Thanks to HarperCollins and to Netgalley for this eARC.

I've been sold on The Princess Knight ever since it was called Medievally Blonde. So you can only imagine how excited I was to be approved for this ARC! I loved this book, the setting was fantastic, as was the character development of our main character, Clia. Lovvvved this book.

This was a fun read! Read through it in 2 nights as I was eager to see how Clia progressed through her training and how her relationship with Ronan would develop. The war aspects were written really well and we easy to comprehend what was going on in thier realm. I look forward to hopefully more books set in this world as there is so much to explore.

Arc supplied by NetGalley and Magpie for a fair review

4 star

This was one of the most whimsical and darling books you will ever read, the romance was really sweet, the setting added to the story and the characters felt so realistic so overall a really great spring fantasy book

The Princess Knight is an immersive fantasy that blends Celtic-inspired lore with sweeping worldbuilding and strong character work. Jacobs crafts a world that’s as broad in scope as it is intimate in emotion. From its vivid landscapes to its detailed histories, everything feels rich and purposeful.

The character development is thoughtful and layered, with a cast that feels grounded and real. If you’re a fan of fantasy worlds with deep lore, powerful leads, and a strong sense of place. This book is absolutely worth your time.

Highly recommend to fans of rich high fantasy and Celtic mythology!

When your almost-betrothed tells you straight-up that you can’t rule because you can’t fight… what’s the logical next step? You train to become a knight — fast. Clia knows court life inside out, but after her fiancé drops that bomb and calls off the engagement, she decides to prove him wrong by picking up a sword. She does go through actual training to become stronger (thank you!!), even if she levels up faster than any RPG speedrun I’ve ever seen. But hey — realism isn’t the point here. This is about fun and petty revenge. 🎢

Ronan is the emotionally stable, kind-hearted guy who quietly wins your heart. Not broody, not a himbo, just a genuinely good sword-wielding human who listens and cares 🫶

There’s also a war arc that cranks up the stakes. It’s a bit predictable but still satisfying enough to keep things moving without losing the light vibe.

The romance has that “we can’t be together” tension but it’s way less frustrating than usual, making the slow burn a pleasure rather than a trial.

The Irish folklore sprinkled throughout was a nice bonus 🍀 And yes, there’s a Dobhar-chú — a giant mythical otter who had so much potential to steal the show but mostly just hung out. Still, I loved the myth vibes.

This book is light, cozy, and perfect for when you want a fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s all about petty revenge, fast training, and soft romance.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me access to this eARC.

I don’t think you could understand my happiness when I saw that I was approved to read this book. I’ve followed The Princess Knight before the name was changed cause I knew that if a story inspired by Legally Blonde was being written (WITH KNIGHTS) I had to read it. And I read it!!!

The story is fairly similar to the movie where we get to follow a Princess who pretty much gets dumped by her Prince and then decided to win him back at war college. But we all know what will happen. Heheh.
But it also evolves and embraces the fantasy aspects which I really enjoyed. It was a great mix of the both.

A huge applause to the author Cait Jacobs that created this wonderful world and story because even though it took some inspiration from a movie this was something new. I absolutely adored it.

The only complaint I have (and this could be my own fault tbh) is that the names of people and places were a bit too similar. And due to the different names I had a hard time remembering who was who and sometimes a man was a place and yeah. I just believed in the story and hoped for the best haha.

The story somewhat has an open ending but at the same time it made me cry a bit. I wanted more but I’m also very content with what we got.

And yes, I will be buying a physical copy because I loved this. Getting teary eyed writing this. My babies 😭

Medieval romantasy is not for me, I think. I really struggled getting into this story. Yes it was cute, but it didn’t manage to hold my attention. It kept me slightly entertained though. But that ending was very underwhelming.

If you asked me anything about this book regarding its political system, I wouldn’t be able to tell you a thing. Not once during this book did I fully understand who was attacking whom and what country was the real enemy. Names were constantly thrown at me, and all they managed to do was make me even more confused.

ALSO I feel it is my responsibility to tell you that this book has a pretty open ending, which leads me to believe that this is in fact a series. Proceed at your own risk.

Throughout this whole book I was distracted by one thing that was constantly on my mind, and that is the pronunciation of the names, the places, and everything in between. There is a small glossary at the beginning of this book that lists every kingdom and its rulers. But the pronunciation guide is only available for the names of the kingdoms. It would have been nice to have a transcription for every name in this book. Because I couldn’t tell you what the main character’s full name is even if my life depended on it.

It took me days to finish this book, which is weird considering it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. It felt very dry and, at times, illogical. Our girl trains for a few months, and suddenly, boom, by the end of the book, she is killing trained warriors left and right? I was honestly shocked that she wasn’t kicked out the first day, because what do you mean you show up at an elite military academy without knowing how to hold a sword??

