I am going to start with the disclaimer that I generally don't love romance books. I don't know- call me a stone-cold bitch if you must, but I always find them a bit contrived and stiff. So I always go into them a little on the defense, my hackles raised, a little cringe-y just having it in my hand.

With that said, I liked this book. I will write a list about it because I think that Alex would approve of that.

PROS
1. THE EMAILS?! I mean...those emails were something else. I thought it was also meta-clever to have the emails always end with quotations from famous queer love letters. We learn so much about Alex and Henry through these letters. (view spoiler)
2. The characterizations in general - I thought the two main characters were well drawn out, not static, funny, enough of an arc to make it interesting, their dialogue felt like it could be real.
3. The writing was really good. There were moments that I just stopped and re-read the passages because they were particularly poignant or caught a moment I wanted to relive.

CONS
1. I guess the biggest con for me was all the politics. There was so much going on politically and it often took me out of the narrative. I am a politically-motivated person so I felt myself not liking some of the things the character said/did for political reasons, which undermined the story for me. Had Alex been less politically driven or immersed in politics, it may have been slightly more successful. Had the author focused less time in including clear nods to our current political climate, I would have preferred this as a piece of escapist literature.
2. I guess some of the secondary characters were a little...underdeveloped... like Pez or Nora...but they are minor characters.

Red, White and Royal Blue is the debut story from Casey McQuiston. The story is about the first son of the first woman president, Alex, and the youngest prince of England, Henry. This was a kind of hate to love romance. Alex has an ongoing grudge on the youngest prince of England because of something that happened years ago. Alex is constantly hating on Henry because of this incident. Henry doesnt take the hate laying down, he give it right back. After an altercation during Henry's brother's wedding the two are forced to play nice and pretend to be friends. The unintentional side effect of this forced friendship was them falling for each other.

The romance was super cute, it is most definitely an adult book, its sex scenes are deliciously steamy and fairly graphic. There is also a lot of politics in the book as well. Alex is a biracial first son that also wants to follow in his parents footsteps and get into politics. He finds himself very sexually confused when Henry kisses him on New Years. Alex really liked the kiss and it starts him thinking about the reaction he has had to guys the past. He comes to grips with the fact that he is bisexual. In the political arena its not looked kindly upon to be biracial or bisexual. Henry is, as he puts it, very very gay. Henry is also the youngest prince and it is not okay for the royal family to have these nontraditional feelings. His family makes it very clear that he is expected to marry a woman and have children no matter what his personal feelings.

As you can probably tell this story had lots of layers of drama and the hope to buck the traditions in American and English politics. This book gives you a lot to think about and at the same time an amazing relationship that you are constantly rooting for. I really loved the book. I will admit that there are a few parts i was hoping were longer and others that i was hoping were a little shorter. There is a lot of politics in the story and some of those parts were very long.

Total side note that doesnt really effect the book, but still took a little of my joy away, was her complaining about the 2016 elections in the acknowledgments. I didnt like hearing that she almost didnt write a book simply because the election didnt go the way she wanted.

How do I love this book? Let me count the ways.

Starting out this book, having read the premise, I expected a cute enemies-to-lovers rom-com that would give me some heart flutters and make me smile when I thought back on it. I didn’t expect to find an early contender for a favorite book of the year.

Here is a non-comprehensive list of reasons why you should read this book:

❤️ It is a cute enemies-to-lovers rom-com that gave me heart flutters, though those heart flutters were about a thousand times bigger than I expected and included some genuine heart-clutching and tears of happiness.

💙 It felt like the kind of fanfiction that you stay up until 3am reading and make sure to save on all your devices so you can go back to your favorite parts at any time. For real, every time I picked up this book, I couldn’t force myself to put it down for a long, long time.

❤️ The characters! I could wax poetic about all of these characters for days. All are fully fleshed out and complex, even the side characters.

💙 Alex Claremont-Diaz: the First Son of the United States, cocky, ambitious, seemingly overflowing with confidence and charisma. He’s also SO DUMB. Like, he’s smart, but he’s an idiot. I absolutely love this type of character.

