Have you ever read something that made you smile a little brighter every time you thought about it? That brought hope and joy into your life? A book that is so great, you know that it will stay with you forever? That is exactly what Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston made me feel and continues to make me feel. It’s been months since I read it, and it’s still in the forefront of my mind.
The story is fantastic. The love story of Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of America, and Prince Henry of Wales is one of the best love stories I have ever read and the way it progresses is just beautiful. It has a classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers storyline but that’s not all it has. It’s progressive in the way it portrays a world where a divorced, remarried woman can become the President of America and where the First Children are biracial. It’s hopeful in the way it shows us how good things can be.
During this election time, everything can be so complicated and confusing. While this book is mainly a romance, it doesn’t shy away from the politics aspect either. It takes place over the course of 2020; a 2020 that is so different from our reality. The book describes a world where things go right. A world that is aspirational. It can be a bright spot in your lives, regardless of where you are.
Casey McQuiston has a gift for making you feel everything. It’s the kind of book you will remember forever. It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It’s a pick me up, an ender of book hangovers, a feel good romance. It’s a book filled with so much hope and optimism that it makes you feel like everything will be okay. And if that’s not a reason to read a book, I don’t know what is.