Author: Casey McQuiston

Type: Fiction

Category: New Adult

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Genre: Romance, Rom-Com, LGBT

Tropes: Forced proximity, Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden romance, Slow burn

Total Chapters: 15 + bonus chapter

Total Pages: 392

Table of Contents: None

Summary From The Book: 

What happens when America’s First son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? 

When his kother became President of the United States, 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 veef 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 beteen 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 suprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. 

Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, and Royal Blue proves that true love isn’t always diplomatic. 

My Thoughts: 

I read the version with extra content which I think adds more realism for the book’s ending. 

The story is about two nation’s charismatic influential people who hates each other - Henry, the Prince of Wales and Alex, U.S. First Son. 

An incident happened that they need to clear their names to show the world that they are good friends which in reality they are not. Forced to be together, they learned to be friends and later on developed as lovers which complicates their roles and the two nations. 

The book is fun to read specially from the start but mid-way, I got a little bored as it mentions a lot of political insights as well. It took me a week or two before I got over the slump and read it again. It got more interesting again after I was able to get over the few boring chapters. 

There are a lot of scenes that made me laugh specially the bantering between Alex and Henry. It is an adventurous and young love and yet complicated - which makes me root for the couple more while reading.

There are some sexual scenes, mentions of drug use, abandoment, homophobia, deception that makes me consider it as an new adult book. Though others consider it as young adult. 

The point of view is focused mainly to Alex but the bonus chapter is Henry’s point of view.

I love both Alex and Henry as well as Henry’s sister. The major character development for me is Henry’s road to coming out. For the best redeeming character - it is Luna’s development for me. 

The most memorable scene for me is Alex and Henry’s first kiss and the scenes before that. 

What do I think about the title Red, White and Royal Blue? I think the book name represent’s the two nation’s flag colors. I do not know if there is more meaning behind the title but I think it fits the story well. 

Basically, the book is a romantic-comedy coming out story with twist of forbidden romance and enemies to lovers. 

"Because you’re it, okay I’m never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you." - Alex page 270

Rating: 4/5 because the plot is good but I had a part where I got bored in reading mid-part of the story - I would give it a five if I was fully engaged. 

Spiciness:2/5

Recommendation: To those who wants to read a love story specially an LGBT focused couple. It has some politics as well if it is your thing.