I’m grateful to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to review!
I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end - there’s a good balance of sass and seriousness. I appreciated the growth of the characters throughout the story and how things progressed. It’s a great fantasy standalone and without really any “magic” it’s easily accessible for people new to the genre or someone looking for a quick read.
I will say, as someone totally unfamiliar with the language the names were based on, a full “glossary” of how to pronounce everything would have been really helpful. Having the names of the kingdoms at the front of the book is helpful but not quite enough, especially for the words that are “made up” and therefore not able to be searched for.

A bit of a slow start with a lot of names that could benefit from a more extensive glossary/pronunciation guide. At some point, I stopped caring if l was pronouncing everything right. The ARC also didn't have the map I'm sure will be in the final version, so there was a lot of "theatre of the mind" on my part while reading.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this book. If you've ever wondered what it might be like for Elle Woods to exist in a Medieval/Fantasy type realm. To instead of get a law degree, go to a military academy and learn to fight? Then this is your book!

As far as debut novels go,Cait wrote a wonderful story and I look forward to seeing what she may come up with next.

This was absolutely a 5 star read! i loved all of the main and supporting characters! i 100% get every single influence and nod to the legally blonde story lines! i think it was a phenomenal read. no notes!

👑⚔️𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓚𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀⚔️👑

💕I placed The Princess Knight on my anticipated releases list for 2025 as soon as I learned that it would have a Legally Blonde element. I loved that it had little nods to Legally Blonde while having a totally unique storyline that stood on its own well!

👑The story follows Clía, a princess who expected to be engaged to childhood friend Prince Domnall. When he decides that he needs a stronger fiancée in the face of conflict in the kingdoms, Clía is left with no choice but to prove him wrong. She follows him to the realm’s top military academy to train with other nobles and elite warriors. Here, she meets warrior Ronan, who is currently serving as Domnall’s captain and is also here to train. He doesn’t have time for a princess who has never held a sword in her life…but he can’t seem to stay away from her. As the stakes get higher and tensions rise in the realm, Ronan realizes that his heart is at stake just as much as his life.

⚔️Jacobs did a fabulous job developing both Clía and Ronan. They both had their own unique motivations for being at the academy. I also loved the addition of side characters such as Sárait, a palace tailor who follows Clía to the academy. There was also a solid foundation of mythology and lore established within the realm, and this lore took an active role in the story.

👑You Will Love This Book If You Love👑
💕New Adult Romantasy
💕Strong FMC
💕Warrior MMC
💕Forbidden Romance
💕Military Academy
💕Found Family
💕Chronic Pain Rep
💕Slow Burn
💕Dual POV

**I received an advanced copy of The Princess Knight - all opinions are my own**

You know when you start a book and you think “Oh I’m going to like this one” just a few pages in? This was my experience with The Princess Knight.

Clía has just had her engagement broken off, because war is on the horizon and the prince does not find that she can be the warrior he needs. Well,
that just won’t do for the princess and she finds herself at the same military academy in order to win him back. But then she meets Ronan, the prince’s guard, who begins to help her train and become a better fighter.

This book is compared to Legally Blonde, but I’d say it’s more of a baby between Legally Blonde and Mulan. Clía has all the essence of Elle Woods, her determination and good nature, but if you’re worried about a copy and paste you do not need to be. This story goes in directions I wasn’t always anticipating and I loved every second. (You may want to watch both LB and Mulan movies if once you’re done, though.)

The writing is vivid, I was trying to fancast in my head as I was reading. It’s a perfect mix of romance and plot, the two really hold each other’s hand throughout the story instead of one overtaking the other. But the romance is so sweet. Ronan has his own story and struggles, adding so much depth to his character and choices. And sex positivity! We love sex positivity.

The only things that made me go hmmm were - the magic in the sword. I was a little confused and it felt a little undeveloped. At times I felt like maybe this was setting up to be the first book in a series before the end wrapped up. I would also love more Murphy! Not just for cute animals, but because I think he’d add a lot to certain aspects of the story.

Unfortunately I could only get about 25% into this before I had to dnf… it read TOO MUCH like a YA (and not even like upper YA) that it prevented me from getting invested in the stories or the characters

Princess energy? Check. Sword-swinging chaos? Also check. Clía said girlboss, gatekeep, get revenge and honestly? I was living.

This book felt like someone handed a medieval Barbie a sword and said, “Go off, bestie.” And she DID. Clía gets dumped by her crusty fiancé and instead of crying into her royal pillow, she enrolls in an elite military academy where everyone fully expects her to fail. But plot twist: she slays. Literally and figuratively.

