I loved this book. Both the character were immensely likable. It was set up as enemies to lovers, with Alex absolutely despising Henry in the beginning, and I loved his realization that his obsession wasn’t hate but attraction. I liked how ambitious he was and how he worked hard on his mothers campaign and at school.

I also really liked Henry. There was something so tragic about him. He was lonely and isolated and clearly in love with Henry but trying to hide it. He wanted to do what was best for his country, but he wanted to be true to himself as well. He was in a terrible situation and dealt with his beautiful.

I have to say that this was probably one of the most romantic books I’ve ever read. Some of the events in this were so romantic, I melted into a pile of mush. And I’m not a romantic person. But there are certain things that are guaranteed to melt my heart, and one of those things was prominent in this novel. The way the boys talk and write to each other, the thought they give to their words, the softness… it wasn’t just sweet, it was romance in it’s finest form.

I got this book from NetGalley and I cannot wait for it to come out on May 14 so I can purchase it. The characters are a delight, the plot is strong, and it’s one of the most genuinely romantic romances I’ve read.

This was such a good romance book! First off, the diversity amazing! It made me tear up to imagine a First Family that could look like the Claremont-Diaz family. A biracial family, children of immigrants, and queer to boot! I will say because this is a book about the First Family and their presidential campaign 2020, the book might not be as timeless. But in a way, it was lovely to imagine this alternative version of the 2016 election and resulting years.

The romance between First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and England’s Prince Henry was everything you could want in a romance. It was my favorite enemies-to-lovers trope. Seeing the transformation between “hate” to love made me feel gooey and sweet. I honestly thought they were perfect for each other. Henry’s cautiousness and introspective nature combined with Alex’s frenetic energy and confidence complemented each other so well. You saw how they made each other stronger. Their banter and flirting were adorable and so funny. Ugh, these two!!

My favorite moments were the emails they sent each other. In each email, they sent an excerpt of a historical document between historical figures. Alexander Hamilton sent to John Laurens. Eleanor Roosevelt to Lorena Hicock. Whether or not you believe Alexander Hamilton or any other person included was truly queer is not the point. These excerpts they shared to each other make such an emotional impact because they are in the same situation as queer historical figures – unable to freely express their love. Not only are both men have to deal with being in the public eye, but they also carry the weight of their country on their shoulders. On a personal level, they love their country. Alex has always dreamed to make the nation a better place for marginalized peoples through politics. Henry was raised knowing he may one day lead England. This weighs heavily on both of them. Being able to share what other influential historical figures felt for their loved one as a way to express what they are feeling to each other made me feel all kinds of emotions.

“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.”

Another element of the story I loved so much was the friendship and family love. Alex, June (Alex’s sister), Nora (family friend), Henry, and Bea (Henry’s sister) was a beautiful example of love and acceptance. Their crazy moments of getting drunk, dancing, and letting loose reminds you, despite their influence, are just twenty-somethings trying to create a happy and joyful life for themselves.

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

Overall, this was an excellent romance book and I loved how the whole story was crafted together. Thank you, Casey McQuinston, for giving us this ray of hope and encouragement. I want to say to my queer friends (and to those who are questioning), you get to love who you want with a free and light heart. Take it – whatever it is your heart desires: love, acceptance, found family. You deserve it.

Even though I may have read a New Adult novel before, Red, White & Royal Blue is the first novel I read knowing that it was NA. I was out of my comfort zone and I was not quite sure if I actually really wanted to read this novel or not. I was concerned that I was not going to like it because it was a NA and a romance. If you knew me, I usually steer clear of books that are full romance. Romance is not one of my top genres, but I am fine when there’s some romance in other genres when romance isn’t the main one.

However, Red, White & Royal Blue kept showing up on my feed and each time I saw it, there was this little voice that kept whispering in my ear saying “read me…. read me….” There was just something drawing my attention in. I finally gave in and requested an ARC and I was approved rather quickly. Of course, I began reading immediately, and it was completely worth it at the end.

And O.M.G, this was so GOOOOOD. I just could not get enough it. The transformations between Alex himself and his relationship with Henry was just amazing to watch. Even I am surprised that I am still here after finishing this novel. If I am still here, yelling from the mountaintops, saying how good this book is, you better believe it. There were all these little details that just helped the entire story become its own. All the little details that are used is what makes this story great.

