I had high hopes for this book after seeing early rave reviews. Unfortunately it missed the mark for me. I struggled all the way through with this one. It came across as YA for which I often have issues with. The romance and connection between Alex and Henry seemed frantic and cheesy. The political climate also seemed too far fetched and idealistic. I had just finished a coming out memoir so this definitely had an impact on my enjoyment of this book. I appreciate the opportunity to read in advance and think this may be a hit for those that enjoy a unique romance with its fair share of politics,

4.5 Stars!

I absolutely adored this book! It was such a well written romance that developed so naturally and beautifully. This couple was so sweet, and their email exchanges will make you laugh out lough and also swoon!

I loved the characters and really enjoyed the plot as well. I think it was a satisfying ending.

I could definitely see myself rereading this book if I'm in the mood for a cute and fluffy read!

I have a larger and more in depth (but spoiler free) review on my goodreads! Here's the link below!

I received and eARC of Red, White and Royal Blue via NetGalley I exchange for my honest review. After seeing everyone and their siblings absolutely raving about this book, I knew I needed to read it asap. I’m glad that I did because this book was funny and enjoyable from beginning to end.
I totally loved Alex. He was funny and someone I’d totally be friends with in real life. I loved the relationship he had with the White House Trio. The three were a well-oiled machine and I love sibling relationships and friendships like this one. Alex’s mom and dad were also characters I liked. A female president? Yes please. She was a mother and the most powerful woman in the world and I liked that we got to see a little bit of her trying to balance that.
Henry and Alex were the best hate to love relationship I’ve seen in a long time. They were hilarious and several times I almost woke up my sleeping child because I was laughing so hard while reading. They were both sassy but also heart meltingly sweet and I freaking loved it.
There was so much to this story that I don’t know how to put my words into thoughts. So I’m going to keep this short. Overall, I adored the story. It made me laugh. It held me in suspense. It worried and delighted me. I loved all the different relationships (including the security people) that were present and added just that little bit more. I can’t wait to see what Casey McQuiston comes out with next.

From the moment I heard about Red White & Royal Blue, I knew that I would absolutely fall in love with it. I received an ARC via Netgalley, but I have purchased my own copy of the Kindle edition AND I added the Audible. I’m probably going to buy the paperback as well; that’s how much I love this book.

Red White & Royal Blue is Casey McQuiston’s debut novel, and wow, what a debut. Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the President. Prince Henry is- well, a prince. They have been lowkey feuding for years, and their mutual animosity leads to a disaster at a wedding they are both attending. With the fiasco showcased around the world, they are forced to spend time together in an attempt to minimize the fallout.

And then they realize that all of their preconceptions might not be entirely accurate.

Finding excuses to visit each other and keeping their relationship a secret from the paparazzi isn’t easy, but Alex and Henry have never been happier than they are when they’re together. But how long can this last?

It’s 2020, and Alex’s mom is up for re-election… this relationship might affect his mother’s electability in the more conservative states? And even though he is a younger son, Prince Henry is still expected to toe the line; being openly gay is not an option for him.

This book is absolute perfection. Alex and Henry are both amicable, and their banter is hilarious. Their chemistry is off the charts scorching, but McQuiston prefers a more subdued approach to love scenes. There are no play-by-play descriptions, which works well; it didn’t seem like the book was missing anything because of this.

Given the clandestine nature of the relationship, it’s no surprise that there’s a moderate amount of angst, and McQuiston captures it so well. But no worries- there’s a nice balance between the angst and the lighter moments.

I also loved the backstory: we’re still dealing with the contemporary United States and England, but President Claremont won the election in 2016 (and became the first female President), and while Prince Henry is the Queen of England’s grandson, his mother is the royal, and his older brother Prince Philip is a total jerk. There are elements of our actual history, but McQuiston did a wonderful job with creating original characters.

I would absolutely recommend Red White & Royal Blue. Alex and Henry are both in their early 20s, so I’m sure there’ll be some crossover appeal with older YA readers even though the book has not been marketed as such. I read this book a couple of months ago, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. This book has earned a place on my Most Favorite list, and I can’t wait to see what McQuiston is going to do next! In the meantime, I’m anxiously waiting for the RWRB movie!



I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I read this story slowly. I savored it. I never wanted it to end. Now how do I summarize my thoughts and feelings in such a way to truly capture everything I went through while reading this incredible book?

... there's the Prince of England kissing him under a linden tree in the garden, moonlight in his hair...

