This was such an enjoyable book and I really liked the three POV from the main characters. I thought the inspiration from history was interesting and it made me look up the actual facts (I was vaguely familiar with several "characters"). I figured this would be a to be continued book and I took some notes for book 2!

Fans know author Katharine McGee from her American Royals series. This time around she tackles the British aristocracy, but pulls her ensemble from real life.

Told from the points of view of Alix of Hesse, Hélène d’Orléans and May of Teck, A Queen’s Game is a fictionalized look at three of the most prominent women of their time — Alix (later known as Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Empress of Russia as the consort of Tsar Nicholas II); Hélène (a member of the deposed Orléans royal family of France and, by marriage to the head of a cadet branch of the Italian royal family, the Duchess of Aosta); and May (aka Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India from 1910 to 1936).

There are a lot of moving parts in A Queen’s Game, and it’s because McGee explores it from these different viewpoints that it all makes sense. In fact, it adds to the intrigue. McGee’s writing is strong and assured, and she does a fine job of maintaining each separate voice, but bringing their stories together as a whole.

A Queen’s Game is sure to be the first book in what looks like an entertaining series.

This is a story that immerses you in a world of high-stakes intrigue, power, and betrayal. The story follows Princess Celeste, a strong-willed and intelligent heir to the throne, who is thrust into a dangerous game of political maneuvering and royal rivalries. As she navigates the complexities of court politics, family expectations, and the shifting dynamics of power, Celeste is forced to confront her own desires and fears, while also discovering what she’s truly capable of in a world where every decision could mean life or death.

Celeste is compelling; she is a character with layers of complexity—ambitious yet vulnerable, determined yet conflicted. Readers will find themselves deeply invested in her journey as she grapples with her responsibilities and the price of power.

The book’s pacing is fast and gripping, with each chapter leaving you craving more. McGee masterfully builds tension and suspense, allowing the plot to unfold in surprising and satisfying ways. The romance woven into the story adds another layer of emotional depth, highlighting the personal stakes at play in Celeste’s journey. The secondary characters are equally well-developed, adding richness to the narrative and creating a strong sense of both camaraderie and rivalry within the royal court.

This story is an exhilarating, thought-provoking read for fans of political thrillers, historical dramas, and character-driven stories. McGee’s ability to balance intense action with emotional depth makes this novel impossible to put down. If you're looking for a book that combines high stakes, complex characters, and a richly built world, *A Queen's Game* is an absolute must-read.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my gifted copy!

If you want serious business historical fiction, this is not your book. Katharine McGee takes names and the BASIC outlines of historical events to write a pretty, frothy YA soap opera about princesses. Brain off, vibes fully engaged, try not to think too hard about how Alix is going to get murdered by Bolsheviks in 20 years unless this series goes FULL alt history. I hope it does. I'm still cackling about how her earliest series The Thousandth Floor had the stepsiblings fake their deaths to be together.

Katharine McGee does it again!!

From the beginning, I was hooked into this royal romance drama, It is quite different from her first series, American Royals, but this standalone is a shining star! This story is chock full of interesting characters, lies, twists, turns, romance, friendship and betrayals. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!!! I was already a fan of Katharine McGee and she was definitely an auto-buy author for me with her American Royals series but this definitely made her one of my favorite authors. I think this book will appeal to people who love ensemble casts, SO much drama, and royalty. Katharine has this amazing way of reining in different voices and making them distinctive but tied together with a common thread. I liked her POV characters in American Royals, and maybe it's the fact that the characters in A Queen's Game are real people, but the POV characters and voices were so much more grounded, making the story so much more enjoyable. The plot was also much more seamless as Katharine takes you through castles and estates and forests and ballrooms and ensconces you in the drama and the tenderness. This book moves fast but I was also instantly connected to all of the characters. This book can be classified as one where very little happens, but it's very character driven, and I think that's the way it was meant to be. I absolutely adored this book and I cannot wait for book 2!!

LOVED! I hope Katharine makes makes this a series. I absolutely adore historical fiction about Queens/Princesses, and lately Netflix has been giving them the show treatment (i.e. Sisi). But it's even better to feel like you know them, know them before the TV shows, and that's through books. A Queen's Game is fascinating because we're in that intermediate space between Victoria (well known) and QEII (well known), where many people might just not well.. know about that happened. Really hope this turns into a series because it's fascinating and more importantly FUN!

This was an enjoyable historical fiction book about three historical women who were involved with multiple princes. I loved the historical and the fictional parts of this book!

Loved this new release from Katharine McGee! If you enjoyed her previous books and like historical fiction, you’ll love this based on real stories novel featuring three women and their romances with royal men. Told from different point of views- I finished this in one sitting!

I loved her series about the America's Royalty. This book is not part of that series but set in a different time. I enjoyed it but did like her other series a little more.

A bit reminiscent of The Gilded Age, with a hefty dose of the British royal family (and so. much. intermarriage!), this book was a fun read from the author of American Royals! I enjoyed the twists, friendships, and romances between the various characters and particularly appreciated the depiction of struggles against societal norms carried out by Helene, May, and Alix. I half-expected the story to be tidily wrapped up about 2/3 of the way through but the sudden turn away from the expected made this a really fun read. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

After being obsessed with the American Royals series, I was SO excited to learn about this author's next project.

I'm not usually a historical fiction girlie, but the way Katharine McGee was able to bring me into the past through the eyes of three young women was so fun! I will say it was a bit of a downer to not be able to be surprised by some of the twists or budding relationships since this story was based mostly on actual historical figures, but I still had a really good time reading it.