One other thing that I completely obsessed over is the amazing cast. Along with Alex and Prince Henry, there’s June (Alex’s brother), Nora (Alex’s best friend, also bisexual), Bea (Henry’s sister), and Pez (Henry’s super cool, best friend). This cast was so diverse and I couldn’t help but love the support each character had for one another, along with all the jokes that were cracked as well. I found myself wanting to be a part of their group. I do hope they are willing to take me in and make The Super Six into *The Stellar Seven*.

Red, White & Royal Blue is amazing from beginning to end and I am, for once, glad that I was given the chance to read this book. The scenes at the end of the book had me cheering loudly inside my head. If you need a book to cheer for, Red, White & Royal Blue is definitely the book for it.

At the end, Red, White & Royal Blue was more than everything I hoped for. You could even say it was perfect. The story of Alex and Henry is definitely one worth reading and everyone should have the chance to experience. I did and I am glad that I got to experience it myself.

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This review was posted on Keep Reading Forward on 23 March 2019.

Sadly this book wasn’t for Me. I just couldn’t get into it. It was a huge disappointment after I had read the description which made it sound like a good book to make you laugh

"History, huh?"

I've been dying to read a LGBTQA+ romance for ages, but I couldn't find one that interested me. I didn't want to read a bodice-ripper set in Regency England about two buff men trying to hide their love-affair. I wanted something more realistic and easier to relate to. And with "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston, I got just that. Alex and Henry are such sweet little nerds, and though I myself am not LGBTQA+, I can relate to them in other ways, such as their varying insecurities and their other little personality quirks. Their relationship developed very organically, and was such a refreshing take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, contemporary romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Casey McQuiston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and charming new adult book. Henry and Alex seem well developed, with motivations and dreams beyond each other. It's a quick and lighthearted read that will probably suit most tastes

Politics certainly has gotten interesting the last couple of years, hasn't it? At least, that's what you'd almost have to believe, if you saw how many people were talking about it. Like, all the time. And - as it turns out? It's even romantic. Or at least, it could be. You know, if a woman won POTUS in 2016. And if her son then fell for the Prince of England. Because of course he did, right? If nothing else, Red, White & Royal Blue manages to combine that sweet bliss of first true love with a healthy amount of politics - both in and ouf the White House. And it's all sorts of amazing.

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

The opinion
There's this fun part of studying history - which, while I didn't major in it, I did choose all of my electives from - which is called counterfactual history. Also known as: what might have happened. And in many ways, Red, White & Royal Blue shows us exactly that: what might have happened. And that in and of itself would've been interesting, certainly.

But Casey McQuiston does more with it. Much more. She manages to portray the kind of intrigues, plotting - even illegality that goes into running (and, possibly, winning) a campaign. She plays with the way two different countries may see one part of history in vastly different ways. McQuiston gives a podium to the insecurity that even today many people feel in regards to their heritage - the way a heritage that is not "white" (mind the "" because - honestly) is still so often looked down on.

And of course, then there's the romance. There's these two boys who dislike each other quite strongly. There's a slow transition from that, to friendship, to attraction, to that sudden realisation that made everyone in the room (or the lake, but oh well) go "oh". You are shown two people who determine that - this time - they'll be honest. About who they are, about what they think, feel, and want to be. There's history being written, questioned, and made.

And Casey McQuiston does all of that with a grace that I haven't read in a while. The representation - of cultures, sexuality, gender identification - is good. Just from memory, there's a transgender security guard (I think that's her job, at least), there's a gay senator, a gay prince, a non-labeled friend, a bisexual main character, ... . I mean, come on - there's even a cartoon-like-evil-politician-that-unfortunately-is-no-longer-cartoon-like. There's the kind of mother that makes you think "I wish mine was like that" - even if yours is. There's the kind of bond between sibling that makes it clear they will always put each other first. We're given parents that have divorced but try to always do their best by their children...

That probably summarises it best - we're given this book. Not only is the characterisation consistent and do the characters grown in their identity and their sense of self. Not only is there a reflection of the world - in all its variations - as it really is. At the bottom of all that, there's an author that writes with care, respect, and a huge amount of feeling. And she pulled me into those feelings each step of the way.

