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Trope Alert: Romance Meets Politics

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Trope Alert: Romance Meets Politics

Amazon Prime is launching the movie adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s royal rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue on August 11th and we can’t wait! It’s a tropey romance about the son of America’s president falling for a British royal. Syrupy romantic gold! Throw in the fact that their romance is unfolding on a world stage, and it’s all the more dramatic!

If you’re in the mood for some feel-good rom-coms, with a political twist, here are a few recs for you!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

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Love Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowrey

Shake some hands. Kiss some coworkers.

Cutthroat political consultant Thom Morgan is thriving, working on the governor of California’s presidential campaign. If only he didn’t have to deal with Clay Parker, the infuriatingly smug data analyst who gets under Thom’s skin like it’s his job. In the midst of one of their heated and very public arguments, a journalist snaps a photo, but the image makes it look like they’re kissing. As if that weren’t already worst-nightmare territory, the photo goes viral — and in a bid to secure the liberal vote, the governor asks them to lean into it. Hard.

Thom knows all about damage control — he practically invented it. Ever the professional, he’ll grin and bear this challenge as he does all others. But as the loyal staffers push the boundaries of ‘giving the people what they want,’ the animosity between them blooms into something deeper and far more dangerous: desire. Soon their fake relationship is hurtling toward something very real, which could derail the campaign and cost them both their jobs…and their hearts.

Get the book here

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek-in bed!-she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?

Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis’s opposite-and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she’s about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly-and shockingly-flees.

Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor’s seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career-and jeopardize Alexis’s job-until a solution is proposed: he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?

Coming soon

Her Secret Service Agent by Stephanie Doyle

She wants her Secret Service agent back… 

She was the president’s only daughter. And like a bad movie cliché, Vivian Bennett fell in love with her Secret Service agent, Joe Hunt. Except the night she chose to confess her feelings, the night he rebuked her embarassing advance, was the night her stalker kidnapped her. 

That was ten years ago. Joe, of course, had rescued her. But that didn’t stop her father from firing him, and her juvenile mistake cost Viv her best friend. Well, she’s back in Washington and, even though her dad’s no longer in office, she’s started to get threatening letters. She needs–wants–the only man she’s ever trusted to protect her a second time.

Get the book here

A Tale Of Two Princes by Eric Geron

Edward Dinnissen leads a charmed life. He’s the Crown Prince of Canada, gets the royal treatment at his exclusive private school, and resides in a ritzy mansion. He thrives off being the perfect prince as he prepares for the Investiture Ceremony on his eighteenth birthday, the final step in his role as heir — and Canada’s future king. But this closeted crown prince has just one tiny problem: he’s unsure how to tell his parents, his beloved country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay.

Billy Boone should be happy with the simple life. His family’s ranch is his favorite place in the world, he loves his small town, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. So why does it feel like something’s still missing? Maybe it has to do with the fact that this proud-and-out cowboy feels destined for something more…

When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City, they discover that they are long-lost twins, and their lives are forever changed. Together, will these twin princes — ‘twinces’ — be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal train wreck?

Get the book here

A Conflict Of Interest by Barbara Dunlop

She tried to stay away from him…

More than once, White House PR specialist Cara Crenshaw has considered that reporter Max Gray might want her only because he can’t have her. Given their work, a relationship is dicey—and impossible now that the president has taken office.

For Max, their relationship may be a lark, a fling—maybe she’s just another woman in the long line that forms a part of his bachelor lifestyle. But for her, what they have is different. She’s all but given him her heart. And now she is having his baby.

Get the book here

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay

In this dangerously sexy rom-com that evokes the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, a prince who wants to live out of the spotlight falls for a daring American rapper who turns his life, and the palace, upside down.

Sexy, driven rapper Danielle “Duchess” Nelson is on the verge of signing a deal that’ll make her one of the richest women in hip hop. More importantly, it’ll grant her control over her life, something she’s craved for years. But an incident with a rising pop star has gone viral, unfairly putting her deal in jeopardy. Concerned about her image, she’s instructed to work on generating some positive publicity… or else.

A brilliant professor and reclusive royal, Prince Jameson prefers life out of the spotlight, only leaving his ivory tower to attend weddings or funerals. But with the Queen’s children involved in one scandal after another, and Parliament questioning the viability of the monarchy, the Queen is desperate. In a quest for good press, she puts Jameson in charge of a tribute concert in her late husband’s honor. Out of his depth, and resentful of being called to service, he takes the advice of a student. After all, what’s more appropriate for a royal concert than a performer named “Duchess”?

Too late, Jameson discovers the American rapper is popular, sexy, raunchy and not what the Queen wanted, although he’s having an entirely different reaction. Dani knows this is the good exposure she needs to cement her deal and it doesn’t hurt that the royal running things is fine as hell. Thrown together, they give in to the explosive attraction flaring between them. But as the glare of the limelight intensifies and outside forces try to interfere, will the Prince and Duchess be a fairy tale romance for the ages or a disaster of palatial proportions?

Get the book here

Sins Of The Flesh by J. Margot Critch

When it comes to sexual politics…they’re playing dirty!

The mayorship of Las Vegas is down to two candidates, and Jessica Morgan is ready for a fight.

Golden boy Rafael Martinez is a successful businessman – and a wickedly sexy egomaniac.

He may be her opponent, but there’s something so irresistibly hot between them!

Then all it takes is one little leaked sex tape to turn this election into a Sin City sensation…

Get the book here

American Royals by Katharine McGee

What if America had a royal family?

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America’s first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling.

Nobody cares about the spare except when she’s breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn’t care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her.

And then there’s Samantha’s twin, Prince Jefferson. If he’d been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

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Happy reading!

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Featured image credit: Amazon Prime

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