Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Scoville Spice Scale: ½🌶

I was thrilled to get an ARC of this book based on the author’s and our mutual booksta-friends excitement . I knew the title was previously another name, but I really didn’t put a lot of eggs into that basket, so that didn’t impede my reading “glasses,” so to say.

This is coming of age tale of a princess scorned not just by her intended prince but by so many people who underestimate her tenacity and determination. The story centers on Clia and Ronan – a Princess of one kingdom and the Captain in charge of guarding the Prince who was her intended. As their story unfolds, so does intrigue, mystery, ancient artifacts, blossoming love, war, betrayals. Clia must navigate through this and her feelings for Ronan. Ronan has his own challenges thrown his way.

What I loved:
I loved that Clia never gave up being herself. She even found a way to have armor that was fashionable. I love that Ronan never closed off lines of communication with Clia about their relationship. He always said how he felt about her.I loved how relationships with Clia and the other characters grew and changed over the book.

What I liked:
I was stunned by the betrayals. (Betrayers, you know who you are!) The descriptions of castles, terrain, artifacts, and clothing were detailed enough to pull you into the scene without being overbearing. I loved the description fabric room. As a retired sewist, holy moley! Fabric!

Tropes:
⚔️ Fighting & Wartime
💘 Love is a battlefield
🤔 Subterfuge & Mystery
💕 Found Family
♿️ Disability Rep
♾️ LBGTQ+ Rep
🌎 Amazing Worldbuilding

Congratulations to Cait Jacobs on her debut book! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on Cait Jacobs, The Princess Knight, how she started #Booktok, and more, please visit her website.

This book being sort of based on legally blonde is what brought me in and it did not disappoint! Clías arc was so satisfying to see and I love how much she grew. However - going to a military school with no training to chase a guy?? Kind of crazy, so I’m really glad she grew out of that. Ronan was such a cutie pie, even if his blind loyalty made me want to shake him sometimes.

Overall, this was a cute read and I would definitely recommend!

This was a cute story, but definitely took me a second to get into it because it was not what I was expecting. This book I had seen be compared to legally blonde so I was expecting more of a non-serious comedic approach then what was given but I can see some similarities with the main characters interests. Once I got into the book though it was decent, from a technical writing aspect I thought it was good especially for a debuting author. I love the representation in this book as well as the different POV‘s. it was something different than my current mood reads and overall and enjoyable story.

A cute story and quick read. Not really my kind of read but it was a nice different type of book to read. I enjoyed the characters and legally blonde meets medieval vibe.

I loved the premise of the book! Fantasy mixed with legally blonde vibes, which is a fresh new take in this genre. I wish Ronan’s backstory had been fleshed out a little more, as well as the chemistry between them. I would have loved a little more slow burn/build up. Overall though, it was a fun read!

I was super excited to get approved for this one, but ultimately was rather let down. I think part of my issue here is my own expectation of something fun, more in the rom-com world, due to the comp to Legally Blonde. Obviously, I get the comparison and can see the influence - but it lead to expectations that simply were not met on a tonal level. This book was extremely serious in tone, and honestly ... boring.

Don't get me wrong: the writing was fine and I think on a technical level it's a decent debut. Maybe if I never expected this to be witty, clever, and a silly goofy time like Legally Blonde is I would have liked it more? Maybe? But then even once I came to terms with it not being a fun, flirty, medieval rom-com -- I still found myself utterly bored. I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the politics, any of the twists, or any of the characters.

The characters were super one dimensional to me and the romance was super flat. There was no chemistry between them, which is craaaazy because there was AMPLE potential: training sequences, best friend's ex fiance, THERE'S ONLY ONE TENT? And yet it just was so boring and devoid of anything that left me caring for these characters.

Ultimately, this book was lacking a lot despite the amount of potential.

The Princess Knight is a medieval retelling of Legally Blonde. Loosely inspired by Irish folklore, the story follows a princess who follows a prince to his kingdom’s military academy to win him back after he refuses to propose to her.
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As a fan of the Legally Blonde movie and musical, I was very excited to hear about a retelling with knights instead of lawyers! I had a lot of fun looking for Legally Blonde references as I read. The world of Inismian is pretty interesting, with each kingdom having a patron god and godly item. Servants of the gods advise each kingdom to ensure they do not lose favor with the gods. This story is Dual POV, so we get to see lots of yearning from both perspectives. I liked the rep featured (neurodivergent FMC, MMC with chronic pain) and the queernormative world. I LOVED MURPHY!! Every princess deserves an animal sidekick, and Murphy the dobhar-chú was the perfect one for Clía.
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Unfortunately, I don’t think this one exactly lived up to its comp. This book felt much more serious in tone than Legally Blonde, which was not at all what I expected when starting this book. Some of the dialogue felt a bit clunky. I feel like this book would fit better under the YA Fantasy category. Despite these shortcomings, I had a great time reading about a princess becoming a badass knight who would do what she must to protect her people!
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Thank you Harper Voyager for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of The Princess Knight from NetGalley.

