Romance

Rivals

Rivals

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-05-18 06:53:10
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Katharine McGee
  • ISBN：0593567439
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Summary

The third book in the New York Times bestselling American Royals series is here， and a meeting of monarchs will test everyone's loyalty to the crown…and their own hearts。

Beatrice is queen， and for the American royal family， everything is about to change。

Relationships will be tested。
Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get， the more complicated things become。 Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own？

Strangers will become friends。
Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world。 When she meets a glamorous foreign princess， she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost？

And rivals will become allies。
Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson。 Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison。 Can these enemies join forces， or will old rivalries stand in the way？

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Reviews

Ashley Lewis ，

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions remain my own。*Holy Cliffhanger！！！ So I totally thought this was a trilogy， but that was definitely not an ending and I need more。 I adore this series， I have come to love these characters and can't wait to see what happens with them。。。Daphne is still the worst， I don't care if she almost became better that last bit made me go straight back to hating her。 This series has become *Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions remain my own。*Holy Cliffhanger！！！ So I totally thought this was a trilogy， but that was definitely not an ending and I need more。 I adore this series， I have come to love these characters and can't wait to see what happens with them。。。Daphne is still the worst， I don't care if she almost became better that last bit made me go straight back to hating her。 This series has become one that I can so easily stay up past my bedtime just to see what happens next in the alternate version of America that has a Monarchy instead of a Democracy。 。。。more

A_Stylish_Bookworm ，

I liked the take on this book not focusing on Beatrice and her succession as queen but on the side characters in the previous books。 There is a lot going on in this story from Daphne and Nina's joining forces to bring down Gabrielle， the love triangle between Daphne， Nina and Jefferson， Sam and Marshall's relationship to Beatrice's first role in the king's summit。 I enjoyed all the stories and my main complaint is that it leaves on another cliff hanger！！ I have to wait impatiently for book 4。 Th I liked the take on this book not focusing on Beatrice and her succession as queen but on the side characters in the previous books。 There is a lot going on in this story from Daphne and Nina's joining forces to bring down Gabrielle， the love triangle between Daphne， Nina and Jefferson， Sam and Marshall's relationship to Beatrice's first role in the king's summit。 I enjoyed all the stories and my main complaint is that it leaves on another cliff hanger！！ I have to wait impatiently for book 4。 The narration was great and kept me vested。 Thank you to @prhaudio @netgalley for a copy of the audiobook and ebook。 。。。more

Stephanie ，

4。5 - Full review coming soon - in short LOVED THIS！

Bethany ，

I have feelings about this one。Am I glad that we got more time with these characters？ Yes。Did I want to play Whac-a-Mole with some of their heads during this story？ Also yes。I feel like， perhaps， taking on four points-of-view with three intersecting plotlines was a little too much for this novel。And， since there is a #4 planned for this series， we are left without any concrete resolution at the end of Rivals。 The conclusion is a tangle of loose ends。A collection of random thoughts about the book I have feelings about this one。Am I glad that we got more time with these characters？ Yes。Did I want to play Whac-a-Mole with some of their heads during this story？ Also yes。I feel like， perhaps， taking on four points-of-view with three intersecting plotlines was a little too much for this novel。And， since there is a #4 planned for this series， we are left without any concrete resolution at the end of Rivals。 The conclusion is a tangle of loose ends。A collection of random thoughts about the book:I felt more connected to the Nina-Daphne-Jefferson storyline than to the Samantha and Beatrice storylines， but I did appreciate how， in the story， Katharine McGee illustrates how Samantha and Marshall become more symbols of race relations to the country than actual individuals。 It was heartening to watch Daphne’s growth and to see her unlikely friendship with Nina blossom。 Likewise， it was nice to watch Beatrice have friendships， but I wish we had seen more of Teddy in this one。I am glad I read this one because I do enjoy the characters of this series and want to see where things go for them。 However， I think perhaps I was looking for a bit more。 That being said， I would read it again， especially as a lead-up to American Royals #4。Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for an e-ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Rachel S ，

Full review to come， but I could not put this book down and enjoyed it far more than Majesty！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access in exchange for my honest review。

