”You want to take what you were given and leave the world better than you found it. So do I. We can—we can figure out a way to do that together.”

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is everything I didn’t know I needed and then some! This book, it has my heart. Alex and Henry, my darlings, I loved reading about their story. It’s just what I needed this weekend. If you’re looking for a smart, funny, sexy and just delightful book to read, this is your book!

Casey has written the most relatable characters and I just adore the heck out of all of them. I’m obviously biased to Alex and Henry but they were all amazing! I mean y’all, there’s a Madam President! And she’s badass and funny! Words seriously cannot express how much I loved this book!

I hope there is more to come from this brilliant debut author, the world needs more of Alex Claremont-Diaz!

[Excerpt]:

Okay so. Wow. “Red, White, and Royal Blue” is the first book written by Casey McQuiston. This debut is phenomenal. I want to say that straight off. Everything about it was fantastic. However, when I came across it the first time on NetGalley, I skated right on by with little interest. But when I saw someone recommending it in my OSRBC Facebook group, I reconsidered and figured, “What can it hurt?” So I requested a copy and was granted one.

I am SO GLAD I did because this book is so warm and emotional and beautiful that it deserves all the stars. More than five, really. Hundreds! Thousands!

The story follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the White House. His mother is the first female president of America, and for the first few chapters we get to know Alex, his sister June, and their close friend Nora, who’s the granddaughter of the Vice President. Alex is ambitious, intelligent, and very into politics. He also has a rivalry with the Prince of England, Henry, whom he’s hated since their first meeting years ago in which Henry acted like total tool. But then, once Henry and Alex begin to spend time together in order to set right their big blunder at the Royal Wedding, the two grow closer and discover they have way more in common than they ever could’ve imagined.

There are quite a few Star Wars references.

There are extremely intelligent and take-no-nonsense female characters (June, Ellen, Nora, Bea, Catherine, Zahra).

There are real world parallels that are equally fascinating and bittersweet.

There is a gay relationship that is absolutely wonderful, and all that angsty, misunderstandings-abound bullshit is very much absent.

[Full review on my blog!']

I’ve tried multiple times to read this book and I just can’t seem to attach to the story or characters. As opposed to posting anything negative, I will just “hang up” this book for now. Although NetGalley requires a star rating, rest assured I never rate a book I don’t finish on sites such as Goodreads or Amazon as I never read the book in its entirety so I feel it’s unfair. I will do it here as it’s a requirement.

This is the book I didn't know I needed until I read it. And now, I will carry it in my heart forever.

Alex Claremont-Diaz, FSOTUS, and Henry, Prince of Wales, have always hated each other. When they're forced to appear like friends for the sake of publicity, things start to change between them. Is it possible that stuffy Henry is more than he seems?

This book is adorable. Alex and Henry are loving, combative, and hilarious. The side characters are equally well developed and charming. McQuiston has an exquisite handle on comedy and dialogue. And as an Austinite, all of the Texas love in this book was much appreciated. I want this novel and all it has to offer to be experienced by all.

I expected conversations surrounding sexuality and misogyny to pop up, and they were well handled, but I found even more. Conversations about liberalism and conservatism also appear in this book, something I found myself applauding. Red, White & Royal Blue acknowledges not every American from the North is progressive and not every Southerner is regressive, This should be common sense, and yet I've yet to see this explicitly stated... well, anywhere.

Typically I'm not a huge fan of present tense narratives, but Alex's voice and character shone through so much I went with the flow. I did get whiplash several times because the time and setting jump from paragraph to paragraph, but I don't know if that's a galley formatting issue or not. More importantly, this book is a joy to read and I can't wait to own a physical copy.

Oh my gosh...this book was fantastic. This alternative universe has a female president with a bisexual son, who accidentally falls in love with the prince of Wales. The politics, the friendships, the family views, the gossip, and the personal journey these 2 characters take to find their way together on their own terms to live an honest life is a heck of a ride.

I really hope first daughter, June, gets a book of her own too.

