Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

 This book is LGBTQIA+ romance-themed. 

This book specifically is focused on one gay man and one bisexual man (MM)

Other genres: Fiction, Queer, Young Adult (YA), Enemies to Lovers, New Adult (NA), Gay

"History, huh? Bet we could make some." 

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the United States. He is the closest thing to a Prince America has. He, along with his sister June and the VP's granddaughter, the three of them (the White House Trio) make up this beautiful millennial marketing bombshell for President Ellen Claremont, the first woman President of the United States. Along with keep apperences at home, Alex is expected to be an international socialite. He is quite good at a skill that will help him on his own political path. 

The only downside, Prince Henry. He and Alex are like oil and water, and yet Alex sees Henry as his British counterpart. Maybe that's why the two don't get along. And it is possibly why punches get thrown, and a gigantic wedding cake gets destroyed as their antics get the attention of tabloids around the world. 

Trying to save face for her reelection bid and to keep American/British relations intact, President Claremont decides that Alex needs to do some damage control. The Crown agrees, and for a day, Alex and Henry take photos showing that they truly are friends; everything is fine. The lie benefits both sides. 

But, as they both struggle through the day, something changes. 

The Review

My first impression of Alex and June is that they are mischievous and live life under a microscope. They expect to behave, and June obsessively brings the tabloids in every day to make sure there aren't any stories about them, and if there are, they fit the narrative correctly. But it quickly becomes clear that even though they are the president's children, they still are children. It's funny to see Alex and Henry go at it. It's kind of like those old 90s movies where the dramatic moment happens that changes everything! (Think Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap.)

I wish the rivalry had lasted a bit longer, the awkward tension, the anxious air when things get kind of awkward and then everything changes. But I really enjoyed what there was. It was funny to see them awkwardly trying to recover from Philip's wedding and give the tabloids a put-together narrative. They are friends. And though that seems ridiculous to both of them, they slowly start looking at each other differently. And that's an interesting transition. Fighting the urge but losing. A casual fling that turns into life-altering love. It checks all the boxes.  

SPOILER ALERT

I love the Moms in this book. Catherine, Henry's mom, is amazing. She doesn't take any of the Queen's nonsense. She stands up for Henry and Alex, and she has come out of her funk for her son. It's a true testament to a mother's love. It is very interesting to see the drastic difference between Henry's Mom and Alex's Mom. President Ellen Claremont is not subtle. She is the President of the United States, but she will always be a Mother first. She supports Alex from the minute she finds out, even though she knows it may kill her chances at getting re-elected. It's amazing to see these strong women stand up for their children, doing what mommas do. In the end, I think Henry and Alex can embrace their true selves because of the support of their moms, specifically. 

I listened to this book through my local library (via Libby). 

Ramon de Ocampo is the narrator of Red, White, and Royal Blue. I have to admit, at first, I couldn't stand the way he was reading this book. I felt like he wasn't doing enough to separate each voice; it seemed like his tone was changing, but each character sounded the same. The English accent for Prince Henry was nonexistent at first. 

But as the book went on, it got much better. And I barely noticed any hang-ups I originally had. 

Rating and Recommendation

I think this rating reflects my age and generation. In the 90s, the Royal family was very important. The world cried when Princess Diana Spencer died. Prince William was the equivalent of Prince Charming, and the dream of being Cinderella was alive and well. Maybe that mindset doesn't translate to younger generations, just a changing of the guard type thing. But if you ever fantasised about being a princess as a child (or a prince), you will enjoy this book. 

After listening to Red, White and Royal Blue, I decided to add it to my Amazon wishlist. I enjoyed it, and I think I would like to add it to my collection. Though full price ($22 at the moment), it is a little much. 

Conclusion

I think this was a good book. I think that in the last few years, we have seen that being a prince is hard. And it's clear that art mimicked life in this book. Just looking at Prince Harry and the challenges he faced when he fell in love with someone "different" to the ideal mate for a prince of England. And it isn't hard to imagine how a gay first son would be received in the United States. It's a nice break from reality, I think, and a reminder that there are people out there who will never accept you, but there are people out there who will. 

