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The Courting of Bristol Keats #1
The Courting of Bristol Keats
From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance-- the first book in a duology.
After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet―and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm―the one he is from.
Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father―dead or alive.
After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet―and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm―the one he is from.
Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father―dead or alive.
553 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2024
1975 people are currently reading
87759 people want to read
About the author
Mary E. Pearson
48 books15.5k followersMary E. Pearson is the International and NYT bestselling and award-winning author of multiple novels including her adult debut novel, The Courting of Bristol Keats, about a woman from a small town who is unexpectedly plunged into a world of gods, fae, and monsters.
Her other books include The Remnant Chronicles—The Kiss of Deception, The Heart of Betrayal, and The Beauty of Darkness—and its spin-off duology Dance of Thieves and Vow of Thieves. Mary's awards and honors include the Golden Kite for fiction, ALA Best Books, NYPL Best Books, IRA Choice Books, YALSA Teens Top Ten, Arkansas and South Carolina Young Adult Book Awards, and her science-fiction novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, was an Andre Norton Award Finalist. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages world-wide.
As a child she loved reading about and living in fantasy worlds. They were a portal to possibility that provided both escape and power. These days she loves writing about those worlds for the same reasons. She totally believes in magic, because, as one of her characters once whispered to her, “What is magic, but what we don’t yet understand?”
When she is not creating dangerous fantasy worlds, she enjoys the relatively safe pleasures of travel, gardening, friends, and family. Visit Mary on Instagram @maryepearson for book news and updates.
Her other books include The Remnant Chronicles—The Kiss of Deception, The Heart of Betrayal, and The Beauty of Darkness—and its spin-off duology Dance of Thieves and Vow of Thieves. Mary's awards and honors include the Golden Kite for fiction, ALA Best Books, NYPL Best Books, IRA Choice Books, YALSA Teens Top Ten, Arkansas and South Carolina Young Adult Book Awards, and her science-fiction novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, was an Andre Norton Award Finalist. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages world-wide.
As a child she loved reading about and living in fantasy worlds. They were a portal to possibility that provided both escape and power. These days she loves writing about those worlds for the same reasons. She totally believes in magic, because, as one of her characters once whispered to her, “What is magic, but what we don’t yet understand?”
When she is not creating dangerous fantasy worlds, she enjoys the relatively safe pleasures of travel, gardening, friends, and family. Visit Mary on Instagram @maryepearson for book news and updates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,206 reviews
December 6, 2024
2 stars
What the actual heck was this. I liked it enough to finish reading it—hence the 2 stars and not a 1 star rating—but it was lowkey a mess.
The Courting of Bristol Yeats is a hotly anticipated romantic fantasy release that received a TON of hype this year. It has it all right there in the pitch: a beloved YA author writes an adult romantic portal fantasy involving hot fae, intriguing portal door magic, and an approachable female main character.
That flytrap of a pitch caught me, and caught me GOOD. I eat those kinds of stories UP.
It's been several weeks since I've read this novel, so let's ignore the stereotypical "here's what this book is about" portion of the review because listen, the blurb is right there in the book's description and the details are already fuzzing for me so we're better off getting right to the point.
I have no gentle way of saying this, so pardon my bluntness but... Was this novel edited or peer reviewed? Was it written on such a tight deadline that it didn't receive a logic pass?
I know, super harsh. But I'm sorry... this book honestly made such little sense that I questioned whether I was even reading the novel properly or not, or if it was a me problem. (Let's be honest, call me out if it's a me problem.)
It started out very strong. I liked Bristol, I enjoyed the story setup, and the logic flow from chapter to chapter made sense and felt like the dozens of novels in its type that I've read and loved before.
But then, we got into the main plot arc.
Without going into explicit spoilers, I can't really footnote these opinions properly, but in summary here's what kind of issues I had with this novel:
1. The "action" of this story happened almost exclusively off-page. As in, there WAS exciting, action-driven content happening in this world. But it seemed to happen in-between our chapters? And was almost always recapped via description and dialogue after the fact.
2. Because the majority of the action was off-page, this meant that 80% of this novel felt like filler / montage content that seemed to go nowhere and exist purely for the vibes. Bristol feeling things, Tyghan (the fae king love interest) feeling things, people talking about things, etc. It was a frustrating edging experience where I WANTED us to DO things and instead we lived in the micro-scenes of minutiae in between content.
3. The timeline of this novel... was not fact-checked. I'm not a detailed reader, this kind of thing usually doesn't even make my radar. But Bristol enters the faerie world and is essentially given a 3-month timeline, and that timeline is VERY important to the plot. But then we get recap moments that explain "days are passing" over and over and over again and the math... doesn't math. There aren't that many weeks inside of 3 months, no matter how you slice it (and there's no time-y stuff happening, this is a linear timeline). Some of the chapters illuminate that WEEKS are passing off page, and on the page it's many days passing... so much time flowing by without us actually experiencing much more than dialogue and internal musings, and again, it's all supposedly within a 3-month window? I'm calling B.S., it was so distracting that I found myself irritatedly tallying timelines while reading.
4. The love story had some logic-based issues. Mainly, that it was trying for a slow burn... and it was succeeding... but then a moment happens and WHAM BAM!!! All the sudden our well-done romantasy slow burn novel turned into the epitome of instalove and it honestly ruined the characterizations of both main characters in different ways. I truly, truly can't express how dramatic that shift was—and how QUICK it happened—on the page. Follow that shift with a kind of squicky/Oedipal flashback sequence right after it and it truly gave this novel a "Before the Incident" and "After the Incident" energy that I did not appreciate at all.
5. And then, beyond all of this, we also had more than 8 different POVs throughout this 500 page novel, but their inclusions to the story didn't enhance the narrative at all—it just muddied the already muddy waters. 80% of this novel was a relatively even split-POV between the two leads, Bristol and Tyghan. But then we continued to have these interjections of POVs that all felt like the same voice, but were dramatically different people, and all of them gave us more plot details that were told to us, not shown to us, in increasingly irritating ways that seemed like narrative cop-outs to action scenes that should have occurred with Bristol herself.
