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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
It was kind of cute and kind of boring.
My main issue was that the plot desperately wanted to follow the Legally Blonde plot, and in doing so, a lot of it felt forced. The world building was minimal, and the story as a whole lacked depth, imo.
I did like the characters on their own, but I wasn’t invested in the romance between Clia and Ronan. Their interactions were sweet and all, but I didn’t feel any chemistry between them; there was no tension. Their relationship just didn’t do much for me. Though I do think that this might be because this book had a strong YA feeling to it and I don’t fall into that age group anymore.
Overall I’d say it was a cute, easy to read and fast-paced story, a nice little palate cleanser, but nothing more. Maybe someone who falls into the YA age range would enjoy this more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
My main issue was that the plot desperately wanted to follow the Legally Blonde plot, and in doing so, a lot of it felt forced. The world building was minimal, and the story as a whole lacked depth, imo.
I did like the characters on their own, but I wasn’t invested in the romance between Clia and Ronan. Their interactions were sweet and all, but I didn’t feel any chemistry between them; there was no tension. Their relationship just didn’t do much for me. Though I do think that this might be because this book had a strong YA feeling to it and I don’t fall into that age group anymore.
Overall I’d say it was a cute, easy to read and fast-paced story, a nice little palate cleanser, but nothing more. Maybe someone who falls into the YA age range would enjoy this more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
i really really wanted to love this but to be honest this just fell a little flat for me. i enjoyed clia's character and her growth as others constantly underestimated her, but i also wasn't rooting for the romance the whole time. the beginning was interesting and drew me in but the middle portion of this book really dragged on for me, and i found it a struggle to keep reading. the ending in comparison felt rushed, and so much was going on that could have been better integrated throughout the story. you could feel the plot twist coming and i felt the weak parts of the book lied in the fantasy elements: the world-building is skimmed over, the political aspect isn't as fleshed out as it could be, and it feels like the framework of the story is sound (think legally blonde but with knights) but it needed to be fleshed out more fully.
The first line really drew me in along with the summary of it! It helped that I already knew the author through social media! Betrothed to who? I guess that guy. The whole dynamic between these two ladies is interesting! The tie between kingdoms. O Connor seems like a decent father figure. What type of animal is Murphy? Ronan and the prince are two different people, good to know. Interesting lore related to where the places meet. Someone is out there with them? The fight was crazy, very fantasy! Their conversation in the carriage and what was said, interesting! The flipping between povs is interesting for sure but I get confused on which one is which when it comes to the guys. The speech! She could tell something happened to them just by the way they are carrying themselves in the room as they speak to her. Interesting conversations. The walk and can't marry her? Why? Weak? Not good enough? What is happening?! Ronans pov after! Learning more about Ronan and his life and then him coming back into his current space to run into the princess and "meet" her. Poor girl. War at their feet?! Her decision and the meeting with the guard! The fight. The whole conversation, and he's engaged already? No wonder she is heartbroken! At least Ronan saved him. She's here! The tent and her asking him for help. The lesson! Everything with this test and omg! They broke the treaty? Woah that's crazy idea wise, I wonder what they are doing. The sexism is horrible for her poor girl and of course it's her! Them together, the dancing and then talking!! That rude man and oh? That moment between them and a better insight into the training! They kissed!! No armor and her winning which led to her staying. Them kissing again and what they are each going through because of it. Oh? So much happened, so much death and heartbreak and disgusting people ew. Slow beginning but really picked up. Him leaving and then them saving her! The parts sectioned off make the book very interesting to me! Him fighting with himself when they actually love him. All of the fighting ang the betrayal. The battle and him letting him go which led to her asking him to come with her aww. Them leaving. Such an amazing book, I love this book, I love medieval books!
Quote: "There was nothing more terrifying than the execution of long-awaited plans."
Rated it four out of five stars!
Quote: "There was nothing more terrifying than the execution of long-awaited plans."
Rated it four out of five stars!
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a 4.5 🌟 read.
I very much loved and enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Meeting the princess Clia right when she is expected to be engaged to a prince, who she considers a friend, was a great start to the book. I already could tell that would be the motivation for her character to grow. What I didn’t expect was said prince backing out and her having to prove herself worthy of being a future queen. I very much loved it when the FMC is determined enough to step up to the challenge, even when they’re scared.
I think Clia’s character blossomed even more every time she is underestimated. But also having Ronan as a trainer, friend and confidant also made her who she really is. Have to give it to Ronan, he was a great friend and it was no surprise they were made for each other. Also, so happy this one has both POVs, thank you very much.
