Red, White & Royal Blue

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the United States. He is charming, politically ambitious, and not supposed to cause international incidents. Prince Henry of Wales is everything Alex has decided to dislike: composed, unreachable, and irritatingly handsome. When a very public altercation at a royal wedding ends up on the front pages, their teams force them into a fake friendship for damage control. What neither of them expects is that the photo ops will turn into late-night emails, and the start of a secret romance.

Set in an alternate-history America where a progressive woman won the 2016 election, this is a story about two young men navigating desire, identity, and the particular difficulty of falling for someone the whole world is watching. Alex's realisation that he's bisexual sits at the centre of it. It's written by McQuiston, who is queer and nonbinary, with the kind of care that comes from drawing on your own life.

The book is lighthearted and funny without loosing any depth. It's a book that will make you laugh (at least giggle or smile) and make you feel good without being shallow. Having read romance for years, this is still the book that contains my favourite "oh no we're stuck in a tiny closet" scene.

Most people, interested in queer romance books, have already heard of this one. But it is becoming a modern classic for good reason. A lot of that comes down to the world McQuiston builds around the two leads. The side characters have their own arcs, their own development, and most importantly, a lot of banter.

You get to see how everyone inhabits each other's lives, and it makes the whole thing feel alive. Alex's bisexual awakening is written with real honesty, and the love story earns its ending. I keep recommending it because it does something quite specific: it makes you feel like things might just work out.