This was so fun! Great for a debut and will definitely read more from this author. The amount of character development and plot workings in this was amazing for a debut, hardly felt like a debut while reading

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a copy of this book! Because it was AMAZING!!

The plot and the characters were fun and intriguing, and this story felt unique in comparison to other fantasy books published recently. Definitely a feel-good read. And the cover is so pretty I'm planning to buy a physical copy when it's published.

One minor thing was that the writing did feel a little closer to YA than adult, but not so badly that it wasn't enjoyable to read.

This cozy fantasy takes Legally Blonde and replaces the lawyers with knights for an unforgettable adventure! The bones of Legally Blonde are there but the author does a great job of freshening up the plot and putting new spins on certain elements. This is a perfect read if you like Legally Blonde or The Princess Bride, cozy fantasies with a dose of adventure, Aelin’s character from Throne of Glass, or are otherwise in need of an easy breezy fantasy to read.

The Princess Knight reads very easily — I would say it falls under cozy fantasy with an element of adventure (we are at knight school after all). It’s very accessible, not bogged down with a lot of world-building in the beginning, perfect for when you’re in the mood for a fantasy that doesn’t take a ton of brain power.

Our main character gives me vibes of “a princess who loved her kingdom very much”. On the surface it looks like her actions are for a man, because indirectly, they are. But at the base she is doing what she can for herself and a kingdom she loves very much. I love our main character - she is our autistic rep and greatly appreciated! Her talk of being overstimulated in certain clothing really hit home. I loved our love interest too, he lives with chronic pain so we have some great disability rep sewn seamlessly into the story. It doesn’t stop there, the author does a beautiful job of creating a queer normative culture with nonbinary, queer, and ace characters alike.

I will say this reads like YA and would perhaps be better categorized there. I also would’ve liked to feel more yearning between love interests. I want to feel their desire shown on the page. I want to see more conflict in our main character’s internal thoughts. Aside from that, this is a fantastic debut and I greatly look forward to reading what Cait comes out with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an eArc copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to read this book. The cover really caught my eye same with the title, I was definitely intrigued. However, I do miss the legally blonde title reference but I understand if it was changed due to concerns.

I was hoping for a bit more slow burn and angst with the romance, it just felt a bit flat and lacking to me. However, the plot twists in the book I wasn't expecting and had me hooked! I was shocked and entertained.

I also enjoyed the animal sidekick and I thought that was fun, I don't see it to often in books compared to movies. I do think this is falling more in line with New Adult book rather than Adult as well. I also appreciated the queer tones throughout the book and just it being normal. That's wonderful. I believe people will really appreciate that and the chronic illness representation, I know I did.

Overall an enjoyable read and I bet many will be loving this as well!

Okay I absolutely could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting and was absolutely obsessed with how the story was going.

Without spoilers, it revolves around two royals (Princess Clia and Prince Domhnall) who were essentially betrothed since birth to solidify the relationship between two kingdoms.

When the Prince Domhnall breaks it off abruptly, stating Clia is just a pretty face and not a leader, she goes to prove him wrong. Out of her depth, she overcomes challenges and trains at a military academy to prove her worth. Doing so, she learns more about herself and what she wants.

It kind of gave me fantasy She’s the Man movie vibes of being underestimated because of her princess status and also being a woman.

Absolutely phenomenal book. Great fantasy elements, a bit of pining between Clia and a special guy who isn’t Domhnall (though she does pine for him for awhile), and a tad bit of spice.

As the Princess of Álainndore, Clíodhna knew it was expected of her to marry Prince Domhnall, and she was fine with that. Everyone said they were a perfect match and Domhnall has always been a good friend to her, so she can imagine living a happy life together. However, all expectations for her future suddenly shatter when Domhnall refuses to propose.

Knowing she needs this marriage to protect her kingdom, and wanting to prove Domhnall wrong, Clía devises a plan to get him back. She will follow Domhnall to Caisleán Cósta, the military academy he’ll be attending. Sure, the academy has a ruthless reputation and Clía’s never held a sword in her life, but her lack of training won’t matter; she’ll prove her worth as a warrior and secure her proposal.