What saved this book for me were the characters and the romance. If you squint, you can see a bit of found family in this book. Although I wish we got to spend more time with them, but oh well.

I really, really wanted to love this book more than I actually did. But I am excited for the author’s next works. I’m sure there is more to come.

Overall, I can say that if you are looking for a quick YA read, then I hope you will enjoy it more than I did. The story definitely had potential, I just think the worldbuilding needed a bit more work…

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was looking forward to reading this since I saw the cover, when it was originally medievally blonde. It sounded like it was going to be a whimsical, funny romance with lush tension but low stakes. Sadly it was not. The story itself was dry, there was little humour and I found it really difficult to make my way through it. Maybe because I was expecting something so different to what the book was that I didn’t enjoy it?

Thank you for the opportunity to read ♥️

This book was one of my most anticipated reads and unfortunately I’m slightly disappointed. My biggest issue - teenagers having sex.

The story was good but a little slow at times. I felt like some parts could be cut out as they didn’t bring much to the story whereas some aspects could be extended on to increase reading continuity.

The characters felt flatter as the story progressed and they didn’t have any development besides romance and training. The romance did feel natural between Clia and Ronan and so did he improvement during training but besides that, neither of them had ANY character development. At the end of the book she still had the same mindset as she did at the beginning (making herself second, making herself small for other people and thinking people don’t want her and HER and not a princess).

The writing, I loved. It was so easy to read and didn’t make the work building complex although it was very flushed out.

However, my biggest issue with this book - teenagers having sex. I understand the reason behind making Clia and Ronan 19 is due to nobility being married off young and giving them the arc of being unsure where their life is headed but this could be completed with a cast of characters between 21-25. I know the sex scene was very brief and not in depth but it doesn’t matter.

Reading and writing a 19 year old having sex is gross in my opinion but a 21/22 year old is less so as they’re adults and more mature. I could easily give this book 4 stars if it wasn’t for the ‘barely legal’ / ‘barely smut’ section of this book. If this book kept on page kissed and touches between Ronan and Clia with suggestive off page sex then I wouldn’t have an issue with the ages.

Given some of the existing reviews for this book, I was expecting almost a scene-for-scene translation of the Legally Blonde film within a medieval fantasy world, so I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading and it was more unique than that. The setup (with the FMC getting turned down due to her presumed intelligence, prompting her to go to the same academy/school as her ex to show him that he's wrong about her) is there, but I thought that the relationships and the context were different compared to the film. While a few of the film's main beats were there, it was well fleshed out with the fantasy world and plot and it didn't stick so closely to the film that it became boring.

In The Princess Knight, the intended betrothal is a strategic joining of two kingdoms rather than being the expected next step in a genuine relationship between the FMC and her boyfriend, so although Domhnall treated Clía badly, he wasn't as irredeemable as his equivalent in Legally Blonde.

I liked the queernormative world and the side characters. The romance is sort of fade to black, in that there's mainly a few kissing scenes and then one scene where the main characters have sex but it's very non-graphic and brief. I'd definitely say that this book is YA rather than the Adult romantasy that it's being categorised as on Goodreads etc. I've just read on the FAQs section of the author's website that she wrote this for a YA audience, and that does come across strongly while reading, so I wish that it was correctly categorised as YA and not just being listed as Adult because the publisher in the US is an Adult publisher.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

This digital ARC was provided by @netgalley

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In "The Princess Knight" the reader meets Clía, a dutiful princess who loves her country.
When her marriage, an advantageous alliance to a neighboring prince, fails to materialize, Clía realises she already knows the solution: attend the same academy as her former fiancé and win him back.
Things go according to the plan, right? Right????
Well, you'll find out if you read this book :)

I enjoyed this book; it follows the plot of Legally Blonde (while adding new twists and nuances) and has those romcom vibes (while also being able to present emotional and dramatic moments). The twists (even if predictable) were satisfying!
Still, there were some underdeveloped aspects, such as her parents (typical 2D characters) and the fact that the main characters succeed too easily. There was little tension. I wish they had to work harder.

Perfect for you if you like:
❤️ romcom retelling (Legally Blonde set in medieval-ish times)
🐾 cute creature as a pet
💇‍♂️ male love interest with long hair (shoulder-length, but it counts, right?)
💫 military academy (and intense training!)
👩‍🦰 women becoming stronger
🎉 female friendships
🔴 political intrigue

#theprincessknight #netgalley #earc #arcreview #retelling #booktokromania

Like any novel where you have high expectations and a strong desire to discover the title... well, you're disappointed. I know, I'm sad to say it!
In truth, it's a very good first novel! I think the next title, based on reader feedback, will be PEPITE!

The writing itself is fluid, addictive, well-written and described. I really liked this aspect; the author's writing is very pleasant.

