Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel

Author Casey McQuiston wrote this fictional gay romance novel sort of as a response to how 2016 turned out. Instead of the political and royal figureheads, we have here in the US and in the UK, we were given ones from a sort of parallel universe thereby allowing her to tell the tales of Alex and Henry. What makes this novel work so well is her character writing. The universe in which they live in is rich with details, especially the political machinations (there is some very interesting political intrigue regarding someone Alex knows) that Alex must deal with as well as the social implications that Henry, as a member of the Royal Family, must also contend with. But it is with these two characters that McQuiston pours her soul into thereby giving life to them. Even as they go on their own character arcs (especially Alex), there remains a consistency to who and what they are even as they evolve and grow as people. Even as Alex comes off as somewhat unlikeable at the beginning, by the time his feelings for Henry begin to awaken he is transformed into someone that we can at least not detest, and by we get into the last third of the book he’s someone that we’re not only rooting for, he becomes a character that we can genuinely care about. Henry is different in that he has that royal veneer about him. He’s totally pleasant as one might expect, but even as Alex starts to see his real self he immediately becomes a likable, if somewhat sad, character. McQuiston perfectly uses their growing relationship to see both of them actually begin to blossom as they discover feelings within themselves and for each other. As I read through all of this I could sense that something bad was going to happen, and lo it most certainly did. McQuiston captures the public backlash of these two getting together repeatedly for what is clearly more than just a friendly visit. First, the challenges are strictly of the heart as they each have to admit what it is they are feeling, then the challenges they face have international implications, but McQuiston continually keeps it focused on Alex and Henry in how this fallout is affecting them. It’s a masterful reminder that despite whatever position we come into, whether it is one we attain from hard work or one that we are born into, that at the end of the day we are still people and that must take precedence.

This book completely caught me by surprise. I never imagined myself reading a romance novel that wasn’t in some sort of sci-fi or fantasy genre setting, but through an unusual twist of circumstances, I discovered this book. Before reading Red, White & Royal Blue there had been only a handful of authors to cross my path whose work I would fall madly in love with, three of those being Gini Koch of the “Alien – Katherine/Kitty-Katt” series, Jonathan Latt, author of "The Geek," and more recently K.D. Edwards, author of “The Tarot Sequence” series of books, the first being "The Last Sun" (the follow-up novel "The Hanged Man" is slated to come out in December). I have read and re-read their books repeatedly because they each have created characters that I have also fallen in love with. Now I’m thrilled to say that I can add another author to that group as McQuiston has delivered a novel that I just could not put down. I never thought I would go for romance novels, even if they were of a gay nature, but her writing was so powerful that at the end of the day this book proved that what transcends genres is nothing more than just outstanding quality. Her depictions of Alex and Henry, especially as their feelings truly awoke within themselves for each other, was so beautifully written that for a time I no longer felt like an old gay man (I will soon be 58), but instead I actually felt young again and with that came the innocent feelings of hopefulness and optimism, not to mention a reminder of that emotional rush one feels when falling in love. Through Alex and Henry not only did I get to experience that all over again, but McQuiston also gave something that many hopeless romantics (yes, we gay men can also be hopeless romantics) fantasize over, and that is being swept up in love by a true Prince. It’s a theme that has existed in fairy tales for hundreds of years, and now she has given us one that we gay men can latch on to and, vicariously through Alex, experience being swept off our feet by a dashing Prince. If there is a downside to this book is that I was absolutely saddened when I got to the last page and there was no more story. Despite the fact that Alex and Henry are just fictional characters, they were so well-written and portrayed in this book that they truly became alive in my mind, and having the book come to an end felt like I had to say goodbye to them, which is something that I didn’t want to do. Just as they made each other’s lives better through their love and relationship, getting to know them in this book oddly enough made my life better. Reading their story actually made me happy, so for that, I say THANK YOU Casey McQuiston for writing a most remarkable tale. Your idea for this story that you imagined while on an I-10 off-ramp has been embraced by this old gay man who lives just off of I-10. Maybe if you should choose to write more about these two it could be told from Henry’s perspective. In the meantime, I think I will give Red, White & Royal Blue another joyous re-read!!!

Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston 2020 422 pages Overall Rating: 5/5 MM Contemporary Romance

Plot: Rising political star and overachiever Alex Claremont-Diaz gets a kick out of being a tabloid darling, thanks to his association with the most famous family in the world. Raised to work hard and dream big, the First Son of the United States is busy trying to finish college and become the youngest person ever elected to Congress. But those same tabloids he always laughs at won’t quit comparing him to the equally handsome and debonair First Son from Across the Sea, Prince Henry of the UK– as if the two are involved in a heated contest for Most Eligible Bachelor in the World or something. And Alex hates to lose any competition, especially if it involves his royal arch-nemesis.

After an embarrassing public mishap occurs between the two young men during the middle of a contentious election season, some speedy damage control is required, forcing Alex and Henry into a fake friendship to help keep the peace between the two nations. And as it turns out, they have a lot more in common than they thought.

First Take: This book will always hold a special place in my heart as the one that turned me on to dudes— as in gay romances. I was always afraid to dip my toes in the MM pond because it felt so forbidden, but then I picked up this book and never looked back. I was obsessed immediately. This book is so earnest and sweet and dang did it make me remember my own first love and the intense, I-will-die-without-you feelings that go along with that. Nothing gets me going like a high stakes forbidden love story with a strong emotional connection, and this book is that– political empires are at stake here, people! There may or may not (emphasis on may) be a gay awakening that is just so believable and beautiful to watch. And who doesn’t love the idea of a prince falling in love with a commoner? This one hit all my buttons.

Characters: The story is told entirely from Alex’s perspective, so we get great insight into his thoughts and feelings. He is sarcastic, loud and playful, but not afraid to be serious and follow his heart when it points him in the right direction. Henry, on the other hand, is outwardly the epitome of “stiff upper lip” until you get to know him, and then all his ooey gooey sweetness comes out. He is passionate with a Capital P. There is also a great supporting cast, with Alex’s stylish and protective older sister, June, and super-smart number-crunching best friend, Nora. Special appearances by a no-nonsense Madame President with a heart of gold and aging queen who specializes in cold shoulders.

Praises: There are so many things to praise about this book. Alex’s voice is so earnest and introspective, and I really enjoyed going with him on his journey of self-discovery. The romance is sweet and intensely emotional, and the high stakes feel real– my heart was racing to the very end. The writing has a sense of poetry and yearning that I really enjoyed. The story takes place in an alternate universe that felt both familiar and unique, and ultimately very relatable.

Critiques: If I have one critique, it would be that it’s a tad heavy on the politics. I understand the author wrote this book in response to real-world events and the fear and uncertainty that people really felt at the time, and ultimately it is meant to be a story of hopes and dreams of what the world could be. That being said, the election process is a big part of the story and the politics lean pretty heavily democrat, which might alienate some people. I would hazard a guess that many of those alienated people aren’t terribly interested in MM romance, so it’s likely not a huge problem for most.

Themes: Politics, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance, Identity, Man v Society

Overall Tone: Earnest, heartfelt tone with plenty of sarcasm and wit mixed in

Prose: Some of the descriptions are so vibrant and feel like poetry when you read them. This book is full of beautiful yearning.

Steam: 3/5: The s*x scenes lack the nitty gritty details of some of the more erotic romances. They are sweet and meaningful and rather oblique– you have to use your imagination a bit.

Trigger Warnings: Some discussion of the death of a family member

Tropes: Fairytale, Bi awakening, Enemies-to-Lovers, Coming Out, Forbidden Love

Kinks: None

Swear Jar: 5/5: If you made this a drinking game, you’d be drunk AF

Memorable quotes: “As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.”

“Should I tell you that when we’re apart, your body comes back to me in my dreams?”

The lines of him are long and languid in the moonlight, and he’s so beautiful that Alex thinks this moment, the soft shadows and pale thighs and crooked smile, should be the portrait of Henry that goes down in history.

He wants to match the new freckles across Henry’s nose to the stars above them and make him name the constellations.

Worthy of a reread? Obviously. Already read this one like 4 times. I think I actually read it twice in one week– basically finished it and then immediately started over. It was that good.

Stand-Alones, Prequels, Sequels, & Tangents: Stand-alone novel. Would dearly wish for a sequel but will likely be waiting in vain.

Check out more romance reviews at The Hopeless Romanticist blog!

“Red, White, and Royal Blue” has been in my TBR since I decided to jump back into reading at the beginning of this year. I've been a sucker for "White House-related” romances since I can remember and this book drew me in like a magnet. But I'm a fantasy junky so I didn't pick up the book until the first trailer for a “RWARB" movie came forth from Amazon Prime.

Fast forward two days before the movie comes out. I had just finished reading another fantasy book and after much debate, I decided I wanted to read the book before watching the movie. So I proceeded to do nothing other than work and come home to completely devour this book.

By the end of chapter one, I was hooked. This book is unapologetically funny, I've never laughed harder while reading a book, every other page if not every single page. Even the sad or slower pages had me screaming laughter. Casey's comic timing deserves a medal, truly spot on chef's kiss.

As for her charters, Alex is PERFECT!!! His internal battle over Henry, over his sexuality, over his career, is so painfully real. He's so relatable. His charm and personality which he's built over the years, are clearly built for others, not himself. Henry is DREAMY and also painfully perfectly imperfect. Always wearing a shield his family build so no one sees him for who he truly is. Alex being the only person who's broken the shield, finally seeing him the true Henry, not what the royal crown has created of him. I love how hard yet easy it was for them to learn how to take care of and love each other. Henry's anxiety and ticks, Alex's trauma responses. The plot twists are truly delicious. A bit predictable but in the best way possible.

Alex, June, and Nora will forever be one of my comfort trios. How they complete each other. How they protect each other. Each one having a role they play so beautifully it should be a sin. June's relationship with Alex is everything a sibling should aspire to have with their sister or brother. Nora is the kind of best friend everyone wishes they had but is incredibly hard to find in this world. Nora with the emails killed me. Luna and Nora completely sneaked up on me in that chapter but filled my heart with so much joy and love knowing it was Luna, I almost cried.

Speaking of which, can we just talk about the diversity of this book? Holy crap! Casey truly didn't hold back. Alexander, named after Alexander Hamilton, the mixed son of the first divorced, Woman President of the United States of America. One of Alex's mentors, Raphael Luna, is an openly gay senator who's also Hispanic. How unapologetically strong Zarah, the president’s Chief of Staff. All these people strong and beautiful and portrayed as they should be. All the mentions of gay, bi, etc characters. Nora, Bea, Liam, etc. Again, Perfect.

Is there a little bit of spicy? yes. Is it tasteful? absolutely. I read this book with the audible narrator (which I 1,000% recommend, he's brilliant) and it made the experience 10x better. Nothing was overly explained, They came together and they made love, simple as that. In more words obviously but you get my point. Not really smut, more sensual than sexual. I love smut but this was beautiful and exactly what it needed to be.

It's almost impossible to put into words how beautifully rich this book is. In story. In love. Inequality. The way the story unfolds reminds me of aged fine whisky, smooth and rich in flavor. Pacing, like the majority of this book, was spot on as well. I was never bored or trying to look ahead, it was incredibly well-paced so I was just living in the moment. Enjoying every page, paragraph, and sentence. Without much effort at all, this book has become hands down my comfort read of 2023, possibly my comfort book forever.

If you decided not to read this whole thing, I understand, it’s a lot. And it’s more for me than it honestly is for you. But, nonetheless, at least read this sentence. Take this one thing with you. It’s worth it, read it. Enjoy it. Devour it. You won’t regret it!