(Sidenote: This was also my first time reading a non-YA book where the main character is younger than me. Alex turns 22 in 2020 and I turn 22 this year. Oof.)
❤️ Prince Henry of Wales: the youngest grandson of the Queen of England. I can’t even start thinking about this boy without crying. He has such a beautiful heart and I was constantly surprised by him and his layers of complexity.

💙 June and Nora, parts two and three of the White House Trio: Alex’s sister and the granddaughter of the VP. Their relationships with Alex were so heartwarming, and their banter made me giggle out loud on multiple occasions.

❤️ Literally every other character in this book. They’re hilarious and fun and make this world feel fully fleshed out. I legit feel like they’re all friends of mine now.

💙 This book looks into the political situations in the US and the UK (though mostly the US) and shows the complex issues and contradictions inherent in these systems, all of which the book handles so well.

❤️ It is a radically hopeful version of reality in which a woman was elected the president in 2016, yet also extremely realistic in the ways that it depicts the divisions and deeply rooted prejudices that exist in this country.

(Sidenote 2: It appears that this universe has a female president but no Hamilton (the musical). Is this the tradeoff we have to make?? A woman as president but no Lin Manuel Miranda???) (Sorry Lin, but I’d take it.)
💙 It questions what kind of legacy we want to leave in this world and how we want history to remember us, discussing about the foundations of homophobia and racism that Western nations are built upon.

❤️ The writing moves from cuttingly witty and laugh out loud funny to achingly beautiful and romantic and I don’t understand how one thing can be both of these so seamlessly.

💙 It depicts grief and loneliness, anxiety and fame, the masks we put on for the public and the people we love, and the dreams that are forbidden to people because of their positions.

❤️ Some other things in this book: romantic emails rivaling the letters between Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens; evil turkeys; group chat shenanigans; art history; queer history; drunk karaoke; and so, so much more.

Here’s something you should know: this book gets very political. For me, that was amazing, because I’m a politics nerd. But I know that isn’t going to be for everyone. It gets into the weeds of political maneuvering, showing some of the ugly side of Washington. It also gave me major horror flashbacks to the 2016 election and flashforwards to the 2020 election, which was stressful, but it all felt so realistic.

“I don’t think this election is gonna hinge on an email server.”
Alex arches a brow. “You sure about that?”

(me: laughing and then crying)

Another thing that you should know going in is that this book is not YA. It’s definitely aimed for an 18+ audience, so be aware!

But truly, I can’t say enough about how much I loved Red, White & Royal Blue. Going in, I couldn’t have imagined that I would at times be blinking back tears, not because something sad happened, but because it moved me so deeply. I had no idea that I would come away so attached to these characters.

As soon as I finished this book and wiped up my tears, I immediately wanted to start it all over again. Even now, about a month since I finished, I still can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve already preordered my physical copy, and it will definitely be a book I return to multiple times. (Depending on how the 2020 election goes, I might just choose to escape back into this universe. 😬)

Alex and Henry became one of my favorite fictional couples almost instantaneously. Their relationship is anything but simple, yet they fight to make it work despite all the obstacles in their way (even when those obstacles are themselves). They’re amazing and inspiring and my heart hurts!!!

Go read this book. Mark your calendar for May 14th and buy it ASAP. This is a book I’m going to be shouting from the rooftops.

*ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. QUOTES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.*
“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that.
History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

(Sidenote 3: I want one of those “History, huh?” t-shirts, please and thanks.)

I simply don't have enough words for this book. This book reached my unspoken political dreams and filled me with hope. For a future where coming out isn't painful, where power works for people, and where love always wins.

The letters Henry and Alex write each other, they made my heart ache. The honesty, the sheer emotion, the uspoken love, it made me cry. And the plot, combined with all the emotion, it made me weep.

Seriously, I'm going to read and reread this book. I can't wait for my own paperback copy to pour over and scream about to the world.

To say I loved this book does not begin to do justice to the amount of feeling I have for it. This is a PHENOMENAL debut novel. PHENOMENAL. Romcom gold. Emotionally nuanced layers of romance that were unexpected. I expected a light romp, a tongue-in-cheek farcical world playing on royals and political elite. What was served was in fact a very relatable cast of characters that came alive as I read.

