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Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel Paperback – May 14, 2019
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* 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
- Reading age5 years and up
- Print length448 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions5.4 x 1.15 x 8.15 inches
- PublisherSt. Martin's Griffin
- Publication dateMay 14, 2019
- ISBN-101250316774
- ISBN-13978-1250316776
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Editorial Reviews
Review
* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller *
* GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 *
* 2020 Alex Award Winner *
A Vogue Best Novel of 2019
A Vanity Fair Best Book of 2019
One of NPR's Favorite Books of 2019
One of Entertainment Weekly's Top Ten Romance Novels of 2019
A BookPage Best of the Year
A Kirkus Best Book of 2019
A Library Journal Best Romance of 2019
A Shelf Awareness Best of the Year
A She Reads Best Romance of 2019
"[An] exquisite debut... It’s hard to watch [Alex] fall in love with Henry without falling in love a bit yourself ― with them, and with this brilliant, wonderful book." - The New York Times Book Review
"[A] fireworks in the sky, glitter in your hair joyous royal romance that you’ll want to fall head over heels in love with again and again. A+" - Entertainment Weekly
"A rivalry between the son of a U.S. president and the Prince of Wales turns into a whirlwind romance in this charming story about true love." - Us Weekly
"[An] escapist masterpiece... It’s a truly glorious thing to live inside the world of this book and to imagine it becoming reality, too." - Vogue
"The super specific love story you never knew you needed." - Cosmopolitan
"Effervescent and empowering on all levels, Red, White & Royal Blue is both a well-written love story and a celebration of identity. McQuiston may not be royal herself, but her novel reigns as must read rom-com." - NPR
"In between sweet and steamy love scenes, Red, White & Royal Blue allows readers to imagine a world where coming out involves no self-loathing; where fan fiction and activist Twitter do actual good; and a diverse, liberal White House wins elections. This Blue Wave fantasy could be the feel-good book of the summer." - Booklist, Starred Review
"The much-loved royal romance genre gets a fun and refreshing update in McQuiston's debut... The love affair between Alex and Henry is intense and romantic, made all the more so by the inclusion of their poetic emails that manage to be both funny and steamy. A clever, romantic, sexy love story." - Kirkus, Starred Review
"With a diverse cast of characters, quick-witted dialog, and a complicated relationship between to young people with the eyes of the world watching their every move, McQuiston's debut is an irresistible, hopeful, and sexy romantic comedy that considers real questions about personal and public responsibility." -Library Journal, Starred Review
“[An] outstanding debut… with quick wit and clever plotting. The drama, which involves political rivals, possible betrayals, and even a meeting with the queen, is both irresistible and delicious. Readers will be eager to see more from McQuiston.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Red, White & Royal Blue is funny and fun, and the family and political dynamics feel spot-on, but it’s the frank and unforgettable romance between these two young men that will compel readers to start it all over again when faced with the last page. It’s that hard to say goodbye to this couple." - BookPage, Top Pick
OPRAHMAG.COM, "The 27 Greatest Romance Novels to Read In Your Lifetime"
POPSUGAR, “30 Must-Read Books of 2019”
BUSTLE, "21 New Romance Novels To Make Your Spring Reading Even Dreamier Than You Imagined"
SHE READS, “Most Anticipated Romances of 2019”
BUZZFEED, "19 Books Coming Out This Year That You Seriously Need To Read"
HARPER'S BAZAAR, "20 Best LGBTQ Books of 2019"
HELLOGIGGLES, "Best New Books to Read in May"
HYPABLE, “Spring 2019 Releases That Need To Be On Your Radar”
REFINERY29, "Best Books of May 2019"
BOOKRIOT, “Best Books We Read in November” / “Love Is In The Air: 51 New Romance Novels Scheduled for 2019” / “Most Anticipated 2019 LGBTQ Reads” / “Most Anticipated Books of 2019” / "50 Must-Reads Books by Debut authors for January – June 2019”
BOOKPAGE, “2019 Preview: Most Anticipated Romance”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, “Best Romances of 2019"
GOODREADS, “The Best Romance Books of May"
