🔹My first ARC Review🔹

My sincerest thanks to Cait Jacobs, HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy and the opportunity to share this review.

I was first intrigued by the charming cover art of this book while scrolling Instagram, then again by the title. Your girl is a sucker for an armored FMC baddie. Upon further investigation I noted that the story synopses was posed as a “Medieval ‘Legally Blonde’ Re telling”. Well, color me curious! While ‘Legally Blonde’ sits heavy in the nostalgia department for me, it was never a personal fave (I was more of a “Miss Congeniality” stan). So, I like to think I went into reading this story with realistic expectations for my enjoyment. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised for a multitude of reasons:

Where I held concern initially was that the FMC would exude the traditional “Elle Woods” vibe. I.e. The materialistic, barbie-girl. Sweet, superficial, oblivious and a tad annoying but also somehow endearing? I was prepared to read the phrase “Like,duh!” eventually… But her majesty Princess Cliodhna Fionnain is far more authentic than that.

Clia is a perfectionist who skillfully carries the high expectations of her parents while managing to stay uniquely optimistic and determined. She uses poise and beauty like armor and her secret love of dress making not only as a balm for the uneasiness within herself, but as a resourceful craft when admitted to the most prestigious military academy in the land. Having been jilted by her long-intended betrothed, Prince Domhnall, Clia over packs her bags and along with her lovable sidekick, Murphy, sets out to win him back.

Clia is an obvious fish out of water upon arrival to the famed military academy, Caislean Costa. Her insecurities are numerous and doubt weighs heavy as she trains, studies and takes on dangerous quests. Along the way she meets our MMC Ronan, best friend and Captain to the prince she’s trying to win back. It’s under his guidance and training Clia begins to thrive, and the two form a bond.

I live for a slow burn romance with mutual pining and can confidently say both were achieved to my personal specifications in this story. Even better? He falls first, and harder. There are a few intimate scenes but none I would categorize as “spice”.

But my favorite trope of all time is Found Family, and I feel like it was executed beautifully here. Clia’s band of royal, would-be knights is full of rivalry, banter and camaraderie as well as a dash of matchmaking. They experience love and loss together which makes them all the more devoted to one another.

Overall, Cait Jacobs’ debut fantasy was a captivating, wonderfully emotional reading experience. A nod to the iconic “Legally Blonde” with a variety of queer representation and an intimate, eye opening depiction on life with chronic illness. This story touches on the struggles of unique life experiences and the strength it takes to persevere.

I felt like the ending left a door open to possible future additions to the story and I sincerely hope that is being considered. Would definitely read!

The overall story was pretty entertaining, though it took me awhile to get into and I admit there were some slow parts. I liked Clia and Ronan, the disability rep, and the side characters. But now I'm more interested in what could happen with Domnhall and Niamh in a potential second book?

The plot twists were kind of confusing at times. I would be thinking about who is the "plot twist character" and towards the end of it I felt like it was that spider man meme because there were several characters who fell into that category.

It was a fun book and a great debut for Cait Jacobs. I'm looking forward to reading what she has to write in the future!

Have you ever read a book so bad you thought: “I could be cleaning my kitchen instead of reading this?” Because that’s how I feel about this book.

I hate to say it, but this book suffers from being compared to its obvious inspiration. Clia is no Elle, lacking the sparkle, the innocence, the charisma and the sheer joy. Instead Clia eavesdrops, conspires, and has no desire to marry Domhnall who — unlike Elle’s odious fiance, is a decent if boring guy with ridiculous reasons to end their engagement. His kingdom needs a strong ally to help them in the upcoming war, and Cila’s kingdom, Bailetara, is apparently neither strong enough to help their neighbors in a war, nor interested in going to war themselves? I’m assuming; I have no idea how big their army is or why they’d refuse to defend Scailca since the author didn’t see fit to tell me.

