A QUEEN’S MATCH (A QUEEN’S DUET), by Katharine McGee, Random House Books for Young Readers, Nov. 4, 2025, Hardcover, $20.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
The fates of three princesses are tangled in Victorian-era politics and intrigue in A Queen’s Match, the sequel to A Queen’s Game, by Katharine McGee.
Hélène d’Orléans, exiled princess of France, was forced to break off her engagement to Prince Eddy because of a mistake from her past. But she’s determined to win him back, even if it means pretending to court another prince.
Alix of Hesse is desperately in love with Prince Nicholas of Russia and promises to wait for him, no matter how long it takes. But what happens when her grandmother Queen Victoria introduces a new suitor . . . one who makes Alix question her heart?
May of Teck isn’t even looking for love, just a crown—and now, after all her scheming, she might finally have found a way to marry Prince Eddy. So why can’t she stop thinking about his younger brother, George? —Synopsis provided by Random House Books for Young Readers
You may know author Katharine McGee from her American Royals series. In A Queen’s Duet, she pulls her ensemble from real life aristocracy.
The first book, A Queen’s Game introduced readers to Hélène, Alix and May as they navigate the British court and the whims of the indominable Queen Victoria. A Queen’s Match picks up immediately where its predecessor left off.
The story is told from the alternating points of view of Alix (later known as Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Empress of Russia as the consort of Tsar Nicholas II); Hélène (a member of the deposed Orléans royal family of France and, by marriage to the head of a cadet branch of the Italian royal family, the Duchess of Aosta); and May (aka Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India from 1910 to 1936).
Though fictionalized, McGee does draw from true events.
It’s imperative the books be read in order, as there are a lot of moving parts and multiple players. McGee’s writing is strong and each separate voice stands apart. The story moves quickly, and it’s easy to be invested in all three, very different women’s lives.
A Queen’s Match is fast-moving read that offers up romance, scheming and emotion. The series is a great option for gifting for young adults and adult historical fiction fans as well.
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