PARADE, "The Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2019"
BOOKBUB, “The Best Romance Books Coming in 2019”
ALL ABOUT ROMANCE, “Books We’re Most Looking Forward to Reading This Year”
CHATELAINE MAGAZINE, “Best Romance Books 2019”
DAZED MAGAZINE, “Eight Romance Novels That Are Subverting The Genre In 2019”
FOREVER YOUNG ADULT, “Most Anticipated Books of 2019”
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, "Best of Romance 2019"
"Let this heartwarmingly romantic tale―about the son of an American president falling in love with the prince of Wales―be a balm for your political and cultural cynicism." - Oprahmag.com
"It's the ideal summer read, one that melds the hilarious crass-mouthed sarcasm of HBO's VEEP with supremely steamy scenes." - Bustle
"It’s moving, it’s relevant, it’s OH-SO romantic..." - Natasha is a Book Junkie
“Royal watchers, prepare yourselves, because this LGBTQ+ romance is destined to leave you swooning.” – Pop Sugar
"Casey McQuiston dazzles with Red, White & Royal Blue. Passion characterizes every moment of this smart, mischievous, gratifying and sensitive novel." - Shelf Awareness
“This is romance at its purest, carrying the reader away on a warm, funny journey... a vision of humanity at its finest.” - Dazed
"This is an enemies-to-lovers romance that will give you all the feels! You won’t want to miss this one – it’s been a favorite of mine this year." - She Reads
"Casey McQuiston reboots the royal romance with a joyful, clever, quick-witted and totally irresistible debut." - Vilma Iris
"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
"I tore through Red, White & Royal Blue as if it were a pint of Ben & Jerry's. By turns hilarious and angst-ridden, buoyant and strikingly real, this novel is a surefire bull’s-eye for any devotee of classic romance, slow burn fanfiction, or heartfelt storytelling. A political love story too timely and too genuine to miss." - Lyndsay Faye, internationally bestselling author of Jane Steele and The Gods of Gotham
"This book is like that perfect dessert you allow yourself only on the really good or really bad days. And I loved every deliciously satiating page of it." - Julia Whelan, author of My Oxford Year
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Red, White & Royal Blue
By Casey McQuistonSt. Martin's Press
Copyright © 2019 Casey McQuistonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-250-31677-6
CHAPTER 1
On the White House roof, tucked into a corner of the Promenade, there's a bit of loose paneling right on the edge of the Solarium. If you tap it just right, you can peel it back enough to find a message etched underneath, with the tip of a key or maybe a stolen West Wing letter opener.
In the secret history of First Families — an insular gossip mill sworn to absolute discretion about most things on pain of death — there's no definite answer for who wrote it. The one thing people seem certain of is that only a presidential son or daughter would have been daring enough to deface the White House. Some swear it was Jack Ford, with his Hendrix records and split-level room attached to the roof for late-night smoke breaks. Others say it was a young Luci Johnson, thick ribbon in her hair. But it doesn't matter. The writing stays, a private mantra for those resourceful enough to find it.
Alex discovered it within his first week of living there. He's never told anyone how.
It says:
RULE #1: DON'T GET CAUGHT
The East and West Bedrooms on theb second floor are generally reserved for the First Family. They were first designated as one giant state bedroom for visits from the Marquis de Lafayette in the Monroe administration, but eventually they were split. Alex has the East, across from the Treaty Room, and June uses the West, next to the elevator.
Growing up in Texas, their rooms were arranged in the same configuration, on either side of the hallway. Back then, you could tell June's ambition of the month by what covered the walls. At twelve, it was watercolor paintings. At fifteen, lunar calendars and charts of crystals. At sixteen, clippings from The Atlantic, a UT Austin pennant, Gloria Steinem, Zora Neale Hurston, and excerpts from the papers of Dolores Huerta.
His own room was forever the same, just steadily more stuffed with lacrosse trophies and piles of AP coursework. It's all gathering dust in the house they still keep back home. On a chain around his neck, always hidden from view, he's worn the key to that house since the day he left for DC.
