Cover

I wish the cover was a little more animated and you can actually see Alex and Henry interacting. But, that being said, the cover is how I first got interested in the book so although it's not the best it could be, it still does its job.

Plot

I knew the plot was going to be filled with drama but I wasn't sure what the drama was going to be. Henry is in a place where he is told to keep who he is a secret. He's not allowed to be gay because it's against the royal family and what they stand for. He almost has no support in the palace. Alex, on the other hand, has all the family support but it may cause his mother, the first female President, to lose her second run for office.

The love between Alex and Henry is perfect. It's not instant-love, which I appreciate and they slowly fall for each other and all their quirks. They are not perfect themselves, their flaws are often shown but you can feel their connection. I could NOT stop reading this book. The only reason I would stop is because I literally had to. I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for the couple and their love. The politics in the book seemed very realistic as well and cut throat. It was an interest look into the future of politics and if we grow as a society or not.

I also have to say that I enjoyed this being a New Adult vs a Young Adult book. We got to see some sexy times, although not in too much detail. It was a nice addition to Alex and Henry's relationship and we really got to see their love through those actions as well.

We do see the relationships Alex has with his sister and their best friend Nora, but sometimes I do wish we had a chapter or two from Henry's POV. I really wanted to see his dynamic with his best friend Pez. Pez was mentioned a lot and we saw him once or twice, but we didn't really get to know him or how he is with Henry.

Characters

Henry is my favorite, hands down. I absolutely adored him and wish we got a chance to see some of the story from his POV. He's forced to hide himself from even his family, having absolutely no support until he meets Alex. He suffers from depression and anxiety and we get to see that hands on. I love that he's so flawed and we can see him morphing from Henry, the human to Prince Henry, who has an obligation to his family. It's a very real story and I feel for him as soon as he and Alex started their friendship. We get to see him grow and develop as a character and change his story and take charge of his life.

Alex is the half white/ half Mexican First Son of the first female President of the US. He struggles with his identity because America is still very white and against immigration. We see him struggling with his sexual identity at 21, something that many people go through but we don't hear about. We see him go through a career struggle as well....he thought he knew what he wanted but all of the things he goes through with Henry change his priorities and his path.

Both of them go through a change in this book and it's a beautiful development story. They grow in their own ways and help each other figure it out.

I basically INHALED this book. It was so fun and romantic, and I loved every second of it. I will 1000% be buying copies of this for my store and recommending it to everyone. Also, I'm half Mexican and that is not something I see represented very often, so that was really great!

I rarely read LGBTQ themed "legit" novels. And by "legit" I mean, the ones that actually cover the real feelings of the characters who, in a way, struggle with their identity. I always love cheap MM or even MFM romance but that's because they focused on the hot, sweaty romance and that's it. With legit novels like this one, I always have this, fear of feeling, lurking in the corner while I'm reading them, that's why I tend to stay away. Yet, when I read the blurb of Red, White & Royal Blue, man... I can't help but crave to read it! >_<

Alex is the son of the 1st female president of the United States. Henry is the prince of Wales. They fell in love with each other. What could go wrong? Well, everything, basically.

I love this book so much. Alex's such a goof; smart but goof, and I adore him. He's free, yet always made sure that he didn't mess up. Thoughtful too. And the way he handles himself and Henry, man, I want an Alex for myself!
Meanwhile, Henry's basically the opposite of Alex; controlled, aloof, and somehow detached from life. It's almost like he's living a monochrome life. That's why when they meet each other, instant sparks. It's so fun to see their relationship transforms from enemies to friends, and finally, lovers. Henry's very loving and Alex's gentle yet firm approach, gah I'm in love with both of them!

Sure there are parts that seemed forced to make the story got its HEA, but it's fine by me. Alex's family, Henry's mom and sister, I'm glad that these boys are surrounded by people who love them genuinely.

This book is amazingly good. I laughed, blushed, pissed, and cried a lot while reading it. It reminds me that the struggle with being gay is real, that LGBTQ community is dealing with these overwhelming feelings every day, for their whole life. Fear of being rejected, fear of being ridiculed, or even being cast away. I'm very relieved that these days people are being so open with their sexuality and so accepting. It's about time. I hope people will be more loving and supportive of each other, no matter what their gender or sexuality is.

