Oof, this one really does run you through the full gamut of emotions.

If you're expecting frothy or lighthearted, this is not the book. This was juicy and complicated and extremely messy. All of it amounts to a lot of fun, and a pretty heartbreaking ending. All of the characters are great, but it's easiest to fall for Alaric and Sadie because they are the most earnest and upfront with who they are and who they want to be. Titus and Emmeline are more difficult than that, but they're painted so well that you can't help but root for them at times, even when they don't make it easy. The plot twists definitely keep coming and don't let up for a second, and the relationship dynamics are constantly shifting. The next book is definitely going to be an interesting ride to say the least.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great, would recommend. Perfect mix of monarchy and romance while still being relatable enough to the average reader

I really enjoyed this as a concept and enjoyed the overall feel of this book. It uses the royalty element that I was looking for and was engaged with the characters. Lindsey Duga wrote this perfectly and was hooked from the first page, it uses the concept perfectly and was glad I got to read this. I hope there is more in this world as it was a great read and enjoyed getting to know the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

A royalty story - but set in a boarding school? Sign me up! I enjoy stories about royalty, but this one had an interesting twist in that the royal grandchildren have grown up isolated from that world. The King wants to choose one of them as his successor, and has sent them all to this elite boarding school to see who will impress him the most, and then pick that person to be his successor.


There are four main perspectives:

Alaric: I loved him. He was great, and had a very different background from the others. His chemistry with Sadie was excellent as well. He really challenged her.

Emmeline: she’s ruthless and determined, but also has some vulnerability. I liked that she wasn’t just a villain character but that you can also feel some empathy for her and understand why she’s the way she is.

Titus: I didn’t mind him, but I preferred Alaric more. It was interesting to follow him and learn about the secrets he is keeping and why.

And finally -

Sadie: the only one who isn’t royal. I really enjoyed her as a character. From her banter with Alaric, to her holding her own against the other contenders who were brought up very differently than her, she was a heroine I couldn’t help but root for.


I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I absolutely flew through the story. I could not turn the pages fast enough. I liked following each of the characters and learning their motivations. The writing style was engaging and despite having multiple perspectives, I never had difficulty differentiating between the narrators, so props to the author for that. The story felt unique and I loved every second.

The ending was - WOW. I really hope there is a sequel here because I would definitely check it out. Honestly, I want it right now!

I REALLY enjoyed this one!! After all that praise, what else can I give it but 5 stars? It was really well done!

Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga is a captivating dive into the ruthless world of royalty, where ambition meets identity in the most compelling way! Set in the grand Almus Terra Academy, this modern fairytale draws you in from the first page. Four teenagers, bound by royal blood but worlds apart in every other way, compete for the Ashland throne in a high-stakes game that kept me reading well into the night. The mysterious King Leander has kept these grandchildren secret for years, and now their emergence creates the perfect storm of drama, intrigue, and rivalry.

The characters are brilliantly crafted, each bringing something special to the story. Titus, the polished prince, makes you question everything about leadership while dealing with his own inner struggles. Alaric steals scenes with his tough exterior and hidden depths - his character development is particularly impressive. Emmeline commands attention as the ambitious socialite, but there's so much more to her than meets the eye. And Sadie? She's a fantastic outsider whose empathy and resilience make her unexpectedly compelling.

Duga's storytelling shines through every chapter. The alliances, betrayals, and political maneuvering are masterfully executed. Think of it as The Crown meets high school drama, but with higher stakes and deeper emotional resonance. The side characters, especially Oakley and Oliver, add rich layers to an already complex narrative.

The romance weaves naturally through the power plays and politics, creating moments of genuine tension and emotional depth. These relationships feel authentic and add real stakes to the already complex web of loyalties and betrayals.

Those plot twists! Just when you think you know where the story is heading, Duga surprises you with clever turns that make perfect sense in hindsight. Each revelation adds depth to both the characters and the overall narrative.

Royal Heirs Academy is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about power, self-discovery, and complex characters navigating treacherous waters. The world-building is rich, the emotional arcs are satisfying, and the ending leaves you eager for the next installment. Perfect for fans of elite drama with a royal twist, this book delivers excitement, emotion, and intrigue in equal measure.

A solid five stars for this engaging, well-crafted story that proves there's plenty of life left in the royal academy genre when done right. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Five glittering, drama-filled, royal-worthy stars! 👑✨ This book is going straight to my favorites shelf, and I'll be shoving it into everyone's hands until they read it too!
P.S. Team Alaric forever! (But ask me again tomorrow because these characters keep making me change my mind! 😅)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Christy Ottaviano Books for sharing this very captivating journey's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so fun! If you loved princess diaries the. You will love this book! The story was so entertaining!

This book had everything I needed. Going into it I thought it may fall short, and not be as compelling as the description but I was proven wrong. I love the plot of this book and Almus Terra Academy is the perfect setting. I also surprisingly liked all four heirs. I thought that I might only like one or two of them but each POV showed the unique personalities they had and the emotions each of them were experiencing which made me root for all of them at different points throughout the book. The side characters were great as well, Oakley and Oliver specifically really added to the book and showing how the four heirs interacted with other people. All of that mixed with romance, alliances, and revenge, this book had me racing to see who would be named heir at the end. And I was not disappointed. It was also a perfect setup for a sequel that I hope is coming soon.

5⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.

