Red, White & Royal Blue

Rom-Com, the craze for Royalty, and gay rights all meet up in one novel when the President’s son meets and falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales. The predictable problems occur when the relationship runs afoul of the President’s re-election campaign and a political rival weaponizes the Daily Mail causing an international incident to say nothing about the effect on a political campaign. A fun, if predictable, read. ( )

I REALLY loved this book! Red, White & Royal Blue was one of my favorite reads last year, and I cannot wait to read the author's next book, One Last Stop. Alex and Henry were amazing characters, and I enjoyed their family dynamics (though they did have completely different experiences and lifestyles). Seeing a female President was the icing on the cake - bonus points for Alex being of mixed heritage and from Texas - and the fully fleshed out secondary characters were the sprinkles lovingly tossed on top. They really came alive in my mind, and most of them were people I wanted to be friends with. Casey McQuiston has written a brilliant, thoughtful story about impossible love and what it means for different people.

If you're looking for your next enemies-to-lovers romance, look no further. Alex and Henry hated each other, despite not always knowing why (so many laugh-out-loud moments). Their animosity at an event landed them in hot (international) water, which resulted in them being forced to play nice and go on outings together. They started off pretending to be friends (old chums from way back), but it quickly turned into something more. Their late night (or early morning depending on the perspective) phone calls melted my heart and made me love them both so much. They really opened up to one another, and I enjoyed seeing them grow together and on their own. There were some obvious roadblocks, but I thought they were handled well and thoughtfully resolved (even if the outcome wasn't always what they wanted).

Everything about this book felt authentic and was so believable I wanted it to be real. I wanted these characters to exist so their story wouldn't end. Sadly, their story did come to end, but I was happy with where the author concluded things. Alex and Henry were left feeling hopeful about their respective futures, and McQuiston made me feel hopeful for ours. She showed us an America that chose to do better. Be better. Red, White & Royal Blue was such a refreshing read. It's definitely one to look for, if it's not already on your list! (★★★★★)

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THIS BOOK. ( )

Red, White & Royal Blue made me happy and sad at the same time. The story is set in an alternate timeline where the US has their first female President and she's running for re-election. The plot itself focuses on Alex, the First Son of the US and Henry, the Prince of freaking England. If that isn't enough to make you want to read the book just based on that, here's some more.

This book was 100% perfect. I had heard a lot of you must read this but sometimes when that happens, the book falls flat for me. Not this time. Alex is attempting to navigate the world as a about to graduate college senior with political aspirations who also happens to have the President for a mom. His closest friends are his sister June and their BFF, Nora who happens to be the granddaughter of the VP. Alex runs into Henry at a wedding and the tabloid photos start an International Relations crisis. Alex and Henry must work together to regain the trust of the public and avoid harming the President's re-election campaign.

During the course of navigating the PR crisis, Alex and Henry realize they have feelings for each other. This opens up an entirely new can of worms as both very much live in the public eye and one wrong step can create a lifetime of rumors and misunderstandings. It also confuses Alex because for his entire life he thought he was straight. As he begins to examine his sexuality and feelings for Henry, he learns who he really is and that opens the door for a bevy of relationships both friendly and romantic.

Watching Alex really begin to discover who he is and that he does actually have friends while trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life and handle a romantic relationships full of firsts was part of what made this book so charming and relatable. The sexual tension between Alex and Henry leapt off the pages and continued throughout the book.

I think the book also explores what loyalty means to people and the lengths to which true friends will go to in order to protect their loved ones. Throw in a lot of witty banter and lovable characters and Red, White & Royal Blue may just be my favorite M/M Romance of the year. Except it's just so much more than a romance. I could gush for hours about the book but instead I'll just say, read it. I don't think you'll be sorry. ( )

The sexual encounter descriptions were a little over the top for me, otherwise a sweet, fairytale story about how love conquers all. The humorous tone made me smile often, and my stomach was in knots waiting for disaster to strike. ( )