Rating: 5/5
Look, this book made me laugh, cry, swoon, it gave me butterflies. It made me want to finish it now but also take forever to finish it because - so beautiful. This may just be my favourite read this year, and it's 100% my favourite NA-book I've ever read. In so many ways this book felt like an absolute breath of fresh air - and I cannot recommend you enough to go read it as well.

-Saar

I really loved most of this book. The relationship and humor of Alex and Henry's relationship was everything! I just felt like it dragged in some parts and it was hard for me to want to keep going. Overall a great read!

I thought this was going to be super-trashy YA, and it's not. It's lots of other things, and somewhat difficult to sum up. It veered between somewhat silly and almost embarrassingly intimate. It's written in the third person present tense, but very much in the voice of Alex, the main character, and at times I wondered if it wouldn't have been a little bit better in first person.
Despite some minor flaws, it is a rollicking, positive, escapist good read. Even if the plot was a little far-fetched <spoiler> Why was Nora always with them, including at their father's house. She is the grand-daughter of the vice president. Seemed odd</spoiler> I couldn't put it down, and it was well written enough to paper over any (small) cracks.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press, for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

Meet Alex Cameron-Diaz, the First Son of United States of America, a biracial and bisexual young man in his twenties with a dream of becoming the youngest Congressman in the American politics. Next to him is HRH Prince Henry of Wales, a graduate from University of Oxford and a closeted homosexual young man in his twenties. These two gentleman have one thing in common — they cannot stand each other. Or so they thought until a disastrous wedding forces them to spend time together and the rest is history. No, they really did create history with their love story and Red, White and Royal Blue is the most entertaining history lesson that you will ever attend.

This book started off on all the right notes; first female president of the United States, check! multiracial and cultural family speaking two languages, check! the president is divorced and remarried, check! and the cherry on top, the first son is bisexual, check, check, check! The characters in the story are all strong and independent in their own right, they are funny, intelligent and absorbing. Casey McQuiston has taken her time to build the characters so that each personality is shining through independently.

The writing is overall good but I felt that it lacked consistency in its quality. The email exchanges between Henry and Alex were exceptionally well-written however, there were places in the book where the writing felt more amateurish. I loved the love letters and notes that the boys wrote at the end of their emails. They were endearing and added depth to the novel. There were many hilarious moments in the book, especially when Alex’s mother found about him and made a whole Power Point presentation about sexual experimentation with foreign monarchs.

The romance between Alex and Henry was insightful, mature and tantrum-free. Their exchanges were heartwarming and satisfying and I wish that the author had focussed less on the politics and more on their relationship. Moreover, the book did drag a bit and could have been condescended for a more enjoyable experience. I feel that it is hard for non-British authors to capture the essence of the British in terms of their personality and language however, Casey McQuiston managed to stay true to Henry’s culture, at least linguistically. She did, nevertheless, fail to take into account the fact that the paparazzi is relentless when it comes to the royal family and Henry, being the responsible and cautious person in the book, would not have been so callous in his approach towards them.

I felt that the author has been a tad bit harsh towards the monarchy and the British in this book. Everyone on Alex’s part of the world, as well as his family, were very supportive and accepting but on Henry’s side, the queen and the media have been portrayed as harsh and bigoted. I can understand that the author is trying to write a hopeful and inspirational book but it would have been nice if she had maintained a balance between the ugly and power-hungry politics of both the countries.

All in all, Casey McQuiston’s debut novel will be a treat for the idealistic romantics and I am looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Casey McQuiston and St. Martin's Press for sharing an egalley of this book with me in exchange for an honest review. 

Expected date of publication: 14th May, 2019

This has been one of my favourite reads of 2019, hands-down. I expected a sweet little romance, and while this book delivered that in spades, I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality and strength of the prose, which was so immersive and clear and tight. I cannot say enough about how much I appreciated the politics of this book too--no pun intended. The representations of youth, sexuality, ethnicity, culture, and societal pressures (not to mention an incisive look at the nature of American politics and the British royal family) were spot-on and really thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed. I adored all of the characters and how well drawn they all were, and I went from laughing outrageously to wanting to cry several times while reading. The pacing, descriptions, and plot were all superbly and masterfully done. I will very eagerly be recommending this to friends, colleagues, and library customers as a standout book of 2019, and I very much look forward to reading more of Casey McQuiston in the future. I'd rate it 80 out of 5 stars if I could.

