First Son Very Reluctantly Charmed by Foreign Prince
A book review of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Alex regrets it. He should have just stayed away from that Prince Charming cardboard cutout; aka: His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales. Just because of a teeny-tiny incident that might have cost the royal family somewhere in the realm of tens of thousands of dollars, every tabloid and news outlet on both sides of the pond is hyping things up to the point of potentially affecting international relations. Alex thinks it’s best to stick with that plan of stay as far away from Henry as possible. However, heads of family and state and other handlers agree that the only actionable damage control is to pretend that Alex and Henry have been best friends all along.
Alex regrets it so much. He could have lived his whole life without realizing Henry is nothing like he thought. He’s so much more intelligent and endearing than Alex ever could have imagined. He actually has a sense of humor! The more Alex knows the more he wants to know. It’s Henry, ever-surprising Henry, who tips Alex off to what his insatiable yearning to be close actually means. Suddenly, a fake friendship turns into a real romantic relationship, one that might end up sabotaging his mother’s reelection campaign and truly causing a disastrous diplomatic incident.
Can Alex balance love and family, or should he check himself before he wrecks himself on an international stage?
The chemistry between Alex and Henry is off the charts. Just how can someone so annoying be so damn sexy? Alex is asking for a friend, and yes, that friend is Henry. The witty banter, the competitive snarking, the catch-me-if-you-can back and forth. They can’t stand each other (well, Alex always claimed he can’t stand Henry which is ̶f̶a̶l̶s̶e debatable), but they can’t get enough of each other.
Alex has to come to grips with his sexual orientation, then how he feels about Henry. For some reason, he seems to have an easier time claiming his bisexuality than admitting he’s madly in love. Yet, once he figures things out, Alex is ready to fight for their relationship to succeed.
His relationship revelations with Henry prompt him to reevaluate other things in his life, and it was great to see him realize there’s more than one way to get to the future he wants. It’s good to practice changing your plans to fit you as you grow, instead of trying to force yourself to stay the same to match plans you made years ago.
5 stars! Recommended for anyone who likes British gentlemen who like it when snarky Americans are mean to them.
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