* The romance *
I admit, I came for that... and the Friends to Lovers, I'm a fan, but here, it's sad to say, I didn't feel anything between them (well, their friendship >>> (they're cute together)), but romantically... it's slow-slow! Still, there are some interesting avenues, but it's the height of irony not to be hooked on the romance... a romance.

* The characters *
Clia and Ronan (and the others) are really interesting. We're seeing a found family , which is a joy. Ronan is a Big Green Flag! We love him from the start. Clia echoed my recent bad reads regarding certain things (it's my fault, two bad reads before with similar tropes), BUT I was totally with her. We feel a growth in her character. (By the way, I LOVED the revenge... MAAA GIRL IS A BOSS)

* The Universe *
I didn't expect to read such a "political," military, and "complex" novel. I thought I'd read a more chill novel, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover the depth of the universe and at the same time a bit bored because it's cool, but I'm not here for that.

*Recommendation*
If you like:
- Friends to Lovers
- The SLOOOOOOOW Burn
- A lady (or ladies) who fights
- Beautiful writing
- More than just a romance
- Military schools and fighting

In short, a novel that's easy to read, interesting, but unfortunately with overly high expectations (no thanks, Instagram, haha). I have that little "I want more" feeling that lingers at the end of the book.






Comme tout roman où tu as beaucoup d'attente et une forte envie de découvrir le titre... bah tu es déçue. Je sais, chuis triste de le dire ! En vrai, c'est un très bon premier roman ! Je pense que le prochain titre avec les retours lecteurs sera PEPITE !

En soit l'écriture est fluide, addictive, bien écrite et décrite. Vraiment ce coté ci, j'ai bien aimé, la plume de l'autrice est très agréable.

* La romance *
J'avoue, je suis venue pour ça ... pis le Friends to lovers, je suis fan mais ici c'est triste de le dire mais je n'ai rien ressenti entre eux ( fin si leur amitié >>> (ensemble il sont cute )) mais romantiquement ... c'est slow slow ! Pourtant, y a des pistes intéressantes mais c'est le comble de ne pas avoir accrocher à la romance ... d'une romance.

* Les personnages *
Clia et Ronan ( et les autres ) sont vraiment intéressant. On a un found family qui se dessine qui fait plaisir. Ronan est un Big Green Flag ! On l'aime dès le départ. Clia a fait échos à mes dernières mauvaises lecture par rapport à certains trucs ( c'est de ma faute, deux mauvaise lecture et des tropes qui ressemblent ) MAIS j'ai été à fond avec elle. On sent une évolution dans son personnage. (d'ailleurs la revanche JE L AI ADORE ... MAAA GIRL IS A BOSS )

* L'univers *
Je ne pensais pas lire un roma aussi "politique ", militaire et """ complexe """. Je pensais lire un roman plus chill donc j'ai été agréablement suprire de découvrir la profondeur de l'univers pis en même temps un poil ennuyé car c'est cool mais chuis pas là pour ça.

* Recommandation *
Si tu aimes :
- Friends to Lovers
- Le SLOOOOOOOW burn
- Une madame ( des madames ) qui se bat
- une belle plume
- plus " qu'une romance "
- les écoles militaires et la bagarre

Bref, un roman qui se lit, qui est intéressant mais malhereusmeent avec des attentes trop hautes ( pas merci instagram haha), j'ai ce petit gout de " je veux plus " qui reste en fin de lecture.

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have heard this book described as a fantasy re-telling of Legally Blonde and I loved that nostalgic rom-com premise. The story does lose a bit of its sparkle when it moves into the more battle heavy final part but by then I cared about Clia and her friends and needed to know what happens.

What I loved in particular:
- Murphy - I loved that sea monster/puppy.
- Clia - she was such a likeable main character. She achieves so much through her own effort and never loses her kindness or her sunshiney personality.
- I liked that there was a redemption arc for Dohmnall and that his friendship with Ronan survived.

My only criticism would be that I did feel at times that the characters solved all the mysteries of who was betraying them a bit too quickly.

I couldn’t tell when reading if this book was the start of a series but I hope so. There were still a lot of things that I think could be explored more, the storyline of Clia and Rioghain’s jewel didn’t feel finished to me and I would like to see Clia confront her parents and prove them wrong. I also really loved these characters and would happily spend some more time with them.

Overall, this is a really fun romantic fantasy, don’t take it too seriously and you’ll have a great time with it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read this ARC, I loved it!

R E V I E W

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs

☆☆☆☆.25

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by HarperCollinsUK, HarperFiction | Magpie via Netgalley

This was a well-written and enjoyable debut from author Cait Jacobs, with medieval fantasy being a lesser explored genre for me. After my initial struggle over pronouncing all of the Irish names, I quickly found myself drawn into the gripping story - which is supposedly a take on Legally Blonde whereby a girl with a pretty face is forced to prove she is more than what she seems.

