Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't typically read romance novels, but the buzz around this one lured me in. The setup is a brilliant idea: the handsome young son of the U.S. president falls for a handsome young British prince. It uses the tried, true, and (usually) tired theme of having two future lovers hate each other at first sight before falling madly in love. But it does it with a real twist, that twist being that it actually does it well.

The way and reasons the pair hate each other at first makes sense and feels believable, and the way they gradually change that opinion works as well. All of it works: the angle involving politics, the issues the dashing romantic leads face due to their famous families, as well as from their high visibility on the world stage, and, in the case of the president's son, from fear of doing anything that may cost votes in an upcoming election.

There's a lot of humor and energy to this tale, and it's brimming with romance as well, of course. It felt longer than it needed to be, but it makes up for it with many great moments throughout and an ending worth the wait.

This book must be absolute bliss for romance fans, and it's pretty good for those of us who normally give romance a pass, too.

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