Typically the world of “New Adult” romance is not something I gravitate toward. Nor is the “Royal” romance trope as a whole. This is book is proof that any trope really can be good if the writing is done well and the take is fresh. The author perfectly captured that coming of age phase of life; what am I doing with my life? What is my future? What do I do when expectations and lifelong assumptions turn out not to be the path I want? In addition, I felt that it was quite clear that the author used this novel to flesh out their personal feelings of the political climate of the States last presidential election and current political environment. For me this did not take away from the story. This portrayed an alternate reality in the not too distant future. That world is still flawed and in no way perfect. I felt that the meshed romantic and political storylines was very well done.

In short this is a romance that will steal your heart right out of your body. Casey McQuiston is a damned poet! The correspondence between the main characters, ready your soul! It’s is SO emotional, seductive, raw... HolyHell. Beautiful.

Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary eARC which I requested for review purposes. All comments/opinions are my own.

This book was a delight to read! The mix between thoughtful plot points around coming out and frothy rom-com moments was good. The letters, with their quotations from famous love letters, were perfect, as they balanced love and politics. Characterization was solid, except for a few two-dimensional villains. Two small quibbles were the freedom the Royal Family had and that the details about the Secret Service suited the plot in parts (as opposed to being strictly accurate), but those really are small objections because they made the plot flow better this way. I look forward to reading more from this author.

‘But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable.’

OMG! We cannot wipe the grin off our faces! This book was exactly what we needed! A delightfully adorable, heartfelt, and uplifting enemies to lovers’ story that made us swoon like crazy. Our hearts are bursting with love for Alex and Henry’s beautiful, funny and meaningful romance that was tinged with moments of pure and deep emotion. So much so, we regularly found ourselves reduced to tears. Wow! The little touches to this story…..sincere, captivating and truly wonderful.

‘But he thinks about Henry, and, oh. He thinks about Henry, and something twists in his chest, like a stretch he’s been avoiding for too long.‘

If you’ve wanted to sample an MM book but have been a bit hesitant, this would be the perfect place to start. Seriously, your heart will thank you because Red, White, & Royal Blue relies heavily on character development, feelings, and sweetness, with the sex being present, but fade to black. And please…someone TURN THIS BOOK INTO A MOVIE!

‘I’ll be damned, but I miss you. x’

Red, White & Royal Blue is set against the backdrop of the US political arena, and the upcoming election in 2020 when the race is on to get the first female president of the United States re-elected. That’s right, re-elected, Ellen Claremont won the 2016 election (oh if only!) and is out to win the good fight to once again run the country.

Alex Claremont Diaz is her 21-year-old son from her former husband, and a man destined to follow in his mothers’ footsteps. A rising political star, politics is in his blood. He’s got the intelligence, the personality, the good looks and an equally good heart needed to really make a difference.

Alex makes up part of the White House trio, with his sister June, and their best friend Nora and what wonderful banter and loyalty there is between these three. They’re a fun-loving trio not averse to getting up to antics and causing a bit of mayhem much to the white house staffs chagrin.

‘Alex pushes them. June steadies them. Nora keeps them honest.’

Alex has one arch nemesis. The very handsome Prince of Wales. He grates on Alex’s every nerve until one day, when forced to make nice with Henry for a PR exercise, he begins to see Henry in a new light, which has him questioning his feelings for the affable Henry, and not just his feelings, but his sexuality. Can he really be attracted to the man he loved to hate? But there are more concerns than Alex’s feelings, anything scandalous could bring his mothers chances of re-election crashing down.

‘I’m the son of the first female president. And I’m not white like she is, can’t even pass for it. People will always come down harder on me.’

Red, White & Royal Blue is a coming of age, self-discovery story with a lot of relevance to the world today, yet it’s not heavy in its content, in fact, it’s the sort of story you seek in order to forget and escape. Delivered in a light-hearted manner, yet never trivialising the enormity of Alex’s and Henry’s feelings and decisions.

“You are,” he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.” Henry’s mouth spreads into a slow smile, and Alex kisses it.

This is the Royal fairy-tale we’ve always dreamed of! The two heartthrobs from two countries, who make us believe anything is possible and who turned our cynical hearts into hopeful ones.