I honestly surprised that my wish for this book is granted! Ahaha, it's my first time. Thank you so much! :)

I absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with the main characters, and I became invested in their lives. This book made me laugh, cry, and curl my toes. I didn’t want it to end, and I wish that I could read it again for the first time. I will definitely recommend this book. I am a high school librarian and my only concern is that I would need to recommend this book to a mature student. I think that this book is more New Adult than YA but I would definitely purchase it for my library! I am so happy this book was written, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

This book was everything to me. I could not read it fast enough. I fell in love with Alex and Henry immediately and wanted nothing but the best for these two characters. I laughed out loud reading this book and shed a few tears over it as well. I really hope that this story continues because I can’t see an end to their story. Even the side characters, June, Nora, Pez and Bea have stollen my heart. They’re are just so pure. Automatic 5 stars.

THIS STORY HAS EVERYTHING.
Insert that Stefon gif from Saturday Night Life.

Enemies To Friends To Lovers!
Fake Friendship Dates!
Sneaking out on the Secret Service for Secret Dates!
Supportive Sibling Relationships.
All the banter! All the gay snark!
A Wealth of West Wing References! Even more Hamilton references!
People Looking Hot Whilst Playing Polo.
A Trans Lesbian Secret Service Agent.
Epic Love Letters That Will Make You Cry!
Dramatic First Kisses! Dramatic Love Confessions!
A lot of Drama all around tbh!

THE MOST DISASTROUS BISEXUAL DISASTER TO EVER. THE GAY DISASTER TO BE HIS MATCH.


Alex, my bisexual disaster, let me love you forever.

You guys, I loved this book so much, I smiled from beginning to end, except for when I was crying, and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it, which unfortunately for me was at five in the morning. But honestly, it was worth it, because I loved this book. SO MUCH. I've been looking forward to it ever since I first read the blurb, and I'm so happy I got my wish for an ARC granted at Netgalley because this means I can read it MORE THAN ONCE THIS YEAR.

I'm honestly pretty sure it's going to be one of my favorite romances of this year, and I'm definitely requesting it for Yuletide because I can't get enough of these two.

I mean, it has so many of my favorite tropes. A bisexual character discovering they're bisexual without really freaking out about it? Amazing. And well, it's not so much that Alex didn't freak out, but most of the angsting had to do with I AM THE SON OF THE PRESIDENT AND HE'S A ROYAL PRINCE, and very little with internalized queerphobia. Seriously, before his Big Bi realization, there are so many moments where Alex comments on the attractiveness of guys, without ever having a No Homo moment or feeling otherwise weird about it. I was so charmed by that. Most of all I loved how, after he's hit with a dramatic cluebat and realizes he might be into dudes, Alex was like, HOW DID I MISS THIS? I'M AN ADULT? And then he goes back and realizes that all those times he wanted to be like a guy? All those times he thought someone was really attractive? All those times he made out with a guy??? Probably meant he was into guys.

This part of the whole thing was so recognisable to me, as a bisexual woman who only realised she was actually bisexual in her late twenties, and before that thought she was just openminded (yes, the reason I love Bisexual Disaster Characters is because I'm a Bisexual Disaster myself), the EUREKA moment when you realize that all those things you thought were just intense friendship or intense admiration or intense making out as friends?? were actually crushes? And suddenly the whole world and you yourself make so much more sense? That moment is so important to me, and it was brilliantly done in this book. Seriously, if this moment was the only moment this book got right, and the rest of the book would have sucked, I still would have loved the book, because it got this aspect of being bisexual SO RIGHT.

But there is so much more awesomeness to find in this book. Alex's relationship with his sibling and friend, Alex's relationship with politics and the politicians he grew up with, which include his parents. Alex's genuine care for people and his desire to make the world a little better. I loved how he had a switch that was always on, and he was basically always running into things head-first, even if he had no idea what he was doing, and I loved how he was almost entirely motivated by feeling and emotion and care, which was so refreshing to see in a main character, especially a male one with political ambitions. Alex feels so much, and he's mostly rewarded for it.

I really liked Prince Henry a lot as well. We're not in his head, so it takes a little longer to get to know him, especially because at first he's very closed off and aloof. But once Alex gets through his veneer, he turns out to be an amazing and lovable character. I loved his British poker face and his no-nonsense way of dealing with Alex' shenanigans. I loved how he's been closing himself off all of his life, and then once he starts opening up there's just no stopping him and he keeps giving parts of himself more and more. I loved his relationship with his sibling as well, and especially how non-judgemental he is about her former drug use. He just loves her. And he's lost one of the people he loves most in the world (his grief is palpable throughout the whole book, and I really liked how it wasn't a simple fact from his background, but how it shaped him as a person and informed so much of his behavior and motivation.) so he's not going to lose her. I loved how he's just as much as a disaster as Alex, but just slightly better at hiding it away. Until you find out he's such a gay disaster that he once had Alex sent away because HE WAS TOO ATTRACTED TO HIM. Amazing.

