*~~*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

Red, White and Royal Blue was a fun treat to read. This is a sweet M/M romance that starts with a bit of hate to lovers, unrequited love. I love that the romance was between the spare heir of England and the President’s first son talk about international relations.

I loved how the President accepted her son’s life with unconditional love. There were some interesting twists with the presidential election.

This book felt like a wish for a better society. It felt like a do-over to 2016 election. It gave me hope for 2020.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for letting me read and review this book.

A more in depth review will be posted in What to Read Next Blog on publication date.

The word ‘Love’ for this books seems like an understatement. From the first chapter I became obsessed with the lives and charm of these characters. The relationships they share are so wholesome and addicting. Casey’s writing styles will have you not wanting to put this book down for anything.

Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the United States, is a charming and brilliant character. According to the world, Alex is the American version of the current Prince of Wales, Henry. With this information the tabloids and the world should assume they will be instant friends, right? Wrong! (this is where the hate-to-love readers start jumping up and down). Due to an accidental mishap at the Royal Wedding, Alex and Henry are forced to becoming “friends” to save the reputation of their families’ alliance.

Alex would rather fake his own death than spend one more second with Henry. And Henry doesn’t seem so enthused about the arrangement either. Through time though, the two start to realize they have more in common than they might have realized.

Casey McQuiston knocked her debut piece out of the park!! The allure of her characters and themes, mesmerizes the readers into wanting more and more of what she has to offer. I knew I would love this book, but I didn’t expect to LOVE this book! I definitely recommend having a tissue box close by while you make your way through this coming of age story.

I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you to the publisher. This is EXACTLY the reason I signed up for NetGalley- so I can read books before my friends do, and tell them which ones I highly recommend. This is my top romance of the year so far, and in my top three for the last few years. Great back and forth between the characters, some predictable plot points that never feel too predictable- and some surprises on the way. This is the escapist fiction I didn't realize I needed so badly, and it's steamily romantic without ever being overly graphic. Five stars for these well-drawn and detailed boys, who are always charming and kind and seeking the good in the world. If the current news cycle has got you down, these two princes could really help you envision a more gentle world.

The concept of this book is really cute, and it's quite an enjoyable read. The new president of the United States is a Hispanic, divorced female with two college-aged children. The First Son of the United States (FSOUS) can't stand the crown prince in England and attempts to avoid any social interaction with him. Throughout the course of the book they establish a friendship, then a relationship that is quite cute and fun. All of the characters are quite likable and you find yourself wishing you could be friends with all of them. However, the book plot was predictable and there was way too much gay sex for my liking. I feel like a lot of the sex could have been implied and not quite so explicit. This book is classified as YA, however, I'm not sure it's age appropriate for some high school students because of the explicit sex portrayed.

I can’t believe it’s only February and I’ve already read the best book of 2019. That might seem like a call too soon to make, but trust me, once you’ve read this book, you’ll 100% agree with me.

Red, White & Royal Blue feels like it was written especially for me. It touched my heart in irrevocable ways and once I finished the book, I immediately turned back to the beginning to read it all over again. The novel features a bisexual protagonist, on a journey of discovering his sexuality, a rivalry turned forced friendship, and a beautiful romance that frequently had me in tears. Red, White & Royal Blue had everything I wanted in a novel and more, and I’m still in awe that a book like this even exists: a book where a part of my identity is so wonderfully captured.

Our protagonist is Alex Claremont-Diaz, the bisexual and half-Mexican son of the FEMALE President of the United States. He can be a little haughty at sometimes, he never stops talking, he knows he’s handsome, and he knows how to work people until he gets his way. But he’s also incredibly dedicated, loyal to a fault, and he loves so very hard and with everything he has. He’s a disaster bi in every sense of the word, and I just adore him so much.

Our love interest is Henry Windsor, the closeted gay Prince of Wales and one of the heirs to the Throne of England. He comes across as cold and stand-offish, but that only hides a heart that has been broken over and over again. Henry, although coming from a world of ultimate privilege, genuinely cares for the wider world and is incredibly empathetic. It’s easy to see why Alex would fall for him.

Alex and Henry are frenemies and have been in a rivalry for years — a rivalry which may or may not have solely been in Alex’s head — that explodes when the two men engage in a physical fight at the Royal Wedding, caught on camera and which immediately goes viral. In response, Alex and Henry are forced to become BFFs to ensure that international relations between the two countries remain peaceful. But what starts off as a fake friendship soon turns into a real one, through emails and text messages and late-night phone calls, discussing life, love and the demands of upholding your family name and creating a legacy.

Alex and Henry’s tentative friendship quickly turns into a friends-with-benefits situation, so when I say this book has everything I love, I really do mean everything I love: hate to friends to hook-ups to love. Their relationship is perfectly paced and developed, so the reader is right there, falling in love alongside the two boys. It’s heartwarming and tender and so so so soft, you can’t help but squeal in excitement and, if you’re anything like me, blush when Alex says “baby”.

But what I love most about Red, White & Royal Blue, illuminated through Alex and Henry, are the small moments of historical education peppered throughout the text. This comes in the form of Alex and Henry’s emails to one another, discussing and debating about the lives of prominent queer people from history, most of whom never had the opportunity to come out themselves due to the laws of the era they lived in: Alexander Hamilton, James I, Allen Ginsberg, Hendrik Christian Andersen, Virginia Woolf, Radclyffe Hall, Eleanor Roosevelt, Michelangelo, and many more artists and scholars that Red, White & Royal Blue teaches us about.