Domhnall’s father thinks that they need a better queen, a better alliance. So he sends his son to insult a friendly kingdom by ending the alliance on the day of the announcement of the engagement, ensuring that Cila’s father is even more unlikely to rouse his kingdom to support Domhnall’s anytime in the future. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy, and it’s clumsy and hamfistedly forced into the story simply to follow the plot beats of another book. It isn’t done well, and it isn’t done in a way to make it organic to this world, or interesting to this reader. It just wants me to always remember that this is Legally Blonde, the Knight AU.

You might say “Oh, it’s his father who wanted to end the engagement,!” But the point still stands. Domhnall’s father just lost his kingdom an alliance, ruined his son’s reputation, and ensured animosity from here on out between two previous allies. It’s stupid. Especially as, the next day, Domhnall goes on to ask for permission to move a small armed group of men through their kingdom, only to be shocked pikachu when they say nope. Why should they involve themselves in someone else’s war, after all, especially someone who doesn’t want to be allied with them?

Ronan, the love interest, then thinks that this is all petty punishment, and how dare Cila not let another kingdom run soldiers through her kingdom, even after her own parents —- the king and queen — said no? She’s so mean! And this book is so stupid.

Maybe Cila grows into herself, maybe not. Maybe the love interest grows a personality, maybe not. Maybe the war ends up being politically interesting — though from what I’ve seen so far, I doubt it. And I’ll never know because I’m DNFing this book as 13%. I don’t have the patience for bad plotting, bland characters, and forced reminders that this book wants to be on the same shelf with Legally Blonde. It’s not. It’s not funny or charming, and the homages are so heavy handed I’m surprised I don’t have a concussion.

I do not recommend this book. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was really excited about the release of this book, so I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to read it early. A medieval retelling of Legally Blonde sounded completely up my alley and it deserves a thousand points for the stunning cover alone.

This was a quick, easy read, though it was marketed as adult and definitely read more like YA to me. The main characters are 19 years old, which initially threw me off since I had expected a more adult-focused story.

I loved the premise and the idea of Clía attending knight school to better herself and help her kingdom. However, the storytelling felt a bit disjointed at times. The plot often seemed to veer in multiple directions, occasionally snowballing into larger threads that felt unplanned. Since it was advertised as more of a “romcom” vibe, I was a little thrown off by it. Because of this, I also found it a bit difficult to fully connect with the characters and their relationships, which remained somewhat surface-level throughout.

That said, I always enjoy a good found family dynamic, and this book definitely delivered on that front. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy diverse characters finding strength and solidarity in one another. There’s also some thoughtful chronic pain representation with Ronan (the MMC), which I really appreciated.
Overall, I think there’s a lot of potential in this world, and the book makes for a light, enjoyable read. It wasn’t a bad experience, I just didn’t connect with it as much as I’d hoped.

I really liked the premise of this book—it had a lot of promise and made for a fun read! The pacing was a bit uneven at times, which made parts of the story hard to follow, but overall I still enjoyed the journey. The characters were engaging, and the romance was especially well done—sweet, believable, and a highlight of the story!

Such a great concept and a beautiful cover! I was so hyped for this book, and I’m sure it will be a blockbuster upon its release.

Celtic mythology isn’t my thing, and I was a bit surprised by how Celtic the book was. It also comes across as YA, and I do wish there had been a bubblier, lighter tone a la Legally Blonde, the inspiration for this story. I wanted the romance to be stronger, and for everything to just be amped up a little bit. Maybe a slower burn, maybe more world-building?

Nonetheless, this is a highly amusing romantasy read.

This book was everything promised and more!
When i first saw that there was going to be a book coming out that was cute legally blonde meets midevl times with kinghts I was hooked. And it made this one of my anticipated releases for the year. This book did not disappoint!
This is a third person POV with four parts. I liked the parts made it easier to have a stopping point throughout the book. If you enjoy a book with academia feels (we’re going to knight college!), learning oneself, and ladies with swords this is the read for you this fall!

My only thing that would have stopped me from reading this book is that the names pop up and i feel like i’m reading a high fantasy with elf names like Álainndore, Inismian, Tinelann, Clíodhna, Oileánster, Taranasadh.
These all feel more high fantasy than medieval kinght times and if stumbling on these words takes away from your immersion in the book it might not be a book for you. That being said. I set aside my horrible pronunciation and read the book and enjoyed it.

