I wish I were an epic reviewer that was great at pasting quotes in my review, but alas I am not. Alex is the first son of the first female president (elected in 2016) and as his mom closes in on her reelection there is an incident with Prince Henry, the youngest prince of England. The handlers of both collude to portray a friendship between the two.

Here is what this book does to you though. It sucks you into this beautiful bubble of a love story occurring. Alex is so blissfully clueless in the beginning but you love him for it rather than feel frustrated. The characters of June, Nora, Bea, and various staff members enhance the richness of the story.

You will laugh and swoon and wish you were in their group of six. The Star Wars references were perfect. The emails and text messages leant so much to the story.

I love this as much as I love Eleanor and Park.

What a fun read! As someone who is all day, everyday reading political news on Twitter, this story comes as a nice alternative past, present and future that leads to a lot of wishful thinking from me. There are so many great characters in this story, that I want to know more about everyone. The romance between the boys is sweet and sassy and swoonworthy. I will be singing the praises of this one pretty widely.

An amazing debut novel full of sweetness, sassiness, humor, and love. I can't wait for Casey McQuiston's next novel.

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review

Every now and again, a book comes along that just blows me away.

Red, White and Royal Blue was one of those. I just adored every single thing about it.

A sweet, fun, wonderful enemies-to-lovers story that enraptured me from the first word to the last.

Alex and Henry have gone from "ugh, why are you here" to "sigh, I wish you were here" and I loved every single up and down of their relationship. I laughed, I cried, and I loved with them.

There are fantastic secondary characters that I would love to see more of in the future.

The last 20% of this book was ah-freaking-mazing, and I found myself having to hold myself back from skipping ahead to find out what would happen to our lovelies.

One of my favourite books of 2019.

Alex, the first son of the United States, and Henry, the prince of England, are rivals, and have been ever since they met at the Olympics years earlier. Now they’re reunited at a royal wedding and after a scuffle with a $75,000 wedding cake, Alex and Henry need to cleanup the media mess they’ve made.

Both the White House and royal family want the world to believe that Alex and Henry are best friends, rather than mortal enemies. After a week of joint photo shoots, interviews and outings, Alex realizes that Henry might not be as stuck up and awful as he originally thought and when he departs London, him and Henry exchange numbers.

For months, Alex and Henry text on the daily and Alex looks forward to phone calls with Henry above anything else. And when they see each other in person again, Alex and Henry share an unexpected kiss that makes Alex question everything he ever thought about his own sexuality and the so-called friendship him and Henry share.

Alex and Henry dive into their romance head first, but they are forced to keep their relationship a secret. Henry feels obligated to fit the traditional mold of what it means to be a monarch. And Alex doesn’t want his new relationship to affect his mom’s reelection as president. So we get to see their relationship blossom over a series of romantic emails, texts and secret hotel room (and other crowded spaces) rendezvous.

Unfortunately, this charade can’t be maintained forever, especially if Alex and Henry want to be together longterm. But coming out to their families—and the world—requires a type of bravery only the two of them could ever understand. Risking everything for someone you love can be scary and nerve-wracking, but the reward can be of epic proportions.

Red, White & Royal Blue is Casey McQuiston’s premiere YA romance novel. I wasn’t originally planning to read this book, but after hearing about it nonstop, I decided to give it a shot. The romance between Henry and Alex is as sweet as can be. Their email correspondences made me swoon and I couldn’t get enough of their sexual tension. While the main characters are adults (Alex, 21, Henry, 23), they definitely seemed more like teenagers to me, which made this book’s classification as YA feel appropriate. While I found the plot line to be cute and the banter between Henry and Alex to be witty, I didn’t love this story as much as others have. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this—it just isn’t my new favorite YA romance. I still highly recommend picking this up if you’re looking for something that’ll put a smile on your face—4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin and Casey McQuiston for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow oh wow. I love this book so much.

As a political junkie and romance enthusiast, this book was pretty much made for me. The characters are fully drawn, the dialogue is whip-smart, and the plot employs traditional romance tropes while also being entirely original. It reminds me a lot of why I love THE WEST WING: you know that most of it is utter fantasy, but it's a fantasy you wish so deeply were true that you're willing to emotionally invest in it.