I can’t begin to explain the feeling of knowing that queer people have come before you, to know that people like you have a history, that they existed — have always existed. Many times throughout world history, queer people have had their lives and stories oppressed by brutal laws and an even more brutal patriarchy, but reading Alex and Henry’s emails to one another taught me that we are not alone, and we have never been alone. Alex and Henry may send quotes of love by queer people to one another to reaffirm their adoration, but what they reaffirm to me and every single queer reader is a history, a shared experience, and the knowledge that we belong.

Alex and Henry aren’t the only amazing characters in this novel. The background characters are all just as brilliant. I adore June, Alex’s sister who is ride-or-die for her brother, and Nora, Alex’s ex-girlfriend-turned-best-friend who is a super genius. The two women are in, what I read as, a polyamorous relationship, although I could be wrong as it is quite subtle but enough for readers to pick up on. If this is the case, I hope McQuiston writes a book or novella about the throuple! I also loved Alex’s mum, who creates PowerPoint presentations whenever she needs to help her children; and I completely admire Henry’s sister, Bea, who is the only family member who loves Henry for who he is.

Red, White & Royal Blue is a long contemporary, but trust me when I say Casey McQuiston’s writing keeps you glued to the page. The prose is engaging and draws you into Alex’s story with ease. I started this book at 6:30pm one night, intending to only read a chapter before dinner, but before I knew it, it was 10pm and I had read 56% of the novel and had completely forgotten my dinner. Only a really, really, really good book can make me forget about food. I can also perfectly see Red, White & Royal Blue as a movie, and I’m going to need Netflix or Hulu or someone to make it into one ASAP.

I highly encourage everyone to get their hands on a copy of this glorious, gentle New Adult book the second it’s published. Even though I received an e-ARC of the book, I’ll be the first person standing outside my local bookstore on May 14 — and you should be too!

This book is amazing and a bit smutty so I would say it's for 14 years and up. It draws you in right away. It's a really cute story and the characters are very 3 dimensional, even the side characters. Great queer representation - I love to see bi characters as main characters!!! Seriously, I don't get enough of them in the books I read. I recommend this book!
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I made the mistake of starting this book over breakfast before work and came thiiiis close to being “sick” so I could just stay home and finish it all in one sitting! I adore these characters, Alex and Henry feel like real people despite their only-in-a-romcom-circumstances of being the First Son and a literal prince and I love their individual voices. In fact, all the characters in this book are pretty strongly fleshed out, which is not always the case with the secondary cast of a romance. The plot does veer a little too heavily into political campaign stuff in the last chunk of the book, which I think made it a tad overlong but like, it’s still my ideal irl 2020 so I can’t be mad. Recommended for escapist fun, especially if enemies to friends to FWB to lovers is your jam!

This book is actual perfection and everything I needed. For starters, it's got a president with politics I agree with (which, even without the amazing love story, is something I could really go for right now). It's got great friendships and a lovely, supportive family. I would really like June and Nora to be my friends, please and thank you.

But...we're really here for Alex and Henry, right? And this is a love story for the ages. It's sweet and sexy and kind of adorable but also holy crap, so hot. So, so hot.

I couldn't even estimate how many times I laughed but I also cried twice and laughed while crying once. This book is a complete delight and I need Casey McQuiston's next book tomorrow, please.

This is going to be one of the best books of the year, but it's also the one to beat for my personal favorite of 2019.

Highly recommended.

I liked a lot of things in this book, especially the little allusions to the disaster that was the IRL 2016 election. It was fun to read something that was outside of the normal wheelhouse of fiction subjects and learn a bit about politics along the way (and also to pretend like Tr*mp never happened). Though there were many parts where I didn't want to put it down, there where also parts that weren't exactly engaging. I wanted more background on some of the characters, more pre-Whitehouse Clairmonts, and, weirdly, more "boring" political stuff. Like, how great would it be to have a romance that was both charmingly cute and also hella informative about the inner workings of U.S. politics?

That being said, I did really like this (I'm really stingy with my four and five-star ratings), though I might be a tad bias since I've been internet-following the author since long before she was an author. Like, 2009 Tumblr-following, I think. Or at least a few years on Twitter-following.

So, everybody read this because it is really fun and Casey is great.

This is the kind of story that had me smiling (even through tears at times) cover to cover. It’s moving, it’s relevant, it’s OH-SO romantic, and it's one of the best books I've read in a very long time.

This novel was charming and engrossing from start to finish! It included the perfect amount of real world politics, humor, and romance to make up an adorable book. This novel is now easily one of my favorite romances!

I love Alex and Henry! Red White & Royal Blue is easily one of my favorite new romances. I was grinning and swooning the whole way. Such a fun and delightful take on the royal romance!

I LOVED this book. I have been wanting to read this since I heard about it last fall and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Henry and Alex had so much chemistry in my opinion and I loved their relationships with their mothers. I think that the Zahri and Shaan arc really surprised me in the best possible way as well. June and Bea were probably my favorite characters and I would love to see another book about them, together or apart :D. I just loved this book and will be telling EVERYONE to read it.

I am not afraid to admit that I was rather surprised by this story. I expected a cute romance, potentially filled with quick-witted YA humor, descriptive action and memorable characters. Boy was I wrong! What I discovered was a VERY well written story that truly captivated me from the beginning. Not only is this extremely well written but it is funny, heartfelt, romantic and truly one of a kind. Not only is this a wonderful story, it is an important story to have on every library's bookshelves!