As soon as I saw the cover for this book I was already sold but then I heard ‘medieval legally blonde’ and I was immediately running to netgalley to apply.
In this book you follow Clía as she heads to the famous military academy, Caisleán Cósta, after the man she was engaged to since adolescence spontaneously broke off their engagement. Prince Domhnall broke it off cause she’s not strong enough to be his queen so what better way to win him back then go to the same academy as him and prove she’s more than a pretty face.
This book was perfection 🤌🏻💖it’s such an amazing cozy fantasy romance. The relationship between Clía and Ronan kinda reminded me of the relationship between Chaol and Celaena. This book was addictive and hard to put down and I loved every second. Clía is a major bada$$ and she showed everyone how much of an independent boss she is. She had to put up with so much bs from people including her parents and I’m so happy she got the happy ending she always wanted and deserved. And Ronan man! My patient kinggggg. He is amazing and so patient, understanding, respectful and showed so much empathy towards Clía before even knowing her! I love them they are perfection. And once again the cover man 😮‍💨💖it’s so freaking beautiful just stunning. I could stare at it all day

P.s I need art of her in her special armor asap 🥹 she’s iconic as a girl who went to fashion school I’m obsessed.

This book felt like a fairytale come true with a princess who is as determined and strong-willed and brave as she is beautiful; a captain who has something to prove and a true heart of gold; and an intricate and compelling plot that expertly balances political intrigue with tender romance.

Princess Clía arrives at military academy Caisleán Cósta with the sole intent of winning back the prince who had so rudely and abruptly jilted her. However, her time there leads her to reconsider what she wants, who she is, and, ultimately, who she chooses to become—and it also leads her to a striking captain that she shouldn’t be looking twice at (but definitely does).

Clía and Ronan have completely won over my heart. I love that that the story is told in alternating perspectives, because not only does it provide valuable insight into both of their characters, but it also lets us experience how they see each other. Their relationship is the epitome of to be seen is to be loved. And it was such a joy to witness them slowly claim each other’s firsts and mosts through stolen, heartfelt moments.

And of course, all set against the backdrop of a treacherous, brewing war with an inclusive cast of lovable friends and brilliant foes and one very adorable giant otter.

The Princess Knight is a lovely, heart-warming story about self-discovery brimming with whimsy and grit in equal measure. and it is a must-read for anyone who loves strong women in pretty dresses, a world of enchanting legends and lore, and sweet romances full of mutual pining and deep devotion.

Legally Blonde, but make it fantasy? I am IN, and boy was it good! I had the best of times reading this novel and I will probably re-read it soon, perhaps after re-watching the films. Witherspoon should definitely include it in her book club if she hasn't already.

All the stars and more for this wonderful, wonderful book!

This was just so fun! I didn’t know going into it that it was a legally blonde retelling and I was starting to pick up on it pretty quick and thinking that’s so cute! And then pleasantly found out it was! Did it feel silly and overly legally blonde at some points? Ya lol. But maybe that won’t be offputting to you!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc

Cait Jacobs does a fantastic job in creating this world with Medieval elements, it uses the fantasy elements perfectly and I enjoyed the inspiration from Legally Blonde in this book, it was able to take the elements and create something unique out of it. I enjoyed the overall creating and was engaged with the characters. I enjoyed how good the characters were and how it worked in this Medieval universe. I'm excited to read more from Cait Jacobs as this was so well done.

Oh I cannot believe this book isn’t out yet! I’m absolutely obsessed with everything about this book. Going into it, all I knew was that it was supposed to be a book that was similar to legally blonde except during medieval times and instead of law school it was knight school. I loved the characters, especially Clía and Ronan and how much Clía grew throughout the book. The plot development was amazing especially with a dash of romance!! My favorite part about reading this book is the character development and growth of Clía.

