I expected trashy romance but instead I fell in love with it

I’ve been reading queer fiction to make 2021 more bearable and was expecting to read a slightly trashy and brainless (but fun) romance novel; the premise is, essentially, the President’s son falls for his enemy, I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-Prince-Harry.

Instead, I was completely captivated by these two loveable young men and their friends and family. And I cried happy tears on more than one occasion (including through most of a whole chapter). I particularly enjoyed that there’s a few chunks of the book where the 2 men are emailing each other and signing off with quotes from queer people from history, all of which are simply heart-swelling.

McQuiston published some notes on Goodreads. And if you want your heart to swell at the eye-rollingly adorableness of it all, google Red, White and Royal Blue fanart. (Or, frankly, just visit Venessa Kelley’s Tumblr tag.)

I originally bought this book because [a:Everina Maxwell|19466165|Everina Maxwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1596703569p2/19466165.jpg]’s [b:Winter’s Orbit|54811115|Winter's Orbit|Everina Maxwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607765763l/54811115.SY75.jpg|72867360] had been described as “[b:Ancillary Justice|17333324|Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)|Ann Leckie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597476110l/17333324.SY75.jpg|24064628] meets [b:Red, White & Royal Blue|41150487|Red, White & Royal Blue|Casey McQuiston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566742512l/41150487.SY75.jpg|61657690]”; I absolutely loved Winter’s Orbit and I absolutely loved this. I guess that means I’ll be buying Ancillary Justice pretty soon!

CN: outing, mention of past sexual abuse, discussion of drug use and addiction, mental health issues, discussion of racism in the media, mention of past death of a parent