What do you get when you mix hate-to-love, humour, politics, and passion? Red, White & Royal Blue. It’s a good recipe, and if you at all enjoy romcoms, this will be your cup of tea.

People have been raving about this book, and for good reason. Most romcoms are, shall we say, the opposite of diverse. The romance genre is getting better, and this book is one of the reasons why. It’s an m/m romance, with characters that have different sexual orientations within the LGBTQ+ community. That alone is a big draw for audiences.

As I was discussing this book witha friend, we appreciated how the lgbtq+ romance was handled, specifically how one character realizes their sexual orientation. I don’t want to spoil it, so I won’t say more. Suffice to say, it was well done.

The romance itself? Oh boy, it’s good. It’s dramatic, yet sweet. I liked getting to know the characters, and getting to see how they grew close and changed due to their relationship. I ship Alex and Henry so hard, and they’re the driving force behind the book. The book is definitely very character-driven, but with such compelling characters it’s a joy to read.

This book is also sexy af, and hilarious. Like, laugh out loud funny. Bold. To see characters so comfortable in their own skin, and comfortable around each other is amazing. Their confidence is captivating.

Sometimes, there were cliches or little inconsistencies or some drama that I felt wasn’t quite there. But overall I have very little complaints about the writing itself.

Red, White & Royal Blue is a unique romcom, and I’m so glad I got the chance to review it for you. Honestly, even if you’re new to the romance genre, consider giving this one a go.

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius--his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all?

Such a beautiful book. It will make up laughs break your heart and take you on a whirlwind of a relationship. In a day and age where appearances are everything, despite people telling you that you need to be who you are, this book tackles the challenge of being who you truly are, while also keeping up appearances. Unpacking so many challenges facing LGBTQI today. It’s such a beautiful love story and I cannot recommend reading it 😍

What can I say that everyone else hasn't said? This book was just DAMNED GOOD. From the characters to the banter to the handling U.S. politics and what's happening today, I can't NOT recommend, this book just has everything that makes a feel good book.

Ya’ll. This book is - SO. GOOD.

(I don’t typically use the word “ya’ll.” Not being from the south, I feel like I haven’t earned the right to use it despite how much I love the way it rolls off your tongue.

However, in this case, the Claremont-Diaz siblings are from Texas, so I am taking FULL advantage.

Prepare yourselves.)

Despite being an LGBTQ+ Ally, I’ve never read any LGBTQ+ Fiction. Goodness knows it’s about time I did. I couldn’t be happier that Casey McQuinston’s debut, that’s literally taken the world by storm, was the one I picked up.

The wit and humor written into these pages are flawless. To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve laughed out loud in the middle of a book… that may have something to do with all the dark, YA fantasy I’ve been reading lately… but, McQuinston manages to establish a comedic presence even at the most stressful moments.

And… when the First Son of the United States and a Royal’s (specifically, the Prince of Wales) animosity turns into something much different, say a hot and steamy romance…. What could be stressful? Except that maybe it’s putting the Reelection Campaign for the first Female President in jeopardy and pushing the Queen to show all sorts of traditional edge. Of course, there’s some secrecy, deceit, and a whole lot of self-discovery.

Onto the Stars….

Character Development: 5 stars

Each individual character grew tremendously over the course of this book. Not to mention, the way the different relationships expanded and deepened to include all of the emotion and high stake events going on around them.

The Trio is amazing. Alex, June, and Nora have a relationship that has that realistic grit to it. Their banter is honest and endearing. Yet, McQuinston doesn’t paint their relationship with rose colored glasses. As in all friendships there is tension and disagreements occur, but McQuinston guides them through the natural ebb and flow of long term friendships in a way that we can ALL relate to.

The “Gang,” as Cash dubs Alex and Henry’s combined friend group is even better. Supportive, loving, and FUN.

Romance: 5 Stars

The romance is real. There’s nothing better than seeing a seething hatred morph into a sizzling chemistry where the two parts complement each other at every turn. From being taken off guard by each other, to being completely overwhelmed… McQuinston delivers on all fronts. Keeping it classy and

Overall Plot: 5 Stars

You don’t find a story that arcs like this one every day. It builds and maintains tension, chaos, and emotion, before resolving in an authentic way with such tact.