I liked reading the insight on how Ronan sees his life as a captain and at the same time, I saw Clia become a warrior. The action scenes really complimented the book too, along with their missions and how they lived as apprentices. The conflict seemed bigger but I hope that is a sign that we will get more stories of this world in the future
I very much loved and enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Meeting the princess Clia right when she is expected to be engaged to a prince, who she considers a friend, was a great start to the book. I already could tell that would be the motivation for her character to grow. What I didn’t expect was said prince backing out and her having to prove herself worthy of being a future queen. I very much loved it when the FMC is determined enough to step up to the challenge, even when they’re scared.
I think Clia’s character blossomed even more every time she is underestimated. But also having Ronan as a trainer, friend and confidant also made her who she really is. Have to give it to Ronan, he was a great friend and it was no surprise they were made for each other. Also, so happy this one has both POVs, thank you very much.
I liked reading the insight on how Ronan sees his life as a captain and at the same time, I saw Clia become a warrior. The action scenes really complimented the book too, along with their missions and how they lived as apprentices. The conflict seemed bigger but I hope that is a sign that we will get more stories of this world in the future
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I would say this book is fine; I enjoyed it a lot until about 69%, and then it got a bit dragged for my liking; I felt like the story was too long on the war and battles, and kind of repetitive, with no real consequences for any characters (even though logically it doesn't really make any sense that the battles went how they went). Overall it was cute and a nice read but I wouldn't go back to it, if that makes any sense. The characters were fine and I liked them and feel they were well developed, and the plot was good as well, it just felt a bit lacking in pace at the end of the novel.
I would say this book is fine; I enjoyed it a lot until about 69%, and then it got a bit dragged for my liking; I felt like the story was too long on the war and battles, and kind of repetitive, with no real consequences for any characters (even though logically it doesn't really make any sense that the battles went how they went). Overall it was cute and a nice read but I wouldn't go back to it, if that makes any sense. The characters were fine and I liked them and feel they were well developed, and the plot was good as well, it just felt a bit lacking in pace at the end of the novel.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Literally Legally Blonde fanfiction, but I’m not complaining!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Princess Knight
by: Cait Jacobs
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I may have squealed when I got approved for this book; when I first heard about it, I knew I had to get my hands on this book! The Princess Knight is a story about a princess who is determined to win back her betrothed by following him to a training academy for knights. This was pitched as Legally Blonde but with knights, and it did not disappoint!
I immediately fell for Clia and Ronan. Both of them are deeply flawed but so incredibly lovable and human. I found myself really rooting for each of them! The overall story was good and ended tied up well, but in a way that the author can definitely continue the story if they want too!
One thing to note: The world itself is deeply rooted in Irish folklore, which results in a lot of hard to pronounce words. I found myself struggling, and would love to do an audio read of this one!
This book is a must read if you like:
👑 Feminine and Fashion Loving FMC
🗡️ Dual POV
👑 Strangers to Friends to Lovers
🗡️ Political Intrigue
👑 Queer Normative World
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Avon Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!
when I heard that this book was a take on legally blonde, I was immediately sold, and I was NOT disappointed.
The foundation of the movie was still there, and the plot of this book did follow the same sort of plot points that the movie does, but in a completely different setting with different stakes, different motivations, and more nuance. Because it follows the same basic formula of the movie, the plot is a bit predictable if you have seen the movie, but there were still things that took me by surprise and choices for characters that differ from the movie that I found to be extremely satisfying.
I also really loved that this wasn’t necessarily an enemies to lovers situation, and I loved how down bad the MMC was for the FMC almost immediately. There was yearning at extreme levels, which I love to see, and the main character characters had a really lovely arc from strangers to friends to lovers that lacked any toxicity and was really just a beautiful representation of love against all odds. And they weren’t without their challenges with the FMC being a princess from a neighboring country and the MMC being the captain of the guard to the prince that the FMC was originally supposed to betrothed to, and you do see these characters grapple with that throughout the book, but sometimes love is more important than duty.
I thought the writing of this book was great. I didn’t feel like any points were being made too often or to too repetitively, which is usually something that bothers me so I was glad not to see that happen here. And I love a dual POV so that was great. And for what I believe is a standalone, I thought the pacing was great for the most part. They really spend their time setting up the thick of the action, and then spend a good amount of time in that action leading up to the inevitable conflict of the plot, as well as build a realistic romance between the main characters.
