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.

***before reading this review, please understand that I probably need to re=read this when I'm in a better mood/headspace as I normally love stuff like this***
I'm not going to lie, but I did have a few issues with this book and they mostly stem from the fact that I am British. I only point this out because I found the American politics quite difficult to follow and did not know a lot of the abbreviations, which made reading this a bit of a slog as I had to keep Googling terms. I also didn't think Henry seemed "British" enough - the humour wasn't British and neither were his mannerisms, to be honest. His mannerisms were caricaturish and over the top which just felt a little lazy. 
That said, I did enjoy the last 20% of the book and the ending did make me cry. It was just the representation of the UK that I found unbelievable and irritating.

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.

a fluffy love story between the first son of the us and the crown prince of england, taking place in an alternate-reality america that i wish were real. desperately, desperately wish. it was light and kind and genuine; casey mcquinston is so good at nailing down what it means to be a twenty-something; messy and uncertain but hopeful and unstoppable. so fun, and i can't wait to see what else mcquinston will give us!

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.

As FSOTUS, Alex Claremont-Diaz has a lot of social expectations to live up to, and in general, he navigates his position with ease. Except for one specific point of international diplomacy: he cannot stand His Royal Highness, Prince Henry. This dislike is long and storied. But when it results in a public altercation, the two have to make nice to restore their images.

In spending quality time together, they come to like each other a great deal better than expected.

My feelings on this book are so complicated, I had to unpack them.

I did not like the main character. Alex never has to answer for crappy things he does. However, I liked Henry quite a bit. Throughout the entire book, I wished for Henry’s perspective. He’s a wonderful example of a quiet, introverted character with emotional trauma which he has survived. I loved every time he unearthed an uncomfortable memory to share it with Alex. This is an incredible show of trust, and one of my favorite ways in which they connect. Henry described his psychological defense mechanism of visualizing painful memories as rooms in Buckingham Palace which he could lock. He felt like a complex, complete character, despite being represented by Alex’s POV in a primarily sexual way. Henry has a character arc. He begins the story lonely, unhappy, stand-offish, and afraid. At the end of the story, he’s opened up and confronted his fears to come out on the other side.

Alex…does none of that. He starts and ends the book confident, socially insular, impulsive, ambitious, unforgiving, judgmental, and selfish. While there are plenty of arguments to be made for protagonists with no arc, in Romance, it’s something of an expectation. Two people becoming better and conquering their problem together. Not one person who thinks he’s already perfect fixing his partner.

The writing style is generally fun and whimsical. I liked the secondary characters. There are some interesting personalities in the cast, and the parents are pretty funny. Alex’s mom is fabulous. And I certainly felt for Zahra.

The romance is a fun enemies to lovers story with a lot of positive family support for Alex. The dialogue is cute, often very funny, and while he didn’t face consequences or undergo more change than a bisexual awakening, he was ever called on his shit.

I do possess some bias in sharing the political views expressed and being, like Alex, a queer half-Mexican. The premise is my catnip as well. I think it’s a refreshing book that I’m glad I read. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I was lucky to receive an ARC through NetGalley, and I felt pretty sad whenever I came across something that I wasn’t thrilled about. I’m sure the majority of this book’s audience will love it to the point of gushing, though.

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.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! I read the synopsis and immediately added it to my tbr, so of course I was beyond thrilled to get an advance review copy from NetGalley!⁣
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This book is hilarious! In the first ten minutes of reading it, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. The romance between Henry and Alex is sweet and I love how the author develops their friendship. I love books that include email and text exchanges and this book has plenty of that! I was fully invested and loving the first half of this book. Things started to fizzle out for me a bit in the second half. I also felt like Alex came off more as a teenager as opposed to a twenty-one year old at times. There were some plot points that were frustrating. Fortunately, these issues I had with the book didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of the book I was back on board with the plot before I knew it. I also really loved the ending!⁣
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I finished this book with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. The author’s note at the end about the 2016 election struck a cord in me. She writes “What I hoped to do, and what I hope I have done with this book by the time you’ve finished it, my dear reader: to be the spark of joy and hope you needed.” Our current political climate can be disheartening, to say the least and while midterm elections provided a spark of hope, we still have a long way to go. People sometimes deride fiction as being fantasy. But reading fiction has made me so much more empathetic and willing to consider other viewpoints instead of honing in on only what I know. ⁣
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Overall, this is a sweet, cute, and fun love story which also packed an emotional impact. I definitely recommend it!⁣

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.

I have read 56 books so far this year. This is by far my favourite, and has cemented itself in my list of all time bests. Categorizing this book as a romance novel is selling it short. It is so much more. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, because it is so masterfully written and McQuiston has such a firm knowledge of her characters and the world she has created. I laughed, I teared up, swooned and cheered for the whole cast of characters. 

