A Queen's Match

A Queens Duet #2

by Katharine McGee

In the sequel to A Queen's Game, broken hearts and secret loves lead three princesses to their final marriage matches, and their rightful places in the history books--from the New York Times bestselling author of the American Royals series.

As Queen Victoria tries to match her grandchildren with powerful marriages across Europe, matters of the court and matters of the heart collide for three princesses as they close in on the end of their marriage seasons. 

Exiled French princess Helene d'Orleans had no choice but to break it off with Prince Eddy--but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a broken heart. And now her parents have their sights on another prince for her...but his heart is already taken. 

The queen finally understands that her beloved granddaughter Alix of Hesse isn't interestd in a match with Prince Eddy...but the Queen does not approve of Alix's true love. So where does that leave her? 

And May of Teck? She's just looking for a crown. So with Eddy back on the marriage market, she's biding her time, letting his heartbreak settle, before she makes her move.

Set in the last glittering decade of the monarchies, A Queen's Match is the thrilling conclusion to the story that began in A Queen's Game.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Audiobook, Fiction, Royalty, Historical Romance

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Katharine McGee is the New York Times bestselling author of American Royals and The Thousandth Floor trilogy. She studied English and French literature at Princeton University and has an MBA from Stanford. She lives in her hometown of Houston, TX with her husband.

Reviews

[💜ashlynn💜 · Rating 5 out of 5]

bruh i still cant get over the fact that eddy died 😭
also may in my opinion is the real villain if she wasn't so greedy for powar eddy and helene would have probably gotten married and he probably wouldn't have gotten sick

like THANKS A LOT MAY

other than that it was a pretty good book

btw y'all should look up what eddy looks like i mean all those girls were fighting over that dude?

[Bree Doby · Rating 3 out of 5]

one thing about katharine mcgee is she’s gonna give 10 characters you’ll either adore or despise but you’ll be invested in every single one of them & their insane intertwined drama

[Phoebe (readandwright) Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Random House children's for my copy!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and it did not disappoint! While this is YA, I think it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, especially fans of Bridgerton and regency era romance. I found it to be fascinating and dramatic and juicy. It immediately made me want to go look up the real history.

[raya · Rating 3 out of 5]

justice for my girl may! why did everyone else get such nice endings????? what a shame

[Brittany Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am typically such a fan of Katharine McGee’s work but this duet of books fell a little short for me. had high hopes because I loved American Royals series but this was less entertaining with less likeable characters. felt like the plot was scattered and messy and hard to follow - would’ve been better executed had this been more than two books, I think!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. out 11/4/25!

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Queen's Game introduced us to a bevvy of princes and princesses looking for matches, and in A Queen's Match McGee brings things to a close. Now, I'm going to keep this short:

1) My father read a lot of murder mysteries, and he always read the end first ("to see if it was worth reading"), which drove me up the wall. What's the point, when you know the end of a murder mystery? Well...reader, I erred: I got so curious at around the 25% mark that I went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Because...these are real people McGee is writing about, and though she gets creative with the details, the basic shape is intact. Don't be me; maybe reread A Queen's Game before jumping in here (I didn't; that was a smaller error), but don't spoil the story for yourself.

2) My gosh. The drama! It's such a soap opera—and yet in some ways some of it is less dramatic than real life. I went down many more Wikipedia articles after finishing the book, and...well, you can see why McGee chose to dramatize the story for a YA audience. You can also see why McGee ends the story where she does; some of these real-life people had happier endings than others. I'm sorry that this seems to be only a duology, but...well, read the books, and then read the articles.

[sarah]

Really wanted to see at least one wedding (of any of the three narrators) (actually ok only Alix I would have loved to see her wedding :')) or even May's - actually what we really needed was May's redemption, whyyy did we end on this note between her and George, I was rooting for them! "May of Teck still hated weddings" LOL
All in all, it was v nice to be back in this world tho :')

[Erin Brudvik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun read. Based on a true story, it’s so interesting to see the soap opera amongst the royals. I accidentally spoiled a few things for myself by knowing some basic history - but it’s wild to hear in the authors note how little she needed to embellish. This is YA technically but I think it can be for all ages.

[Randi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was shocked to read the author’s note at the end that this was based on real events because I often felt this was ridiculous as I read it. I’ve enjoyed McGee’s work but this being her first project after American Royals feels stale - there’s nothing fresh or new here and it felt like drama for the sake of drama in repeated tropes from her last work. It’s a fine, quick read, and if another author wrote it maybe I’d rate it higher but I simply know McGee is capable of much better.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

justice for queen mary

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, if we were supposed to like Helene then this was not for me. She annoyed the living breath out of me! Like the fact that May needed to just speak up and actually clear everything up then it would have caused soooo much less drama. but I guess the fact that this is a historical drama then you do need the drama. I love it but oh my goodness did I get annoyed by everyone.

