RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

This novella-length follow-up to the smash hit Red, White & Royal Blue (2019) continues the love story through letters and other correspondence.

In their debut, McQuiston introduced the characters of Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the U.S. president, and British Prince Henry, who fell in love despite political obstacles and were outed when their private emails leaked. After that, they vow never again to use email to communicate. Unable to resist the lure of the written word, though, they make an old-fashioned, very romantic choice: They start writing letters. As Henry says when he proposes the idea, “No one else would ever know they exist (until we drop dead of old age and our great-grandchildren publish them posthumously to rapturous praise, of course).” But letters aren’t the only correspondence included here—there are also journal entries, funny notes about doing the laundry, and updates on their families and friends. Alex and Henry face plenty of challenges over the book’s 20-year span, and they’re often writing to each other from separate continents—the book begins as Alex attends law school in New York while Henry toughs it out with his family in London—but fans will be relieved to know that their love for each other stays at the forefront. This isn’t to say there’s no conflict—they deal with big issues like marriage, family, and political aspirations—but this volume feels like a way to let their personalities and wit shine as they mature into grown men. McQuiston uses the epistolary format to further showcase why Alex and Henry are such delightful characters. Readers who’ve been desperate for more of the pair since finishing the first book will be satisfied to see their happily-ever-after continued.

An absolutely charming look at the future of two beloved characters.