I’ve been hearing lots about this book and couldn’t wait to read it. After a string of long & serious classic and high fantasy novels, I was looking forward to something light, sweet, and fun. Red, White & Royal Blue was EXACTLY what I needed.
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?
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz confronted his arch-rival Prince Henry of Wales at a wedding that threatened to ruin international relations between the US and Britain. To patch things up, Alex and Henry staged a fake friendship… that became something real.
Alex Claremont-Diaz had such a distinct and humorous voice that sucked me into his story right away. I couldn’t help but relate to him in his daily struggles as a First Son and international socialite… even though this is much different from what a typical person goes through.
Prince Henry was SO adorable. I loved the chemistry between Alex and Henry that was palpable from the very beginning.
The amount of diversity in this novel was inspiring. Really LOVED that we had a woman as the President of the United States. And of course, it was to be expected that there was a good mix of LGBTQ+ characters in this book!
Despite being a cute and light-hearted story with a cast of fun characters, this book dealt with heavy issues such as discrimination against LGBTQ– even though there was growing acceptance for homosexuality, Alex and Henry faced roadblocks as their relationship developed.
It was kind of predictable. I foresaw every twist and turn in the plot, although it didn’t make it less enjoyable of a read. Because I was so invested in the characters, I wanted to read about how characters got from point A to point B.
Oh the cheese! Yeah, there were some cheesy words and dramatic romantic gestures exchanged between our couple haha.
Although there was some focus on their families & friends, these relationships took a back seat to Henry & Alex’s romantic relationship. Would’ve loved to see more focus on the platonic relationships here.
Overall an enjoyable read! If you are looking for great LGBTQ representation and a sweet & sizzling romance, consider adding Red, White & Royal Blue to your TBR!
Do you have any favourite romances with LGBTQ representation?
Photo by Alex Martinez on Unsplash; Aleksander Vlad on Unsplash
I love the layout of your reviews! ✨
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Thank you Blair!
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Yay, I’m so glad you loved this book! 😀 Definitely one of my favorites of the year so far. Alex’s voice was what got me hooked from page one, and the chemistry between Alex and Henry truly is fantastic! Great review – loved reading all your thoughts on this book! ❤
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Hey Margaret! This was one of my speediest reads this year. Something about this book was just so addictive! (The character chemistry is probably to blame for that!!) Thank you 🙂 Glad that you like this book too!
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This review makes me want to read this book so much more! Let me add it to my TBR and library list ASAP!
-Emma 🙂
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Glad that this review made you want to read this book haha. It was definitely fun and addictive and perfect for the summertime. Hope that you’ll enjoy it 🙂
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Glad this was an enjoyable read, even if it was predictable and cheesy (I don’t really mind that in my romance, so I think I’ll be alright with that 😉 ) Awesome review!
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Hey Orang-utan Librarian 🙂 Yes I agree that I don’t mind romances being predictable and cheesy, especially when the character chemistry makes up for it which is the case for this book! Thank you 🙂
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I can’t wait to read this one! Sometimes, I’m all for the cheese, and others, I cringe all the way through so let’s see how it goes with this one.
Genesis @ Whispering Chapters
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Haha yes it definitely depends on my mood too. Hope that you’ll enjoy this book! It’s a fun one 🙂
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I’ve been seeing a lot of hype around this book, and I’m glad to see that you liked this one. Cheese is a bit hit-or-miss for me so I’m a bit wary about that.
But in any case, I hope I get to pick it up soon!
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Hey Shealea 🙂 Yes there is a lot of hype about this book haha. It is cheesy definitely but overall a fun read 🙂 Hope that you’ll enjoy it!
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Lovely review, Sophie! I’m really happy you enjoyed this very hyped book haha. I loved Alex’s voice so, so much as well and this book warmed my heart so much ❤
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Yes it is definitely a heart-warming book and it was exactly what I needed at the time hahaha. Thank you ❤ 🙂
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Predictable and cheesy, huh? Hmm… I’ve gotten so used to books with exciting and surprising plot twists, that I don’t know how a predictable story will feel like anymore. Still interested in reading this book, though; it has a nice premise, and I like the political background. (I kind of like politics, tbh.) And as long as the cheesiness was funny, I probably wouldn’t mind. XD
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If you like politics and romance, then this might be the right book for you 🙂
(Although we did just talk about how enjoyment of a book is subjective haha 🙂 )
In any case I hope that you’ll enjoy this one!
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Sophie, I’m reading Once Upon a Time by Alessandra Hazard right now. This is a sci-fi gay romance, and is the latest book in a series I enjoy. There is a lot of politics in it, and wow, I love it so much!! I’m looking forward to reading Red, White, & Royal Blue too. (Is there an Oxford comma in the title or not? 🤣)
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Nice, I think I’ve heard Alessandra Hazard’s name before (not sure if you’ve mentioned it or someone else!)
Not sure if there is an oxford comma in the title hahaha… What are your thoughts on the oxford comma? Yay or nay? I think usually I don’t use the oxford comma however I admit that I’m not too consistent haha.
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