Spring is finally here, so it’s time to throw open the windows and sit down with a sweet, quirky romance full of witty banter and a heartwarming cast of diverse characters. Enter “Red White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston. 

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a Prince on this side of the Atlantic. His crew consists of a trailblazing younger sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter. Together they are well known as the White House Trio. Being such a beloved, ogled-at celebrity has its rewards, but it also has its drawbacks. When photos of a confrontation gone horribly wrong with Alex’s longtime nemesis, Prince Henry of Wales, leak out into the tabloids, the only solution is extreme damage control. It starts with a strategically staged fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince and ends with the two learning they have more in common than they initially thought. They also might just have more than a spark between them.  

However, as Alex’s mom kicks off her reelection campaign, he quickly finds himself sneaking around trying to keep this secret relationship contained. If he doesn’t, it might completely derail the campaign and send both nations into a media frenzy. With so much on the line for both of them, Alex and Henry have to ask themselves how far they are willing to go for love, and what is worth fighting for. Do their duty, or follow their hearts and let the world just deal? 

Not to get all mushy and sappy, but this book feels like a warm hug from page one. Not only does it deliver on actual laugh out loud humor, but it has such rich, multidimensional characters as well. The writing style definitely has a fun, quirky, witty sense of humor, and it pairs perfectly with our two male leads and their eccentric cast of friends. This book also wove in some pretty interesting facts on American and British history that I never would have known before. Now I feel like I know my way around the White House, at least through Alex’s eyes!  

Alex and Henry are just a couple you can’t help but root for and want to protect from anything bad in the world. What I love about this book is that yes, the main love interests have this electric connection, but the side characters are fully fleshed out superstars of their own that have their main character moments every now and then. I found myself making connections and predicting relationships for the entire friend group.  

This book has it all. From cute, sweet scenes that bring Alex and Henry closer together to irresistible, steamy scenes that are swoon-worthy, you cannot ask for a more perfect contemporary novel. It’s hard for a book to completely nail it for me, but this book was a gem from start to finish. If you need something sweet and rewarding and just super fluffy, this book is definitely worth the read.