Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that.
History, huh? Bet we could make some.

Red, White & Royal Blue

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 first read Red, White & Royal Blue last year, and within the first few pages, it had already become my favorite book of all time. I instantly fell in love with Casey McQuiston’s writing, so it was only a matter of time before I picked it up again for a re-read. 

The book follows Alex, the First Son of the first female President of the United States. Along with his sister June and their best friend Nora (the granddaughter of the Vice President), he is like the US equivalent of British royalty: everyone is watching what they’re doing. So, when Alex gets into a physical altercation with actual royalty, Prince Henry, whom he’s had a longstanding hatred for, the media goes crazy. 

In an attempt to do some damage control, their families and PR teams force Alex and Henry into a fake friendship. It’s only supposed to be for the cameras, but quickly the two form an actual bond. Texts under the pretense of getting to know things a “best friend” should knowa lead to late-night phone calls, which lead to a romance Alex could have never anticipated. 

I love so many things about this book that it’s hard to put them into a concise book review. So, to take some inspiration from the book, here is a list:

AN INCOMPLETE LIST: THINGS I LOVE ABOUT RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE BY CASEY MCQUISTON

1. This book is an escape. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve wished I could live in what Tumblr affectionately calls the “RWRB timeline.”
2. Alex and Henry. They are number 1 on my favorite book couples list. Watching their relationship form is a beautiful thing.
3. Alex is the definition of a chaotic bisexual. I can’t elaborate without spoilers, but if you’ve read it, you know. 
4. Henry’s secret relaxed side. It doesn’t come out often, but when it does, I completely understand why Alex falls in love with him. 
5. The Super Six. I just Love Alex, Henry, June, Nora, Pez, and Bea’s friendship. They are friendship group goals. 
6. Side relationships (and how oblivious Alex is noticing them). 
7. The Waterloo Letters. Again, spoilers prevent me from elaborating further, but they absolutely wrecked me. 
8. Character development. Even the side characters feel fully formed. 
9. Pop culture references. From Star Wars to Parks and Recreation, there are small media references everywhere. 
10. Sex-positive narrative. Every sex scene focuses on the importance of Alex and Henry’s developing relationship rather than the act itself. It’s steamy but also leaves things to the imagination, and it’s just really well done. 
11. Political without being too political. It’s a book set during an election year, so there are definitely politics, but it’s not so much that the book would make anyone who has political anxiety feel anxious while reading it.
12. The Waterloo Letters. Yes, I’ve already said this, but I really, really love them.