On a personal note, I would like to be a combination of Zahra and Nora when I grow up. 

Thank you to St Martins for allowing me early access to this novel, even though I totally forgot I was approved and bought a physical copy because I was so excited to read it.

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.

First son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz, is a supportive sibling, successful socialite and budding political star. However, a confrontation between himself and long-term enemy Prince Henry, heir to the throne, at the royal wedding creates consequences Alex would never have imagined. 

Whilst fighting at the royal wedding, Alex and Prince Henry destroy an absurdly expensive cake, causing rumours of international relation breakdown (mildly dramatic, but extremely exciting). As a result, Alex and Henry must forge a fake friendship in order to fend off the press. The question is, will this friendship remain fake? The answer is a big, fat, wholesome no. 

The pair slowly begin to bond over late night/early morning phone calls and Star Wars. Friendship soon blossoms into a sexual relationship as Alex realises he is bisexual. He convinces himself he is not in love and that Henry cannot possibly love him, but he is promptly proven wrong on both ends and the reader gets to continue rooting for the happy ending they desperately deserve. 

The diversity in this book is great - being bisexual, I don't often see myself represented in books, and bisexual people are often stigmatised both in the heterosexual community, and in the LGBTQ+ community. Therefore, to see people of all backgrounds rooting for a bisexual main character felt fantastic. 

There are a whole group of brave, intelligent, independent women who support each other regardless of what happens, which is especially refreshing to see. Females hating females is one of my absolute pet peeves in books, and I'm glad there was no sign of it here. Themes of race, gender, international relations and queerness are all discussed expertly and McQuiston essentially questions why on earth we aren't all being accepted in 2019. It is a clever satire that scathingly criticises the Trump presidency, with there being a number of scary similarities between Trump himself and the Republican candidate in the book. 

I'm not usually hugely fond of romance, but I saw how many positive reviews this book was getting, and took a chance in requesting it on NetGalley. I ended up loving it, which is definitely a lesson in picking up books that are out of your comfort zone once in a while. 

There are quite a few explicit sex scenes within this book, so please bear that in mind before jumping in, it is definitely not for younger audiences. The author does a great job of highlighting through these scenes, the importance of consent, both outside of a committed relationship and within one. There is suggestion of coercion and attempted rape/sexual assault, so if any of these aspects would be a trigger for you, I would suggest avoiding. However, the topics are handled very well, and the perpetrator is challenged both by individuals and by media outlets in the book. 

The writing had me thoroughly hooked from the beginning, and it did not feel as though the book was over four hundred pages. One qualm I did have was that the speech was occasionally borderline cringy and not wholly realistic. This meant I couldn't give the book a perfect rating, but honestly, it was pretty close. 

I would recommend this book a thousand percent, and I cannot wait to see what this author does in the future. I don't often purchase physical copies of books once I've read them on e-book, but this might have to be an exception, as I would love to reread it in the future.

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."

Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue is honestly the romance book I didn’t know I needed in my life until I started reading it.  I was looking for a light, fluffy, and fun read when I requested this one and it was exactly what I was hoping for.   When I started reading, I realized Red, White & Royal Blue pretty much has all my favorite things all rolled into one story. There’s a generous helping of enemies to friends to lovers, fake relationships, and sassy but supportive friends and family, with a side of politics and royals thrown in for good measure.  It was truly the perfect recipe for a book that I devoured in just over a day.

I absolutely loved the premise of having Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the United States, fall in love with Prince Henry of Wales.  It just immediately opened the door for so many entertaining possibilities, from the romance itself, to the media frenzy it was sure to generate, and to the potential political fallout it could create on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.  The premise was made even better by the fact that both Alex and Henry were just the two most precious young men on the planet.  Alex is hilarious, while Henry is soft, but put them together and their banter is full of wit and snark, and just flat out adorable.  I felt like I was either smiling or laughing out loud every time the two of them would text or call each other.  The sexual tension between them is also off the charts, even when they’re trying to hate on each other.

There’s also a more serious side to the story as Alex is still figuring out his sexual identity to a degree and as he and Henry worry about what they’re coming out as gay would mean for their families from a political standpoint.  A subplot of the story has Alex’s mother as the first female President of the United States (Can I live in this alternate reality please?!) and she’s up for reelection this year, while Henry is next in line to take the throne and rule his country.  I liked having these very relevant social and political issues meshed in with the light, fluffy fun.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to Alex’s sister, June, and his best friend, Nora.  These smart, savvy, hilarious ladies at times really stole the show with all the ways they helped try to facilitate the relationship between Alex and Henry.  They were everything I’d want in a sibling and best friend, and if the author wanted to write more books featuring them, I’d totally read them.  (Hint, hint.)

If you’re looking for a fun and flirty read with a side of political drama, be sure to check out Red, White & Royal Blue.  4.5 STARS