While training, Clía develops a special friendship with Domhnall’s best friend and Captain of the Guard, Ronan. Training at Caisleán Cósta has been Ronan’s greatest wish, but now that he’s here, he can’t seem to focus on anything but the blonde princess with the iron will. As war looms on the horizon, Clía and Ronan must prepare for the worst—both on the battlefield and in their hearts.
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The Princess Knight is a really fun read full of heartfelt romance and action-packed adventure, and I loved how it offered a fresh, medieval take on Legally Blonde. The connection to Legally Blonde was clear throughout the novel, but the author did a great job reimagining the story to offer readers something unique. I really enjoyed the story’s Celtic roots and the world-building was perfect; I felt like I got just enough explanation to make the story make sense, but not so much that I was bogged down with too much background info. I also loved the diversity and representation in the book.

Although this book is advertised as adult fiction, it seems to skew more towards upper YA fiction and I did find myself wishing the characters were slightly older. I also would have loved to see more scenes that focused on the academic/training aspects of the academy. While there was a lot of discussion regarding Clía and Ronan’s one-on-one training sessions, I would’ve liked to see some more that focused on their roles as students. My favorite parts of boarding school books—especially in fantasies—is reading about the magical, unique lessons students learn in their classes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m hoping there will be a sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free digital copy of this book!

I’ve been following Cait since 2020 so I was soo excited for this! And I’m honestly SO impressed with her writing and world that she created. I can always tell when a writer is a reader, especially as a debut author.

Really wonderful characters. I adored Clia and Ronan both separately and together. I also loved Durmhall and Niamh.

I think the book fell a bit flat for me, and here is why I think so:
- The author sold it to me as a Legally Blonde retelling. And when I say sold, I meant SOLD. I was so excited for that. However, I think it might have taken a bit from me. Maybe that’s why they changed the title, also. Legally Blonde is FUN. It’s light. This book was surprisingly very dark and heavy at times. I came into this book looking for a quick, fun time, but I didn’t necessarily get that. I got that when the characters were talking, but the war talk and exposition ended up taking a majority of the book.
- I don’t think every book with a romance needs to have a split POV. Sometimes I think it actually hinders instead of helps a book. In this case, I didn’t love it. Especially in the beginning. I want to care for Clia first and her only, especially because of the prince being mean to her. But then we have Ronan being like ‘but he’s actually good!’ and I wanted to come to that conclusion WITH Clia. I think just having it be her POV would’ve helped the narrative soo much.
- A small detail, but Ronan yelled at Clia for getting into this school because she was a princess. He only got into the school because he was the Prince’s Guard? So that point was a bit mute. I wish that Ronan and the Prince didn’t know each other, so that his position there fully FELT earned instead of him earning it as he went.

Because of these details, I didn’t love it as much as I hoped I would. Again, still so impressed by the debut novel. I’d definitely pick up other books by her.

3.5 - A medieval Legally Blonde retelling with a princess and a knight, set in an Irish inspired fantasy world, written by THE Cait Jacobs? Sold.

Everyone in the kingdoms knows Princess Clía and Prince Domhnall are the perfect match, and a marriage would bless both of their kingdoms by the gods, but when Domhnall declares he can’t marry Clía, she’s faced with failure. After receiving word that Domhnall is going to the toughest military academy in all of the kingdoms, she decides to follow after him to try and win his heart back, but instead, finds herself falling for Ronan- Domhnall’s best friend, and the captain of his guard. Clía soon realizes that there’s much more going on in the kingdoms than her family’s willing to address, and that despite best efforts, there’s a war on the horizon.

This was so incredibly fun to read, and I loved Clía so so much. I was a big fan of how she became a brave and strong warrior while continuing to stay true to her feminine side. I also loved the found family in this, and their development together as they face numerous obstacles during their training. I wish there was a little more world building in this involving the myths and how they tied into the history, but overall I liked this. (Murphy carried).

came for the legally blonde references, stayed for the plot 🤭🫶

🩷 thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc! 🩷

3.5/5 stars

Like 99% of the other reviewers, I've been excited for this book since its OG title and rip it will be lovingly missed. However, I think The Princess Knight fits better! This definitely has Legally Blonde elements but overall it reads more as a YA fantasy with some more subtle nods to LB. If you weren't aware of its original title and don't LOVE LB, you probably won't notice them!