Clía is the kind of heroine who will stab you and make sure her hair looks good while doing it. I love that she stayed true to her soft, feminine vibe while also being a menace with a blade. You want a princess who can kill with kindness and a longsword? She’s your girl.

Also... enter Ronan. The emotionally constipated, morally upstanding guard who did NOT sign up for this. Their interactions were pure grumpy-sunshine gold. Not super spicy, but it gave just enough romantic tension for me to yell "KISS ALREADY" at my Kindle.

Now, was the world-building a little confusing? Yeah. Did I occasionally mix up the kingdoms like I was drunk at a Renaissance Faire? Also yeah. But I was too invested in Clía proving everyone wrong to care.

Bonus points for the thoughtful rep of mental health, chronic pain, and neurodivergent characters all handled with care and honesty. We love to see it.

What a fun read!! A perfect blend of sweet rom com and light fantasy.

Will be recommending to friends who like either genre and want to try branching out into the other!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the arc. I’m sadly DNF-ing The Princess Knight. I tried to feel invested in the story but felt like it was too slow. I didn’t care about the characters and felt annoyed by Clia. I wish I could have seen Clia’s journey of her first week training but just got a time jump. I just think the story wasn’t intriguing enough for me to keep reading. I thought it was such a cool concept though. And who knows maybe in the future I’ll feel like picking it back up.

I didn't realise just how much I wanted a mediaeval, slightly fantasy retelling of Legally Blonde until I heard about this book. Unfortunately I do think that gave me expectations that were a bit too high, and I wasn't as captivated by this book as I wanted to be.

Although there were some really fun scenes, the beginning was slow and it was taking a bit too long to get to the good stuff. The characters were pretty engaging, but overall there was just something missing for me. It was plenty entertaining though so I'd recommend people at least give it a try!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy to be reviewed

This was so fun! From the moment I saw it was a legally blonde medieval inspired fantasy in a queer normative world with bi MCs, I knew this was a must read!

This had all the familiar beats of the classic romcom while wonderfully mixed with magic and lore. I loved our characters’ determination, loyalty, and courage in the face of danger. I really like how this story can be enjoyed by longtime fantasy readers but because it doesn’t have super in-depth world building, it is an excellent entry point for readers who want to wade into the fantasy genre.

Clía was a delight from start to finish and I loved watching her growth and journey as she proved every single person who underestimated or dismissed her wrong. And Ronan complemented her character wonderfully and together they made an unstoppable team. The chronic pain rep was authentically written and I appreciated how Clía supported Ronan and reminded him that he isn’t defined by his pain.

Such a great debut and I can’t wait to read more from Cait!

thank you Harper Voyager and Cait Jacobs for the free ARC copy!

my first 6 star read of the year!! not to be sappy or anything but I genuinely really just want to give Cait a hug and thank them for writing this beautiful book. as a queer person myself, they are such a big inspiration to me and i’m sure so many other people, so thank you Cait.

now for my actual review… i have no idea where to begin because of how much i loved this book. i knew going in i was going to love it and it did not disappoint ever. i adore our FMC Clía, shes strong, passionate, stubborn, and fierce, but also caring, sweet, and beautiful. she showed everyone that she is more than just a pretty face and looked stellar while doing it. her love for sewing was one of my favorite things about her, and the friendship she built with Sárait through it was just amazing.

that leads me into our beautiful side characters, Kían, Sárait, Domhnall, Niamh, and of course, the cute and adorable Murphy. each one of them played such a vital role to the story and they each had their own depth and distinct personality. and who doesn’t love an animal/beast sidekick?

now, onto the man of the hour, Ronan. i just love him so much. his love for Clía is so beautiful and had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole book. he is also the strongest, most dedicated person i’ve ever seen. him and Clía understand each other like no one else does and it’s just beautiful.

overall, anyone who loves Legally Blonde, Medieval settings, warrior princesses, and a love story that will make you swoon, this book is for you. i absolutely recommend everyone read it when it comes out on October 14th, 2025!!

This book is a new version of Legally Blonde, but with a medieval twist (or something close to it). I liked the fact that the focus of the romance was more on the development of feelings than on the spice.

I received an e-arc of this book and am thankful to the publisher for the copy.

Overall, I was underwhelmed. I was excited to read this story based on the blurb and loved the whole aspect of what the story could be.

First issue I had was the naming of the characters. I ended up mentally autocorrecting the names to Cleo and Ron (which isn’t the best I can admit). Secondly, I thought there was some missing world building and some scenes could have been flushed out more.

