Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

In a fantasy world where a divorcée from Texas with Mexican-American children wins the 2016 presidential election, the idea that her bisexual son might begin a lasting love affair with the Prince of England doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

Image of the cover of Red, White, and Royal Blue, being held against a green shrubbery. — From @claremont2020 on Instagram.

Casey McQuiston is a masterful storyteller: Red, White, and Royal Blue is pure bodice-ripping romantic fantasy set against a backdrop of identity and coming of age. She delivers a sexy novel brimming with multi-dimensional characters and zinging wit. Between steamy scenes tangled in the sheets of Buckingham Palace and The Lincoln Bedroom, readers are forced to examine the complications of discovering—and embracing—your own identity. By the end of the novel I couldn’t decide if my favorite part of Royal Blue was the love story or the fantasy of a post-2016 America that didn’t include a President Trump.

Red, White, and Royal Blue was written for the readers who love playful glimpses into rarefied worlds but don’t need another book about a ripped Scottish laird who conquers a lost English maiden, or whatever. Henry and Alex’s romance is one not only for the ages, it is for this age. McQuiston tugs your heartstrings, fills your stomach with butterflies, and—importantly—leaves you satisfied.

If you’ve been looking for an escape, Red, White, and Royal Blue is the book for you.

Featured image from @claremont2020 on Instagram.