The world doesn't really need another gushy, fangirl-y review of Red, White & Royal Blue, but I guess it's getting one anyway!I can't resist the compulsion to add my $0.02 re: the book that rekindled my love of reading after years of dormancy. It turns out, I do still love to read... I just get real bored of reading books about straight, white people. (Which, legit self. Wtf did it take you so long to figure that out.) Basically day-to-day life is depressing enough, I need comedy and queers in my escapism!As it says on the book jacket, RW&RB tells the story of America's first son falling in love with the prince of England, and all the tumultuousness that cross-country canoodling can entail. The plot in itself is not particularly original (I can think of several movies and tv shows with similar elements, not to mention dozens and dozens of fanfic for every ship under the sun).But originality is not the hallmark of romantic comedies. Nor should it be! What makes a good romantic comedy is how its creator elevates the basic tropes and uses these to make us fall in the love with the characters as they fall in love with each other.And here is where Casey McQuiston excels.McQuiston combines extremely likeable characters with wit and romance, and wraps it all in a bundle that includes epistolary exchanges that are at times so funny or sweet, I wound up making noises at my phone in public (laughter and pterodactyl screeches, respectively, in case you were wondering).Google tells me that one of the "benefits of the epistolary form" is that it "presents an intimate view of the character's thoughts and feelings without interference from the author." And while strictly epistolary fiction can often feel frustratingly restrictive at times, McQuiston weaves epistolary devices in and out of their novel. All the benefits of the narrative device and its ability to enhance our understanding of the characters and the characters' relationship! But also all of the makeouts! Because romance novel, duh.I honestly enjoyed the love letter aspect of the novel so much that I impulse-bought several anthologies of historical letters in order to roll around in these feelings awhile longer. #NoRegrets.But however much I enjoyed the novel, there were a few moments that took me out of the story. These were mainly related to fandom or politics.For the most part, the fandom references were a fun nod to our increasingly fannish culture. I'm a Star Wars geek, and every time Henry or Alex quoted the movies to one another, my cold, dead heart melted a bit more. But sometimes the fandom nods were so flagrant it was jarring. The most glaring example had to be when Alex's dad, a Senator from California, dropped a Firefly quote in response to election results. It just felt weird.And in general, I thought the political plotlines dragged on too long and mirrored current politics just a bit too well. The same aforementioned California Senator states, “I don't think this election is gonna hinge on an email server. ... Maybe if it were 2016. Maybe if this weren’t an America that already elected a woman to the highest office once.”Too soon, man. TOO soon.I don't think I could have read this book during the darkest days of the past presidency. To me at least, it was an unwelcome reminder of the anxiety and darkness during those four long years of hate and vitriol.Despite these aspects, the novel as a whole made me laugh and cry and feel all the feels. I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I finished it, I immediately started a re-read. The story was just as lovely the second time through.I purchased the library bound copy from Amazon, because if I like a book enough to want to own a copy for my personal library, then I like a book enough to own it in hardback! But I'd also like to give a major shout-out to the audiobook with narration provided by Ramón de Ocampo. The love he brought to all the characters in the novel just added to the romance and appeal, especially during the epistolary sections. It truly felt like being privy to a pair of lovers reading aloud their letters of longing and loss and love.