Red White & Royal Blue

The Short Review: It took 70 pages and a few eye-rolls, but if you can stick it out, this queer romance will steal your heart forever.

The Long Review: I cannot name the last ‘Romance’ I read. I’ve read books that featured a romance, but I never read books that are part of the romance genre. And believe me, if you ask anyone who is a hardcore romance fan, they will tell you there’s a difference. So, upon starting this book, I wasn’t prepared for how quickly some of the tropes of the genre were going to smack me in the face. It’s one of the stories where the two people fated to be together start off hating each other. I hate that trope. Then they are saddled with each other and start to catch feelings—an extension of this trope I hate. But then, the two men kissed and because I have never seen or read a book where two men kiss and it’s romantic and wonderful and you’re not dealing with the anxiety of the perils usually accompanied with queer stories, it won me over.

The writing is great, but not flowery or distracting. Every character is well developed. There’s a few good twists and turns, but it does follow the romance formula pretty closely. But here’s what’s so great about that; it felt fresh, because I’ve never read a well-written, well developed gay romance before. So it felt fresh.

There’s a lot of R-rated sex in here, so if you don’t like those kinds of scenes, this isn’t for you. I think it’s actually pretty accurate given who they are as characters and where they’re at in their lives, but I know some people who’ve had qualms with queer stories having so much sex.

There’s not too much more I can say about this one aside from that if you enjoy romance, if you like queer stories, or if you’re just looking for a really delightful beach read, this one is a great option for you!