Red, White, and Royal Blue

A great read! I nearly stopped reading this book in the middle, but as you might imagine from my four-star rating, I am glad that I pushed through. Right around 41%, I started to get bored. The funny lines were still funny, the plot and the details still interesting enough, and I still mostly liked the characters. However, the plot trajectory stagnated at that point and without that to distract me, Alex's cluelessness about himself and his lack of insight about his impact on other people became more obvious and more annoying. I started to grow impatient with his lack of personal growth. 

Then, all of a sudden, both the action and Alex's personal growth picked up. Alex began to display far more insight and maturity than I would have predicted, and Henry became a more fully-rounded character instead of a cardboard cutout. Their e-mails and the quotations they each added at the end of their messages were wonderful: so poignant, so romantic. By the end, I was quite enamored with both Alex and Henry and the book came to a sweet, dramatic, and very satisfying close. It wasn't as though the second half didn't follow naturally from the first half. It did. The first half was quite engaging and set up the rest of the book very well. It was just that the second half of the book was significantly better than the first.

Other things I liked:
•	That both Henry and Alex seemed to act their ages – she did an excellent job of nailing the infuriating combination of cluelessness, insight, impulsivity, and maturity that (in my experience) absolutely characterizes men in this age group.
•	How the author interwove history and current context into the plot. Sometimes when authors do this — especially when it comes to politics — they overdo it to the point that I start skimming. [You know it's excessive when a history buff like me starts skimming the history!]. This author did an excellent job of including just enough to frame the plot and keep my interest, but not too much.
•	The number of smart women!
•	The number of smart women who were not stereotypes — they seemed real and well-rounded in ways that are sorely lacking in many romance novels.

I do think this is one book I think could have benefited from a dual point of view. I feel like I got to know Alex a lot better than I did Henry, which was especially frustrating during the first half. That made me extra grateful for the insights gained about Henry during Alex's and Henry's arguments and during their extensive e-mail exchange. Ultimately, that helped to make the second half of the book so satisfying. However, it would've been nice to have more of a balance throughout the entire book. 

All in all, I highly recommend this book.

First off before I put on my "professional" face and try to review this like a human, I need to gush! This book gave me all the feelings! I laughed, I swooned, and then I hoped. I beyond words enjoyed the heck out of this novel! I did not want it to end. Thank you Casey for 432 pages of loving goodness! 

Red, White & Royal Blue is a beautiful story that has love, hope, and comedy all rolled into one. Alex Diaz Claremont has always felt something about Prince Henry that just irked him. To Alex, Prince Henry just doesn't seem human and can someone really be that boring? With Alex being the pusher he is, he can't help but push Henry's buttons until they fall...into the royal wedding cake! With a media catastrophe on their hands, both American and English parties have to come together to bromance the nations. Alex and Henry have to play nice, until they are no longer faking and beautiful angst builds and builds to glorious things! 

Alex and Henry are beautiful characters, but just as amazing are the supporting characters. I would love to know more about Nora, June, Pez and Bea! Heck I'd even take a story about Shaan and Zahra! There is so much humor and great cultural references. I'm a deep fan like Henry for GBBO! I like the perpetuation of the story through emails, texts and narrative, each one giving you sense of the main characters as they grow in their love story. 

Truly RW&RB is a great story that through a political medium helps to push the story and give hope to the audience. (Which a politic medium can usually be polarizing and off putting) I hope for a politic atmosphere like I see in Ellen Claremont and her family overcoming diversity whether in culture, gender, sexuality or race. Just honestly a great lovely story that I see myself reading again very soon! Thank you for opportunity to read it early!

<i>‘This is all a very not-straight way to react to seeing your male frenemy kissing someone else in a magazine.’</i>

There is going to be so much hype for <b>Red, White & Royal Blue</b>, and I’m going to be here for it. I just experienced falling in love. I didn’t realise I was a little broken until this book put me back together. <b>Intelligence</b> meets <b>romance</b>, a perfect match. 