6. My last and final quibble, in this rant review to end all rant reviews, is the fact that ending of this fantasy novel is literally insane. The last 10% worked like many novels in this romantasy category. So many reveals! So many twists! Much drama! Angst! The need for an Intense Romantic Climax! And all that was fine, it was actually kind of interesting for me, which was a new feeling after 300 pages of confusing irritation. But then...the last 3 pages? Was actually unhinged and so out-of-pocket for both this novel's scenario AND for honestly any novel, ever. I can truly say that's not something I've ever considered to be "cliffhanger appropriate". I closed the novel and immediately said "wtf" over and over again, so take of that what you will. (Nothing against the WHAT of what happened, but the WHY and WHEN was insane.)
Anyways, if you made it this far, we're besties now because this is essentially a transcript of the phone call rant I made to my friends after finishing this. My recommendation is: try other novels instead unless you're really, REALLY interested in this story/author and the above issues don't bother you.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
What the actual heck was this. I liked it enough to finish reading it—hence the 2 stars and not a 1 star rating—but it was lowkey a mess.
The Courting of Bristol Yeats is a hotly anticipated romantic fantasy release that received a TON of hype this year. It has it all right there in the pitch: a beloved YA author writes an adult romantic portal fantasy involving hot fae, intriguing portal door magic, and an approachable female main character.
That flytrap of a pitch caught me, and caught me GOOD. I eat those kinds of stories UP.
It's been several weeks since I've read this novel, so let's ignore the stereotypical "here's what this book is about" portion of the review because listen, the blurb is right there in the book's description and the details are already fuzzing for me so we're better off getting right to the point.
I have no gentle way of saying this, so pardon my bluntness but... Was this novel edited or peer reviewed? Was it written on such a tight deadline that it didn't receive a logic pass?
I know, super harsh. But I'm sorry... this book honestly made such little sense that I questioned whether I was even reading the novel properly or not, or if it was a me problem. (Let's be honest, call me out if it's a me problem.)
It started out very strong. I liked Bristol, I enjoyed the story setup, and the logic flow from chapter to chapter made sense and felt like the dozens of novels in its type that I've read and loved before.
But then, we got into the main plot arc.
Without going into explicit spoilers, I can't really footnote these opinions properly, but in summary here's what kind of issues I had with this novel:
1. The "action" of this story happened almost exclusively off-page. As in, there WAS exciting, action-driven content happening in this world. But it seemed to happen in-between our chapters? And was almost always recapped via description and dialogue after the fact.
2. Because the majority of the action was off-page, this meant that 80% of this novel felt like filler / montage content that seemed to go nowhere and exist purely for the vibes. Bristol feeling things, Tyghan (the fae king love interest) feeling things, people talking about things, etc. It was a frustrating edging experience where I WANTED us to DO things and instead we lived in the micro-scenes of minutiae in between content.
3. The timeline of this novel... was not fact-checked. I'm not a detailed reader, this kind of thing usually doesn't even make my radar. But Bristol enters the faerie world and is essentially given a 3-month timeline, and that timeline is VERY important to the plot. But then we get recap moments that explain "days are passing" over and over and over again and the math... doesn't math. There aren't that many weeks inside of 3 months, no matter how you slice it (and there's no time-y stuff happening, this is a linear timeline). Some of the chapters illuminate that WEEKS are passing off page, and on the page it's many days passing... so much time flowing by without us actually experiencing much more than dialogue and internal musings, and again, it's all supposedly within a 3-month window? I'm calling B.S., it was so distracting that I found myself irritatedly tallying timelines while reading.
4. The love story had some logic-based issues. Mainly, that it was trying for a slow burn... and it was succeeding... but then a moment happens and WHAM BAM!!! All the sudden our well-done romantasy slow burn novel turned into the epitome of instalove and it honestly ruined the characterizations of both main characters in different ways. I truly, truly can't express how dramatic that shift was—and how QUICK it happened—on the page. Follow that shift with a kind of squicky/Oedipal flashback sequence right after it and it truly gave this novel a "Before the Incident" and "After the Incident" energy that I did not appreciate at all.
5. And then, beyond all of this, we also had more than 8 different POVs throughout this 500 page novel, but their inclusions to the story didn't enhance the narrative at all—it just muddied the already muddy waters. 80% of this novel was a relatively even split-POV between the two leads, Bristol and Tyghan. But then we continued to have these interjections of POVs that all felt like the same voice, but were dramatically different people, and all of them gave us more plot details that were told to us, not shown to us, in increasingly irritating ways that seemed like narrative cop-outs to action scenes that should have occurred with Bristol herself.
6. My last and final quibble, in this rant review to end all rant reviews, is the fact that ending of this fantasy novel is literally insane. The last 10% worked like many novels in this romantasy category. So many reveals! So many twists! Much drama! Angst! The need for an Intense Romantic Climax! And all that was fine, it was actually kind of interesting for me, which was a new feeling after 300 pages of confusing irritation. But then...the last 3 pages? Was actually unhinged and so out-of-pocket for both this novel's scenario AND for honestly any novel, ever. I can truly say that's not something I've ever considered to be "cliffhanger appropriate". I closed the novel and immediately said "wtf" over and over again, so take of that what you will. (Nothing against the WHAT of what happened, but the WHY and WHEN was insane.)
Anyways, if you made it this far, we're besties now because this is essentially a transcript of the phone call rant I made to my friends after finishing this. My recommendation is: try other novels instead unless you're really, REALLY interested in this story/author and the above issues don't bother you.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
October 28, 2025
A+ no notes. Send me book 2 immediately. I’m already having Mary E Pearson withdrawals.
November 6, 2024
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 3.25 Stars ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
We follow our FMC, Bristol. Her and her sisters live in the small town of Bowskeep. They have lost both of their parents, and are struggling, but trying their best in life. Trying to make ends meet by selling their father's artwork and working minimum wage jobs.