First, I tell you that this is going down as one of my favorite reads of ALL TIME!! Then I'll tell you that if you love love and everything that it encapsulates, then you need to read this book. I'll then say that Alex and Henry will instantly steal your heart, one fight and then one insolent banter and then one romantic moment at a time. These two characters will own you with their fight for identity, their fight for rights and freedoms, their fight for love, and their fight for each other. And then I'll state that there are so many secondary characters to fall in love with that your heart will feel so full way before the story ends. I'm so sad it ended but I am so happy that I got there.

He wants to match the new freckles across Henry's nose to the stars above them and make him name the constellations.

Calling this story beautiful seems inadequate. For a debut piece of work, Casey McQuiston knocked it right out of the park on the first swing. I marveled at the words she put together. How was she able to capture such fine and almost evasive emotions with such simple sentences? I couldn't help but feel it all! There was so much warmth and caring and compassion and hope within these pages and it was full of so much feeling!

It hits him, fully: the weight of this. How completely neither of them will ever be able to undo it.
"Okay," he says. "I'm into making history."

Both Alex and Henry were dealing with so much pressure. Can you imagine being the First Son (FSOTUS), constantly in the public eye, working towards a political career of your own, viewed as the favored one, the life of the party and a living icon, realizing your bisexual, and then having to deal with the fallout for everyone to see? Or imagine being the crowned prince of England, the epitome of Prince Charming, expected to carry on the royal line, with all of the huge expectations that all of that comes with, being gay, and dealing with it for the whole world to see? Falling in love with each other made their story tragically beautiful. My heart was able to break and swell and burst with joy while witnessing it all.

And then I was a careless fool, and I fell in love with you anyway. When you rang me at truly shocking hours of the night, I loved you. When you kissed me in disgusting public toilets and pouted in hotel bars and made me happy in ways in which it had never even occurred to me that a mangled-up, locked-up person like me could be happy, I loved you.
And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?
Sometimes, even now, I still can't. ~ Henry

They were supposed to be enemies. It would probably have been so much easier if they had hated each other. But true love could not be denied and a future entwined was inevitable. The story of Alex + Henry was beyond epic - it was transcendental!

You love so much bigger than yourself, bigger than everything. I can't believe how lucky I am to even witness it - to be the one who gets to have it, and so much of it, is beyond luck and feels like fate. ~ Alex

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The basic story here is that the first son of the United States (Alex Claremont-Diazfall) in love with the Prince Henry of Wales. The story is taking place in an alternative reality where the American president is a divorced female. How will insiders, the white house and the royalties will react to this relationship you will have to read to know.

Pros:
- Nice writing & very interesting dialogues.
- The characters have enough depth to them. Some are more likable than others. My favorite by far is Zahra. I loved the fire inside her. Strangely she kept reminding me of Kate Winslet's role in the movie Steve Jobs. She had to clean the mess!
- The chemistry between the two protagonists was really amusing. They both have the charm & I feel readers will like them & root for them.

Cons:
- I read a digital ARC copy of the book. I don't know if the print version will be different but the format was annoying sometimes. There were not enough page breaks. Between a scene & another, there was no break to know that we are in a different location & scene.
- For this type of genre & stories, the book seemed to be long a little bit. I feel it could have been better if it was shorter a bit, more compact.

Final Thought:
Enjoyable book & should not be missed by LGBTQ & romance genre fans. Here you have a romantic comedy with a political background. The book is releasing today (14th May 2019). I give Red, White & Royal Blue an excellent four stars out of five.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book & this is my honest unbiased review.

A very good enemies-to-lovers romance that will have you totally entertained and lol many times. The book had a bit of everything politics, sex, humour, social issue, drama, family drama, responsibility but most of all it's about love. All the characters were great and each had their time to shine and bring some great parts to this story. There are many topics covered in this book from gay romance, bisexual characters, racism, anxiety & depression, politics, homophobia but most of all it's about finding your true self.

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the first female president of the United States of America. Prince Henry Windsor is the second heir to the British throne. After a confrontation at a Royal wedding, Alex and Henry are forced to act as friends for the media an act that just might turn into the best things for them both.

The diverse cast of characters in this story brings to life this story in a very special way that you will just have to read to understand. You laugh, cry, shatter your heart and fell total joy while reading this book.

I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review that I have given voluntarily.