[Michelle Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint! 👑 It was such a satisfying conclusion to the duology - packed with family drama, royal schemes, and plenty of swoony romance. I loved that Katharine McGee included author’s notes at the end - it added the perfect sense of closure to May, Helene, and Alix’s stories and made me want to go digging into their real lives even more. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it absolutely delivered. I’ll read anything Katharine McGee writes - and if you loved her American Royals series, you’ll want this duology on your shelf too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I can say is that I always find this author’s stories to be absolutely entertaining & 100% addictive and this duology was no different! I intentionally didn’t look up any spoilers, these characters are very real in the Victorian era British monarchy landscape, and was wholly taken on a ride of betrayal, love, secrets, heartbreak, and ruin. While everyone’s storylines didn’t pan out as I had hoped as a reader, you can see the future of the country mapped out across the love lives & matches made with these 3 women. It was the shaping of a very different Britain.
While I wasn’t quite as swept away by this series as her previous “American Royals”, I did thoroughly enjoy it and would be something I come back to again!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Queen’s Match, a novel by Katharine McGee, available now!

The second and final part of A Queen’s Duet finds Alix, Helene, and May in the throes of scandal and sabotage. Helene, fraught from being blackmailed by May and Agnes, finds it in herself to fight for Eddy and their undying love. Alix, heartbroken by the Russian non-approval of her engagement to Nicholas, begins to find a home again in Germany, meets a dashing young man, and gets closer to her brother. May—ever the unlikeable—continues her pursuit of the crown to flee from her father and his abuse.

I absolutely love the way these books are written with the three alternating views and its fast pacing—I literally could not put this book down when I started. However, I was thrown. At about 65%, I felt like I kept asking, “How is Katharine going to end this?” Well! Let. Me. Tell. You. Don’t be fooled, as I was. Expect everything and nothing at the same time. Also, my Kindle was almost sacrificed to the technology gods because I was so “thrown” by what happens in the third act. But the story does tie up in a nice bow, and the author’s note explains how accurate it is to what happened historically. I had no idea!

This is definitely a worthwhile read and I will, without a doubt, continue to read anything Katharine McGee writes. From American Royals to actual royals, I am here for all of it!

Thank you so much to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

5 ⭐️ 0 🌶 (it’s YA!)

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this Duology! Great mix of romance, friendship and real life tragedy. May and George’s story felt a little unfinished but I suppose that may have been for the best since it may have stung too much to see a “villain” get her happy ending on page. Kind of thought Agnes would make a reappearance again! But guess I’m not totally sad she didn’t

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it's based on actual historical events, but them switching up cousins all the time is hilarious. I still prefer this author's other series, American Royals, if I was going to do a reread of historical fiction (though that one is definitely heavy on the fiction). I just wasn't rooting for two of the three POVs to find love.

Read by Imogen Wilde. #booksin25

[Sammie Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the first one was better, but this was still a fun read. I cannot believe that so much of this was based on true events! The author did a great job filling in the blanks around historical facts and made a very compelling story that was highly enjoyable to read.

[Eline Beekhuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.75

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful delightful end to a duology. It did take over my mind, which is why I had to wait until I wasn’t super busy to get into it

[Emily DeMeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Quick, enjoyable read.

[Laura Harder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Via Audiobook. Dang May kinda sucks. Also I definitely need to look more into this time because it was very dramatic

[Allison]

Quick and easy first read of the year; cursed with knowing how it ended because #history but still enjoyed the ride!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katharine McGee strikes again!! Loved this series.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a duology following the matchmaking antics of Queen Victoria as she meddles in her grandchildren’s love lives.

This is a fictionalized account of true events, and I found myself googling the characters to see what became of them after the end of the book.

I liked that this book had less girl hate than some of McGee’s other series. I liked seeing Alix and Hélène bond together and even May who came off as a bit of a schemer was redeemed.

Each romance was very sweet and cute, though each character is put through the wringer to get to their final endgame! I can’t believe this was inspired by true events.

Overall I would definitely recommend this duology, especially if you’re interested in the British Monarchy. It was well written and the story was compelling.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the historical drama of this series. The time period is also kind of unique

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the conclusion to A Queen's Game and tells the rest of the story for Helene d'Orleans, May of Teck and Alix of Hesse. Even though I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with who is who and who is chasing after which man, I still really enjoyed this and had to find out what happens in the end. I loved hearing the author's note at the end too. Very helpful with lots of knowledge of this true history. I read/listened to A Queen's Match and thought that Imogen Wilde is the perfect narrator for this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 4 November 2025

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ for a fun YA read