A mysterious aunt surfaces out of the blue and the news of her father being alive sets Bristol on a new path that’s quite literally out of her world. Bristol starts receiving mysterious letters from an aunt that she’s never heard of before.
Against her better judgment, Bristol goes to meet with the aunt and soon discovers that significant parts of her life have been a lie, and her father may not even be dead. Bristol travels to a magical land, full of danger, fae, and monsters, and things get even more mysterious.
I've gotta be really honest - the audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley really gave me the nudge a few times which really helped get me through the book. She delivers great voice and pitch changes, with fun accents thrown in, that make the story pleasing to the ear.
This would have taken me much longer to get through if I didn't have the audio to pull me through. It's not that it was boring, but there were some areas that felt drawn out and I found myself not staying as engaged.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ While there's really nothing new that an avid fantasy reader will find in this story - it's comforting and enjoyable. I love a good portal fantasy featuring a human girl tossed into a magical fae land.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The writing and the world building are excellent - I think this is a very solid start to a new series.
This book is full of secrets and betrayal and fae and gods and shifters. It's got hidden identities and enemies to lovers that try so hard not to fall for each other.
It's a romantic fantasy, but it's also epic fantasy. Its full of magic and whimsy and it's got a morally gray shadow daddy who likes to make himself invisible and sneak around with our best girl.
I do recommend this to readers who are looking for a fantasy romance that isn't over the top with spice or romance since it's a subplot and a world that is easy to keep up with.
Expected Release Date - 11/12/24
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Adult Fantasy
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Reluctant Allies
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Enemies to Lovers
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Morally grey MMC
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Slow Burn
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Forbidden Romance
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Royal Court Intrigue
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Past Betrayals
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Found Family
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ He Falls First
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Hidden Magic
🌟 Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio (ILY 🤗) for the advanced audio copy- all thoughts and opinions are my own. 🌟
We follow our FMC, Bristol. Her and her sisters live in the small town of Bowskeep. They have lost both of their parents, and are struggling, but trying their best in life. Trying to make ends meet by selling their father's artwork and working minimum wage jobs.
A mysterious aunt surfaces out of the blue and the news of her father being alive sets Bristol on a new path that’s quite literally out of her world. Bristol starts receiving mysterious letters from an aunt that she’s never heard of before.
Against her better judgment, Bristol goes to meet with the aunt and soon discovers that significant parts of her life have been a lie, and her father may not even be dead. Bristol travels to a magical land, full of danger, fae, and monsters, and things get even more mysterious.
I've gotta be really honest - the audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley really gave me the nudge a few times which really helped get me through the book. She delivers great voice and pitch changes, with fun accents thrown in, that make the story pleasing to the ear.
This would have taken me much longer to get through if I didn't have the audio to pull me through. It's not that it was boring, but there were some areas that felt drawn out and I found myself not staying as engaged.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ While there's really nothing new that an avid fantasy reader will find in this story - it's comforting and enjoyable. I love a good portal fantasy featuring a human girl tossed into a magical fae land.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The writing and the world building are excellent - I think this is a very solid start to a new series.
This book is full of secrets and betrayal and fae and gods and shifters. It's got hidden identities and enemies to lovers that try so hard not to fall for each other.
It's a romantic fantasy, but it's also epic fantasy. Its full of magic and whimsy and it's got a morally gray shadow daddy who likes to make himself invisible and sneak around with our best girl.
I do recommend this to readers who are looking for a fantasy romance that isn't over the top with spice or romance since it's a subplot and a world that is easy to keep up with.
Expected Release Date - 11/12/24
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Adult Fantasy
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Reluctant Allies
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Enemies to Lovers
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Morally grey MMC
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Slow Burn
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Forbidden Romance
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Royal Court Intrigue
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Past Betrayals
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Found Family
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ He Falls First
╰⪼ˎˊ˗ Hidden Magic
🌟 Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio (ILY 🤗) for the advanced audio copy- all thoughts and opinions are my own. 🌟
January 20, 2025
✩ 3.25 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ He Falls First
➼ Family Secrets
➼ Reluctant Allies
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Fae Royalty
➼ Found Family
➼ Sisterhood
➼ Hidden Powers
➼ Fae Bargain
➼ Portal Magic
➼ Third Person POV
I adore this author and I really wanted this to be a five star read, but I was sadly underwhelmed. The storyline felt similar to so many other fae books and unfortunately there was nothing about this story that made it really stand out for me.
The book started out pretty strong. The FMC seemed likable and her reasoning for accepting the mission offered to her felt both logical and believable. I liked that she negotiated and kept her head rather than jumping into a Fae bargain without thought. It was somewhat implied that she didn’t have a choice once she accepted the painting, but she made the most of her situation which earned her points in my book. Unfortunately once she made it to faerie, things started to go downhill.
Initially there was a bit of a reluctant allies/enemies-to-lovers vibe, but from there I felt that their relationship developed too quickly. There is a portion of the book where the MC’s share secret dances together and I’m gonna be honest that just didn’t do anything for me. Perhaps others will find these rendezvous more romantic, but it felt like the author gave us tiny crumbs of romance and then all of the sudden they were making grand declarations of love to each other. I went back a few times thinking that I had missed something, but sadly that wasn’t the case.
I don’t enjoy the miscommunication trope, but characters deliberately withholding information is worse by far. So much of this plot hinges on key people in the FMC’s life withholding important information from her and when it was revealed that the MMC was doing the same, it put a very sour taste in my mouth. All of them felt that their reasons for doing so were valid, but she is an adult and should be allowed to make informed decisions. If I were her, I think I’d cut my losses and go back to my sisters and forget the rest of them. Since I’m sure the MMC is likely end game for her, it’s very unfortunate that this is how I currently feel about him.
