MAY 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Ramón de Ocampo brings out all the emotion in this tender, serious, funny, and warmly hopeful love story. Smart, snarky Alex Claremont-Diaz, first son of the United States, is about to graduate from Georgetown and is eager to work on his mother’s reelection campaign. Then he falls headlong into a whirlwind and very secret romance with England’s Prince Henry. De Ocampo beautifully conveys the depth of feeling in their late-night text and email exchanges and intimate physical encounters. Alex gets a hint of a Texas twang and Henry a wobbly but endearing British accent as de Ocampo differentiates among the large cast of supporting characters in orbit around them. Listeners will be swept up as Alex and Henry face questions of identity and coming out amid familial duties and political machinations. J.M.D. 2019 Best Audiobook, 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Jaime Green
…[an] exquisite debut…McQuiston masterfully navigates two very different political realms, conjuring the quick-fire decision-making of a progressive White House and the iron-grip traditionalism of Buckingham Palace with equal skill. That would be impressive enough, but it's nothing compared to the consuming vividness of Alex and Henry. They shine as individuals…and when they fall in love, the intensity of their infatuation, youthful but not immature, is intoxicating…McQuiston manages to make her characters believably, truly flawed while still utterly lovable…It's hard to watch [Alex] fall in love with Henry without falling in love a bit yourself—with them, and with this brilliant, wonderful book.
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/04/2019
McQuiston’s outstanding debut pivots on an inspired rom-com premise: What if Alex Claremont-Diaz, the half-Mexican son of the first female president of the United States, fell in love with Prince Henry, England’s heir? The two heartthrobs are arch-nemeses at first. After a scandalous mishap at a wedding, however, they are required to pretend to be best friends lest their enmity spark an international incident. Not surprisingly, their hate turns into a bromance. When Henry kisses Alex, the First Son goes into a mild gay panic, but their snide texts soon become gushy emails ending with romantic quotes. The scions also contrive ways of being together at Wimbledon, in Texas, and at a West Hollywood karaoke bar to steal kisses or have secretive sex. Of course, their romance will eventually be discovered and leaked to the press during the president’s heated reelection campaign. The impossible relationship between Alex and Henry is portrayed with quick wit and clever plotting. The drama, which involves political rivals, possible betrayals, and even a meeting with the queen, is both irresistible and delicious. Readers will be eager to see more from McQuiston after this extremely promising start. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (June)
From the Publisher
* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller *
* GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 *
* 2020 Alex Award Winner *
A Vogue Best Novel of 2019
A Vanity Fair Best Book of 2019
One of NPR's Favorite Books of 2019
One of Entertainment Weekly's Top Ten Romance Novels of 2019
A BookPage Best of the Year
A Kirkus Best Book of 2019
A Library Journal Best Romance of 2019
A Shelf Awareness Best of the Year
A She Reads Best Romance of 2019
"[An] exquisite debut... It’s hard to watch [Alex] fall in love with Henry without falling in love a bit yourself — with them, and with this brilliant, wonderful book." - The New York Times Book Review
"[A] fireworks in the sky, glitter in your hair joyous royal romance that you’ll want to fall head over heels in love with again and again. A+" - Entertainment Weekly
"A rivalry between the son of a U.S. president and the Prince of Wales turns into a whirlwind romance in this charming story about true love." - Us Weekly
"[An] escapist masterpiece... It’s a truly glorious thing to live inside the world of this book and to imagine it becoming reality, too." - Vogue
"The super specific love story you never knew you needed." - Cosmopolitan
"Effervescent and empowering on all levels, Red, White & Royal Blue is both a well-written love story and a celebration of identity. McQuiston may not be royal herself, but her novel reigns as must read rom-com." - NPR
"In between sweet and steamy love scenes, Red, White & Royal Blue allows readers to imagine a world where coming out involves no self-loathing; where fan fiction and activist Twitter do actual good; and a diverse, liberal White House wins elections. This Blue Wave fantasy could be the feel-good book of the summer." - Booklist, Starred Review
"The much-loved royal romance genre gets a fun and refreshing update in McQuiston's debut... The love affair between Alex and Henry is intense and romantic, made all the more so by the inclusion of their poetic emails that manage to be both funny and steamy. A clever, romantic, sexy love story." - Kirkus, Starred Review
"With a diverse cast of characters, quick-witted dialog, and a complicated relationship between to young people with the eyes of the world watching their every move, McQuiston's debut is an irresistible, hopeful, and sexy romantic comedy that considers real questions about personal and public responsibility." - Library Journal, Starred Review
“[An] outstanding debut… with quick wit and clever plotting. The drama, which involves political rivals, possible betrayals, and even a meeting with the queen, is both irresistible and delicious. Readers will be eager to see more from McQuiston.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Red, White & Royal Blue is funny and fun, and the family and political dynamics feel spot-on, but it’s the frank and unforgettable romance between these two young men that will compel readers to start it all over again when faced with the last page. It’s that hard to say goodbye to this couple." - BookPage, Top Pick
OPRAHMAG.COM, "The 27 Greatest Romance Novels to Read In Your Lifetime"
POPSUGAR, “30 Must-Read Books of 2019”
BUSTLE, "21 New Romance Novels To Make Your Spring Reading Even Dreamier Than You Imagined"
SHE READS, “Most Anticipated Romances of 2019”
BUZZFEED, "19 Books Coming Out This Year That You Seriously Need To Read"
HARPER'S BAZAAR, "20 Best LGBTQ Books of 2019"
HELLOGIGGLES, "Best New Books to Read in May"
HYPABLE, “Spring 2019 Releases That Need To Be On Your Radar”
REFINERY29, "Best Books of May 2019"
BOOKRIOT, “Best Books We Read in November” / “Love Is In The Air: 51 New Romance Novels Scheduled for 2019” / “Most Anticipated 2019 LGBTQ Reads” / “Most Anticipated Books of 2019” / "50 Must-Reads Books by Debut authors for January – June 2019”
BOOKPAGE, “2019 Preview: Most Anticipated Romance”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, “Best Romances of 2019"
GOODREADS, “The Best Romance Books of May"
PARADE, "The Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2019"
BOOKBUB, “The Best Romance Books Coming in 2019”
ALL ABOUT ROMANCE, “Books We’re Most Looking Forward to Reading This Year”
CHATELAINE MAGAZINE, “Best Romance Books 2019”
DAZED MAGAZINE, “Eight Romance Novels That Are Subverting The Genre In 2019”
FOREVER YOUNG ADULT, “Most Anticipated Books of 2019”
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, "Best of Romance 2019"
"Let this heartwarmingly romantic tale—about the son of an American president falling in love with the prince of Wales—be a balm for your political and cultural cynicism." - Oprahmag.com
"It's the ideal summer read, one that melds the hilarious crass-mouthed sarcasm of HBO's VEEP with supremely steamy scenes." - Bustle
"It’s moving, it’s relevant, it’s OH-SO romantic..." - Natasha is a Book Junkie
“Royal watchers, prepare yourselves, because this LGBTQ+ romance is destined to leave you swooning.” – Pop Sugar
"Casey McQuiston dazzles with Red, White & Royal Blue. Passion characterizes every moment of this smart, mischievous, gratifying and sensitive novel." - Shelf Awareness
“This is romance at its purest, carrying the reader away on a warm, funny journey... a vision of humanity at its finest.” - Dazed
"This is an enemies-to-lovers romance that will give you all the feels! You won’t want to miss this one – it’s been a favorite of mine this year." - She Reads
"Casey McQuiston reboots the royal romance with a joyful, clever, quick-witted and totally irresistible debut." - Vilma Iris
"I took this with me wherever I went and stole every second I had to read! Absorbing, hilarious, tender, sexy—this book had everything I crave. I’m jealous of all the readers out there who still get to experience Red, White & Royal Blue for the first time!" - Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners
"Red, White & Royal Blue is outrageously fun. It is romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling. I loved every second." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six
"I tore through Red, White & Royal Blue as if it were a pint of Ben & Jerry's. By turns hilarious and angst-ridden, buoyant and strikingly real, this novel is a surefire bull’s-eye for any devotee of classic romance, slow burn fanfiction, or heartfelt storytelling. A political love story too timely and too genuine to miss." - Lyndsay Faye, internationally bestselling author of Jane Steele and The Gods of Gotham
"This book is like that perfect dessert you allow yourself only on the really good or really bad days. And I loved every deliciously satiating page of it." - Julia Whelan, author of My Oxford Year
MAY 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Ramón de Ocampo brings out all the emotion in this tender, serious, funny, and warmly hopeful love story. Smart, snarky Alex Claremont-Diaz, first son of the United States, is about to graduate from Georgetown and is eager to work on his mother’s reelection campaign. Then he falls headlong into a whirlwind and very secret romance with England’s Prince Henry. De Ocampo beautifully conveys the depth of feeling in their late-night text and email exchanges and intimate physical encounters. Alex gets a hint of a Texas twang and Henry a wobbly but endearing British accent as de Ocampo differentiates among the large cast of supporting characters in orbit around them. Listeners will be swept up as Alex and Henry face questions of identity and coming out amid familial duties and political machinations. J.M.D. 2019 Best Audiobook, 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-03-04
The much-loved royal romance genre gets a fun and refreshing update in McQuiston's debut.
Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the American President Ellen Claremont, knows one thing for sure: He hates Henry, the British prince to whom he is always compared. He lives for their verbal sparring matches, but when one of their fights at a royal wedding goes a bit too far, they end up falling into a wedding cake and making tabloid headlines. An international scandal could ruin Alex's mother's chances for re-election, so it's time for damage control. The plan? Alex and Henry must pretend to be best friends, giving the tabloids pictures of their bromance and neutralizing the threat to Ellen's presidency. But after a few photo ops with Henry, Alex starts to realize that the passionate anger he feels toward him might be a cover for regular old passion. There are, naturally, a million roadblocks between their first kiss and their happily-ever-after—how can American political royalty and actual British royalty ever be together? How can they navigate being open about their sexualities (Alex is bisexual; Henry is gay) in their very public and very scrutinized roles? Alex and Henry must decide if they'll risk their futures, their families, and their careers to take a chance on happiness. Although the story's premise might be a fantasy—it takes place in a world in which a divorced-mom Texan Democrat won the 2016 election—the emotions are all real. The love affair between Alex and Henry is intense and romantic, made all the more so by the inclusion of their poetic emails that manage to be both funny and steamy. McQuiston's strength is in dialogue; her characters speak in hilarious rapid-fire bursts with plenty of "likes," "ums," creative punctuation, and pop-culture references, sounding like smarter, funnier versions of real people. Although Alex and Henry's relationship is the heart of the story, their friends and family members are all rich, well-drawn characters, and their respective worlds feel both realistic and larger-than-life.
A clever, romantic, sexy love story.
