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.