Julie's Review: American Royalty

Author: Tracey Livesay
Series: None
Publication Date:  June 28, 2022
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 381
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Steamy interracial romance
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Sexy, driven rapper Danielle “Duchess” Nelson is on the verge of signing a deal that’ll make her one of the richest women in hip hop. More importantly, it’ll grant her control over her life, something she’s craved for years. But an incident with a rising pop star has gone viral, unfairly putting her deal in jeopardy. Concerned about her image, she’s instructed to work on generating some positive publicity… or else. A brilliant professor and reclusive royal, Prince Jameson prefers life out of the spotlight, only leaving his ivory tower to attend weddings or funerals. But with the Queen’s children involved in one scandal after another, and Parliament questioning the viability of the monarchy, the Queen is desperate. In a quest for good press, she puts Jameson in charge of a tribute concert in her late husband’s honor. Out of his depth, and resentful of being called to service, he takes the advice of a student. After all, what’s more appropriate for a royal concert than a performer named “Duchess”? Too late, Jameson discovers the American rapper is popular, sexy, raunchy and not what the Queen wanted, although he’s having an entirely different reaction. Dani knows this is the good exposure she needs to cement her deal and it doesn't hurt that the royal running things is fine as hell. Thrown together, they give in to the explosive attraction flaring between them. But as the glare of the limelight intensifies and outside forces try to interfere, will the Prince and Duchess be a fairy tale romance for the ages or a disaster of palatial proportions? ~amazon.com

Review: I am happy to report that while some people will try to twist this into a different version of Harry/Meghan, it is not that at all. Which, given that I'm not interested in the royal family, I was thrilled. American Royalty is steamy as well. 

Dani, aka Duchess, is a thriving rap artist that is continuing to gain fame when she's invited to be part of a benefit concert honoring the late Prince John. It's coming at a good time for her as she's embattled in an ongoing "feud" with a pop star and needs good PR to get her cosmetic company to the threshold it needs to be. Except Dani wasn't expecting Prince Jameson.

I loved Dani and her self-confidence. I also loved that rapping was just a path to launch her skin care line for Black and Brown women. That's her true passion and what she really wants to do. I like how she didn't want to give up who she was or what she wanted to do just because she fell for a Prince. She didn't just want to be tied to him; she wasn't a gold digger. She had gotten this far on her own and could continue. 

Prince Jameson wasn't expecting Dani when he randomly said that he wanted Duchess to perform without realizing how she performed. He's not the most open person but neither is Dani and instead of shutting each other out, they end up being able to open up to each other. Sure, it starts off physically for them but slowly grows into something much stronger. Neither of them is prepared for it and the firestorm it is going to create. Is their relationship worth it? That's up to them to decide. 

I loved the fact that this was more than just a royal/commoner romance novel. It highlighted the complexities of an interracial relationship. I also can't wait to read what Ms. Livesay writes next. 

Google+