Red, White & Royal Blue: Collector's Edition: A Novel Hardcover – October 11, 2022

Red, White & Royal BlueCasey McQuiston2020422 pagesOverall Rating: 5/5MM Contemporary RomancePlot: 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 SocietyOverall Tone: Earnest, heartfelt tone with plenty of sarcasm and wit mixed inProse: 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 memberTropes: Fairytale, Bi awakening, Enemies-to-Lovers, Coming Out, Forbidden LoveKinks: NoneSwear Jar: 5/5: If you made this a drinking game, you’d be drunk AFMemorable 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.Check out more romance reviews at The Hopeless Romanticist blog!

**No spoilers were harmed in the making of this review**"He dreamed of love like it was a fairytale, as if it would come sweeping into his life on the back of a dragon one day; he also learned about love as a strange thing that could fall apart no matter how badly you wanted it, a choice you make anyway"Hey guys, so I finished Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and wow, it was more than I was expecting, in a good way. I went into this book thinking it was a light hearted romantic comedy, something to break the pain some of my other books have given me. And what do I get? I get a book that way more than just funny with some screwing. I get a book with heart, with soul, with love, with pain, with joy, relief, sorrow, happiness, a spectrum of emotions. THis book made me feel. It was quite the journey. And I was enjoying every second of it. And the humor, gods it had me dying laughing, truly. The writing, it penetrates into your soul. And its atease, especially during those extra special scenes, giving you just enough of detail to picture whats occurrng, but lacking enough that its up to your imagination to picture how certain things are carried out. That really got me, like ugh, the suspense and tension. The book was actually easy to read, the background details easy to read through, and added communication stuff, that was pretty cool. THis book had more than humor, though that was a huge chunk of it, it was a story, a story of two males whose country raised them and of males who had to figure out who they wanted to be on their own, and with each other. It was so heartfelt. The storyline itself was really good, and the political stuff and historical stuff was really great. It kinda made me look at history in a different perspective, making and remaking history it seems. THe storyline of course, had its highs and lows, its love and its heartbreak, its triumph and its tragedies. It was packed full of others thing to, like family, friendship, loyalty, betrayal. It had everything. And of course, the drama, how I love that drama. Heh, cakegate. And all this was made possible by Alex and Henry. I honestly loved Alex so much and can relate to him in so many ways. He is funny, daring, rebellious, brave, and bold. but he also leaps before he looks, rushes into situations head on without thinking about them, he can be reckless and he overwhelms himself with work load and other heavy responsible, all so he can stay focused on the future, and not the present. Until someone in the present made it worth living in. And Henry, oh my poor, tortured, unfortunate british soul. OH my sweet baby who is hurting on inside but forced to smile on the outside. A bird trapped in a gilded cage. Henry is soft, precious cinnamon roll who needs to be protected at all times, kay? Prince Charming indeed...And the two of them together....sparks, sparks I tell you. I loved their humor, their banter, their wit, their brains and heart and soul. Their passion. Their compassion. Their love. It was everything, them together. Their stolen moments, their rushed affections, their hidden longing. Goodness, my heart. It was so anguishingly hot. So yeah, i loved the males and I loved them together. Both of these characters had depths and deeper truths and it was displayed in such a beautiful way. It was so rich of understanding and self love and finding youself, finding who you are and who you want to be. And of course, love isnt love until it is tested against the harshest conditions. And wow...it was whirlwind. Okay, I dont think I spoiled anything. Im pretty you guys know from the descriptions that Alex and Henry ya know...maybe? Its kinda implied...anyway, maybe I should stop rambling. Alright, if you guys have any questions or comment,s drop em below. Till next time. bye.