American Royals Book Review

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This book was gifted to me at the Penguin Christmas party, and prior to that, I’d seen a few people say that they’d really enjoyed it, so my expectations were high! The premise is relatively straight-forward: what if America had a royal family? Centred mainly on Beatrice who is first in line to the throne, she must ensure that she always remains the perfect example of how a princess should behave. Her sister, Samantha, on the other hand, is not so concerned about keeping up appearances. Her and her twin brother Jefferson live more of a liberal lifestyle, but when Beatrice is encouraged by her parents to find someone to marry, everything is thrown into disarray.

The romance in this book was excellent – cheesy, dramatic, and forbidden, I think that ticks all the boxes for me! This is a great example of the kind of book you want to read when you’re looking for something light-hearted but well-written. There’s romance, betrayal, friendship, sisterhood, political commentary (in a very light sense), and forbidden love – that’s got to be something for everyone!

Connor and Beatrice were definitely my favourite couple – their story felt the most risky and it hurt my heart that Beatrice was torn between the crown and her feelings. Very much like the way it’s explored in the Netflix show The Crown, McGee doesn’t shy away from exposing the cruelties of being part of the royal family.

I thought the book commented nicely on the pressures of the media and the role of the royal family in society without delving into it too deeply and making the narrative too dense. I always think it’s pleasurable if works of fiction can be somehow grounded in real life, and I think this one had enough parallels to make the reader think it was real and therefore gave it a sense of legitimacy.

My main criticism of this book is that it was a little too like the real British royal family. Now, obviously there had to be similarities to make it comparable, and also realistic, but the fact that both the IRL and American one have a Margaret who was sister to the monarch and fell in love with a man she wasn’t supposed to who subsequently was banished to another country, felt a little too close to me!

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Predictable, but in a very cosy way, this book hit all the right spots. No, it wasn’t perfect, but I very much enjoyed reading it, and I struggled to put it down. Plus I think McGee did a very good job of fleshing out the characters and making them likeable and plausible. I’m very intrigued for the sequel and to see what happens next!