This book like an onion, its deep layers making my eyes burn and my tears flow. The writing <b>wrecked</b> me, I felt it in my heart and in my gut like a punch. Casey I’m watching you. This was certainly a rom-com, hilarious!! 

<i>''Can you move over, Your highness'. Alex whispers, shoving his shoulder against Henry's. 'I'd rather not be the little spoon.''</i>

I’m a gigantic fan of enemies to lovers as it usually comes with a slow-burn. I’ll be honest that I would have loved for the hate/tension to last a tad longer but, I have no problem with how this book was executed. 

<i>‘’Hes a looker, huh?’ Alex pulls a face. ‘Yeah, I mean, if you’re into like, fairy-tale princes.’’</i>

Alex, the First Son and Henry, the Prince of England. Can you even imagine, it’s bloody complicated. Their banter was off the charts. Their chemistry was raw and un-leashed but the scenes between them were tasteful, sharing just the right amount. These two literally made me put my kindle down and smash my face into my pillow and squeal at how adorable they were. It was <b>romantic</b>, soft moments, wild moments, so much appreciation of one another. 

<i>'I do hope you will excuse my language and my utter lack of restraint: You are so fucking beautiful.'</i>

The supporting characters each had their role to play and they absolutely <i>made</i> it. I am awarding them my favourite cast in a romance, ever. They absolutely killed me, I laughed so hard. They were so damn supportive, I lost my breath. 

<i>‘You have so much in you, its almost impossible to match. But he’s your match, dumbass.’</i>

A little criticism (that won’t affect my rating) is that I found something a bit off about the narration. The use of Alex’s name at times didn’t feel natural to the paragraph and flow. 

(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
* Quotes found in this review are from an ARC and are subject to change before publication

"In an instant of sudden, vivid clarity, he can't believe he ever thought he was straight."

Initial Thoughts 

This was honestly just a delight. Alex, who is the son of the first female president of the United States, has this weird but intense feud with the Prince Henry of Wales. After a public confrontation, they are forced to fake a friendship but little they know grows into something much more than that.

I didn't know I love political romances until I finished Red, White, & Royals. This book was just hilarious and surprisingly light-hearted with some political drama sprinkled in the story.

Characters

Alex: Wants to dip his toes into the political world, highly motivated, arguable blunt with a nice mixture of sarcasm, has a bisexual awakening in the story. Biracial.

Henry: "Very very very gay,"  soft boy, hopeless romantic, empathetic as shit, a better writer than Charles Dickens 

June (First Daughter): Wants to be a journalist, doesn't like being called bug, would probably take a bullet for her brother.

Nora (Grandaughter of the Vice Prez): My bi queen, sharp as knives, I WOULD TAKE A BULLET FOR HER. 

Bea (Henry's sister): Rebel, a recovering addict, doesn't take shit from her fancy royal family

There are so many other great characters that we learn about in this story. Yes, it's kind of a slow plot but darn these characters make up for the pace.

The Relationship and Sexuality

Ugh, Alex and Henry's relationship was just too perfect and too pure. This is an enemies- to- friends- to -lovers story and I was just digging it so hard. From their late-night phone calls to their long, witty emails, it can make any person swoon to eternity. 

I'm not going to lie; I thought Alex already knew about his sexuality in the beginning because he was really vocal about the attractiveness of Henry so I was quite surprised that he hadn't figured it out till the middle of the book. It was still nice to see Alex work through his sexuality and also great that all of his loved ones supported him. I was also excited to see the word "bisexual" used MULTIPLE times and also that the author didn't do the "straight-to-gay" trope. It seems like we are finally acknowledging that sexuality is fluid and getting rid of bi-erasure.

I loved how dedicated they were despite the circumstances.  One aspect of the book that truly stuck with me is Alex and Henry having to hide their relationship from the public because it could potentially influence Alex's mom's reelection. It's baffling that this can sway voters which shouldn't be the case. 

