I am... quite disappointed. This book is promoted as "a high-stakes fantasy rom-com" but it's not what it really is. I expected a lot of magic in this book but they're underexplored. I thought this book is an epic fantasy but the romance overshadow it. The representative is almost nonexistent. The dynamics didn't really good either.

I wish we got a fair explanation about the witchcraft, all the 5 kinds of it, how they're work, what are their weakness, that sort of thing. But there's barely of it in this book. I was confused why healer can't heal themselves but enchanter can enchant themselves. And what about seer, did they get different possibilities of the future? Or how far ahead they can see? We never know. Banba and Shen's witchcrafts are too vague to understood.

There's also some inconsistencies, like Tor was always shadowing Ansel, he followed Ansel wherever he went, but later he mostly found in different places from the prince. If I have to choose, I love Rose's character more than Wren because I got a sense that she actually smart, but Willem manipulated her so bad so she didn't even know much about herself. Whereas Wren, she prepared all her life to go to Anadawn but she remained reckless and careless when the time came. Shen is also an interesting character. He reminds me of Nik Malikov from Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. And that's it.

One of this book's aspect that I like is this book has 2 PoVs, written by 2 author. So the characters and the way each of the main character think is very different, exactly like we're inside 2 different person's head. So that was quite a nice reading experience.

Overall, this book was entertaining, it was fun in some parts. I was eager to read it but when I finally finished, it just didn't live up to my expectation.

Thank you so much to Katie, Cat, and Electric Monkey for providing this ARC ❤

What first drew me to this book is that it kind of reminded me of a Barbie movie, a la Princess and the Pauper. Two sisters separated at birth, who grow up differently, and ultimately come together against an evil force for the greater good. I think this book has a good concept, and that it does a decent job at delivering it. I just personally didn’t love it. I liked it, that’s for sure, and I do think a lot of YA fantasy lovers will get a kick out of this one, but it never really felt new or fresh or all that exciting (although I am very intrigued by that cliffhanger). So, if you’re a YA fantasy lover, you might want to keep reading.

Like I said, the concept of this book is incredibly intriguing, and all of the general plot details were fun and pretty well-executed, on the surface. But they’re strung together at a pace that makes this 480-page book seem just a bit too long. There were so many gorgeous plot threads that could have been woven together.

Even further, I did like the characters, for the most part, though I am incredibly partial to Ansel (who absolutely deserved better). There were some significant times where I really enjoyed Rose and Wren’s perspectives, as well as their interactions with key characters throughout like Shen, Tor, and Thea. But I can’t help but feel that they fall flat so often, like driving force was only required for some portions of the story. Characters like Shen, Tor, and Thea ended up feeling particularly strong but in the cases of the former two, like occasionally they stopped being characters that were people with thoughts and feelings but instead plot devices. Like it’s all a bit half baked with so much potential for more.

Honestly, though both of the previously mentioned things had flaws, I still greatly enjoyed them. The thing that suffered for me the most was worldbuilding. I found myself thinking multiple times throughout this book that I could tell the authors were aware of the most popular fantasy media and might even have consumed it because you can see its influence throughout…and yet I don’t feel compelled. I’m not quite sure what the authors were trying to invoke but it ended up feeling like a more pleasant version of ACOTAR in terms of fashion and otherwise like the oldest tricks in the book for a fantasy landscape. I will say, I did actually really like the mythology behind the witches and the history of Eana that’s hinted at throughout the story, and I wish that would have been able to take more root in the overall story.

At the end of the day, I feel like this review makes it seem as if I didn’t enjoy TWIN CROWNS. In all honesty, there were several times that I found myself unable to put the book down, and I can’t say that I won’t be reading the next book in the series whenever it comes out. However, I think that while the concepts and some elements of this book are interesting, they didn’t immerse me the way I want a fantasy book to. But, like I said, if you’re a YA fantasy fan looking for a new series with some potential, I would recommend keeping your eye on TWIN CROWNS, and whatever may come after.

An intense, fast paced fantasy about twins separated at birth, Twin Crowns is a difficult book to put down! Rose has been raised as an orphan Princess, with no knowledge of her lost twin sister. But just before her coronation, her twin Wren kidnaps the Princess and takes her place to become Queen.

I absolutely loved this book - there is an incredible magic system, non stop action and characters that really jump off the page. Cannot wait for the sequel!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing. Both Rose and Wren had remarkably different POV’s while still being quite similar. I cannot wait for this book to reach the shelves!

