Rivals Review: Back and More Dramatic Than Ever!

Author: Katharine McGee
Published On: May 31, 2022
Publisher: Random House for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Alt. Reality, Romance
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

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?

Well, here it goes again.

When I tell you my stomach dropped when I saw that there was going to be a third book (and probably a fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh – who is Katharine McGee kidding), I’m not lying. More alternate reality royalty? More needless girl-girl drama? More watching Prince Jefferson be the most clueless, infuriating character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading? Oh, girl, sign me up.

*Given that this is the third book in a series, there are spoilers below. Beware, be warned.*

The female friendships! Period period period. The relationships in this book are messy messy, and yet my favorite element of every installment has been the bonds that are formed between our four main female characters. While each one is unique in their own way, it’s been so gratifying to see these characters come together over their shared ~~trauma~~ experiences. These relationships have been the driving force of growth behind every character and I’ve just loved every scene where two of the main characters are interacting with each other.
Daphne…? If you refer back to my review of Majesty, Daphne was one of my dislikes. And sure, she has very dislikable moments in this as well, but we also finally cracked her open a bit to finally see her vulnerability.
Chapter length. Is this a cop-out category? I’ve come to despise books with long chapters, and thankfully this one did not suffer from that. I felt like just when I was getting a bit bogged down with one character, we switched to another, which kept me engaged and turning page after page.
Character growth! I think one of my favorite aspects of this book is the way that, by the end, I could tell you the individual lesson learned by each character. While a lot of the romantic tension moves in circles, it’s gratifying to still see these girls grow and start to step away from the roles that have been chafing them for awhile now.

Unrealistic dialogue. Which, okay, I can take to some extent, but I feel like there was a myriad of it in this. For example, when Nina, shocked and heart-broken, bursts out of the hospital and makes a long, ominous statement about her take on the future of the country to the gathered press. Like, what? I laughed.
Jefferson, Jefferson, Jefferson. Seriously, get him outta here.
Please, no more missed communication! Daphne and Nina? Teddy and Beatrice? Marshall and Sam? Please, for the love of god, just talk to each other.

By the end of this book, Katharine McGee went full soap opera. If you’re into that, you’ll love this. If you prefer your books a little more down to earth, it might be time to hang up your tiara and abdicate.

Personally, I couldn’t put this down, and will be obsessively stalking McGee’s Instagram page for any sliver of information on when installment four drops.

My rating:

Have you read the American Royals series? What did you think about Rivals?

Thanks guys! XO