An effusive love story about the son of the President of the United States and the prince of England falling in love—boom, sold. Alex Claremont-Diaz is a headstrong young man who wants to follow in the political footsteps of his President mother, while Prince Henry most decidedly feels confined by the traditions of his royal lineage. Their first impressions and subsequent less-than-friendly interactions lead them to fake friendship for global diplomacy's sake. Ah, so many romance tropes, and yet so well done!

Alex and Henry's story made me smile for its fun, romantic build and at the same time hug myself for the moments of realizations and genuine heartache. The narrative plays on that pleasure/pain dichotomy quite well. The romantic view of the world brought me joy, too. Because, y'know, if this country is indeed living in a dark timeline, it's nice to experience the relatively optimistic timeline of RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. There was some great wish-fulfillment near the end; honestly, it made me understand the limits of my happiness for dreaming of a world that does not exist.