“When Alex was a kid, before anyone knew his name, he dreamed of love like it was a fairy tale, as if it would come sweeping into his life on the back of a dragon one day. When he got older, he learned about love as a strange thing that could fall apart no matter how badly you wanted it, a choice you make anyway. He never imagined it’d turn out he was right both times.” Casey McQuiston
.
After the Obama administration the first female president, Ellen Claremont, is elected to the White House. Not only is Ellen from Texas, she is also mother to two biracial children from her previous marriage. Red, White & Royal Blue starts on the cusp of her 2020 re-election campaign. It is all hands on deck at the White House for campaigning including her two children; June, first daughter and aspiring journalist and Alex, first son, and future political leader. As a family they are unsure about their future in the White House so they must ensure nothing comes between them and the election in the coming months. But what none of them saw coming was an international scandal they were unable to prepare for.
.
Alex has always had strong feelings for Prince Henry of England since he first met him years before his mother became president. Those feelings were of hatred, anger, more frenemy than anything else. But Alex still had a gravitational pull to Henry he didn’t even know how to describe. After a royal wedding PR nightmare, both Henry and Alex must fake a friendship to ensure their country a truths. That hatred slowly grows to resemble friendship, then turns into something more through witty texting banter, late night phone calls, emails and one New Years Eve Party.
.
This book is about family, and friends that support you no matter what. It is about the melting pot of America and the inclusion for all to be welcome, no matter race or sexual orientation. It is about not hiding behind your true identity, or letting anyone else stifle your true self. But most of all, this book is about a love that expands continents and the oceans to bring two struggling young men to terms with their true identity, and possibly find true love in the process.
.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Casey McQuiston reboots the royal romance with a joyful, clever, quick-witted and totally irresistible debut. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance, and a forbidden one to boot.

We meet first son Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of President Ellen Claremont. Intelligent, ambitious and charming, Alex plans to follow in his mother’s political footsteps. Life is great, except a trip abroad has him dreading an encounter with his rival—Henry, Prince of Wales. A heated—and very public—exchange at a wedding, sends their handlers atwitter and in full damage control mode. Now, Alex must pretend to be BFFs for the good of the Crown, and his mother’s re-election campaign.

Henry seems to be everything Alex isn’t. He’s cool and collected… the perfect Prince Charming. But while they nurture their bromance in front of clicking cameras, Alex begins to realize there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the handsome prince.

Soon enough, hate turns into something entirely different, as the two fall into a secret relationship which could propel two nations into chaos. After all, there’s no future for the First Son and the Prince of Wales—it’s a wild impossibility… right?

Alex and Henry’s relationship is a beautiful thing to witness. Their verbal sparring, their truths and struggles, their intense longing for the other. Their feelings come to life poignantly not only through late-night, whispered conversations, but also through poetically written emails in which they bare heart and soul.

The emotional rawness and authenticity of the novel is buoyed by whip-smart wit and rapid-fire banter. There’s an addictive effervescence to it all, making the story impossible not to devour.

This is one of those books that is a pure joy to experience—those that remind you why you love to reach so much in the first place. It’s a gem of a love story, fresh and fun, and deserves all the gushing it will undoubtedly receive.

I received and ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston was more than I ever could have hoped for. A royal and political elite romance, enemies to lovers, M/M, and Romantic Comedy. This book had me waking up my husband with laughter when I read late into the night. The banter between characters was so witty and sharp I spent a good portion of this book laughing out loud. When it wasn't funny, the tone and emotion of the romance between our heroes brought tears to my eyes. The underlying note of political satire, the alternate universe where a Democratic woman is president, remarried and has biracial children is one I hope to experience one day. The criticism of America's political system was not lost on me, and made me pause to remember that while hate gets a lot of press these days, there are still people who believe in love and equality. This book was extremely enjoyable, and I recommend it for all readers.

When the president's son and the prince of England cause chaos at the royal wedding, they are forced to enter into a fake bromance in order to fix this PR nightmare. They thought their time together would be painful, but it seemed that underneath the angst were some feelings of mutual admiration and attraction.

I say - believe the hype. This book was really wonderful, and there are so many things to adore about it. I love reading reviews for a book like this, which seems to appeal to so many different readers for different reasons. I therefore commend McQuiston on producing a work that can do that.