In all, Red, White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuinston is a superb reading experience. Double thumbs up from Ms. Biblio :)

Title: Red, White, and Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Pages: 432
Genre: YA Romance, fiction
Series or Stand-Alone: Stand-Alone
Stars: 5/5
LGBTQ?: Yes!
Bechdel Test? (Depiction of Women): Strong women portrayed!
Trigger Warning: Definitely lots of sex!

I received a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This sounded like a sweet romance (which it was!), but this book completely sucked me in! I couldn’t put it down. We follow the “First Son” (the POTUS’s son) who loves politics and plans to run for office. While in college, he works for his mother’s reelection campaign and spends a great deal of time working with other politicians. One person he hates interreacting with is Prince Henry from Great Britain. After a wedding debacle, they are forced to spend time together and take photos, proving to the world that they are on great terms. Things get romantic. I just love them and how adorable they are together! There are all kinds of amazing and hilarious pop cultures references as well. This book made me laugh so many times. It was fun and a definite purchase and reread for me! I’ve already recommended it to several people!

I knew the moment that I first heard about Red, White & Royal Blue that I absolutely had to read it. Luckily, I’ve been on a romance kick all of 2019 so far and I’ve been in the mood for a royal/political contemporary romance, so this book really hit the spot! Before picking this one up, I had a feeling that I would really enjoy the plot (because of a gut feeling and, later, because it kept getting recommended to me by fellow book bloggers). What I did not predict, however, was how much I would love the writing as well! I’m an English major (undergrad and grad), so I find that I can be very picky when it comes to writing. So, it’s rare that an author’s writing will impress me anymore.

Casey McQuiston’s writing stood out to me, though! And she also got me interested in the behind-the-scenes of the political scene in the U.S. and the U.K., which I think is quite an accomplishment. I mean, I stay up to date on politics, but I wouldn’t say that I’m passionate about them, or how things are done leading up to an election. I also, of course, loved Alex and Henry. And I also loved them together! Their chemistry was great, I became very invested in their well-being as separate people and as a couple, and I also found their storyline to be unpredictable (which is always a bonus in a romance). I laughed, I cried, and just really really enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue! I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary romance with more depth to it.

I quite enjoyed this book. I think there was something missing from it for me though. I’ve seen it be really hyped around everywhere. I think maybe I need to purchase it and give it a reread to fully appreciate it!

This is a romance between two princes: one, a member of the British royal family, and the other, the son of the POTUS. They move in the same widely influential monied circles, but in reality, they hate each other's guts. They cause an international situation when they get into a bit of a tug-of-war and fall into the $75k cake at the royal prince's brother's wedding. Oops! Then starts the publicity blitz to showcase their true bromance...which eventually leads to a true romance. But the two are separated by a large pond. How is their romance to flourish?

People have either loved this book or dismissed it -- I lie with the former group. This was a fun romp of a rom-com, not to be taken seriously in the least, especially when real politicians show up in ignominious and inventive ways or characters have names of real people but behave vastly differently. This is not a historical or a true contemporary romance where real people act like real people. I mean, the premise is utterly fanciful. For example, the fact that a college student has wide access to senators and representatives in Congress and is able to see political trends and suss out secrets that loads of staffers and aides haven't while attending college is definitely worthy of a hard eye-roll. But that is precisely the charm of this book. You let go off all preconceived notions of how such a story exists and unfolds and go with the flow.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Quiero que sepan que tenia este eARC desde hace meses, incluso antes que saliera en físicos. Tengo sentimientos encontrados había visto tanto hype en Twitter que realmente pensé que lo amaría. Estuvo bueno, la historia buena pero no fue nada del otro mundo. Además, me enoja cuando ponen un libro como este en Young Adult y no en New Adult o Contemporáneo. O sea este libro tiene escenas súper mega sexuales. Y en Young Adult, personas desde 14 años.
En fin, creo que las editoriales necesitan saber como vender sus libros. No todo es YA.