There's already so much buzz about this book - it's been optioned for a movie over at Amazon and it's rocking a 4.5 star average rating at the time of writing this review. I'll be honest - when I started this book, I was a pretty concerned about whether this would have a fanfiction feel to it. The one sentence summary sounds like something straight out of a fanficiton: the First Son of the United States falls in love with the Prince of Wales. While the concept is a little cliche, this book brings a surprising depth and dignity to the plot and really explores the ideas of identity, large scale politics, and what it means to love someone while the whole world is watching. It took me by surprise and is easily one of my favorite books of this year (and possibly one of my favorite romances of all time).

Going into this book, I was only really expecting a surface level love story: nothing too deep, and nothing I haven't seen before. Luckily, Red, White & Royal Blue blew past my expectations and set a new personal standard to compare all other New Adult romantic comedy books to. The plot was exceptionally well paced and spent time not only developing the budding romance between the political figures, but also building tension and suspense over President Claremont's pending election bid. The romance between Alex and Henry was the main focus, but there were plenty of well developed subplots that kept me glued to the book. The author also took time to explore the nuances of the friendships between Alex and his friends and ample time was spent on developing Alex from a over confident jackass to a worthy and lovable character. There's nothing I value more in a book than a well rounded cast of characters who each have their own stories and struggles.

Not only is this a romance, it's also a coming of age story. Alex spends much of this book figuring out who he is and how he wants to be remembered in the history books. His character growth is exceptional: he learns that the path forward isn't always the obvious one and that his personal identity doesn't belong to anyone but himself. It was fascinating having what felt like a realistic coming of age story set on the world stage of politics - having the spotlight on Alex and Henry by the media only heightened my emotional investment in the story. Not only did they have to figure out who they were for themselves, they had to figure out who they wanted to be in the public eye.

All of the characters in this book had really great development arcs and growth. Alex starts a bit of a wild child, and is the son of the current sitting president of the United States of America. He comes from a family of politicians and that's all he's ever aspired to be. Henry, on the other hand, is a repressed British monarch who has had his life mapped out for his since he was born. They're the perfect odd couple and somehow their chemistry just works, even though they started off hating each other. They both had a lot of growing up to do in the beginning, and it was really fun to watch them grow together. Their chemistry was off the charts - it's been a long time since I've read a book where the main characters had chemistry that felt this organic and realistic. They went through their ups and downs and their relationship was never perfect, which I loved them all the more for. The rest of the side characters in this book - Nora, June, Pez, and Bea, were equally well crafted and I would love to read spin offs about all of them.

As the jacket summary for this novel says, it truly is a "big-hearted romantic comedy". Red, White & Royal Blue hits the sweet spot of a perfect balance of romance, comedy and drama, without losing its powerful core message. It's an exceptionally well written book with a fun, deceptively deep plot. 5/5.

This was a really sweet, adorable and hopeful book. I say hopeful because my goodness I would love for this to reflect current times, but alas, it does not, so one can hope, right?

It started off strong developing the story between Alex, June, and Nora, the White House Trio of brother, sister, and friend (first two are children of the first female President, the latter is the daughter of the Vice President), and it lost me for a bit with the cheese factor of Alex falling for the Prince of England and the way he did so. I did not like that their relationship was aggressive, full of insults / extreme sarcasm, and went on that way for months. I know that Alex was struggling with his identity, and Henry (the prince) was struggling with being who he was in the monarchy, but it just felt off putting to me and I almost gave up. However, I am glad I continued because this picked back up and finished very strong with the election, how Henry stood up for himself, how Alex came into his own, and how everything came together for them as a couple. I could not have loved this ending more!

Pub date is 5/14/19, you can get a copy tomorrow! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an electronic arc to review. All above opinions are my own.

This book had a lot of promise. The characters were engaging, and the plot was unique. I thought the author did an outstanding job of handling the sensitivity of Alex’s realizations balanced with the sense of duty that both Alex and Henry felt to their family situations. The tenderness and romance between the two came through. What I did not like is that the author felt the need to go very political. I mean, I get it, Alex’s mom is the President, so I understand that there needed to be politics involved. However, the demonization and snarkiness regarding the right felt misplaced and took me out of the story. I like to read to escape, and don’t care for “real life” politics to enter. I felt that the journey that Alex and Henry took was strong enough to stand on its own without needing to rely on apparent bias. I would still recommend the book. For additional thoughts, visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a pre-release digital ARC.

Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, & Royal Blue in exchange for an honest review. The book releases today(!), May 14th.

“Sometimes, you just jump and hope it’s not a cliff” (loc. 3352).

Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, & Royal Blue is just a delight. It’s an unabashedly bubbly, real, foul-mouthed, sexy romance with a political heart of gold. I. Loved. It.