Sarah Ressler Wright ，

Such a good installment but ends on a cliffhanger！ Definitely need to get the whole series。 PG to PG 13。

Caylie Ratzlaff ，

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel。 3。5/5 stars。 First of all， HOW DARE IT END THAT WAY？ I HAVE BEEN IN CLIFFHANGER ENDING AGONY FOR EACH OF THESE BOOKS。 I JUST WANT A BREAK。 Okay， since that’s out of the way。 I’m a sucker for these books。 This is the third book in the series， and I continue to be drawn in to each character， the world system （you know， revisionist history） and how the characters continue to develop and interact。 I particularly liked Daphne’s developmen Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel。 3。5/5 stars。 First of all， HOW DARE IT END THAT WAY？ I HAVE BEEN IN CLIFFHANGER ENDING AGONY FOR EACH OF THESE BOOKS。 I JUST WANT A BREAK。 Okay， since that’s out of the way。 I’m a sucker for these books。 This is the third book in the series， and I continue to be drawn in to each character， the world system （you know， revisionist history） and how the characters continue to develop and interact。 I particularly liked Daphne’s development this book， but honestly the star deduction is due to the ending and how it just completely disappeared for the “girls can’t be friends when it concerns a man” trope。 Beatrice is coming into herself as Queen， and I just want someone to give her a big hug and hold her hand and tell her she’s doing awesome。 Nina is starting to annoy me because I don’t think she’s doing much for the plot at this point besides be eye candy for Jeff and Sam’s best friend。 Sam is one that truly made this book better， especially with the intricacies of her and Marshall’s relationship。 Jeff is an idiot and needs a reality check。 Also， yeah， the ending was upsetting but also opens up SO MANY WAYS TO CONTINUE THIS SERIES。 。。。more

Sacha ，

3。5 stars Here are my two top tips before I really get into this review: （1） Don't try to read this without having read the other two first。 （2） Know that this is not the final book in the series。 It's going to FEEL like a middle book， and there's also a confirmation that a fourth is coming in the end notes。 All of the folks we love - and those we love to hate， so Daphne - return to this third installment of _American Royals_。 Everyone is struggling in their own ways， and this "rivals" setup get 3。5 stars Here are my two top tips before I really get into this review: （1） Don't try to read this without having read the other two first。 （2） Know that this is not the final book in the series。 It's going to FEEL like a middle book， and there's also a confirmation that a fourth is coming in the end notes。 All of the folks we love - and those we love to hate， so Daphne - return to this third installment of _American Royals_。 Everyone is struggling in their own ways， and this "rivals" setup gets employed in a pretty intriguing manner throughout。 As usual， the characters share perspectives here。 Beatrice is grappling with her role， her love life， her past decisions， and the idea that she has never had a real gal pal （which is mostly where her "rival" situation comes in）。 Sam is having similar struggles with her role， choices， and love life， but her "spare" situation （what a gross term） really distinguishes her from Beatrice。 Though she has been one of my favorites in earlier books， her storyline fell a little flat for me in this round， and I am rooting for more Sam action in #4。 The standout rivalry pairing is with Nina and Daphne （no one is surprised）， and it is fun to watch the two of them battle common enemies instead of just each other。 These two kept me the most engaged throughout by far。 I enjoyed this book overall， but my knowledge of/relationships with these characters from the earlier novels was vital to that outcome。 Some of the scenes feel a little long and the emotions a little intense based on what happens just in this context of this work， so having that background is essential for really understanding and appreciating the characters' current states。 I really need to read this fourth book now。 McGee leaves readers with a lot of questions， and I am very much looking forward to the answers！ *Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more

