Casey McQuiston

"What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius?his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. 

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic". 

Summary from Amazon

A Novel

Red, White & Royal Blue

* Instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller * What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? Alex Claremont-Diaz is handsome, charismatic, a genius - pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House ever since his mother first became President of the United States. There's only one problem. When the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an altercation between Alex and Prince Henry, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of family and state devise a plan for damage control: stage a truce. But what begins as a fake, Instagrammable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon they are hurtling into a secret romance that could derail the presidential campaign and upend two nations. 'Red, White & Royal Blue is outrageously fun. It is romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling. I loved every second.' - Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six

demeter <3

Here lies Prince Henry of Wales. He died as he lived: avoiding plans and sucking cock.

omfg, one commenter writes, make out already

Julia Rutgers

[He] imagines Henry lying opposite in his own bed, two parentheses enclosing 3,700 miles.

Alex was generally pissed before, but now he's very singularly pissed, his entire shitty mood funneled down to the point on the page where Henry's lips touch somebody's skin that's not his.

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.

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. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

Aistė

When Alex was a kid, before anyone knew his name, he dreamed of love like it was a fairy tale, as if it would come sweeping into his life on the back of a dragon one day. When he got older, he learned about love as a strange thing that could fall apart no matter how badly you wanted it, a choice you make anyway. He never imagined it'd turn out he was right both times.

I've never related to a description of how grief and trauma affects your every emotion, in whatever comes after, this much. 

Leonie

"... there’s that ground floor, a bottom crust of the pie. That’s the maximum depth of feeling you’ve ever experienced. And then, the worst thing happens to you. The very worst thing that could have happened. The thing you had nightmares about as a child, and you thought, it’s all right because that thing will happen to me when I’m older and wiser, and I’ll have felt so many feelings by then that this one worst feeling, the worst possible feeling, won’t seem so terrible. “But it happens to you when you’re young. It happens when your brain isn’t even fully done cooking— when you’ve barely experienced anything, really. The worst thing is one of the first big things that ever happens to you in your life. It happens to you, and it goes all the way down to the bottom of what you know how to feel, and it rips it open and carves out this chasm down below to make room. And because you were so young, and because it was one of the first big things to happen in your life, you’ll always carry it inside you. Every time something terrible happens to you from then on, it doesn’t just stop at the bottom— it goes all the way down.”

That hit a lot harder than I expected. And it's oh so true. 

You see, for me, memories are difficult. Very often, they hurt. A curious thing about grief is the way it takes your entire life, all those foundational years that made you who you are, and makes them so painful to look back upon because of the absence there, that suddenly they’re inaccessible. You must invent an entirely new system.

He tips his chin up to the warm, sticky hometown air, catches his own eye in the rearview mirror. He looks bronzed and soft-mouthed and young, a Texas boy, the same kid he was when he left for DC. So, no more big thoughts for today.

They have to figure out how to do this for real now, how to love each other in plain sight.

Alyssa Weaver

"So glad you flew here to insult me- "I fucking love you, okay?" Alex half yells, finally, irreversibly.

"Fuckin' ghost me for a week, make me stand in the rain like a brown John Cusack, and now you won't even talk to me. Im really just having a great time here. I can see why all yall had to marry your fucking cousins." 

Dear Thisbe,I wish there werent a  wall Love Pyramus

 "Ugh! Men!" she groans. "No emotional vocabulary. I can't believe our ancestors survived centuries of wars and plagues and genocide just to wind up with your sorry ass," 

So what?" he asks. You want me to quit politics and go become a princess? That's not very feminist of you." 

"Christ, you are as thick as it gets," he says, and he grabs Alex's face in both hands and kisses him. Alex is frozen, registering the press of Henry's lips and the wool cuffs of his coat grazing his jaw. The world fuzzes out into static, and his brain is swimming hard to keep up, adding

When he opens his eyes, Henry's looking back at him, ex- pression unreadable. He feels his own smile grow wider, and Henry turns away and toward the bottle of champagne clutched in his fist, from which he takes a hearty swig before disappearing into the crowd.

 The song crossfades into another buh duh dum dum-dum, dum- duh-dum duh-duh-dum- "Shut up," Alex yells, cutting off whatever else Henry was saying, shut your dumb face, this is my shít!" He throws his hands up in the air as Henry stares at him blankly, and around them, people start cheering too, hundreds of shoulders shim- mying to the shouty, Lil Jon--flavored nostalgia of "Get Low." 

"I'm having my entire life haunted by a deranged American Neanderthal and a pair of turkeys, apparently." 

Star Wars fan, are you?" Henry says in a low, warm voice Alex has never heard from him before, pointing at the insignia on her headscarf "Oh, it's mny absolute favorite," Claudette gushes. "I'd like to be just like Princess Leia when I'm older because she's so tough and smart and strong, and she gets to kiss Han Solo." 

* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller * What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic. "Red, White & Royal Blue is outrageously fun. It is romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling. I loved every second." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six

Red, White and Royal Blue

roro :)

  So, you can hate the heir to the throne all you want, write mean poems about him in your diary but the minute you see a camera, you act like the sun shines out of his dick, and you make it convincing.”

tianna

"Did she just say backyard shooting range?" Henry asks, leaning into Alex's ear. "Is that a real thing a person can have" 

“You really have a lot to learn about America, mijo," Oscar tells him, not unkindly.

CALENDAR REQUEST FROM MOM: 2 P.M. WEST WING FIRST FLOOR, INTERNATIONAL ETHICS & SEXUAL IDENTITY DEBRIEF.

This book was not what I was expecting. It was everything. I was expecting it to be the teenage story of a playboy meeting a conservative sad boy, and it mesh into this unrealistic BL-esque drama sequence. Instead, it was healing, optimistic, and energetic. 2016 was rough in US politics, and this is politics that I want to take center stage now. I hope that people who like an easy-laid back-read pick up this book. (Also no one talks about this but the characters have heart).

Evan Carter

“Henry flinches like he’s been physically slapped. Alex can see it now—this is how he was broken down over the years. Maybe not always as explicitly, but always there, always implied. /Remember your place/.”

Very cute! Very gay! <3. Ame a la pareja principal y su humor.

Yoli

I don’t even know where to begin. There’s so much in this book that the world needs to hear.

I have been wanting to read this book for such a long time, and I’m so glad that I finally did! I can’t wait to watch the movie, and I’m excited for the second one!

 for each other, and seeing their story progress was so beautiful and inspiring.

Jacob Edmonds

History, huh? 🇺🇸

This book means so much to me.

I don’t even know where to begin. There’s so much in this book that the world needs to hear.

I have been wanting to read this book for such a long time, and I’m so glad that I finally did! I can’t wait to watch the movie, and I’m excited for the second one!

Alex and Henry are literally made for each other, and seeing their story progress was so beautiful and inspiring.

America needs this book.

This story needed to be written.

Uma leitura TÃO gostosa, tão divertida e tão intensa ao mesmo tempo... Esse livro é maravilhoso e leria mais algumas vezes, demorei um pouco para terminar porque comecei anos atrás e nunca mais tentei mas dessa segunda vez fluiu perfeitamente. Tudo no momento certo, foi perfeito. 

Larissa Campos

Cute

3rd perspective will be the end of me

BOYCOTT MACMILLAN

I like it but it’s not my favorite of hers my favorite is I kissed Shara wheeler 

Stella

Scarlett

Sinceramente fue un 4 estrellas pero no quiero bajarlas asi que se queda en 5
Alex y henry son la cosita mas tierna y cachonda del mundo, mis protegidos

Maja

Cudowna, ciepła i przyjemna książka. Dawno nie uśmiechałam się tak bardzo jak podczas czytania właśnie tej książki. Polecam każdemu

ang 

okay this is a review after read this for the second time AND after watched the movie.

so. i clearly remember how i felt the first time i've read it, it was the best thing ever happened to me in that time.

everything about this story is so dear to me, mostly the characters.

loved it, and GO WATCH THE MOVIE BC IT'S AMAZING EVEN WITH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BOOK...

How long it took me to read this is not a reflection on how good it was, but rather a reflection on my attention span. I loved it- it was equal parts witty & romantic. 

Katie Berges 

Sarah

It is one of the cutest romance ever idk what else to say I loved it every page had me hooked

Kirsten Kim

Mira <3

this is a reread, i first read this book in its year of publication, hence i've again read the unamended novel.

this book was ... difficult for me. i did reread it in anticipation of the movie adaptation of it and, as someone older and slightly more forgiving, i did enjoy it more. evident in that fact that i gave it 3 whole stars when i refused to even rate it 1 when i first read it.

positives first: mcquinston can write some good ass chemistry. despite the fact that i can't for the life of me root for them, henry and alex seem like two little jigsaw pieces and it's endearing to read. their emails were especially well written. sometimes i'd get sucked into the bubble of it's just 2 guys in love and then the book would force you to zoom out and then i'd be a witness to their insane wealth and im like "oh. this is the first son and a british prince. alright then". alex's bi awakening hit very close to home so i enjoyed that part of his character.

the dialogue was ... interesting at times. i had to keep reminding myself that these people were only a handful of years older than me, yet i'd cringe at some of their conversations. some of alex's one liners would make me laugh, but then it would instantly be ruined by a statement that showed his own ego, which i can see was probably an act of survival considering his heritage and where his mother's job has landed him, but still wasn't less cringey and annoying to read. it's very easy to see why he has like 2 friends (his sister and ex-girlfriend).

