Red, White & Royal Blue
Ratings846
Average rating4.1
When I first saw the blurb of this book, I was excited for it. It seemed like a promising entertaining rom-com (which I enjoy a lot) with a political/royal backdrop that felt like icing on the cake. However, this has just turned out to be soooooo much more. I don't even have proper words to describe how much I loved it – just know that I have already read it twice in three days because once was definitely not enough. This book has brought me lots of smiles and tears, joy, hope and optimism; so be prepared for a very rambling incoherent mess of gushing words masquerading as a review below.
I will be upfront and tell you all that I am a “The West Wing” (TV Show) junkie. There's just something so hopeful about watching a group of people working so hard in politics for the sake of the welfare of the people, without cynicism, with a lot of positivity and genuine interest in public service. Especially considering the dog whistle politics of our current times and the sh*t show we have been subjected to for more than two years now, I am very much thankful for the escapist/alternate reality setting in this book where a Female Texan Democrat with biracial children got elected as President in 2016 and is now up for reelection. It's probably too unrealistic but it's also something I didn't know I needed and the experience has been wonderful. The people working in the White House, the members of the First Family and everyone around them, the Senators we do get to meet in this book are in it for making the world better in the midst of hate and vitriol and scandals and I totally lapped it up. I sincerely hope we do get to see a President Ellen Claremont in our reality too.
Now coming to the characters. I usually prefer first person dual POVs in romance novels but this story being told in third person from Alex's perspective just felt too perfect. He is such a wonderful protagonist. He is America's heartthrob, charming, attractive, funny with massive approval ratings but that's not all he is. He has aspirations of his own – he is super smart and extremely politically aware, wants to be an active part of the reelection campaign even before he is done with his college graduation, and is already working hard towards his goal of being the youngest member of Congress in modern history. He can also be pretty hyper and over involved in things and forget the whole world around him, but as the story progresses we realize it is more like a defense mechanism that he uses to get past the things that are the root of his anxiety. I completely fell in love with him from the get go and it was great following his story.
Prince Henry of England is pretty much the opposite of Alex, atleast in appearances – beautiful and stoic and reserved and I loved the initial antagonistic nature of their interactions. It's pretty much obvious right from the beginning that their “arch-nemesis” vibe is less to do with not liking each other and more to do with the unresolved sexual tension but I appreciate the author for developing their friendship first. Through his conversations with Alex, we see that Henry is unlike the other royal family members, is very soft-hearted and thoughtful, doesn't want to take the traditional military route and concentrate more on his philanthropic aspirations that he shares with his best friend Pez. There is also an underlying sadness to him due to losing his father at a young age and watching him go through his periods of (possible) depression made me very sad. However, Alex understands and falls in love with all of him and the progression of their relationship from friendship to love was a beauty to behold and completely warmed my heart.
As theirs is essentially a long distance relationship, we get to read a lot of text messages, group chats and emails. And god those long emails.... I've seen a couple of reviewers complain that they didn't like them but I was living for them. They were pure, unadulterated, heartfelt love letters and my sappy heart was just waiting for more and more. Alex and Henry just pour out their hearts into words and they are beautiful to read. And these characters are complete nerds, so they also quote love letters from iconic historical figures and those were so much fun. I actually googled more of these historical (some possibly queer) love letters and it was an amazing experience. And the names and titles that Alex and Henry use to refer to themselves and each other are downright hysterical and I have to commend the author for her inventiveness. Their chemistry is absolutely delicious and the intimate scenes are written in a way I've not read before – very steamy and fun and full of feeling but with none of the usual vocabulary that we are used to in a New Adult book. I was totally impressed by the writing in every scene where they are together.
The advantage of a book with more than 400 pages is that it provides ample opportunity for well fleshed out side characters and I think the author does a bang up job at it. Alex's sister June is the one in the trio who keeps them steady when both Alex and Nora are too absorbed in their work. She is a journalism graduate and it was interesting to see her struggle with being unable to pursue her dream job because of journalistic neutrality and through the book, we see her figure out what other dreams she can pursue and how much she wants to be involved in her mother's politics. Nora, the Veep's granddaughter is the smartest of the trio, the data analysis guru (à la Nate Silver) who is always crunching numbers and may not seem good at emotional bonding, but is actually pretty good at giving pep talks when absolutely required. On the other side of the Atlantic are Bea – Henry's older sister who has her own issues from the past but is an absolute rock in support of her brother. And Pez... probably my favorite of the Super Six. He is like the shining star, charming and absolutely flamboyant and colorful, very comfortable in his own skin and wants to establish his charity organization internationally. All six of them may come from rich, political and royal backgrounds but they all felt so real and representative of the millennials and Gen Z – very aware of the society around them, both the good and the bad, and having a fire in their belly to do something to leave the world a better place than what they started off with.
