Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lots of sex, drinking in escapist political LGBTQ+ romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE, Alex, son of the first female president of the United States, is less than thrilled when he has to attend Prince Phillip's wedding in the U.K. He's sure that Prince Henry will be there, Phillip's younger brother and Alex's nemesis for as long as he can remember. Their encounter at the reception couldn't go any worse, with Henry being his usual stuck-up self and then Alex pushing them both into the priciest wedding cake imaginable. The press has a field day, of course, and the White House and Buckingham Palace immediately run damage control. Alex and Henry must pretend to be best friends or else. Luckily for Alex, the more time he's forced to spend with Henry the less he despises him. And when Henry kisses him, drunk, at a New Year's party, Alex is forced to realize, first, that he may not be straight, and second, that the antagonistic spark between him and the prince might actually have been attraction all along.
Is It Any Good?
Romance fans who are also political junkies and Anglophiles will swoon at this LGBTQ+ star-crossed-lovers story. It's like a junior, gayer version of The American President -- there's plenty of romance, but there's almost as much talk of campaigns and the last-minute editing of starry-eyed speeches about how we can all be better Americans. There's even a nasty Republican opponent out to dig up dirt on everyone associated with the first family. But in that 1990s movie, the president was male and didn't have kids in their early 20s making all those early-20s mistakes (wow, there's a lot of binge drinking) and getting them plastered all over social media. And there certainly wasn't a first child questioning his sexuality with the most desirable bachelor in all of the English-speaking world. Author Casey McQuiston has fun with just how much Alex thinks he hates Henry, making it a long walk to their first kiss. The secrets kept from everyone follow, along with some truly sweet-and-spicy encounters and emails between them. It seems like an implausibly long time until Alex and Henry's inevitable public outing -- because what of their lives can ever be private? And when the romantic resolution comes, it would have been a nice place to end the story. Sorry, no. There's still Alex's mother's campaign to win.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all the alcohol drinking in Red, White & Royal Blue. Can you think of an event where Alex and friends aren't drinking to excess? Are there ever consequences? What are real-life consequences for so much binge-drinking?
How do Alex, June, and Nora manage their image in the media? How do others around them help curate their images? Can you think of anyone famous on social media that is consistently their authentic self to their audience? If you were Alex, June, or Nora, what would you share and what would you keep to yourself?
This book has made general romance best lists, not just the LGBTQ+ romance lists. Why do you think that is? What is universal about this love story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
- Publication date : May 14, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 18 - 18
- Number of pages : 416
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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