📖 Fall in love with love's complexities!
Red, White & Royal Blue is a contemporary romantic comedy novel that follows the secret relationship between the First Son of the United States and a British prince, exploring themes of love, identity, and the pressures of public life.
M**7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ amazing I loved it
Red, White & Royal Blue isn’t just a romance; it’s a radiant, defiant, and full-hearted reclamation of what love stories can look like. From the very first page, Casey McQuiston transports you to a world that feels simultaneously like a sparkling fantasy and an aching mirror—messy, modern, brave, and utterly unforgettable.This book evoked a profound and overwhelming range of emotions within me. I laughed out loud at the razor-sharp banter, gasped at the stolen kisses, and even shed actual tears during the tender, quiet moments that unexpectedly touched my heart. It’s not just about Alex and Henry’s journey of falling in love; it’s about the profound meaning of that love in a world that often attempts to dictate who we are allowed to be.Alex, the fiery First Son of the United States, and Henry, the reluctant Prince of Wales, are vividly portrayed as human beings in all the best ways—flawed, vulnerable, and deeply relatable. Their romance blossoms from a place of tension and misunderstanding into something breathtakingly intimate. McQuiston doesn’t rush their journey; she builds it layer by layer, allowing you to root for them with every fiber of your being.However, what lingers most after the final page isn’t just the romance; it’s the hope it instills. Hope that we can live in a world where queer love isn’t a secret. Hope that joy is radical. Hope that vulnerability is power. Hope that choosing yourself—your heart, your truth—is an act of bravery.Red, White & Royal Blue is a triumph. It’s the kind of book that leaves you with a full chest and teary eyes, the kind you hold close to your heart after finishing. If you’ve ever needed a reminder that love can transform everything—that it can be soft, loud, and world-shifting—then this book is for you. I absolutely need more of this!
W**K
3.5 stars rounded up.
I heard good things about this book because it was turned into a movie, which I have not seen. I didn’t even read the blurb before reading the book.Written in 3rd person, all from Alex’s POV. For M/M books, 1st person would be better because pronouns get ridiculous to sort out. The writing style was okay but the author liked to drop little descriptions in without follow up so gender and sexuality are always up in the air, and there’s generally a “just go with it, don’t question” expectation from the author. For example, a relationship is revealed close to the end without any explanation of how it started or progressed.The end of the book is underwhelming and abrupt. The election plot line is resolved but the future of Alex and Henry’s relationship is not. I would say that it ends with a HFN with 0 epilogue.The steamy scenes were not explicit - not “fade to black” or “the next morning” but really close. Some people were frustrated by this while others thought that there were too many “sex scenes”. Personally, I would have preferred more detail because it wasn’t always clear what they did/didn’t do and I think that the author could have used it as an opportunity for more humor.Just a warning, politics are often discussed. US politics is Alex’s career ambition and Henry is the youngest British prince, so lots (and lots) of US politics and some European politics. I thought that was clear based on the blurb (and what I heard about the book) but some reviewers were annoyed by it.Overall, I’m glad I read the book and I’ll watch the movie but I won’t re-read the book, which I often do with my favorites.
T**T
If Harry & Meghan Were Two Dudes and Got a Better Ending.
Red, White & Royal BlueCasey McQuiston2020422 pagesOverall Rating: 5/5MM Contemporary RomancePlot: Rising political star and overachiever Alex Claremont-Diaz gets a kick out of being a tabloid darling, thanks to his association with the most famous family in the world. Raised to work hard and dream big, the First Son of the United States is busy trying to finish college and become the youngest person ever elected to Congress. But those same tabloids he always laughs at won’t quit comparing him to the equally handsome and debonair First Son from Across the Sea, Prince Henry of the UK– as if the two are involved in a heated contest for Most Eligible Bachelor in the World or something. And Alex hates to lose any competition, especially if it involves his royal arch-nemesis.After an embarrassing public mishap occurs between the two young men during the middle of a contentious election season, some speedy damage control is required, forcing Alex and Henry into a fake friendship to help keep the peace between the two nations. And as it turns out, they have a lot more in common than they thought.First Take: This book will always hold a special place in my heart as the one that turned me on to dudes— as in gay romances. I was always afraid to dip my toes in the MM pond because it felt so forbidden, but then I picked up this book and never looked back. I was obsessed immediately. This book is so earnest and sweet and dang did it make me remember my own first love and the intense, I-will-die-without-you feelings that go along with that. Nothing gets me going like a high stakes forbidden love story with a strong emotional connection, and this book is that– political empires are at stake here, people! There may or may not (emphasis on may) be a gay awakening that is just so believable and beautiful to watch. And who doesn’t love the idea of a prince falling in love with a commoner? This one hit all my buttons.Characters: The story is told entirely from Alex’s perspective, so we get great insight into his thoughts and feelings. He is sarcastic, loud and playful, but not afraid to be serious and follow his heart when it points him in the right direction. Henry, on the other hand, is outwardly the epitome of “stiff upper lip” until you get to know him, and then all his ooey gooey sweetness comes out. He is passionate with a Capital P. There is also a great supporting cast, with Alex’s stylish and protective older sister, June, and super-smart number-crunching best friend, Nora. Special appearances by a no-nonsense Madame President with a heart of gold and aging queen who specializes in cold shoulders.Praises: There are so many things to praise about this book. Alex’s voice is so earnest and introspective, and I really enjoyed going with him on his journey of self-discovery. The romance is sweet and intensely emotional, and the high stakes feel real– my heart was racing to the very end. The writing has a sense of poetry and yearning that I really enjoyed. The story takes place in an alternate universe that felt both familiar and unique, and ultimately very relatable.Critiques: If I have one critique, it would be that it’s a tad heavy on the politics. I understand the author wrote this book in response to real-world events and the fear and uncertainty that people really felt at the time, and ultimately it is meant to be a story of hopes and dreams of what the world could be. That being said, the election process is a big part of the story and the politics lean pretty heavily democrat, which might alienate some people. I would hazard a guess that many of those alienated people aren’t terribly interested in MM romance, so it’s likely not a huge problem for most.Themes: Politics, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance, Identity, Man v SocietyOverall Tone: Earnest, heartfelt tone with plenty of sarcasm and wit mixed inProse: Some of the descriptions are so vibrant and feel like poetry when you read them. This book is full of beautiful yearning.Steam: 3/5: The s*x scenes lack the nitty gritty details of some of the more erotic romances. They are sweet and meaningful and rather oblique– you have to use your imagination a bit.Trigger Warnings: Some discussion of the death of a family memberTropes: Fairytale, Bi awakening, Enemies-to-Lovers, Coming Out, Forbidden LoveKinks: NoneSwear Jar: 5/5: If you made this a drinking game, you’d be drunk AFMemorable quotes:“As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.”“Should I tell you that when we’re apart, your body comes back to me in my dreams?”The lines of him are long and languid in the moonlight, and he’s so beautiful that Alex thinks this moment, the soft shadows and pale thighs and crooked smile, should be the portrait of Henry that goes down in history.He wants to match the new freckles across Henry’s nose to the stars above them and make him name the constellations.Worthy of a reread? Obviously. Already read this one like 4 times. I think I actually read it twice in one week– basically finished it and then immediately started over. It was that good.Stand-Alones, Prequels, Sequels, & Tangents: Stand-alone novel. Would dearly wish for a sequel but will likely be waiting in vain.Check out more romance reviews at The Hopeless Romanticist blog!
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