Having read McGee's The Thousandth Floor series (all three books. would not recommend), I recognize some of the characters and plotlines in this story (*ahem*, Daphne), but I think they are better executed here. An American monarchy is a great backdrop for these plotlines, and I think her ideas about fame and leadership are well-developed. However, many of the characters were quite one-sided, particularly the male love interests. To be honest, I would love a 500-page prequel to this series just detailing the events of American history as they played out with this book's nebulous "monarchy". The America of American Royals resembles Britain in places, but the divisions of states (or "duchys", I suppose) is relatively unchanged. There is even mention of the "Princess of Mexico", which leads me to wonder how things like the World Wars occurred with America as a monarchy. So much of America's history is based on its being a democratic state. The romance was cute, and had enough twists and intrigue to keep me engaged, but every turn had me questioning the actual inner-workings of an American monarchy, very few of which received answers.