Exclusive: Katharine McGee's ‘American Royals IV: Reign’ Excerpt Features a Special Royal Announcement
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It's almost time to say goodbye to our favorite royal family. For the last few years, Katharine McGee has kept us at the edge of our seats as we followed the Washington family reign in the United States. But now it's almost time to say goodbye, but not without one final gift (and scandal) or two.
Cosmopolitan has an exclusive look at the final book in the American Royals series, Reign, which follows the Washington family's biggest shakeup yet. Things are getting wilder than ever and with the crown on the line, this might be the most unexpected and maybe even the most emotional title in the series. What can win between heart and country? You're going to have to read to find out. But at least this official description from Random House Books for Young Readers will get you even more excited:
A queen's life hangs in the balance, and her siblings’ decisions—about what to do, and most of all, who to love—could change the course of history. Romance. Duty. Power...only one can triumph in this stunning conclusion to the New York Times bestselling American Royals series.
America's royal family is in shambles. Queen Beatrice is in a coma and Princess Samantha has gone missing—from the look of things, she ran away with her boyfriend, Lord Marshall Davis. Which means that Prince Jefferson is currently on the throne. For some in America, it's exactly what they wanted: a King ruling the country. And for Daphne Deighton, who has tricked Jefferson into dating her again, it's the ultimate dream come true.
Surely this is all just temporary. Won’t Beatrice wake up and reclaim her rightful place? Samantha can't really be gone…can she? And Prince Jefferson will never truly be over his childhood crush, Nina Gonzalez. Right?
For the Washington family, the stakes are higher than ever. Love might save the throne….if secrets don’t destroy everything first.
The fourth book, which is set to be released on August 29, 2023, might already be on the top of your reading list, but you don't have to wait too long to find out some of what happens. We got you covered with a special exclusive excerpt that you can start reading below. So get your crown ready, grab some of Katharine’s previous books, and don’t forget to preorder your copy, because you’re going to want to read the rest of it when Reign finally drops.
An Excerpt From American Royals IV: Reign
By Katharine McGee
“Hey, Daphne,” Ethan said in an irritatingly casual tone. Her eyes darted over him, taking in every detail of his appearance. He’d cut his hair shorter, and there was a Band-Aid on the back of his hand. His eyes looked lighter than she remembered, the irises more amber than brown.
“What are you doing here?” she asked coolly.
His eyes were locked on hers. “What do you think? I’m here for the wedding of the century.”
“You... he...” Daphne swallowed. “Jefferson told you?” Ethan shrugged. “I’m the best man.”
Of course he was. Somehow, Daphne hadn’t considered the fact that she would be in a wedding where she’d slept with the best man. She hated how tawdry and clichéd it made her feel.
“You plan on being in Washington until New Year’s?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I didn’t realize you were having a New Year’s Eve wedding.” When Daphne nodded in confirmation, Ethan chuckled. “How typically Daphne. You want everyone in America to start the New Year thinking about you.”
The remark startled a laugh from her. Ethan’s eyes sparkled in surprised pleasure.
They were acting almost normal around each other. At least, as normal as could be expected given how they’d left things nearly half a year earlier, before Ethan went to Malaysia. Daphne had shamelessly thrown herself at him: told him that she loved him, begged him to stay.
And Ethan had walked away.
Of course, so much had happened since then. She’d won Jefferson back, and kept him, despite Nina and Gabriella’s attempts to break them up. She was practically a princess.
“Daphne.” Ethan hesitated, the amusement fading from his gaze. “I heard about everything. Are you okay?”
She shifted her weight with a sigh. They were still standing outside, but far enough from the festivities that no one could overhear.
“I didn’t realize the news of my family’s disgrace had made it to Malaysia.”
“I’m sorry. I know this has been tough on you.” There was no hint of Ethan’s usual irreverence.
She kicked one heel back and forth in the grass. “My dad really messed up this time.”
“He did, but I’m not sure I blame the guy. I would bet on you too,” Ethan said softly. “Every time.”
Daphne looked up sharply. Ethan’s eyes had settled on hers, light glinting in their depths.
No. This was too dangerous. She knew better than to be alone with Ethan, not after everything that had happened between them.
“I have to go.” She turned and started back toward the party, fixing her perfect princess smile to her face once more.
***
Later that evening, Daphne sighed, leaning her head against the tinted glass of the palace’s courtesy car.
She hadn’t gotten a moment alone with Jefferson until after the festival. When she finally found him, he’d smiled: a weary, automatic smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey, Daph. Are you okay if we move up the engagement announcement?”
“Of course.”
She’d expected him to say more, but he had just kissed her on the forehead.
The driver cleared his throat, stirring her from her thoughts. “Miss Deighton?”
Daphne looked up—and cold panic set in.
The street crawled with media vans. Reporters stood before the Deightons’ townhouse in hastily applied red lipstick, talking eagerly into their microphones. The news vans’ spotlights made the area as blindingly bright as the stage of a rock concert.
Oh no. Had something else come to light, something even worse than her father’s behavior?
What if Gabriella had finally violated the terms of their unspoken truce, and told everyone that Daphne sold her own photos to the tabloids?
“Park down the block, please,” Daphne managed.
There was an alley behind all the townhouses on this street, too narrow for a car. Daphne pulled up the hood of her jacket and walked down the alley as fast as she could, stumbling around the occasional stray tricycle or hissing cat. When she was safely at her family’s back gate, she entered the code on the electronic keypad and slipped inside.
Then, her hands shaking, she pulled out her phone.
Its screen was lit up with dozens—no, hundreds—of messages and missed calls. Blindly, Daphne clicked on the only name that mattered.
I’m sorry, Jefferson had written. I tried to hold the announcement until tomorrow, but Anju overruled me. She had to tell the press about us to distract them from thinking about Sam. Call me when you can?
Daphne tapped over to her web browser and, as she had done countless times before, searched her own name. The screen immediately filled with headlines, all variations on PRINCE JEFFERSON, OFFICIALLY OFF THE MARKET! or THE ROYAL WEDDING WE’VE ALL BE WAITING FOR!
She clicked on the first link, which led to the palace website’s official press release:
His Royal Highness Prince Jefferson is delighted to announce his engagement to Miss Daphne Deighton. The wedding will take place in Washington in the coming months. Both families are thrilled by the joyous news.
Typical of a Washington Palace press release, short and to the point.
The panic that had seized Daphne released its hold, and blissful relief flooded through her chest.
At long last, it was really happening.
Daphne could have hugged Samantha for coming home unannounced. The media must have gotten wind that something was going on, because a good reporter could always sniff out a story brewing. So, to keep the press from digging into Samantha—to keep Samantha hidden as long as possible, while they figured out a way to handle her—the palace had thrown out the news of Daphne and Jefferson’s engagement. Daphne was a human smoke bomb, sent out to distract the media with glitter and wedding gowns while the palace dealt with its prodigal ex-princess’s return.
Things were working out even better than she could have planned.
Excerpt copyright © 2023 by Katharine McGee and Alloy Entertainment. Jacket art copyright © 2023 by Carolina Melis. Published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
American Royals IV: Reign, by Katharine McGee, will be released on August 29, 2023. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice:
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