my main issue with this book is that the main character are who they are. this book was essentially prince harry/genderbent meghan markle political au fanficiton and the closeness to reality made it difficult to enjoy like others have. i can admit my background and circumstances (a british somali-yemeni daughter of a refugee) is not what the average reader has experienced. but i cant for the life of me root for a eton bred, oxford educated prince who could (from my research) abdicate if he hated his birthright so much, but just uses it as a threat to the queen when his relationship is threatened. the way his character deals with his wealth shows me that he would be completely comfortable living in it if his life was not scrutinised as it is and his family and public would accept his sexuality. i'm devoutly anti monarchist, henry is not anti-monarchist enough for me to stand him or root for his happiness. the odd jokey line about how his family had started the worlds worst and horrid moments left a sour taste in my mouth. the same goes for alex, his pro american attitude that he shows sometimes made me put my kindle down. the israel line didn't even phase me, because that is how truly vile the american government is. this book is seemingly written by an sjw who think "well at least a democrat is in the white house!". yawn. gag. can you tell the person who wrote this is white?

obviosuly i enjoyed this more in my reread, but then again i've also turned into this weirdo romantic. sweet relationship, i just wish the environment was different. and if i have to read about american voting strategy again i'll shoot my brains out

Jennifer Gosnell

Quite honestly, one of the all-time best, most heart-warming, hilarious, witty books I have ever read. Really enjoyed the characters, the plots, and their realistic worlds and challenges. None of the drama felt forced or without purpose. And every chapter of this book was a real pleasure. I burned through it, but purposely stopped myself from reading too much at a time because I didn’t want it to be over. 

Looking forward to what McQuiston published next!

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz, with his sister and the Veep's genius granddaughter, are the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. Then photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids. The plan for damage control: stage a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex soon discovers that 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 relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. -- adapted from back cover

Rebecca Hurd

Love is Love!!!! I’m in love in the world this author has created!! These characters are so real and relatable, I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance!!

radhika dhawan

3rd reread literally my fav book of all time

Ryan Mateyk

I was hesitant at first (and it was seriously cringey at the beginning) but this was so charming and made my grinch heart grow three sizes once I removed myself from reality and just let myself fall into the story. the dialogue was impeccable! and it was a good reminder that it's okay to read books that won't depress the hell out of you every once in awhile (but not too often, no thank you!)

Caroline Williams

Shaq H

isabelle

i love the way casey mcquiston writes well rounded characters to the point that the side characters are well rounded

Ditipriya Acharya

3.5 stars. The .5 is for the sheer amount of escapism in this books. Reading it in 2020 hits differently.

kelsey

“you me and history, remember? we're just gonna fucking fight. because you're it, okay? i'm never gonna love anybody in the world like i love you.”

this fuckingskdjsjdjd book. it was so soft but i also managed to tear up so many times omg

brooklyn leota

Listen, was it cliche? Yes. Was it realistic? No. Did I love it anyway? Yes. Sometimes in life I just need a helpless romantic book to get me out of a slump. On the other hand it’s reminded me that I am DREADFULLY single at the age of 23 and no prince charming will be in my life any time soon. 

I am very interested to see how this will play out in the book to film adaption. I do trust Amazon with their previous adaptations, either way, very excited.

anna

Originally published as part of an article for The Nerd Daily.

This novel feels so young and fresh, McQuiston managed to create an alternate reality that feels plausible and that has a great mix of fluff and heavy topics. It’s a story that will suck you in and won’t let you go. The 400 pages fly by thanks to the chemistry and the banter shared by the main two characters, Alex and Henry, as well as the different events they go through.

The story follows Alex Claremont-Diaz first son of the female president of the United States and Prince Henry of England, both have always been “enemies”, but after an incident, they must pretend to be best friends, for the good of international relationships between the two countries. But they start to become real friends and eventually develop feelings for each other. It’s the perfect book for those who love the enemies-to-lovers trope. The characters are funny, sassy, and smart. It just has the perfect amount of fluff and drama. Another good thing about this book, besides the relationship between Alex and Henry, is the friendships they share with the side characters, who are also a great part of the story and very well written too.

The pop-culture references, the witty humour, the portrayal of motivated, and smart young adults who also have struggles… Everything feels so real and along with the fast pace of the prose, it’s what makes this book enjoyable whilst also sharing an important message. You will turn the last page with a great amount of warm and fuzzy feelings that will stay with you for a while.

adorable, the chapters talking about politics were kinda boring (i mean obviously) but I loved Ellen nonetheless and Catherine!

Red, White & Royal Blue A Novel

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