Now, straight across the hall, June's room is all bright white and soft pink and minty green, photographed by Vogue and famously inspired by old '60s interior design periodicals she found in one of the White House sitting rooms. His own room was once Caroline Kennedy's nursery and, later, warranting some sage burning from June, Nancy Reagan's office. He's left up the nature field illustrations in a neat symmetrical grid above the sofa, but painted over Sasha Obama's pink walls with a deep blue.
Typically, the children of the president, at least for the past few decades, haven't lived in the Residence beyond eighteen, but Alex started at Georgetown the January his mom was sworn in, and logistically, it made sense not to split their security or costs to whatever one-bedroom apartment he'd be living in. June came that fall, fresh out of UT. She's never said it, but Alex knows she moved in to keep an eye on him. She knows better than anyone else how much he gets off on being this close to the action, and she's bodily yanked him out of the West Wing on more than one occasion.
Behind his bedroom door, he can sit and put Hall & Oates on the record player in the corner, and nobody hears him humming along like his dad to "Rich Girl." He can wear the reading glasses he always insists he doesn't need. He can make as many meticulous study guides with color-coded sticky notes as he wants. He's not going to be the youngest elected congressman in modern history without earning it, but nobody needs to know how hard he's kicking underwater. His sex-symbol stock would plummet.
"Hey," says a voice at the door, and he looks up from his laptop to see June edging into his room, two iPhones and a stack of magazines tucked under one arm, and a plate in her hand. She closes the door behind her with her foot.
"What'd you steal today?" Alex asks, pushing the pile of papers on his bed out of her way.
"Assorted donuts," June says as she climbs up. She's wearing a pencil skirt with pointy pink flats, and he can already see next week's fashion columns: a picture of her outfit today, a lead-in for some sponcon about flats for the professional gal on the go.
He wonders what she's been up to all day. She mentioned a column for WaPo, or was it a photoshoot for her blog? Or both? He can never keep up.
She's dumped her stack of magazines out on the bedspread and is already busying herself with them.
"Doing your part to keep the great American gossip industry alive?"
"That's what my journalism degree's for," June says.
"Anything good this week?" Alex asks, reaching for a donut.
"Let's see," June says. "In Touch says I'm ... dating a French model?"
"Are you?"
"I wish." She flips a few pages. "Ooh, and they're saying you got your asshole bleached."
"That one is true," Alex says through a mouthful of chocolate with sprinkles.
"Thought so," June says without looking up. After riffling through most of the magazine, she shuffles it to the bottom of the stack and moves on to People. She flips through absently — People only ever writes what their publicists tell it to write. Boring. "Not much on us this week ... oh, I'm a crossword puzzle clue."
Following their tabloid coverage is something of an idle hobby of hers, one that in turns amuses and annoys their mother, and Alex is narcissistic enough to let June read him the highlights. They're usually either complete fabrications or lines fed from their press team, but sometimes it's just funny. Given the choice, he'd rather read one of the hundreds of glowing pieces of fan fiction about him on the internet, the up-to-eleven version of himself with devastating charm and unbelievable physical stamina, but June flat-out refuses to read those aloud to him, no matter how much he tries to bribe her.
"Do Us Weekly," Alex says.
"Hmm ..." June digs it out of the stack. "Oh, look, we made the cover this week."
She flashes the glossy cover at him, which has a photo of the two of them inlaid in one corner, June's hair pinned on top of her head and Alex looking slightly over-served but still handsome, all jawline and dark curls. Below it in bold yellow letters, the headline reads: FIRST SIBLINGS' WILD NYC NIGHT.
"Oh yeah, that was a wild night," Alex says, reclining back against the tall leather headboard and pushing his glasses up his nose. "Two whole keynote speakers. Nothing sexier than shrimp cocktails and an hour and a half of speeches on carbon emissions."
"It says here you had some kind of tryst with a 'mystery brunette,'" June reads. "'Though the First Daughter was whisked off by limousine to a star-studded party shortly after the gala, twenty-one-year-old heartthrob Alex was snapped sneaking into the W Hotel to meet a mystery brunette in the presidential suite and leaving around four a.m. Sources inside the hotel reported hearing amorous noises from the room all night, and rumors are swirling the brunette was none other than ... Nora Holleran, the twenty-two-year-old granddaughter of Vice President Mike Holleran and third member of the White House Trio. Could it be the two are rekindling their romance?'"