THE WAY that I was sucked in to this!! This story is about four heirs at a prestigious boarding school competing for a throne. For being YA, I love how the author handled some of the topics and brought a great level of depth to each of the characters. Every one of the heirs is flawed, yet have qualities that make you root for them. I definitely loved and recommend this and need the sequel immediately!!

Royal Heirs Academy was so fun, and exactly what I needed. I loved the idea that it was comped to American Royals, because I am obsessed with that series. I would say that's definitely similar in some of the vibes, and I loved the multi-perspective chapters. I'm waiting to see if another one is going to come out!

This book was a lot of fun. I can see the comparisons to the shows mentioned in the synopisis - I would definitely recommend to those readers including readers that loved The American Royals Series. I enjoyed that it featured 4 characters and it really kept the plot moving. Excellent YA!

Just as amazing as I expected! I love that the author not only portrays blue blood royals at the school, but also the teens of the wealthy elite (C-Suites) and the regular people who are just lucky to be there (the Scholars). Such a perfect representation of the current world we live in while at the same time being a complete fantasy.

Love all four of the main characters for different reasons, though it seems like Sadie is considered to be the main one readers should be rooting for.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The most cutthroat high school you’ve ever seen. A riveting peek behind the curtain of the 1%, with a heart-pounding mix of betrayal, love, and politics thrown in. Once you start reading, you simply can’t stop!

Read Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga if you like…

🌹 Enemies to lovers
🌹 Rags to riches
🌹 Love triangles
🌹 Betrayal and intrigue
🌹 Secret lives of royalty


🩷HER🩷
Sadie:
Recently orphaned, heart on her sleeve, passionate about helping people, the Cinderella of the 1%

Emmeline:
Manhattan socialite, beautiful, ruthless, will do whatever it takes to become queen

💙HIM💙
Alaric:
Irish foster child with a traumatic upbringing, street smart and tough as nails with a soft heart

Titus:
Born and bred to be heir with all the poise and sophistication one would expect from a prince

📖 THEIR STORY 📖
Four teenagers, raised with vastly different upbringings in four different parts of the work are thrown into a competition at one of the world’s most elite schools to be named heir apparent to a European kingdom. Secrets, alliances, betrayals abound as the group learns what it means to be royalty and what it takes to win the crown.


👇🏼 Get your copy now👇🏼 (1/7/25)

https://amzn.to/4f4LDV9


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And thank you to Lindsey Duga and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Royal Heirs Academy.

If you like elite schools for the rich and famous with cutthroat competitions for a crown, you’re going to love this book!

Wow. I was captivated by this book. The boarding school setting, fight for royal succession, and light romance were amazing. I found the relationships well developed between the heirs as well as with students around them. There better be a second book coming out of this, because that end left a lot of loose ends to tie up.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one was SO much fun! I love anything royals related and have been looking for another book similar to American Royals, and I am so happy to have found this new book that seems to be setting readers up for a series.

Out of the four main characters, I probably enjoyed Emmeline the most even though I'm sure Sadie is considered to be the main protagonist. The twists were enjoyable, the writing was lovely, the pacing was quick, and the world of royals was a lot of fun in general.

Will definitely read the next book in the series!

Interesting book, I loved the main character, Sadie. Granted, there is spoiler level stuff that I will not get into here, that truly made me question everyone and my own sanity. The book was good, but there was some whiplash moments with characters that were a bit shocking for me. Overall, I would read the next one if there is one!

I'm confused as to whether this book was supposed to be set int he real world or not. On the one hand, it's located in a non-existent country, On the other hand, the author calls a character the descent of Nelson Mandela ON PAGE ONE. Confusing worldview aside, the author also has no business writing teenagers. This read as an adult's stereotype of what "kids these days" sound like (and pet peeve; I hate it when American authors try to write foreign accents. Its just cringe.) Add to that the inanity of having teenagers compete for a throne (there are no qualified adults in the entire country?), and three out of the four don't even live in that country. The author couldn't decide what story she wanted to write and so threw in every idea she ever had, then sent it to Netgalley without proofreading or editing of any kind.

Royal Heirs Academy a book that piqued my interest when marketed as Maxton Hall and American Royals was luckily on Netgalley and I had the chance to read it this past week, and because of that, thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for making that possible! Lindsey Doug’s writing style was very… interesting. Don’t get me wrong, it was so pretty, but it did seem quite cringe at times, and I think that has to do with the fact she tends to cater to younger audiences with her other books. Nonetheless, it is very pretty writing. Another thing I picked up on is how hard she tried to be inclusive I love inclusivity since it’s so important for obvious reasons, but it felt like Doug was trying too hard, especially in an environment that in real life is very skeptical about things like LGBTQ+ and sometimes even color. This whole book felt like a long gossip girl episode, but they’re royalty I loved the school environment, especially since I’m reading this during the start of the school year and the relationships in this book were so messy and interesting! Every character had their own problems and personality's making it very easy to differentiate them and their ambitions.
I will definitely pick up the next book when it comes out and I hope Doug gets better at how she writes teenagers since I do find it hard to believe some of these 15-17-year-olds would say any of this shit, no offense.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had all my favorite things wrapped in one, royalty, boarding schools, and gossip. The plot moved along quick and it was cool to get different povs throughout the book. I’m interested to see if more books follow. The only complaint that I have is that I wish the beginning had more chapters to get to know the characters before switching povs. For example, I think we should have gotten two or three chapters about one character and then move on to the next and once you’ve had people get to know them enough, you can do every other chapter.

This was such a fun and great read! Loved the female lead and the constant comic relief. Definitely reminded me of a few 90s movies.