All Grown Up Book Club discussion
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Red, White & Royal Blue
June 19: Red, White & Royal Blue
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June 5th - Chapters 1 - 5
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So I really like it so far, but something about the POV or the tenses keeps throwing me off. Anyone else?
I immediately fell in love with Alex 😍 There’s something about smart a**holes that I just...can’t resist.
Also on page 120, when Nora says “Prince Henry is a biscuit...let him sop you up” I actually died 😂 Love the Latrice reference! Honestly the relationship between Alex and Nora is so precious 🥰
Rebecca, same here. I like the story so far-minus the politics, but that’s a personal matter. But, I sometimes get so lost in the way things are written that I have to go and reread to fully understand. Love Alex! Henry is a doll. Pez confuses me, lol. So far I really love it.
I’ve read ahead and am on chapter 9! Excited!
I was at Bookcon so I am LATE TO THE PARTY but I’m starting tonight and I can’t wait! 😍
Just finished Chapter 5! Love love LOVE the enemies to lovers trope and how witty Alex is (and Henry in his own, subtle way). I can't wait to discuss it further with everyone!
I couldn’t stop at chapter 5...I read the whole book. Fabulous! Love Alex!
I just finished chapter five. I love Alex and Henry and I relate to Alex so much. I’ve never read a character like Alex and it makes me feel so seen ❤️😭
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This is going to be very much a loose chat throughout the day because I’m sure everyone has busy schedules! So check in when you can and let us know your feelings!! If you haven’t had time to catch up yet, don’t worry!! This discussion board will be left up for the duration of the entire month!!
Let’s gab!
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I, too, love the biscuit line. It’s excellent.
I love how funny this book is. The dialogue is whip smart and sounds like I’m listening to my friends talk when is just fun af for me.
Not much about June’s journey in these first chapters but I still love her so much. She’s a good older sister. I relate to the quiet worry that she kind of exhibits in these first five chapters.
Nora is everything.
Alex is such a Disaster Bi and I am HERE for it.
Henry’s Star Wars moment with the little girl at the hospital remains one of my favorites in the whole book.
I love that so much of Chapter 5 is Alex figuring out his sexuality and I feel the way it is done is v realistic and v well done for the type of person that he is.
I have many thoughts (and the book hasn’t even really started yet!) so bear with me, this is probably gonna be long AF…Okay, as I wrote a couple of days ago, I love how funny and witty all the characters are, especially Alex. The viscount creating an army of crazed sex wraiths, I mean c’mon, who comes up with stuff like that?!
The destruction of the cake was kind of predictable, but still a great start to our ‘nemeses’ becoming friends. The stables exchange is everything, I really am trash for the enemies to lovers trope lol
I love all the pop culture references (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones…) and the freaking THROWBACKS (Lil Jon’s Get Low, Kid Cudi… I feel like I’m back in middle/high school! :D)
As a child of divorce, ‘one Christmas’ is still a thing we’ll probably never be able to do, and it’s best we don’t since it would play out EXACTLY like in the book. The fact that Henry listens to Alex rant about it for an hour at THREE AM, I mean, if this isn’t love, I don’t know what is!
Chapter 5 and Alex finally coming to terms with his sexuality (Liam should’ve been a clue long before now but okay), while also running 5 laps… 8 laps… (How small is this park/what shape are you in, Terminator?!) was a great read, especially Nora and her hilarious comebacks!
All in all, great start to a great book, can’t wait to read more! Though I do have two questions…
1. I’m not exactly sure how Nora came to be in ‘The White House Trio’? Did I miss it or is it not explained yet?
2. Why was he surprised by Henry’s handler not being a ‘stout storybook Englishman with a walrus mustache’ if he’s met Shaan a couple of years ago at the Rio Olympics?
