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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

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!

Welp. I’ve found my favorite book of July. Hands down one of my newest Fantasy Favs. I was totally invested from start to finish. Loved both Wren and Rose, loved their separate stories, loved the writing style, the romantic interests, the side characters… everything. 👏🏻

I really loved Tor, the whole guard and... well that gets me EVERYTIME. The witty banter between the characters was also fun. The library scene with the large roses and a man with no shirt... LOVED that scene haha.

Unfortunately, it did read similar to every other YA fantasy, take the crown type. Also all the issues seemed to be pretty easily solved. I also didn't care for Rose's chapters at all and skipped quite a few and went back later to read them. I really just wanted to see what was going on with Wren and you know who.

Also for a magical book there wasn't that much magic happening.

Overall it was an interesting read but the only thing that would bring me to read the second one is Tor.

Twin Crowns is a fast-paced YA rom-com fantasy co-written by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber. The writing flows beautifully really drawing readers in. The story follows two princesses separated at birth - one raised as the crown princess and the other raised to enact a dark plot and kidnap her sister taking her place. This is such a fun, exciting fantasy. If you enjoyed The Selection or Three Dark Crowns, this is the one for you. Twin Crowns is a perfect start to a brand new duology sure to sweep fans of their feet. Highly recommended!

Ah! Where to begin? This is a madcap story that takes off running and doesn't stop. Doyle & Webber do a commendable job of blending their two voices and it is not obvious where one ends and the other begins. The story's tone stays consistent throughout the novel, flowing smoothly.

Rose and Wren are both strong and weak, flawed yet wise. One is outwardly righteous and pure with inner naivety and prejudice. The other is thoroughly, unapologetically morally grey, both inside and out. My hope is that we see substantial character growth over the course of the series and that they eventually temper each other.

I appreciated that the romance took time to build. While not "slow burn" -- we do see the characters fully paired up by the end of "Twin Crowns" -- but at least it wasn't an insta-love situation for either character. Another favorite point? The humor! There are some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments to be found throughout the story.

The fantastical/magic-heavy setting significantly helped offset the inclusion of witches. It comes off as one more fantasy aspect, with much of their pagetime spent casting spells. AKA, similar to any other magical race in a fantasy novel.

I was disappointed both by the abrupt ending and the number of incomplete tangents / unanswered questions. I'd hoped "Twin Crowns" would stand a little straighter on its own. With that said, it stops at a comfortable point, though with many Book 2 setup points and unfinished questions lurking in the shadows. This book may not end on a cliffhanger, but I'm pretty sure the two characters are relaxing on a bench next to said cliff.

Content Considerations:
* Main character m/f pairings, with one (flirting with the possibility of two) f/f side pairings and one m/m if I'm remembering correctly
* More or less "clean" though there is one scene in particular that included some pretty sensual groping
* Violence and injury on par with YA fantasy; it's there, but not painfully gory or gratuitous in most cases (see next bullet point).
* Lengthy scene that agonizingly shows how multiple individuals died over the course of a bloody history
* One minor character death in the present, plus emphasis on other past deaths, including parental death
* Multiple death threats across multiple characters