I'm glad to say that there are not romance tropes that occur in the book such as miscommunication and petty argument. There are moments of uncertainty but Casey McQuisten handled this beautifully,  realistically and less dramatic as most romance writers would write out those scenes. 

Other Themes

Red, White, and Royal Blue tell the reader to break out the shells and out of the social norms.  This book is progressive as hell and I don't know if we are going go that same direction but I hope we do. 

Although this was a romance book, the family and friendship aspects were not overshadowed. We see the dysfunctional but loving dynamics of Alex's family and how although their family is not perfect, their continuing to love and support one another is what really keeps them at pace with their daily political lives.

Alex's friendship group grows so nicely in this novel from their drunken karaoke nights to them just being with each other when the shit hits the fan. As the reader, I wanted to be part of this hilarious group.

The book also dives briefly into other topics such as privilege, race, privacy, public opinion, gender identity, gender roles, family and country expectations, Although they weren't completely front and center, I think their subtlety was handled well and made me think about how some of these concepts resonate our world today.

Last Thoughts

Look, I know there's a lot of hype surrounding this book (I actually didn't know about the hype till I finished it) but this book is just something that I didn't realize I need in my life. I love queer romantic comedies and I want even more of them.  

Now, I need sequels and companion novels from other characters, please!!!

This is one of my favorite romances. Not just of this year, but like ever. It's not a secret that I love romances, and Casey McQuiston hit the ball out of the park with this one. Henry and Alex's  hate to best friends to lovers romance was everything. The angst and passion were there, along with heartfelt friendships, issues of identity, and a wonderful banter. There were times when I was laughing out loud when reading this, and if it wasn't for the fact that I largely read this in public, I would have cried as well. Also, I love having politics in my books, and watching the fictionalized 2020 election shake down was entertaining, and left me excited to vote blue this upcoming presidential election. 

Red, White, & Royal Blue is a wonderful romance novel stock full of lively characters and compelling narratives.

I am in mild emotional shock at the moment of writing this review. And I know I should wait until I'm calm and objective or whatever to write a review of a book, but that is not how we do things here. Here we have strong emotional reactions we regret when we wake up in the morning. Anyways. If you want a really quick and bare bones review (because this one is quite long, sorry), check this semi-live tweeting review of the book without spoilers.

Okay. I'm going to try and cover everything in this review, but it is a big book (432 pages for a contemporary), and a lot happens, especially in the third act. So the way I look at it, there are two main layers to the story, Alex's realization that he is bisexual and his relationship with Henry (prince of England, totally not a big deal), and his mom's bid for reelection / his blossoming political career.

Both are handled in a very separate way, especially at the beginning of the book, even though the politics are the only reason they become "friends" in the first place. Alex and Henry want to keep the relationship hidden, not because they are ashamed, but because they 1) don't fully know what the relationship is and want the relationship to mature without added pressure being public would put on it and 2) they want to have control over the way the relationship would impact their respective countries and careers. So for a huge portion of the book it is all sneaking around and attending the same charity events just for an excuse to be in the same city. Which leads to many, many adorable, sexy, and hilarious moments in the book. This book seriously has some of the best and funniest dialogue I've read in a long time. 

For Alex and Henry their romantic relationship has a much bigger impact than just their love lives, but it affects their futures and their families political futures. And that is a lot of pressure on a relationship. And their relationship does struggle and suffer because of it. All their 'fights' in the book happen because of the problems related to the choices that had to be made for their relationship to be a forever thing.I love the parts of this book that are just Alex and Henry because them talking to each other, whether through their amazing email love letters or in person, develops them so much as characters. And I don't just mean, letting the reader get to know them, but they get to know themselves. Alex and Henry find strength and parts of themselves through the talking with the other, that changes them for the better. And it isn't like they are changing for the other person in the relationship, they change for themselves. The character development in this book is fantastically done. 

