Why I Love Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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“I am the First Son of the United States, and I'm bisexual. History will remember us.”
Haven’t heard of this book? Here’s what it’s about…
‘What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as 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 the 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, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals.
What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable 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 campaign and upend two nations and begs 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 colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic.’
so, what does happen when America’s first son falls in love with a british prince?
Pure steaminess, apparently - wow those sexy scenes are hot - but also so much more.
Red, White and Royal Blue has very much been one of the books of the summer on bookstagram this year. Not only was it recently nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award, but I’ve seen it absolutely everywhere on the internet these past few months; I think it’s safe to say that it’s been incredibly hyped up. So naturally, I was hesitant to read it myself despite being intrigued by the synopsis. Well, I’m here to let you know that Red While and Royal Blue is an absolutely fantastic read, and here’s why.
For starters, the romance is completely and utterly adorable. I found myself rooting for Alex and Henry since their first kiss - they have brilliant chemistry and over the course of the book is becomes clear that they care deeply for each other. Their relationship is intense and I couldn’t get enough of their romantic gestures, honestly, I haven’t felt this way about a couple since I read Heartstopper by Alice Oseman right at the beginning of the year, which is just pure sunshine. I love a good romance story but the thing about this genre as a whole is that, for me personally, it can sometimes feel overly cringey, unbelievable or just downright creepy, but this book actually felt realistic - which is not what I expected after reading the premise!
Aside from Alex and Henry’s addictive romance, this book tackles a number of important themes that really made me think. The story is set in a world that is almost identical to ours but with a few key differences: instead of Trump, America elected a divorced, female Democrat to power in 2016 along with her new husband and two half Mexican children as the First Family. Their administration cares deeply about making the country a better place and feels like the complete opposite of what’s happening politically in both the US and the UK today. It’s the escape that I so badly needed from the reality of modern politics, which has driven me to complete exhaustion.
As I’m sure you can tell from the above, Red, White and Royal Blue also has a fab range of representation in its cast of characters. While one of the main love interests is both half Mexican and bisexual, the other is gay and there are a number of additional LGBTQ+ characters that are central to the story, including an openly trans character. Sexuality is discussed in a very open way and I love that. While the two protagonists live lives that are far from ordinary, many of the hurdles they face will mirror those found by people in every day life. It’s not easy for someone to come out. Not everyone will accept them. But it is ok, it is natural and there are plenty of people in this world who will rally behind them, myself included.
If you’ve been considering reading this book at all, even just a tiny bit, then you one hundred percent need to give it a go. It will make you think, it will make you want a better world for us all, and, above all, it will make you feel so warm and fuzzy that you might explode. I guarantee that you won’t regret it.
Buy this on Amazon and discover how good it is for yourself!