As a middle school educator, I am always on the hunt for books with queer characters to recommend to my students. While unfortunately the sex scenes in this novel are too explicit for my students, I hope the ones who need it will encounter it when they're ready.

I hope as many of you as possible will read this, and I eagerly await the author's next book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced digital copy in exchange for this review.

Based purely on the synopsis alone, I suspected I would love this book and I was not disappointed! It was fun, fanciful and surprisingly heartwarming. I appreciated that the book took the reader through so many ups and downs in the characters lives so that we actually had time to get invested in them. While at times the writing structure was slightly hard to follow with the switching between third person narration and excerpts of text messages, emails, speeches, and news articles, I don't think it was detrimental to the story as a whole. I especially really loved reading the emails. The focus on diversity throughout the book in all aspects was so welcome and needed in this day and age. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will definitely be recommending it to others!

Alex Claremont-Diaz, First Son of the United States, and rising star in the Democratic Party is living the dream with his mom in the White House and his dad in the Senate. With his sister, June, and their best friend, Nora, almost nothing can get in the way of this power trio. But when Alex runs in to his rival, Henry, Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, the two practically start an international incident that could affect both countries. They are suddenly shoved together in a damage-control campaign and they realize they have more in common then they thought. Soon a romance and friendship begins which could cause an even bigger scandal than either country wants.

I loved this book. It’s so sweet and so romantic. I thought it was a ton of fun and the perfect escape I needed over these past few months. This gay YA is giving me “Roman Holiday” vibes and “West Wing” feels mixed with a Freddie Prinze Jr. movie. I really thought the novel excelled in exploring themes of identity and disclosure. Taking two people who are highly visible in the world and having them deal with not only publicly scrutinized relationships but coming out was really interesting. The only way this could possibly be better was if it was a musical. (Dear Universe, please make this into a musical.) I loved the balance of American politics with British tradition. This is the antidote to anything in the news that makes me want to cry. If you’re looking for a really fun, sweet romance, check this out when it’s released in May.

This book is a goddamn gem. It is breath of fresh air and incredibly romantic and a welcome escape from our current political climate. Although a romance is at the center of the story, this book is so much more than this. It's about discovering your sexuality, politics, acceptance, social norms, and much more. The side characters are some of the best I've ever read, and this book ended up being quite therapeutic for me. A female, democratic POTUS from Texas with biracial children? Yes, please! Although it is only April, I'm calling it: this is going to be my favorite book of 2019! I just cannot stop thinking about it!

Definitely one of me favorite read of the year ! It felt like I was 14 and I reading a fanfiction because I've loved the characters so much and I was rooting for them from the beggining. It's a book full of love that I'm gonna be reading every time I feel down. It had all of my favorite tropes, it was so diverse and respectful. And I now need a sequel about Alex's sister !

Red, White, and Royal Blue

A great read! I nearly stopped reading this book in the middle, but as you might imagine from my four-star rating, I am glad that I pushed through. Right around 41%, I started to get bored. The funny lines were still funny, the plot and the details still interesting enough, and I still mostly liked the characters. However, the plot trajectory stagnated at that point and without that to distract me, Alex's cluelessness about himself and his lack of insight about his impact on other people became more obvious and more annoying. I started to grow impatient with his lack of personal growth.

Then, all of a sudden, both the action and Alex's personal growth picked up. Alex began to display far more insight and maturity than I would have predicted, and Henry became a more fully-rounded character instead of a cardboard cutout. Their e-mails and the quotations they each added at the end of their messages were wonderful: so poignant, so romantic. By the end, I was quite enamored with both Alex and Henry and the book came to a sweet, dramatic, and very satisfying close. It wasn't as though the second half didn't follow naturally from the first half. It did. The first half was quite engaging and set up the rest of the book very well. It was just that the second half of the book was significantly better than the first.