And it is such a small detail that I am sad I feel the need to mention, but this book handles bisexuality so well. From Alex's realization to his coming out scenes. Its never put down by his family or friends, and no one EVER says that bisexuality isn't real in this book. And I really like how Alex's realization wasn't this big thing, and in the book he was actually kind of confused that he didn't have this huge realization. But once he does have it, he looks back at some things he thought or did, and went "huh. how did I not realize this before." Which I totally understand lol. Unfortunately I do have to mention that poor, "gay as a maypole" Henry didn't have it as nice with his family. His brother, Philip, is a total dick about it but he does get what he deserves (better, actually but whatever). Henry has problems with his family because he is gay in the book. So just a warning for that. (It all has a happy ending though, I promise). And my lovely Prince Henry, romantic AF english major is so great. He is such a caring and emotional person, but he hides that part of himself so much when he isn't around the few people he really trusts. Which I understand because I relate, but it also kind of a shame because he is such a great person. I love him.

I just really do love Alex and Henry together, though. Their relationship is adorable and healthy and positive and passionate and filled with love and respect. Their love letters and adventures is what I would want from a relationship. So it was so much fun to read. This book is so much fun.

As for Alex's life outside of Henry, he is the son of the first female President of the United States. He is passionately interested in politics for the right reasons. This boy just wants to help people, and he loves Texas where he grew up, son of a white and blonde mother and Mexican-Immigrant father. Yes this story is set in like a very optimistic alternate reality where things in 2016 turned out very differently, and the presidency and politics in general aren't a absolute corrupted mess. I don't mind. It's totally escapism and I'm here for it. Alex is determined to become a Congressman by 30, but the whole book he is kind of wondering if maybe he should go to law school and fight for his people in courts and change the system that way first. Alex is a very driven individual. Once he puts his mind to something, he is doing it. He is also painfully direct at times because honestly dancing around stuff is exhausting and I totally understand Alex. Y'all if we all just said what we meant, life would be simpler. I'm just saying.

Alex is really close with his sister June, who just wants to be a hard-hitting reporter but can't because she is too close to the action now that her mom is President, and Nora, a genius data-cruncher. They are such a fun group of wildly driven individuals who care about each other and have fun. Also Alex's family, while his mom and dad divorced when he was a teenager, are excellent. Their is positivity and love and a mom who would fight so hard for her children's happiness that it is amazing. I love how good the people in this book can be. It is how I wish the world was.

I do want to try and briefly discuss the big conflict in the third act without trying to spoil anything. First of all, Alex and Henry never get outed to their family or friends. They come out on their own. Which is a really important statement to make as the whole getting outed plot line can be traumatizing. I will say, however, they don't necessarily get to go public in the way they wanted to. And that is all I'm saying because spoilers but I also think the warning is important. I liked this conflict because it lead to a lot of good scenes, especially with the royal family, and the ending of this book was a Happily Ever After ending which I am all for y'all. I love it.

I love how you can feel the hope and love for the characters and story and a little bit of humanity the author wove through the story and infused into every word. This is such a finely crafted story, I'd be happy if I wrote anything with half as much heart, wit, and genius plotting. (There is some seriously fun foreshadowing in the book). Casey is brilliant. This book is brilliant. Read it.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let's be real here. There isn't much I can say about this book that hasn't already been said a million times. I think a good 99% of the people who have read this novel will go on and on about how heartfelt yet funny this book is, as well as how wonderfully inclusive and diverse it is. McQuiston has managed to create a romance with two loveable, compelling protagonists with a realistic, sweet, and healthy relationship, and she somehow managed to do all of this AND include an unapologetically political plot line. Not to be melodramatic, but Red, White, and Royal Blue was everything I could have ever wanted it to be and more. 

Casey McQuiston has earned a lifelong fan, and I cannot wait to see what she creates next. Read this book, y'all!

5/5

I loved this story so much!! Just a fun, lovable plot and truly memorable characters that I adored.