The author also did a wonderful job in dealing with sexual identity in the book in different ways. Alex has always assumed he was straight but his realization that he may be bisexual, his introspection into all the little things that he may have dismissed before and finally being comfortable with his realization is all done with a lot of sensitivity and I really appreciated it. It also goes to show that sexuality is not set in stone that you have to decide on in your teens, people evolve and understand themselves better and sometimes, you realize things about yourself in your 20s and that's totally okay. And the genuine support he gets from his family is awesome. A female President's half-Mexican son getting outed in an election year is definitely a political hurdle, but it was good to see the family and the staff rally around him and prove that they actually do stand for the principles they espouse. In the case of Henry, he has always known that he is gay but he has to deal with the burden of the monarchy and their extreme regard for legacy and what it means to choose happiness over his birthright and country. Nora is also bisexual but she literally has no time or interest in dating and is too busy with her computers and numbers. We also have a host of other diverse characters and it all felt like a group of people around us in the real world and not tokenism.
Casey mentions in the author's note that she wanted to write a “trauma-soothing, alternate-but-realistic reality, a believably f**ked up world, but just a little better, a little more optimistic”. And she succeeds brilliantly in this endeavor. It definitely filled me with joy, gave me some hope that it is still possible to change our ugly reality, defeat the hateful, and maybe finally turn those unwinnable “red” states to “blue”. I love the way the author managed to keep the perfect balance between a swoon worthy love story and the reality of being a public figure with huge aspirations for the future.
I don't know if I have made any sense in the above almost 1500 word rant and I don't think I have truly been able to express everything that I felt while reading it , but to sum it up, this book is wonderful and it made me very happy and I recommend it to everybody. If you love pure, heartfelt love stories, then this book is for you. If you have ever binge watched The West Wing and loved it, then this book is for you. If you have felt dejected and exhausted with politics in the past two years and want to enjoy a little escape from reality, then this book is for you. In the author's own words - “I hope you found a place in here, even if just for a few pages. You are loved. I wrote this for you. Keep fighting, keep making history, keep looking after one another.”
A fun gay romp!! Full of pop culture references and tidbits about notable historical queers and some very beautiful reflections on grief and family and being queer and coming out.
Also, a nice escapist AU of America post-the 2016 election.
4.5 stars
This was a very fun read and an impressive book if the author's afterword story is true (having written it over years and nearly stopping multiple times and it being a debut).
The characters are established well right out the gate with distinct voices, which is something I've been struggling to find in books lately. They are all a little on the snarky side (note: lots of cursing and being vicious-out-of-love) which is probably just the own author's personality coming through, but it's in line with my own self so I enjoyed it. There are a lot of literal laugh out loud moments which, along with the more-explicit-than-expected sex scenes, made this is hard (ha) read on the morning commute.
Dick jokes aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book... the only issues I had with it are: all the politico but that's just me. I find that all endlessly boring and couldn't give a toss, so when the book goes into detail, my eyes started to cross a little. I also rolled my eyes a bit at the forced diversity. It seemed just so... aggressively millennial/Tumblr in parts. It's hard to explain without sounding like a complete asshole but if you agree, you'll know what I mean. Hashtag elder millenial problems.
An amazing book, it's now my favorite one. The way it's written and just the characters in general are good.
DNFing at 53%. i'm tired of trying to get through this book. the plot sounds great on paper but i can't stand the execution. the writing style makes me completely unable to connect with the characters (really can't stand present tense) and the endless pop culture references make the book seem like it's trying to hard to be cool and i feel like it's going to become so dated jn a few years. there are so many long descriptive sections and i'm still being told everything instead of shown.
i'm halfway through and i'm only barely invested in the relationship... not a good sign. probably should have stayed away from this when i realized it was gonna be politics focused but i was hoping so badly for a cute romance. this wasn't it for me and that makes me sad.
Livro meio coisinho, mas como todes sabemos, os livros de Casey McQuiston s\ao meio irrealistas então está tudo bem
DNF - PG 158
Why?