If the next book is a similar length to this one, I’m really not sure if I will continue. I’m genuinely so sad I don’t have anything more positive to share about this one. I would still recommend this authors work, but maybe skip this one. ☹️
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: The ratings are scaring me, but I love this author! Eight more books by the end of the year is feeling like a very lofty goal! This is a long one so it might slow me down! 😬
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Already preordered this. Why is November so far away?! The sprayed edges on the special edition are beautiful! 😍
What to Expect:
➼ He Falls First
➼ Family Secrets
➼ Reluctant Allies
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Fae Royalty
➼ Found Family
➼ Sisterhood
➼ Hidden Powers
➼ Fae Bargain
➼ Portal Magic
➼ Third Person POV
I adore this author and I really wanted this to be a five star read, but I was sadly underwhelmed. The storyline felt similar to so many other fae books and unfortunately there was nothing about this story that made it really stand out for me.
The book started out pretty strong. The FMC seemed likable and her reasoning for accepting the mission offered to her felt both logical and believable. I liked that she negotiated and kept her head rather than jumping into a Fae bargain without thought. It was somewhat implied that she didn’t have a choice once she accepted the painting, but she made the most of her situation which earned her points in my book. Unfortunately once she made it to faerie, things started to go downhill.
Initially there was a bit of a reluctant allies/enemies-to-lovers vibe, but from there I felt that their relationship developed too quickly. There is a portion of the book where the MC’s share secret dances together and I’m gonna be honest that just didn’t do anything for me. Perhaps others will find these rendezvous more romantic, but it felt like the author gave us tiny crumbs of romance and then all of the sudden they were making grand declarations of love to each other. I went back a few times thinking that I had missed something, but sadly that wasn’t the case.
I don’t enjoy the miscommunication trope, but characters deliberately withholding information is worse by far. So much of this plot hinges on key people in the FMC’s life withholding important information from her and when it was revealed that the MMC was doing the same, it put a very sour taste in my mouth. All of them felt that their reasons for doing so were valid, but she is an adult and should be allowed to make informed decisions. If I were her, I think I’d cut my losses and go back to my sisters and forget the rest of them. Since I’m sure the MMC is likely end game for her, it’s very unfortunate that this is how I currently feel about him.
If the next book is a similar length to this one, I’m really not sure if I will continue. I’m genuinely so sad I don’t have anything more positive to share about this one. I would still recommend this authors work, but maybe skip this one. ☹️
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: The ratings are scaring me, but I love this author! Eight more books by the end of the year is feeling like a very lofty goal! This is a long one so it might slow me down! 😬
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Already preordered this. Why is November so far away?! The sprayed edges on the special edition are beautiful! 😍
January 6, 2025
thank you netgalley for the arc!
this story follows our main character, bristol. she lives in small town with her family trying to make ends meet along with her sisters. she one day gets some mysterious letters from an "aunt" and goes on to say her father may be alive. bristol makes a bargain with a fae king, and is desperate to find her answers.
i received an audio arc of this novel, and this is probably the only reason i was able to finish it. the story is not bad, but it was not really that special to me. the audio is over 18 hours, and i think that was one of the few reasons it dragged for me. while it is a romantasy, there is also a lot of world building and plot. i most likely will not continue with the series, but i would check it out if you are looking for a fun & easy time.
this story follows our main character, bristol. she lives in small town with her family trying to make ends meet along with her sisters. she one day gets some mysterious letters from an "aunt" and goes on to say her father may be alive. bristol makes a bargain with a fae king, and is desperate to find her answers.
i received an audio arc of this novel, and this is probably the only reason i was able to finish it. the story is not bad, but it was not really that special to me. the audio is over 18 hours, and i think that was one of the few reasons it dragged for me. while it is a romantasy, there is also a lot of world building and plot. i most likely will not continue with the series, but i would check it out if you are looking for a fun & easy time.
Want to read
April 19, 2024Mary. E Pearson?
An adult duology?
Following gods, fae and monsters?
Well, SIGN ME UP!
An adult duology?
Following gods, fae and monsters?
Well, SIGN ME UP!
July 7, 2024
well that’s a different cliffhanger than I’m used to
dnf
January 13, 2025so sad but this was a DNF for me :/
___________
a world of gods, fae, and monsters???? UM SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY i will read anything this woman writes🥹
___________
a world of gods, fae, and monsters???? UM SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY i will read anything this woman writes🥹
January 19, 2025
I’m upset.
This audiobook clocks in at just under eighteen hours, every one was a waste. I’m shocked the author of the Dance of Thieves duology, the pinnacle of political intrigue and slow-burn in YA, wrote this cookie-cutter, stereotypical fae romantasy garbage.
The book was promising at first. Bristol Keats seems logical and level-headed, going to the fae world only to protect her family (the joys of having a protagonist over twenty). She drives a good bargain: in exchange for finding a magical door the fae king Tyghan needs, he will help her find her father, who’s trapped somewhere in the dangerous fae world.
This is the plot I thought we were following, but it quickly derailed into a bundle of withheld information, miscommunication, insta-love, and sixteen hours of filler scenes. By the end of the book, the original goals set out aren’t even close to being met! There’s so much urgency expressed in the beginning, yet most of the book is characters lollygagging and discussing how important their mission is without attempting to complete it.
I wasn’t convinced for even two seconds that Bristol and Tyghan were a good match. Their chemistry was so underwhelming. At first, I assumed Pearson was playing the long game, setting out to build a slow-burn and yearning-filled story. Yet the catalytic interaction of the relationship is so laughably stupid. Invisible dances where neither of them talks? Where is the romance? Apparently, this is enough for both of them to fall head over heels in love.
The sheer amount of filler pages is due to how much Tyghan is keeping from Bristol. There could have been a solid story if he had sat down and had an adult conversation with her, revealing the truth and how much he knew (that’s all spoilers). It would have given the MCs the tension they needed to build a believable romance and the plot the blurb promises would have happened. But since he refuses to tell her anything, the characters rotate going to balls and saying cryptic things to Bristol instead of being honest.
Definitely will not be reading the second book. Yes, this book couldn’t even do me the courtesy of being a stand-alone.
My spoiler summary of the book:
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
---
i’m going to vomit it’s on netgalley. dance of thieves is one of my most reccomended YA duologies
This audiobook clocks in at just under eighteen hours, every one was a waste. I’m shocked the author of the Dance of Thieves duology, the pinnacle of political intrigue and slow-burn in YA, wrote this cookie-cutter, stereotypical fae romantasy garbage.