The only other feedback I have is that it ran a little long - I wish it had been maybe 10-25% shorter. But overall, such a lovely book.

I had some issues with this book. First, it's way too long. I started losing interest about halfway through because it was just a mix of Alex and Henry being apart and finding a way to get together - nothing advanced the plot until 70 percent of the way through. Second, they are not "enemies to lovers," they have one contrived enemy scene and quickly become lovers thereafter. I prefer more of a build up. Then, the sex scenes were so sanitized, it was weird. The love story was nice but there was a lot of issues overall.

I literally do not have words for how much I loved this book. This is the book that we, as a nation need to read, and understand there is a different way, a better way, to fight for what we truly want for our society. People need to feel safe, loved, and seen in the United States of America. This story truly showcases that acceptance, in the journey the characters under take in order to find that peace. McQuiston has created a cast of lovable characters, a fast moving plot, and incredible dialogue.

4.5 Stars

Politics. *dreadful sigh* Books that revolve around politics are usually a hard limit, hell no for me. The day to day politics in RL are usually nauseating enough that I don’t want to read about them in my escape time. Red, White & Royal Blue drew me in with the cute cover/synopsis and I’m glad it did. For much of the book it was like this fantastical political dream world where the last two years didn’t actually happen and I was *totally* here for it. For the most part. This book had me smiling, laughing, sad, swooning, and full of hope from one page to the next.

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is all about politics. He lives and breathes them and dreams of one day becoming a politician that does the right thing- like his mother, the President. Alex is also a snarky smart ass and sometimes his antics get the best of him. Errrrr, or cause potential issues with diplomatic relations when he gets into it with uptight Prince Henry of Wales at a royal wedding. Now they have to pretend to be the best of friends as Alex grits his teeth and Henry puts on stoic front of impassiveness.
“So, you can hate the heir to the throne all you want, write mean poems about him in your diary, but the minute you see a camera, you act like the sun shines out of his dick, and you make it convincing."

There’s more to both men than what meets the eye and as they continue on with this charade of friendship, walls start to crack. Alex and Henry gain so much understanding and common ground on what it’s like to grow up in the public eye and be held to impossible standards- unable to be who they really are.

I love the journey for Alex and Henry. From nemesis to lovers, it’s highly entertaining. Their friendship develops gradually over texts, emails and eventually face to face. The UST is thickkkkkk and the snark is highly entertaining. My first through when I found out they didn’t like each other was “please tell me there’s hate sex.” There isn’t. But, they have chemistry and witty banter in spades.

“I shall just have to make it the best orgasm of your life. What can I do to make it good for you? Talk about American tax reform during the act? Have you got talking points?” Alex looks up, and Henry is grinning at him. “I hate you.”

Alex and Henry get together fairly quick so there’s lots of intimate times but the sex scenes fade to black. You know what’s going on during the smexy times but it’s not explicit (which didn't bother me because their relationship is *so* much more than sex). The build up to the kissing though… 🔥🔥. We are able to *see* their walls crumble completely as the tone of their correspondences change.

I LOVE all of the secondary characters. Red, White & Royal Blue has a diverse cast with multiple LGBT+ representations and races. There’s sassy wit, snarktastic humor, funny AF antics, and tons of pop culture references along the way.

So, remember how I was saying above that this is a refreshing take on politics and the bizarro world political fantasy land worked for me? It did. For a bit. However, it began to drag on the political parts around 50% and didn’t let up. I began skimming some of the political parts but my enjoyment for everything else never waned.

I totally adored Alex and Henry along with their patchwork family. I really like the format with texts and emails being an important part of their love story. I even day dreamed what-ifs with the fantastic idea that the political climate in the U.S. could be different. Recommended.

This meet-cute has a fun premise:  the President of the United State’s son falls in love with the spare heir of England. That story alone was worth the read, but the author adds political campaign tactics, the issue of mixed race in America, and homophobia in both countries to take this from a good fluffy novel to a great modern read.