I was initially intrigued by the original title "Medievally Blonde" because it was inspired by Legally Blonde. I'm unsure why it had to be changed, but the premise was still the same.

Princess Cliodna was supposed to be betrothed to Prince Domhnall and secure an alliance, but he breaks it off and cites her weakness as the reason. He then goes off to attend a prestigious military academy with Clia following to hopefully win him back.

Domhnall's personal guard and best friend, Ronan, also attends the academy and forges a friendship with Clia while also training her.

Ronan and Clia's interactions were very cute. Clia was less of a spitefire than I would've liked, but she was also raised as a perfect princess, so it was excused. Throughout the book, she discovers herself without the expectations of perfection and grows a backbone.

I enjoyed the fact that it's a standalone. I only knocked off one star because the names and kingdoms were hard for me to follow despite the index in the beginning. I love Ronan's yearning and both of their understanding that their feelings come second to Clia's kingdom.

Thank you, Netgalley, for letting me read this early. I look forward to more books by the author.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 // 4-star review of The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs

This book was such a delightful surprise. I went in expecting a lighthearted royal rom-com with a touch of fantasy, but The Princess Knight brought so much more to the table. It is equal parts swoony romance, fierce girl-power adventure, and magical boarding school drama.

Clía is the kind of main character I adore—stubborn, sparkly, determined, and surprisingly capable with a sword. Watching her charge into a brutal military academy with a broken heart and a goal to win back her ex (who totally fumbled, by the way) was both hilarious and empowering. And then there is Ronan. Gruff, focused, broody, and secretly soft? I ate up every scene he was in. Their chemistry had me grinning the entire time.

The world building was fun and easy to follow, the side characters added so much charm, and Clía’s furry little companion completely stole the show. My only reason for not giving it five stars is that a few of the pacing moments in the middle dragged just a bit, and I wanted more time with Clía and Ronan together. Still, I could not put it down.

If you love books with strong heroines, slow-burn romance, magical trials, and a whole lot of heart, The Princess Knight should absolutely be on your TBR.

Legally Blonde meets Romantasy??

This book is the epitome of Legally Blonde but in a fantasy realm & it was such a fun time. Reading about Clia's growth from oblivious princess to an impressive warrior & her growing relationship with Ronan made this book for me. One thing, I loved is that this is a true strangers - friends - lovers trope. SO often fantasies try to play what Clia & Ronan are as "enemies to lovers" but this one markets it correctly!! If you're looking for a fast-paced academy romantasy very similar to legally blonde, definitely give this one a try when it comes out!

While this book was filled with all the things I loved — a strong FMC, an emotional relationship (not just lust), a fast-paced plot, and lots and lots of growth, there were multiple times I had to set the book down, because I was frustrated that the writing was telling us what was happening rather than showing. If I understand correctly this is Cait Jacobs debut book, if not one of her early books, but I think she has a lot of potential to be a truly amazing author as she grows.

3.5-3.75 stars

I unfortunately tried and tried to love this, but I could never get super into it. The names and locations were hard to pronounce and something kept making me feel really disconnected to the story.

I wanted to love this book so bad. The characters were enjoyable and the premise was right up my alley but it just fell a bit flat on delivery. The beginning was unfortunately quite slow for me and I struggled with all the info dumping. I don't mind a bit of it but I found myself confused a lot in the beginning. It might just be a me problem though. Overall it was a fun read but the pacing really held me back from loving it like I wanted to.

This reminded me completely of Legally Blonde but in mediaeval times. In this we have a princess who is suppose to marry the prince who she knows and he breaks her heart because he feels he needs to secure a better marriage to secure his kingdom…he goes of to a war college and she follows him because of course she needs to show him that she is more than what meets the eye.
I really ended up liking my time with The Princess Knight. While reminiscent of Legally Blonde I never felt if strayed to close to it and ClÍa was still unique to herself. Wanting to secure her own kingdom. There was action and fashion. I didn’t feel like the story ever dragged and the pacing was well done.
For a debut it makes me excited to see where the author goes from here and what Cait cooks up next.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Honestly, for how hyped up this was, I was definitely disappointed. There wasn't really anything that felt special about the characters or the plot and I didn't feel a connection to the book at all. Some of the training and missions were enjoyable, but the book as a whole felt entirely predictable.

The Princess Knight had a fun concept with plenty of potential—royalty, rebellion, and a heroine fighting for her own path. I enjoyed the setup and the hints of romance, and there were definitely moments that kept me turning the page.