What I loved most is how into each other they both were, and how long they had admired and lusted and desired one another, and how both of them failed so hard at dealing with all those feelings. I loved how they both disliked each other at first mostly because they liked each other so much, and felt slighted. I loved how they developed a friendship out of that because since their dislike was so open, they felt they could be honest from the moment they actually started talking. I loved how from the start they understood each other's struggles with the duty to one's family and country, and both still also wanted to reach for love and romance.

Anyway, as you can probably tell, I liked them both a lot :D

I did have a couple of qualms. The first one is a personal one about content warnings, and something that might be solved with the official publication, since my copy was a digital arc. I find people being outed very hard to read about, since it's an experience that hits very close to home. And this one is bad. Alex not only gets outed, he really gets outed with malicious intent, and he and Henry are outed to the whole world, and it's incredibly vicious. I bawled. And while I could see it coming from miles away, I didn't quite expect the raw emotional impact it would have on me. SoI would have liked a warning up front that this was an aspect of the book, especially with the comedic cover and blurb. But then I really hope Publishing at large starts to embrace Content Warnings for a broad scala of things, and stops thinking that it'll be spoiling things. It really doesn't.

Also, and this is very much a matter of taste, I don't always like too many cultural references in contemporary romance. While I adored and expected the West Wing references, there were a lot of other references as well, and on the whole, that more often pulls me out of the book than pull me deeper into it. Also, I worry it might date the book too soon, and honestly, I want this to become a classic.

Related to that: the current Trump administration is so terribly depressing, and this book is obviously at least partly written in reaction to it, as a way to create a counterpoint to all the toxic bullshit in American politics at the moment. However, sometimes, when the critique was a little too much on the nose, it pulled me out of the story. I love the fantasy of there being a (divorced!) female President of the US, who has Latina kids, and one of them is bi, and everything ends up okay. That is the kind of world I want to live in. But with all the references to the actual world, like unsafe email servers, super-rich Republican GOP assholes running for president... sometimes that made the fantasy feel unrealistic. It's hard to write a contemporary queer romance, that's so deeply set in current politics, and not lose the fantasy aspect of it a little I think. And since I like the fantasy of romance to escape the current political landscape, that was a little hit or miss for me.

Also, while I loved Alex a lot, at the start of the book his self-unawareness was a bit much, and he read like a bit of an asshole because of it. When I went back to the start after finishing the book this aspect of his character made more sense to me, but it made getting into the book when I first started reading a little harder. Something similar happened with his studies. I liked that Alex was still very much a stressed college student with color coding and complicated planners for everything. I disliked, however, how we're told more how awesome and brilliant Alex is at policy and politics than we're actually shown it. There was a balance there that didn't quite work out.

But these were all smaller qualms, that didn't break me out of my thrall with the story. Like I said before, I started reading at 11 pm, finished it at five in the morning, and laughed, cried and devoured over half of my fingernails while reading. I fell in love with Alex and Henry, and with how they fell in love. I fell in love with their friends and siblings and their support system of Secret Service Agents and the whole Royal entourage.

I honestly want to read so much more about these characters. I want to read about Nora, June and Pez and whatever happened between the three of them in that hotel room, and whether they become a polyamorous relationship for real. I want to read about Amy and her wife. I want to read about Rafael and his future as a gay Senator (and I want him to be happy. The author has hinted at a love interest on her twitter, and my money is on Cash.)

And most of all, I want to read more about Alex and Henry and how they eke out a place in the world where they get to be happy together and make the world a little better, one crazy adventure at a time.

Loved, loved, loved this book and I've probably highlighted half the book.
There is absolutely nothing I didn't like about it. I loved the characters, how their relationship progressed from hate to love. I loved the minor characters, the humor, wit and banter. It was just really f**king awesome.

Full review soon.

3.5/5

This was cute. I like how we got to see the development of Alex and Henry's relationship. It went from a "rivalry" to lovers, but it didn't happen instantly, which is greatly appreciated as I hate insta-love stories. Having Alex and Henry destroy the royal wedding cake that cost over 70k just seemed like a perfect way to make these two become fake friends to control the political heat that was ignited from this incident. I'm glad this fake friendship was able to develop into a genuine relationship because as the story goes on Alex begins to realize how he has no friends besides his sister and Nora. The loneliness of the two had brought them in finding comfort in each other and confiding in each other, which makes great bonding moments.

