Red, White & Royal Blue
Ratings846
Average rating4.1
3.5 stars, I'd say. It was much more thorough and meaningful than the movie. It was much smarter than I thought it was going to be too.
Decided to pick this one up after watching the movie last year. It was exactly as I imagined: fun, with a youthful flair and full of things that never would have happened in our bleak real world. And that was exactly what I needed right now.
So different from the movie adaptation in soooo many ways.
However, I love the SLOW BURN of their romance. My heart is so full.
I absolutely love the LGBTQ+ and brown representation. This novel feels so progressive, light hearted in many ways but gives you a sense of hope.
Love the agenda, love this book, love the film! I would read it again
i love the way casey mcquiston writes well rounded characters to the point that the side characters are well rounded
Reread after 4 years, this book still gives me the flutters, the sparks flying off of the page. Such a cute and wholesome book that will be my comfort read.
Sure it's a little bit cliche, of course everything turns out okay, and of course the entire world just accepts them for who the are, but I think that's the beauty of this book. Its so comforting to know that nothing will go wrong and that everything will be okay no matter what.
This book has the most adorable cast of side characters ever.
And obviously, Alex and Henry. I love Alex because he's that one friend who will never fail to make you smile, and Henry has so much love to give.
If you need a cute ‘us against the world' gay story, this is absolutely it.
Book/Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Frenemies to loversForbidden romancePOV: Singular, Third PersonSpice
i avoided this book for a long time because the premise sounded cringy and i just didn't think it was worth the hype.
it is worth every bit of the hype. the characters are loveable, the premise is a bit cringy but they pull it off extremely well, and it is SO funny without seeming like its trying to be funny. alex and henry as characters are so very dear to me, and their story made me genuinely cry, which doesn't often happen with me.
my first read of the book i finished in one sitting. completely wrapped up in this book for 8 hours straight. my first reread, a few days before the movie dropped, was also in one sitting, except this time i flew through it in 6 hours. i can tell that this is one of those books that is just as good the fifth time you read it as the first.
to any movie watchers here who haven't read the book: read it. everything the movie does, the book does even better, and you are missing out on so many plotlines and little details that the movie unfortunately just didn't have time to fit in. trust me when i say you need to read the emails in their entirety at least once in your life.
I was surprised by this book.
I didn't really know what to think about it, I had seen very bad and very good reviews. I personally think it's a well written book, and with a good story and plot.
But it's also important to mention that, I, living and being from a monarchy have noticed, and I know things that are clearly only possible in the book. Because yeah, that's not how a monarchy works, (if you've read it, you'll understand me, if you haven't you'll have to read it ;)). (I say this knowing damn well I'm a monarchist, but some things have to be said).
And the last thing is that the fact that names from the actual British Royal Family were used was weird, because the face of that people came to my mind, and I couldn't really imagine those character's appeareance nor personality.
But well, I'll just leave you here my favourite quote: “He wants to set himself on fire, but he can't afford for anyone to see him burn.”
The relationship building here was amazing. Very well-written. Loved the whole concept.
4.5 Stars. I really enjoyed this book. I'll admit, I watched the movie first (I know, scandalous). I saw this on bookstagram a while ago and thought it was cute but not something I wanted to peruse. Then I started seeing instagram clips of the movie and decided to check it out. I thank Casey McQuiston for writing such an amazing book that inspired one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.
In terms of the book, I really liked how everything played out and the intimacy is clearly displayed on every page. I think my favorite part of the story would have to be the emails between Henry and Alex because it showed how profound their love for each other is. I know people don't love the political aspect, and I see where they are coming from. Yes, the politics are all idealized and seen from one perspective through rose (or rainbow) colored glasses, but this book isn't meant to replace a Politics 101 textbook. I think the part with Rafael Luna and the disagreement with Alex speaks the most truth; sometimes people get into politics for the right reasons but they end up getting consumed by the power. The only reason I am not giving the book 5 stars is because Chapter 15 to the end (the aftermath of the emails) is too drawn out and I felt the book should have ended earlier.
Also, the chapter lengths are way too long.
