Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White, & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston’s debut novel, is a romantic comedy starring Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the first female U.S. president, and Prince Henry, heir to the British throne. Charming, fun-loving Alex can’t stand boring, uptight Henry… but when an embarrassing public incident turns their feud into front-page tabloid gossip, the two young men are forced to pretend to be best friends in order to keep the international peace. Alex quickly starts to realize that, behind closed doors, Henry is nothing like his frosty public image. They become friends, then lovers, but keeping their new relationship a secret is a challenge, especially when the president’s opponents are eager to dig up a scandal that might hurt her chances of reelection.

The fast-moving plot and snappy dialogue (including heavy use of text message and email transcripts) made this a quick, fun read. The large, exceptionally diverse cast of characters each had their own unique voices, especially the two leads. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Rainbow Rowell, though be aware that it is on the steamy side.