"Yes!" Alex crows, and June groans. "That's less than a month! You owe me fifty dollars, baby."
"Hold on. Was it Nora?"
Alex thinks back to the week before, showing up at Nora's room with a bottle of champagne. Their thing on the campaign trail a million years ago was brief, mostly to get the inevitable over with. They were seventeen and eighteen and doomed from the start, both convinced they were the smartest person in any room. Alex has since conceded Nora is 100 percent smarter than him and definitely too smart to have ever dated him.
It's not his fault the press won't let it go, though; that they love the idea of them together as if they're modern-day Kennedys. So, if he and Nora occasionally get drunk in hotel rooms together watching The West Wing and making loud moaning noises at the wall for the benefit of nosy tabloids, he can't be blamed, really. They're simply turning an undesirable situation into their own personal entertainment.
Scamming his sister is also a perk.
"Maybe," he says, dragging out the vowels.
June swats him with the magazine like he's an especially obnoxious cockroach. "That's cheating, you dick!"
"Bet's a bet," Alex tells her. "We said if there was a new rumor in a month, you'd owe me fifty bucks. I take Venmo."
"I'm not paying," June huffs. "I'm gonna kill her when we see her tomorrow. What are you wearing, by the way?"
"For what?"
"The wedding."
"Whose wedding?"
"Uh, the royal wedding," June says. "Of England. It's literally on every cover I just showed you."
She holds Us Weekly up again, and this time Alex notices the main story in giant letters: PRINCE PHILIP SAYS I DO! Along with a photograph of an extremely nondescript British heir and his equally nondescript blond fiancée smiling blandly.
He drops his donut in a show of devastation. "That's this weekend?"
"Alex, we leave in the morning," June tells him. "We've got two appearances before we even go to the ceremony. I can't believe Zahra hasn't climbed up your ass about this already."
"Shit," he groans. "I know I had that written down. I got sidetracked."
"What, by conspiring with my best friend against me in the tabloids for fifty dollars?"
"No, with my research paper, smart-ass," Alex says, gesturing dramatically at his piles of notes. "I've been working on it for Roman Political Thought all week. And I thought we agreed Nora is our best friend."
"That can't possibly be a real class you're taking," June says. "Is it possible you willfully forgot about the biggest international event of the year because you don't want to see your archnemesis?"
"June, I'm the son of the President of the United States. Prince Henry is a figurehead of the British Empire. You can't just call him my 'archnemesis,'" Alex says. He returns to his donut, chewing thoughtfully, and adds, "'Archnemesis' implies he's actually a rival to me on any level and not, you know, a stuck-up product of inbreeding who probably jerks off to photos of himself."
"Woof."
"I'm just saying."
"Well, you don't have to like him, you just have to put on a happy face and not cause an international incident at his brother's wedding."
"Bug, when do I ever not put on a happy face?" Alex says. He pulls a painfully fake grin, and June looks satisfyingly repulsed.
"Ugh. Anyway, you know what you're wearing, right?"
"Yeah, I picked it out and had Zahra approve it last month. I'm not an animal."
"I'm still not sure about my dress," June says. She leans over and steals his laptop away from him, ignoring his noise of protest. "Do you think the maroon or the one with the lace?"
"Lace, obviously. It's England. And why are you trying to make me fail this class?" he says, reaching for his laptop only to have his hand swatted away. "Go curate your Instagram or something. You're the worst."
"Shut up, I'm trying to pick something to watch. Ew, you have Garden State on your watch list? Wow, how's film school in 2005 going?"
"I hate you."
"Hmm, I know."
Outside his window, the wind stirs up over the lawn, rustling the linden trees down in the garden. The record on the turntable in the corner has spun out into fuzzy silence. He rolls off the bed and flips it, resetting the needle, and the second side picks up on "London Luck, & Love."
* * *
If he's honest, private aviation doesn't really get old, not even three years into his mother's term.
