Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston

* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller *
* GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 *
* BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR* for VOGUE, NPR, VANITY FAIR, and more! *

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius--his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic.

I took this with me wherever I went and stole every second I had to read! Absorbing, hilarious, tender, sexy--this book had everything I crave. I'm jealous of all the readers out there who still get to experience Red, White & Royal Blue for the first time! - Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners

Red, White & Royal Blue is outrageously fun. It is romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling. I loved every second. - Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six

Reviewed by Leigha on

5 of 5 stars

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Two boys from political families across the pond fall in love in this amazing new adult romance novel.

I needed to read this book. Hell, I think many people in America need to read this book. It inspired in me such…HOPE. Hope that people can come together to embrace each other. Hope that people choose love over hate. Hope that stigmas can be broken down by individuals as well as society. Just utter, amazing, inspiring hope. I bet you couldn’t tell I loved this book.

Alex Claremont-Diaz is utterly charming as the narrator. The self-discovery of his sexuality along with his slowly developing feelings for Prince Henry pulled me right into the story. He’s passionate, driven, and completely unapologetic about who he is and who he loves. Just…*dreamy sigh*. Not to be outdone, Prince Henry shines as the reserved, yet romantic, love interest to Alex. Their romance was given plenty of room to develop from enemies to friends to lovers. They're not just given the time to grow emotionally, but sexually too. This is a sensual romance with multiple sex scenes, although I wouldn’t consider it explicit sexual content. If you’re interested in a more chaste story, then this novel is not for you.

The secondary characters are just as complex and dynamic as Alex and Henry. I loved Alex’s relationship with his sister, June, and his best friend, Nora. Might we see a sequel novel on June and Nora? I wouldn’t be supersized, although Pez would be sad to be left out...or will he be? 😉 His mother, and her subsequent PowerPoint addiction, was hilarious too. Bea, Pez, Zahara, Shaan…I can’t wait for everyone to meet these zany, unique characters. On top of the phenomenal characterization and satisfying romance, it shed light into political espionage, societal norms, and popular culture. All of these various elements wove together to make a fun, satisfying, and heartwarming read.

There were moments when I laughed, moments when I cried, moments when I cheered, moments when I could barely breath, moments when I hoped it would never end, and the moment when I turned the last page to say goodbye. I can’t wait for it to come out next summer so I can fan girl with everyone. Do not walk, run to your nearest bookstore to buy it when it arrives.

tl;dr An emotionally and sexually satisfying novel about two men learning about love and each other in this phenomenal new adult romance.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 November, 2018: Finished reading
  • 14 November, 2018: Reviewed