This is an extremely lovable book. Boy meets boy, boy hates boy, boy (shock!) realizes his hate is actually rooted in life-changing googly-eyed L-O-V-E! Oh, and the boys are America's First Son (FSOTUS) and the Prince of England. This book is so much more than meets the eye. The action takes place during the end of the first term of the first female U.S. President as she seeks re-election in 2020, so there is definitely some political wish-fulfillment going on that Casey McQuiston has somehow written in a way that made me happy and hopeful rather than shed tears over my Kindle. The side characters are just as developed as the two main (fantastic friendships & sibling relationships explored here...you'll ache to be a part of this friend group!) and overall this book is just a ton of fun. 👑👑👑👑👑 5 crowns for Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW| Red, White, and Royal Blue

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t totally sure when I requested this ARC because I hadn’t read anything other than M/F romance before 👬 and politics is usually not my cup of 🍵But let me just say, I am so glad I stepped out of my tiny square box and tried something new!! Because this is a romance everyone needs to read.
* Henry and Alex felt real to me and their love for each other was supportive and sweet. I’ll take intelligent and real over the alpha male” romance scenario, any day!
*the side characters are people I want to meet in real life. June and Bea
and Nora
*@casey.mcquiston is a master at dialogue. Funny banter, witty comebacks, it all felt authentic and had me laughing 😀
*It’s a great reminder that love is universally beautiful
Only took off one star because the ending was too long

I picked this book thinking it would be a cute, light rom-com. What I got was so much MORE. It was full of likable & quirky characters, funny and relatable pop-culture references, and more than one laugh out loud moments. It was romantic and heart breaking at times. It touched on so many different social issues we are dealing with today, and it did so without being dull or boring. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It was a fantastic surprise and I can’t wait to reread it.

I don't think there's ever been a book that's made me feel as patriotic as Red, White & Royal Blue. We Democrats have had a hard couple of years. I've felt a legitimate sense of fear for the future that I've never felt before. Granted, I only started voting a couple of elections ago...But Red, White & Royal Blue gave me a bit of hope for a future. Let's hope this isn't an alternate future, but one that could really happen. Because I need those tabloid covers in my life.

Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the (female!) president, has hated Prince Henry of England for as long as he can remember. Sure, he used to stare at his picture in tabloids endlessly when he was younger, but that was out of hatred, definitely not a crush thing. Sure, Alex. But due to an unfortunate incident with some cake at a high profile function, Alex and Henry have to play nice. Attend some international relations setups, take a few posed, friendly pictures, and then they can go back to being enemies. Except...it turns out Alex kind of likes Henry. He's easy to talk to, their banter is off the charts, and it's nice to finally have a...friend.

But we also know there's more to it than that. As Alex comes to terms with his sexuality and his feelings for Henry, he also has to deal with the pressure of being the president's son and the public eye on him 24/7. What could go wrong between a biracial, bisexual American political figure and a closeted member of the British Royalty?

This is one of those books that you don't want to put down, but you also don't want to end. The romance was worthy of some self-fanning and breaks to cool down, without being cringe-level explicit. Every character in this book had dimension and made an incredible group that I so want to be part of. It's a pretty amazing feat that in a world that's SO saturated with politics, I still wanted to come home and read a book that dealt with politics in a really personal way. The only way I can describe how this book made me feel is by comparing it to Hamilton. I was lucky enough to go see it, and for one of the few times in my life, felt incredibly patriotic and proud of my country. There's a reason it's so popular. Red, White & Royal Blue made me feel the same way. It's a future I'd love to see. Read this book, I don't have a bad thing to say about it.

This isn't the type of book I would normally request, but I've heard so many people gushing over it.   I requested it from netgalley after hearing what Melanie said about it.  Felicia also loved it, but as of me writing this, her review isn't up on her blog yet.


Alex and Henry are now one of my favorite couples.  I freaking loved them so much.  And I want that friendship group they all ended up having.  How fun was that karaoke bar scene?



I was a bit worried to pick up another political book.  One that really hit home with our current politics.  But I'm so glad I did.  This book made me feel a bit better.  It gave me hope.  It did also remind me of how things ended up though.  This book takes place going into the 2020 election.  In the 2016 election, a woman democrat from Texas was elected.  The book focused on things like lgbtqia+ protections, treating everyone equally, the division in the country, etc.  There were reminders of the real 2016 election though.  The republican/independent going up against the current POTUS is a lot like Donald Trump.  And there is an e-mail server scandal.  But as I mentioned above, this book did give me hope that things will change and we will get better again. 



