Red, White & Royal Blue

In English, this book is just perfect and I have to admit it, it's better than its Czech translation. Mostly because in Czech some wording seems a little bit inappropriate or out of place, but that's just a language barrier combined with certain fields of interest. But I think that it's not a difficult reading in English at all, so feel free to take this as a recommendation.

L'idée de départ de ce roman est plutôt sympathique : Alex, le fils de la Présidente des Etats-Unis (une sorte d'Hillary Clinton qui aurait été élue en 2016) tombe amoureux d'Henry, Prince de Galles et troisième dans l'ordre de succession à la Couronne d'Angleterre.

Alors évidemment, on ne va pas chercher du réalisme parfait dans cette histoire, mais c'est une romance gay bien écrite et plaisante à lire. Un divertissement bienvenu.

reread: August 2021
I absolutely still adored this book :)

first read: June 2019
If I could give this book a billion stars I would. Everything about this book was beyond amazing. From the LGBT representation and even the identity struggle that was there to there and the Mexican representation. 
Also, this showed a real woman president who was flawed and imperfect but got things done. 

Not to mention the obvious part of the romance! The romance was the most adorable thing I've ever read and they are my freaking OTP forever and always. Alex is literally a political genius and Henry is a sweet poet and together they make the most splendid union. 

Showing the turmoil being gay can create when you are a royal was really raw and I loved it. And I love a freaking good hate to love. 

All of the side characters were fleshed out and just absolute perfection and the family love in here was the best. 

This book was all I could have hoped for and more! This is my favorite book of the year. No doubt in my mind

I F*CKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!

didn't have high hopes getting in, I tried reading it before but ended up DNF'ing. But then I listened to it on audio. It was so good! This book made me almost cry on a full bus. The romance was so cute, but it had so many good and bad moments. The emotions were so real.

Really, I could talk about this book all day but I'm not going to. Just read it. This is the only book I've given 5 full stars this year. That says something.

Red, White & Royal Blue is just too darn cute. It really is. It's sweet and emotional, and I really enjoyed all of it. It's a bit long and a bit cliche, but the story itself is wholesome and heartwarming. Also, I'm pretty sure there was a subtle Firefly reference near the end, which is A+ in my book.

I'm not even sorry. I am giving it 5 ⭐️ .

I don't care I sometimes got lost or confused by the politics.

I don't care the third person writing made me lose my goddamned mind half of the time.

I don't care. I really. do. not. care.

It's all worth the 5 stars. You know why?

Because Alex and Henry's story was one of the most beautiful I've ever read.

Because Alex discovering his sexuality was as funny to read as it made me feel stressed and confused right along with him.

Because the way Alex describes feeling everything that happens was as confusing as it was relatable.

And because those emails. THOSE EMAILS. GOD.

I won't be able to forget those emails.

And lastly, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry if you didn't enjoy this book the way I did.

Because, honestly? This has to be one of the most beautiful experiences I had while reading a book.

And I hope it's one I get to relieve in the future in other books.

I don't have the words to properly describe how absolutely fucking fantastic this book is. It's perfect.

I started reading it at 8pm last night and stayed up until I finished it at 5am...and I'm re-reading it now. I came for the romance and stayed for the hilarity, amazing characters and shocking revelations about what it means to be an American, part of a legacy and different from the ‘traditional' idea of who you should be.

I don't think a book that's technically in the romance genre has ever had such a profound impact on me or helped me to see myself more clearly. It's absolute perfection.

Hovering between 4 and 4.5.

If you ever find yourself getting a little jaded at the news cycles and wishing you could just lose yourself for a little while in an AU version of the real world where things are happier, simpler, and not as complicated as they are in real life, this is the book you need to read.

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the United States (FSOTUS) and, being in the same age bracket, bears a grudge against Prince Henry, the younger Prince of England, for stealing the media limelight. That is, of course, until accident demands that they act as best friends temporarily to avoid a press disaster for both their countries.

What a delightful trip this was. I rarely get into contemporary romances, but this was certainly one I could get behind. Sure, you probably need to suspend disbelief for some aspects of it, as you probably need to for most romance novels, but at the core of it you're getting the story of two young men exploring the odds of not just being gay but also being gay with each other in the complicated arena of international relations.

The characterisation of Henry and Alex, as well as their relationship, was excellent. We do see layer after layer being peeled away and seeing how they grow from the person they had always thought they were at the beginning to the person they always wanted to be by the end. I'd argue that Henry's growth arc was more obvious in the book though, since we largely get Alex's POV in the narrative.

The side characters were a treat to read as well. They all had distinct personalities and many of them leap off the page at you. It's impossible to imagine this book without the host of side characters making it possible. I think I started shipping Zahra/Shaan as much as, maybe even more than, Henry/Alex from the small glimpses we had of them. Nora/June is a popular ship that I could get behind too.

The plot was okay. Honestly I called most of the plot twists before it happened so I wasn't super blown away by it, but it was still a much more solid plot that did a relatively decent job at working through the fallout and improbability of a publicly homosexual relationship between such public figures as a Prince of England and the First Son of the United States. I wouldn't say it's realistic; I'd say it's optimistic, but that's honestly also nice to read sometimes.