He doesn't get to travel this way a lot, but when he does, it's hard not to let it go to his head. He was born in the hill country of Texas to the daughter of a single mother and the son of Mexican immigrants, all of them dirt poor — luxury travel is still a luxury.
Fifteen years ago, when his mother first ran for the House, the Austin newspaper gave her a nickname: the Lometa Longshot. She'd escaped her tiny hometown in the shadow of Fort Hood, pulled night shifts at diners to put herself through law school, and was arguing discrimination cases before the Supreme Court by thirty. She was the last thing anybody expected to rise up out of Texas in the midst of the Iraq War: a strawberry-blond, whip-smart Democrat with high heels, an unapologetic drawl, and a little biracial family.
So, it's still surreal that Alex is cruising somewhere over the Atlantic, snacking on pistachios in a high-backed leather chair with his feet up. Nora is bent over the New York Times crossword opposite him, brown curls falling across her forehead. Beside her, the hulking Secret Service agent Cassius — Cash for short — holds his own copy in one giant hand, racing to finish it first. The cursor on Alex's Roman Political Thought paper blinks expectantly at him from his laptop, but something in him can't quite focus on school while they're flying transatlantic.
Amy, his mother's favorite Secret Service agent, a former Navy SEAL who is rumored around DC to have killed several men, sits across the aisle. She's got a bulletproof titanium case of crafting supplies open on the couch next to her and is serenely embroidering flowers onto a napkin. Alex has seen her stab someone in the kneecap with a very similar embroidery needle.
Which leaves June, next to him, leaning on one elbow with her nose buried in the issue of People she's inexplicably brought with them. She always chooses the most bizarre reading material for flights. Last time, it was a battered old Cantonese phrase book. Before that, Death Comes for the Archbishop.
"What are you reading in there now?" Alex asks her.
She flips the magazine around so he can see the double-page spread titled: ROYAL WEDDING MADNESS! Alex groans. This is definitely worse than Willa Cather.
"What?" she says. "I want to be prepared for my first-ever royal wedding."
"You went to prom, didn't you?" Alex says. "Just picture that, only in hell, and you have to be really nice about it."
"Can you believe they spent $75,000 just on the cake?"
"That's depressing."
"And apparently Prince Henry is going sans date to the wedding and everyone is freaking out about it. It says he was," she affects a comical English accent, "'rumored to be dating a Belgian heiress last month, but now followers of the prince's dating life aren't sure what to think.'"
Alex snorts. It's insane to him that there are legions of people who follow the intensely dull dating lives of the royal siblings. He understands why people care where he puts his own tongue — at least he has personality.
"Maybe the female population of Europe finally realized he's as compelling as a wet ball of yarn," Alex suggests.
Nora puts down her crossword puzzle, having finished it first. Cassius glances over and swears. "You gonna ask him to dance, then?"
Alex rolls his eyes, suddenly imagining twirling around a ballroom while Henry drones sweet nothings about croquet and fox hunting in his ear. The thought makes him want to gag.
"In his dreams."
"Aw," Nora says, "you're blushing."
"Listen," Alex tells her, "royal weddings are trash, the princes who have royal weddings are trash, the imperialism that allows princes to exist at all is trash. It's trash turtles all the way down."
"Is this your TED Talk?" June asks. "You do realize America is a genocidal empire too, right?"
"Yes, June, but at least we have the decency not to keep a monarchy around," Alex says, throwing a pistachio at her.
There are a few things about Alex and June that new White House hires are briefed on before they start. June's peanut allergy. Alex's frequent middle-of-the-night requests for coffee. June's college boyfriend, who broke up with her when he moved to California but is still the only person whose letters come to her directly. Alex's long-standing grudge against the youngest prince.
It's not a grudge, really. It's not even a rivalry. It's a prickling, unsettling annoyance. It makes his palms sweat.
The tabloids — the world — decided to cast Alex as the American equivalent of Prince Henry from day one, since the White House Trio is the closest thing America has to royalty. It has never seemed fair. Alex's image is all charisma and genius and smirking wit, thoughtful interviews and the cover of GQ at eighteen; Henry's is placid smiles and gentle chivalry and generic charity appearances, a perfectly blank Prince Charming canvas. Henry's role, Alex thinks, is much easier to play.