One of the things I loved about this book were the amazing characters. They were well drawn and distinct, as well as really interesting. I was particularly fond of the 20-something squad formed when Henry and Alex's groups mixed. The six of them were fantastic and the interplay between them was fabulous. I don't know if McQuiston plans on writing any other books in this world, but I know I would love to read books focusing on HEAs for Pez, June, Nora, and Bea. (I'm just saying...)

I also really enjoyed a lot of places we got to go with these characters. I had a ton of fun accompanying them on their outings. They were sometimes outrageous, but always entertaining. The royal wedding, the NYE bash, karaoke in LA, the Victoria and Albert museum -- all fantastic.

Family also played a huge role in this book. Neither Henry nor Alex's family was perfect, but there was love, especially in Alex's family. He and his sister shared a really special bond, and both his parents were open, loving, and accepting.

But my favorite thing about this book was the romance. Watching this faux bromance evolve into a friendship and then love was a beautiful thing. Alex and Henry were very sweet together, but it was their emails that brought tears to my eyes. It was via email, where they they revealed those hidden layers of themselves and really exposed their emotions.

I think the only reason I didn't rate this book higher was because I felt like the politics encroached a bit on the romance. That said, I still adored this book. I shed some tears as I wrote this review, because I was so touched by the way McQuiston wrote the love story between Henry and Alex, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I was sold on the plot of the son of the president falling in love with the prince of Wales, but what I got was so much more. This was a beautifully written story featuring amazing characters that I won’t soon forget. The author told more than just a love story, but a story of hope and of change in a world that desperately needs it right now.

CASEY MCQUISTON, TAKE ME AWAAAAAAAAY!!!!!! this review is not about to be a very coherent one but I have genuinely never loved a book more in my life, everything about Red, White & Royal Blue is absolutely PERFECT to the tenth power and I feel like I’ve been smiling soooo big ever since I finished reading it, and just, God, this is the happiest a book has made me feel in such a long time!!! I feel like I could fly away like a helium balloon, my heart feels so full!!

and, I mean, formulaically, RW&RB is a flawless book. you have a huge mass of finger-licking-good tropes (perfectly done enemies to lovers?? HELLO??), you have an irresistible plot, and you have the true highlight, the crème de la crème, the pièce de résistance: the CHARACTERS. everybody in this book is, first of all, absolutely hilarious. Alex & Henry especially are charming and witty and so fun to read, but every single secondary character just shines so brightly and everyone gets their own little moment in the spotlight and they’re all so lovable and I’m just SUCH a fan of good characterization I could MELT. also, the pacing and writing are so seemingly effortless and smooth, and considering the fact that this book is so long, and that this is Casey’s debut?? how did she get so good at writing so fast?? she literally deserves the entire world, she’s so talented and she’s adorable and I love her.

say whatever you want to say, but this book deserves absolutely every single little bit of hype it’s been getting (note: coming from a non-american who LOATHES american politics and would do anything to get away from them, I think RW&RB makes it fun and interesting and even a little hopeful, considering what you guys have to go through literally all the time). Red, White & Royal Blue is a silver lining in times of peril: it’s optimistic and funny and cheerful, the writing is top tier best quality there is, and truthfully I just cannot wait for this book to debut as a best-seller and for everyone out there to read it. thanks again to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a free copy!!

Do you ever read a book that just borrows it’s way directly to the center of your heart and sets up a full on camp because it knows it ain’t leaving?

I am so in love with this book! I had so many moments of absolute giddiness while reading and at one point I was lying in my bed at 1:30AM with tears streaming down my face. I love when a book can take you through all the emotions and you feel everything to your core. I even said out loud to no one while reading, if this book doesn't have a happy ending I am going to lose it!

"𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥. “𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘦,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵? 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦.”
“𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥.”
“𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯, “𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦.”"
-𝘙𝘦𝘥, 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 & 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦, 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘺 𝘔𝘤𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯

This story was ultimately a beautiful tale of true love but it also assesses our political climate, race relations, gender, and sexuality. This book hit every point perfectly.

“For the weirdos and the dreamers.” Right from the author’s dedication, I connected with this book. After all, anyone who dedicates a book to weirdos and dreamers must also be one, right?

Add in absolutely witty one-liners from the main character’s point of view, such as “the wedding is as sexy as a business transaction” and you have a snarky, sarcastic, and loveable leading man. Alex Claremont-Diaz instantly connects readers to his world, and we find ourselves cheering him on.

