American Royals is teen romance set in a reimagined America - one where there is a monarchy descended from Washington instead of a democracy. The story switches between several girls: Beatrice, the serious and restrained future ruler and first-ever queen; Samantha, the wild party-girl princess; Nina, Samantha’s best friend who’s fallen for her twin brother; and Daphne, a conniving social climber who wants to be a princess as well - and who sees Samantha’s twin, Jeff, as her best route. They all have complicated love stories that result in plenty of drama. The serious and rule-following Beatrice is in love with a commoner: her bodyguard! And not just that - Samantha has fallen for Beatrice’s future husband while Daphne and Nina both try to win Jeff. The story contains ballroom dancing, dresses, politics, sexism, and true love - pretty much all you could want in a book.
The intertwining and simultaneous nature of the different stories made this book a compelling read. It’s written in an easily accessible style, though I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing myself. It made me consider the possibilities of America as a monarchy, and made me wonder about the various dramas surrounding the British royal family. Overall, it was an interesting (if sort of simple and trope-y) read that was easily finished within a few days. I would recommend this to fans of drama and romance. I give it two stars.