***Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston from NetGalley through St. Martin’s Press for review purposes. Thank you so much for opportunity.
Politics? Royalty? Enemies to friends? Forbidden romance? Well, that’s one of the ways to gain my attention.
In the wake of the personal disappointment of the 2016 presidential election, it’s really nice to see people use their creative outlets to make ideal worlds.
Goodreads summary:
A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.
The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
I really love that this has the Hamilton-esque “history has its eyes on you” vibe. In a current world where everything is pretty upside down, questionable, and makes you think twice, I feel like this is a great “what if” storyline.
I’d also like to point out that this is not YA, but new adult. It’s not bad since it’s mainly fade to black, but just a forewarning that there are some steamy scenes in it!
The FSOTUS, Alex, was a very relatable character for many reasons. One of them for me was the feeling that he needed to do something to make a change. There’s a lot of pressure on him not only because he’s the President’s son and status politically, but because of his social status and ethnicity. As a non white, female, and naturalized citizen myself, sometimes I feel like I need to be able to prove myself, even if it’s irrational. He’s got a very type A personality and definitely tends to throw himself in to his work, despite everything else around him.
One of, if not the main obstacle of this book was the fact that Alex is bisexual and Prince Henry is gay, especially since it is a covered up secret about Henry that could cause scandal and disgrace for the Royal family. While it was a bit fairytale-esque in their solution for their relationship, I did like seeing how that could play out. As an outside witness, it’s sad that being part of the LGBTQIA+ community can cause so much pain, especially from ones own family and that’s portrayed really well with Henry. He feels all of the world’s pressure on his shoulders so his “problem” is a daily struggle. While I cannot identify for even claim to know what how hard it must be for Henry, man, I felt so much empathy. I enjoy reading these types of books for that reason.
I’d also like to give June, Nora, Bea, and Pez a huge mention because without them, the story is a lot more boring and it’s the people around you in life that also help shape who you are.
There is quite a bit of US political talk, but it’s nothing that is overcomplicated and super in depth. A quick Google search might even be helpful if you need to double check what something means. However, while politics play a big part in the story, it’s not overwhelming and someone who isn’t engrossed in politics would enjoy it. It’s more of a supporting subject.
Red, White & Royal Blue was a really fun and fluffy story for a world I would like to see. Something idealistic and a great read that gave me many emotions! I gave it a deserving 5 stars.
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