Told in a mesmerising expressive prose, we lived every moment of this story. From the stirring feelings between the sensitive charismatic Prince and the rebel FSOTUS with the movie star, good looks to the utter despair experienced when judgment is passed. The nail-biting finale of the political arena had us glued to our Kindles. Each and every character stole our hearts with their own unique personalities; charming and relatable, every one of them crucial to the story.

‘I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire. ‘

Tears flowed, hearts swooned and giggles erupted in this romantic comedy that’s relevant, thought-provoking that defies belief it is a debut novel! We’re excited to see where Casey McQuiston goes from here because if this is her first offering, the brilliance of this story can only mean fantastic things for readers in the future.

We always purchase every book we review and immediately pre-ordered this book the moment we finished. Whilst it may be in the more expensive category than some, believe us, it’s worth every penny! You can’t put a dollar value on the happiness residing in our hearts. A good book is like a therapy. So don’t think, just 1click now for what we know will be one of our top reads for 2019!

“Take anything you want and know you deserve to have it.”

First Son Alex and Prince Henry of England are considered the heart throbs of the respective nations. However, they discover that they have mutual attraction for each other. To the world, they look like best friends, but they are far more than that. With reputations and diplomatic relations on the line they fight to keep their relationship a secret. It is impossible to express how glorious this book is. The characters are so distinct and strong, the romance despite its unusual nature is realistic, and emotions (both the characters and the reader's) are on a constant roller coaster. I was hooked from page one. Don't pass up on this one!

‘But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable.’

OMG! We cannot wipe the grin off our faces! This book was exactly what we needed! A delightfully adorable, heartfelt, and uplifting enemies to lovers’ story that made us swoon like crazy. Our hearts are bursting with love for Alex and Henry’s beautiful, funny and meaningful romance that was tinged with moments of pure and deep emotion. So much so, we regularly found ourselves reduced to tears. Wow! The little touches to this story…..sincere, captivating and truly wonderful.

‘But he thinks about Henry, and, oh. He thinks about Henry, and something twists in his chest, like a stretch he’s been avoiding for too long.‘

If you’ve wanted to sample an MM book but have been a bit hesitant, this would be the perfect place to start. Seriously, your heart will thank you because Red, White, & Royal Blue relies heavily on character development, feelings, and sweetness, with the sex being present, but fade to black. And please…someone TURN THIS BOOK INTO A MOVIE!

‘I’ll be damned, but I miss you. x’

Red, White & Royal Blue is set against the backdrop of the US political arena, and the upcoming election in 2020 when the race is on to get the first female president of the United States re-elected. That’s right, re-elected, Ellen Claremont won the 2016 election (oh if only!) and is out to win the good fight to once again run the country.

Alex Claremont Diaz is her 21-year-old son from her former husband, and a man destined to follow in his mothers’ footsteps. A rising political star, politics is in his blood. He’s got the intelligence, the personality, the good looks and an equally good heart needed to really make a difference.

Alex makes up part of the White House trio, with his sister June, and their best friend Nora and what wonderful banter and loyalty there is between these three. They’re a fun-loving trio not averse to getting up to antics and causing a bit of mayhem much to the white house staffs chagrin.

‘Alex pushes them. June steadies them. Nora keeps them honest.’

Alex has one arch nemesis. The very handsome Prince of Wales. He grates on Alex’s every nerve until one day, when forced to make nice with Henry for a PR exercise, he begins to see Henry in a new light, which has him questioning his feelings for the affable Henry, and not just his feelings, but his sexuality. Can he really be attracted to the man he loved to hate? But there are more concerns than Alex’s feelings, anything scandalous could bring his mothers chances of re-election crashing down.

‘I’m the son of the first female president. And I’m not white like she is, can’t even pass for it. People will always come down harder on me.’

Red, White & Royal Blue is a coming of age, self-discovery story with a lot of relevance to the world today, yet it’s not heavy in its content, in fact, it’s the sort of story you seek in order to forget and escape. Delivered in a light-hearted manner, yet never trivialising the enormity of Alex’s and Henry’s feelings and decisions.

“You are,” he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.” Henry’s mouth spreads into a slow smile, and Alex kisses it.

This is the Royal fairy-tale we’ve always dreamed of! The two heartthrobs from two countries, who make us believe anything is possible and who turned our cynical hearts into hopeful ones.