The book was promising at first. Bristol Keats seems logical and level-headed, going to the fae world only to protect her family (the joys of having a protagonist over twenty). She drives a good bargain: in exchange for finding a magical door the fae king Tyghan needs, he will help her find her father, who’s trapped somewhere in the dangerous fae world.
This is the plot I thought we were following, but it quickly derailed into a bundle of withheld information, miscommunication, insta-love, and sixteen hours of filler scenes. By the end of the book, the original goals set out aren’t even close to being met! There’s so much urgency expressed in the beginning, yet most of the book is characters lollygagging and discussing how important their mission is without attempting to complete it.
I wasn’t convinced for even two seconds that Bristol and Tyghan were a good match. Their chemistry was so underwhelming. At first, I assumed Pearson was playing the long game, setting out to build a slow-burn and yearning-filled story. Yet the catalytic interaction of the relationship is so laughably stupid. Invisible dances where neither of them talks? Where is the romance? Apparently, this is enough for both of them to fall head over heels in love.
The sheer amount of filler pages is due to how much Tyghan is keeping from Bristol. There could have been a solid story if he had sat down and had an adult conversation with her, revealing the truth and how much he knew (that’s all spoilers). It would have given the MCs the tension they needed to build a believable romance and the plot the blurb promises would have happened. But since he refuses to tell her anything, the characters rotate going to balls and saying cryptic things to Bristol instead of being honest.
Definitely will not be reading the second book. Yes, this book couldn’t even do me the courtesy of being a stand-alone.
My spoiler summary of the book:
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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i’m going to vomit it’s on netgalley. dance of thieves is one of my most reccomended YA duologies
November 22, 2024
ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ⭐️⭐️⭐️-3.5
Oh, this book was like a dagger to the heart, twisted deep as it pains me to say that this book did not completely win me over. This is coming from someone who absolutely adore the dance of thieves duology and literally puts that series high on my list of favourite reads as it had the absolute best banter, great world building and political intrigue and the knife to the throat scene still lives rent free on my brain. So, you can imagine my excitement and.…well… my slight letdown here...
Let’s start with what I loved about this book. I enjoyed the MFC Bristol, her personality was great, it was refreshing to read a brave and intelligent MFC who actually makes smart and solid choices in a romantasy novel! And the side characters? Tyghan and Eris made a great addition to the story. The premise and worldbuilding was solid for me.
Unfortunately, the plot didn’t bring much new to the table. It felt like something I’ve read in one of the many romantasy fae novels, I wanted something more that set it apart from the others. I kept hoping for something unique to make it stand out, and the repetitiveness got to me. Also, the story started strong but slowed down a lot around the halfway mark, leaving me fighting to stay engaged.
As a self-confessed slow-burn girlie, this one moved way too fast for my taste. There’s a decent amount of open-door spice, but those scenes felt forced, like they were added just to add spice. Where was the tension? The buildup? I craved more longing and less… instant chemistry.
Overall, I enjoyed the book despite a few hiccups and I'm curious to see how the story develops in the next one. But that ending was so random and mid-scene?! Was that a mistake in my arc copy, or was it intentional? Someone with a finished copy, please let me know!
I am a weak soul when it comes to pretty books, and the final copy of this book is stunning. I’m definitely excited for a certain monthly book subscription that rhymes with boot to arrive next month! 👀👀
Thank you so much at Flatiron Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Oh, this book was like a dagger to the heart, twisted deep as it pains me to say that this book did not completely win me over. This is coming from someone who absolutely adore the dance of thieves duology and literally puts that series high on my list of favourite reads as it had the absolute best banter, great world building and political intrigue and the knife to the throat scene still lives rent free on my brain. So, you can imagine my excitement and.…well… my slight letdown here...
Let’s start with what I loved about this book. I enjoyed the MFC Bristol, her personality was great, it was refreshing to read a brave and intelligent MFC who actually makes smart and solid choices in a romantasy novel! And the side characters? Tyghan and Eris made a great addition to the story. The premise and worldbuilding was solid for me.
Unfortunately, the plot didn’t bring much new to the table. It felt like something I’ve read in one of the many romantasy fae novels, I wanted something more that set it apart from the others. I kept hoping for something unique to make it stand out, and the repetitiveness got to me. Also, the story started strong but slowed down a lot around the halfway mark, leaving me fighting to stay engaged.
As a self-confessed slow-burn girlie, this one moved way too fast for my taste. There’s a decent amount of open-door spice, but those scenes felt forced, like they were added just to add spice. Where was the tension? The buildup? I craved more longing and less… instant chemistry.
Overall, I enjoyed the book despite a few hiccups and I'm curious to see how the story develops in the next one. But that ending was so random and mid-scene?! Was that a mistake in my arc copy, or was it intentional? Someone with a finished copy, please let me know!
I am a weak soul when it comes to pretty books, and the final copy of this book is stunning. I’m definitely excited for a certain monthly book subscription that rhymes with boot to arrive next month! 👀👀
Thank you so much at Flatiron Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
April 9, 2025
Pros: easy fae romance that feels familiar
Cons: the couple’s first sex scene is quickly followed by a chapter detailing her parents’ first bang 🫠
Overall, this was very fine.
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Cons: the couple’s first sex scene is quickly followed by a chapter detailing her parents’ first bang 🫠
Overall, this was very fine.
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December 7, 2025
Look, at this point I just want a Romantasy that does not feel like it was written by a soulless machine regurgitating the past 15 tiktok viral ones.
edit: I didn't like this
edit: I didn't like this
did-not-finish
October 24, 2024˖ ࣪ ⟡˚ DNF @ 36% ˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⤷ 24/10/2024 ⋆ˎˊ˗
i feel so bad, as i feel it’s wrong to DNF ARC’s, but i genuinely could not continue. i was so incredibly confused the whole time.
i feel like the world and the characters were not developed properly or even described because i got to around 30% and i still had no idea what the characters looked like or how the world worked.
on top of that, the pacing was extremely slow and i didn’t feel connected to any of the characters.
i’m genuinely so sad because i was so excited for this and thought i was gonna love it :(
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this digital ARC.