Because I find this book incredibly obnoxious.
Part of this is on me. I should have known I wouldn't like this book. I'm trying to treat my romance novels the same way I treat my fantasy/sci-fi (because no matter how popular it is, if a fantasy is called ‘grimdark' I will pass on it). This DNF is an effort to do that because I have a terrible habit of finishing romance novels even when I hate them. (The only one star books I've read so far this year are both romance novels.)
Okay, why did I DNF this book?
Reason #1: The millennial pop culture fandom speak.
I'm a millennial. I didn't understand 95% of the references made. I also didn't understand most of the (apparently) millennial turns of phrase. I don't talk like that. I never have. I don't know if other millennia's do or not. Side note: I've also never seen Star Wars. ... Do I lose my millennial cred?
Reason #2: Alex is an ass.
Not even a likable one. (Yes, some characters can be an ass and likable. I've seen it happen.) Somewhere around page eleven I made a Goodreads update wherein I state ‘Alex is kind of an ass.' I never liked him.
Reason #3: No rotating POV.
This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I hate it when all parties involved in the romance aren't given a pov. I passed on a poly romance because only two of the three involved got a pov. I have been known to dock a romance novel a full star just for this reason. I needed a Henry pov not just to help flesh him out but to get me away from Alex for awhile. (After reading some of the reviews, it seems that the book is riddled with inaccuracies concerning England and I can only assume that the author's lack of knowledge is why we don't get a Henry pov.)
Reason #4: The romance. Just...everything about it.
Okay, first of all, Alex and Henry get together way too soon. I don't even think they like each other much when they start having sex. Or, at least, Alex doesn't like Henry. Henry, I suspect, had a crush on Alex for awhile and he was FULLY AWARE. (Though heaven knows why.) Speaking of sex... Okay, I actually like the way the sex scenes are handled. There's a lot in the way of kissing and such before they have sex the first time and I like that the kissing is described in explicit, loving detail and the sex isn't. The sex is kind of - it's there, obviously, but it's summarized. I could tell what happened, but I wasn't feeling like ‘this is boring. Author? This isn't getting me off, though you're probably only typing with one hand' the way I feel a lot of times with sex scenes in romance novels.
Which, for me, is the only thing the romance got right. Because, really, the rest of the romance is kind of awful. Insults pass as affectionate banter - but it's not because these two, as of the point I stopped, have never been affectionate with each other so it really is just insults. In the space of little more than twenty pages, they have sex three times. ... And that's their only interactions during those twenty pages. Seriously. They meet up in Germany and all we get is about a page summary on that and all they, apparently, do is have sex.
That was the point that the wobbly wheel fell off and I decided that I was done because this is turning into one of those books that all the couple does when they are alone is have sex. I've read those type of books before. I invariably hate them.
Reason #5: Is this book supposed to be funny?
I get the feeling that, with the way people act, I've supposed to be laughing breathlessly at all the wit in the book. I was usually either cringing or rolling my eyes. I didn't find it funny, instead finding it incredibly obnoxious when it was trying (too hard) to be funny.
...
I will learn, eventually, to approached romance novels in the same critical manner that I approach all other books. Which means not just reading the book because everyone else loved it even though it offers you nothing you like (besides the LGBT+ rep, though I will say that Alex bi-realization was pretty okay, I thought) and being willing to fess up to your mistake and DNF when you realize that this isn't the book for you.
This isn't the book for me.
I tried very hard to keep up with reading this book but it had no plot. I guess it's readable if you're looking for a smutty book only.
I did not feel particularly one way or the other about Red, White, & Royal Blue. It was a good, quick read that had a lot of good banter, but I never found myself completely enthralled. I would still recommend for a fast summer read.
From the very first page, Red, White & Royal Blue had me completely hooked. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just two days — a rare feat for me! Casey McQuiston’s debut novel is the perfect blend of wit, heart, and political fairytale, delivering a beautifully crafted LGBTQ+ romance that feels both modern and timeless.
The story follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, the charismatic First Son of the United States, and his not-so-friendly rival, Prince Henry of England. Their relationship starts off with tension, fueled by years of mutual annoyance and carefully staged public appearances. But when a PR disaster threatens to sour US-British relations, the two are forced into a fake friendship to salvage diplomatic optics. What begins as damage control slowly blossoms into something tender, passionate, and wholly unexpected — a secret romance that could change the course of both their lives and their countries’ futures.