I am not sure if I am not "sensitive" to "spice", but I didn't find that this book was that spicy. It did have some scenes where there was sexual stuff, but to me, I always thought "spicy" meant more in-depth detail, maybe a little kink thrown in. So to me it wasn't spicy, but to others it may be.

You can find Red, White & Royal Blue in its respective mediums below: 

You can find Red, White & Royal Blue (2025, directed by Jacob Tierney), Season 1, on Crave (CAN) or HBO Max (USA).  You can watch the trailer below via Prime Video's YouTube Channel. 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley). 
* Links in this blog may be generated through the Amazon Associates Program. By using this link, I may make a small profit (at no cost to you) from your purchase.

Guarding the Heiress by Meg Kentman

 

This book is a Romantic Suspense 

Other genres: Fake Relationship, Protector Hero, Strong Woman, Protective Man 

Trigger Warning: Violence, Murder, Loss, Betrayal, and Sexual Content. 

Alexa Frost is not a damsel in distress, and Scott Sterling is about to find that out.

When tech mogul Marcus Frost passes away, his daughter Alexa is distraught. He was a perfectly healthy man, and magically, he just dropped dead. It already seems suspicious when, suddenly, a mysterious man shows up at his funeral. Who is he? Alexa isn't sure, but she knows that she has never met the man before. 

Alexa Frost, the boss's daughter, is the woman he vowed to protect. Scott Sterling, a former elite agent, has been working for Marcus Frost for years. He got close to the man, who was like a second father, and his job after Marcus's death was simple: protect Alexa at all costs. 

But Alexa is no damsel in distress. And she will not back down, not until she finds the people who killed her father and who are trying to quiet her for good. 

The Review

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I thought it would be cliché and like a Harlequin romance novel (not that there's anything wrong with that). But it actually surprised me. Alexa is a badass, and I love that she wasn't some damsel just waiting for Scott to save the day. She could have curled up in a ball and depended on Scott for everything, but instead, she found her voice. She demanded to be partners, not a protector and client. And to Scott's credit, that is how he treated her. Not that Alexa gave him much choice. Their love story seems messy and simple and perfect and complicated and beautiful all at once. What a terrible time to fall in love, and yet it couldn't wait. 

SPOILER ALERT

I continued to be impressed as the story went on. How quickly Scott realised that Alexa was not his typical protection detail. And it seems more and more as the story goes, Scott really lets his walls fall and embraces their partnership. I love that he teaches her more self-protection and trusts her even in some small way to protect herself as the bad guys draw near. 

I also love that Alexa contributes. She has tech skills, and she is relaying information to help out. She really is part of the team and not just doing busy work. The way she handles herself with Mathews is impressive. And it really cements that she is not fooling around. She isn't about to take the situation lying down. She is there to fight. 

I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I don't think I would buy the paperback version of this book. But I would definitely pick up the ebook. 

Since it was an Advanced Reader Copy, I read this as an ebook on my Kindle Scribe

Rating and Recommendation

I didn't feel this book was "spicy" it did have some sex scenes but I felt they were very quick and not very detailed. Those scenes fell flat for me, and that's partly why I only gave the book 3.5 stars. I think in romance stories such as these, one of the "hooks" is the sex scenes. And they weren't there. I also would have like a little more of a slow-burn for their story. I think character development and relationship development would have benefited more from a longer give-and-take. Going from just an assignment to having feelings to making out and sleeping together semed very rushed.

That being said, I did enjoy the story it was a little anti-climatic but still a good, quick read. If you enjoy protective men, and strong women, you will enjoy this book. 

Conclusion

Give it a chance. I think if this type of novel is usually your thing, you will like it. Don't go in expecting heated sex scenes and Romeo and Juliet-type romance. But recognise that it is a balance of Romance, Drama, Thriller, and Action all rolled into a close-proximity love story. I think if you keep that in mind, you will enjoy Guarding the Heiress as much as I did. 

And if you do enjoy the book, there was one previous to this called Protecting the Heiress, with a similar concept but all new characters. 

You can find Guarding the Heiress in its respective mediums below: 

* Book cover image retrieved from the author's website. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley). 
* Links in this blog may be generated through the Amazon Associates Program. By using this link, I may make a small profit (at no cost to you) from your purchase.