This was a pretty quick and enjoyable book that I think may be receiving a part two? I would read more!

I loved the American Royals series, but I had a hard time getting into this one. Super interesting that McGee went in the direction of historical YA and I give her major props for trying it! I just think the story dragged a little bit in places and the characters were a little underdeveloped.

I am normally not a YA reader, but if Katharine McGee writes it, I am going to read it. Especially when it about Royals. I am a big fan of historical fiction so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. The three princesses are based on real historical figures and in this story, they are trying to win the hearts of future kings. Alix of Hesse has always been supposed to end up with Prince Eddy, the heir to the British throne, but she is falling for someone else. Prince Eddy is also falling for Helene d'Orleans, the daughter of the King of France (who was exiled) even though he knows his grandmother, Queen Victoria, won't approve of it. and May has always been on the outs and trying to win the attention on Prince Eddy, but maybe she has been chasing the wrong brother.

I truly loved this story and following the love lives of these girls and how their families would react to it. It definitely gave Bridgerton vibes with all of the love, secrets, and drama. The scandal and secrets were some of my favorite parts and I can't wait for the rest of the series!

I’m a huge fan of McGee’s American Royals series, and though I don’t often dip my toe into historical fiction, I knew I had to give this book a go. It has McGee’s traditional soap opera like drama and open-ended conclusion, but with a historical, reality-grounded twist—as it’s loosely based on real people and real events. Namely, it’s a fictional ode account of the grandchildren of Queen Victoria, focused on who will marry the heir, Eddy. If you’re a history nerd, that makes for a bit of a spoiler! I enjoyed this one overall, and am curious about whether there will be a second book (the possibility was certainly left open!) but think it’s probably better suited for a historical fan. I appreciated that it didn’t feel too “young” but was still “young adult”; it’s a book with broad appeal, age-wise.

Thanks to Random House Children’s and Get Underlined for my ARC and finished copies! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

A royal romance written by Katharine McGee? I already know I’m going to like it. I was obsessed with the American Royals series and I was so happy when I got this eARC. People who read American Royals will find this book familiar with three points-of-view and also the romantic pairings changing often! May of Teck is just like Daphne from the American Royals series.

I’ve hardly read historical royal romance, and on top of that, these three leading women actually existed in real life! I’m not familiar at all with this period in history, and I had to keep looking up how Mary of Teck, Princess Hélène, and Alix of Hesse were all related and who was from which country. I hope future editions of the book include a family tree, even if it is abbreviated, because it was very hard for me to keep track.

I know that McGee will always deliver a book filled with drama and social climbing. It’s so fun to read about the scheming and the ways that the characters will justify their questionable actions. I got emotionally invested in all the women and some of the princes. I enjoyed the European worldbuilding, but I didn’t feel as immersed as I did when reading the Bridgerton books.

Before you read this book, you should also know that it is the beginning of a series, which I also did not realize until I was halfway through. History can already tell us who these princesses end up with, so I didn’t feel that the story was spoiled when I was looking up who the characters were on Wikipedia. I can’t wait for the next book! Out of all the princesses, I’m rooting for Hélène the most, but I already know it is not going to end the way I want it to.

Views and opinions are my own. Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The politics, romance, friendships, betrayals, and heartbreak… I could not get enough of McGee’s newest royal drama. I started reading McGee’s American Royals series back in 2021 and it’s been fun watching her growth as a writer and see the evolution of her storytelling.

With multiple main characters whose storylines are closely woven together, it could be easy for all the details to muddle together but McGee does a wonderful job of keeping each character’s arc and voice distinct. It also speaks to McGee’s strength as a writer that you empathize with each character and their quandaries because they are deeply human and striving not just for a HEA, but for the chance to have a say in the direction of their futures. The historical elements were fascinating and had me doing a deep dive after reading to learn more about these individuals and their lives.

My only complaint is that I thought this was a standalone, but it’s the start of a new series. I would still have read it, but it would have been nice to know there would not be a resolution in the end.

I’m looking forward to the next book and am keeping my fingers crossed for happy endings for Alix, May, and Hélène.

Alix of Hesse, Helene d'Orleans, and May of Teck are three young women in 19th-century England looking for their matches. Alix is Queen Victoria's favorite granddaughter and the queen is pushing Alix to marry the future king. But Alix has no interest in that marriage while her heart is elsewhere. Helene's family has been exiled from France and that greatly changes her marriage prospects. She starts to fall for the one person she can't be with. May's family has fallen far from the royal line, but she is determined to marry a prince, no matter the cost.

This book started off a little slow for me but I'm so glad I kept going. The second half of this book is enthralling. I couldn't put it down. The twisted storylines of love and betrayal were so good. It's a little Bridgerton mixed with American Royals (my absolute favorite by McGee). Finding out it is based on a true story is just the icing on the cake for this lovely book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC of A Queen's Game.

another great one by Katharine Mcgee that leaves us on the edge wondering where she is going to lead us to next. I am amazed at how she weaves together three POV's and keeps us engaged the entire time without getting lost in the mix. She truly is an amazing story teller and how she weaves it all together from multiple points of view.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I am OBSESSED with Katharine McGee's American Royals series and was thrilled to receive a copy of this book. This first book in a series is a historical fiction, following three young women in 19th century Europe--one princess, one former princess, and one dutchess/wanna be princess.
I will preface by saying that this book was really enjoyable! HOWEVER, it does the same multi POV from three women characters and wrestles with similar themes/is in the same type of world as American Royals without the cool twist of being, well, about fictional American Royals. I would've liked something a bit different. With that being said, I will definitely continue with the series!
3.5/4