Scan barcode
readingwithgeeg's review
4.25
The main theme in this book was finding your identity can be seen in a commoner, social climber, princess and queen. Each character faces that struggle and we see how they either fail or achieve their outcome. Definitely got major the Royals and Gossip Girl vibes. There was one scene in the book that reminded me of Princess Diaries 2 when the guy (Chris Pine) is helping Mia (Anne Hathaway) with her archery.
Beatrice struggles with the how she wants to lead her nation after her father's passing as the first female monarch. She wants to compromise with Teddy and how they should approach their relationship. I loved every moment we get with them. Honestly, I love them so fucking much that every time I finished her chapter I couldn't wait for her next one. I loved the support he gave her and how he believed in her in times when she doubted herself. I loved the young woman that Beatrice stepped up to be and the confidence she found in herself in being queen. Great development from the girl she was in the first book to the woman she is in this book. When she went to Walthorpe, Teddy's home, and just relaxed and was "normal" around his family, I honestly was so happy for her that she was able to "take off" the crown and just be Bee. ALSO THEY HAVE A PUPPY TOGETHER!!!! Little Franklin, Bee and Teddy...my little fucking family. The beach sunset scene. The night before their wedding...OMG!
Sam had the best character development in this book. We see her from a party girl who doesn't care about the way people view her as to seeing her stepping up as the Heir Apparent. I loved the vulnerability we got from her and I loved that she found Marshall. They were so cute and their moments in the end were the best. I loved the friendship they built and the fake dating schemes they did to make their exes jealous. My second favorite couple in this book. We saw the maturity Sam took on and she really felt like she was ready to be the next in line. One thing I was like mad/upset was when she sent out the invitation to Connor! Then again I wasn't because Bee and him were able to have closure. Also the moment she had with Teddy and Marshall came in and was devastated I was heartbroken for him but also yelling at him to listen to Sam. The moment they had in the carriage and the car in the end after what he saw were by far the best executed moments from them.
Nina struggles with the aftermath of being in the spotlight of social media and her breakup with Jeff. She just wants to be normal but accepts that she can never be when you're connected with the royals. She unexpectedly gets close to Ethan, Jeff's best friend. She realized that they had so much in common being they were "commoners" who were close to the royal family. She also found out they share the same feelings and concerns which only brings them closer. I actually was very aware on how to the relationship started and they were times when he would say something and I also questioned if it genuine or it was just part of his ploy. Towards the end, I really enjoyed their times together but completely and totally understood her choices on how to continue their relationship. Her choice to breakup with Jeff definitely felt contradictable to her pursue with her and Ethan. Their date to the Statue of Liberty was so cute and I feel that was one of the most vulnerable moments we got from Ethan. Also the statue is in Washington DC??!??? I was like wtf hahaha.
Lastly, Daphne. Fuck her lol. I hated reading her chapters and just always wanted to skip them. I hate what she did to Nina and Ethan. Mainly Nina cause she really caused unnecessary problems for her. Her plan was fucked up and I'm also mad the reasons why Ethan did it at first. I did love how in the end he called her out on her bullshit and the horrible things she did. It showed me that he actually grew to fall for Nina. He not only stepped up for himself but Nina as well. Loved that. He and Nina both told her that she was going to be alone forever and I just laughed because that it what she deserved. I don't care if she changes in the last book, I'm never going to forget all the fucked up shit she did. It does suck that her mother created this monster and power hungry person but she had the conscience of right and wrong. She had moments when she said she didn't want to do stuff but she always retorted back to her scheming and greedy ways. When Nina stepped up to her and confronted her, I was clapping and cheering for her. When Daphne told her about Ethan and their plan, my heart was breaking for her. And when she was piecing all the subliminal comments Ethan made I was like cue song, "She Knows" hahaha. i played it during those parts and it was honestly the best
Beatrice struggles with the how she wants to lead her nation after her father's passing as the first female monarch. She wants to compromise with Teddy and how they should approach their relationship. I loved every moment we get with them. Honestly, I love them so fucking much that every time I finished her chapter I couldn't wait for her next one. I loved the support he gave her and how he believed in her in times when she doubted herself. I loved the young woman that Beatrice stepped up to be and the confidence she found in herself in being queen. Great development from the girl she was in the first book to the woman she is in this book. When she went to Walthorpe, Teddy's home, and just relaxed and was "normal" around his family, I honestly was so happy for her that she was able to "take off" the crown and just be Bee. ALSO THEY HAVE A PUPPY TOGETHER!!!! Little Franklin, Bee and Teddy...my little fucking family. The beach sunset scene. The night before their wedding...OMG!