At the novel’s center is an alternate reality that I, for one, would love to live in. The winner of the 2016 U. S. Presidential election was Ellen Claremont, a blonde, divorced Texan with a second husband and mixed-race kids who is seriously dedicated to liberal causes. Our protagonist is her son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, a college student who is ready to launch his own political career upon graduation. Alex is driven, brilliant, mouthy, and a social icon for the country along with his older sister June and their best friend Nora, the granddaughter of the Vice President. Together, the White House Trio plays with the media, throws amazing parties-that-are-fundraisers, and begins working on Ellen’s reelection campaign.

Everything is going smoothly until the Trio’s attendance at a royal wedding. Alex and his friends travel to England where Alex dreads seeing his nemesis, Prince Henry. Since their first meeting, when Henry asked his staff to get rid of Alex, Alex has loathed Henry, his list of crown-approved hobbies and interests, and his ridiculously good looks. When they face off during the reception for Henry’s brother and his new wife, Alex and Henry cause an international incident. After the pair creates some unfavorable headlines, the two governments craft a plan to convince the world that the two are best friends. That plan goes awry, however, when romance blooms (love it!).

I absolutely adored this novel. McQuiston does a beautiful job building intriguing, realistic, nuanced characters who are relatable, even though they’re in the White House and Buckingham Palace. (Also, somewhat trivially, I loved it because Alex is a perfect fictional descendant of his namesake Alexander Hamilton, with whom I--along with the rest of the world--am obsessed because of the musical.) The romance is the perfect balance of steamy and tender, and the subplots behind the main storyline are thoughtful and brilliant. I picked up my Kindle, not knowing what to expect, and had a hard time putting it down. Please pick up Red, White, & Royal Blue as soon as you can and love it as much as I do.

This book was everything I wanted it to be: funny, witty, romantic, full of drama, riddled with positive representation and hard hitting while still being enjoyable. The characters were tremendous and each had their own underlying storyline and struggles. Featuring representation for LGBT+, Latinex, drug abuse, single mothers, absent parents, loss of a parent, and rejection from family. This book dealt with intense political ties between the USA and UK while still personalizing the relegation shop and juggling a complex “it’s out of our hands” and “enemies to lovers” relationship. I loved this book, it was beautifully written and featured UK monarchy and witty humour, two tropes I adore. I would definitely recommend to everyone. If not for the amazing representation, for the compelling storyline and fast read!!

Holy wow this book is everything. Casey McQuiston — with her debut novel (!) — gives readers exactly what we didn’t know we needed: a rom-com not to be forgotten that’s House of Cards meets Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On.

First Son of the United States Alex Claremont-Diaz (son of the first lady president YAS) is seemingly the ultimate American heartthrob and ladies’ man — until he accidentally causes a large-scale embarrassment for himself and heir to the throne His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales, UK golden boy and real-life Prince Charming (and Alex’s nemesis).

In order to smooth over international relations, Henry and Alex begin a fake friendship for the media, only to fall into an unexpected camaraderie that turns into flirting that turns into a kiss on the White House lawn YAS. What comes next is to be expected: times they are a-changing, but having an openly bisexual son could easily turn voters again Alex’s mom in the upcoming election, and Henry can’t carry on the royal family line if he doesn’t marry a suitable woman to make duchess.

Henry and Alex decide to be in each other’s lives as much as possible on the DL, and their illicit long-distance love affair is swoon-worthy. But two high-profile, international male diplomats falling in love calls for risk and sacrifice, and Alex’s mother’s political enemies may see an opportunity to exploit the pair…

With loads of excitement, suspense, laughs, betrayals, and ~romance~, McQuiston proves herself a force to be reckoned with on the YA stage. She made me laugh and cry, and her political narrative gives readers hope for a future where a woman like Ellen Claremont can run for president — and win.

FSOTUS Alex and HRH Prince Henry are #couplegoals, and I can’t wait to see what McQuiston offers us next. Red, White & Royal Blue is a must-read for fans of YA, romance, and political suspense. Five stars YAAS.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

oh my god what do I say about this book other than SQUEEEEE. I laughed, I cried, I squeed, but mostly my heart grew and my hope grew and I felt more human than I have in a long time.

McQuiston has written a funny, intelligent, beautiful book about what it means to love and to be true to yourself. I loved how literary it was, and how political, without either of those beings bashed in our faces. (I'm all for politics being bashed in people's faces, but it's a credit to McQuiston's writing how natural that felt.) In many ways, this is a simple story of falling in love and the enormous omg-what-is-happening-in-my-heart-stomach moments that accompany it. It's also an ode to queerness: the normality of loving who you love accompanied by the fearlessness of queer love in a world that says "no" on a daily basis.