Told in a mesmerising expressive prose, we lived every moment of this story. From the stirring feelings between the sensitive charismatic Prince and the rebel FOTUS with the movie star, good looks to the utter despair experienced when judgment is passed. The nail-biting finale of the political arena had us glued to our Kindles. Each and every character stole our hearts with their own unique personalities; charming and relatable, every one of them crucial to the story.

‘I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire. ‘

Tears flowed, hearts swooned and giggles erupted in this romantic comedy that’s relevant, thought-provoking that defies belief it is a debut novel! We’re excited to see where Casey McQuiston goes from here because if this is her first offering, the brilliance of this story can only mean fantastic things for readers in the future.

We always purchase every book we review and immediately pre-ordered this book the moment we finished. Whilst it may be in the more expensive category than some, believe us, it’s worth every penny! You can’t put a dollar value on the happiness residing in our hearts. A good book is like a therapy. So don’t think, just 1click now for what we know will be one of our top reads for 2019!

“Take anything you want and know you deserve to have it.”

A romance between the First Son and the Prince of Wales. Alex is the bisexual, biracial (half white, half Mexican) son of the US president who is also interested in a career in politics. Henry is the gay prince of England who is closeted to most of his family and the world as he feels the pressure of being the perfect royal son and his loyalty to the country. Due to a misunderstanding they've been "enemies" for years now, an incident involving toppling over a wedding cake causes an international scandal and the two have to feign a friendship to cover it up. Their fake friendship turns into a real friendship, which becomes a romantic relationship.

The story may seem lighthearted but there is a lot of depth to the characters. They feel very real and relatable despite their titles. We see the personal struggles they face themselves, the struggles they must face together, and the consequences their choices may have for those around them. We also see behind the scenes and inner workings of a political campaign.

Enemies to friends to lovers is a wonderful trope. The long-distance relationship was adorable, all their emails are swoon-worthy. There were so many lovely characters. The White House trio is a delight. Pez was great to read about as well. I loved that an entire friend group was formed as a result of Alex and Henry's relationship.

I see you BTS reference. I see you and I'm proud.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a fan of the 'enemies to friends to more' trope when it's done well and this was done fantastically well. The characters are so full and genuine, I really enjoyed each one for being their own individual person with flaws as well as strengths. Before going into this, I thought it might not be one for me. FSOTUS and Prince of England getting together just seemed like a storyline that would feel so wildly unrealistic that I'd find myself faced with improbable plotlines throughout. I couldn't have been more wrong! Everything moved at a good pace, it felt realistic, nothing was too easy and there was no 'instalove' to ruin the transition from enemies to more.
I'm pretty sure that this is going to be one of my top 5 reads this year and I can see myself rereading it sometime soon.

<i>*i received an e-galley of this book from st martin's press in exchange for an honest review.</i>

OH MY GOD. OH. MY. GOD. YOU GUYS!!!!!!

this book was... truly something! enemies to lovers is slowly becoming my favorite trope.
SO, the book followed Alexander Claremont-Diaz and his family focusing on his mother's presidential re-election and eventually struggling with his feelings after being forced to become friends with his "archnemesis" Henry, Prince of Wales. (among other things)

this is probably the second book i read where it's not a heterosexual couple and honestly? it was refreshing. i adored alex and henry so so so so much. i honestly loved how there was a FEMALE PRESIDENT *cries*
and all the side characters were wonderful and so supportive of each other it truly warmed my heart. this book was full of love and laughter, it was great.

it hurt my heart that they went through so much to be together what with all their family obligations and all but i am so happy everything worked out in the end. alex and henry deserve the world and so much more :')

my only critique is that the chapters were a bit lengthy and so much was piled on so it was confusing.

(the final chapter? focusing on the re-election? brought back those horrid memories of the 2016 election and the stress)

PS: A BLUE TEXAS? WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT

PLEASE READ THIS BOOK WHEN IT COMES OUT YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!!!!!

This book was sooo-o cute - I laughed so hard. Loved it! Plus, the whole diversity factor upped its appeal with a woman prez and a gay son.

<b>Be still my Queer Heart!!!</b>

I do not even know where to begin when it comes to this book - the brilliance of the writing, the layering of storylines, the diverse set of characters (and not in anyway contrived), and the fact that she features a gay character and bisexual character ... wow!