⤷ 24/10/2024 ⋆ˎˊ˗
i feel so bad, as i feel it’s wrong to DNF ARC’s, but i genuinely could not continue. i was so incredibly confused the whole time.
i feel like the world and the characters were not developed properly or even described because i got to around 30% and i still had no idea what the characters looked like or how the world worked.
on top of that, the pacing was extremely slow and i didn’t feel connected to any of the characters.
i’m genuinely so sad because i was so excited for this and thought i was gonna love it :(
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this digital ARC.
December 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ (maybe??)
ummm okay i honestly don’t know what i think about it yet. some parts were solid, and then they’d lose me- rinse repeat the ENTIRE book.
it feels completely different from her first trilogy and dance of thieves. as an adult debut, adding curse words and the tiniest of open door scenes doesn’t necessarily make it more mature in the grand scheme of things.
i did like bristol, but no one feels fleshed out! these are fantasy caricatures so like, of course there were tropes to eat up and cookie cutter storytelling which honestly people might love when this comes out. its not getting 3 1/2 stars from me for nothing, but it also didn’t bring anything new to the table.
the saving grace was *almost* the romance until the insta love 😫 the slow burn was slow burning and then the candle melted immediately…i still LIKE them but the set up was perfectly perfect and i don’t like the way it was handled after they got together :/
this feels SO mean and unnecessarily negative but i did like it!!!! it’s the first out of 10 books i finally didn’t put down and read it in two solid sittings, which is LOADS better than what i’ve been reading recently!
ummm okay i honestly don’t know what i think about it yet. some parts were solid, and then they’d lose me- rinse repeat the ENTIRE book.
it feels completely different from her first trilogy and dance of thieves. as an adult debut, adding curse words and the tiniest of open door scenes doesn’t necessarily make it more mature in the grand scheme of things.
i did like bristol, but no one feels fleshed out! these are fantasy caricatures so like, of course there were tropes to eat up and cookie cutter storytelling which honestly people might love when this comes out. its not getting 3 1/2 stars from me for nothing, but it also didn’t bring anything new to the table.
the saving grace was *almost* the romance until the insta love 😫 the slow burn was slow burning and then the candle melted immediately…i still LIKE them but the set up was perfectly perfect and i don’t like the way it was handled after they got together :/
this feels SO mean and unnecessarily negative but i did like it!!!! it’s the first out of 10 books i finally didn’t put down and read it in two solid sittings, which is LOADS better than what i’ve been reading recently!
December 8, 2024
I took me a minute to get into this, but I should have known better than to doubt the writing prowess of thee Mary E Pearson. I really enjoyed this story, and thought it was told in the perfect way. I loved reading all the different points of view, and the pacing of the plot and twist reveals was perfect. And of course, the romance was beautiful. If you're a fan of the Folk of the Air series, you'll definitely enjoy this book. It has a similar set up of a woman from the modern world being whisked away into the alluring, yet dangerous world of Elfhame. I cannot wait for book 2!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!
October 6, 2024
The Cruel Prince quest version.
Bristol is recruited to find a door, a deal struck with fae King Tyghan, Lord of Monsters, to journey to Elphame to train and help his own mission in exchange for money for her sisters back home and to also search for her own father who she thought dead.
We basically have two traumatised characters - Bristol has lost both her parents and has spent her life running and rootless because of her parent’s secrets, afraid to get attached and then lose it all.
Tyghan has been betrayed by his best friend and lost a brother. He cannot bring himself to trust anyone.
It is easy to see how this will go. Late night conversations. Sharing hidden depths and emotions. Cold and cruel, but secretly gentle and kind. Day and night.
Though Harper is rather defenseless when it comes to a good book. They've given her a deep-seated belief in happy endings.
I did love the touching relationship between the three sisters, built through a fleeting beginning in the human world and stories and emotions relayed lovingly by Bristol. Again, this gave major The Cruel Prince vibes.
What I wasn’t a fan of:
There was random changing perspectives of characters which were not always clear, sometimes making it clunky and more confusing to follow than it needed to be.
This is very similar to all the other fae books out there, but Pearson’s descriptions keep it feeling fresh and not redundant in the Faerieland archive.
I am torn between a three and a rounded up to four star rating. The ending definitely took some enjoyment out for me. There was no resolution, no closing to the arc. It literally ended in the middle of a bedroom scene from the perspective of a side character.
Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing an arc in exchange for a review.
Bookstagram
Bristol is recruited to find a door, a deal struck with fae King Tyghan, Lord of Monsters, to journey to Elphame to train and help his own mission in exchange for money for her sisters back home and to also search for her own father who she thought dead.
We basically have two traumatised characters - Bristol has lost both her parents and has spent her life running and rootless because of her parent’s secrets, afraid to get attached and then lose it all.
Tyghan has been betrayed by his best friend and lost a brother. He cannot bring himself to trust anyone.
It is easy to see how this will go. Late night conversations. Sharing hidden depths and emotions. Cold and cruel, but secretly gentle and kind. Day and night.
Though Harper is rather defenseless when it comes to a good book. They've given her a deep-seated belief in happy endings.
I did love the touching relationship between the three sisters, built through a fleeting beginning in the human world and stories and emotions relayed lovingly by Bristol. Again, this gave major The Cruel Prince vibes.
What I wasn’t a fan of:
There was random changing perspectives of characters which were not always clear, sometimes making it clunky and more confusing to follow than it needed to be.
This is very similar to all the other fae books out there, but Pearson’s descriptions keep it feeling fresh and not redundant in the Faerieland archive.
I am torn between a three and a rounded up to four star rating. The ending definitely took some enjoyment out for me. There was no resolution, no closing to the arc. It literally ended in the middle of a bedroom scene from the perspective of a side character.
Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing an arc in exchange for a review.