An eARC was provided by St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an honest review. 

Where do I even start?! This book is everything and there’s no way I could give it less than 5 stars, heck, it gets ALL the stars from me.
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This book has so much representation in it, I can’t even! You’ve got an LBGT+ POC main character, you’ve got the first Female president, you’ve got so many relatable moments and tons of current pop culture references that blew my mind and made me even more giddy.
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It has one of my absolute favorite tropes! “Enemies to lovers” or hate to love and honestly, hate is a strong word, it’s more of a dislike to kind of tolerate after being put into a sticky situation that ends up being much more and I’m 100% LIVING for this. It was such a cute book and the entire time you’re rooting for these characters, because so much is happening! There’s so many lovable characters, but my favorite, aside from the two main characters, is Zahra, she’s a complete badass and I LOVE her to death. 
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This book kind of takes place in multiple areas, you spend some time at the White House, Texas and my fave, England! 
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Honestly I’m at a loss for words, I can’t get over how much I love this book, dare I say it’s my favorite book of the year by far! And it could easily be my fave of the year, even though it’s only April lol. Definitely recommend this book once it comes out on May 14, 2019!

Red, White & Royal Blue was utterly delightful. Following First Son Alex and Prince Henry as they are forced to fake a friendship after an incident at the royal wedding makes headlines around the world. But that friendship soon develops benefits and Henry and Alex must try to navigate their burgeoning relationship as the trials and tribulations of being incredibly public figures take their toll.

I have never related to a character as much as I have Alex Claremont-Diaz. He is a treasure. As someone who didn’t realise I was bi until my early twenties, it was wonderful to be able to connect and see myself in a character such as Alex. Alex goes through a journey of understanding himself and his sexuality and little things from his teenage years begin to make sense. This meant the world to me because it was how I experienced it and not everyone always know they’re queer from a young age and it’s great to have that representation on page.

There is such a great cast of supporting characters in this book. June and Nora, Alex’s sister and friend/ex-girlfriend respectively make up the other two points of the Whitehouse trio. Add Bea and Pez and Henry and it was just a delight watching them interact and the relationships unfold. Though the the main focus in on Henry and Alex I did enjoy that the side characters were fleshed out and able to stand on their own, and they weren’t pushed to the side once Henry and Alex were involved.

The was a strong focus on the political side of things in Red, White & Royal Blue. The Claremont reelection campaign is being to kick off and Alex is invested in it. However even as someone who isn’t American I didn’t have any trouble understanding it.

“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

This was such an easy read in regards to the the fact that I’d start reading and the next thing I knew I’d read another 30% of the book. It was a cathartic read in someways, being an alternate reality to the last three hellish years in our world and I so wish these characters existed.

Has this been optioned for film yet? Because it should be, I’d love to see it on screen. They’d better include the Great Turkey Calamity if they do. I highly recommend picking up Red, White & Royal Blue once it releases in May. I loved it so so much. It’s beautiful, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I cannot wait to see what McQuiston does next.

This is such a cute story. I really enjoyed the contemporary romance as well as the fun dialogue throughout the book. It follows and male/male romance and I really enjoyed the quick and fun read.

**I received an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**

Wow, wow, wow! This is one of those books I had heard so much about and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I'm SO glad I did! It was amazing.

When things go awry at a royal wedding, Alex Claermont-Diaz and His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales, are forced to pretend to be best friends, when in all actuality, they are anything but. Alex has kept an incident that happened between the two when they were 14 top of mind and he just can't find it in himself to like Henry. Alex is working on graduating from college and then he has high aspirations to go into politics like this parents. Oh yeah, and there is the other little thing Alex needs to focus on, his mother's presidential re-election campaign.

Henry, as you can imagine, comes from a world steeped in tradition and as an heir to the throne, things must be presented just so. The problem is that because of these strict protocols, Henry is forced to push is happiness to the back burner and focus only on what is best for his family.