Maybe it is technically a rivalry. Whatever.
"All right, MIT," he says, "what are the numbers on this one?"
(Continues...)Excerpted from Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Copyright © 2019 Casey McQuiston. Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Product details
- Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin (May 14, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1250316774
- ISBN-13 : 978-1250316776
- Reading age : 5 years and up
- Item Weight : 12.9 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.4 x 1.15 x 8.15 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #30 in TV, Movie & Game Tie-In Fiction
- #86 in LGBTQ+ Romance (Books)
- #360 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
Casey McQuiston is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. Originally from southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City.
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Casey McQuiston
2020
422 pages
Overall Rating: 5/5
MM Contemporary Romance
Plot: Rising political star and overachiever Alex Claremont-Diaz gets a kick out of being a tabloid darling, thanks to his association with the most famous family in the world. Raised to work hard and dream big, the First Son of the United States is busy trying to finish college and become the youngest person ever elected to Congress. But those same tabloids he always laughs at won’t quit comparing him to the equally handsome and debonair First Son from Across the Sea, Prince Henry of the UK– as if the two are involved in a heated contest for Most Eligible Bachelor in the World or something. And Alex hates to lose any competition, especially if it involves his royal arch-nemesis.
After an embarrassing public mishap occurs between the two young men during the middle of a contentious election season, some speedy damage control is required, forcing Alex and Henry into a fake friendship to help keep the peace between the two nations. And as it turns out, they have a lot more in common than they thought.
First Take: This book will always hold a special place in my heart as the one that turned me on to dudes— as in gay romances. I was always afraid to dip my toes in the MM pond because it felt so forbidden, but then I picked up this book and never looked back. I was obsessed immediately. This book is so earnest and sweet and dang did it make me remember my own first love and the intense, I-will-die-without-you feelings that go along with that. Nothing gets me going like a high stakes forbidden love story with a strong emotional connection, and this book is that– political empires are at stake here, people! There may or may not (emphasis on may) be a gay awakening that is just so believable and beautiful to watch. And who doesn’t love the idea of a prince falling in love with a commoner? This one hit all my buttons.
Characters: The story is told entirely from Alex’s perspective, so we get great insight into his thoughts and feelings. He is sarcastic, loud and playful, but not afraid to be serious and follow his heart when it points him in the right direction. Henry, on the other hand, is outwardly the epitome of “stiff upper lip” until you get to know him, and then all his ooey gooey sweetness comes out. He is passionate with a Capital P. There is also a great supporting cast, with Alex’s stylish and protective older sister, June, and super-smart number-crunching best friend, Nora. Special appearances by a no-nonsense Madame President with a heart of gold and aging queen who specializes in cold shoulders.
Praises: There are so many things to praise about this book. Alex’s voice is so earnest and introspective, and I really enjoyed going with him on his journey of self-discovery. The romance is sweet and intensely emotional, and the high stakes feel real– my heart was racing to the very end. The writing has a sense of poetry and yearning that I really enjoyed. The story takes place in an alternate universe that felt both familiar and unique, and ultimately very relatable.
Critiques: If I have one critique, it would be that it’s a tad heavy on the politics. I understand the author wrote this book in response to real-world events and the fear and uncertainty that people really felt at the time, and ultimately it is meant to be a story of hopes and dreams of what the world could be. That being said, the election process is a big part of the story and the politics lean pretty heavily democrat, which might alienate some people. I would hazard a guess that many of those alienated people aren’t terribly interested in MM romance, so it’s likely not a huge problem for most.
Themes: Politics, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance, Identity, Man v Society
Overall Tone: Earnest, heartfelt tone with plenty of sarcasm and wit mixed in
Prose: Some of the descriptions are so vibrant and feel like poetry when you read them. This book is full of beautiful yearning.
Steam: 3/5: The s*x scenes lack the nitty gritty details of some of the more erotic romances. They are sweet and meaningful and rather oblique– you have to use your imagination a bit.