Okay. Okay okay. I was hooked from the description. I started reading this at night before bed and stayed up way later than expected because, well, the semi-meet-cute was just too good to resist. Then I couldn’t put it down so I sneakily read at my desk at work (shh, don’t tell my boss) and had to tamp down my giggling and uncontrollable smiles because it was so sweet and cute. I finished this book in record time given that it’s the longest book I’ve read all year. So should you read it? YES.

Here’s the story: Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the first female president in US history, a senior at Georgetown, an amateur policy wonk, and certified curly-haired hottie, hates Prince Henry. of England. They met years back at the Rio Olympics and had an unsavory, Darcy-and-Jane-at-the-first-ball type encounter. Alex thinks Henry is a boring, royal wet blanket with the “personality of a cabbage.”

Alex and his older sister June have to attend a royal wedding - Henry’s oldest brother is getting married. Skip ahead a bit to the reception, Alex is a little tipsy and starts smack-talking with Henry - a tussle ensues, and the two tumble into the $75,000 royal wedding cake. Headlines follow, and Alex’s mom is pissed - she and her chief of staff demand that Alex travel to London for the weekend to make nice and spend the next few months making Henry his best friend in the entire world. Alex is not happy about this. But it happens. CUTE, RIGHT?

Alex comes to see that Henry isn’t as boring and stuck-up as he once thought - he’s a gorgeous, shy, complex guy who loves Star Wars and Charles Dickens and his beagle, Dave. They exchange numbers and text all the time (witty repartee ensues) and…well, you’re just gonna have to read the rest. It’s worth it. It’s take-a-long-lunch-at-work-to-devour-as-many-chapters-as-you-can worth it.

The writing in this is magnificent. It’s not at all the usual cringey “novelist tries to inhabit the mind of a young person” - it’s convincing and fun and funny. Granted, there are some definite unrealistic points in this book (FSOTUS as a 21-year-old leading policy on his mom’s reelection campaign and giving campaign speeches? Not so sure…) but come on, it’s a romance novel. I suspended my disbelief. The relationships in the book are sweet and wholesome, and there’s just the right amount of conflict to make you committed to the plot. McQuiston also writes a beautiful love story, fully developing both Henry and Alex, showing their growth as young men and their growth together. It’s lovely. Can’t recommend this enough and can’t wait for more from Ms. McQuiston (which, based on her Goodreads page, seems to be equally as exciting)!! Henry and Alex forever, man.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was AWESOME. Seriously, I loved every minute of it. It was light-hearted, but still felt like it had high stakes. It was political, but not so much that it was depressing or overbearing. It was almost fairy-tale-esque romance, but not so much so that it didn't feel deep or true or powerful. It was realistic in ways that, unless you've gone through coming out and hiding love, you just wouldn't understand the depth of the realism.

Set in a world where the hateful didn't win 2016, it's a world of hope, and Alex and Henry are a breath of fresh air. It honestly makes me want a dreamy prince of my own... but to be fair, I've been told I look a lot like Prince Harry, so it might be awkward to marry a doppleganger prince... and he's taken now anyways. *sigh*

I adored this book and highly recommend it. Five stars.

Red, White & Royal Blue is utter perfection, and I can now finally add a rom-com to my favorites shelf. This follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the first female president of the United States. After an international PR disaster between Alex and Prince Henry, his arch-nemesis, at a royal wedding, they are forced to clean up the mess by staging a fake friendship.

This is one of the few romance books where I thought the “snarky” banter was genuinely funny and not overdone. I loved the dynamic between Alex and Henry and watching them grow organically from enemies to friends to lovers. McQuiston doesn’t hold back on the side characters either. Each are multi-faceted with distinct personalities, which just means more characters for readers to fall in love with. Plotwise, I also appreciated that the angst didn’t feel forced for the sake of tension.

