I enjoyed the story between the sisters, especially when the pace picked up in the second half. A fun adventure all around.

I enjoyed this book, the audio was great. The main characters were fun and had good side characters as well. I liked the idea of the story and think it was done well, but for whatever reason, it didn’t leave me dying for more so I will not be continuing the series.

Sisters, twins seperated at birth, each raised knowing their place in the future of their homeland and community. Each of these young women have been told repeatedly of their differences but will come face to face with their similarities as they join efforts against those who would see them both fail.....and die.

The book initially gave off “Princess and the Pauper” vibes but with a twist of witches. While I enjoyed the story, I found the world-building somewhat lackluster and the pacing slow at first. However, the second half of the book was much more engaging and enjoyable, earning a solid 4 stars from me. Unfortunately, the blandness of the first half brings my overall rating down to 3.5 stars. I also couldn't stand Wren. She was so annoying. She was all about being tough and making fun of Rose for acting like a princess. WHAT ELSE WAS ROSE SUPPOSED TO BE ACTING LIKE?? Wren instantly falling for a guy seemed not like her.

Twin Crowns is a perfect fit for readers who crave a thrilling and romantic fantasy adventure, with a dash of humor, as they follow the journey of twin princesses as they navigate their complex relationships, rivalries, and destinies in a world of magic, royalty, and high-stakes power struggles.

thank you so much to netgalley & the publisher for gifting me this arc!

Unfortunately this one is not for me. I’ve tried so hard and picked this up so many times and it just hasn’t worked. I found the writing to be lackluster and not very interesting. I even tried on audio and it still didn’t work out.

I’m not writing this book off, i just think other people will enjoy it more than i did!

For better or worse I feel like I knew exactly what was going to happen in this. Twin sisters swap places (although not intentionally on one side), they both find out the other's life isn't what they thought, the love interests are exactly who you think they are, the villains are obvious, and so are the twists. For the most part I enjoyed this, I'll remember it for the kids, but I do hate the idea of seemingly competent people making really terrible mistakes.

Don’t hate me for not loving this one! So many of my friends loved it but this wasn’t for me. I found the main characters to be terribly annoying and pretentious. I loved the love interests though and the plot was really interesting but I found myself hating the main characters more and more as the story progresses.

I liked the story enough that I’d read the next book because I do want to know what happens.

And, I’ll say that it’s possible I didn’t like them because I wasn’t a fan of their narrators. Narrators can really make or break a book for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twins and potential queens, Wren and Rose brought up separately and are hidden from each other - a great princess and the pauper retelling with witches, magic, and world-building. I am a sucker for secret/separated twin books, and I will read any genre. I loved their individual stories as well as their coming together. They each had their love interest, so you got two for the price of one. This is the first in the series, so another is coming out soon that will continue the story. It does sort of have a cliffhanger/more to the story ending. So if that bothers you, you might want to wait till the second book comes out.

This novel tells the story of two sisters who have switched places and are fighting for the throne. I really loved the sisters, and it was interesting to see their individual plot lines. I love how Wren tries to adjust living in the palace, and how Rose learns the truth about her parents’ deaths. I especially loved the romances in this story, and each of the sisters’s love interests were very funny and interesting. The only thing I did not like about this novel was that I felt a few aspects remain unresolved. Still, I am looking forward to the sequel and hope that these questions will be answered. I recommend this novel for fans of Castles in their Bones, Three Dark Crowns, and The Glittering Court!

Thank you to Netgalley and Blazer + Bray for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness how do I explain how amazing this book was?? From the very beginning it was so unique, even in the midst of the familiar story of separated twins. The twist to this story was what drew me in, but the sisters and their wonderful stories was what kept me there! They were both so strong and heroic in their own ways (even though Rose is very annoying at first).

The romances were both amazing, and I adored how they both unfolded. The banter was unmatched and it was so well balanced with sweet aspects. The romances just added to the high stakes and made everything that much more enjoyable, and I loved how authentic they were.

What made this book really stand out the most was the plot and the twists that were added. It really subverts all your expectations of a separated twins story, and the twists just continue to add in so many unexpected turns that it's dizzying. The ending left me absolutely shook!

If you love fantasy, get your hands on this one right now!

I'm starting to get tired of all the political intrigue in YA today, but this book is the exception! Both twins have such rich backstories and motives for their actions, they really feel like two very distinct people, not just in what they like but in who they are and the choices they make. I hated that this has a cliffhanger as I'll be impatiently waiting for the next one.

As an identical twin it is very hard for me to read twin books and not pick them apart but Twin Crowns was done so well and the authors gave these two sisters there own story arc and individuality while having similarities and it just felt so realistic and genuine. The story was entertaining and I can not wait for the sequel.

A great YA fantasy for your library. Twin sisters, one royal, one not, swapping places always makes an enjoyable plot. Excited to see where the second one takes us.

This book was a lot of fun and definitely a great addition to the YA fantasy world. I loved the sisters and am really excited to see what happens next and to read the conclusion to this duology. The world building was great and the characters were dynamic. I love the growing relationship between the sisters as well as the struggles of learning to know someone who was taken from your life unexpectedly.

This book was great from the start. It had plenty of action and never ended. There was some romance, but it didn’t take away from the book as sometimes is the case. It was a fun read from start to finish!

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber, 480 pages. Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins), 2022. $18.
Language: PG13 (19 swears, 0 “f” + British swears); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Wren (17yo) is the secret twin sister of Princess Rose, and she’s ready to take the throne in the name of their witch ancestors so that the witches who still live can return home, even if it means pretending to be Rose. Meanwhile, Rose wakes up on a horse in the desert – the farthest she’s ever been from the castle – and she worries how the kingdom is doing without her. As Wren and Rose learn about each other's lives, they uncover secrets that will change everything.
I love this unwilling-princess-and-the-pauper scenario. The set up of the story was my favorite part, as the reader acclimates to the new places from the sisters’ points of view with familiar princess and the pauper troupes. As the sisters’ plans unravel, Webber leaves readers waiting for the sequel to know if they can lead their people to the peace they’re hoping for.
Wren and Rose are both depicted on the cover and described in the book as White. Shen has “golden tan” skin, Prince Ansel has “porcelain” skin, Tor is “pale,” and Celeste has “deep brown” skin. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, and partial nudity. The violence rating is for battle scenes, murder, and genocide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

4 stars! I enjoyed this way more than I expected! Usually, I'm weary when I begin a book that has multiple points of view because I often end up finding one of them boring, but both sisters' POVs were so fun! From the very first page, it jumped into the action and I never found myself getting bored. I think the story, world-building, and characters were all great and overall this was written so well! I can't wait for the next installment.

That was some perfect YA fantasy! Such a great fresh read! These kind of books keep me coming back to this genre!

Three stars for Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

Wren and Rose have interesting back stories that deeply impact who they are. First of all, this trope has been written many times, however, the two authors definitely keep it interesting. There truly isn't a dull moment. The whole story gave me nostalgia from my childhood with Barbie Princess and the Pauper.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the authors for this advanced copy!