10 Books Like “Red, White & Royal Blue” to Add to Your Reading List Right Now

If you prefer your British royal/American celebrity romances with a little more Prince Harry and Meghan Markle flair, you’ll love “American Royalty” by Tracey Livesay. Just as Alex and Henry struggle to deal with a terrible first meeting, forbidden romance, royal pressures, and the looming specter of bigotry, so too does this couple. Jameson, a British prince keeping his family at arm’s length, meets Dani, aka “Duchess,” a rapper who is invited (through a series of misunderstandings) to a royal concert celebration. The attraction between them is undeniable, but keeping things secret – especially amid the virulent pressures of the press – could tear them apart.

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is YA, while “Red, White & Royal Blue” falls more in the new adult category, but both are warm, witty explorations of two queer young men discovering themselves and falling in love. Like Alex, Aristotle and Dante are both Mexican American young men who are struggling to figure out who they are and what that means for their families and their lives. After meeting at a local swimming pool, they help each other discover all the possibilities of the future, and perhaps discover love together, too.

Looking for another royal-adjacent romance featuring plot-triggering baked goods? Check out Lucy Parker’s romance “Battle Royal.” Four years ago, baker Sylvie failed to impress Dominic, a pastry chef serving as a judge on a TV baking competition. Now, she’s an Instagram-beloved bakery owner, and Dominic is the favored baker of the royal family. When they’re both asked to compete for the chance to bake the royal wedding cake, things heat up – both in and out of the kitchen.

Buttoned-up Brit from a powerful family meets a messy American who’s a celebrity thanks to his parents: “Red, White & Royal Blue” or Alexis Hall’s delightful “Boyfriend Material“? Both, of course! Luc, a reluctant celebrity as the son of rockstars, has to clean up his disastrous public image or risk the fate of the nonprofit he works for. Although his first meeting with British lawyer Oliver, a blind date, goes terribly, they both need dates for upcoming events, so they agree to a fake relationship that all-too-quickly starts to bring up very real feelings.

If you love this book, great news: there’s already a sequel, “Husband Material,” and a third book is already in the works, too!

Fans of “Red, White & Royal Blue” will love the warm romance, found-family vibes, and journey of self-discovery in “The Charm Offensive” by Alison Cochrun. Anxious, awkward tech genius Charlie is recruited to go on a reality dating show when he’s in need of a comeback after a PR disaster. Producer Dev is assigned to help Charlie navigate the show and nudge him toward a made-for-TV love story, only to realize that he might be falling for Charlie himself.

“D’Vaughn & Kris Plan a Wedding” by Chencia C. Higgins centers on a fake engagement rather than a fake friendship, but, like “Red, White & Royal Blue,” it’s a compelling queer romance with a wedding cake as a plot detail. D’Vaughn and Kris are two contestants paired up on a reality TV show where their job is simple: convince their family and friends that they’re getting married in six weeks, and they’ll win a six-figure cash prize. As it turns out, it’s a little too easy to fake that chemistry, and if they want something real, they’ll have to move past the reality show bubble.

If the secret relationship trope is one of your favorite parts of “Red, White & Royal Blue,” you’ll love Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich’s “If This Gets Out.” Ruben and Zach are two members of a world-famous boy band, where all four members have everything about their public image – from their clothes to their assigned “personalities” and more – managed by their label. When the duo’s close friendship turns romantic in the middle of a tour, they’ll have to learn who they can trust as they try to figure out a way to finally live honestly in the spotlight.

Casey McQuiston followed up the success of their debut “Red, White & Royal Blue” with “One Last Stop,” a time-bending queer romance. August’s life in New York City is nothing like the movies, but her cynicism gets a shock of romance when she encounters the mysterious Jane on the subway. Her subway crush soon turns into a real flirtation, but there’s a catch: they figure out that Jane is literally time-displaced from the 1970s, and she’ll need August’s help if she ever wants to be able to live life off the train again.

If you’re longing for more royal enemies-to-lovers, Alyssa Cole has it covered with “A Prince on Paper.” The third entry in Cole’s “Reluctant Royals” centers on Nya, who’s led a sheltered and complicated life up until now. Returning to her home country of Thesolo for a royal wedding, she comes face-to-face with a prince she loathes: Johan von Braustein, prince of Liechtienbourg and the “bad boy” who distracts the media to protect his brother, the heir. When the duo realizes their purposes might align, they form an alliance, but the spark between them is anything but fake.

“Winter’s Orbit” by Everina Maxwell takes the royal matchmaking and reluctant forced proximity of “Red, White & Royal Blue” and launches it into space as part of an epic, politically twisted, and romantic tale. Prince Kiem, a minor royal, is obliged to fulfill a marriage obligation to Count Jainan, a recent widower (and murder suspect) from a potentially rebellious planet. Although neither is particularly interested in the arrangement, they realize they’ll have to trust each other sooner rather than later. The threads of political conspiracy begin to unravel around them, and the fate of the Empire and their tentative relationship are at stake.