Another thing I like about this was the diversity, not just in race, but also in sexuality. It took a while for Alex to figure out and to come to terms of his bisexuality (which many characters had an idea of except for Alex, who had remained oblivious until this moment). Although Alex had soon come to terms with his sexuality, you can tell that he struggled a bit in coming out, which was shown in how he had slowly come out to one person at a time. The fear that he and Henry faced was very well written as two prominent figures in two powerful countries created great stress on these two. As any relationship goes, there were a few bumps on the road, which I thought were resolved rather well.

Despite all the great things that happened in the story and the great characters that it has, there were some things that I did not particularly like. I did feel that the plot was a bit slow in the middle and as someone who is not too keen on politics, I will admit, my interest kind of wavered about 3/4 of the way through the book. Thankfully, I was able to pull through.

Overall, this was a good book for those who don't mind a bit of politics along with great LGBT representation and a diverse cast. But do keep in mind that this is a bit on the longer side, so it may not be a quick read if you're looking for that.

Have you ever fell in love with a book description at first sight, well I did, especially because it has two of my favorite plots President Son and Royalty plus with a little twist to the story both protagonist are male, instant one click

Red, white & royal blue was a very nice surprise when I found it. I mean, just read the description I was obsessed, I need it to read it and let me tell you It did not disappoint.

This is the story of Alex Claremont- Diaz and Prince Henry of Wales. And how one disaster event led to a romantic tale between both of them, but what happenes when the relationship can put U.S./British relationships at risk. Is it worth fighting for or is better to walk away?

This a a hilarious and romantic story, that not only gives you the swoony moments, the thrilling moments or the funny moments, but also touch base on plolitics and how a world would look like if we had a woman as the U.S. president , it touches your heart as right now we don’t necessarily live in the ideal political world, but it paints you a picture that I hope one day we can achieve.

The characters were all amazing, protagonists and side characters they all had their charm that add depth to the story. The writing was great and overall this story is great for fans of rom-com stories, that just want to read about two great people and how their love overcomes everything. This is a debut novel by Casey Mcquiston I honestly cannot wait to continue reading whatever other great story she give us.










******A Thank You to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an Advanced Readers Copy for an honest Review ******

So first off, thank you random generator on Netgalley that selected me to receive an e-arc of Red, White, and Royal Blue - you're a champ.

Secondly, thank you Casey McQuiston for taking the time to write a book that not only ticks all my romance boxes but for also writing a book that takes the time to make it so much more than just two people from opposing sides falling in love. You made it a story about family, acceptance, and love.

Now onto the rating, I've recently come up with a system to help me come up with this rating.

The Cover - how much do I like it on scale from 1 - 10? 9 I think the cover is lovely and very eye catching.

Writing Style - descriptive and easy to follow 1-10? 7 (some of the political stuff went over my head and I can see it being a problem for people not familiar with America's two-party system. Most of what I know is from the Daily Show with Trevor Noah and HBO's fantastic series The Newsroom)

Characters - likeable, realistic, and are they their own unique person? Can I tell them apart? 1 - 10? 7 - admittedly I got confused in the first quarter on how many siblings there were.

The Overall Story - Is the story complete? Is the message clear? 1 - 10? 10. Honestly I can't find a fault in the story.

Freebie - did I like it? 1 - 10? Mother effing 10. You bet your butt I did.

Final count? 4.3/5

I got about halfway through this book. It wasn't bad, it just didn't knock my socks off. I wanted to love the dream of an affair between the son of the first female American president and the Prince of England. What a fun premise. In the end, I just didn't like the American son, Alex enough to make it through the whole book. I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start off by saying this book absolutely blew me away!
I really wish there was more LGBT books like this one when I was growing up.
The author made me fall so deeply in love with these characters on a level I’ve never felt before.
The story centres around Henry who is the son of the president of United States of America and he has to befriend Prince Henry of England after their hilarious run in at a royal wedding.
I have to say I’ve never cried and laughed so much reading a book in my life!
The characters personalities literally jump off the page.
I connected with Henry most and he is definitely my favourite character.
This story really captures what it’s like dealing with trying to find yourself and your sexuality.
Overall I would recommend this book to anyone!
It had an amazing cast of characters who made me laugh so much that I literally could not put this book down so I read it in one sitting.
I gave it a fully deserved 5 stars.

I have been singing the praises of this INCREDIBLE story all day long, and to be honest, the entire time I read it. Just the representation in this book is off the charts. I loved that the main character's mother was the President of the United States. The relationships between Alex, his sister June, and Nora, their close friend is so wonderful. They do just about anything for each other. Without question. dislike Alex has for Henry, that turns into a different kind of passion. It was a slow build, friends first. 