What really made this book amazing was the characters.   Even the side characters that worked for the family.  I honestly loved almost everyone in this book.  Not only was there a hate to lovers relationship, but there was a great sibling relationship, and true friendship.  The sarcasm and banter in this book was everything.   They were speaking my language and reminded me of the people in my life that I love most.  Even though there were some parent issues, I did end up liking the relationship between them and their children.



The synopsis really does a good job explaining what this book is about.  As Alex and Henry start secretly dating, I fell in love with them as a couple.  Alex was able to get Henry to laugh and relax.  Henry was always there to listen to Alex.  And when they started sending quotes from historic couples to each other?  Total swoon.   Henry is white and part of the royal family.  He's gay.  Alex is half white, half Mexican, and bi sexual.  While Alex fooled around a bit with a guy before, this was the first time he really understood his sexuality and the first time he had sex with a man.  They had a lot of passion, but also very sweet moments.  



As you can probably tell, I gave this 5 stars.  This is not young adult, but new adult.  There are sex scenes (quite a few) and a lot of swearing.  Thank you to the publisher and Netalley for my copy for review.



As for content warnings, I'm not sure what all to mention.  Divorce, lgbtqia issues (lack of acceptance), explanation of white privilege, drug use, a lot of drinking, talk of racism and sexual harassment.  Really, anything that you think of with Donald Trump since the opposition was a lot like him.

This is possibly the cutest thing I've read in a very long time. So swoony and fun. The romance was totally addictive and kept me reading until I was done.

A page turning fun romp into politics and royalty. Reminiscent of The Royal We but wonderfully gay. I could not put it down, rooting for Alex and Henry from start to finish.

Red, White, and Royal Blue definitely lived up to my expectations! This was both a fun read and a heart breaking satire of what could have been. It’s hard to think how different the world would be right now...if only. Which, I have to say is my only critique of this book. Yes, it’s obviously not an exact look into what could have been—but it’s close enough that it hurt at times. It’s hopeful to the point of making what really is hurt all the more.


But on to the book—this was witty, fun, and captivating all at once. Alex and Prince Henry’s relationship feels so genuine and real that you can’t help but root for them hard. However, it’s all the rest of the characters that really bring this book to life. I’m not sure if Bea, Nora, or June is my favorite. But then again, I completely love Henry and Alex too. And I cannot help but love a book with smart and funny Harry Potter references.

Red, White, and Royal Blue is definitely one to grab right away!

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are my own.

**thank you to the publisher for proving an eARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

so it’s been over two weeks since I’ve read this. I have no idea how I write a review for this. I’m still a mess. bare with me.

there is honestly nothing I can say that has not been said about this book (and far more eloquently too). this was my first m/m romance and one of the few contemporaries I have read as a whole. suffice to say: I was destroyed in the best way possible.

mcquiston was able to perfectly depict millennial humor and experiences that was the most relatable piece of writing I have ever read. I have never related more to a character; down to lines I have literally said to my friends almost word for word.

if you know me you know I don’t get emotional, especially not in books. but this is one of the very few that made me BIG cry. first, this was due to the relatability of one of the characters as they reminded me of my own partner. second, the book made my pessimistic ass so HOPEFUL for the future. it was a complete 180 from the 2016 election results and I adored it.

I laughed, cried, and swooned during this book. it was sexy, funny, and hopeful. casey mcquiston is about to take this genre BY STORM and she has become an auto-buy author for me for sure.

go read this book.

I am so happy I had the opportunity to read this book. It needs to be May already so this can be available and I can scream about it to everyone I know. I knew about the hype going into it, but it exceeded my expectations by a long shot. I loved everything about the story and characters. My heart is exploding from all the cuteness.

Red, White & Royal Blue is the book I didn't know I needed. It follows Alex, the first son of the first female President of the United States of America as he helps his mom with her re-election campaign and his flounder at the royal wedding that leads to him being forced to spend time with his quote on quote arch nemesis- Prince Henry of Wales. Red, White, & Royal Blue, the first book by Casey McQuiston, is a rom-com for the ages. It's filled with grand moments that sweep you off your feet and keep you at the edge of your seat through Alex's time of self discovery along with his and Henry's tackling of the geopolitical spheres that surround their relationship. Filled with lively realistic characters, Casey McQuiston creates a fun AU to the world that we live in. She weaves together a fast paced romantic ride through the streets of DC and London while giving the readers a world filled with pop-culture and issues. This book is one hundred percent "Out and Proud". Definitely a must read for anyone who loves rom-coms, the old E! tv show The Royals, or are just fans of today's royals.

