20 Best Books Like Red, White And Royal Blue

Red, White, and Royal Blue is a charming book that is sort of a trailblazer in today’s more open-minded world. That’s because this book focuses on LGBTQ romance between the sons of two of the most powerful figureheads in the entire world. As such, those who love romance or LGBTQ stories, in general, love books like Red White and Royal Blue.

If you love Red, White, and Royal Blue and are looking to scratch your romance or LGBTQ book itch, the good news for you is that this isn’t a book that is in a class on its own. That’s because there are some books that are quite similar to it. In that regard, we are here to give you some of the best books that are quite similar to Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Best Books Like Red, White, and Royal Blue

Red, White, and Royal Blue is a great book that explores LGBTQ romance, which is something you don’t often see in the past. In a sense, this is one of the books that blazes new trails for a genre that not a lot of writers wrote about in the past.

1. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Boyfriend Material explores the game of fake dating, as Luc O’Donnel, who is the son of a rock star, needs to get his public image right because of the fact that his father was now back in the public eye. This means that he needs to start with a wholesome boyfriend that would allow him to look good in the public eye as well.

Meanwhile, Oliver Blackwood is also looking for someone to date, as this squeaky-clean personality needs someone to bring home for family and work events. As such, Luc and Oliver were basically made for one another, even though they really have nothing in common.

So, the reason why this is a book that is similar to Red, White, and Royal Blue is that it explores LGBTQ romance as well. Of course, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common and are simply doing it for publicity. However, as they continue dating, they soon realize that the fine line between fake dating and real dating is now becoming thinner and thinner. And the way the author was able to portray this is simply superbly funny.

2. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

One Last Stop is another book by Casey McQuiston, who you probably already know as the author of Red, White, and Royal Blue. As such, you will instantly see the connection between this book and Red, White, and Royal Blue as the writing is very similar, despite the fact that this book sports an entirely different story that is unique and very interesting.

Fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue will instantly love One Last Stop because of how it also follows the same LGBTQ theme but with an entirely different plot. The story follows August, who is a cynical 23-year old trying to make ends meet in the big city of New York.

As she is traversing the concrete jungle, she stumbles upon a gorgeous girl named Jane, who is a mysterious and charismatic figure that is displaced from the 1970s. From there, you would instantly see how interesting the plot is between the two central figures.

3. Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

Conventionally Yours is a book that hits the right spot for a lot of people because it isn’t only about LGBTQ and romance but is also about gamers who just happen to be in the same fan convention for a tabletop card game that they both love. In that sense, you will instantly see why this is a book that is very similar to Red, White, and Royal Blue, as it explores the romance between two male characters.

Conrad and Alden, both fans of the game Odyssey, are competing in a tournament for a chance to become professionals. They have to endure a road trip together in the middle of all of the competition, but the rivalry between the two central figures eventually turns into romance as they end up growing closer and closer. And for those who can’t get enough of LGBTQ romance, there are plenty of other diverse characters in the story aside from Conrad and Alden.

4. Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

While we were exploring books that are similar to Red, White and Royal Blue in terms of the LGBTQ romance side of the story, Playing the Palace is a story that not only hits the male-on-male romance story but also the royalty side of the coin. This makes it a perfect book in terms of how similar it is to Red, White and Royal Blue.

Playing the Place starts off with Carter Ogden, who ends up meeting the prince of England. The meeting turned into a romantic affair between the two men, as media fireworks were set because people had different opinions about their relationship. This means that Carter had to endure the obstacles along the way of his happy ending.

5. A Prince On Paper by Alyssa Cole

A Prince On Paper isn’t exactly similar to Red, White and Royal Blue in terms of its LGBTQ romance story. However, it is very similar to that book in the sense that it follows a romantic story that is focused on modern royalty. Of course, Alyssa Cole, the author, is a master when it comes to modern royalty stories.

This book follows the cliché story of a good girl and a bad boy prince, but it does so in a way that is quite unique and difficult not to love. The story follows Nya going to NYC only to find out that the prince of her dreams is someone who only exists in games. This prompted her to go back home for a royal wedding only to end up falling for a bad boy prince that she couldn’t stand.

