Imagine this: the First Son of the United States falls in love with the Prince of Wales. Yup. That’s basically Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and I cannot even begin to explain how obsessed I am. From page one, I was hooked, half the time laughing so hard I nearly cried, the other half swooning so much I was basically gasping through the pages, unable to put it down.
Alex Claremont-Díaz is chef’s kiss. He’s witty, chaotic in the best way, over-the-top, and somehow manages to be both obnoxiously charming and painfully relatable. The kind of guy you’d want to be best friends with but also low-key fangirl over. And then there’s Prince Henry. He’s all poise and perfection, very "prince-y," but he’s secretly this soft, dorky, totally lovable and hilarious human once you see past the crown - definitely the kind of guy who makes you just want to hug him forever. And their dynamic? Electric. That whole "enemies who kind of hate each other but maybe also kind of don’t" thing that starts as a staged truce. Absolute chaos in the best possible way. Watching their friendship grow, sneakily morph into something heart-stoppingly romantic, had me internally screaming like a maniac the entire time. And the teasing! The banter! I swear, it should be illegal how adorable it all was.
But it’s not all swoons and drama. What really gets me is how real their journey was. Alex struggling to balance being the First Son while actually being himself, Henry questioning everything he’s been taught and learning to just be, and watching them figure it out together, with all the mistakes, the secrets, the little victories, it’s just so raw and human, and messy in the best way, full of moments that made my chest ache and my heart swell at the same time. And beneath all that laughter and tension, the novel doesn’t shy away from the deeper themes: identity, family, self-expression, and what it really means to be yourself, learning to stand in your own skin when the whole world is watching, making it so much more than just a romance. Add in the interplay of American politics and British monarchical traditions, and McQuiston’s signature humor, and every chapter feels bigger, juicier, and somehow more romantic. And the side characters? They are absolutely unforgettable. There’s fierce June Claremont-Díaz, protective Bea, supportive genius, aspiring data analyst and VP’s daughter Nora Holleran, goofy Pez, brilliant Zahra, formidable President Ellen Claremont-Díaz, endlessly loyal and dependable Shaan, and many more. .. each bringing their own personality and presence, making the world feel full and alive.
By the end, I was a blubbering, laughing, fangirling mess, and honestly I didn’t even want it to end. Red, White & Royal Blue is messy, beautiful, hilarious, devastatingly heartfelt, and swoony. It’s the kind of book that makes you stay up until 2 a.m., the kind you text your friends about in ALL CAPS, the kind that makes you believe that love can actually feel like it’s changing the world.
Honestly? I’m never letting go of Alex and Henry. Not now. Not ever.
Anupriya Sisodia is a published romance fiction author, pursuing an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester. She is an avid reader who loves writing stories with realistic, relatable characters who experience emotional and exciting journeys on their way to a happy ending.
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