Avani ，

Katherine McGee blows me away again！ I thought this was the end of the series but is there more to come？？Official Blurb:“Beatrice is queen， and for the American royal family， everything is about to change。Relationships will be tested。Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get， the more complicated things become。 Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own？Strangers will become friends。Beatric Katherine McGee blows me away again！ I thought this was the end of the series but is there more to come？？Official Blurb:“Beatrice is queen， and for the American royal family， everything is about to change。Relationships will be tested。Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get， the more complicated things become。 Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own？Strangers will become friends。Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world。 When she meets a glamorous foreign princess， she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost？And rivals will become allies。Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson。 Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison。 Can these enemies join forces， or will old rivalries stand in the way？ “Character thoughts:Daphne- She is definitely one of the most interesting characters in the series。 She is willing to do anything to get where she wants。 I think that Daphne showed a lot of character growth， but it was all thrown out the window by the end。Beatrice- Beatrice has been going through a lot lately。 She feels as if she has to take it on her own， being America’s first queen。 When she finally meets the people who make her feel less alone， they aren’t who they say there are。 I just wanted to hug Bee， she’s been through so much。Sam- I’m so happy that Sam finally found herself！ She’s grown up so much throughout the whole series。Nina- I still love Nina！ But surprisingly enough， I don’t think I have too much to say about her。This book was one of my most anticipated releases for the year and I screamed when I found out it was going to be coming out， especially after Majesty！ I had fun reading it and I hold a lot of fondness for all the characters。 They’ve got me through the pandemic and given me a chance to imagine a different world。 I would say that this book and the whole series is worth a read！Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Keathe （RomanceBooksFan） Steigert ，

I loved the first book in this series！ I was really gobsmacked by the second book in the series， and did not enjoy it at all。 I hesitated about reading the third， but wanted to give the series another chance。 Rivals was interesting。 There were still many things I didn't like going on in the story。 Nina， Daphne， and Jeff make me crazy。 I wish I could read the book without reading about any of them。 Beatrice and Teddy still don't seem to make sense to me。 The one thing that will keep me reading th I loved the first book in this series！ I was really gobsmacked by the second book in the series， and did not enjoy it at all。 I hesitated about reading the third， but wanted to give the series another chance。 Rivals was interesting。 There were still many things I didn't like going on in the story。 Nina， Daphne， and Jeff make me crazy。 I wish I could read the book without reading about any of them。 Beatrice and Teddy still don't seem to make sense to me。 The one thing that will keep me reading this series （besides the fact that it ends on a huge cliffhanger）， is that I genuinely loved the storyline revolving around Sam and Marshall。 I thought that the struggles they face were really well thought out and were realistic。 Their issues surrounding being a mixed race couple， and the issues surrounding their positions in the monarchy were well done。 I liked this one much better than the second， but am interested to see what kind of turns we are in for in the last book。 Maybe that one will be the one that redeems this series for me。Thank you to Random House Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Stephanie ，

This was just。。。aggressively fine for me。 Rivals is the 3rd installment of the American Royals series and follows Beatrice， Sam， Jefferson， Nina， and Daphne as they continue to deal with the fallout from events of previous books。The thing about this book is that。。。genuinely almost nothing happened until about 75% of the way through。 It was SO boring。 I'm also annoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger becuase I think ultimately I just need this series to end。I did enjoy seeing a different side to Da This was just。。。aggressively fine for me。 Rivals is the 3rd installment of the American Royals series and follows Beatrice， Sam， Jefferson， Nina， and Daphne as they continue to deal with the fallout from events of previous books。The thing about this book is that。。。genuinely almost nothing happened until about 75% of the way through。 It was SO boring。 I'm also annoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger becuase I think ultimately I just need this series to end。I did enjoy seeing a different side to Daphne， though I do think almost all of her character growth was thrown out the window at the end there。I think I just need to be done with this series and I am not the target audience。 I think if you love YA， you might like this series。 Though I think in particular it is meant for younger YA readers。 。。。more

Lauren ，

I love this series so much and was thrilled when I learned a third novel would release。 I desperately wanted to know how Sam and Nina's tour went， how Beatrice adapted to her role， and how Daphne was behaving。 Plus I needed the latest gossip on all their love interests。 This was such a fun read with all sorts of things happening。 We get drama and intrigue and plotting and romance。 The choices made sense for the roles and evolving ages of the characters。 And I liked seeing some character growth。 I love this series so much and was thrilled when I learned a third novel would release。 I desperately wanted to know how Sam and Nina's tour went， how Beatrice adapted to her role， and how Daphne was behaving。 Plus I needed the latest gossip on all their love interests。 This was such a fun read with all sorts of things happening。 We get drama and intrigue and plotting and romance。 The choices made sense for the roles and evolving ages of the characters。 And I liked seeing some character growth。 But I was a bit disappointed with the ending。 Without giving spoilers， I will only say that it felt like it went in the wrong direction。 On the other hand， it did its job in making me anxious to read book 4。 I hope the wait won't be as long。 Brittany Presley is such an amazing narrator。 I have loved her for each of the audiobooks in the series。 Thank you @PRHAudio， Random House， and NetGalley for the complimentary audiobook。 These opinions are my own。 。。。more

