I recently read Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston...

Rating: 5/5 stars

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston follows the point of view of First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz. His mother is the President of The United States and along with his sister June and the Vice President's granddaughter Nora, they're coined the White House Trio by media, and are loved by all. Alex's antics and hate for a certain royal prince cause a near international incident that requires damage control ASAP. In order to preserve American-British relations, Alex and Prince Henry parade around as if they'd been best friends the whole time. But with his mother up for reelection and pursuing his own political career, the last thing Alex needs is to pretend to be friends with Henry. As they get thick into the bid for reelection, Alex finds himself questioning why he ever hated Henry in the first place as he finds himself entangled both figuratively and literally with the prince of England. As they continue their secret relationship, the events upend Alex's life and have him questioning everything he thought he knew.

I honestly could not put this book down. Every single sentence kept me wanting more and I honestly am struggling to find faults with this book.

Casey McQuiston writes an extremely compelling, heartfelt, realistic romance story, where the characters feel real and lets the reader feel they can connect to the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs that Alex, Henry, and the rest of their gang go through. Not only does McQuiston take a rather boring topic to some people— politics— and makes it sound intriguing, she takes a bold approach to a MLM romance. The First Son of the United States and the Prince of England? Two powerful figures that would normally clash, but McQuiston makes it so deliciously enjoyable. The character arcs of our leading men are so raw and honest that it left me in tears at many points throughout the book. Alex goes through what I would consider one of the best character developments I've ever seen, and so does Henry. The novel really was a story of having your world shaken up, questioning everything you once believed in, and then learning how to move forward knowing that the person you were months ago is a stranger to the person you are now. It really hits on the kind of legacy or impact you want to leave on the world; and if not the world, at least on the people you love and care about. It hits on the theme of growing and coming into yourself, and deciding to be unapologetically you.

But on top of it, the romance between Alex and Henry is so real and it was such a joy to watch unfold. To see Alex struggle to accept himself as he truly was left me in tears many times, both as he struggled and as he grew comfortable in who he was. To see Henry do the same when his image was everything to him, to follow tradition because that was what was expected of him… I rooted for him and Alex the entirety of the book. To see both of them come into who they truly are, and to watch them fall in love despite the world being against them, was truly a delight to read.

5/5 stars for this book, I will treasure Alex's and Henry's story forever.