Passion, there is so much passion in this book. Starts as passionate disdain, then it escalates to fiery psychical attraction. Casey writes it all very tastefully. I really think there is an art to writing those kinds of scenes. There are times to be crude, and graphic. Then, times to just let the readers mind make the jump. Casey does just that. It can really get your heart pumping. Then, just the way it all ends. Just perfection! I am absolutely buying this when it releases! My heart was so full afterwards. Like all was right with the world.

I ADORED this book and I'm already ready to name it the best book I read this year, and its barely even February. Its a funny, sweet, amazing romance and I can't wait to see more from this author. The dialogue is believable, the steamy scenes are so well written, and the characters are well developed and just wonderful.

*~~*ARC kindly provided to me for an honest review *~~*

- Review to come

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words

I knew from the synopsis that this would be a book I'd enjoy, I just didn't realize quite how enjoyable it would be.

This was the perfect mix of rom-com, Parks and Rec, and The West Wing (all things I adore). Because of the length of this, McQuiston was able to make the political goings-on an important part of the story instead of just the convenient background that brought Alex and Henry together. It would have been easy for this to be a fluffy romance (and it would have been an entertaining one!) but the addition of these more serious stakes made this a truly enjoyable read.

The length also made it easier to have developed, fully fleshed out side characters. One of my biggest romance pet peeves are when side characters are used as a quick sounding board for the main characters and then discarded. In this story, Bea, Nora, June, and even the adult characters all felt like real friends and family. I cared more about the Alex/Henry storyline because I knew more about the world they lived in, and knowing their friends and family so well made me invested as if they were my own friends/family.

While I did with I could be transported to this alternate U.S., it reminded me the change and progress are possible. Not the message I was expecting when I began a fun romance story, but it was so appreciated. I look forward to reading more of Casey McQuiston's excellent work in the future.

What a sweet story - I am, as the kids say, shook. Forbidden love, found family and family dynamics, political intrigue, humor ... it's all here! I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with Alex and I think this would do well as a must-read for all teens, LGBT or otherwise!

Red, White & Royal Blue, or alternatively titled Let's See How Many Pop Culture References We Can Fit In One Novel. (The answer is afuckinglot.) I'd even bet money on the author being a big Harry Potter fan. 😂


(quote) When Alex was a kid he dreamed of love like it was a fairytale 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. (quote)


Wow, where to begin with this glorious book. I had no idea going in RWRB what it would be about other than royalty and gay and tbh I was sold on that. The first quarter of the book I didn't like and couldn't really get into. The Pop Culture references were cute but they were almost overkill along with all the excessive cursing. Listen, I myself say fuck often but there are times you need to be professional. I rolled my eyes so much I didn't think I would finish the book. 
But... oh... then the second half happened. The writing in the second half destroyed me in the best way. I would go from laughing out loud to sobbing to rolling my eyes at random pop culture back to sobbing and finally back to laughing. It was a whole rollercoaster. Bless this book and the author for letting us see Alex's anxiety and and touching on the subject of Henry's depression. Alex and Henry have a a spot in my heart and deserve the world. I don't care if they're fiction. 
Let's all pretend Red, White & Royal Blue is canon and 2016 never happened and the world isn't so shitty.


(quote) “I think it’s amazing,” Nora says. “Sworn enemies forced to make peace to settle tensions between their countries? There’s something totally Shakespearean about it.” 
“Shakespearean in that hopefully I’ll get stabbed to death,” Alex says. (quote)


Enemies to Lovers. Forbidden love. History. Sarcastic humor. It's a fanfic's version of a wet dream. 💦 Also, I've apparently I've read too much Larry fanfiction in my time because for almost the entire book my brain kept trying to change Henry to Harry. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

A sidenote: Not sure if it was just the digital copy but I wasn't a fan of the time jumps with no indication. 

***Thank you to St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read Red, White & Royal Blue. Quotes are taken from ARC and are subject to change.***

This story was engaging. The main plot is the romance. However, it still contained plenty of politics, humor, and family relationships. I did keep reading to see how this forbidden romance would end up. I think this fits well in the new adult genre.

OK, this was like Meg Cabot's American Girl and Rachel Hawkins' Royals (except it's ~hella gay~ and not YA) with a healthy dose of Veep. And basically that's everything I could have ever dreamed of from this book. I had a few minor issues with pacing (I wanted more of a slow burn to be honest... the first part of this book with the "I hate you but I really love you" frenemy plot was my absolute favorite part) and some of the dialogue/plot can err on the side of slightly silly (especially toward the second half) but goddamn if this wasn't a fun and heartwarming time. Gimme the movie ASAP. I'm lookin' at you Netflix