When Princess Clíodhna's childhood friend Prince Domhnall throws their prearranged plans for the future out of the window, Clía is left scrambling. Whilst her and the Prince were merely friends, pressure from her parents and the hope of her kingdom have never allowed her to imagine any other future. Determined to prove to Domhnall that she is more than a pretty face and to secure the betrothal once more, Clía follows the Prince to Caisleán Cósta, the military academy he’s attending alongside his new captain, a supposedly gods-blessed warrior. But upon her arrival, Clía soon realises that her mere presence won't be enough, especially when she discovers Domnhall has already proposed to another. With the help of Ronan, Domhnall's young, skilled captain, Clía sets out to prove everyone whoever doubted her wrong, including the friend who scorned her and the parents who doubted her. But when war comes to call, will the Princess be ready to answer?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which looks to be the first in a series, given the nature of the 'ending' and the war that is brewing. I loved the relationship that formed between Ronan and Clía, which slowly transformed from a beautiful friendship to a deeper, albeit hesitant, love. I will say that I felt more gripped in the first half, watching Clía evolve from masked princess to bold knight, than the second, where there is a shift from the lighter academy narrative to political nuance. This, in addition to a speedy side-romance and some unanswered questions with regards to Domhnall's behaviour (sometimes he was made out to be a villain, other times not) meant that it wasn't a full five stars, but definitely a decent upper YA book I would recommend.

“She may never be the best, but that could be forgiven as long as she didn’t stop.”

Legally Blonde meets Knights.

My interest was immediately piqued! Combined with the title and the beautiful cover, I was all set to start this book. And what an adventure I ended up in!

Ellenong names that I could not remember with any possibility but belonged to a host of amazing characters I started this book and immediately I flew through it. I was immediately full into the story of Clía who is determined to chase Domhnall to one of the most prestigious military academies without ever having even held a sword.

Stubborn but with a lot of perseverance (and a little help), she clumsily sets to work, after all, quitting is not in her vocabulary. It is the ideal ingredient for great character development and a discovery of how the world works.

With a sword in her hands and a treacherous heart, the stone walls have a lot more to offer than she expected in the beginning.
This book managed to exceed my expectations. Although it was rather predictable at some points and luck seemed to be perhaps a little too much on their side, above all, it was a great book to have a good read through and just let it come at you. The extra deep layers of betrayal, war and strategy is something I personally am always a big fan of, these were allowed to be even more present for me. Just like some characters come across just a bit too much as plot points and as it came out in the story.

Besides a rather personal point, I am always looking for stories that know how to map out what it is like to live with pain. Not just mental but also physical pain, something this book managed to warm my heart from.

I read this completely blindly no realising until about 25% through that the reason why this story felt so familiar was because it was based on Legally Blonde!
I really enjoyed the writing style and the character development particularly of Clía throughout the story and how they developed her relationship with Rowan.
I think many people will fall in love with this book and the characters- however for me some of the plot lines (such as *spoiler alert* the two villain reveals) felt slightly obvious to me and as such it lost a lot of the emotional impact of the book for me. However I completely loved the integration of the Irish culture and like I say although the book personally wasn’t my favourite it wouldn’t stop me recommending it to others as I think it was a case of not just clicking with me but I massively appreciate getting to read the proof!

Overall I enjoyed the book. The introduction of the Irish mythology was very refreshing. Out of everyone Murphy was easily my favourite character. Initially, I liked the main cast and the romance between Clía and Ronan. However, after reading a few other reviews, I have to agree that the characters felt a bit one-dimensional. I also found myself less invested in the plot and ended up skimming certain sections out of disinterest. That might be because I went into the book expecting more of a pure romance. All in all, it's a solid read, just not quite for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC. I had been looking forward to The Princess Knight and while it was a fun read and an easy read, it did fall flat in some areas.

I enjoyed seeing Clía's eventual growth, and the plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged. However I struggled with the character voices and characterization. For me, they didn't have a distinct voices and were a little one dimensional. Likewise I wanted Clía to be a kickass female that was just constantly underestimated, and unfortunately she came across as incompetent and average. And perhaps it was just a matter of pacing...it seemed that in a relatively short span of time she went from someone who has never exerted herself beyond dancing at a ball to someone who could best some of the best warriors in the land..and it just seemed unrealistic and pulled me out of the story.

THE PRINCESS KNIGHT is a romantic fantasy novel which is best described as 'Medievally Blonde but Knights instead of Lawyers.' It was a very refreshing read and I really enjoyed reading this in a signed setting. There is a lot of inspiration from Celtic Mythology and is very prominent. The romance between Clía and Ronan felt like secondary at a lot times as the political intrigue had taken up a larger spot. Overall, this is a fun and adventurous read with self discovery of self worth.