blissfulbookgirl ，

I sat down and finished this in maybe an hour。 Horrifying， but true。 Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this！Beatrice and Sam are suddenly in charge of America after the devastating death of their father， and suddenly things are quite unsure。 In Majesty， the precursor to this book， it seemed like Beatrice and Sam had found romantic happiness， but suddenly that's questioned。 Thinking about the future and the sacrifices Teddy and Marshall may have to make creates tension and worry between America's I sat down and finished this in maybe an hour。 Horrifying， but true。 Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this！Beatrice and Sam are suddenly in charge of America after the devastating death of their father， and suddenly things are quite unsure。 In Majesty， the precursor to this book， it seemed like Beatrice and Sam had found romantic happiness， but suddenly that's questioned。 Thinking about the future and the sacrifices Teddy and Marshall may have to make creates tension and worry between America's favorite couples。 On the other hand， Daphne and Nina have some problems， with the return of Gabriella Madison， and her hatred towards the both of them。I loved this book so，so much。 The details of the plot kept me riveted and invested as I furiously turned the pages to find out what was going to happen next。 Over the entire series， I also adored seeing the characters grow， and I continue to see Sam and Beatrice make choices and learn。 However， the cliffhangers at the ends of this series are slowly killing me！！！！！ I hope we'll get an addition to the series to see how America reacts to the shocking bombs Katharine McGee drops at the end of Rivals！ 。。。more

Wendy ，

I received a free copy from Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review。Beatrice， Samantha， Nina， and Daphne are back！ Despite the fact that Majesty was designed to be the final book in the American Royals duology， Katharine McGee returns to expand the world of the Washingtons and other characters in their orbit。Beatrice takes on the role of queen， overseeing the League of Kings conference。 Relating to the challenges of others around her， especially Princess Louise of F I received a free copy from Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review。Beatrice， Samantha， Nina， and Daphne are back！ Despite the fact that Majesty was designed to be the final book in the American Royals duology， Katharine McGee returns to expand the world of the Washingtons and other characters in their orbit。Beatrice takes on the role of queen， overseeing the League of Kings conference。 Relating to the challenges of others around her， especially Princess Louise of France， Beatrice finds her relationship with Teddy strained。 Will she be able to get her “Protection of the Global Climate for Future Generations” initiative passed and hold on to her relationship？Samantha， now the heir to Beatrice， finds herself caught at a crossroads in her relationship with Marshall。 The two have become the center of the race conversation in the nation。 Adding pressure to the couple， Marshall would have to give up his position as a duke should they decide to marry in the future， dismantling the legacy his family has built as the only ducal seat occupied by a person of color。 Will Samantha be able to keep her relationship on course？Nina is doing well in school， looking forward to her second year at King’s College。 When her financial aid is revoked due to an encounter with Lady Gabriella Madison， Nina finds herself turning to an unlikely ally: Daphne Deighton。 Daphne has her own problems。 Her father’s baronetcy is threatened by Gabriella Madison’s father who seeks to position his daughter as the future princess。 Will Nina and Daphne be able to take down Gabriella or will they destroy each other along the way？While the first two novels focused mainly on the drama in and around the palace in Washington， D。C。， Rivals expands the world these characters are living in。 The League of Kings functions as a way for the reader to meet a slew of new kings and queens， most of them unimportant to the plot。 However， the aspect to focus on is seeing how global politics functions with countries governed by monarchies。There are a few standouts among this group， specifically Louise， Sirivannavari， Bharat， Alexei， Dmitri， and Frederick。 Beatrice finds herself becoming part of Princess Louise’s inner circle， which includes an unexpected trip to France。 As a reader， I enjoyed the fact that Beatrice found a group of friends at the League of Kings since much of her story so far has focused on her romantic relationships。 Between Beatrice， Louise， and Teddy there is some drama， though it is not what you might expect。 I found this to be a bit forced， though I understand that the point of the American Royals series is to hype the drama and gossip。 I was surprised by the way McGee left Beatrice at the conclusion of Rivals。 Based on the cliffhanger， it is clear that there will be a fourth book。Samantha’s chapters were equally as engaging。 Having an interracial relationship as royalty was handled relatively well in Majesty， but Rivals really sought to tackle the challenges of being in the public eye and maintaining a relationship。 This was also emphasized by the expectations of both Samantha’s and Marshall’s families and their respective legacies。 Both Samantha and Marshall find that their relationship sustains them， but they also feel powerless to their circumstances。 Though Beatrice is a balm for Samantha， Aunt Margaret receives the MVP in this storyline and I wish she had more page time。 I’m excited to see how McGee resolves Samantha’s story。Finally， Nina’s and Daphne’s threads are almost inextricable in Rivals since so much of their time is spent together。 Prince Jefferson is right when he says that these two are more similar than they think: they know their own minds; they’re stubborn; and they fiercely go after what they want。 Seeing Nina and Daphne plot against Gabriella， who is basically Daphne turned up to twenty， was very enjoyable。 As a reader， I hope the budding relationship between these two is not irreparably damaged by some of the events in the final few chapters。 They’re delightful together。Overall， Rivals was an excellent addition to the American Royals series。 This may be the strongest entry yet as it expands the world but focuses more on the interpersonal aspects of each character。 If you like the American Royals series， you’ll be delighted by Rivals and you’ll eagerly be waiting for the next novel。 。。。more