This book was a great piece of new adult, LGBTQIA fiction and I found it a delight to read. It has great cast of diverse, interesting characters who are all well developed and well cared for. The plot is told from the perspective of the son of the president of the United States, Alex and his evolving relationship with the prince of England, Henry. Alex has been obsessed with Henry since he was a boy, but some negative interactions have made him have a distaste for the young prince. After an incident at Henry’s brother’s royal wedding creates international furor, both the US and UK governments swing into damage control mode. They make Alex and Henry stage a friendship to quell the ongoing PR nightmare. What ensues is a heartwarming story about how the two men come to understand each other and themselves and learn to stand up for what they believe in. While the book does include quite a few romance cliches, it is in no way derivative. The book is a fun read and escapist literature at its finest. It left me feeling great and optimistic as any great book should. Definitely recommend!

There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe the goodness that is bundled up in this book. Unique? Exciting? Interesting? Challenging? Amazing? Magnificent? Superb? Heartwarming? Heartbreaking? Educational? Eye-opening?

Full of both ahhh and ah-hah moments, this story emitted a sort of sticky substance that made my kindle adhere to my hand until the last page was complete. I haven’t read a book so difficult to put down in quite some time.

The characters had character—another trait not always present in stories I’ve read. They were also young, vibrant, intelligent, respectful of their parents and family, and knew their places in the world. But they fell in love and everything they thought they knew turned topsy-turvy.

The royal family was just that—decidedly royal—and the queen and the crown prince were remarkably stuffy traditionalists. Henry, our second-born prince who falls in love, was conscious of his role in the family and in history. He knew he was gay from an early age and was fearful that his grandmother, the queen, would never accept him as he was and would force a marriage to beget heirs—the royal lineage being of utmost importance. He was right. Her opinion seemed encased in concrete. But his mother, who has stayed in the background most of Henry’s life as she grieved her dynamic and carefree Hollywood actor husband who died when Henry was young, surprised him and became his staunch supporter when he needed her most. His sister, Bea, often referred to as the Powder Princess, due to her previous drug addiction, was his bestie. She rocked. She was an outstanding secondary character and helped Henry stay strong in the face of staunch traditionalism.

Alex was a remarkable young man. The son of a Latino father and Caucasian mother, both of whom were attorneys who knew their career path was politics, Alex grew to adulthood among politicians and idealists. Even when his parents divorced, he maintained his own objective in being elected the youngest member of Congress in history. He was bright, witty, and loving, and from the time he met Henry as a young teen, he hated the Brit with a passion. The only problem was that it wasn’t hate he felt for Henry at all and when the two finally overcame their animosity, the sparks started flying—in a good way.

Their letters and emails were a history lesson wrapped up in sweet love and the heartbreak of being a continent apart. I learned more from Ms. McQuiston’s snippets of letters sent between historical figures and authors and her tours of the White House and the Victoria and Albert Museum and other locations than I ever did sitting in a classroom. And yes, a few facts intrigued me so much I looked them up to learn more—something else none of my teachers ever induced in my lazy, history-hating teen self. It’s very evident the author did a great deal of research for this book and I absolutely appreciated every single snippet.

Catch me in a corner at a cocktail party and I will go on and on and on and…you get the picture. This book is number one on my Best of 2019 list. It is definitely in my top ten of all time. There aren’t enough superlatives to give it justice and even trying to describe the story in a way that captures the emotion in it is beyond me. The simple fact is that if you read this book, you will be giving yourself an incredible treat.

Such a charming and fun book! Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. In this story you have the first son of the United States, who is biracial and also the son of the first female president. Then there is essentially the equivalent of Prince Harry, part of the royal family. The characters start off as rivals; there is a hilarious moment where they are attending the wedding of Prince Phillip (essentially, Prince William) and knock over a 75k wedding cake. Their respective press teams force them to spend time together, get photographed doing charity work, and sing each other's praises on TV to cover up the mess. These two start to realize they have more in common then they thought, and start to keep in touch at their own will, which leads to them falling in love.

Obviously being who these characters are - such a love story does not have it's reprecussions, mind you the President is up for re-election.

This has the enemies to lovers trope which I love. And all the supporting characters were so also sheer perfection and I wish this was the White House is 2016. Overall it was charming and sweet and entertaining. I need more books like this in my life!