I can write paragraphs on paragraphs on how much I loved this story, and how much I loved Alex and Henry and their families and friends. But my words are still a mash of GAH and YES and MORE. So excuse me while I dive back into McQuiston's world of female presidents, latinx first sons, and gay princes.

This book was one of the funniest I’ve read in a long time. I really liked the relationship between Alex and Henry, especially how they started as friends and built into romance. The White House trio are my favorite friend group in my recent reading history. Pretty much loved everything about this book, except for the point of view writing style. It was hard for me to get into the character’s minds. I would also have liked to hear Henry’s POV more clearly.

fucking incredible. dialogue, A plus. characters, A plus. Likability of everything, A plus. I seriously am SHOCKED this is a debut. I need more from Casey and I need it now. I don't even care about the royal family but I am INVESTED in anything about this world now.

Red, White & Royal Blue is a love story between Alex, the President of the United States and Henry, the grandchild of the Queen of England. Although their first introductions were anything but cordial, and could have even been considered antagonistic, when pictures of them in what looks to be a physical fight come to light, both countries public relations departments intervene and push them both into situations to make them look as if they are best friends.

Soon, they do become more than friends and begin a secret relationship which if found out could destroy the relationships of both countries. And Alex's mother is up for reelection against and very conservative opponent.

This was a very cute, funny romantic story, and how both Alex and Henry and their families learn lessons of love and trust and what is most important.

Thank for #NetGalley #St. Martin's Press #Red, White & Royal Blue #Casey Quiston for the advanced copy. The book will be out May 14.

I'm not going to get into the synopsis as that is in the publisher's blurb. This was a fun and unexpected romance with a background of international politics. Don't worry, in this exhausting political climate, the presence of the White House did not distract from a lovely coming of age story about first love. Alex was a great protagonist who had me rooting for his HEA.

I really enjoyed this and cannot wait to read more by this author.

Red, White & Royal Blue
by Casey McQuiston

Paperback, 432 pages
Expected publication: May 14th 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin


Goodreads synopsis:
A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends...

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?

***

5 Stars

This is a debut book by Casey McQuiston. And it is a GREAT one!

I am not the normal audience for such a book. But I do like a good love story and that is exactly what is contained in these pages. You root for Alex as he tries to figure out he is bi -sexual and what that means for him since he is the son of a sitting president, the first female president.

I love how the alternate version of Harry, Prince of Wales is portrayed. It is so convincing. You really can get into his head and see how hard it is to be gay and a man in line for the throne of England. Like I said, this is an alternate universe version of Harry. His brother in this book is named Philip and mother, Catherine. When I started reading this I was so in the mindset of: how did they get permission to print this?

This was a sweet love story. It was sometimes hard to read. You get choked up A LOT. And when it all got outed you wondered how it would ever be made right again. This book was UN-PUT-DOWN-ABLE. It is an awesome book for the spring and summer. And if you are a girl that likes girls or a boy that likes boys, you will love this. I am straight myself and I loved this book. Everyone will fall in love with Harry and Alex no matter what your sexual orientation .

This is one of my favorite books of the year so far. I hope there is a follow up because I’m so totally in. HISTORY Huh? New catchphrase and hashtag of the year.

Read this. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This is one of my new favorite books. I'm in love. The characters were incredibly compelling. There was fantastic bisexual representation which is so rare to see. The way they spoke about grief was so profound and accurate as well. I saw that her author profile says she enjoys writing escapist fiction and this is absolutely that. When I found out this is the only book she's published, I was obviously upset.

Some of my notes from while I was reading it are:
"I am thoroughly obsessed with this book."
"I find myself ready to cry over how deeply connected I feel to these characters and their current plight."
"This is breaking my heart."
"She clearly understands grief. Not just understands it, but really profoundly understands it and can explain it. I’m going to be referring to this book and this passage so much going forward."
"It’s really hard reading this coming up on the anniversary of my dad’s death, but it’s so comforting that someone truly gets it.
This book can and will and should be a refuge for grieving teens, queer and questioning teens, anyone feeling deeply and like they have to hide who they are."
"This is one of my new favorite books."
"Wow. That speech had tears in my eyes."
"I’m not ready for this to be over."
"I don’t even know how to write a review for a book this good. I can’t believe it’s over. I’m not ready. This is too amazing."