Bookstagram
October 11, 2025
Frustrating doesn’t even begin to describe my thoughts on this. At times it’s brilliant, at other times it’s boring beyond belief. Most importantly it DOES NOT END!!! The main plot objection/point does not resolve in this book. I read over 500 pages constantly talking of leading up to a moment that isn’t even in this book! How annoying…
Ugh I’m so annoyed I can’t even write a coherent review!
Ugh I’m so annoyed I can’t even write a coherent review!
November 26, 2024
1/5 stars
This was a fucking absolute shit show. And frankly I’m too fed up to go into more detail than that.
What in the fuck is going on with fantasy this year?? I swear every single book I’ve picked up has been absolute and utter trash.
This was a fucking absolute shit show. And frankly I’m too fed up to go into more detail than that.
What in the fuck is going on with fantasy this year?? I swear every single book I’ve picked up has been absolute and utter trash.
December 3, 2024
Bardzo spoko romantasy. Czekam na 2 tom
November 14, 2024
As a huge fan of Dance of Thieves and the Remnant Chronicles, I was super excited that the author was releasing another book. However, it turned out to be a rather disappointing read for me.
The FMC Bristol was fine. I found her to be annoying for the most part which made it hard to really root for her. I didn’t trust her parents from the start just based on the other POVs we got. And so, in my eyes, Bristol came off as rather naive because she believed her parents could do no wrong. For an adult fantasy, Bristol could come off as rather childish too. The author’s female leads in her young adult books were probably more mature than Bristol. I can’t count the amount of times she would randomly throw at tantrum and act all high and mighty.
Tyghan was the typical broody MMC. I liked him, but I was uncomfortable with how much he manipulated and lied (by omission) to Bristol. He kept so much from her that it made it hard for me to really root for him either.
As for the romance, it started off great and I thought it was going to be a slow burn. However, at about the 40% mark, they just all of a sudden feel a connection and attraction towards each other. It made the romance too insta-lovey for me. Like where did all these feelings come from??
The plot had some interesting ideas. I enjoyed the training sessions and magic lessons, but we didn’t get enough of it imo. The pacing was also very slow and I was tempted to DNF at time because of how bored I was.
All in all, this was a complete miss for me and I don’t think I’m even invested enough in the characters or the story to want to read the sequel.
The FMC Bristol was fine. I found her to be annoying for the most part which made it hard to really root for her. I didn’t trust her parents from the start just based on the other POVs we got. And so, in my eyes, Bristol came off as rather naive because she believed her parents could do no wrong. For an adult fantasy, Bristol could come off as rather childish too. The author’s female leads in her young adult books were probably more mature than Bristol. I can’t count the amount of times she would randomly throw at tantrum and act all high and mighty.
Tyghan was the typical broody MMC. I liked him, but I was uncomfortable with how much he manipulated and lied (by omission) to Bristol. He kept so much from her that it made it hard for me to really root for him either.
As for the romance, it started off great and I thought it was going to be a slow burn. However, at about the 40% mark, they just all of a sudden feel a connection and attraction towards each other. It made the romance too insta-lovey for me. Like where did all these feelings come from??
The plot had some interesting ideas. I enjoyed the training sessions and magic lessons, but we didn’t get enough of it imo. The pacing was also very slow and I was tempted to DNF at time because of how bored I was.
All in all, this was a complete miss for me and I don’t think I’m even invested enough in the characters or the story to want to read the sequel.
October 24, 2024
Cruel Prince lovers unite!!!
We’re so back - dark fae machinations + an enemies to lovers sitch?? Sign me UP.
This book is perfectly paced - I haven’t felt this on the edge of my seat in a looooong time.
You’re gonna want to read this ASAP!!!!
That ending?? Wow
We’re so back - dark fae machinations + an enemies to lovers sitch?? Sign me UP.
This book is perfectly paced - I haven’t felt this on the edge of my seat in a looooong time.
You’re gonna want to read this ASAP!!!!
That ending?? Wow
January 4, 2025
I don't understand how, given her experience and her reputation in the genre, Pearson managed to write a book that feels so unedited, poorly planned, and all over the place. The pacing is meandering, and while there is supposedly an overarching goal that drives our characters' actions, the stakes felt incredibly low, which should not have been the case, given the time limit that our main character had and everything that was at stake. The novel centred around characters that felt familiar and not well fleshed out at all and a romantic relationship that went from 0 to a 100 super fast with no believability. There is obviously nothing wrong with a tropey story and I myself really enjoy one from time to time but there is a limit to how clichéd a novel can be without a particularly stellar execution of any of its elements. Overall, this novel felt forgetful and lacklustre
April 25, 2025
if we called this the villain origin story of Bristol Keats ngl I would agree and support her
November 25, 2024
OML A NEW MARY E. PEARSON NOVEL!?!?! 😍 Be. Still. My. FREAKING. Heart! Her Dance of Thieves duology is one of my reading GRAILS—It gets me through every book hangover, reading rut, & through life’s troubles like bad mh days because it’s a DAMN good, underrated, hidden gem, & one HELL of a YA Romantasy!
[Also, to get a little more personal for just a sec… I need to give Ms. Pearson credit where credit is due, because that series of hers can always get me through awful anxiety attacks— Listening to the audiobook truly helps me break through like fetal position level anxiety… but please remember everyone is different so what works for me, may not work for you!].
A wonderful example of a “classic YA” feel writer, which… uhmmmmm…LOVE? I can’t wait to dive into what she’s created now! Here I go, magic me some luck, because the GR rating is below 4.0 & my hopes are still HIGH AF (her prose reads nothing short of magical, fyi, & im shameless about it, so lmao, the more you know 😉—so I’m hoping advance readers of this one are just plain wrong lol ugh I totally NEEEEED THIS to be amazing)! 😅😌🫠
[Also, to get a little more personal for just a sec… I need to give Ms. Pearson credit where credit is due, because that series of hers can always get me through awful anxiety attacks— Listening to the audiobook truly helps me break through like fetal position level anxiety… but please remember everyone is different so what works for me, may not work for you!].
