Book Review | Red, White and Royal Blue

Red, White and Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston
423 Pages
4/5 Stars

When his mother became President of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast at 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 an 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. 

Heads of family and state and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: Stage a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake Instagrammable 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 presidential campaign and upend two nations. It raises the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colours shine through?  

"Is it possible you wilfully forgot about the biggest international event of the year because you don't want to see your arch nemesis?"

Red, White and Royal Blue is a delightful, charming, hilarious adult romance novel that's perfect if you're in the mood for a light, easy read. It follows the story of Alex and Henry, two men in their early twenties, as they discover what they want in life - both for themselves and for their countries. 

The story is told from the point of view of Alex (third person) and it's done so extremely well. McQuiston really captures the spirit of youth and masterfully makes her younger characters write and speak like the twenty-somethings they are. Her writing is clever, witty and results in a rather polished debut novel. 

Alex was a great protagonist. I loved the way he fell into unaware, with no knowing what it was he was feeling and I loved following his journey into realising, accepting and embracing his sexuality. He is an endearing, funny, gentle character. His thoughtful strength, resolve and humanity make him so easy to relate to.

Henry is another great character. He's made out to be this pompous, insufferable, unbearably supercilious heir and then is revealed to be this compassionate, kind, loving person. He, like so many people, is struggling under the weight of his family's legacy and expectations and the way that he grows and pushes through is wonderful to watch. 

I loved the dynamic between Alex and Henry; the banter, the romance, the friendship - all of it was perfect. I am a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers romance and this did not disappoint. It was the kind of romance that left me both satisfied and craving more. 

"O, fathers of my bloodline! O, ye kings of olde! Take this crown from me, bury me in my ancestral soil. If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him."

Overall, this book is amazing! It is genuine, real and leaves you feeling hopeful. McQuiston has created something that will mean so much to so many people; her depiction of a bisexual character is great and she successfully addresses issues such as racism, gender, responsibility and ethics. I honestly did not want it to end and would thoroughly recommend Red, White and Royal Blue.

Have any of you read Red, White and Royal Blue? If you have let me know what you thought of Alex and Henry's story in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next post.