This bookstagram/booktok journey has introduced me to a lot of authors I might not have picked up without it being part of a virtual book club or something that is everywhere I look. American Royalty by Tracey Livesay [Buy Bookshop Amazon Libro FM] was one of those book club picks last year that I really enjoyed, so I was stoked to get my hands on an early copy of its sequel, The Duchess Effect.
Man, these two have great cover art!
If you haven’t read American Royalty, then this review will spoil some things. There’s really no way around it. But it’s a romance, so you kinda already know how it’s gonna go.
The Duchess Effect [Buy Bookshop Amazon Libro FM] picks up a couple months after the end of book one. Dani, aka an American rapper who goes by Duchess, and Jameson, Duke of Wessex, have been holed up in California, getting to know each other better. They went against the queen by publicly declaring their relationship and are hoping to keep things quiet… but of course, that simply isn’t something that can happen for them.
Dani’s skin care company is so close to a major deal, but a new player in the game wants Jameson to be part of the promotions. Dani doesn’t want him tied to it (rightfully so), which puts her in a position she hates. The Queen sees the popularity of Dani and Jameson’s relationship and decides to capitalize on it. When Jameson suddenly has some forced free time on his hands, he doesn’t have much of a choice of playing her game.
And do not fret, because rap rival Samantha is back and causing some BIG drama for the royal family in this one.
The first book ranked high on the steam charts, but this one didn’t have nearly as much. There’s a good scene here and there, but The Duchess Effect focuses more on the real life issues a black woman would have to face while dating a British royal, kinda like Harry and Meghan. This is way more on the political side of things than romance, which I understand and appreciate the depth it brings to the story, but also, we’re here for more bubble bath scenes!
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was I hoping it would stay on par with the first, also yes. Am I begging Avon to give us a third book… and the Nyla/Professor Thor story… and the Yolanda/Liam story, YES TO ALL THREE. But none of those are a given. Fingers crossed, y’all.
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Literary HypeWoman 