I liked that we kinda saw how the relationship between our main leads grew and developed. Maybe the starting of it was a little sudden, but McQuiston really took her time growing Henry and Alex's feelings for each other and it shows in all the right places. My heart felt squeezed a couple of times while reading this book.

This book focused a lot more on American politics than the inner workings of the British royal family, but it felt very timely and almost prescient with the emphasis on a 2020 Presidential elections. It felt like I couldn't have picked a better time to read this book, tbh.

This is a romance novel that works far, far better than most of the cliched entries of its genre. Fantastic book that reads like a fanfiction of real life, almost, and is such a cute and happy read to lift the spirits.

So this won not one, but two Goodreads choice awards, for Best Romance and Best Debut Novel...mkay.



Short version: This book felt overly lengthy, uninspired, and quite dull. It was overloaded with politics when all I really wanted was a straightforward love story. I couldn't connect with a narrative that ultimately idealizes a lot of aspects of American imperialism and British colonialism.

Long version

While the book aimed to be a contemporary romance novel, it often felt more like an idealistic fantasy. The central premise of the First Son of the United States falling in love with a British prince was certainly intriguing, but the execution left much to be desired. The characters, especially Alex, the First Son, and Henry, the Prince, came across as one-dimensional and failed to undergo significant development throughout the narrative. They were plagued by stereotypes and clichés that made it difficult to truly connect with them on a deeper level.

Alex being the son of the first female president of USA, who's not only divorced and re-married but her first husband is Latin-American, and him being instrumental in turning Texas blue is straight up out of this world. As much as I wanted to believe in this scenario, I just couldn't suspend my disbelief. The heavy propaganda around American democracy didn't help either, as it's quite obvious that America is not the beacon of democracy it claims to be, not even on the democratic party side.

On the one hand, the book attempts to address and challenge some social issues with which I can align with. It contributes to the lgbtq+ representation in mainstream literature and tackles some diversity and inclusivity. These are commendable efforts towards fostering a more inclusive literary landscape.

However, my skepticism toward American politics, in general, made it challenging for me to fully embrace the story's portrayal of the political landscape. The book leaned heavily into idealized and oversimplified political caricatures.

The character development also left me wanting more. Alex and Henry, and the side characters, came across as one-dimensional and static. I had hoped for more growth and depth, particularly considering the potential of their unique love story. Instead, their relationship sometimes felt rushed and superficial, making it difficult for me to become emotionally invested in their journey.

For those who could look past its political arc and embrace its message of love and acceptance, it might have been an engaging read. However, for readers like me, who approach American politics with a significant degree of skepticism, the book's backdrop proved to be a stumbling block to fully enjoying its romantic narrative.

Ok I totally shed a tear at the end of this book. I think I might need a shelf “shed-a-tear” inside GoodReads.

I totally adored Alex and Henry history. It was the perfect blend between sweet, stressful and endearing (ok, I bite all my nails in the last 50 pages). It's really hard to express how good this story was, and how good it made me feel especially in times like ours. It was the perfect balance of optimism and realism, giving us a plausible future and something to hope for that was credible. I just really loved this whole book, and if you're looking for something to make you smile, get tears in your eyes, laugh out loud (god I can't get over the turkey episode), just run for this!

Cue that Lady Gaga gif
This book is perfection and is worth every percentage of the hype. It now belongs in my list of all time favorites and will make me happy every time I think of it. 10/10

Reread (14/08/22 - 08/09/22)
I still think this book is amazing even two years later. I could still remember so much of it (which barely happens) and it has and will stay with me for such a long time. While the ending could be seen as slightly too optimistic I don't think that takes away that this could happen in real life, to a certain degree of course.
It's such a joy to read and I have underlined the hell out of it, also using 179 tabs to mark the best parts.
I hope everyone reads this book!

History, huh?

WHY did it take me so long to finally read this book.. I have no idea. But apparently this is my 500th read book (at least here on Goodreads) and I feel like it's a perfect one for that milestone.

I loved it. I loved it from the first page, when I did not even know what to expect. I heard the book was good, but I was so surprised to see HOW GOOD IT IS. The characters are just loveable. You can't help falling in love with them while reading this book, they're so amazing and each is special in their own way.

My favorite character is definitely Alex. He is so funny and I loved reading about him and his thoughts, his fears and his dreams. Of course I love Henry just as much, but there's a part of me that just likes Alex a LITTLE bit more.

But THEM? ALEX AND HENRY together? That's just perfect. What an amazing couple, I loved following their story, watching them go from “enemies” to “lovers”. Their story is so beautiful, it made me cry so much, it made me laugh and it made me want to throw the book across the room and then it made me just want to hug these characters.

Love love love the book!!

i read this book in less than a day. i think that's a good sign

it combines many tropes that i really adore and has some very fun dynamics between great characters. sure, it's not the most epic story of this century and im sure there would be some flaws if i dug a bit deeper and analyzed it or smth

but it's a hopeful and fun book and i think this book could be a comfort read for many queer people (it certainly was one for me, even made me emotional at certain parts,,)

the main romance is cute and mushy and lots of fun and i think im totally okay with its development. and gosh, do i love the two main bois

also, i want a sequel with some of the other characters as the protagonists, not gonna lie
or just. a sequel in general.