The main problem I had with the book is a personal one, so therefore I didn’t dock any points/stars. I was warned before I read the novel that there were graphic scenes and rated R moments (after all, it is not classified as YA – it’s New Adult/NA). I personally dislike reading sexual scenes and anything related to the matter, so I wasn’t a fan of those parts.

Alex Claremont-Diaz’s world is fraught with political correctness and is continuously in the public eye. I loved seeing the insides of The White House and how the First Son fit into the mold (also I would totally vote for Alex’s mom?? Claremont 2020 run please??)

Red, White & Royal Blue is Casey McQuiston’s debut novel! If we don’t get more in the future, I for one am going to be sorely disappointed.

Oh sweet mother of all things liberal and romantic and political do I LOVE THIS BOOK. Alex and Henry are my favorite couple ever and I just want to read about them for the rest of my life. But the POLITICS. This book gave me a glimmer of hope for our future......I don’t know about 2020 being quite so shiny and idealistic as this but hell, maybe by the time my youngest daughter can vote in 2032??

Also, the description of this reads almost YA-ish but it is NOT YA, although with the characters all being in their early 20s and living in the White House and royal palace, it muddies the waters as far as maturity and target audience. The sex scenes will quickly make you realize this is for the adult market, however

I started hearing about this book around Valentine’s Day and when I saw some of the early reviews, the word JOY seemed to be in all of them. Casey McQuiston is an author who is new to me, and Red, White & Royal Blue appears to be her debut novel. It is an adult rom-com and honestly McQuiston grabbed me by the heart and the funny bone and refused to let go of either until the very end.

Alex is the first son of the first woman president and he has a long standing grudge against Prince Henry of England. They are about the same age, and he has always felt like they were compared to each other in the news and tabloids. Alex feels as though he could never measure up to Henry’s smooth, distant charisma, and the riches that he has access to don’t help either. So when the first family attends the royal wedding of Henry’s brother Philip and Alex gets drunk and trips into the table holding the $75,000 wedding cake, pulling Henry down with him, it creates a media firestorm that can only be quelled by a staged friendship between the two. The forced interactions become a close friendship, which eventually becomes more as Alex comes to realize that he is bisexual and Henry is definitely gay.

The physical interactions are good, but I think I enjoyed reading their emails and texts to each other more. The intimacy with which they talk to each other, even with an ocean between them, was just as powerful as their physical bond. If I’m being honest, I felt like I was eavesdropping and as their relationship continued, I became more and more worried about their information pinging around on the internet, given how high the stakes were: Alex’s mom running for re-election and Henry having been told that he would not embarrass the monarchy with his “depraved urges.” If even one text gets out, one email sent to the wrong person, someone overhears them, the world could absolutely explode. (That probably made everything that much hotter though, tbh, no regrets.) I won’t spoil the ending for you but WOW. It’s something.

My heart, you guys. My heart was in love with all the characters from the very first pages. This is one of those books where I don’t want to describe every detail to you, I just want to hold the book out to you until you take it and agree to read it. There is so little light and joy in this world right now and this book is a bright beacon in the darkness and you must let it wash over you and take you to a place that is pure and delightful, if even for the short amount of time that you will be reading this book. It’s a fast read by virtue of the fact that you won’t want to stop reading. Your eyes will race over the page, hungry for just one more chapter of these wonderful men. Go get you some.

Could this book BE anymore adorable?! Spoiler alert: NO! It was such a fun read, the perfect blend of snark, wit, romance and charm, everything that I look for in a romance novel (and more). Did I mention that this is a debut? I’m even more impressed by that fact and so excited to see what the author does next because this was seriously cute.

Enemies to lovers tropes are always so fun to me and I’ve never read one with the first son of the United States and the Prince of Wales. It’s pretty genius timing actually, US politics have never been more of a hot button topic and the entire world is currently obsessed with baby Archie so this one couldn’t really be anymore relevant and fresh feeling. Henry and Alex are individually interesting characters but when you put them together it’s a little bit magical. They have great chemistry and a fantastic, sharp banter, I kept doing that snort laugh thing while I was listening. The secondary characters are just as engaging and hilarious, from Madam President herself (Alex’s Mom) to Henry’s quirky best friend they all added some extra flavor and spunk to the story.

