This book was the first I read with a male/male romance. I loved that the book integrated commonly talked about subjects in society ranging from social issues to politics to LBGTQ+ and even the pop-culture surrounding the royal family, but also allowed the reader to journey through the romance between First Son Alex and Prince Henry.

Such a sweet, funny heartwarming story! The perfect beach read for rom-com lovers. A great read for fans of "The Royal We".

This book is 100 percent adorable. It's well written and the story flows well. I loved all of the characters, even the peripheral ones! I highly recommend this book to anyone who was unhappy with this last election and who have kind of experienced the horror of living as a post Trump American! I look forward to reading more by this author and would welcome a sequel to this book!

The present tense didnt work for me and neither did forced outing as a plot point. I hate that because it removes a characters agency and it overally just did not work for me

Love love loved this book! The writing was great, the romance was fantastic, the hate-to-love plot gets me every time.

Thank you for allowing me to read this even though I am a german bookseller.
It was really good book. I had fun reading it, I loved the quaracters and I was really pleasantly surprised that there weren't many cliches in it. The characters were well thought out and acted comprehensibly.
I have already ordered it for our store and I look forward to recommending it to our english speaking customers.

Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

I loved this book! I could not put it down-and cannot stop telling people about it! I was hooked by the premise and the intrigue of the plot. I found my self laughing out loud at the dialogue and twists. I could not stop smiling at this story. I will be reading it again and again. Somebody tell Casey McQuiston we need a sequel asap!!

Stevie‘s review of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Contemporary Gay and Bisexual Romance published by St. Martin’s Griffin 14 May 19

One of the tropes I only read when there’s some kind of new twist on it is that of the royal meets commoner romance. Even then, I can be very fussy when an author messes up on research or chooses to ignore how things work in the real world without giving a good explanation. Having read the blurb, I was expecting to get the story of a romance between the heir to the British crown and the son of the President of the USA. In actuality what I got was something subtly different. Although Henry is referred to throughout the book as the Prince of Wales, he is the second son – youngest of three children – of the (female) heir to the throne. It took me a while to figure that one out, since we don’t pick up all the details of Henry’s family life straight away, but once I understood the wrongness, it bugged me throughout what might otherwise have been a fun story.


For those who need the full explanation, the title Prince of Wales is granted by the reigning monarch to their eldest living son and heir apparent. The latter part is the most important. Since Henry in this story is both a second son and third or fourth in line to the throne (after his mother, his brother and – if the laws of succession of the story have been modernised in line with our recent update – his sister). So Henry can’t be Prince of Wales, and is unlikely to have taken Wales as his surname, as that’s a recent styling used by the descendants of our current Prince, and the late Princess, of Wales. He may or may not have a courtesy title – Prince or Duke of wherever – not all our current Queen’s grandchildren do for a start. But I just wish authors would pay more attention to the titles they confer on their characters. Rant over, let’s get back to the review…

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the first female President of the US, whose parents both rose from working class and – in his father’s case – immigrant families to carve successful political careers. Although Alex’s parents are divorced, they have remained good friends, and Alex shares a close relationship with both of them and with his older sister – as well as with the granddaughter of the Vice-President. All three youngsters are closely followed by the media, and Alex especially has a habit of getting into awkward situations. He also has a bit of a love-hate obsession with Prince Henry, dating back to before his mother’s election to the Oval Office. When the Presidential party attends the wedding of Henry’s older brother, Alex manages to create a highly newsworthy diplomatic incident by scrapping publicly with Henry and destroying the wedding cake. Something has to be done to smooth things over…

… and that something is to create a fictional friendship between the two lads, making the whole incident appear to be a student jape and offering the press lots of chances to follow the pair as they make repeat visits to each other’s countries and attend important functions. The two become friends for real and then begin to fall for each other. Henry is gay and closeted on the orders of his grandmother, while Alex has never really considered that he might be bisexual, but once he starts thinking about it, it all becomes obvious.

I liked the way the story developed, although I’m a little unsure whether it would really be that shocking for a royal – and a relatively minor one at that – to be out as gay in this day and age, and I loved that there were interesting explanations for some of the facts about Henry that Alex finds boring when he first reads them in preparation for their publicity opportunities. This was a really tricky book to give a grade to. On the one hand, I loved the basic idea of the story, and a lot of the ways in which it developed. On the other hand, I hated the sloppy research that book’s editors, if not its author, should have picked up on. I may give her another chance: this was a debut novel after all.