Danielle Wood ，

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I love this series so much， I can’t help it！ This book was just as good as the other two。 I hate the way it ended on a cliffhanger so I have to wait even longer for the NEXT one！

Tricia | ReadingRowans ，

This series continues to deliver！ Majesty （book #2） was crying out for a third book， so I was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on Rivals。 Rivals picks up right where Majesty leaves off and is told from the same four points of view of the previous books。 Beatrice is still adjusting to life as Queen， hosting her first international summit。 Samantha and Marshall are figuring out what their relationship can look like while the country makes them out to be a symbol of race relations in America。 Ni This series continues to deliver！ Majesty （book #2） was crying out for a third book， so I was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on Rivals。 Rivals picks up right where Majesty leaves off and is told from the same four points of view of the previous books。 Beatrice is still adjusting to life as Queen， hosting her first international summit。 Samantha and Marshall are figuring out what their relationship can look like while the country makes them out to be a symbol of race relations in America。 Nina and Daphne find themselves as unlikely bedfellows when they find a common enemy。 This series is compulsively readable， and that was definitely the case with Rivals。 Once I picked it up and got immersed in this universe again， I didn't want to put it down。 I liked seeing the continuation of many of the stories that were unresolved in the earlier books， but I thought some of the contours of those stories felt repetitive throughout this book。 This one ends on another cliffhanger like Book #2 so hopefully we'll finally see some resolution in a future fourth book？Thanks to Randhom House Childrens and NetGalley for the early copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Samantha Geissler ，