Creo que Alex y Prince Henry son dos personajes súper buenos. Saben algo, me encantaría verlos en la gran pantalla o en una serie de TV.
Es fácil de leer, no es complejo.

Swoon! Wow what an amazing novel! This book gives you love, it gives you politics, and it gives you witty banter between characters you wish were your best friends... what more could we ask for?! I can’t believe this is McQuiston’s first novel the writing is flawless. She developed a beautiful world full of LGBTQ+ characters and allies who will leave you smiling from ear to ear. I had chills multiple times while reading this book and it made me hopeful that the America portrayed in this story is the America of the not so distant future. The love story is beautiful, realistic, and sexy. I don’t think I’ve shipped a couple this hard in awhile! I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the authors next book to be released! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the e-galley.

"History huh? Bet we can make some."

Holy shit, Casey McQuinston you definitely did. This book was a masterpiece, I just need that to be out there before I continue with this review. Firstly, I want to say how easy of a read this is. Despite that, I took my time because I couldn't bare the thought of having to say goodbye to the characters.

The plot of this book is everything I look for when it comes to a romance. Enemies to lovers trope. Rivals. Angst!!! so much of it too, but done really fucking well. I absolutely sobbed my way through the last 100 or so pages, and other than that THE FUCKING INFORMATION.

I learned a good amount about Politics without wanting to gauge out my eyes, most likely due to Alex's very colorful language that I can totally relate too. It was refreshing to read about a woman president as well, and dead ass there wasn't a character that I didn't like! except Richards of course, and the Queen because nope.

Also can I just point out how much love this book was written with, you can literally read it in the voices of every character. AND ALL THE FANDOM REFERENCES. Alex's obsession with Henry being compared to Draco with Harry made me roar with laughter.

I can't even put emphasis's around this point (LET NORA AND JUNE DATE PLEASE)

The emails, the emails were probably my favorite part. It really displayed the differences between Henry and Alex in the most amazing away, and the quoting of the letters from historical figures? Bloody brilliant -as Henry would say-

All together, this book is a must read. It's full laughter, love, and understanding. Honestly, it was like embracing someone after a long hard battle. Alex and Henry's development shed light on knowing that you have choices. The world can be completely against you, but at the end of the day it's your choice if you allow those obstacles to stop you from obtaining the happiness you deserve. Rather its love, a career, a dream, or even getting to know yourself.

It's a story about love coming at the most unexpected times, and finding it in the least expected person but that shouldn't stop you from embracing it. Holding it close. I also feel as if this book is a treasure to the lgbtq+ community. I want to just thank Casey for displacing the love and support that exists in this world that we perceive as wicked and cruel. And that everyone is human, no matter what job or life they undertake. We should be more forgiving and understanding.

Love is Love, and this book absolutely proves that.

Also I want to point out one of my favorite parts of the book,

"His election night was on the wide-open stretch of Zillar Park, against the backdrop of the Austin skyline. He remembers everything. He was eighteen years old in first custom-made suit, corralled into a hotel around the corner with his family to watch the results while the crowd swelled outside, running with his arms open down the hallway when they called called 270. He remembers it felt like his moment, because it was his mom and his family, but also realizing it was, in a way, not his moment at all, when he turned around and saw Zahra's mascara running down her face. He stood next to the stage set into the hillside of Zilker and looked into eyes upon eyes upon eyes of women who were old enough to have marched on Congress for the VRA in '65 and girls young enough never to have known a president who was a white man. All of them looking at their first Madam President. And he turned and looked at June right at his side and Nora at his left, and he distinctly remembers pushing them out onto the stage ahead of him, giving them a full thirty seconds of soaking it in before following them into the spotlight."

I can not express how much this scene effected me, despite being read from a males POV the stand for women and feminism woven into this story left me completely awe-struck. I can not tell you how many times I reread that single part, tears blurring my sight because fiction or not, that moment was written with such hope for the future of women.