Overall, Red, White & Royal Blue is a thoughtfully diverse romance with equal parts fun, angst, and self-discovery that will leave you with feelings of hope by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read an early review copy of Red, White & Royal Blue in exchamge for an honet review. I was so eager to read this because of the romance and have been left with a sense of hope that this could be a possibility. I will always champion books that introduces characters that show us the people that are out there in the world that are not found in alot of books. Henry and Alex are so sweet and real in a trying situation that anyone would be flustered. I cannot wait to read for more from the author.

Hilarious and heartfelt. It makes you cheer for the wins and want to cry during the hard parts. Leaves a genuine feeling that the world can change for the better.

I am usually relatively stingy with awarding the five-star rating to books - for me, five stars means that the book really stood out, and that the story went above and beyond my expectations. For me, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston certainly was that book.

Going into this, I mostly expected an entertaining romance novel, with a lot of tension, as the description of the book reads. However, as I raced through all 432 pages in a little over a day, I found that it was actually so much more. Sure, the romance was fantastic, and the tension, drama, and chemistry between the two characters Alex and Henry was palpable, but there was also so much more that I was not expecting. Firstly, the humour - amazing, I actually laughed out loud several times while reading. Secondly - the characters, both the main charachters, but also all the supporting characters. They all felt very fleshed out and had their own unique personalities, stories, and voices, and they truly enhanced the story. Thirdly, the story in itself - as mentioned, it was so much more than just a romance, the plot with all the political and royal drama actually managed to keep me on my toes throughout the whole book.

To sum up, this novel had everything I enjoy in a great story: amazing characters with great chemistry, a passionate yet sweet romance (the letters between them - istg I almost teared up reading them, SO romantic), an engaging plot, a lot of humour that was extremely well delivered, a story about family relationships that felt both loving and realistic, and last, but not least - a story about hope. Overall, a fantastic book that certainly deserves all the overwhelmingly positive reviews it has already gotten, and I predict it will be one of my favourite books of this year.

"You can hate the heir to the throne all you want, write mean poems about him in your diary, but the minute you see a camera, you act like the sun shines out of his dick, and you make it convincing."

Alex and Henry have a rocky history but as the first son of the United States and a Prince of England, sometimes they have to suck it up and act friendly. So what happens when distrust and distaste turns to white-hot burning lust? Yeah, that's what we find out in Red, White, and Royal Blue. We also get the most brilliant form of political healing from a world in which the President that follows Obama is a Democratic woman with mixed race children and it's...freaking glorious.

"He's just as attracted to Henry's cloudy tempers, the way he comes back from them, and the millions of shades in between."

Neither Alex or Henry have an easy go of things, Alex with his mother's re-election coming up and his own stressors regarding his future. Henry has struggled with knowing he is gay but being told by the Queen and others within the royal family that he's to stop those unnatural urges, marry, and produce children to continue the royal line. I mean, there's shit they're dealing with, guys, and they struggle. There's drinking to forget, depression, hiding away, and pure panic and lack of ability to cope that is so common with this kind of shit. BUT there's also amazing friends and siblings (June, Nora, Pez are the actual best!) that help them along the way.

"You have so much in you, it's almost impossible to match it. But he's your match, dumbass."

One of the most touching parts of this story are the sibling relationships and the relationships between Henry and Alex and their mothers. Both of their moms are dealing with their own shit and both have been a bit more distant than they "should" have been but the way they rally around their children is pretty freaking heartwarming, not gonna lie.

"Take this crown from me, bury me in my ancestral soil. If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him."

This book has legit one of the most hate to love and then freaking blazingly hot steamy relationship, like ever. Don't get me wrong it isn't all sexy times (though they are there and well written) but the passion in these two is palpable. The emails, text messages, and interactions are so freaking precious that I just, can't even. There was a lot of highlighting and laughter in this novel. They're both strong-willed, witty, sarcastic, and so snarky that their conversations (and those with their friends) are straight up hilarious.

"If there's any legacy for me on this bloody earth, I want it to be true, so I can offer you all of me, in whatever way you'll have me, and I can offer you the chance of a life."

