Take the film The Princess Diaries, merge it with a rom-com, add an element of girl power and a dash of royal drama, and you’ve cracked open American Royals by Katharine McGee. It’s romantic – in both the literal sense and in the portrayal and view of royalty – and fun. The usual rom-com tropes come and go in a refreshingly unique light. This book clocks in at 450 pages, and I read it in three days. I couldn’t put it down.
Imagine if, at the close of the Revolutionary War, George Washington had said, “Sure, I’ll be king!” and began the line of American royalty descending all the way to the 21st century. We follow the journey of the House of Washington: Beatrice waits to become the first American queen, her sister and brother Samantha and Jefferson struggle to find their way as the younger siblings of the monarch-to-be. The king harbors a secret, and the queen seeks to hold her family together, bound both in love and in royal duty. There’s bodyguards, BFFs, balls, and baddies filling the pages, adding an element of mystery and a whole lot of drama.
McGee does the drama well. It’s not over the top. It sucks you in and keeps you reading, as you hurry to see what happens next in each of the characters’ arcs. Overall, the characters are likeable, and I loved the (fictionalized) inside view on what it’s like to be royalty in this day and age. Add to that the whimsy of it being America’s royal family, and it makes for a light and delightful read. American readers will enjoy the twists she places into the story (i.e. “The Earl of Charleston”) that transform our United States democracy into a monarchy.
Keep in mind, however, that when I say drama above, I do mean drama. Even well done, it’s still somewhat soap-operaish. There’s miscommunication, impossible love, secrets waiting to be uncovered, and danger lurking in the corners. Approach it with a mind waiting to be entertained by well-written fluff, and you’ll enjoy it. Open the book expecting a serious novel, and you may find yourself disappointed. It’s a quick (despite the length), relatively clean, and definitely entertaining story. You’ll enjoy the twists thrown in and the Americanized version of what is essentially the real-life British monarchy. I am already excited to read the second book.
Meredith
Copyright Katharine McGee and Random House. Image from Amazon.com.
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