Loved it! What an enjoyable story this was. THink teens will enjoy this take on royal and political romance.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Let me be yet another person who gushes about this book. I LOVED it. I will admit to being too sure with it in the beginning, I wasn't sure where things were going, but quickly I was pulled into this charming story and the pages flew by me.

The unfortunate part of this review is that it has been over a month since I read the book, so I can't recall everything I wanted to say about it. I do know that I am already ready to re-read it.

Look, the characters are charming and likeable. They are ones that I could read 1000+ pages about with no qualms. There is fantastic dialogue-- witty, funny, and at times powerful. Even the side characters have personalities that shine through. I would totally read a book about Alex's sister or his best friend, heck even Henry's friend! While at times I feel like the side characters fell way into the background, I don't think it really detracted anything from the story. Still, I could and would read more about them.
I will say that for guys who are so smart, they had moments where I thought "no, duh!" like something would seem obvious, but they just didn't do it...

The romance... so, so, so cute. I just wanted to bask in all it's glory. I wouldn't exactly call this enemies-to-lovers... perhaps rivals-to-lovers??? But, I mean, this is totally a personal take. They are so adorable though. Their conflict 100% made sense and not once did it feel overdone or obligatory. I was with this book every step of the way.

My biggest complaint? This is Casey McQuiston's first book -- meaning there is nothing else by her for me to read!! I'm a fan and eagerly awaiting her future books.

If you like romances with witty dialogue, cute moments, with a dash of politics thrown in then you should really check out this book!

Cute story.

Pros:

-Enemies to lovers
-Banter
-Forbidden romance
-Feel good
-I liked the supporting cast.
-The emails and texts were the real highlight for me.

Cons:

-Not enough clear definition between scenes at times, and I was sometimes caught off guard. This threw off the pace of the story.
-It had more politics than I enjoy reading in my romance.

Overall an enjoyable read.

3.5 Stars

I don't think I can accurately describe how much I loved this book. The review is live on The Young Folks, snippet here:

I’ve started and restarted this review a few times. Since Red, White & Royal Blue is now a New York Times bestseller and has been reviewed everywhere, I’m finding that my words are coming up short each time I try to articulate what this book meant to me and what reading it felt like and why you should stop, drop and roll your way to the bookstore nearest to you to buy it immediately. I guess I can tell you about what the Claremont-Diaz family meant to me. How I wished that they existed so that I could be friends with them, this group of people who are genuinely good and are actively trying to make the world a better place. I could tell you that my heart broke and was then rebuilt within the pages of this book, not only because of the wonderful romance but because of the politics, which are so like and so unlike our own. President Claremont and her opponent might not be exact analogs for the presidential candidates of 2016 but the similarities hit a little too close to home at times. There’s even one moment where someone remarks, “I don’t think this campaign is going to hinge on an email server.”

Full review on THE YOUNG FOLKS, here; https://www.theyoungfolks.com/review/133480/red-white-royal-blue/

Red, White, & Royal Blue is a swoony New Adult romance with great writing. The authors gives wonderful characters with great banter. Henry and Alex are fleshed out characters dealing with real issues. Politics and issues are very timely and relatable. I adored Alex's family and his "squad". I highly recommend. Thanks St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

DNF'ed at about 10%. I simply couldn't take it anymore. The main characters are the most immature people I have ever seen. Are they 10 years old!?!?!?! I wanted to slap every single one of them. At this point I don't care one bit what will or won't happen to any of them.

This book was so cute! <3<3<3

I loved this. It's cute, funny and steamy as f*ck. It put a big smile on my face and I didn't want to put it down.
It's the romance I needed in my life, and I think many more needs it too. I don't even know what to write to properly explain how great it was.

So I'll write this: if you want a great (more than great, words are escaping me) summer read - read this.
If you're looking for a romance - read this.
If you want to have a grin on your face because of snarly conversations and cuteness - read this.
If you like your romances with steam - read this.
The list can go on but you get it? READ THIS!

I absolutely loved this and have been recommending it to both library staff and patrons alike. It's a great rec for Pride Month!

I absolutely loved this story!
I loved how fast paced it read but the romance aspects were a slow burn.
I really liked that the book was based equally around love and discovering who you really are

This book made me so happy! I will be completely honest, I was a little nervous picking up my first M/M romance. I was curious what it would be like and if I'd feel uncomfortable at any point. I was hooked from the first page. Alex's infectious personality jumps off the page which is a fun contrast to Henry who kept me turning pages with the hope of learning more about him. I absolutely love the beginning when they're at odds (love me an enemies to lovers trope!) and was swooning as they became text buddies and eventually more. I found it very interesting how Alex's partner preference realization came to be, it was very refreshing and unlike anything I'd read before. Love, politics, royals, and scandal, I mean, I really couldn't have asked for anything more. This is hands down a 5 star read for me. Dying for a sequel.