When Alex and Henry are forced to spend time together after the royal wedding incident, they find that they may actually have more in common than they realize. They begin to talk to one another and learn about one another. They really begin to see one another for who they are as people, not the bickering teens they once had been. The real question is, will spending all this time together result in friendship, or is there a possibility of something more?

I absolutely loved both Henry and Alex as people. They were complex, yet simple in their own right and they both were dealing with a lot of outside forces. They were wonderful together and apart. I also loved the supporting cast of characters. There were so many people involved in this story that made it that much richer from the sister's of the two guys, staffers, Secret Service agents, friends and even the parents themselves. 

Casey McQuiston did an absolutely phenomenal job with this book and I would recommended it to anyone in a heartbeat. It had it's emotion, it had it's heartache, but it also had plenty of humor, which lead to a very balanced and amazingly awesome read!

This is an extremely lovable book. Boy meets boy, boy hates boy, boy (shock!) realizes his hate is actually rooted in life-changing googly-eyed L-O-V-E! Oh, and the boys are America's First Son (FSOTUS) and the Prince of England. This book is so much more than meets the eye. The action takes place during the end of the first term of the first female U.S. President as she seeks re-election in 2020, so there is definitely some political wish-fulfillment going on that Casey McQuiston has somehow written in a way that made me happy and hopeful rather than shed tears over my Kindle. The side characters are just as developed as the two main (fantastic friendships & sibling relationships explored here...you'll ache to be a part of this friend group!) and overall this book is just a ton of fun. 👑👑👑👑👑 5 crowns for Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I first heard about this book I thought it was going to be a hot forbidden read but it turns out it's more of a fun sexy forbidden read and I loved it.

What else can be more forbidden than to fall in love with a man and when he lives in the other side of the world, oh well, the fact that he is the Prince of the most important Royally of the world and you are the First son of the President of the United State Of America 

When Alex and Henry met for the first time at the Olympics, neither of them imagined that right there will start a journey that would lead them to end up together. But not an easy road. First of all, they were like water and oil and this would cause a big scene for 2 important countries. The solution? Make the world believe they are the best bromance.

But the more time it passed, the more they realized they have lots of. Things in common, that would lead to a friendship and then to make big decisions that could ruin both lives. Or make them live as someone they were not.

""Sería una mentira, porque no sería él." It would be a lie, because it wouldn't be him. "" 

I loved the sweet story between Henry and Alex because it felt natural, both of them being "isolated" from the world and with just a few people to trust. Little by little they found something deep in the words they wrote to each other and in the calls when they would share their lives and their fear.

"From Jean Cocteau to Jean Marais, 1939:
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for having saved me. I was drowning and you threw yourself into the water without hesitation, without a backward look." 

The writing is funny and so different from what I have read before and enjoyed every moment.

REVIEW| Red, White, and Royal Blue 

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t totally sure when I requested this ARC because I hadn’t read anything other than M/F romance before 👬 and politics is usually not my cup of 🍵But let me just say,  I am so glad I stepped out of my tiny square box and tried something new!! Because this is a romance everyone needs to read. 
* Henry and Alex felt real to me and their love for each other was supportive and sweet. I’ll take intelligent and real over the alpha male” romance scenario, any day!  
*the side characters are people I want to meet in real life. June and Bea
and Nora 
*@casey.mcquiston is a master at dialogue. Funny banter, witty comebacks, it all felt authentic and had me laughing 😀
*It’s a great reminder that love is universally beautiful 
Only took off one star because the ending was too long

I picked this book thinking it would be a cute, light rom-com. What I got was so much MORE. It was full of likable & quirky characters, funny and relatable pop-culture references, and more than one laugh out loud moments. It was romantic and heart breaking at times. It touched on so many different social issues we are dealing with today, and it did so without being dull or boring. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It was a fantastic surprise and I can’t wait to reread it.