I have to admit curiosity lead me to read this book. I saw it on the NY Times best seller list last year, which isn't common for a romance. Then, after seeing it stay there for a while, I read the description.Son of the US President falls for the Prince of England. Say what???So, initially, I thought, not for me. Not my thing. But, I kept seeing the title and became intrigued. Who wrote it? A man? A woman? I looked up the author who prefers the pronoun they, so my question went unanswered. But, did it matter? As an author myself, I've written from the male and female points of view (though I admit writing from the guy's perspective is harder for me.)Then, I wondered, how different is a guy-on-guy romance from a guy-on-gal romance? I know from seeing my gay friends, that the guys relate way differently from how my husband and I do. There's a roughness they have that I don't share with my spouse. I even remember asking who does what in the relationship. I mean, we don't strictly follow a normal gender roles, but I do the dishes. My husband handles the care maintenance. I asked my gay friend how they divided the labor and he said, “Whoever is better at something handles that task.”So, then, like most books, you need to do a little research about experiences you haven't lived in order to write the book. How did the female-looking author ([a:Casey McQuiston 17949486 Casey McQuiston https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1608160367p2/17949486.jpg]) research the intimate scenes? As a woman, I wouldn't have a clue how guys approach one another, get intimate, and even kiss. And then was the rest of the setting as well. I don't think the author ever lived in the White House or Kensington Palace.Well, it's all there in black and white if you want to know. I think from what I know, the author captured it well—and not just the sex. There's the politics, the royal protocol, and even the ins and outs of “The Residence” aka The White House living quarters. I'll say I learned a lot, again not just about sex. I found it unputdownable, always a positive quality in any book I read. If you're curious, like I was, give it a read.
So far one thing that I didn't like in one of the chapters on of the earlier ones I forgot which one it was in but anyway I didn't like where a little ducking got picked up by a crow and that didn't sit well with me at all. Why is the father of this girl an asshole and some parents want to have their kids close to home or not pushing them out of the house till they are ready to be on their own till at least kids figure out and have enough money to be on their own and apartment to live in. And it shouldn't be up to the parents to make up their children's minds on how they would live their lives and I didn't like this book or this story from beginning to the ending and also didn't like the part where animals were being used once about and this time they had to be locked in caged for some stupid party. Also I have found that Cassie was pretty annoying where if she was so worried about her period being late she should got checked out or took a pregnancy test and it was a good thing I didn't waste my money on being this one.
In English, this book is just perfect and I have to admit it, it's better than its Czech translation. Mostly because in Czech some wording seems a little bit inappropriate or out of place, but that's just a language barrier combined with certain fields of interest. But I think that it's not a difficult reading in English at all, so feel free to take this as a recommendation.
OMG I loved this book! I wanted to read it before watching the film and I'm so glad I impulsively downloaded it yesterday and finished it today. Makes you laugh out loud and remember that love really can conquer all.
I'm not even sorry. I am giving it 5 ⭐️ .
I don't care I sometimes got lost or confused by the politics.
I don't care the third person writing made me lose my goddamned mind half of the time.
I don't care. I really. do. not. care.
It's all worth the 5 stars. You know why?
Because Alex and Henry's story was one of the most beautiful I've ever read.
Because Alex discovering his sexuality was as funny to read as it made me feel stressed and confused right along with him.
Because the way Alex describes feeling everything that happens was as confusing as it was relatable.
And because those emails. THOSE EMAILS. GOD.
I won't be able to forget those emails.
And lastly, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry if you didn't enjoy this book the way I did.
Because, honestly? This has to be one of the most beautiful experiences I had while reading a book.
And I hope it's one I get to relieve in the future in other books.
Cute aber die Emails waren unnötig und hatten kaum plot deshalb hab ich sie immer geskippt.
This was fucking great. The slow burn was great, the mild gay panic was great, actually getting Austin references right was great. 10/10 no notes.
(Also this is fade to black)
This book has no business being this fun and sweet. Really loved it. It's probably a 4.25 for me. They have great chemistry and the characters are so well written. I find stories like these to be a harder for me to suspend my disbelief on, but that doesn't make the experience of reading it any less fun. Oh, I wish we lived in a society closer to what was portrayed here...
oh my god i absolutely loved this book. casey mcquiston absolutely nailed the chemistry of these two characters from the jump and was able to flesh out their personalities and their growth as people together. the side plots of politics in two very different countries aided to the story so well. this book was fun, steamy, raunchy, cheeky, beautiful, fast paced and one of the best YA romance books i've read. i cant wait for the movie!
Uno de los mejores libros de romance que he leído. En donde los personajes secundarios son igual de importantes que los principales, en donde la historia te crea tensión y te hace querer saber más. Estoy totalmente enamorada. Además, Alex y Henry son una belleza.
This was an unexpectedly amazing re read because when i first read this book in 2020 I was left a little underwhelmed by the exploration of politics and the over idealisticness of the chracter's outlook was a bit of let down for me but reading it today i was purely able to tap into the whole escapism part of a romance like this. Focusing on just the relationship turned this one into a real page turner for me when previously i wasnt a fan of this book. So i feel like i can't rate it out of 5.