I want to shout from the rooftops how much I love this book for:
- being queernormative (without any weird notes that you sometimes see w/bi characters like "yeah, I've been with women, so what!" ykwim??? they're just queer and existing and it is beautiful)
- having chronic illness rep
- having autism rep
- having nonbinary, sapphic, and ace rep as well

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to read about characters who can speak about love and attractions and none of it is shameful or hidden. It makes my tiny, cold queer heart so happy 🩷

HOWEVER . . .
I had a few issues.

Normally I'm good at ignoring ages and pretending everyone's aged up in my mind, but going into this with the notion of it having some LB themes I was s h o c k e d when the MMC said he was 19. Literally put the book down and reflect for a moment levels of shocked. And (correct me if I'm wrong) we don't really know anyone else's ages but it's fair to assume they're all around that age, no? The idea of all of these teenagers being at an elite warrior school just felt weird. Like, wouldn't that theoretically be more in line with law school? Not everyone's good enough to get in and you need to spend years training to be accepted, putting you at least early to mid twenties??

And overall, the romance between Clía and Ronan felt a little flat to me. I wanted more stolen glances, Mr. Darcy helping Elizabeth into the carriage and we get THAT moment after they touch hands, slow burn vibes but instead it felt more like a ........ situationship turned lovers?

I think the most interesting part of the book is the twists and the plot itself. The romance felt a little underbaked and I could have done without in all honesty. But those TWISTS?? Hooked, baby, HOOKED. I was so distracted by what I thought was a very obvious villain that another person snuck under my radar and caught me by complete surprise.

The fight scenes were beautiful, such a good balance of witty quips and brutal reality of the loss of war. And Cait Jacobs has a wonderful way with words; I was highlighting things left and right. Almost every chapter I had a "oh, that's beautiful/moving/sad" moment 🫶

Clía, princesa de Alainndore, decide seguir a su ex prometido a la academia militar Caisleán Cósta tras ser rechazada por no ser considerada lo suficientemente fuerte para ser reina. Con la intención de demostrar su valía, se encuentra entrenando y desarrollando una nueva identidad. Allí se reencuentra con Ronan, un guerrero que, a pesar de su dolor crónico, se convierte en su mentor y confidente, desafiando tanto sus propios límites como los de Clía. A lo largo de la trama, Clía no solo lucha por ganar el corazón del príncipe que la rechazó, sino que también descubre su verdadera fuerza y propósito. La historia destaca por sus personajes entrañables, especialmente Clía, una heroína decidida y llena de vulnerabilidades, y Ronan, un compañero leal y tierno.


Es una lectura para pasar una tarde tranquila.
Le faltó una buena construcción del mundo. Si son lectores de fantasía no se los recomiendo ya que es algo básico, esto es más para lectores de romance.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book so badly, and while I did still enjoy it, it fell a bit flat to me 😢 soooo let’s get into it!

Going into this I expected a light hearted rom com set in a fantasy world, given the original title, the synopsis, & then some character collages the author posted on ig. While the first half of the book meets this expectation more, around the halfway mark the plot becomes more focused on multi-kingdom political conflicts & war, which i was not expecting. So for that reason, while I too was sad about the title change, I think it’s a good call because this book might share some similarities with legally blonde but the tone felt wildly different.

So more specifically, the things that i enjoyed:
- the representation & the queer normative world
- Animal side kick done in a non annoying way
- The creativity of war college version of legally blonde; that’s just so fun and I never ever would have thought of it
- As mentioned above, I liked the first half a lot more than the second. It felt more engaging and I cared a lot more about what was happening. Clía seemed to have stuff at stake, and I enjoyed the general vibes

Things that fell flat/didn’t work for me:
- the romance
- The world building/magic in the context of the second half: let me explain more… I felt like the world building and magic was weird because it wasn’t quite fleshed out enough to make sense, yet it wasn’t irrelevant enough for there to be minimal world building.
- General over arching political plot: it was a bit too predictable for me, coupled with the fact that I wasn’t super into the characters relationships
- Clía’s journey: at times I definitely got she worked hard. At other times it felt like certain things just fell into her lap.
- The motivations of the villains: I am confused by this. It was weak reasoning and I don’t really get it.