I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings, and I've always loved twin swap stories. It's just something about a story where two people are taking on each other's shoes and getting a different perspective that really resonates with me. So when you combine those two things with witches and magic, it’s my perfect read!

Our main heroes is Princess Rose and her twin sister Wren, who unlike the princess was raised on a stormy beach by witches instead of in the palace. Rose has a soft heart with a will of steel, while Wren is goal oriented and sassy. I enjoyed following both sisters journeys, and didn’t prefer one story over the other (which isn’t usually the case for me). Both had their own personal strength and flaws, and created a great dynamic between them. The book also features wonderful friendships, as well as two swoon-worthy romances.

The story holds a surprising amount of depth to it. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very fun read and it did make me happy. But especially towards the end the story takes a more serious turn, and I ended up more on the edge of my seat in worry and anticipation than out of fun. It got me so much more emotional than I ever could have expected. However, with that said the story was highly enjoyable throughout. It had me hooked, read into the night to finish it in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down until I knew how everything ended. So this is, without a doubt, a new favoruite book for me!

Twin crowns is amazing. It is fast paced from the very beginning if you're not having an action scene, you're having romance, mystery, thriller, family drama.
I could not put this book down. Each character is vivid and real the landscape also comes alive the authors our humorous yet can tug at your heart strings.
You go on a journey of growth and wisdom with these two sisters a journey of finding each other but also learning about themselves.
What you have planned for your life may not be the best plan who you think you are may not be all there is.
I'm very excited for the second book to continue this adventure.

So it doesn’t say it. But this reminded me so much of Princess and the Pauper and that was my all time favourite Barbie movie when I was little. Except it was more like prim and proper princess switched with a brazen and daring one. Which was even more fun.

I adored the sisters and their challenges. Wren trying to be like her sister and Rose trying to brave the world outside the palace. They are both so courageous and great role models.

And I’m surprised I got this far without mentioning Tor at all. I couldn’t get enough of him. I’m a sucker for palace guards that are brooding but have a soft heart. I need more so I can keep drooling over him like his wolf does 🤤 Shen was cute too but Tor outshines him by far. (The prince, however, gets no mention because he was quite two dimensional but I get the impression that that was the point. I will ignore that little fault because I really really loved this book).

Go buy this book as soon as it comes out. In fact, go buy BOTH versions at Waterstones (not sponsored but wow those editions are as stunning as the proofs are)

Oh my god! I'm in love with everything, the characters, the world building, the magic system and all!?!? Will be posting a more detail review later ❤️ Thank you to the authors & publisher for the e-arc copy an exchange for a honest review ❤️

This series is going to be so popular! I raced through this appealing fantasy adventure/romance, pretty much ignoring my family until I'd finished it. There's some beautiful world-building and some unforgettable characters and I can't wait for the next installment- in fact that's my only hesitation in promoting it to readers because they are going to really hate me when they realise how long they will have to wait for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of Twin Crowns

Twin Crowns follows the story of Rose and Wren.
Princess Rose a Royal born living at the Palace destined to become Queen and Wren a witch living with her Grandmother destined to change things.
This story is great it has at all! Secret identities, kidnappings, witches and betrayals.
The other characters in Twin Crowns were great and I especially though Shen was good, he brought a lot to the table!
Tor was the most surprising character for me and I loved him. I would love to see more of him in book 2. I loved his relationship with Wren.
The narrative is switched between both Wren and Rose, though this gave great insight and adventure on both sides, I did feel a narrative from other characters would have built the story more. I would have loved to read from Shen's point of view - even Tor with his wolf would have been a great addition.
The writing and the world building was spot on and though I would peg this a a younger YA novel, there's no explicit wording and no spice - though there's a kissing scene it's very very tame. However this didn't deflect from the story and it was still a great, enjoyable read.

Firstly thank you to Catherine and Katherine for allowing me to read the E-ARC of Twin Crowns, I'm truly grateful.

To start off I can't recommend this novel enough. I loved it so much!
As an identical twin I was super happy when this novel was announced. I knew I had to read it. (I've got it on pre-order)
As the synopsis states;
A high-stakes fantasy rom-com about twin princesses separated at birth—one raised as the crown princess, and the other taken as an infant and raised to kidnap her sister, steal the crown, and avenge the parents' murders.
So I was eagerly pleased that the action starts from the first page and draws you into the world of Eana.
I loved the story telling and how each character is written. My favourite is Wren, I loved her ruggedness. I found myself wanting to read more and more about her.
I liked how each chapter went from Wren to Rose.
I would have liked a chapter with Shen and Tor's view.
I never expected any of the twists and my god the last few chapters.....I can't even! No spoilers here!
I can't wait for the next installment.