<b>Things I LOVED:</b>
The Characters - McQuiston does a beautiful job of creating characters which stand on their own. I felt as though I knew each character, as an individual, and not just as accompaniment to the main characters.

The Relationships - Obviously a big one. And I was here for it. <i>ALL</i> of it. McQuiston took what could have been a complete cliche train wreck and worked it into something so realistic. The bond between Alex and Henry is out of this world and has me searching for a 2020 candidate who could have a Bisexual son that might want to date a Gay Royal. Seriously - is anyone in the running?

The Sensitivity - The book dealt with a lot of big topics (coming out, sexuality, race, class, etc.) and did a beautiful job of examining all of these topics in a very real way.

<b>Things I Didn't Love:</b>
The Emails - I totally get the purpose they served within the greater context of the book ... but sometimes it felt like they dragged on. I much preferred Henry/Alex's actual in person dialogue.

<b>Wrap-Up:</b>
I think this will be one of the biggest books of 2019 - and as Casey McQuiston's debut novel I cannot wait to see what else she has in store! It is so exciting to finally see books which our starting to represent our world! I am counting down the days until they announce a sequel ... please let there be a sequel!

<i>ARC provided to me by St. Martin's Press and Net Galley.</i>

Red, White & Royal Blue transports us to the United States we wished we had. See, our main characters is Alex Claremont-Diaz and he is the son of the president of the United States. Yes, his mother was elected in 2016, so our Alex lives in the White House and dreams of politics and so much more. But when his sworn enemy, Henry, taunts him at the Royal wedding on the other side of the Atlantic, he messes up and has to fake a friendship with him. By the way, his sworn enemy, Henry, is one of the Royal princes and he is so irritating with his perfect hair and perfect manners, Alex doesn't know how he's going to manage spending time with him.

More than a romance, this was a story about friendship, family, acceptance, politics... It had a little of everything and that's what made it so incredibly special. I usually have trouble when books have chapters this long, but here nothing could stop me, I flew through it, stayed up most of the night to read and loved it so much. The characters were flawed, layered and just so related somehow, despite being a prince and the first son of the USA. I found the family drama and politics just as interesting as the romance between our two boys and I just can't stress enough how great this book is. I simply loved it and cannot wait to have a physical copy so that I can read it again and again.

This story is absolutely amazing! Everything about Alex and Henry makes me wish this was real. When a conversation between nemeses Alex, the First Son of the US and Henry, the Prince of England, at the Royal wedding goes wrong and ends in destroying the wedding cake, they are forced to show the world they are friends and not enemies. We get to see Alex grow and find himself and watch his relationship with Henry change into something magical.

My only real complaint is with what I assume is some formatting. Some of the time transitions are very difficult to follow. For example, one line they are in the residence at the White House, next line they are on a plane. Had to re-read multiple sections to make sure I didn't miss something. I was constantly going "Wait, what? How did we get here?" I found this got better as the book went on, but there were still a couple closer to the end where I was getting confused.

The text message group threads are also very, very hard to follow. There definitely needs to be different formating there. I am hoping this is just an ARC issue and will be fixed for the release.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a debut novel that was THIS GOOD. I foresee this book being one of my very top favorites of the year, I loved it that much! This is a story about the first son, Alex and the Prince of England, Henry. They aren’t friends, in fact, they hate each other. Enemies to lovers… I’m always here for it! I seriously could not have loved this book more. It was perfection.

Let’s start with Alex. Alex’s mom is the first female president of the United States of America and her 2020 reelection campaign is coming up. Alex is very involved politically, and wants to focus on that as soon as he graduates from college. Alex goes to England with the first family and runs into his nemesis, Henry. There is an… incident in England that isn’t good for either of them.

Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry Windsor have to pretend to be friends. It’s the only way to save face. But soon enough, their friendly meet ups and constant texting turns into a true friendship. Then feelings start to come into play. I love the obsession these two have with each other as enemies, friends, and more. And this quote.. it’s pretty much my favorite of the book.
First, you’ve been, like, Draco Malfoy–level obsessed with Henry for years.

