"Majesty" by Katharine McGee

Majesty is a sequel to American Royals, a young adult alternate history novel which imagines what America would be like if George Washington had agreed to become its King. We basically follow the three young Washingtons: Beatrice, the first female monarch of America, her twin siblings Samantha and Jefferson, and their various friends and love interests. 

The book has very little politics. What it does have in spades is court intrigue and manipulations. Even though the plot seems silly and far-fetched, I somehow got really attached to the characters. Reading these books feels a lot like watching a soap opera: the storyline is completely unrealistic and frustrating and yet you cannot stop watching it. One thing that I did not like about book 2 is how quickly all the main characters abandoned the love interests from book 1 and moved on to someone new. It's almost like all the drama we saw in book 1 did not exist. This made the characters look fickle and immature. There were also plenty of moments that were just too convenient: someone walking in just in time to see something untoward, or discovering a hidden wedding invitation, etc. 

Because I read the unedited advanced copy of the novel, I noticed a couple of things that I hope will be fixed in the finished copy: (a) there is no such thing as Cyrillic numerals, there is the Cyrillic alphabet, but the numerals are exactly the same as are used in Western Europe and America; and (b) the author kept referring to nobility as royalty, these are two different things. These are minor points. Afterall, this is not a historic fiction novel, but still they are annoying enough in a book that is already pretty silly overall. 3 out of 5 stars, purely for the entertainment value.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

"Well Met" by Jen DeLuca

In summer, I always want to read fluffy romcom novels preferably set by the sea or even better on an island. This year I picked up "Well Met" by Jen DeLuca. The setting wasn't nautical but just as appropriate - a small town Renaissance Faire. 

I ended up really enjoying this book. With all the stress and weirdness that 2020 has brought, it was nice to immerse myself in a book that makes you laugh me laugh and feel happy and gooey inside. It is an enemy to lovers story (the trope I absolutely love - thank you Mr. Darcy!). The two main characters are volunteers at a local Renaissance Faire and as they start acting the part of young lovers for the benefit of Faire patrons, the romance starts spilling over into their real lives. There is lots of banter, heart-warming moments and overall, this book made a couple of my evenings very enjoyable. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

"Where Dreams Descend" by Janella Angeles

Where Dreams Descend is a spellbinding new fantasy novel that features a magician competition, a magical circus, and a mystery. Our main character Kallia is a born magician who has lived her entire life in an entertainment club hidden in the woods. The master of the house Jack taught her how to wield magic and turned her into a star performer at the club. But Kallia wants more. When rumors of a magician competition being held in a nearby city reach her, she resolves to run away and enter the competition.

This book has many elements that I like:

• an unequivocally strong female lead – I loved Kallia's confidence and the way she owned the stage and never cowered before men in power
• magicians competing for the right to be called the best and to launch their performing career
• a mystery and a lurking evil power that haunts the city and attacks performers
• a captivating love story
• a powerful anti-hero

All of these elements combined kept me enthralled with the story. Moreover, the story itself reads a lot like a thriller, you constantly wait for the other shoe to drop, which makes you keep turning the pages. The one thing I found a bit disappointing is that nothing is really explained in the end. We know that there is some ancient secret. There are also hints at non-humans, another world beyond the mirror, rumors of magicians disappearing, etc. But nothing is explicitly revealed. 

I guess this makes a perfect set up for book 2, especially with that ending, but I did hope that we would get at least something explained. Who is Jack? What happened with the four founding families of the town? Where do magicians disappear? Who are the shadows in the mirror? Getting at least one question answered would be a bit more satisfying. I gave this novel 4 out of 5 stars docking a star for this absence of answers. I will definitely be reading book 2.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com