The Princess Knight is an empowering fantasy adventure featuring a fierce heroine who challenges tradition with sword in hand. Cait Jacobs crafts a world where loyalty, courage, and identity clash in exhilarating battles both physical and emotional. Ideal for readers who love Tamora Pierce or Sarah J. Maas, this debut (or new series?) is bold, fast-paced, and full of heart.

DNF at 35%
I follow Cait online on several platforms and felt that this book would be 110% for me. While I was enjoying the action, I felt confused in regard to the creatures we were being introduced to and why the characters ended up in the same military academy. I thought this would be more than the stereotypical girl gets rejected and then decides to show him just how wrong he was to do so. I had really high hopes and felt the pacing was off, especially during the action scenes.

o I was reading it, I was enjoying it, I was having fun and suddenly I was a bit bored (?) I don't know how to explain it, but I felt like the story started to dragg and it was repeating itself a little bit, so I stopped reading it for a few days and then came back and although i didn't fell as bored as before, I was just skimming through the text to get to the end of the book, it felt worng because i really wanted to looooooooove this books but i just ... liked it
I really enjoyed the characters dynamics and the knight's academy, very fun, love my knight's era but myabe because there wasn't any worldbuilding, i didn't really care about the war, i guess i thought i was going to read a fun, light, legally blonde inspired fantasy, so i really wasn't expecting it to be so heavy on the political aspect

I went into this book completely blind and I am so glad I did. The imagery and descriptive words made picturing everything so easy. The writing and storyline flowed smoothly. It had the perfect mix of romance and action. I really loved the pronunciations in the beginning. And a non-binary person who actually is mentioned and not just a throw away character?? We love to see it!! A bit of enemies to lovers, definitely slow burn, with some fantasy aspects. I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes romance books with some war and fighting tied in!

This was exactly the type of book its supposed to be. It had enjoyable characters, a plot that was entertaining and amazing banter and tension. Clía was so incredibly relatable from the start, trying to meet expectations everyone set for her and having to find herself while creating a new future despite what everyone believes her capable of. She reminds me of heroines like Ella Enchanted, Cinderella for ever after. And Ronan is so charming the epitome of a true knight and it's adorable to see him fall for clía while unlearning all his self sacrificing tendencies, and living up to his full potential. The while story was enjoyable and had a satisfying ending. Perfect for anyone who loves a 90 rom-com and a bit for fantasy.

2.75/5 stars 💕

This book is a fresh new take that I was very excited to read! What initially grabbed my attention was the gorgeous cover, the "Legally Blonde" inspo, and the Irish/Gaelic (?) mythology and folklore aspect.

I would say it possibly over-delivered on its Legally Blonde promise, to the point where it became a little predictable and thus a little disengaging for me. Because parallels were so easily drawn between characters in the movie, I was less surprised with the plot than I had hoped. Once it completes it’s run with Legally Blonde, about 60% of the way in, the rest of the book felt a bit untethered due to its reliance on the referential plot, making it a bit difficult to stay onboard with the chemistry between the two characters and engaged with the stakes of the rest of the book.

With that being said, I think fans of Legally Blonde and a fantasy will enjoy it, and it’s a well written picture of both chronic pain and neurodivergence.

Legally Blonde is a great romcom and while the premise of this book was similar, there were still many differences. The book isn’t much of a comedy; it’s actually quite serious and about battles and politics. I didn’t really get that impression from the marketing. Something else I struggled with is the concept of a fashionable princess deciding to go to a military academy and after a few weeks of training is suddenly amazing enough to kill seasoned warriors. In the movie, Elle was still very smart so working towards being a lawyer worked. This is a totally different situation and made it more unbelievable.

The book also is heavily influenced by Irish folklore. I personally wasn’t familiar with the folklore and unfortunately I think that made it more difficult to read. The names constantly confused me and without a map I was totally lost in some areas. I saw some reviews saying this book was a slow burn and it really isn’t. I think the romance moved a bit too fast for me and lacked depth/chemistry. The ending was good and I liked the parallels to Legally Blonde; it just wasn’t my favorite.