Book Chat: American Royals: Rivals

We’re talking about our favorite YA series American Royals in honor of release of the third book in the series, American Royals: Rivals. We’ve been waiting for the release of this book for months and couldn’t wait to dissect every minute of it. No detail is too small for us to obsess over!

Let’s Dive Into It:

Eloise: I feel like I came into this book with really high expectations-I loved the first book so much and the middle one was also really good and then I thought this was the final book in the trilogy. Was I the only one that thought that?

Dinah: No, I totally did too. I don’t know where that thought came from, but I was in the same place and thought that we would be wrapping up the storylines and seeing an end to the series and instead we got that devastating cliffhanger ending!

Eloise: Yes! But before we talk about that, let’s make sure we cover the beginning of the story and things that we liked.

Dinah: I loved all of the world building in the story. The League of Kings was right up my alley, with the mix of real royal families and fake ones and the little details about the countries and cultures. 

Eloise: And Beatrice was pretty much all American girls, being intimidated by Louise, the French heir, with her chic style and messy eyeliner and too cool for school attitude. Her friend group was also fun and I liked seeing how all of the royals divided up into social cliques and threw wild parties.

Dinah: That Russian party on the yacht was epic! And it was nice to see other royals and that they’re feeling the same pressures as constraints as the American royals.

Eloise: I loved the card game showdown between Beatrice and the Russian Tsar-that was one of my favorite Beatrice scenes ever, and I was so happy that she trusted her gut in that moment. 

Dinah: Beatrice’s whole trip to France with Louise was also so well done. I loved that the royal family still lives at Versailles and the scenes with the king were heart-breaking but also really well written. 

Eloise: Louise was such a cool character-the idea of a modern French queen is just such a good one.

Dinah: Getting back to world building, I also liked all the scenes at the university-the frat parties and the tailgate and just them hanging out in the cafeteria.

Eloise: That tailgate party with all the sorority girls was cracking me up. And I think those scenes were the only times Jeff actually spoke or seemed like an interesting person, so I liked those too! I still don’t get what he sees in Daphne or what makes him tick or what makes him appealing to Nina and Daphne besides his title. Like, how could he not see through Daphne’s act with him or the Gabriella was sucking up to him while being mean to the other girls?

Dinah: I know this story is supposed to be about the women, so maybe it’s just that we’re seeing him through their eyes?

Eloise: But Teddy and Connor and even Ethan are such more real characters than Jeff! And he’s the royal!

Dinah: Maybe we’re going to find out more about him in the next book? But I agree with you that we don’t know what’s going on inside his head or why he’s so easily manipulated by the others. As a royal, he should be much savvier to people being fake to him or to managing the press. Actually, he and Sam and Beatrice should all be better at that! Why is Daphne the only one who know how to use publicity to their advantage?

Eloise: We need major justice for Daphne in the next book, by the way.

Dinah: Poor Daphne really got done dirty in this book. Every other character had at least some sort of win, but she just got knocked down again and again. For her family to lose their title and now to be involved in some fake pregnancy scheme, just no. I want better for her.

Eloise: I am so into Daphne even though she’s her own worst enemy. I think she’s smart and savvy and I loved the scenes between her and Nina and seeing them both grown and learn about each other.

Dinah: I was into the scene of them at the party when Daphne was drunk and they went to the taco stand. And I was there for them scheming against Lady Gabriella together too. I just wish that Daphne had gained enough confidence to be real with Jeff or to see that she has more value than as regal arm candy. She would be amazing in PR or event planning-the girl has skills!

Eloise: My complaint about this book would be just that-the characters seemed to just spin in circles and not grow at all. Beatrice was still insecure about her abilities as a leader and needed to be rescued by Louise, Sam ran off with a boy, Daphne is still hiding her true self from Jeff and believing that her only worth is in dating him, and Nina’s still waffling around the edges. I thought that we were getting somewhere with all of the those characters in the first half of the book, and then it all went away by the end and we were right back were we started.

Dinah: And where was Teddy?! One of my favorite parts of the first two books was the Beatrice and Teddy relationship and he was barely in this book.

Eloise: Justice for Teddy! He’s one of my favorite people. 

Dinah: I think that because I care about these characters so much, the ending of the book was stressful. Sam was my favorite in earlier books, and I’m into her relationship with Marshall and that we got to know his family, and I thought the way they handled Sam and Marshall’s relationship and the difficulties they faced as a very famous interracial couple was well done. But I’m not sure at all how I feel about them running off to Hawaii together! Have the officially renounced their positions? Or is this just more teenager impulsiveness? 

Eloise: It seems to me like Sam will coming running back as soon as she hears about Beatrice and that whole escapade will be for nothing. Or at least I hope she does. I can’t imagine Jeff as the regent.

Dinah: Right? I mean, poor Jeff.  I hope Daphne shows him her true colors and gets offered a job as a press secretary. She would be so good at that! And get to use her powers for good and get some self-esteem in the meantime. Or get to go to college and discover another side of herself.

Eloise: I want so much better for Daphne and honestly for all of the characters in the fourth book! Do we think the fourth book will be the last? Or is this now going on indefinitely?

Dinah: I could read this series forever, so I don’t know which to hope for!

Eloise: Me too. I have so many thoughts on this book because I care so much about the characters and want the best for them. I need happy endings for all!

Dinah: Even for Jeff.

Eloise: Haha, yes even for Jeff.