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。5/5“Sometimes the world changed in smaller ways: a boat ride over ink-dark water， the flip of a card。” Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy to read and review！ This is out on 5/31。I would be lying if I said I didn’t scream when I saw that I was approved for this title！ I loved the first book， enjoyed the second， and devoured this one！ I heard there’s a fourth coming out， and I need it like yesterday after the way this one just ended。 Holy crap！ I’m not sure if I’m ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。5/5“Sometimes the world changed in smaller ways: a boat ride over ink-dark water， the flip of a card。” Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy to read and review！ This is out on 5/31。I would be lying if I said I didn’t scream when I saw that I was approved for this title！ I loved the first book， enjoyed the second， and devoured this one！ I heard there’s a fourth coming out， and I need it like yesterday after the way this one just ended。 Holy crap！ I’m not sure if I’m excited or scared for the next book with everything that just happened。 McGee did another excellent job at making you love and hate her characters， as well as providing representation with her characters。 Race and sexism were big topics in this book， especially Race， and I think that McGee did a great job with it。 Not much really happens in this book until the 60-65% mark。 Then things pick up super fast and it’s one twist and one drama after another。 It made the second half of the book fly by and be addicting。 Granted， I didn’t really want to put this down at all when I read it， but the second half escalated that feeling。 We follow Nina， Sam， Beatrice， and Daphne。 I think that all four women had some character development throughout the story。 They all want one goal: a happy ending。 Daphne really started to redeem herself and I was beginning to like her character a lot more。 But， then she went and did some snakelike stuff， and she fell to the bottomof the totem pole for me。 I know it’s because every story needs a “villain” and this is what she is used to。 She was raised to lie to get anywhere in life， especially since she was not born into the royal life。 I’m still mad at her though。 Also the mention and description of Hawaii made me SO excited to go in July！I think a big part of this book was overcoming loss， stepping out of your comfort zone， and fighting for what you believe in and love。 All strong themes。 “He was her anchor amid the storm， the only thing she could cling to in this whirlwind of a world。” I know now for sure that a fourth installment is coming based on the several cliffhangers this book provides。 I really hope and would love to follow Jefferson， Teddy， and Marshall’s POV in the next one。 And MAYBE Gabriella but that’s a big maybe。 She was awful！ “And of course people can change。 What kind of world would this be if they couldn’t？ We need to believe that， or there’s nothing worth fighting for。” 。。。more

ally ，

STOP IT THERE'S A THIRD I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT？！？！AND IT'S ALMOST OUTCOME ON STOP IT THERE'S A THIRD I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT？！？！AND IT'S ALMOST OUTCOME ON 。。。more

Kristina | wanderingpageswithkp ，

RIVALS is the third book in Katharine McGee’s YA American Royal series。 I absolutely LOVED AMERICAN ROYALS then she shook me with the direction relationships took in book two: MAJESTY。 I was anticipating where book three would take us and welllll， it took us to another freakin’ cliffhanger！ 😩 My thoughts: -it took me 12 days to read this so that should say something 🫤-there were so many name drops for characters that served no purpose。 it was unnecessary fluff that is a pet peeve of mine -Sam & RIVALS is the third book in Katharine McGee’s YA American Royal series。 I absolutely LOVED AMERICAN ROYALS then she shook me with the direction relationships took in book two: MAJESTY。 I was anticipating where book three would take us and welllll， it took us to another freakin’ cliffhanger！ 😩 My thoughts: -it took me 12 days to read this so that should say something 🫤-there were so many name drops for characters that served no purpose。 it was unnecessary fluff that is a pet peeve of mine -Sam & Marshall storyline vaguely mirrors Prince Harry & Meghan Markle so I enjoyed that -i’m over the love triangle storyline 😬While I loved the start to this series I felt RIVALS was really lacking。 There didn’t seem to be much of a storyline and the cliffhanger at the end seemed unnecessary。 I had hoped everything would wrap up nicely buttt I am a sucker and once I start a series， I must see it through so I’m sure in a year or so you’ll be seeing my review for the next book 🤪 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the arc in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more

caleigh ，

when was anyone going to tell me that this was getting released

Lindsay Scott ，

This series is pure fun。 Storylines built around royalty also interest me and Katharine McGee writes a great plot。 This is the third in the American Royals series and the books really should be read in order to fully appreciate the drama。 There is romance， rivalry （as the title suggests）， and friendship to explore with the fictitious American royal family。 This book picks up where we left the family in the second story。 Beatrice is figuring out how to be the new queen， Sam and Marshall have gott This series is pure fun。 Storylines built around royalty also interest me and Katharine McGee writes a great plot。 This is the third in the American Royals series and the books really should be read in order to fully appreciate the drama。 There is romance， rivalry （as the title suggests）， and friendship to explore with the fictitious American royal family。 This book picks up where we left the family in the second story。 Beatrice is figuring out how to be the new queen， Sam and Marshall have gotten together， and the messy triangle between Nina， Daphne， and Jefferson continues。 This was a fun revisiting of a very unique series idea （What if America had it's own royal family？） and I enjoyed seeing where each character had landed。 The plot points moved forward in an interesting way and I am intrigued about what will happen next。 There will be a fourth book （the ending leaves you hanging）。 Thanks to Katharine McGee， Random House Books for Young Children， and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Maryalice ，

