Author: Katharine McGee
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
Rivals is the third book in the American Royals series by author Katharine McGee, and it is due out in paperback form in just a couple months’ time. The books are all young adult romance novels, but with an alternative history twist – America is ruled by a royal family, the House of Washington, not a president. The second book in the series was rather a disappointment, but this newest release is a respectable rebound. It can still be a little cringy and floundering in places, but there is more depth and consistency to the characters this time.
For Beatrice, the Queen of America, she is hosting the other monarchs from around the world at the very important League of Kings conference on her family’s private island. She feels tremendous pressure to prove herself to the others, but is she isolating her fiancé in the meantime? For Princess Samantha, the next in line to the throne, she and her fake-turned-real boyfriend, Marshall, are trying to figure out a path forward. Should they wish to marry, one of them would have to renounce their family’s nobility to avoid a conflict of interest. Lastly, Prince Jefferson, Sam’s twin, and Nina, Sam’s best friend, are away at college and trying to go back to being just friends.
The ending of this book has some wild cliffhangers, but don’t worry, there is a fourth book already in the works. Overall, this third book, Rivals, is a decent read. For some of the characters, they must decide if love is worth losing their titles over. For other characters, they must deal with race differences and class differences. And for others still, they struggle with being famous and in the spotlight, while really just wanting to have a normal life. Coursing through all that drama is plenty of romance to make this into a fun, sappy royal soap opera.
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