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!

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.

This story was so important and one that needed to be shared. Loved the humor and the friendships/relationships were some of my favorite. Can't wait for everybody to read this!

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.