American royals

Review by Booklist Review

It's our world, almost: after the Battle of Yorktown, General Washington was given a crown, and his descendants still sit on the American throne. Princess Beatrice will be the first woman to rule, her grandfather having abolished the rule that says only sons can inherit. Beatrice, 21, has never had a scandal or a life and the pressure to find a suitable partner is mounting. At 18, her twin siblings Samantha and Jefferson don't have the same kind of pressures, and Sam especially is starting to feel like no one cares what she does. Jeff, meanwhile, dumps the girl the public loves and falls for one they think is beneath him but should the public get a say? McGee (The Thousandth Floor, 2016) stays surface level in the development of her speculative world; the American Court blends modern British and American politics, and there's little exploration of how history differs in this alternate reality. But for readers looking for intrigue and for those who like their royal fever with a twist this is a quick and delicious read.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this drama's reimagined United States of America, George Washington was crowned king rather than becoming the country's first elected president. Now, hundreds of years later, his descendent, Princess Beatrice Georgina Fredericka Louise of the House of Washington, the first female heir to the crown, is 21 and expected to find a husband. Her parents, the King and Queen of America, have vetted several potential candidates, whom she is expected to meet at the upcoming Queen's Ball. There, her tabloid-headline-grabbing twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, 19, who have just returned from a postgraduation tour around the world, will make their first official public appearance. Samantha invites her childhood best friend, Nina, as her guest, but Nina is secretly in love with Jefferson, whose ex-girlfriend, meanwhile, has a plan to win him back. Written from multiple perspectives, McGee (The Thousandth Floor) crafts a deliciously soapy American royal family. Though much of the doomed-relationships story arc feels familiar, McGee's characters are well-crafted and flawed, giving the narrative emotional texture that elevates it above the dramatic formula. Ages 14--up. (Sept.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

In this alternate history, America has a royal family--the house of Washington. More than 200 years after the country was founded, the Washingtons still rule. Princess Beatrice is set to be the first queen, as the primogeniture succession rule has finally been thrown out. All three of the siblings, Beatrice and the twins Jefferson and Samantha, are young and still figuring out who they are and what they want. Beatrice must decide if she's going to marry a nobleman for the good of the country--or the bodyguard she's in love with. Samantha thinks she is in love with the duke engaged to her sister. And Jefferson has fallen hard for a commoner who is finding it difficult to live in the public eye. But they aren't worried; after all, the three young people have years to figure things out. Or so they think. But King George has terminal cancer and Beatrice learns that she will be responsible for the country all too soon. Intrigue, back-stabbing, and interference by royal wannabes add to the drama. Brittany Presley provides each of the characters an instantly recognizable and distinct voice. VERDICT Teens and adults who love YA will enjoy this one. Recommend to fans of The Crown or Alyssa Cole's "Reluctant Royals" series. --Cheryl Youse, Norman Park, GA

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up--Imagine if, after the Revolutionary War, George Washington became the king of America instead of its president. Fast forward to the present, when America's beloved Princess Beatrice will one day be the country's first queen. It is no longer only a man's role, since Beatrice's grandfather abolished the law so that the first-born could take the throne. But this princess's life isn't all glamor and no drama. Having fallen for a commoner, she must learn to sacrifice for her country, even her true love. Her sister, Princess Samantha, must learn to live in Beatrice's shadow, though she has big problem coming in second in any situation. Her brother, Prince Jefferson, struggles to determine which girl truly loves him and not his title. Readers will be hooked as the three siblings navigate royalty and the struggles of being a teenager, including the inevitable romantic complications and friend squabbles. With so many dynamic characters and enticing story lines, the multi-narrative arrangement works well to put readers into the heads of more characters. VERDICT A fun twist on history as we know it, and the ending will have readers hoping for a sequel.--Jessica Perovich, US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Library