Grade: C

Really enjoyed this thoroughly engaging and humorous book. Perfect for a rainy afternoon, tore through this read in no time at all. Very enjoyable, would highly recommend.

*4.5 Stars
There's something just so fun and attracting about this book. First off, the cover is adorable and that pink is a great color.
I have to be honest; I'm not the biggest fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope (more of a friends-to-lovers guy myself), but this showed me that it can be done well and done in a way that I can root for and fawn over.
These characters are smart and witty and funny, and the romance at the center is so layered and fun and twisty without being annoyingly complex.
The half-star is mostly because I wanted to see more of the side characters, notably the VP's daughter (Norah?) because I enjoyed her and June, and even Henry's friend, but I wish they were incorporated a bit more, especially through the middle and end.
However, I loved this book and will most likely read it again.

lgbtq rep: bisexual and gay main characters in m/m relationship as well as a gay side character

First of all, I absoluty loved Alex and Henry!! They're such an adorable couple and I truly enjoyed reading about their romance. My only dislikes were the book is too long and a bit heavy on politics! I wanted more romance!! Overall, I liked the book, due to its diversity, social awareness. and an ending that leaves everyone feeling good.! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’m so happy netgalley sent me Red, White, and Royal Blue for review, but I’m still bummed this version didn’t have the adorable cover! I LOVED Red, White, and Royal Blue and I’m glad I was able to read it during Pride Month! This was honestly one of my favorite romance reads period. The relationship felt really organic and had some of my favorite tropes, including enemies to lovers 🔥 This book was super steamy but also really sweet and I found myself legit grinning while reading it. 100% recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #bookstagram #redwhiteandroyalblue #netgalley

I had this book on my kindle for a while, but I was reluctant to start it because I feared it would consume me. And I was right. Alex and Henry! I LOVED IT ALL! This is ranking high on the best books of the year for me. It’s hilarious. It’s swoony. It’s edge-of-your-seat. But most of all it’s love and hope and goodness and a beautiful HEA. Seriously. Read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! 

Red, White, & Royal Blue was such a fun YA summer romance novel as McQuiston crafts a beautiful love story between the son of the U.S. President and the the Prince of Wales. This is a sweet coming-of-age story that grapples with sexuality, the perceived image of children of well-known families, and the beauty of our first love.

Alex and Henry start out as rivals, in our story. When tabloids end up securing a photo of them, in a particular moment of rivalry, their handlers must devise a way for them to forge a truce for the media. What begins as a fake friendship evolves into deep attraction for each other.

The thing is, this relationship threatens both of their worlds.

This journey requires bravery and it also requires Alex to address his own sexuality in the process.

I went into this one as a bit of a fairy tale because McQuiston requires us to suspend our own reality about how these two can go to places without being recognized or photographed. Much of these moments don't seem plausible, but you can't help but wish for a world that looks just like that.

The romance and connection between these two characters though seems to outweigh some of the less grounded parts in our story. While many novels tend to fade-to-black with bedroom scenes, this one leaves the light on for you.

Fans of The Royal We and What If It's Us will DEFINITELY love this one!

This review will go live on MomAdvice.com on July 1st! Thank you!

I just finished reading and I’m sitting here an absolute pile of mush realizing I need to somehow take all these thoughts and Feelings™‬ and compose them into like... a coherent review. <i>Red, White & Royal Blue</i> was so much in all the absolute best ways and just... Where do I start? How do I begin to explain how important this book is and what it means to me?

I guess I’ll start with (one of) Alex’s journeys, because it’s the one that inevitably means the most to me. For every bisexual character I get to meet in a book, my heart swells a size or two (but like, in a good way). So much of Alex’s story here resonates with me, and it’s that weird mix of “oh my god, I’m in this picture and I don’t like it” and “oh my god, it me!” It’s that knowing, but denying - but it’s not even a denial so much as acknowledging but then jumping all sorts of mental hurdles to affirm to yourself that “yeah no totally straight!1!!” And like, in retrospect, literally no straight person would spend that much time convincing themselves they’re straight. And looking back it’s so hilariously <i>obvious</i> that you aren’t straight. I cannot thank Casey McQuiston enough for capturing That™‬ delayed bisexual awakening so aptly.

