Washington because of a sense of duty to her family that she abandoned a month prior even after Beatrice wakes up? And just doesn't talk to Marshall about her feelings during any of this for...reasons? And weirdly leads on this other dude while crashing in his living room and going on Costco trips? All of it was bizarre.

Nina ends up being the secret email villain, but it's all good because she really just wanted the best for Daphne. She wasn't blackmailing her and Ethan, but trying to set them up on a secret date! (The fact that she stole a royal laptop to do all of that feels like she committed a whole host of federal crimes.) And even after all of this book's drama, she's still open to a relationship with Jeff despite somehow finding another much smarter, more artsy, and more respectful prince? I thought she was supposed to be the smart one.

Daphne probably ends up the best out of everyone, being the right-hand woman in France and getting freed of her awful mother. But for someone so allegedly good at scheming, she really got blinded by assuming Gabriella Madison was her big bad. That's okay though, since it allows the book to wave away the one actual political threat to Beatrice.

Am I being kind of harsh? Maybe, since this has never been the smartest series in the world. I guess I was just hoping for the endgame to make a little more sense.

I forgot how much I hated the third book of this series. I agree this book just as much. My issue is that I loved the first two and these two are just dragging along something that didn't need to be dragged along so much.

As book four in the American Royals series begins, Queen Beatrice is in a coma, and if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, that might not mean anything to you. That was me as I started reading this book for review purposes. As I progressed further along, the gaps in my knowledge were filled in, and the characters grew on me. For fans of the series, the drama continues between Prince Jeff, Daphne, and Nina. Princess Samantha has disappeared, and her boyfriend, Marshall, is nowhere to be found. What will happen to them all? The author does a fine job of tying up some loose threads in the plot, as well as leaving readers wondering about future possibilities for some characters. This is a lighthearted bit of entertainment, especially designed to appeal to fans of royals who enjoy imagining a reality in which America has a ruling monarch.

Dear Katharine McGee,

Please never end the American Royals series!

Sincerely,
Your Biggest Fan

Truly, I love this series and feel giddy each time a new book is released! The Washington family drama is intense and it happens all while running the US Government, which is now, by the way, a monarchy.

I've always enjoyed this series. It's a fun alternate history and I felt that the earlier books did a decent job of world-building. I also think this world did a good job reminded the reader of what happened in the last books without it being a complete recap (like "here's what happened in the last weeks" type thing). That being said, I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I've enjoyed the other books in the series. It might be more about me than the book, but I was just kind of over the drama. The 'will they or won't they' trope has been overdone over the last four books. I'm not mad that I read this, I was able to read it kind of quickly but I just think the series has lost its luster. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers for this ARC.

This was such an action filled book! I absolutely loved the characters and the journey they went on. The plot was creative, interesting, and exciting. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Reign tied up the story of the Washington family and with much drama along the way! The storylines for each character were tied together perfectly, and the twist at the end, while it may have been a little predictable, was also delectable.
Though I despised Daphne throughout most of the series, her character was fully developed and one may even empathize with her by the end of the novel. Long live Queen Beatrice!

It was a relatively satisfying conclusion to the series, and I'm glad it avoided some tortured drama (dragging out Beatrice's unconsciousness, the opposition to her, etc.). I do think every entry in the series suffers from a bit of amnesia, where characters are retreading the same beats, but overall, it's what it needs to be.

The conclusion to the American Royals series was highly satisfying. There were a few twists in the end that felt both logical based on character growth as well as surprising.

I absolutely loved this one, so well balanced and I love how this world grows and evolves with each book in the series. Definitely recommend for fans of the series or those looking for a break from fantasy that seems to be permeating every part of YA right now.

I have greatly enjoyed this series! I appreciate the various relationships and how people change and grow throughout the series. It is very easy to jump into this series and enjoy the reimagining of the political culture of the entire world. I often wish I could see more of this reimagined America, for instance a possible map of the country or an hierarchy of power at the front of the book was always something I thought would be nice. I think the author has a lot of room to really dig into this "reality" and I really hope to see future books set further back in the past of this "America"!

From the moment I finished the third book in this series I could not wait for the fourth book to be released. I feel so fortunate that I got an advanced copy of this and boy did it not disappoint.

I am said to see the ending conclusion of the royals but I will see it concluded brilliantly. I enjoyed the wrap up to each character and personally loved Samantha and Bees growth throughout the series. I found myself rooting for them both time and time again!!

I can not wait to share this book with my students and add it to my collection. I gladly give this book 5 out of 5 stars! I can not wait to see what this author writes next (I am an avid fan for life). Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy.

I am so glad this fourth entry to the series is finally available! I have thought many an unfriendly thought towards Katharine McGee for leaving us with such an upsetting cliffhanger in the third installment. My book club and I have been eagerly anticipating resolution. I do not wish to divulge any spoilers, but I will say that I am mostly satisfied with the conclusion. I enjoyed the character growth Sam experienced through the whole series and that continuation in this fourth book. I have never particularly cared for the Nina/Daphne/Jeff triangle, and have often found Daphne to be an endlessly trying character, but the story arc for her is nice. I didn't love Nina's ending, as it felt like all the other characters had more thought put into their resolutions, but we can't get everything I suppose. I'm not forgetting about Bea, I just don't want to spoil things for anybody. All in all, this was not a bad way to end the series!

I received a temporary digital copy of American Royals IV: Reign by Katharine McGee from NetGalley, Random House Books for Young Readers and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Queen Beatrice is in a coma, Samantha is missing and Jeffrey has taken the throne in Bea's absence. This can't be permanent, but some in America think a king on the throne is the right move for the country. Can the Washington family overcome and keep the Queen on the throne?

4.5 stars rounded up - In the last installment of American Royals series, our favorite characters return - Bea, Sam, Jeff, Nina, and Daphne, some scheming for what they think is best and others taking a completely new path. I think Royal followers will appreciate the ending as I thought it was perfect for every character. McGee definitely turned the series around after Majesty and I hope we get Daphne's story post-Royals IV. She is everything.

Five stars, need I say more? I love, love, love this series, & after not particularly loving the events of book three, I’m happy to say that this book offers the perfect conclusion. I don’t know what Katharine McGee puts in these books, but I can never put them down while trying to savor them at the same time. I’m hyper-fixating on “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” & the entire LOVER album, because this series aligns so well with these songs. I am so invested in each of the main character’s relationships — both romantic & friendships. I actually squealed at one part of this book?! All of this makes up for the amnesia plot line. Overall, a really strong conclusion for a series I’ve loved since 2019. I hope McGee decides to give us a life update on these characters at some point. Or maybe a TV adaptation?!

SUCH a good ending to this series! In this book, the author wraps everything, albeit not-so-neatly, and leaves the option open for a future series, though not future books in this particular series. We follow Beatrice as she wakes up from her accident...Sam as she comes to grips with her new life...Jeff, Daphne, Ethan, and Nina with their twisted affairs, and meet a new cast of supporting characters who help the family members grow into their best selves.

Great ending to the series about all of the girls and what they had to deal with from memory to being a normal girl to finding oneself and getting married. All the girls carved out their own paths and I did like the ending and while I was surprised about one and I was happy for all of them. The ending did seem rushed but it made sense and closed this series.