5 stars. REP: One narrator is Mexican American and bisexual and the other is gay and it's implied he has anxiety/depression. A prominent side character is also bi and in my headcanon she is aro (Nora). I also got serious bi vibes from another side character (June), but it isn’t canon. I’m crossing all of my fingers that we get a companion book following Nora and June. Other characters are POC, trans, pan, and I have some more headcanons for polyamorous and other aro characters.. CW: panic attacks, depression spirals, loss of a parent, homophobia from strangers and family, "but her emails", constant threat of being outed and that having repercussions because people suck. This story really is adorable. It is also definitely not YA; these characters are all in their twenties and dealing with related issues (college, careers, etc.). For anyone wondering about the level of steam, I'd say it's mature but not explicit (based on Archive of our Own’s rating system). The fear and need to stay closeted were a little rough for me, and there were times I sort of wanted to bop Henry or Alex on the head, but I highly recommend this to folks looking for a romantic dramedy.

As a small side note, I originally wrote this review based on my first reading of an ARC I received at ALA. Since then I’ve purchased the audiobook and I’ve already listened to it twice, and I’ve increased my rating from four to five stars.

It feels as though the whole book world is talking about this book right now, so naturally I needed to find out what was so special about it. The idea of a first son and a prince falling in love is something new for me but a story that feels like it should have existed already, especially considering how many of us are enticed by forbidden love stories and the high amount of straight royal romances that surround us.
So this book needed to be published and the reason why it is popular is because it is very exciting. It does read like fan-fiction, in the sense that the 3rd person narrator seems to want us to remember that this is a fantasy, a wish-fulfilment, but that it’s a realistic one that could, potentially, happen… someday. It’s quite entertaining, as are the majority of stories that feature love-hate relationships and I was rooting for Alex and Henry to have a happily-ever-after the whole time.
One thing you need to know though is that politics are important to this story, since Alex is the First Son and his mother, the president, is running for re-election. This situation creates more problems for him, of course, since his family cannot afford a scandal. Yet a scandal will be pending if First Son Alex and Prince Henry continue with their very, very forbidden relationship. *evil smile*
I liked it a lot. The fan-fiction vibe is what keeps me from giving it five stars—perhaps a 1st person POV would have worked better—but as mentioned I am happy this story exists and I’m curious about this author’s future release. Now I’m thinking a lesbian forbidden romance between two princesses would be delightful. Don’t you think?

This book was So Good. Definitely one of my top 5 for 2019 so far! Everything from the plot, to the characters, to the writing and dialogue....just fantastic! I haven’t highlighted so much in a book ever before.

First Son Alex and heir to the throne Prince Henry embark on a fake (at first) friendship that quickly becomes real, and more than either of them ever expected. But when they start to develop true feelings for each other, they have to figure out what it means for not only themselves, but for their countries as well. A relationship between the two will undoubtedly have far reaching consequences, and they have to decide what’s more important, protecting their families or doing what’s right for them.

This book dealt with some big issues in a delightful, open, honest, and humorous way. I loved Alex’s voice so so much - the way he handled and worked through everything was so heartfelt and open. He always stayed true to self, and was willing to accept who he realized he really was with such ease, no regrets or second thoughts.

And Henry - How my heart went out to Henry! All he wanted was love, and it was the one thing he thought he could never have. Such a romantic!

Almost all my favorite tropes were represented in this book (enemies to lovers, fake friendship leading to real feelings, fake relationships leading to jealousy) - it’s all there!

Though some of this may sound spoiler-y, it’s really the journey with this book, and not necessarily the end result, that you will treasure about this book. The description itself pretty much gives you all you need to know, but it’s the journey - how these characters get from A to B is really the heart of this story.

Expect a great story. Expect beautiful character development. Expect romance (a steamy one!). Eclectic all The Feels. But mostly, expect to absolutely fall in love with this story and these characters. What an absolute delight! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free advance review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