Other things I liked:
• That both Henry and Alex seemed to act their ages – she did an excellent job of nailing the infuriating combination of cluelessness, insight, impulsivity, and maturity that (in my experience) absolutely characterizes men in this age group.
• How the author interwove history and current context into the plot. Sometimes when authors do this — especially when it comes to politics — they overdo it to the point that I start skimming. [You know it's excessive when a history buff like me starts skimming the history!]. This author did an excellent job of including just enough to frame the plot and keep my interest, but not too much.
• The number of smart women!
• The number of smart women who were not stereotypes — they seemed real and well-rounded in ways that are sorely lacking in many romance novels.

I do think this is one book I think could have benefited from a dual point of view. I feel like I got to know Alex a lot better than I did Henry, which was especially frustrating during the first half. That made me extra grateful for the insights gained about Henry during Alex's and Henry's arguments and during their extensive e-mail exchange. Ultimately, that helped to make the second half of the book so satisfying. However, it would've been nice to have more of a balance throughout the entire book.

All in all, I highly recommend this book.

<i>‘This is all a very not-straight way to react to seeing your male frenemy kissing someone else in a magazine.’</i>

There is going to be so much hype for <b>Red, White & Royal Blue</b>, and I’m going to be here for it. I just experienced falling in love. I didn’t realise I was a little broken until this book put me back together. <b>Intelligence</b> meets <b>romance</b>, a perfect match.

This book like an onion, its deep layers making my eyes burn and my tears flow. The writing <b>wrecked</b> me, I felt it in my heart and in my gut like a punch. Casey I’m watching you. This was certainly a rom-com, hilarious!!

<i>''Can you move over, Your highness'. Alex whispers, shoving his shoulder against Henry's. 'I'd rather not be the little spoon.''</i>

I’m a gigantic fan of enemies to lovers as it usually comes with a slow-burn. I’ll be honest that I would have loved for the hate/tension to last a tad longer but, I have no problem with how this book was executed.

<i>‘’Hes a looker, huh?’ Alex pulls a face. ‘Yeah, I mean, if you’re into like, fairy-tale princes.’’</i>

Alex, the First Son and Henry, the Prince of England. Can you even imagine, it’s bloody complicated. Their banter was off the charts. Their chemistry was raw and un-leashed but the scenes between them were tasteful, sharing just the right amount. These two literally made me put my kindle down and smash my face into my pillow and squeal at how adorable they were. It was <b>romantic</b>, soft moments, wild moments, so much appreciation of one another.

<i>'I do hope you will excuse my language and my utter lack of restraint: You are so fucking beautiful.'</i>

The supporting characters each had their role to play and they absolutely <i>made</i> it. I am awarding them my favourite cast in a romance, ever. They absolutely killed me, I laughed so hard. They were so damn supportive, I lost my breath.

<i>‘You have so much in you, its almost impossible to match. But he’s your match, dumbass.’</i>

A little criticism (that won’t affect my rating) is that I found something a bit off about the narration. The use of Alex’s name at times didn’t feel natural to the paragraph and flow.

(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
* Quotes found in this review are from an ARC and are subject to change before publication

This is one of my favorite romances. Not just of this year, but like ever. It's not a secret that I love romances, and Casey McQuiston hit the ball out of the park with this one. Henry and Alex's hate to best friends to lovers romance was everything. The angst and passion were there, along with heartfelt friendships, issues of identity, and a wonderful banter. There were times when I was laughing out loud when reading this, and if it wasn't for the fact that I largely read this in public, I would have cried as well. Also, I love having politics in my books, and watching the fictionalized 2020 election shake down was entertaining, and left me excited to vote blue this upcoming presidential election.

Red, White, & Royal Blue is a wonderful romance novel stock full of lively characters and compelling narratives.

I loved this story so much!! Just a fun, lovable plot and truly memorable characters that I adored.

The only other feedback I have is that it ran a little long - I wish it had been maybe 10-25% shorter. But overall, such a lovely book.

I had some issues with this book. First, it's way too long. I started losing interest about halfway through because it was just a mix of Alex and Henry being apart and finding a way to get together - nothing advanced the plot until 70 percent of the way through. Second, they are not "enemies to lovers," they have one contrived enemy scene and quickly become lovers thereafter. I prefer more of a build up. Then, the sex scenes were so sanitized, it was weird. The love story was nice but there was a lot of issues overall.