On the bright side, I did read it and thought it was simply ok. Not the best I’ve read but not the worst. Might be better suited for a younger audience than I am where some of my issues could be overlooked

Though the premise was what initially drew me to THE PRINCESS KNIGHT—a twist on Legally Blonde—what I did like (and didn’t expect) was: a queer normative world, disability-rep, and witty banter. I agree with other reviewers—that this read a little young (good if you like cross-over appeal between YA and A) Overall, THE PRINCESS KNIGHT was an entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fun read! I got the "legally blonde" references and vibes from it, which i adore, and loved seeing the way the author showcases those aspects from the movie inside the book. It's not too on the nose, but if you know the movie well enough, you can see the inspiration. I was super sad she had to change the GENIUS title, but the cover is gorgeous and it's still a fun title. I would've liked a bit more build up to the romance, but the characters individually were interesting, and I liked the representation that was included, One thing I liked most about Clia is that she is so determined and strong, but also soft and has moments of vulnerability. She wasn't perfect at the new tasks she set out to learn right away, but instead, actually went through the process of trial and error, making her feel more realistic and well rounded. I did find the pacing to be off a bit in certain areas and not flow as smoothly for me, but that could just be personal preference. I did like that the world-building wasn't over the top, but gave enough to be able to visualize it. Overall it was a fun and easy read that I would recommend for fans of legally blonde and light fantasy.
3.5 stars

Bend and snap..... their neck. 🎀💄

The Princess Knight (formally known as Medievally Blonde rip icon) was a fun read. I did enjoy the journeys we went on with each of the characters, though it did feel rushed at times. This might be my multi-book series brain rot though.

I think the hype surrounding this book has hurt it's reviews. There was so much expectation from me and others, and it unfortunately fell short of that for various reasons. With that said, I would recommend this book with the caveat that I wanted to enjoy it so much more than I did but it was still fun.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins, Cait Jacobs, and NetGalley for my e-arc copy of The Princess Knight.

Overall Specs:
3.5 ⭐️

Genre:
Mid/Upper YA Fantasy (with a touch of romance)

Things I Loved:
•I loved seeing a FMC decide to take fate into her own hands
•I loved the military academy vibes. There’s just something about training with dangerous men *chefs kiss*
•I loved the cover art — I know that if this was sitting on a shelf, I would immediately pick it up. (And for authors and publishers, that’s half the battle right there!)

Things I Found Lacking:
•While I love seeing the FMC (Clío) challenge destiny by going to the military academy, I didn’t love that it was to follow a man, no boy (Domhnall). A boy who openly broke her heart (and their *almost* engagement)
(I understand why to include this for the plot, but I do worry about the message it might send to youngish readers — maybe I’m overthinking it?)
•I wish we got more lore for the academy. I just wanted it to not feel rushed past the appeal and story behind it all.
•Overall, I wouldn’t say that I got overly attached to these characters. (And trust me, I wanted to get attached to Ronan.)
I felt like a large portion of the plot was rushed and forced when in actuality I feel like that this could have easily been a duology with more lore, more story, more romance.

Tropes:
•Military Academy Vibes
•War is on the Horizon
•FMC and MMC size difference
•Trials, Missions, Tasks
•1 on 1 Training with FMC and MMC (if you know, you know I love this vibe)
•Mostly Strangers to Lovers (blackout romance)
•Forbidden Romance (Princess & Guard)

I’m not confident if this is being marketed as YA or Adult Fantasy, but I definitely think it’s safe to say it’s YA. I think I would love this more if it has more romance, pining, and lore. I would have loved seeing the development of these characters over two books.
Overall, it was a good book.

Fun but not that special. I first heard of this book when it was being called "Medievally Blonde," and while I understand they may have had some legal issues with that, I am disappointed with the new title. Regardless, this was fun. As a huge fan of Legally Blonde, I read this looking for parallels, and there were some points I thought could have been added. Some aspects were a bit hard to believe, also. For one, Elle Woods is already very smart and top of her class, so while everyone is shocked when she gets into Harvard, that is not because she just 'oops I'm a pretty girl'-ed her way in there (she got an almost perfect LSAT score, people!). Here, however, Clia is literally handed a spot in the most difficult warrior school because of her title of Princess. I lost respect for the character, and when Ronan mentioned that to her, I was surprised he could overcome his feelings of resentment of her.
The political side of this story goes more in depth than is necessary, and the final battle lasted a long while. There was also insufficient explanation of the world, so I was very confused about who was fighting who, and what even were these other kingdoms? Countries? Cities? I was confused. And I didn't care enough to figure it out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was good but I don’t really like it. I love a lot of romance books but it didn’t really hold my attention that well. If anything I’d get it at the library to reread it if I wanted to. If anything, I’d give it to someone who likes the Princess Bride.