The amount of diversity in this novel is pretty great. Alex is White/Mexican and a lot of the side characters seem to be somewhere along the gender and sexuality spectrum shy of "straight" though not specified on the page in exact words. There is a side character who does pop up a bit who is in a f/f relationship though she never identifies her exact sexuality. Still, I have all the feels about these characters and their well-written selves.

"I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose."

As a love story, it's amazing. As political escapism, it's also pretty freaking great but I will say that I think it suffered from a bit of pacing issues. There were times where you were super invested in the relationship between Alex and Henry only be thrown into political re-election campaign chapters. They really took me out of the story a bit and slowed things down for me. However, I still loved this book, enjoyed the heck out of it, but it's probably more a 4.5 for me. Honestly, guys, one of the best NA contemporary hate to love stories I've ever read, or likely ever will.

Trigger warnings for drug use, drug abuse, drinking to excess, outting, depression, grief depiction, racist/homophobic views/statements, and mention of a past attempted sexual assault.

Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: LGBTQIA, romance

Note: I'm reading an ARC so possibly the issues about UK/USA differences will be corrected before publication. As a UK reader things like this are very noticeable.

The first issue that bothered me came very early, UK Prince Henry's brother's wedding cake. We have £ not $ so the cake would be £75,000 not $75,000 ( or whatever the exchange rate equivalent is ). Then there's Alex' comments on the beans on toast breakfast. Well, we do eat that, but in a royal palace the fare would be far wider, they'd be pushing the traditional full English, with maybe kippers, smoked haddock etc and a Continental option. Poor Alex wouldn't have been forced to eat something he so disliked.
Anyway, got that off my chest ;-) now to the book.

I hadn't realised it was a YA/NA and to start with Alex especially felt even younger than his 21, and that irritated me. You can't help liking him though, he's got that irrepressible good nature, except when it comes to Henry...
Of course thrown together as they are, they start to see a different side to each other, and I really enjoyed how they developed a strong friendship before getting into deeper feelings. There's quite a lot of artistic license given in how they manage to meet surreptitiously so often, in reality a Prince is incredibly closely guarded, and I expect its the same for the President's son. Still, fiction :-) and it makes for a fun story.

I'd jumped in after reading the blurb, but when beginning it I really thought this wouldn't be one for me with that shaky, YS feel start. I've read some YA books and enjoyed them, but YA romance isn't really my thing. However once I got to know Alex better and see that despite my first impressions he really wasn't a 21 going on 16 kid, that actually he was more mature I started to enjoy the story.
I don't know whether its a UK/US thing but I've noticed often that characters in the 18-21 age group in US novels tend to be very immature, mentally like a UK 15 – 18 age group, whereas in UK ones at that age they act and are regarded as adults. Maybe its that they are treated that way in UK, and in US adulthood doesn't seem to clock in till about 24 or 25?

I think what I liked best was getting to know the real characters, the people they were behind the front they show in public. I enjoyed the secondary characters too. They played a solid part in the story, backing up Alex and Henry, providing advice and working hard to keep the romance on track. I was surprised ( pleasantly) at how in depth some of the issues were treated, bringing in topically important plots, ones that affect folk in real life. I love that bit of reality in fiction, and it plays an important part in helping to effect change sometimes by raising issues folk may be unaware of.
There was the whole LBGTQIA issue, especially in a very traditional Royal family, the way it can affect voters in the US system, the issues of others making political capital out of others problems, and of course a very topical issue about sexual abuse in the workplace.

Stars: Four, a book that started badly for me but which had a lot more depth and topicality than I expected. And a great romance of course ;-)

Arc via Netgalley and Publishers

I heard about this book last summer and have been dying to read it. This book started really slow for me, it took me almost a week to get to 20%. I was hoping I hadn’t built it up to much in my mind and was determined to keep going. The premise for this story was so good and unlike anything else I had read I wanted to love it. Overall is was a great storyline that could have been excited better but was still a cute read. I think my issues early on were that areas seemed to have rough transitions and the story was building so it would seem as if I missed something. I would then go back and realize they just abruptly changed scenes. Also I feel like the 3rd person approach to the story was distracting for me and ultimately not the best way to tell the story. The political aspect with the re-election campaign really didn’t interest me and seemed to drag a bit.