Returning from what would have been their honeymoon （had they gotten married）， Beatrice and Teddy are back after spending a few blissful weeks in the Caribbean。 Teddy hopes to define his role as king consort to give the unprecedented position meaning and purpose。 Beatrice has a lot of work to do to prepare for the League of Kings conference。 For the first time， Beatrice is hosting the conference as Queen of America， and she plans to bring her father's climate accord to vote， despite the uphill b Returning from what would have been their honeymoon （had they gotten married）， Beatrice and Teddy are back after spending a few blissful weeks in the Caribbean。 Teddy hopes to define his role as king consort to give the unprecedented position meaning and purpose。 Beatrice has a lot of work to do to prepare for the League of Kings conference。 For the first time， Beatrice is hosting the conference as Queen of America， and she plans to bring her father's climate accord to vote， despite the uphill battle she'll face as a powerful woman。 Princess Samantha went on the Royal tour at Beatrice's request and convinced her best friend Nina to go along。 In love for the first time， Sam is figuring out who she is and how to be the heir her family needs。 And with the League of Kings taking place in Orange， Sam is looking forward to spending some time with Marshall。 Meanwhile， Jeff filled as Regent （with Daphne by his side） in at the capital during his sisters' absence。 As the royals settle into their roles， friendships and old rivals are put to the test。 No matter where the Washington family goes， drama seems to follow。 Spoiler alert， the League of Kings conference will be no different。THOUGHTS: Tackling some tough topics like gender roles， privilege， and racism， the characters take on more dimension in this title than the past two， and readers will find themselves rooting for each rival as they get to know them。 They also desperately will hope for another title in this series！ 。。。more

Andrea RBK ，

One of my biggest regrets is that I read this as an advanced copy。 I was so excited to read this that I devoured it as soon as I received my copy。 The problem is I now have so much I want to discuss， but since I got the sneak peek before my friends and book club， I have to keep my thoughts to myself。 So， here's the thing， I loved the first book in this series。 It was such a unique premise， and it was so interesting to think about America as a monarchy and to learn about this alternate reality th One of my biggest regrets is that I read this as an advanced copy。 I was so excited to read this that I devoured it as soon as I received my copy。 The problem is I now have so much I want to discuss， but since I got the sneak peek before my friends and book club， I have to keep my thoughts to myself。 So， here's the thing， I loved the first book in this series。 It was such a unique premise， and it was so interesting to think about America as a monarchy and to learn about this alternate reality through the stories of the women in the book。 The third book wasn't so much a love for me， and much of that has to do with why I fell in love with this series。 The very title Rivals accentuates the stuff I don't like as much。 I don't like the fighting and the gossip and the deceit that is a component part of some character's stories， and I didn't like that it took center stage here。 The story picks up where the last left off as Beatrice is learning what it means to be queen， Sam is in her new relationship with Marshall， and the Nina/Daphne/Jefferson love triangle continues， but also has some new dimensions。 What I ultimately wanted and didn't get was way more Beatrice。 To me， her story is the most powerful and one I love the most。 I wanted to see her centered so much more。 Again， given the title that just wasn't what this was， but a girl could dream。 I should also note this ends on a cliffhanger， so there's likely going to be a fourth read。 Even though this one wasn't my jam， I'll be back for that one as I'm too invested to quit now。 Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this upcoming release！ 。。。more

Laney Estel ，

3。5 StarsReview Coming

Ashley ，

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview！ This book makes up for book 2。 I look forward to reading the next book in the series。

