It’s been a while since I’ve last written a YA Contemporary Review. So to get back into it, let’s discuss Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Somehow, this book managed the elude me for months. Not sure how, it just never seemed to be available in any Belgian bookstore I visited. Luckily, one of Waterstones’ employees heard me complain to my boyfriend about this difficult to find book and she pointed out to me that it was no in the YA section but in the bestsellers section near the door. Oops?

Red, White & Royal Blue

What would happen if a public spat between the First Son of the United States of American and a Prince of the United Kingdom would threaten to cause a media scandal? Why, the situation would have to be rectified of course! And that’s precisely how Alex and Henry suddenly find themselves in the midst of an elaborate charade in which they have to convince everyone that they are, in fact, the very best of friends.

But their fake friendship soon turns into a blossoming romance which could threaten the President’s reelection campaign. Is their love worth risking everything? Are their nations ready for such a reveal? And how do they want to be remembered in history text books?

Sweet, but…

This book is definitely a quick and nice read. Did it blow my socks off like I expected it would? No, unfortunately not at all. It’s quite the sweet story, but really, nothing happens. It reminded me a bit of a babbling brook without any unexpected currents. From beginning to end, nothing exciting ever happens. Nevertheless, I appreciated the humor and the characters quite a bit, so I would still recommend it. And there were a couple of quotations that really touched my soul, like this one:

“So, imagine we’re all born with a set of feelings. Some are broader or deeper than others, but for everyone, 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.”

If that doesn’t hurt you, then I’m not sure what will 🙂 Three out of five gemstones:

Age Category: Young Adult, but also suitable for an older audience

Representation:  LGBTQ+ main and supporting characters

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Very mild. Warnings for homophobia, forced outing, racism.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.

Amazon.nl: Paperback Edition

Update: Illumicrate has recently published a special edition set with books by Casey McQuiston which included their edition of Red, White & Royal Blue. This edition has a very pretty design with a lot of dots and foil stars on the cover, but I have to say that I would have preferred a design with a better link to the book. I do love the character art on the end papers and the naked cover though. The edges are digitally stenciled with stars and dots as well, and most importantly, the Illumicrate edition features bonus content. Lastly, it was digitally signed by the author. The set of two books (the other one being One Last Stop) were sold for € 53, but are no longer available. As they only were sent out recently, I haven’t seen a lot of them appear on the second hand market, but those I did see go currently for about € 40 – 60 for one of them, and about € 100 – 120 for the set.

Similar to this

If you enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue, you will want to check out American Royals by Katharine McGee. It has quite similar vibes, but I found the story more entertaining and I felt a closer connection to the characters. It’s a “what if” type of novel: what if the United States had a monarchy? The book follows the three royal children in their attempts to keep the precarious balance between their public lives and their private lives. My review of the first book can be found here.

If you are looking for fast-paced and romantic reads with a M/M relationship between the main characters and if you are open to graphic novels, check out the Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman. This story started out as a webtoon, but got so popular that Fairyloot is even doing special editions of it. Not the most exciting story either, but once again, very appropriate if you’re looking for Sweet & Cute. I might dedicate one of the next Dragon Adventures to it.

This next recommendation is one I’m dying to read: Carry On, the first of the Simon Snow novels by Rainbow Rowell (Isn’t that the most brilliant name ever??) A chosen one, a vampire and a cover with two guys who look SO MUCH like Remus Lupin and Sirius Black? Yes, please! On Goodreads, the book is described as “A ghost story, a love story and a mystery”. Sounds delish, no? I’ve got the first one lined up on my TBR shelf, so keep an eye out for my review!

Last but not least, I would also recommend Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. It’s also about a fake M/M relationship that turns out far more real than anyone would have expected. And the cover is delightfully British 😉