However, the story felt a bit uneven. The pacing dragged in some parts, and I found it hard to fully connect with the characters or feel the stakes of the plot. The worldbuilding was there, but I wanted more depth and tension to really draw me in.

That said, fans of YA fantasy with a strong-willed female lead and themes of self-discovery might still enjoy this one. It wasn’t a standout for me, but it had some solid moments and a good foundation.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!!

The Princess Knight was an engaging read with a strong female lead and an intriguing world, but I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 for a few reasons.

While I loved Clía’s determination and growth, I wish we had seen more of her rise. Her journey to becoming a curdah felt rushed. I wanted to see her earn it through more trials, more moments of triumph, rather than having the title come so quickly and I love Ronan but maybe without so much help from a man lol. The pacing also lagged in spots, and some of the fade-to-black scenes gave it a YA feel which I feel like it could’ve been executed better since we time hopped multiple times.

One of my biggest wishes? That the story leaned further into its magical folklore. The gods had so much potential. I wanted them to be more than just distant, all-powerful figures. If they had been woven into the narrative in a more dynamic or surprising way, it could’ve added an extra layer of richness to the world.

I still really enjoyed the final act. Yes, it was a bit predictable, but it delivered emotional stakes and satisfying moments. I would like to see more set in this world and how Clía’s and Domhall’s kingdoms developed.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the eARC!

3 stars!

I think the concept of a medieval legally blonde inspired book is so cute and unique, and I really enjoyed that aspect!

I loved the fmc, Clía. I loved how in true Elle Woods fashion, she remained her true self and still loved jewels/fashion/etc while she still learned to be an amazing knight.

I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in this book, simply because I didn't really see or feel any chemistry between Clía and Ronan.

Overall, I think this was a cute book and I definitely think fans of cozy fantasy books will enjoy this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for selecting me for a copy of an e-Arc of The Princess Knight.

What a first book from Cait Jacobs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Princess Knight, Cait has the perfect blend of balancing the fantasy genre, with a lightness to the plot which works so well for a YA fantasy read. I'd also say this would be a perfect starter fantasy book for anyone who is just starting their journey with the fantasy genre.

You can feel the inspiration that Cait took from Legally Blonde throughout the story, which I loved. I think there was the right mix of seeing the characters we know and love from the film but building and developing her own characters with those characteristics with Clia, Domhnall, Ronan and Niamh.

Clia's journey through the story, shows so much growth, from her naivety and reliance in the life she was born into and the pressure from her mother, into her self belief and learning about herself and how capable she is. I also loved the personal elements Cait added into Clia's character and the representation there is.
I relate so much to how she feels with certain materials and clothes. This line from the book spoke volumes to me;
"One that felt right. Too often, her dresses itched and rubbed against her skin in the worst possible ways"
And when she found that one fabric, I just knew. IYKYK

The academy and training scenes throughout the book are so much fun and are my favourite bits. How she proves herself and shows up Domhnall. Serves him right for being arrogant.

I'm very much looking forward to the progression of these characters and their stories. There's clearly still a lot more to learn.

The Princess Knight is a fantasy book inspired by Legally Blonde that takes place mostly at a military academy. That fact alone (combined with the flawless cover) led me to have very high expectations for the book.

As for the characters, most of them lived up to my expectations! Cait created characters with engaging and truly unique personalities. As you turn the pages, you find yourself wanting to know even more about each of them, and even in a medieval setting, the author includes diverse representation, both in the main characters and the secondary ones. But of all of them, my favorite by far is Clía. It was a lot of fun to be inside her mind and see her inner conflicts. Cait managed to deepen these contradictions without losing the believability of her personality and her likeness to Elle Woods. I didn't hold back and, between some commissions, I drew a sketch of Clía as I see her, a delicate character but, even more so, a determined one.

Now, some things I didn't like so much were the excess of information at the beginning of the book and how it was presented. It doesn't really get in the way of reading, but the way the information about the kingdoms, the rulers, and the fantasy was presented by a first-person narrator seemed very artificial. Fortunately, this soon ends and the reading becomes more fluid.

The Princess Knight has the perfect balance of humor, romance, and fantasy. It was definitely worth the 400 pages, and I can't wait for it to be officially released to see everyone's reaction to it. Finally, I want to thank Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me early access!

This was one of my anticipated reads and while I did somewhat like it, I think my expectations were too high.
I love animal companions and our dear Murphy is the cutest star of the novel! I was not able to connect with the characters unfortunately, I just thought they were alright. I do commend the author for giving me such flip flopping feelings about Domhnall. I did think the pacing in the beginning and the middle was a little off with the training and tests in the military academy. Ronan is decent, but I felt like him and Clia, our main character lacked some tension and chemistry, the romance was just a little bit meh for me. I did like the plot though with the political intrigue and to guess what's going to happen next.