So all in all, I did enjoy this. I found it hard to want to finish though. I would still recommend, however going into it, know it’s not a silly little rom com story. The romance is pretty minimal, and there’s more to the plot than the synopsis makes it seem. Said larger plot didn’t grasp me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t click for you! I liked this authors vibes so if they write more, I’ll def read it!

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs

I went into this book knowing very little but totally falling for the cover. It surprised me every step of the way. From a queernormative world to mental health awareness to silent illnesses to badass characters.

I wish it would have been marketed as a YA book because then I think it would have been a 5 star read. As an adult book some things just fell flat for me personally but I'm not even sure what it was missing.

Beautiful world building. Amazing side characters. Literally obsessed with Murphy and wish he got more screen time.

It read like the first Throne of Glass meets Legally Blonde. I will absolutely be devouring every book Cait Jacobs publishes.

Thank you NetGalley, Cait Jacobs, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars ✨

This book took on a different kind of twist of Legally Blonde but medieval fantasy!

Clia was to be married to a prince to help unite their kingdoms, but the prince didn’t believe she could handle being a queen. He decided to end their betrothal and had plans to go to Caisleán Cósta, a military academy.
Clia simply wanted to show the prince that she was and is capable of being queen and decided to attend Caisleán Cósta. She wanted to 1-prove she is capable and 2-win him back. Definitely “what like it’s hard” vibes !! 💅
Read to find out what else happens!

I was instantly hooked by the books synopsis and I knew I had to get my hands on it!
Legally Blonde is a fav of mine and it being mixed with fantasy, I just knew I would love this book!

I love the romance and I felt like it hit the slow burn trope for me and I was 100% here for it. The world building was also really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It was intense and very engaging!! I genuinely loved every second.

I’m really so lucky to have gotten this eARC🥹

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eARC!
This is my honest ARC review 🫶🏻

I love how you can see the legally blonde influences threaded throughout but Cait Jacobs definitely wove their own unique story!! I have been obsessed with this book on concept since I first heard of it and I was over the moon when I got the NetGalley e-arc to read. If you love romantasy, pink, inclusivity, and badass heroines then this needs to be on your list.

3.75✨

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I think this was an incredible debut by Cait Jacobs - especially for fans of fantasy, adventure and Legally Blonde! I regret to inform you I haven't seen the movie HOWEVER the bend and snap reference was still just as iconic (and I will now be watching Legally Blonde immediately)

One of my favorite things about The Princess Knight was how relatable both Clía & Ronan were for me. The chronic illness representation really hit home for me as a person who is learning how to deal with her own chronic illness, so many of my highlighted quotes/notes are about Ronan overdoing it and just *dealing* with the pain he has. I loved the neurodivergent representation with Clía's character, too! Her determination is truly admirable, we love a floor sitting queen!

Can we also talk about how talented Elithien is?! She did such a beautiful job bringing Clía & Ronan to life - this cover lives rent free in my head at all times.

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book - "It's okay to have limits. We all do. It's not a reflection of who you are. But when you keep pushing yourself, despite knowing you shouldn't, you're only hurting yourself and those who care about you."

2.5 ⭐️

I love Legally Blonde so I was hoping this fantasy retelling would be a fun and silly romp. Unfortunately, it didn't really work for me. The characters and their motivations felt largely surface-level to me, and I hard time becoming invested in the relationships and plot.

The first half of the book seemed to be more focused on being a Legally Blonde retelling than anything else, and the story suffered for it. The plot and character dynamics didn't flow naturally, because the story had to hit every single note from LB. By the time the story diverges to a unique plot, it relies on a reader's investment in the characters and their relationships that I just didn't feel.

The shallow motivations were my biggest frustration through this book. The story starts with Clía's sense of duty to marry Domhnall for the good of her country—but why this would actually be good for her country is never explained beyond vague references to appearances of power and respect and parental pressure. She repeatedly expressed a desire to take care of her people, but what that means beyond vague platitudes is never discussed. Then we have a military conflict with almost no motivation for the opposition except vague framing of them as invaders and warlords in search of magical religious relics. The plot takes some twists and turns, but those twists rely on character decisions that are never really explained at all.

This was a generally fun read, and there were some moments I was sucked in—but the story felt like it was going through the motions, and I felt like I was doing the same reading it.

The Princess Knight is seriously the best book I’ve read this year, and I’m already thinking about all my friends I want to buy a copy for.