The narrator was great, he delivered the dry and sarcastic lines like a pro, it was seriously perfect and I think he was a great choice. Since I listened to this one versus read it I did feel like it dragged a bit at times but maybe if I was reading the actual book it would’ve been quicker, just wanted to throw that out there because it did feel a teesny but long for awhile. But overall this was a really fun read and one that I can definitely recommend, if you’ve had your eye on it go ahead and give it a shot, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Red, White and Royal Blue in three words: Smart, Hip and Hilarious

I don't normally read romcom fiction, but I'm so glad I read this one because it was DELIGHTFUL, cheeky, smart, funny and sweet! This book definitely lives up to its hype. It also gave me the type of fuzzy, optimistic feeling about politics (truly a vintage feeling) that The West Wing once did so successfully. I was pleasantly surprised by because I didn't really think that feeling was possible for.me anymore in this dreadful political climate. It felt like magic to resurrect that hope for the duration of the book.

I loved these characters, and the magnetism of forbidden love was rendered so poignantly. It's a swoony romance that I will not soon forget! I stayed up all night reading it. I was also intrigued by the author's note at the end about writing this book on the verge of the 2016 election. I loved her comment about the experience of writing into what she thought would be a parallel reality that unexpectedly veered into escapist fantasy. Overall, a thrilling read. I recommend it, and I hope very much that it will be made into a movie!

I feel extremely gushy about this novel. I'm not usually a romance reader, but found myself internally squealing through the entire book. This is the most perfect summer read to ever exist.

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this book. It surely has come to the top of all of the books I've read during the year (at least for now). I don't know if anyone will come close, though.
Red, White & Royal Blue narrates the mesmerizing love story between Alex, the son of the first USA female president, and Henry, the Prince of England.
At the beginning of the book they really cannot stand each other and I have to admit I was pretty much sold by that. I love "hate" to love relationships, it's one of my favourite tropes. But it's not just that. It's how the two of them understand each other, how they completely fall head over heels for each other way before they have any chance to admit that even to themselves.
Casey McQuiston writing is honestly so entertaining and I almost could not believe that this was her debut novel. I cared very deeply for all of the characters, even though I have to admit I have a soft spot for Henry, but I really cared for everyone, not only the main ones. I loved June, Nora, Zahra, Ellen, Bea, Pez, the whole lot.
I also think McQuiston did a terrific job talking representation wise. Even though this book is not quite a YA (I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 16 since it has its moments of adult content) I still think this is a book mostly aimed at a young audience (even though I think ANYONE should read it and love it). We need representation in YAs and not only in them. Here we have the whole lot. Alex has Latinx blood and he's bi. Henry is gay, even if he's the Prince of England and you know what that entails. We have f/f relationships hints and even a wink to polyamory. And don't even get me started about female power in this book. All of the girls are POWERFUL AF, and I loved them all so much.
Basically this book gives me hope. Hope in a better future, in a better America, in a better Europe, but also in a better world where everyone won't be ashamed of who they are and where everyone is inclusive and supportive.
And Taylor Swift is also mentioned so what could I want more?
Talking a bit about the romance, I was overwhelmed with feelings for Alex and Henry. I rooted for them since the beginning, since we first see them together. I love how this book really deliveres a good relationship between two characters and how we don't have to wait like all of the book for the two of them to come to terms with their feelings.
The fluff in this book was over the top. But also the angst in this book was over the top, and I love a good balance of the two.
Another great thing I enjoyed about this book was how on point it was in dealing with mental health rep. This topic touches me in more ways than one and I felt like we have a good deal of anxiety and panic attacks representation. I so felt for the people affected by them and it's so important to have this kind of content in a book. You are not alone.
The fact that I enjoyed the most though is how I think this story is first and foremost a coming of age story for the two boys. I see them grow from boys to men and I cannot help but root for them and be proud for what they've struggled in order to become who they truly are.
I don't know what else to say except please, please, please, do yourself a favor and read this book, I promise you won't be disappointed at all, I mean, I'll go as far to say you will truly love it.