5⭐️- A thoroughly entertaining and fun fantasy rom com full of hijinks - I couldn’t put it down, or stop smiling!💖💙

Thank you to Netgalley, Farshore Books and the authors for the DRC! ✨
Slight Spoilers (RE Love Interests)

Firstly, I’ve been excited for this book for a while because it just looked like SO MUCH FUN and although I didn’t make it onto the ‘Twin Crowns Street Team’ I was lucky enough to get a DRC- it did not disappoint!!

I grew up watching Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper and this gave me the same vibes except make them:

💖Twins

💙Who are both *technically* princesses

💖But one of them, Wren, is a witch who was raised by their grandmother- and no one knows she exists😯

💙Wren does the old switcheroo-arranging for the kidnapping of her sister and pretending to be her so that she can be the one crowned as Queen instead of Rose

💖Hijinks ensue!

Honestly just thinking about it is bringing a smile to my face- this book was funny and enjoyable with a good pace that kept me reading until I'd devoured it in basically one go! It was just so much fun!

One thing I really liked was that it was easy to distinguish between the two narrative voices so you knew which sister was which (although there were some little quirks they had that were similar and a really nice touch that made me smile), and the chapters were fairly short which made it so easy to just keep on reading them.

Our two love interests, Shen Lo and Tor were just 😍😍😍 I SWOONED!! And I'm not even sure which one I liked the most. I loved the tension that built between them and their respective love interests- I could really feel them falling HARD for the girls!

One thing I didn’t realise was that this isn’t a standalone and I don’t know how I'm going to be able to wait for the second book- I need it now!!!

Anyway- what a way to start kick off my April reads… it’s going to be hard to beat!🌹🪶

This book is so dazzling!

Okay here is a small breakdown:

Characters:
Rose is such an interesting character, a 'sheltered' princess who has to learn and acknowledge that everything she was taught about her life is false, and that leadership of the country currently is harming it's citizens. She goes through a character arc where she learns more about herself, and learns to accept witches (who she was raised to fear and despise) and gains her own autonomy.

Wren, on the other hand, is Rose's identical twin sister who was raised outside of the castle by witches. She swaps places with Rose and must sneak around to accomplish her goals. I think the biggest part of her story, though it may not be as obvious, also has to do with her gaining autonomy and breaking free of her (somewhat verbally abusive) training/grandmother.

The love interests in this book are also so sweet. I kept swooning at all the situations and tropes!

I will also be claiming Elksie (the wolf) as mine. I'm staking my claim and placing dibs.


Plot:
I think the plot of this story is so intriguing. The exposition felt a little bit slow (because it was essentially two books/characters of exposition). But once you get past the introduction to characters/situation, the story goes so fast and feels like such a rollercoaster.


World Building:
The magic system of this world is not explained thoroughly, but the premise IS SO INTERESTING. I think the closest comparison is the different grisha. There are warrior witches, healers, enchanters, seers. I hope to see more types of witches in book 2 and I'm excited to explore the magic world more.

The court intrigue is also compelling! The mythology and lore of the different lands and countries feels so rich, without overburdening the reader with information. History, in this story, comes in tales and stories and it is so mesmerizing.


Miscellaneous:
Twin Crowns passes all my vibe checks: Strong women characters, who do not put other women down, compelling and non-problematic love interests and love stories. So, no red flags!

I'm so excited to see others' reactions to this book and so excited for book two! :)

What a fantastical read!! This story combines the vibes of Tangled and Princess and the Pauper together beautifully! You have a charming, daring Flynn Ryder love interest as well as a stoic and flirty guard that can’t help but fall in love with the betrothed princess! Needless to say there were many happy squeals with their encounters! Rarely do you get to read a dual POV of twins and this one was done perfectly! I loved reading about the vastly different personalities of these twins and seeing their adventures twist together! Having them witness a world so unlike what they were used to and getting to know their love interests was so amazing to read! I adored seeing Wren attempt to act like her sister and laughed so much at her endeavors! Their personalities were different yet I loved reading from each of their POVs. Switching between them was so fun and I couldn’t put it down! I especially loved the growth we see with Rose as she discovers the world of the witches and finding out her strengths as she’s been sheltered and lied to her whole life. I felt connected in her journey of finally getting to adventure away from her comfort zone of the palace and find excitement as she’s taken away from everything she knows. Full, spoiler review on Goodreads!