Trigger Warnings: Some discussion of the death of a family member
Tropes: Fairytale, Bi awakening, Enemies-to-Lovers, Coming Out, Forbidden Love
Kinks: None
Swear Jar: 5/5: If you made this a drinking game, you’d be drunk AF
Memorable quotes:
“As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.”
“Should I tell you that when we’re apart, your body comes back to me in my dreams?”
The lines of him are long and languid in the moonlight, and he’s so beautiful that Alex thinks this moment, the soft shadows and pale thighs and crooked smile, should be the portrait of Henry that goes down in history.
He wants to match the new freckles across Henry’s nose to the stars above them and make him name the constellations.
Worthy of a reread? Obviously. Already read this one like 4 times. I think I actually read it twice in one week– basically finished it and then immediately started over. It was that good.
Stand-Alones, Prequels, Sequels, & Tangents: Stand-alone novel. Would dearly wish for a sequel but will likely be waiting in vain.
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Bernard Jan
Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the first woman president in the history of the US. His sworn, mortal enemy is Prince Henry of Wales in the UK. These two have had a tempestuous relationship since their first meeting and nothing has changed. Or has it? A fiasco at the wedding of Prince Philip, Henry's brother,--the two having a squabble at the reception ends up with them both in the cake. Literally--turns into an international incident. President's answer--you go there and make nice. OR ELSE!! Alex is determined to make the best of it and decides that the only way they can convince the world that they're besties is to start texting. Seeing each other socially on occasion. But friendship has a way of turning into something deeper. And there are always consequences to becoming lovers in a public forum.
The two are a study in opposites. Alex is a foul mouthed, rebellious son with charisma and real love for the world of politics. He's an idealist who believes in doing good for the people. He's free, if not closeted and questioning. Henry is a true child of royalty, restricted and confined. He's always known who he is and he's not questioning, but he's closeted in more ways that one. Henry is also charismatic and a major romantic. Together, these two are madly in love and afraid of the world at the same time. Watching this play out between them brought me to giggles at times and tears at times. I got so deeply involved with their story that I pretty much forgot MY life.
The pacing is delicious. Watching the romance bloom and blossom was perfect. The romance itself flowed along a logical progression of events without losing that sense of the romantic. They learn about each other in intimate terms. Nothing is glossed over, nothing is left out. And when the relationship turns physical, it's tasteful and so damn hot that I busted out a sweat, then had a drink and a cigarette.
Ms. Mcquiston has turned out a brilliant book, a great read, and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. This weekend, I plan on watching the movie. I hope it's as faithful to the book as I want it to be.
In the meantime, five out of five stars. A must read for anyone--even if you're not into LGBTQ lit. If you want a great love story, this is just the thing.
Top reviews from other countries
Reviewed in Brazil on March 2, 2024
Henri and Alex's story is the type of love story most people (especially women) wish they had. It has its drama but love conquers all in the end and there is no doubt this is a HEA. I'll be honest and say it doesn't have a revolutionary plot and it is full of cliches but I'm willing to argue until my face is blue that the tropiness and cliches are what make this romantic comedy gold standard.
It's delightful with feelings and makes you root for our boys even with all their drama queen actions.
The book follows the story of Alex, First Son of The United States, and his relationship with Henry, Prince of Wales. It got moments that'll make you laugh, like properly belly laugh, and others that will bring a tear to your eyes. Others that will make your heart feel warm and fuzzy and loved.
This book is filled with romance and some pop-culture references and is just all around great fun. But above all that, the story and the way it's written really touched me.
Alex's journey of figuring out he's bisexual and coming to terms with that and finding an outpouring of love and support from his his family and carving out his shipper group of friends really resonated with me - it was beautiful some. And the romantic relationship between him and Henry? It killed me how cute it was. You really, truly felt like you were witnessing 2 people in soil crushing, all consuming love with each other and it just got me!
And can we just take a moment to talk about the representation? We've got bipoc characters, bisexual characters, gay characters, a pansexual character and a transgender character! We love to see it.
100/10, 5-star read. Honestly, my favourite read so far of this year. I loved the way book ended, so warm and full of hope. But, I could also happily read more from this universe! If you're love queer romances, this book is a must read!