Rating: 5 out of 5
Genre: 5 stars, Diverse, Contemporary, Romance
People who should read this: People who love swoon worthy love without all the cringing, diverse LGBT books, want to laugh and cry at the same time, or just want hope.
“‘And I can appreciate that. But isn’t there something to be valued in a happy ending as well?’
‘Spoken like a true Prince Charming.’”
All the feelings… I had all the feelings and it was just too much.
I cried. I laughed. I wished these were real people instead of an amazing fictional creation.
Red, White, and Royal Blue broke my heart and pieced it back together with rainbow glitter.
Ok, while I try to stifle these residual tears and feelings, let me put together a quick list of all the reasons this book is now my favorite romance ever.
Diverse - like gay as a maypole, but still relatable for multiple sexual orientations.
Realistic relationships and connections - granted, I can’t just get on a plane to see my boyfriend, but the emotional outcomes and steps in their relationship felt real.
Hot and steamy - are my cheeks turning red???
Enjoyment off the charts - I never wanted to put the book down.
Excellent writing and multiple swoon worthy one-liners - I think this book holds my record for most tagged quotes.
Well thought out dialogue - I never cringed.
Perfect pacing - even with all the political subjects thrown in, I was never bored.
Multiple story lines that wove together into one cohesive story.
Believable love story.
And like I said…. Can these characters be real please????
“Henry looks Philip square in the face and says, “I’ve been gay as a maypole since the day I came out of Mum, Philip.”
Ten glorious reasons to give Red, White, and Royal Blue a try and only two negative comments. (I feel like I’m writing an infomercial) It wasn’t long enough and I might have gotten lost in a few places.
Red, White, and Royal Blue is tagged as a romance book, and it is… trust me. But it’s also filled to the brim with current issues. In Alex’s world, his mother is the first female President and he’s living in the white house while going to college. Boom - right there we have a trunk load of thoughts to cover and McQuiston does. Now let’s add in Alex’s new relationship and the trunk turns into Mary Poppins’s carpet bag. My reread alone will be used to unpack all of the thoughts McQuiston squirreled between the pages. So if you’ve been turned off by those traditional romance books with a half naked man or woman on the cover, you might want to turn back around and give this book a try - though I warn you, there’s a lot of steam between the sheets.
For all my writing friends out there, here is the example you all need. Red, White, and Royal Blue shows that books of any genre can still be hard hitting and get their readers to start thinking. My enjoyment wasn’t hampered for a second when the book hit a political patch. And even if you’re not the political type, I think you still need to give the book a try. The politics add tension and are more about character arcs than policy.
“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.”
Need I say more? I think my list alone should make you rush to your bookstore or hurry to get your name on that library holds list. Days later and I’m still having all the feelings. Like I read off another review - I pray this books gets the same effort given to Crazy Rich Asians.
Well, I guess today is just going to be a short one.
Happy Reading
Love Kait
Reading Challenge: 74/110
P.S. Sometimes, I go into a review knowing exactly what needs to be said and other times I let it steer its own ship. Today I let Red, White, and Royal Blue call the shots and in the end it came out short and concise. Let me know what you all think in the comments below.
P.P.S. Yes, I did take this book to the top of a mountain.