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Grab a cup of mead and gather round for a story of kings, queens, princes, princesses, lords, and ladies: the modern ruling families of America. With the ease of a curtsy, McGee (The Towering Sky, 2018, etc.) has established a monarchy made up of the direct descendants of George Washington. There's enough palace intrigue, royal shenanigans, and even a smidgen of sex to satisfy anyone who loves a bit of gossip. Set in the contemporary United States, there are characters we love to love, love to hate, and those we want to send to timeout. Princess Beatrice, who will be the first queen regnant, her twin siblings, Princess Samantha and Prince Jefferson (those noble scamps), Jefferson's wicked ex-girlfriend, and a couple of commoners who make falling in love with the wrong person too easy all tell their sides of the story in alternating third-person chapters. Critical questions tantalize readers through the foibles and flaws of characters who are frustratingly human. Crown jewels aside, the events of the story are as familiar as college parties or family dinners. Not all questions are answered, and readers will eagerly await the next installment to find out whether true love will win or stodgy tradition will triumph. A Latinx main character with two mothers lends a bit of diversity to the majority white cast.An entertaining royal family modeled after the residents of Buckingham Palace. (Fiction. 14-19) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Beatrice Present Day Beatrice could trace her ancestry back to the tenth century. It was really only through Queen Martha's side, though most people refrained from mentioning that. After all, King George I had been nothing but an upstart planter from Virginia until he married well and then fought even better. He fought so well that he helped win America's independence, and was rewarded by its people with a crown. But through Martha, at least, Beatrice could trace her line­age for more than forty generations. Among her forebears were kings and queens and archdukes, scholars and soldiers, even a canonized saint. We have much to learn by looking back, her father always reminded her. Never forget where you come from. It was hard to forget your ancestors when you carried their names with you as Beatrice did: Beatrice Georgina Fredericka Louise of the House of Washington, Princess Royal of America. Beatrice's father, His Majesty King George IV, shot her a glance. She reflexively sat up straighter, to listen as the High Constable reviewed the plans for tomorrow's Queen's Ball. Her hands were clasped over her demure pencil skirt, her legs crossed at the ankle. Because as her etiquette teacher had drilled into her--­by hitting her wrist with a ruler each time she slipped up--­a lady never crossed her legs at the thigh. And the rules were especially stringent for Beatrice, because she was not only a princess: she was also the first woman who would ever inherit the American throne. The first woman who would be queen in her own right: not a queen consort, married to a king, but a true queen regnant. If she'd been born twenty years earlier, the succession would have jumped over her and skipped to Jeff. But her grandfather had famously abolished that centuries-­old law, dictating that in all subsequent generations, the throne would pass to the oldest child, not the oldest boy. Beatrice let her gaze drift over the conference table before her. It was littered with papers and scattered cups of coffee that had long since gone cold. Today's was the last Cabinet session until January, which meant it had been filled with year-­end reports and long spreadsheets of analysis. The Cabinet meetings always took place here in the Star Chamber, named for the gilded stars painted on its blue walls, and the famous star-­shaped oculus overhead. Winter sunlight poured through it to dapple invitingly over the table. Not that Beatrice would get to enjoy it. She rarely had time to go outside, except on the days she rose before dawn to join her father on his run through the capital, flanked by their security officers. For a brief and uncharacteristic moment, she wondered what her siblings were doing right now, if they were back yet from their whirlwind trip through East Asia. Samantha and Jeff--­twins, and three years younger than Beatrice--­were a dangerous pair. They were lively and spontaneous, full of bad ideas, and with far too much power to act on them. Now, six months after they'd finished high school, it was clear that neither of them knew what to do with themselves--­except celebrate the fact that they were eighteen and could legally drink. No one ever expected anything of the twins. All the expectation, in the family and really in the world, was focused like a white-­hot spotlight on Beatrice. At last the High Constable finished his report. The king gave a gracious nod and stood. "Thank you, Jacob. If there is no further business, that concludes today's meeting." Everyone rose to their feet and began to shuffle out of the room, chatting about tomorrow's ball or their holiday plans. They seemed to have temporarily set aside their political rivalries--­the king kept his Cabinet evenly divided between the Federalists and the Democratic-­Republicans--­though Beatrice felt certain those rivalries would be back in full force come the new year. Her personal security detail, Connor, glanced up from where he stood outside the door, next to the king's protection officer. Both men were members of the Revere Guard, the elite corps of officers who devoted their lives to the service of the Crown. "Beatrice, could you stay for a minute?" her dad asked. Beatrice paused in the doorway. "Of course." The king sat back down, and she followed suit. "Thank you again for helping with the nominations," he told her. They both glanced at the paper before him, where a list of names was printed in alphabetical order. Beatrice smiled. "I'm glad you accepted them." Tomorrow was the palace's annual holiday party, the Queen's Ball, so named because at the very first Christmas ball, Queen Martha had urged George I to ennoble dozens of Americans who'd aided the Revolution. The tradition had persisted ever since. Each year at the ball, the king knighted Americans for their service to the country, thereby making them lords or ladies. And for the first time, he had let Beatrice suggest the candidates for knighthood. Before she could ask what he wanted, a tap sounded at the door. The king gave an audible sigh of relief as Beatrice's mom swept into the room. Queen Adelaide came from nobility on both sides of her family. Before her marriage to the king, she'd been set to inherit the Duchy of Canaveral and the Duchy of Savannah. The Double Duchess, people had called her. Adelaide had grown up in Atlanta, and had never lost her ethereal Southern charm. Even now her gestures were touched with elegance: the tilt of her head as she smiled at her daughter, the turn of her wrist as she settled into the walnut chair to Beatrice's right. Caramel highlights gleamed in her rich brown hair, which she curled each morning with hot rollers and wore encircled by a headband. The way they were sitting--­a parent to either side of Beatrice, boxing her in--­gave her the distinct sense that she was being ambushed. Excerpted from American Royals by Katharine McGee All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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