Cover of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Fiction

Red, White & Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston

2023

* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller * * GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 * * BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR for VOGUE, NPR, VANITY FAIR, and more! * What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic. "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

Enemies to LoversRivals to Lovers
Editor ReviewedAI-AssistedRomance Profile Available
Your rating:

About This Book

Red, White & Royal Blue is a fiction romance novel by Casey McQuiston, first published in 2023 by St. Martin's Griffin. Readers can expect enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers.

At a glance

Genre
Fiction
Trope
Rivals to Lovers
Published
2023

Where to read or listen

Get Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

These store links are affiliate links (Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm). As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

Should I read this?

Why You May Love This Book

You may love this if…

  • When America's First Son is forced into a fake friendship with his royal rival, a secret romance threatens to derail international relations.
  • Fans of political romance
  • Fans of royal romance
  • Lighthearted
  • Features Enemies to Lovers
Romance Profile

The Romance

Tropes, dynamics, and the chemistry that drives this story.

Tropes

Enemies to LoversRoyal RomanceForbidden Love

Relationship Dynamics

Rivals to loversPower imbalance due to public statusSecret relationship

Details

Type: M/M

Pairing: M/M

Power balance: Relatively balanced between political influence and royal status.

Slow BurnStrong (50 out of 100)
Relationship TensionVery strong (75 out of 100)
Emotional Experience

How It Feels

The emotional landscape you'll move through while reading.

High tension, moderate angst.

AngstStrong (50 out of 100)
TensionVery strong (75 out of 100)
Pacing: unknown
Tone:HumorousRomanticTenderThrilling
Heat & Explicitness

Heat Level

Based on available metadata and editorial review.

Explicitness: unknown
Heat information is based on available metadata and editorial review. Reader sensitivities vary.
Reader Fit

Who Is This Book For?

Best for

Fans of political romanceFans of royal romanceReaders who enjoy humor and banter

Reading mood

LightheartedRomantic

Recommended audience: Adult

Story & Themes

The Story

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the United States, is forced to stage a friendship with his nemesis, Henry, the Prince of Wales, to repair diplomatic relations after a tabloid-scandal-inducing altercation. What begins as a strategic act of public diplomacy quickly descends into an authentic and forbidden secret romance that threatens the stability of two nations.

Central Conflict

The tension between Alex and Henry's public image as rivals and their private, forbidden romantic feelings for one another, compounded by the political fallout of a potential leak.

Setting

United States and United Kingdom

Strengths

  • Strong premise
  • Compelling central tension
  • High praise from established authors
Book Club

Discussion Guide

Questions to deepen your reading experience or spark a book club conversation.

  1. 1

    How does the central conflict shape the relationship between the main characters?

  2. 2

    How does the setting influence the characters' decisions and their relationship?

  3. 3

    How do the relationship dynamics evolve throughout the story?

  4. 4

    Who would you most want to recommend this book to?

  5. 5

    How did the pacing affect your reading experience?

  6. 6

    Which aspect of the story did you find most compelling?

Questions are generated from approved book intelligence and may not reflect every reader's experience.
Trust & Transparency

How This Profile Was Created

Eikna uses book metadata and AI-assisted analysis to create structured romance profiles. Public profiles are reviewed and approved by an editor before publication.

Editor reviewed:
Yes
Last reviewed:
September 29, 2026
Confidence:
Moderate confidence
Profile version:
eikna-public-book-intelligence-v1
Meet the writer

About the Author

CM

Casey McQuiston

5 books
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Reader Reviews

What Readers Say

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Publication Details

Publisher
St. Martin's Griffin
Published
2023
Language
English
ISBN-13
9781250905703
ISBN-10
1250905702

Red, White & Royal Blue: quick answers

Who wrote Red, White & Royal Blue?
Red, White & Royal Blue was written by Casey McQuiston.
When was Red, White & Royal Blue published?
Red, White & Royal Blue was first published in 2023 by St. Martin's Griffin.
What genre is Red, White & Royal Blue?
Red, White & Royal Blue is a fiction romance novel, with enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers.

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Where to read or listen

Get Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

These store links are affiliate links (Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm). As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

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