Well, that’s all from me for now (I think it’s more than enough haha)
SO. MUCH. happens in just these few chapters!! I’m really enjoying this reread already, and it’s a whole different experience on audiobook! I think the thing I love most in these chapters as we’re getting know everyone is the quick wit and sarcasm from all of these characters; it’s almost like watching an episode of Gilmore Girls! And the sibling relationship between June and Alex makes me wish that I had a sibling! Their connection is so important and I’m so glad they have each other because I’m sure that type of power could be alienating but they understand the other’s struggles. I could listen to/read the hospital scene over and over and over again. Just Alex getting to see who Henry really was and the automatic tension between them in the closet was just... 🔥 and of course, THE KISS. I’ve never read anything more romantic I swear.As for lines, I’m not sure why, but the part where Alex was talking about the photo of Henry in June’s magazine and how he looked at it all the time and wanted to pull out the staples with his fingernails, the ‘They weren’t made for it like June’s. Like a girl’s.’ really hurt my heart because you could see even then him feeling kind of out of place but not knowing why.
I’m getting used to the narrator of the audiobook, but there have been moments where I just— had to take a second. The way he does accents for Alex’s dad and mom are WILD. And I think he makes Henry sound decades older than he is but I think he does well with the overall narration and White House Trio voices.
I’m excited to start the next five chapters! Thanks to the All Grown Up Book Club for making this their first book!
Masa (mybooksandnooks) wrote: "I have many thoughts (and the book hasn’t even really started yet!) so bear with me, this is probably gonna be long AF…Okay, as I wrote a couple of days ago, I love how funny and witty all the ch..."
The pop culture references were one thing that I forgot to mention in my post! It's so weird reading New Adult instead of YA (which is what I mainly read) because the characters are actually my age so I get all of these throwbacks and know exactly what Alex means when he talks about middle schoolers grinding to Get Low at a dance because-- that was me! Also your observations are so funny, I didn't even register the absolute murder those laps would have been... maybe he IS the Terminator lol! I think that Nora is the VP's daughter, or some sort of other person connected to the White House. As for Shaan, maybe he just figured that Henry's handlers switch out like the Queen's Guard? Or the only thing he remembered of that moment was how his idol was so devastating horrible to him.
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My only complaint is the fact that there are SO many pop culture references. It really takes me out of the story, and I feel like a book/the setting/the world should be interesting enough on it’s own that it wouldn’t need so many references. I guess I’m just tired of book talking about Harry Potter. I want to read about ~THIS~ book, not HP. If that makes sense? But that is a me issue!
NOW MOVING ON TO MY SWEET BABIES!
I am absolutely obsessed with the chemistry between Henry and Alex. Like I actually could not got to bed last night because I could NOT stop reading. Henry is my perfect little cinnamon roll and I love Alex so much. I am SO EXCITED to see what happens next. I also agree with Garan in the sense that Alex’s realization that he was bi seemed very realistic and natural. Also can we just take a moment to appreciate the White House staff? I love them.
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I'm really excited to be reading this book because, based off of the synopsis, I probably would have never picked up RWRB. Anything with politics in the mix is normally a no-go for me.The things I didn't like were:
1) The sudden realization Alex has about being Bisexual I didn't find very believable. Yes, this sudden identity crisis he goes through after the kiss was spot on. However, Alex thinks back on all the fooling around that he and Liam did when they were teens. Surely someone who gives a hand-job to his male best friend wouldn't just chop the experience up to two friends "playing around." I feel like those sort of experiences at a young age would have sparked Alex's questions about himself at that time, rather that years later. But...that's just my thought process on that.
2) I wish we could have dove further into the animosity that kind of came off when Alex called Liam to ask about the significance of what they'd done together in the past. It might have just been me, but I read that part with some anger and annoyance on Liam's behalf, and I would have really loved for Liam to go off on Alex or comment on his feelings about their brief sexual encounter and how they affected him.
On to what I loved:
1) NORA!!! There couldn't be a spirit more kindred to my own than hers! I can say no more other than that I love her character. She's smart as hell and witty and loose at the mouth and I adore her. The end.
2) I love the fact that Alex and Henry had to read over and memorize facts about each other leading up to their faux friendship debut. I could just see June and Nora sitting with Alex, quizzing him on all things Henry.
3) I really enjoyed the wedding cake scene. However predictable it may have been, it made for a super adorable start to a rivalry.
4)Lastly, I appreciate how relatable the Christmas dinner was. As a child of two parents who didn't even make it to the idea of marrying each other, I split each holiday in two. I can only imagine that if we ever did a holiday together, it would end up exactly like Alex's. Only less political talk, more yelling about who's the better parent.
First Character Impressions?
Lines or dialogue that you just loved?
Tell us all your thoughts and feelings!