For a while I wondered if my affection towards this book was due to it being one of the first queer romances I read, and my young and impressionable self.

It wasn't.

Red, White and Royal Blue is still an unparalleled queer romance for a reason. It's witty, it's charming, the cast is great, the dynamics are fantastic, the plot is moving. There isn't much else to ask for.

Romance characters tend to be annoying, because drama is part of the genre. But here, Alex's and Henry's hiperbolic circumstances makes all the drama quite plausible. And McQuiston balances it all very well to still keep the mood quirky and fun.

Once again, five years later, I'm orphan for a story that can match everything this book made me feel.