And then… and then… Henry kisses Alex, and everything changes. Henry has always been gay, but being the Prince, he’s never been allowed to be himself. With Alex, he can be. And Alex always thought he was straight, but looking back into his past, he realizes he’s been bisexual for quite some time. He just didn’t realize it. There is definitely a progression of Alex finding himself and coming to terms with who he is and for Henry, deciding how he wants his future to be. He’s torn between need and obligation. It’s not easy for him.

Back to the Alex and Henry love fest… The emails, the texting, any communication between Alex and Henry was exceptional. Alex and Henry together was everything. Their romance was the best. I swooned so hard for these boys.

Alex was by far my favorite character of the book, but Henry was amazing as well. I also loved the secondary characters. The White House Trio and Henry’s bestie and sister. Love love love! Lets just be clear here for a second, there wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this book!

This book was so freaking funny. I can’t count the times I laughed out loud while reading. It was also swoony, sexy, smart, and sweet. I loved it so hard and you will hear me recommending it to any and everyone once it releases! Seriously, this book left me with the biggest smile on my face and the happiest heart. A top favorite of the year for me, Red, White & Royal Blue is a must read!

e-ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

Casey McQuiston's first book and it definitely did not disappoint. I loved the banter between our main heroes Prince Henry and First son Alex. Though at times this story seemed a little slower to me it still held my attention. Without giving much away, I can say we follow these two men go from enemies to lovers to happily ever after. Also, the side characters are to die for and help to make this story what it is.

I will say this is definitely of the New Adult genre. I have seen it being called Young Adult but due to the ages and explicit scenes, I would not recommend this to a younger generation. The sex scenes were not to "in your face" in my opinion, they were beautifully crafted.

Overall, I was blown away by this author and this couple. I hope to maybe get one of the side character's romances.

“Someone else’s choice doesn’t change who you are.”
― Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue

This book is perfect. The relationship develops naturally and believably. All of the characters are fully fleshed out. There are a lot of different things that happen that could have been dramatized, but instead they were dealt with in a straight forward more realistic manner. Some people might want more drama but this is exactly the right book for me. I literally have nothing bad to say about.

RATING: 5/5 STARS

Alex is the twenty-one-year-old son of the first female president of the United States, Ellen Claremont, in a fictional universe (parallel to ours) created by Casey McQuiston. Alex's "archenemy" is Henry, the prince of England. The scale of Henry and Alex's love-hate relationship starts tipping more towards love as Alex and Henry interact more and trade witty insults and quips. Soon, they have to reconcile their secret relationship with the platonic image they're presenting to the public, while a presidential reelection campaign and politicians' scheming carry on in the background.

When I first read the blurb for this book, I thought the premise sounded far-fetched and a little over-the-top. But I'll assure you, these elements really worked in RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging this novel was. The writing was so snappy. Alex's voice had the perfect blend of humor and sass, and while the some of the events that occurred were not the most realistic, they had me laughing out loud and causing people around me to question why I was smiling maniacally at my phone.

The romance in this book was fleshed out remarkably well. Henry and Alex exchange emails, text messages, and phone calls in addition to meeting face-to-face. Their conversations somehow manage to be eloquent, frank, and cute at the same time. There's a bit of mystery surrounding Henry's character--who he actually is apart from the publicized version of him--and it was intriguing to discover more about him as he and Alex become more deeply involved. This book is categorized as new-adult/adult, and in terms of romantic content, I would say it's pretty similar to Sally Thorne's THE HATING GAME or Helen Hoang's THE KISS QUOTIENT. (And I think readers who enjoyed those books will really love this one!)

This novel was not only fun to read, it was also smart, politically savvy, and diverse. Alex is half-Mexican and the supporting characters have different sexualities. The plot (especially the ending) holds a vision of what our country could be - accepting and inclusive, with more kindness and less hatred. I liked that this book had a clear message, but in my opinion it didn't beat you over the head with a polarizing viewpoint. That said, if you don't like reading about politics, maybe this book is not for you.

All other romance readers, I highly recommend this book and suspect it will become a crowd favorite when it comes out! I'm not surprised that it already has so many great reviews. I've heard the author is working on another queer novel, which has already automatically been added to my TBR list.

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Social: Instagram post on @_shelf.awareness to come.