Summing up it up, if I could rate this higher than a five star read, I would not hesitate. It was incredible, and I was lucky to have received an arc in exchange for an honest review. And I am happy to brag about owning my own copy as well, and I cannot wait to see what Casey puts out next!

Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin
Rating: ★★★
Format: Netgalley EArc

This was a victim of the hype for me. I enjoyed it but it didn’t blow me away. I love the diversity and I am deffo excited to see what comes next from the author!

I'm very happy this book exists! I will be honest and say I was not ready to read a book that dealt with politics considering our current political climate but the description intrigued me. It was not long until I got sucked into the story with the breezy, witty, and sharp writing and the lovable characters. I loved the Trio right from the start and now I so desperately want to be in the Super Six.

The romance between Alex and Henry is sweet and developed slowly. I respect the author's decision to not have explicit love scenes, which stayed consistent throughout the book and I loved that their romance wasn't just relegated to the physical.. I thought the emotional intensity and intimacy, especially their emails (my favorite part of the book) brought their relationship to a whole other level. I hated to say goodbye to these characters and I selfishly want to see where their adventure leads. I'm still holding out hope that we get a companion novel or novels that follow June and Nora.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed this one. It covers so many issues that I’m not entirely sure where to start. It was cute, original, hilarious, and at times, heart breaking. Not to mention, I think I learned a bit about US politics. I adored all the characters but in particular, Alex and Henry, the front runners. I swooned at Henry’s prose, laughed at Alex’s jokes, and admired both of their courage.

Great book, fantastic characters. I think the author could make this into a series tracking the lives of each of them. I’d be super interested to see what apex and June do with their friendship, and I’m super curious to know if Nora will end up with anyone.

This debut is an over-the-top ride from start to finish, I just wish I meant that I liked it and not that it was cringe-worthy and a hundred pages too long.

Definitely a fairytale happy ending, which we rarely get in politics. I grinned, giggled, and the plot even pleased the political strategist in me. The nods to real life political/campaign scandals and events, the neurosis that comes with being a part of a politician’s staff, were on the nose. I appreciated the realistic reactions from Alex’s friends to his coming out, but not everyone’s experience is as ...neat as his was with his parents.

A light read, with just the right amount of depth. I’d read more from this author for sure.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2904105026

3 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

It is so hard to write a review for this book. For most of the book I rolled my eyes to the point I got a headache especially when I was being bashed over the head with political stance and social issues. The first quarter of the book turned me off to the point I almost DNFed this entire book. Alex is the first son of the United States of America of our first female president...that would have been cool had this fact not been told to us every turn in this story. Henry is the Prince of Wales and is expected to act like a proper English gentleman and heir to the crown. Alex and Henry have issues that are very much based of the fact that they are secretly harboring feelings for each other. They have an episode with the press and now they have to be fake best friends. There is all the other socially and politically ultra-woke thinking that is intertwined within this story as it continues one. I would have enjoyed the story had the romance of Alex and Henry had been more in the forefront and the political think had only been mentioned as a connection for Alex and Henry. If you are ultra-WOKE then you will probably enjoy this alternative look into what the world could look like. I am being very generous with the 3 stars because the more I think about it I really didn't enjoy this book and suffered through it so I could give it a fair assessment.

This specific video review will be included in the August 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

5 stars. Round of applause. Standing ovation.

This was everything I hoped it would be: funny, charming, well-written, sexy and romantic as hell.

Quite frankly, the love letters between Henry and Alex alone deserve five stars.

loved this book so much!! I couldn't put it down the first time I read it. It has such a good romantic story. I loved all of the characters in the book. Being the mother of a gay son I can only hope he finds someone like this in the future. I loved Alex and Henry's chemistry, wit, and the emails written to each other showed so much love.

How can a review even do this book justice???

Oh my gosh, SO cute. Exactly what I was looking for in a quick summer romance read. The relationship between our two (gay!) MCs was the cutest thing of my life. So glad I picked this book up (thanks Netgalley!) and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a m/m romance.

Review on blog!