Review: American Royalty by Tracey Livesay

Dani, aka “Duchess,” is a sexy American rapper with some negative PR issues that threaten to derail all of her dreams and plans for a truly free life beyond the stage. Prince Jameson is a hot, reclusive English prince who has managed to live relatively under the public radar and wants nothing to do with the royal machine and his family’s plots and schemes. But when the Queen decides to rehab the monarchy’s image with a huge benefit concert, and taps the prince to be the face, it sets up the perfect opportunity for Dani to rehab her own image and get some much needed time away from the spotlight in the English countryside. Although Dani and Jameson initially can't stand each other, it isn't long before they can't deny their physical attraction and end up in a hot and steamy secret fling that changes both of their lives and even the English monarchy in the process. 

The good: This book was a perfect weekend read. It will be a great beach read and delivers heavy on the chemistry (read that as sex lol). The character’s inner dialogues were also very funny at times. I also liked the character development. Dani was very relatable and it felt like she was just one of my homegirls. I also appreciated the author’s attention to detail in describing all the work that it takes entertainers to get into their persona, if they have one. Likewise with Jameson, even though he had a rough childhood, the author never wrote him as whiny or annoying, and took subtle moments to highlight the  snobbery and privilege that’s also inherent with English monarchy and how they treat the “common folk.” 

The bad: Not much. But I will say that this novel has been billed as very reminiscent of Meghan and Harry’s romance - and aside from the American girl/English prince component, that's pretty much where the similarities end. So I don't find that to be an accurate selling point. Also, I did think the ending was a bit rushed. The book wraps up pretty quickly after the climax, but I would have loved to see more of Dani and Jameson after the dust settled.

3.5/5

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and worth checking out when it drops next week June 28, 2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC.