Notes from the Shelf

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Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a 448-page YA queer romance novel. First son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to America having a prince. With his sister and the VP’s granddaughter, they’re they White House Trio, an effective millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides though, especially when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. Staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince seems like the perfect plan for damage control as President Claremont is kicking off her reelection bid, but then Alex finds himself diving headfirst into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the reelection campaign and throw two nations into turmoil. Alex must decide what’s worth sacrificing and how he wants history to remember him.

This is the first book of Casey McQuiston’s that I’ve read, and I’ve fallen in love with their books since. Red, White and Royal Blue is a very fun and heartwarming read. There’s tension with the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Alex and Henry, which I thought the two had great chemistry and I always love the witty banter added in. The development of their relationship felt very natural to me.

It was also a nice to escape into a world where there’s a female president who is respected by Americans as well as foreign nations and LGBTQ+ individuals are accepted and valued.

Apparently the movie came out in 2023, so I will have to check it out and see how it compares to the book!

I give Red, White and Royal Blue 5 stars.

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