Red, White & Royal Blue is probably one of the most hyped books of 2019. I haven't stopped hearing a million rave things about this book since even before it released and rightfully so. I knew I had to listen to everyone because it sounded like they were on to something. Red, White & Royal Blue was certainly the book I was hoping it would be. It was precious, swoony, and delightful in every way. I loved the characters in this book something fierce. Alex is the first female president of the US's daughter. He was a complete riot with his smart-ass, sassy lines. He completely won me over with all the charm he laid on everyone around him. The only person who seems to be immune to his charm is Henry, a member of the royalty in England. This irks Alex to end which leads him to actively disliking Henry. Circumstances lead to them being forced to get close to each other for the sake of a fake friendship in front of the media and all of us romance fans know exactly what that means. :) Henry was the quieter one among the two, but he was definitely as lovely as Alex. He was adorable, funny, and very kind. I loved getting to know him as much as I liked getting to know Alex. The slow-burn friendship that forms between them that eventually turns into more was just my favorite. I completely ate it up and Casey McQuinston was very much heavy-handed with the swoons which you know I was a complete sucker for. The side characters in Red, White & Royal Blue were also phenomenal. They added even more dimension to this already incredible book. I was especially happy to see a fellow stats nerd in Nora, Alex's best friend! Seriously, there is no one remotely unlikable in this cast and they all brought so much joy to me as I was reading this book. Besides the swoony romance and the amazing cast, I also enjoyed all the political aspects of the story. It was done very tastefully. I'm sure you've already heard it from a million other people now, but if you haven't picked up Red, White & Royal Blue, then you mustn't wait anymore. You deserve this swoony goodness in your life too!

I'd really like to give this book 3 1/2 stars ⭐. I liked the first 30% ( 1 ⭐) and I loved the last 30% (2⭐⭐'s)! But the middle 40% could have been told in a fraction of the pages used 1/2 ⭐). I almost bailed. In the end I really enjoyed the book but I'd skim the middle, lol!

Red, White, and Royal Blue ended up being a middle of the road story for me. Everyone I know loved it, but it just didn't turn out to be a book for me. I even tried listening to it and it didn't work. Sadly this one just didn't work.

This book had everything I could have asked for in a contemporary romance: humor, hate to love, funny sidekick characters, a supportive family, steamy scenes, and just a damn good written romance! I was hooked from page one because of the humor that Alex and Prince Henry exhibited! Even the side characters were hilarious! Yeah, it could be a tad bit pushy with the one liners and zingers but it was perfect for me.

I really enjoyed reading the development of Alex/Henry’s relationship. It felt super natural to me and despite being cishet, I very much enjoyed how Alex navigated and came to terms with discovering that he was bi. I enjoyed that his family was 100% supportive of him and that his core support team never had a disparaging remark. I know for a lot of coming out stories in fiction people tend to see that and I really enjoyed just how loving and supportive his family were. His mom and her damn slideshow. I was DYING!

I’m not one for politics (in our current climate it gives me super bad anxiety and sends me into a rage), but I did enjoy the political aspects of the book. I’m not sure how realistic it is but I did enjoy what was included. I was never a huge history buff either but I thoroughly enjoyed how big of history nerds Henry and Alex were and how they used quotes for their love emails! MAJOR HEART EYES!

Honestly, I could blabber on and on about how amazingly well done this book was, how much I enjoyed it, and how badly I think everyone should go pick this up! Just know that the hype is definitely real and genuine and you will not regret checking this wonderful story out!

This was a charming romance for any reader. It perfectly captures modern dating, and is full of humor, fun, and heartwarming feels. I loved it!

America's first son Alex, in an alternate America where 2016 saw the country elect its first female president, can't stand royal son Henry. This is a romance novel; we know the enemies are going to fall for each other and find a happy ending. This is also so much more than a romance novel. It's an engrossing tale of infuriation, turned infatuation, turned love. It's told by a great kid with a great future in politics and a great circle of friends, and a strong sense of right and wrong.

It's impossible not to like Alex. Or his family. Or his royal nemesis. But the book's themes, of inclusion and justice, while never treated didactically, elevate this to an instant classic. There's fan art out there already. This is the book America needs right now. Choose kindness. Be true to yourself. Take that chance. This feel-good story will give you hope for our world. It brought me to (happy) tears more than once. I have been hand-selling it left and right and in my small library, at least three of our staff have read it (some multiple times). It is quite nearly a perfect book, definitely of this moment in time, but already timeless.

Overall, I found this book to be a fairly cute read. It started out promising, and I absolutely loved the premise and thought it was very original and refreshing. However, my hang-ups came later on. On the plus side, I think we had pretty well-developed side characters, a fun story, cute interactions between the two leads, and I loved that Alex had a unique voice.
However, I found it very unrealistic that the main characters kept rushing off to the other's countries on such short notice. You're telling me that the First Son of the United States can simply go online and buy a plane ticket and rush over to visit his boyfriend at Buckingham Palace whenever he feels the need? WITHOUT notifying security? Hmmm. Hard pass.
The second thing that I was hung up on was the politics. Yes, I get that it is a fictional world and all of that, and I also understand that most authors/actors/artists have political leanings differing from my own, but I got annoyed with the conservative-bashing. I don't mind a little, but it was a little too much for me. The more I think about it, the more this was a 3.5 star book.