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A review by sweekune
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5
Audiobook narrated by Ramon de Ocampo.
Imagine if the son of the US president and a British prince transcended rivalry and started a romantic relationship. That is the basic premise of Red, White & Royal Blue and yet the story feels so much deeper and involved than that.
- The story is told from the perspective of Alex, a biracial American man who happens to be the son of the first woman president. Alex is very focused and set on what he wants to achieve with his life and at times it makes him a little short sighted. After an incident at a royal wedding, Alex is forced to play nice with Henry, prince and grandchild of the in book monarch. Henry seems to Alex aloof, disinterested and uncaring. However, as the two become better acquainted they learn more about each other and also begin to change each other.
- McQuiston does not shy away from the intimate and gritty details of Alex and Henry's relationship. She does however really detail the difficulties of engaging in a queer relationship, especially when one or both of the participants are in the public eye. The book discusses coming out (to family/friends and the wider world), systemic homophobic and homophobic hate acts, the physical and sexual interactions of two queer men, love and closeness and the burden of duty and expectations. These are all handled so well and brought lots of emotion and depth to the book.
- I love how McQuiston sets up the ambience and tension and allows little small trickles of pay off throughout the book but only gives the reader the full satisfaction of the conclusion at the exact right moment. it is a well planned book and I loved how it kept me hanging on.
A perfect and emotional but ultimately happy queer romance. I would recommend it absolutely and it was one of my favourite books of this year.
Audiobook narrated by Ramon de Ocampo.
Imagine if the son of the US president and a British prince transcended rivalry and started a romantic relationship. That is the basic premise of Red, White & Royal Blue and yet the story feels so much deeper and involved than that.
- The story is told from the perspective of Alex, a biracial American man who happens to be the son of the first woman president. Alex is very focused and set on what he wants to achieve with his life and at times it makes him a little short sighted. After an incident at a royal wedding, Alex is forced to play nice with Henry, prince and grandchild of the in book monarch. Henry seems to Alex aloof, disinterested and uncaring. However, as the two become better acquainted they learn more about each other and also begin to change each other.
- McQuiston does not shy away from the intimate and gritty details of Alex and Henry's relationship. She does however really detail the difficulties of engaging in a queer relationship, especially when one or both of the participants are in the public eye. The book discusses coming out (to family/friends and the wider world), systemic homophobic and homophobic hate acts, the physical and sexual interactions of two queer men, love and closeness and the burden of duty and expectations. These are all handled so well and brought lots of emotion and depth to the book.
- I love how McQuiston sets up the ambience and tension and allows little small trickles of pay off throughout the book but only gives the reader the full satisfaction of the conclusion at the exact right moment. it is a well planned book and I loved how it kept me hanging on.
A perfect and emotional but ultimately happy queer romance. I would recommend it absolutely and it was one of my favourite books of this year.