What makes this novel shine is its richly drawn characters and heartfelt exploration of identity, responsibility, and love. Alex’s journey of self-discovery is powerful and deeply relatable, especially for readers who are navigating their own understanding of sexuality. His voice is sharp, passionate, and sincere, and his evolution from a confident political wunderkind to someone questioning his future, his heart, and his place in history is both moving and inspiring. Henry, with his quiet charm and deep vulnerability, is the perfect complement to Alex’s fiery spirit. Together, they’re magnetic — a couple that makes you root for love above all else.
McQuiston doesn’t just give us a love story — they give us a world where love matters, where representation is empowering, and where two boys from vastly different worlds can change the narrative simply by choosing each other. The supporting cast is equally delightful — from Alex’s ambitious sister June to his best friend Nora, each character adds humor and warmth to an already rich story.
This book isn’t just for romance lovers. It’s for anyone who wants to see a story about growth, acceptance, and the messy, beautiful path to becoming who you really are. The pacing is fast, the dialogue is sharp and clever, and the romance? Utterly swoon-worthy. It’s exactly the kind of queer representation I wish I had growing up — joyful, unapologetic, and deeply affirming.
Whether you’re exploring your identity or simply in the mood for a heartfelt enemies-to-lovers romance with political flair, Red, White & Royal Blue is a must-read. And if you haven’t heard — it’s already been adapted into a movie, bringing this incredible love story to an even wider audience. I can’t recommend this book enough.
3.5 ⭐️
It was definitely enjoyable and funny even, but it was so much longer than it needed to be, and I never want to feel that way about a feel good romance.
so bad. the politics in this are so unbelievably childish. and politics is discussed A LOT. this is how i imagine those people who were wearing Notorious RBG shirts back in 2018 view the democrats. of course the characters and writing are awful too but i wasn't expecting an amazing piece of literature, but the forced wow our president just wants to help people 🫶 that's her only motivation 🫶 and everyone loves that seeing how america is today is just eyeroll inducing
A light, sweet and enjoyable read.
I liked the characters and representation of different sexualities. Alex and Henry’s characters have a lot of chemistry and they have development throughout the book.
The parts I didn’t like so much:
I couldn’t understand why this book was written in the 3rd person. Most of the book is from Alex’s POV anyway, so why not just make Alex the narrator? I feel like this way I would’ve been able to see more depth to his character and maybe Henry’s as well.
This is a very personal preference but the way the intimate scenes were written was driving me nuts. It was like the author wanted the scene to be explicit AND “close door” at the same time and it just didn’t work for me. But again, that’s just a very personal opinion, I know many people don’t like “spicy” scenes.
Finally, the book is at times way too idealistic, although that’s hardly a complaint because I read romance to escape reality lol.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, I can totally see what the hype is about and I always love to see bisexual representation in stories.
Es cute, es fluff con lime, referencias a Hamilton (persona real, no musical) y The West Wing. Al igual que West Wing, tiene un enfoque de la realidad política de US extremadamente positivo e irreal. Pero la historia es cute y el romance es bien romántico, los personajes son diversos y el conflicto del 3er acto no es un malentendido (que ya es un montón viniendo de una rom-com). All in all, lo disfruté.
I enjoyed this book but it took a long while for me to get into - mostly because I do not enjoy reading about politics that much. That being said, I did really enjoy the book the further I got into it. In particular, I loved the emails that Alex and Henry exchange. I think the politics in particular felt a little too close to home seeing as the US presidential election just concluded, and once the main drama of the book happened, I felt like I was just reading the last chapter knowing exactly what would happen (I didn't mind that too much though). Overall it was an enjoyable read - it had good LGBTQ+ representation, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and the characters were varied and had depth. I think I would've preferred reading this from Henry's perspective more, but again that might just be because I am British myself and feel more interested in Henry's coming out than Alex's because more seemed at stake.
I cannot stress enough how fun this book was. Cute, sexy, awkward. Everything you’d expect it to be.
Rick finally hits his stride and the stakes continue to grow as the world becomes larger and larger.
I'm sorry but why should I feel bad for a prince whose literal only problem is that his family doesn't know he's gay? I mean worst case scenario, you'll be fine! Boohoo for MAYBE having to give up your (undeserved) royal life.
However the author is great at building tension and the banter was great. Just wish those talents were used in a different scenario.
