Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | book review

✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧

“History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue
Series: standalone
Author: Casey McQuiston
Published: May 14, 2019
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 
Category: adult
Genre: contemporary, romance, LGBTQ+
Pages: 421
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Goodreads page

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Synopsis

A big-hearted romantic comedy in which the First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]

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Thoughts

In February, to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit, I decided to read a highly rated book with romance, a.k.a. Red, White & Royal Blue. From what I’ve heard from other people, it’s super cute and a must-read. I happen to own a copy, so I thought what better way to celebrate love than read a book about love?

I don’t know why, but I didn’t process the fact that RW&RB is an adult romance book. Yes, I knew that it was in the adult category and I knew that this book focused on romance, but I didn’t put the two together. Maybe it’s the cover that made me think that it would be YA level fluff, but yeah, it’s definitely a romance novel. For those of you who are expecting PG romance… no. You are going to get some explicit details, so be ready for that. I was listening to the first half of this on audiobook, and I almost choked on my water when I got to chapter 5. My only thought towards the two main characters was:

(Sorry not sorry for bringing back this old meme)

The only (small) negative thing I have to say about this book is that the chapters are longer than I expected. I’m used to reading books with short chapters, so having them be more than 10 pages was new to me. I prefer shorter chapters, because it feels like the story is going by faster. My monkey brain needs to feel like it’s making fast progress, or else I lose interest. Other than that, the book was absolutely fantastic!

One of my favorite parts of the story is the characters.They are super flushed out and very well-written. The more you read, the more you get to see different sides of them. This really shines through in Alex and Henry. They have layers, and their complex personalities make the whole reading experience all the more enjoyable. The author did such a great job with them that I’m half convinced they’re real people.

Also, I loved how the author incorporated a lot of different aspects into this book. This story isn’t just about being queer. It’s also about the price of privacy, mental health, and politics. I think the author took a lot of inspiration from the United States’ 2016 presidential election, because there were a lot of similarities of what went down five years ago and this story. She also creates a perfect blend of the-odds-are-stacked-against-them and they-might-make-it. Even though their chances seem slim, you can’t help but root for the underdog because the characters are so lovable.

If you want to read an amazing romance novel, this book is for you. If you are looking for a fun LGBTQ+ story, this book is also for you. If you’re a fan of Heartstopper; Check, Please!; or Felix Ever After, and you haven’t read RW&RB yet, please add this to your TBR. It is worth the read!

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Conclusion

I give Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 4.5 out of 5 stars!

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What are your thoughts on Red, White & Royal Blue?
Do you agree with my thoughts? Disagree?
What are some other LGBTQ+ books that you recommend?

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Stay awkward and amazing!