Which, really, provides the perfect reason for me to shift to talking about Alex and Henry, because <i>goddamn</i> I love them so much. They can both have my whole ass heart. It’s theirs. <i>Take it.</i> It wasn’t as slowburn as most of my other favourite bookish romances, but I was 100% okay with this dramatic falling-into-it whirlwind of feelings (but y’know, not talking about those feelings at first).

And the banter! Listen, I need a whole book composed purely of Alex and Henry’s email correspondence. THE QUOTES FROM HISTORICAL FIGURES THEY WOULD START SENDING EACH OTHER AT THE END OF EACH EMAIL? Be still, my fluff-filled heart.

“History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

I need a shirt with this saying. I need pins. I need flags and banners and totes and every piece of merchandise under the sun, all of them plastered with it.

Alex and Henry are the Han and Leia the LGBTQIAP+ community deserves in the year 2019. And can I just say that all the <i>Star Wars</i> (and other fandoms, but SW in particular) references have left me deceased. DECEASED. Dead. No longer amongst the living. We need more SW appreciation in contemporary fiction. I said it.

(“Bit short for a Stormtrooper” has given me...ideas...of a visual, illustrated nature)

I’m so happy that our leading gentlemen got to be surrounded by such a wonderful cast of supporting characters (Nora, I would be honoured to see your good boob). I want to take June and Nora and give them all the hugs and kisses in the world and I could also happily read all the books about each of them. This book was such a wonderful exploration of family, too; the families we are born into and bound to by blood, but also the families we choose...and the families we find. The relationships and friendships we create, and the homes we find in the arms of others.

Can you tell this book has left me unbearably Soft™‬? Because I am the softest I will probably ever be. It made me laugh—like, full on snorts and sharp barks—and it made me cry. Well, more like sob. Uncontrollably. Happy tears. Sad tears. The complete Tear Spectrum. I was clutching my heart and burying my hands in my face and muffling my squeals and honestly it’s been... a while, since I reacted so viscerally to a book from beginning to end.

And I loved every moment of it. Like, I honestly need to acquire a second copy that I can defile with highlighters and post-it notes and annotations in the margins.

And yeah, that’s pretty much it.

A super sweet romance whose characters are entertaining and enjoyable even after they get together. Includes memorable characters, humor, and a dash of sex. Enjoy!

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the President of the United States. When Alex is faced with his rival Prince Henry of Wales and a fight breaks out, damage control is needed for the sake of American/British relations. The plan? Staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him. Soon they find themselves becoming more than just friends and hurtling into a secret relationship that could upend two nations. Everything is put into question. review: I coincidentally started this book during Pride Month & I'm glad I did because it was a great way to kick off the month with a LGBTQ+ story! There was an abundance of plot and character development (the dynamics between the characters is so great!). It was charming and authentic and I thought the author did a great job of evoking the emotions of the reader as she portrays the pressures and the feelings of "coming out." I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book - I laughed out loud, sympathized with the characters (who were so lovable) and find myself smiling ear to ear at the end! This is certainly a breakout romance book & I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️

There isn't much good I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. Was it perfect? No. Did it make me feel good while reading it? YES!
I had a smile on my face throughout most of the book.

Firstly, it is in present tense. Why do I hate that so much? Anyone want to tell me?
While, I don't read much present tense it seems to work best for new adults. Like the story is being told in the here and now as if today is the only day that matters.
It also has some political drama. And not the intriguing type, just run of the mill tedious political drama.
Lastly, for the people who like steam above all else - this one does not have it. Sexy times are implied and not described.

That being said, there was so much I enjoyed about this book that all those negatives (even the biggie narrative tense) fell to the wayside and didn't affect my enjoyment of the story at all. I mean, it ticked so many boxes for me.
Enemies to lovers
Online/text communication (their emails are just all the heart eyes)
Strong friendships
Witty banter

The book also had this general hopefulness that I felt throughout the read. (Anyone who writes about how Texas could swing blue with a hopeful air has my attention.)
I have recommended this to everyone who will listen so I obviously loved it.

This book was everything! It was about the First Son of the United States trying to hide a romance with the prince of England. I enjoyed every part of this book. It had be laughing out loud and crying. I also loved all the other relationships in the book between siblings and friends. Such a relevant and cute book! Would love there to be companion novels about some of the other characters.

Absolutely loved this book. The character development was perfect as well as the hate to love trope. I would totally recommend this book to any of my customers looking for an adorable gay romance between two boys. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from this author.