6. American Royals by Katharine McGee

American Royals is another book that doesn’t put a lot of focus and emphasis on the LGBTQ romance that is quite prominent in Red, White and Royal Blue. However, you will love the fact that this book is also a good way to portray royalty in the modern days.

The book is fictional in the sense that it explores the possibility of American leaders being kings had George Washington opted to become the king of the United States hundreds of years ago. This brings us to the present day, where the descendants of Washington are American monarchs who are trying to survive the pressure of being royalty in the modern times.

7. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins is a book that explores not only LGBTQ romance but also the royal side of its similarity with Red, White and Royal Blue. This allows you to see what could have been had Red, White and Royal Blue been about women instead of men.

This book follows the story of Millie, who discovers that her girlfriend was actually cheating on her. As such, she makes the decision of her life by accepting a scholarship to an exclusive boarding school in Scotland, where she meets her roommate Flora, who is literally a princess. The relationship between the two started off rocky because of how spoiled Flora is. However, the girls soon grow closer to one another in a romantic way because, after all, they are forced to live together.

8. The Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman

Let’s depart a bit from the usual form of literature and look at this amazing graphic novel by Alice Oseman. The Heartstopper Series is actually a great book that is mainly about teen romance in high school between two young boys. This is where it becomes similar to Red, White and Royal Blue, as it explores the romance between two male characters.

The book follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, who are quite different in the way they approach their own sexuality. Charlie is openly gay, while Nick is a soft-hearted rugby player yet to explore his sexual preferences. As the two become friends, they begin to understand that their feelings for one another are more than just mere friendship.

9. Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Honey Girl is another LGBTQ book that focuses more on the girl-on-girl romance story. Despite the difference, it still has a similar approach to Red, White and Royal Blue because of how it is a coming-of-age romance that allows us to explore a different romantic story that isn’t quite the same as the usual romance we read in most books.

The story follows Grace Porter, who drunkenly marries a mystery woman in Las Vegas named Yuki Yamamoto. Grace and Yuki run away together to New York, but the former is going to soon realize that things aren’t as easy as they may seem because she learns the hard way that she cannot run away from her personal problems.

As cute as Grace and Yuki may be, we get to know more about how Grace comes of age in this amazing romantic story that focuses on millennial burnout and the terrifying job market, which are both very relatable to most readers nowadays.

10. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

This book by Talia Hibbert is a book that focuses more on romance but is still quite similar in its approach to Red, White and Royal Blue because of how it looks at two different people with different backgrounds in life coming together as a romantic couple.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown follows the story of Danika Brown, who is a sex-craved PhD student. She is sexually active, but she has no interest in romance whatsoever. Here comes Zafir Ansari, who now works as a security guard after working as a rugby star.

Zafir saves Dani in an emergency drill, and that event forced them to be in a relationship because of how social media shipped them hard. Zafir needed the publicity for his charity, while Dani was only in for it for the steamy side of the relationship.

11. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

One of the books that come with a mix of LGBTQ romance and the supernatural, as we get an entirely different kind of romance novel, is Cemetery Boys. This one is sure to be a good treat for those who want to read a completely unique kind of book.

Cemetery Boys is about Yadriel, who struggles to accept his true gender because of his traditional Latin family. As such, he performs a ritual to become a brujo and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin. Instead, he summons the ghost of Julian Diaz, who used to be the school’s resident bad boy. While Yadriel wanted Julain to leave at first, they become closer to closer as the former slowly embraces his true gender.

12. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is actually a story that focuses on the one percent but still promises to be a fun ride because of how it was able to mix comedy, drama, and LGBTQ romance. We promise that this book is going to be more than what you bargained for.

This book follows Monty Montague, who goes off on a grand tour with his sister Felicity and best friend Percy, with who he is actually in love. During the tour, they run into different misadventures that only make the story more interesting. On top of that, the climax gives us an Indiana Jones-like scenario, but with the amazing comedic genius of Monty.

Of course, we also get to see how Monty’s unrequited love for Percy, as the book explores different themes such as homophobia, sexism, and racism.

13. Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu

Check, Please! is another unique book that allows us to see a different side to the LGBTQ genre in novels. That’s because this is a story that focuses on sports just as much as it does on LGBTQ romance. But reading the book more will allow you to understand what makes it quite similar to Red, White and Royal Blue.

In Check, Please!, we follow Bitty, who is a vlogger and a baker but is eager to try out for the ice hockey team because of his figure skating experience. However, the team captain hates him for some reason. While hockey is the story’s main focus, there are subplots that focus on Bitty’s family, gender, and teammates in this amazingly wonderful novel.

14. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a romantic novel that may not be similar to Red, White and Royal Blue in terms of the LGTBQ romance but is still quite similar when it comes to how it explores romance.

In this book, Lydia literally lives two lives when the love of her life unexpectedly dies. She begins to live two lives as she traverses time and space to go back to a time when her love, Freddie, was still alive and to the time when he was no longer around. It becomes quite confusing for both Lydia and the readers as the book explores a dilemma of some sort in Lydia’s life.

15. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Spoiler Alert is a book that isn’t really about LGBTQ romance but promises to give you the same kind of romantic butterflies that Red, White and Royal Blue offers. And it is also a book that is quite unique but cliché both at the same time.

The book follows April, who works as a plus-size geologist obsessed with the Gods of the Gates, which is a popular TV show that targets geeks. When a cosplay of April becomes the subject of ridicule on social media, Marcus, one of the actors on the show, comes to her defense and asks her out.

But neither April nor Marcus knows that they are already friends in the fanfiction community. It might seem like it’s cliché, but we promise you that the romance in this book is something that you have never seen before.

16. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a book that focuses on a bisexual character in a story about contemporary historical fiction. So, in a sense, it has some similarities with Red, White and Royal Blue.

Evelyn Hugo is one of the bisexual characters of this story, as the book is about her, who is actually an older movie icon. She begins to tell an unknown reporter about the different scandalous things she did in the past, but readers will begin to question why it was that reporter that Evelyn Hugo chose to tell her story. And as the story unfolds, you will begin to understand why.

17. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Felix Ever After is one of the best LGBTQ books today because of how it was able to hit the romance side of the LGBTQ movement on point. The adorable side of this book is what allows it to be quite similar to Red, White and Royal Blue.

The book is about a black, queer, and transgender character named Felix Love, who has never been in love. However, he wants to experience what being in love is all about. But when he plots his revenge after someone posted pictures of him before his transition, that is when he actually finds love in the most unusual way.

18. Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Written in the Stars is another one of those fake dating stories, but we promise you that it is more than worth the read. Of course, because it follows two lesbian characters, it hits the right notes for those who love Red, White and Royal Blue.

Elle and Darcy, after their first date, realize that they have nothing in common and are better off not dating. However, they also decided that being in a fake relationship is better for both of them so that they can keep their nosy family away from their own lives. In a way, it is quite cliché and tropey, but it does have its own uniqueness.

19. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient does not hit the LGBTQ note that Red, White and Royal Blue carries, but it still is a wonderful romantic experience that has a lot of themes that are similar to the aforementioned book. That is why those who love Red, White and Royal Blue should also love this book.

In a lot of ways, The Kiss Quotient is a gender-flipped version of Pretty Woman in the sense that this is about a successful and attractive woman who suffers from autism falling for a male escort in an attempt for the woman to overcome her difficulty with dating.

And the best part about this story is that it was able to capture what dating is like for an autistic person. Of course, you won’t be able to resist the male escort Michael Phan’s sincerity towards making Stella Lane happy.

20. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda seems to be a mouthful in terms of its title. Then again, the plot is quite simple but still very great in its own right as it follows a high school boy who is still in the closet.

Simon is emailing an anonymous by named Blue, and he believes that he is falling for him. Meanwhile, Blue himself is actually feeling the same way, as the two boys try to muster up the courage to tell each other their true identities despite the fact that they are both in the closet.

In that sense, it is a coming-of-age drama that has a bit of darkness in it due to how Simon is being blackmailed for his emails. Still, this is a great story to read because of how it gives you a perspective on what it’s like being in the closet for a young high school boy in a world where homophobia is still quite apparent.