American Royals Books in Order

The American Royals series imagines a present day United States that became a monarchy instead of a republic. Two and a half centuries after George Washington accepted a crown, the Washington family still sits on the throne, and the country watches their every move.

At the heart of the story is Beatrice, the dutiful oldest daughter who grows up knowing she will be America's first queen in her own right. Her younger twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, are the spare and the charming prince, freer to rebel even as the tabloids cling to their every misstep. Alongside them are Nina, a commoner who has grown up inside the palace as Samantha's best friend, and Daphne, an ambitious noble girl who sees a future with Prince Jefferson as the only life she wants.

The first book, American Royals, drops readers into a court where personal feelings are constantly weighed against public expectations. Beatrice is asked to choose a husband from a curated list of acceptable candidates, even though her closest confidant is her bodyguard. Samantha stumbles into a flirtation with the very same boy her sister is supposed to marry. Nina and Jefferson try to decide whether a secret relationship is worth the media storm it would unleash, while Daphne carefully sets up situations that keep her close to the prince.

As the series continues through Majesty, Rivals and Reign, the stakes move beyond dating drama into the hard work of ruling. Beatrice steps into the role of queen, learning how to manage a cabinet, a skeptical public and centuries of tradition at once. Samantha starts to figure out who she is when she is not just the wild younger sister. Nina tries to carve out a life for herself outside the palace's orbit, and Daphne doubles down on her schemes even as they leave real damage behind.

Each book leans into the fun of gowns, parties and gossip while also taking its characters' pressures seriously. McGee uses the alternate history to ask what it would feel like to come of age under constant surveillance, to have your love life debated like public policy and to decide whether the crown is worth what it costs.

Multiple narrators and short, punchy chapters keep the story moving quickly, making the series an easy one to binge. The prequel novella Inheritance rewinds to the night of the twins' high school graduation, offering a close look at the party where several of these relationships first tip from friendship into something more.