Sam had the best character development in this book. We see her from a party girl who doesn't care about the way people view her as to seeing her stepping up as the Heir Apparent. I loved the vulnerability we got from her and I loved that she found Marshall. They were so cute and their moments in the end were the best. I loved the friendship they built and the fake dating schemes they did to make their exes jealous. My second favorite couple in this book. We saw the maturity Sam took on and she really felt like she was ready to be the next in line. One thing I was like mad/upset was when she sent out the invitation to Connor! Then again I wasn't because Bee and him were able to have closure. Also the moment she had with Teddy and Marshall came in and was devastated I was heartbroken for him but also yelling at him to listen to Sam. The moment they had in the carriage and the car in the end after what he saw were by far the best executed moments from them.
Nina struggles with the aftermath of being in the spotlight of social media and her breakup with Jeff. She just wants to be normal but accepts that she can never be when you're connected with the royals. She unexpectedly gets close to Ethan, Jeff's best friend. She realized that they had so much in common being they were "commoners" who were close to the royal family. She also found out they share the same feelings and concerns which only brings them closer. I actually was very aware on how to the relationship started and they were times when he would say something and I also questioned if it genuine or it was just part of his ploy. Towards the end, I really enjoyed their times together but completely and totally understood her choices on how to continue their relationship. Her choice to breakup with Jeff definitely felt contradictable to her pursue with her and Ethan. Their date to the Statue of Liberty was so cute and I feel that was one of the most vulnerable moments we got from Ethan. Also the statue is in Washington DC??!??? I was like wtf hahaha.
Lastly, Daphne. Fuck her lol. I hated reading her chapters and just always wanted to skip them. I hate what she did to Nina and Ethan. Mainly Nina cause she really caused unnecessary problems for her. Her plan was fucked up and I'm also mad the reasons why Ethan did it at first. I did love how in the end he called her out on her bullshit and the horrible things she did. It showed me that he actually grew to fall for Nina. He not only stepped up for himself but Nina as well. Loved that. He and Nina both told her that she was going to be alone forever and I just laughed because that it what she deserved. I don't care if she changes in the last book, I'm never going to forget all the fucked up shit she did. It does suck that her mother created this monster and power hungry person but she had the conscience of right and wrong. She had moments when she said she didn't want to do stuff but she always retorted back to her scheming and greedy ways. When Nina stepped up to her and confronted her, I was clapping and cheering for her. When Daphne told her about Ethan and their plan, my heart was breaking for her. And when she was piecing all the subliminal comments Ethan made I was like cue song, "She Knows" hahaha. i played it during those parts and it was honestly the best
Honestly Jeff seems like an airhead/unaware of his surroundings...feels very bland and the only thing he offers in this book is that he's one of the main reasons for all the problems between Nina and Daphne.
Fuck Robert and misogynistic pigs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
esterix's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Following her father’s sudden death, Beatrice is thrust onto the throne. But even though she is the queen of America, she still feels powerless. Sam is furious that her sister is once again putting off her breakup from Teddy, and Nina is trying to live a normal life post-royal breakup.
Honestly, after reading <i>Majesty</i>, <i>American Royals</i> felt a little pointless, because the sequel switched up all the characters and pairings pretty much right off the bat. I’ll admit, though, I did prefer most of the changes.First of all, I am SO glad that Beatrice ended up with Teddy; they are my favorite characters and are clearly meant for each other. Similarly, Sam fit a lot better with Marshall than with Teddy, and I actually thought her realization about the superficiality of her feelings for Teddy was both realistic and mature (for her, at least). Nina/Ethan was the only pairing I really wasn’t sold on, partly because Nina deserves better and partly because Ethan and Daphne give me serious Chuck-and-Blair (<Ii>Gossip Girl</i>) vibes. While the relationships all felt very rushed, some things took wayyyy too long; I was waiting the whole book for Beatrice to finally fire Robert and postpone the wedding. I’m kind of surprised that there won’t be another book in this series, because there definitely felt like there were a lot of loose ends left.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):Happy, for the most part...but I’m kind of surprised that there won’t be another book in this series, because there definitely felt like there were a lot of loose ends left.
Honestly, after reading <i>Majesty</i>, <i>American Royals</i> felt a little pointless, because the sequel switched up all the characters and pairings pretty much right off the bat. I’ll admit, though, I did prefer most of the changes.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racism
annabeavo's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Grief
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
jojo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Misogyny and Racism
taymariereads's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Grief
caidyn's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Another great addition to this series! It was quick and fun, but also a bit tense since McGee LOVES to keep us in suspense about what's going to happen. This starts up a few months after the end of the last book. Beatrice is queen and is set to marrying Teddy. Sam is still unhappy about that, but is learning to cope. Nina is dealing with her breakup with Jeff. Daphne is, well, Daphne. I think the only reason I didn't rate this book higher is that I felt like the character growth all hinged on romances and men. Didn't love that aspect of it. I'm glad to see them changing, but I wish it was for some other reason. Also, I hope there's a third book to see the outcome of all these things!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism