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A review by ashjreads
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Red, White & Royal Blue..... what a book journey. At first, I wasn't too sure how I felt about it at first. In the end, it eventually won me over. I was between 3 and 4 stars so I am going to round it up and stick with 4. But 3.75/5 might be the most accurate. Also, the lack of the Oxford Comma in the title? Drives me a little crazy.
The actual romance between Alex and Henry was excellently written. It definitely read like a fan-fiction at times but as a frequent AO3 user? I'm not totally against it. They are very cute and I loved their dynamic. They were, obviously, the highlight of the book. Hey Google, Play London Boy by Taylor Swift. :)
The rating for this was so on the fence because of the way politics were portrayed? I know a book about the FSOTUS and a Prince is going to involve some politic, but I found it difficult at times to suspend my belief that Democrats are happiness, rainbows, and (totally) left leaning. I could've done without a lot of the added inaccuracies. The most annoying one to me? How is Henry a Prince if his father isn't royal but his mother is? Doesn't that mean he'd, at most, be a Lord? I'm not the all knower on how the Monarchy works, I am an American after all. But isn't the title "Prince of Wales" an honorary title reserved for the heir apparent? Listen, you can tell me I am looking into this way too deeply but it truly bothered me the entire time I was reading this book. There were many inaccuracies in general regarding a lot of the England governing systems and I can tell there wasn't a ton of research done on it while developing the story. There's a lot more to be said that others have said about how colonialism and how it plays a part in this book that I don't have the qualifications to speak on. Others have said it better than I ever wish to.
All in all, it was a.... okay book. I kept going back and forth on completely loving it and being indifferent to it. I totally understand why it has a big fanbase and tons of popularity, it just totally wasn't IT for me. The additional chapter added on at the end of the Collector's Edition really is what won me over at the end, it was very cute. I look forward to other work by Casey McQuinston possibly being more enjoyable for me in the future though.
The actual romance between Alex and Henry was excellently written. It definitely read like a fan-fiction at times but as a frequent AO3 user? I'm not totally against it. They are very cute and I loved their dynamic. They were, obviously, the highlight of the book. Hey Google, Play London Boy by Taylor Swift. :)
The rating for this was so on the fence because of the way politics were portrayed? I know a book about the FSOTUS and a Prince is going to involve some politic, but I found it difficult at times to suspend my belief that Democrats are happiness, rainbows, and (totally) left leaning. I could've done without a lot of the added inaccuracies. The most annoying one to me? How is Henry a Prince if his father isn't royal but his mother is? Doesn't that mean he'd, at most, be a Lord? I'm not the all knower on how the Monarchy works, I am an American after all. But isn't the title "Prince of Wales" an honorary title reserved for the heir apparent? Listen, you can tell me I am looking into this way too deeply but it truly bothered me the entire time I was reading this book. There were many inaccuracies in general regarding a lot of the England governing systems and I can tell there wasn't a ton of research done on it while developing the story. There's a lot more to be said that others have said about how colonialism and how it plays a part in this book that I don't have the qualifications to speak on. Others have said it better than I ever wish to.
All in all, it was a.... okay book. I kept going back and forth on completely loving it and being indifferent to it. I totally understand why it has a big fanbase and tons of popularity, it just totally wasn't IT for me. The additional chapter added on at the end of the Collector's Edition really is what won me over at the end, it was very cute. I look forward to other work by Casey McQuinston possibly being more enjoyable for me in the future though.