Red, White & Royal Blue

Omg I am so in love with this book!!! The plot is amazing and the characters and their growth are too! Will highly recommend this book from here on out.

One of the best new-age romances out there. Fun, flirty, and witty. It was so good I couldn’t put it down and I read it all in one day. Great if you’re looking for something non-stereotypical. Makes you wish our world was better so that this could actually be plausible in reality though lol.

I just finished Red, White & Royal Blue, and honestly, I’m kind of obsessed. It’s one of those books that feels like a perfect mix of fun and meaningful—a total page-turner but also genuinely touching.The story of Alex and Henry totally won me over. Their relationship starts off all fire and sass, but it grows into something really real and heartfelt. I loved how their personalities bounced off each other—Alex’s charisma and passion paired with Henry’s quieter, more thoughtful vibe made their dynamic so engaging. Their banter made me laugh out loud more than once, but the moments where they opened up felt super sincere and raw.What I really appreciated was how the book handled bigger stuff—like politics, identity, and family—without getting too heavy or preachy. It made me hopeful about the idea of change and acceptance, which felt really refreshing. Plus, the writing is clever and modern, full of witty pop culture references that kept things lively.If I had to pick one thing, maybe sometimes it felt a bit too polished or idealistic, like a rom-com turned up to eleven. But honestly, that’s part of the charm! It was just the kind of heartfelt, optimistic story I didn’t realize I needed.Overall, Red, White & Royal Blue made me smile, think, and root for these two characters who just want to be themselves and love openly. I’d definitely recommend it if you want a sweet, smart, and totally swoon-worthy read.

I gotta be honest, I get nervous reading queer books by new to me authors. A lot of times, the relationship just comes across as fetishized kink. No substance, no heart.This book has heart in SPADES. It is so much more than a queer love story. It's about family, about overcoming expectations, and about finding yourself.Alex is one of the most relatable characters I've ever read. I may not be biracial, political, or still in my 20s, but I felt seen. I didn't come to terms with my sexuality until I was in my mid 20s. Being able to read about that growth has me in tears. The fear, the doubt, and the blasé acceptance? Very relatable.My heart broke for Henry. I also lost a parent, so the pain of his grief really resonated with me. I loved being able to see him become himself on the pages.And "the Gang"! I loved them!!! Everyone deserves a support system like that!I will DEFINITELY be reading more by Casey!!!

I heard good things about this book because it was turned into a movie, which I have not seen. I didn’t even read the blurb before reading the book.Written in 3rd person, all from Alex’s POV. For M/M books, 1st person would be better because pronouns get ridiculous to sort out. The writing style was okay but the author liked to drop little descriptions in without follow up so gender and sexuality are always up in the air, and there’s generally a “just go with it, don’t question” expectation from the author. For example, a relationship is revealed close to the end without any explanation of how it started or progressed.The end of the book is underwhelming and abrupt. The election plot line is resolved but the future of Alex and Henry’s relationship is not. I would say that it ends with a HFN with 0 epilogue.The steamy scenes were not explicit - not “fade to black” or “the next morning” but really close. Some people were frustrated by this while others thought that there were too many “sex scenes”. Personally, I would have preferred more detail because it wasn’t always clear what they did/didn’t do and I think that the author could have used it as an opportunity for more humor.Just a warning, politics are often discussed. US politics is Alex’s career ambition and Henry is the youngest British prince, so lots (and lots) of US politics and some European politics. I thought that was clear based on the blurb (and what I heard about the book) but some reviewers were annoyed by it.Overall, I’m glad I read the book and I’ll watch the movie but I won’t re-read the book, which I often do with my favorites.