Ameeta ，

Katharine McGee， thank you thank you thank you for writing us a third installment of the American Royals！ This one did not disappoint！ I have always been partial to Beatrice， but in this novel， I found myself liking so many of the other characters too。 Watching their development across the three books has made me invested in their growth。 Sam's so different in this novel in a way that I loved。 Her depth is so much more evident and as a reader， I felt more privy to her internal turmoil that felt Katharine McGee， thank you thank you thank you for writing us a third installment of the American Royals！ This one did not disappoint！ I have always been partial to Beatrice， but in this novel， I found myself liking so many of the other characters too。 Watching their development across the three books has made me invested in their growth。 Sam's so different in this novel in a way that I loved。 Her depth is so much more evident and as a reader， I felt more privy to her internal turmoil that felt relatable as opposed to Book 1 Sam， who I found whiney。 Nina continues to be as brave， strong-willed， and endearing as always。 Who really shocked me， was Daphne。 I found her hard to stomach in all the previous novels， but in this one， I understood her more。 If you have not read the previous two books， you must before you pick this one up！ This is a storyline that has been developing for quite some time。 It cannot be treated as a standalone。 I really am hoping for a sequel， because as always it was just so good！ I must admit， I wished and wished to get access on NetGalley and my wishes came true。 Then， I did something so typical of myself， I avoided reading it， because I didn't want to start it and quickly finish it and have to wait forever for the next。 I'm glad I picked it up。 It was worth it。 。。。more

Katie Casselton ，

Wow wow wow can’t wait for the fourth one

Katelin ，

ARC provided by NetGalley A fun， delightful read full of drama as the author imagines what an imaginary American royal family would look like。

Stephanie ，

3。5 stars。 The third installment of American Royals follows Beatrice as she comes into her role as queen， Jeff navigating college， Sam finding love， and Daphne and Nina partnering up to defeat a common enemy。As with the previous books in the series， there is plenty of drama， friendships， scheming， and heartbreak。 I was a little disappointed as it didn’t seem as heightened as the previous books （or maybe I’m just a little bored of it by now）。 The final chapters end in dramatic fashion which leads 3。5 stars。 The third installment of American Royals follows Beatrice as she comes into her role as queen， Jeff navigating college， Sam finding love， and Daphne and Nina partnering up to defeat a common enemy。As with the previous books in the series， there is plenty of drama， friendships， scheming， and heartbreak。 I was a little disappointed as it didn’t seem as heightened as the previous books （or maybe I’m just a little bored of it by now）。 The final chapters end in dramatic fashion which leads me to believe we will get a fourth book， but I’m concerned we will never get closure with this series。Overall I enjoyed it and seeing new sides to our characters as they face different challenges and grow into adulthood。 I still think this would make a great TV show， but definitely can’t read this as a standalone as you need the context from the previous books to understand the characters and what’s going on。Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my advance copy。 。。。more

TheBookstagramBabe ，

Holy Cliffanger！I am so happy this book is finally here！ It felt like putting on your favorite most comfortable sweater。 I loved that， for once， everyone was GETTING ALONG！ Nina and Daphne teaming up？ YES PLEASE！ Sam and Beatrice getting along？ HELLO YES！ a background cast of world-wide Royalty all in one room。 I'M HERE FOR IT！ For once all the enemies and rivals were characters we hadn't met yet and they were all written so well。 I also felt like we also get more substance in this book rather t Holy Cliffanger！I am so happy this book is finally here！ It felt like putting on your favorite most comfortable sweater。 I loved that， for once， everyone was GETTING ALONG！ Nina and Daphne teaming up？ YES PLEASE！ Sam and Beatrice getting along？ HELLO YES！ a background cast of world-wide Royalty all in one room。 I'M HERE FOR IT！ For once all the enemies and rivals were characters we hadn't met yet and they were all written so well。 I also felt like we also get more substance in this book rather then just drama and glamour。 We see it in race relations between Sam and Marshall and talks about climate change between the gathering of the nations， However， by the end it felt a little repetitive。 Don't worry， though， I still will pick up the next book。 I am hooked with the cliffhanger at the end！ I just love this theory of American Royalty so much， I'll keep coming back for more every time！ Hey Hollywood PLEASE bring us an American Royals series ASAP！Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review。 This book releases 5/31！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Rivals

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Rivals&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Rivals&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0