Thank you to St Martin's Press | St Martin's Griffin for allowing me to read an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
This novel follows Alex, the son of the U.S. President, and Henry, the Prince of Wales. Alex's mother, Ellen, is up for re-election, and she refuses to let anything stain her reputation. There are photos leaked of Prince Henry, and Alex, at a royal wedding that threatens the American/British relations. Now, Alex and Henry have to stage a fake friendship. That's not the only thing these two young men have to deal with throughout the novel. Alex has to deal with his mom's opponent. Henry has to deal with all of his ghosts. While the reelection starts, Alex finds himself beginning a secret relationship with Henry, and it's not good for the campaign.
I was expecting just a cute, fluffy read. This actually deals with a lot more than that. This handles LGBTQ+ topics, and what the characters mentally go through while being so high up on the social ladder. You find out which characters can be trusted, and which ones are conniving little sneaks.
The writing was not bad. I found it to be very average for a contemporary romance. I did find it quite long for what the story was about, and that's why I dropped it down a star. I thought that some of it was unnecessary.
All of the characters were developed quite well. I did find a lot of them quite annoying, but I'm assuming that there are a few that were supposed to be annoying. I really liked Ellen. She wanted to keep her image clean, but she also supported her son. She was a good fictional momma.
My favorite character was probably Henry. As the story moves along, the reader learns a lot more about how he is handling everything, mentally. At one point he even has a panic attack. For someone to be a Prince, have a secret relationship with the President's son, and still keep it together as best as he can, is very impressive. I really respect him as a character. He always did what he thought should be done. He supported Alex, and it melted my heart. They had a pretty good relationship throughout the book. It got rocky a few times, but they persevered.
There is some steamy parts in this, but I wouldn't say they are intense. I honestly didn't know what to expect while reading a male/male romance. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it. I think McQuiston handled it quite well. Kudos to her.
This novel is worth the read if you are into cute romance novels that have deeper topics woven through them. It's a fast read even though it is 400 pages long. I don't think it's mindblowing, but I did find it very well done. I think McQuiston broke some barriers as far as the type of romance. I guess I can't say much since this is only my third actual romance novel. Please give it a try if you are interested!

A swoon-worthy romance that is bound to make readers blush and root for these sweet (and hilarious) protagonists.

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press in exchange for honest review.

This book is a joy. I laughed and I cried and I cried and I laughed. It’s a vision of a world like ours but maybe just a little bit better, where the two lovers still have a tough road but they can make it.

Set in an AU modern day, where a woman won the 2016 election and is now running again, this is a love story about a First Son who doesn’t realize he is bisexual and a Prince of England who knows all too well that he is gay. They are different from each other and they start out as enemies, but a forced faked friendship turns into something more.

I won’t spoil everything but one of my favorite things is that Alex and Henry write to each other. It was so lovely to read their epistle courtship. They challenge each other and they believe in each other and it was beautiful.

This book was a welcome escape from our political world while still being about politics and politicians and it gave me hope. I think that’s part of the reason I wept through the last quarter of it.

It's basically everything you probably didn't know you wanted.

Red, White & Royal Blue is a m/m romance between the son of the first female president of the United States and the younger prince. See, this book is perfect because they start out absolutely hating each other but then of course circumstances force them together and they have this forbidden romance. It's cute, but not Hallmark levels of cringe. Normally with these types of books, the plot and characters are kind of secondary. It's not really the case here. I'd actually love to see another book in the series about his sister or Nora.

I can not possibly say enough good things about this book. I mean, I even read and loved the "Acknowledgments" section. That is how much I loved this book.

More specifically:

I loved the characters. I particularly loved the main characters, First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry of England, but also loved their siblings and friends. I also adored the racial and gender and sexual identity diversity of the characters.

I loved the enemies-turn-lovers plot. It's a romance trope I can get down with. I was nearly giddy with anticipation waiting for Alex to realize that he loved Henry!

I loved that this book was set in an alternate world, where hope and happiness exist in the political arena. I cried throughout the election results portion of the book. Big, ugly tears. There was a divorced woman president with biracial children in this book, okay? I would like to live in their world, frankly. The author, Casey McQuiston, said he needed to create an "escapist, trauma-soothing, alternate-but realistic reality, and he succeeded.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. I gulped it down in one day. It is that lovely.

Red, White and Royal Blue is one of the most anticipated releases for this year, and with a good reason. It's so fucking good.
Full disclosure, I had to read it twice to be able to write this review. The first time I read it I was so engrossed by the story, that I wasn't paying much attention to the things I usually pay attention to. And so, round two was needed.
McQuiston's writing is great, it flows really well and she has managed to find the perfect tone to tell this story. The entire plot is well paced, and there's not a dull moment at any point in the book. The story is captivating, it's heartwarming and I can't stress enough how much so. Enemies to lovers stories have a special place in my heart, and this book does it so well. The characters are well-developed, the friendships and relationships set between all of them are dynamic and fun to read. Especially the romance between Henry and Alex, which I'm not gonna get started on right now, cause I don't think I'll ever stop.
I loved everything about this book. It made me laugh out loud, and cry, but most of all, it made me spend two separate Friday nights glued to my computer until I finished, cause putting this book down is so incredibly difficult.
I definitely recommend this book. If you love romance stories, you're gonna love this book.