American Royals | Filled with Drama but Not Very Original

3/5 stars

What if America never became a democracy after gaining independence from Britain? Instead, it is ruled by a monarchy, the House of Washington. Princess Beatrice is next in line for the throne but isn’t sure she is ready for the responsibility. Her sister, Samantha, is the spare. She yearns for the spotlight, but she is always second to her elder sister. Samantha’s twin, Jeff, is the heartthrob prince for every girl in America. The three siblings learn to navigate their lives as royals and adhere to the strict protocols and guidelines set in place for them. Even when it means their hearts might be somewhere else. 

Perhaps it’s because I was watching The Crown while I read the book, but I found so many similarities between the two (some of the dialogue was very similar). I was hoping for an intriguing read about what it would be like if America was a monarchy. What political ramifications would have happened? What would the social climate be like? Instead, the novel felt more like a reimagining of the British Monarchy set in America. 

As far as a young adult romance, this was pretty good. It was A LOT to follow, though… 3 (potentially 4) forbidden romances that are in a giant romance web. The drama between teens felt realistic (even in a fantasy royal world) and it was very entertaining. This is book 1 of a series and that was very evident by the ending. It set the stage perfectly for book 2. Even though I had my issues with the overall reimagining, the last 25% of the book got me excited to read book 2. 

Overall, this was a fun young adult romance. Not the most original when it came to imagining America as a monarchy, but still an entertaining and dramatic read.