Oh boy oh boy oh boy, how do I start on this book. I literally finished reading it 5 minutes ago and I’m still trying to grasp all these feelings. Okay first what’s the book:
Red, White & Royal Blue
by Casey McQuiston
published on 14 May 2019
New adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+ romance
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
There’s some pressure from posting my first book review and giving it 5 stars. I honestly didn’t expect to love Red, White & Royal Blue as much as I do. But this book though, phew, this book is hands down the cutest, sweetest, most amazing contemporary romance I’ve read in 2019.
Red, White & Royal Blue is at its heart the truest romance because it gives the reader two individuals who have vastly different lives, who face crippling circumstances, and who fight hard and finally FINALLY have their happily ever after. But more than that, this book is a great contemporary because it is realistic. The reader is forced to seriously consider the challenges that characters face, and think that maybe they won’t be together in the end. And only then, at that final moment, does the writer swerve in to fix everything, not using the most cliché rom-com tactics, but with smart, realistic, appropriate methods.
Another part that Casey McQuiston, the author, did well in was to enhance the story with political elements. She could have just done basic research and offered readers the bare minimum of politics since the book is inherently ‘just a romance’. But McQuiston chooses to emphasize international relations and royal obligations and diplomacy to make the story so much more convincing. This was definitely a plus to me.
Finally, I’m proud that the book has so many flawed characters. Romance novels, in particular, can be very simplistic if the couple is ‘perfect’ already. Humans need weaknesses – to develop as a person and grow closer to another in a relationship. Both Alex and Henry are perfectly imperfect and I’m so glad that they have each other.
If you are ever in need of a pick-me-up, this is the book for you. If you just want some fun-loving reading hours, this is the book for you. It’s out there waiting for you, pick it up. You will NOT regret it!
nerissa wanders 