My only issue is that the ending is left quite open and I feel like this could’ve been a duology. And if you know me, you know I don’t even really like duologies much, but I think this could’ve benefited as being one because there was a lot more that I think could be done with certain aspects of the gods in this book as well as the openness of the end of the main plot. I’m really hoping that we’ll get another book but if we don’t, it was still a nice ending and I would implore anybody who is a lover of romantic and legally blonde to give this a read when it’s out!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copy to review!!
when I heard that this book was a take on legally blonde, I was immediately sold, and I was NOT disappointed.
The foundation of the movie was still there, and the plot of this book did follow the same sort of plot points that the movie does, but in a completely different setting with different stakes, different motivations, and more nuance. Because it follows the same basic formula of the movie, the plot is a bit predictable if you have seen the movie, but there were still things that took me by surprise and choices for characters that differ from the movie that I found to be extremely satisfying.
I also really loved that this wasn’t necessarily an enemies to lovers situation, and I loved how down bad the MMC was for the FMC almost immediately. There was yearning at extreme levels, which I love to see, and the main character characters had a really lovely arc from strangers to friends to lovers that lacked any toxicity and was really just a beautiful representation of love against all odds. And they weren’t without their challenges with the FMC being a princess from a neighboring country and the MMC being the captain of the guard to the prince that the FMC was originally supposed to betrothed to, and you do see these characters grapple with that throughout the book, but sometimes love is more important than duty.
I thought the writing of this book was great. I didn’t feel like any points were being made too often or to too repetitively, which is usually something that bothers me so I was glad not to see that happen here. And I love a dual POV so that was great. And for what I believe is a standalone, I thought the pacing was great for the most part. They really spend their time setting up the thick of the action, and then spend a good amount of time in that action leading up to the inevitable conflict of the plot, as well as build a realistic romance between the main characters.
My only issue is that the ending is left quite open and I feel like this could’ve been a duology. And if you know me, you know I don’t even really like duologies much, but I think this could’ve benefited as being one because there was a lot more that I think could be done with certain aspects of the gods in this book as well as the openness of the end of the main plot. I’m really hoping that we’ll get another book but if we don’t, it was still a nice ending and I would implore anybody who is a lover of romantic and legally blonde to give this a read when it’s out!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copy to review!!
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was such a fun read! I loved the strong Legally Blonde vibes, and definitely had that Elle Woods energy in a fantasy setting. The story pulled me in right away, and I really enjoyed the characters and world building.
Some parts near the 75-80% mark felt a bit rushed or not totally explained, but overall the pacing and detail were great. I would have absolutely loved to see more the Murphy too. I definitely recommend if you're looking for an empowering fantasy with a modern twist. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC!
Some parts near the 75-80% mark felt a bit rushed or not totally explained, but overall the pacing and detail were great. I would have absolutely loved to see more the Murphy too. I definitely recommend if you're looking for an empowering fantasy with a modern twist. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was fun but nothing incredible. Few things I loved: Clia, the dmc is autistic, and Ronan, the mmc, has chronic pain! The story was queer normative! I think the premise of Legally Blonde but at a war college was really fun and overall, mostly well done. However, I don't think the overarching military plot was well executed. It was predictable, the antagonists didn't have clear motives and I think it could've been more involved, rather that waiting until halfway through to bring it to the forefront of the story. The romance also fell flat a little bit. I would've bought into it more if it had been developed more throughout the story, rather than just a few scenes of them training, and mentions of them studying together. I also don't think the author knew if they wanted to write a romcom or YA fantasy because the tone drastically changes between the first and second halves of the story. The writing style also read more like YA than adult, even though the book was classified as adult. Overall though, it was a solid debut and I had fun while reading.
This was fun but nothing incredible. Few things I loved: Clia, the dmc is autistic, and Ronan, the mmc, has chronic pain! The story was queer normative! I think the premise of Legally Blonde but at a war college was really fun and overall, mostly well done. However, I don't think the overarching military plot was well executed. It was predictable, the antagonists didn't have clear motives and I think it could've been more involved, rather that waiting until halfway through to bring it to the forefront of the story. The romance also fell flat a little bit. I would've bought into it more if it had been developed more throughout the story, rather than just a few scenes of them training, and mentions of them studying together. I also don't think the author knew if they wanted to write a romcom or YA fantasy because the tone drastically changes between the first and second halves of the story. The writing style also read more like YA than adult, even though the book was classified as adult. Overall though, it was a solid debut and I had fun while reading.