Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel

Casey McQuiston

May 2019 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller *
* GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 *
* BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR* for VOGUE, NPR, VANITY FAIR, and more! *

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.

"I took this with me wherever I went and stole every second I had to read! Absorbing, hilarious, tender, sexy—this book had everything I crave. I’m jealous of all the readers out there who still get to experience Red, White & Royal Blue for the first time!" - Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners

"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

Ratings and reviews

I can't remember the last time I read a book that was this much FUN - from the very first page. Please don't be put off by a plot you might find implausible. Instead, do yourself a favor. Pick up this novel, suspend your disbelief, and enjoy a message of hope in our world of relentlessly bleak news cycles. Ellen Claremont, the first woman to occupy the United States Presidency, is facing reelection. Her son, Alex Claremont-Diaz is a handsome, intelligent, charismatic millennial who puts all his considerable skills to work on behalf of his mother, while also imagining his own vibrant political future. That is until he comes face to face with his long-time nemesis and media rival -- Prince Henry, the grandson of the Queen of England. That's when Alex's expertly crafted plans begins to disintegrate. Because, despite efforts by handlers from two countries, determined to avoid an international incident by convincing the media that there is NO rivalry, Alex and Henry's "fake" bromance begins to take an unplanned turn. Suddenly there are personal identity questions to explore, secrets to keep from closest family members, and very real fears about discovery. How might the re-election campaign be impacted? What about all those traditional courtiers at Buckingham Palace? What will the Queen do? Is there any way this situation can possibly end well? You'll meet some wonderful characters. Alex's sister June, another intellectual powerhouse. Their longtime friend Nora, an IT whiz who happens to also be the granddaughter of the Vice-President. There's June and Alex's Dad, a LatinX U.S. Senator divorced from Ellen. And the ever-supportive Lou, Ellen's current husband. And I couldn't forget Henry's very stuffy older brother. Plus, a group of staffers from both sides of the pond you will love. The dialog is witty, the characters smart, the text messages a hoot! I encourage you to enter this alternative universe, where everything is possible and the pages whip by at blinding speed. Casey McQuiston has created something VERY special!

As love stories go, this book would be a solid 5 stars due to its originality, character development, and ability to really pull you in. So, why not give it full marks? Unfortunately, Casey McQuiston was unable to get over cheap, polarizing personal politics and it ruined the experience when it was completely unnecessary. In fact, it completely went against the incredible characters that were created which was truly saddening. It was disruptive enough that I would have given the story 3* so I allowed it to balance at 4*. Honestly, I may be a little harsh because if the instances of personal Party b.s. hadn’t been thrown in (or had been edited out) this would have been a truly incredible story that transcended race and American party lines to tell a uniquely inspiring story that touched on many issues that I believe people from a multitude of walks of lives could have identified with and had truly enlightening and deep discussions about. Thank you to NetGalley, Casey McQuiston, and St. Martin’s Griffin for allowing me this opportunity to read and share my honest thoughts and opinions regarding this book.

I was really excited for this after reading the reviews but I found the first half boring. It really dragged on and I was checking all the time how may pages I had left. However the second half of the book was much better. Started getting more interesting but the reviews definitely didn't reflect the book I read. The story was a cute idea though.

About the author

CASEY MCQUISTON is the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue, as well as a pie enthusiast. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City with Pepper, a poodle mix and semipro personal assistant.