The story hooked me right away. Clia starts out on this warrior journey to win a prince, but she ends up discovering that she’s so much more than that. Watching her grow into this unstoppable force was so engaging — and the pacing was perfect. Nothing ever dragged or made me want to skip ahead.

Clia’s such a relatable character. I think a lot of women can connect with her — she has moments where she doubts herself and wonders if she’s enough. But as she builds friendships and gets more support, she becomes so much more confident in her choices and her power.

I couldn’t stop grinning throughout this book. The romance between Clia and Ronan? Absolute fire. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved getting to see things from both Clia’s and Ronan’s points of view. Ronan was such a strong and swoon-worthy character — he really balanced out Clia’s journey.

Honestly, I loved everything about this book. It’s one of those that I think will be a classic for a lot of people. Now I’m just crossing my fingers there’s a sequel!

The Princess Knight is a medieval Legally Blonde retelling that is a really fun read!! I really enjoyed every time I was able to make a connection to Legally Blonde, and I found myself really invested in the characters by the end! I'd totally read a sequel and future books with these characters. Clia's journey throughout the book was paced well and felt realistic. The romance was also a gratifying slow burn that made sense. The plot overall was low stakes and didn't feel suspenseful for me. It feels more like a YA book. It was a little slow to get into, but I thought it picked up about halfway and I ended up really enjoying it!

Medievally Blonde was a killer title, and part of me is still mourning the loss of that brilliance, but I am also a huge fan of The Princess Knight and understand the change. The comparison to Legally Blonde had me immediately intrigued (as a certified Elle Woods enthusiast, I’ve been known to quote her), so when I heard about this book, I was convinced it was tailor made for me.

And in many ways, The Princess Knight should have been my perfect read. There’s so much here to admire: a queernormative world with nuanced chronic pain and autistic representation? Yes, yes, and yes! So needed and so perfect. I loved how those elements were thoughtfully woven into the narrative without feeling shoehorned in or overly explanatory and Cait Jacobs clearly cares deeply about this story and its message.

The worldbuilding was solid and imaginative, and I appreciated the Celtic myth inspired backdrop. Plus, the friendships (especially the female ones!) were a highlight. They were genuine, sweet, and occasionally surprising. Clía herself was also a bright spot. Her growth arc, from heartbroken princess to formidable warrior, was compelling, and I adored that she never sacrificed her femininity for strength. Sewing, sword fighting, and self discovery? Iconic combo.

But… now for what I did not like as much.

The biggest hurdle for me was the age mismatch. This is marketed as an adult fantasy (and the cover certainly suggests older characters), but the actual story reads more like upper YA. Ronan is nineteen. NINETEEN! Which would be fine—great, even—if that was what I was signing up for. But when you promise me Legally Blonde and deliver something more like Throne of Glass, you’ve set an expectation that the story just doesn’t quite meet. The characters, their behavior, the pacing, and the plot twists all felt a bit too young and predictable to fully deliver on the adult fantasy angle.

Romance wise, I loved the friends to lovers setup, but I needed more yearning, more tension, more chemistry than what I got. I was cheering for Clía and Ronan, but the romantic development felt undercooked. They had amazing friend chemistry, but the romantic spark just didn’t fully ignite for me. And as someone who rarely begs for more romance, that says something.

Lastly, the politics felt a little shallow. I typically live for a juicy subplot filled with court intrigue and strategic maneuvering, but that element never quite came to life in a satisfying way.

Overall, The Princess Knight is a heartfelt, unique, and promising debut that I think will resonate well with those who are okay with more of a YA fantasy who want inclusive rep, a fierce yet feminine FMC, and a lighter romantic adventure. For me, I didn’t love it, but I did really like it! But I truly hope it finds the right audience, because there’s real magic here and I know so many will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cait Jacobs, and Harper Voyager for the eARC of this book.

Forever “Medievally Blonde” in my heart, this book was SUCH a fun and quick read. It follows Clía, the princess who would go to any length to take care of her people, including going to a warrior academy to prove she can be a queen in a time of war and win back Prince Domhnall. There are lovable side characters, lots of scheming and plotting and some very quotable (swoon) moments from our MMC.
Special thanks to Cait for letting me spam them with reactions as I read hehe.