Bookish Mumma

Red, White & Royal Blue follows the story of Alex, the First Son of the United States, and his romance with Henry, the Prince of England. Through all of the political landmines, the mis-steps and the uncertainty comes support and love from the ones closest to them. But also personal attacks from those least expected. We find side characters who bring life and colour to the romance and build the fictional, but modern world in which this is set.

Story 5/5

Although I had seen the movie when it was first released and I am only just reading the book for the first time now. There were certainly new story points to discover. There were points that were different or left out that I enjoyed reading. This made the story a new experience, set apart from the movie itself. The book spans months and although it is 418 pages, the pacing didn’t feel jumpy and jagged. This can be a major struggle for many authors in a timeframe like this. What I read felt like a natural progression of time and evolution of relationships. The romantic relationship between Alex and Henry is at the forefront. This was done exceptionally well, but the relationships between the side characters aren’t ones to be forgotten.

I found that it was easy to forget that Alex is only in his very early 20s , but it came back into sharp focus when he did something reckless. As a character, he is a very charismatic person, but that is also heavily calculated when in the public. Not thinking about the risks and implications doesn’t seem like him, but that is also true for anyone of the same until they find someone that they love. They are often the ones most likely to let the world burn to protect. I would have liked to see more of his internal thought processes. There is only so much you can fit into one book. I’m still satisfied with the character I got to see. While I didn’t connect with him as much as I did with Henry, Alex was still an interesting character to read about.

characters: 4/5

Finding that I connect more with a fictional prince of a very real country is a strange concept. One I certainly didn’t see coming. Henry is facing the expectations of his family and the pressures placed on him while also battling a complex mental load. He not only has to think about the implications of his actions on himself and his family, but also how they affect a country and it’s future. In the middle of all of this, he also navigates a detailed landscape of grief. This shows in the very real loss of one parent and the loss of a parent still living. Not much is mentioned about Henry’s mother until the last 2 chapters. Hearing how the loss of her husband affected her so much… It was something I could empathise with deeply. Mentions of his father are even fewer, but it makes sense. Given how much he misses his father and feels his loss to the core. It’s normal to want to hide that kind of vulnerability. It has taken me 20+ years to be semi-okay with it. It’s clear that the pressures that Henry faces, force him to hide that part of himself. As distressing as that thought is, it’s something that feels so deeply personal, but right for the character.

Throughout the story, I would have liked to see more about the political landscape and how it affected people. It can be hard to weave those themes in a story about romance and the complexity of coming out. It can also be hard to understand the implications when you yourself aren’t in politics. Casey did do a fantastic job in sharing this story and I commend them, but certainly something that I would have liked more of.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that likes contemporary romance as it was engaging, complex and thought provoking. It is well worth the time spent on it and is a whole new experience to the movie based on it. Do you like your romances to have some serious themes and tackling current issues? Red, White & Royal Blue could very well be the next read that you need to add to your ever growing TBR.

If you would like to read the previous posts or posts about the other books, you can find them here.

If you would like to get the book, you can get it here.