I literally do not have words for how much I loved this book. This is the book that we, as a nation need to read, and understand there is a different way, a better way, to fight for what we truly want for our society. People need to feel safe, loved, and seen in the United States of America. This story truly showcases that acceptance, in the journey the characters under take in order to find that peace. McQuiston has created a cast of lovable characters, a fast moving plot, and incredible dialogue.

This meet-cute has a fun premise: the President of the United State’s son falls in love with the spare heir of England. That story alone was worth the read, but the author adds political campaign tactics, the issue of mixed race in America, and homophobia in both countries to take this from a good fluffy novel to a great modern read.

Red, White & Royal Blue was utterly delightful. Following First Son Alex and Prince Henry as they are forced to fake a friendship after an incident at the royal wedding makes headlines around the world. But that friendship soon develops benefits and Henry and Alex must try to navigate their burgeoning relationship as the trials and tribulations of being incredibly public figures take their toll.

I have never related to a character as much as I have Alex Claremont-Diaz. He is a treasure. As someone who didn’t realise I was bi until my early twenties, it was wonderful to be able to connect and see myself in a character such as Alex. Alex goes through a journey of understanding himself and his sexuality and little things from his teenage years begin to make sense. This meant the world to me because it was how I experienced it and not everyone always know they’re queer from a young age and it’s great to have that representation on page.

There is such a great cast of supporting characters in this book. June and Nora, Alex’s sister and friend/ex-girlfriend respectively make up the other two points of the Whitehouse trio. Add Bea and Pez and Henry and it was just a delight watching them interact and the relationships unfold. Though the the main focus in on Henry and Alex I did enjoy that the side characters were fleshed out and able to stand on their own, and they weren’t pushed to the side once Henry and Alex were involved.

The was a strong focus on the political side of things in Red, White & Royal Blue. The Claremont reelection campaign is being to kick off and Alex is invested in it. However even as someone who isn’t American I didn’t have any trouble understanding it.

“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.”

This was such an easy read in regards to the the fact that I’d start reading and the next thing I knew I’d read another 30% of the book. It was a cathartic read in someways, being an alternate reality to the last three hellish years in our world and I so wish these characters existed.

Has this been optioned for film yet? Because it should be, I’d love to see it on screen. They’d better include the Great Turkey Calamity if they do. I highly recommend picking up Red, White & Royal Blue once it releases in May. I loved it so so much. It’s beautiful, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I cannot wait to see what McQuiston does next.

This is such a cute story. I really enjoyed the contemporary romance as well as the fun dialogue throughout the book. It follows and male/male romance and I really enjoyed the quick and fun read.

**I received an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**

Wow, wow, wow! This is one of those books I had heard so much about and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I'm SO glad I did! It was amazing.

When things go awry at a royal wedding, Alex Claermont-Diaz and His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales, are forced to pretend to be best friends, when in all actuality, they are anything but. Alex has kept an incident that happened between the two when they were 14 top of mind and he just can't find it in himself to like Henry. Alex is working on graduating from college and then he has high aspirations to go into politics like this parents. Oh yeah, and there is the other little thing Alex needs to focus on, his mother's presidential re-election campaign.

Henry, as you can imagine, comes from a world steeped in tradition and as an heir to the throne, things must be presented just so. The problem is that because of these strict protocols, Henry is forced to push is happiness to the back burner and focus only on what is best for his family.

When Alex and Henry are forced to spend time together after the royal wedding incident, they find that they may actually have more in common than they realize. They begin to talk to one another and learn about one another. They really begin to see one another for who they are as people, not the bickering teens they once had been. The real question is, will spending all this time together result in friendship, or is there a possibility of something more?

I absolutely loved both Henry and Alex as people. They were complex, yet simple in their own right and they both were dealing with a lot of outside forces. They were wonderful together and apart. I also loved the supporting cast of characters. There were so many people involved in this story that made it that much richer from the sister's of the two guys, staffers, Secret Service agents, friends and even the parents themselves.

Casey McQuiston did an absolutely phenomenal job with this book and I would recommended it to anyone in a heartbeat. It had it's emotion, it had it's heartache, but it also had plenty of humor, which lead to a very balanced and amazingly awesome read!