A wonderful example of a “classic YA” feel writer, which… uhmmmmm…LOVE? I can’t wait to dive into what she’s created now! Here I go, magic me some luck, because the GR rating is below 4.0 & my hopes are still HIGH AF (her prose reads nothing short of magical, fyi, & im shameless about it, so lmao, the more you know 😉—so I’m hoping advance readers of this one are just plain wrong lol ugh I totally NEEEEED THIS to be amazing)! 😅😌🫠
November 29, 2024
…. that ending was.. a choice.
maybe i’m just being cynical but i genuinely wanted to love this and it just completely fell flat for me. i won’t be holding my breath for the next one. 😬
i did really like the world building and the magic elements. the history of the mortal land and elphame was interesting. i just wish these characters could get out of their own way and realize that they all have a common enemy? i don’t know. i give it a strong 3 stars.
maybe i’m just being cynical but i genuinely wanted to love this and it just completely fell flat for me. i won’t be holding my breath for the next one. 😬
i did really like the world building and the magic elements. the history of the mortal land and elphame was interesting. i just wish these characters could get out of their own way and realize that they all have a common enemy? i don’t know. i give it a strong 3 stars.
January 13, 2025
2.75✨
I wish this story was centred on the sisters. The beginning was so good🥲
I was enthralled by this story when I started it. I thought it was going to be my next 5✨ read until things just stopped making sense. And there were many, many plotholes.
Sometimes I can overlook plotholes… especially if they’re minors. But this story was so unoriginal.
I also found some INTENSE similarities with some of my favourite books and some books I didn’t like.
So much telling and no actions at all.
I also couldn’t like any of the characters.
There’s one thing I really really hate in Fantasy now and it’s when they keep the main character in the dark about everything and things just blow up at the end… it’s just overused and cannot be used as a plot.
I wish this story was centred on the sisters. The beginning was so good🥲
I was enthralled by this story when I started it. I thought it was going to be my next 5✨ read until things just stopped making sense. And there were many, many plotholes.
Sometimes I can overlook plotholes… especially if they’re minors. But this story was so unoriginal.
I also found some INTENSE similarities with some of my favourite books and some books I didn’t like.
So much telling and no actions at all.
I also couldn’t like any of the characters.
There’s one thing I really really hate in Fantasy now and it’s when they keep the main character in the dark about everything and things just blow up at the end… it’s just overused and cannot be used as a plot.
December 21, 2024
Stylistically, this has been one of my favorite reads this year. Written in beautifully sculpted prose, the writing exudes balance. It's imagistic, layered, without turning purple; the pacing of the sentence structure is organic, imitating the narrative subject matter; and the diction is precise yet wide ranging. In short, I greatly enjoyed the style.
The storyline itself involves a truly refreshingly original portal/fae sub-genre. Whenever urban fantasies engage portals and faeries, I always worry that I'm about to reread the same book that I have read hundreds of times: human enters faerie world, earns the love of a cold, Byronic faerie king, betters their kingdom via some new power previously known not. Sheer repetition has made that all incredibly boring to me. The Courting of Bristol Keats is blessedly unique and so much more interesting! I couldn't stop reading it, despite a very busy schedule the last few weeks. I found myself reading every time I had down time as I couldn't predict what would happen next.
The first half of the book is exciting and fresh. It did slow down a good bit in the middle and Bristol's acceptance of the Fae--their existence itself--is so immediate that it felt a bit contrived. But I did continue to appreciate the original storyline.
This is definitely a novel an older audience would appreciate more than the age group for which Mary Pearson usually writes. So I think that may throw a few younger readers. It's written on a college reading level. I personally found it to be a quick, fast paced read. But had I read it way (way, way) back when I was still in middle school, I may have struggled with it. This novel is better for 11th/12th graders (if they are readers) or college and beyond simply because of the vocabulary, the layered motifs, the high brow humor, and the allusions.
The storyline itself involves a truly refreshingly original portal/fae sub-genre. Whenever urban fantasies engage portals and faeries, I always worry that I'm about to reread the same book that I have read hundreds of times: human enters faerie world, earns the love of a cold, Byronic faerie king, betters their kingdom via some new power previously known not. Sheer repetition has made that all incredibly boring to me. The Courting of Bristol Keats is blessedly unique and so much more interesting! I couldn't stop reading it, despite a very busy schedule the last few weeks. I found myself reading every time I had down time as I couldn't predict what would happen next.
The first half of the book is exciting and fresh. It did slow down a good bit in the middle and Bristol's acceptance of the Fae--their existence itself--is so immediate that it felt a bit contrived. But I did continue to appreciate the original storyline.
This is definitely a novel an older audience would appreciate more than the age group for which Mary Pearson usually writes. So I think that may throw a few younger readers. It's written on a college reading level. I personally found it to be a quick, fast paced read. But had I read it way (way, way) back when I was still in middle school, I may have struggled with it. This novel is better for 11th/12th graders (if they are readers) or college and beyond simply because of the vocabulary, the layered motifs, the high brow humor, and the allusions.
March 27, 2025
4.5 Stars - If you loved The Cruel Prince but wished it had more romance, this is the book for you!
The Courting of Bristol Keats is an engaging fantasy romance that seamlessly weaves compelling characters, a sweet romance, and magical danger into a story you won’t want to put down.
As a long-time fan of Mary E. Pearson’s writing, I was thrilled to see her venture into adult romance and Fae. The Celtic lore and portal fantasy elements were fun and I was surprised how much she embraced the open-door intimacy! There are only a couple scenes, that were both tastefully written and titillating enough that I think it would keep both shy readers and spice lovers happy. While the ending felt a bit too abrupt, it left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. I can’t wait to continue.
Tropes:
- They fall fast 🤍
- Fae courts and intrigue
- Banter with a Grumpy MMC
- Forced proximity
- Open-door romance
Content Notes:
Graphic: Sexual content, war, violence
Moderate: Death, grief, death of a parent
Minor: Body horror, car accident, murder
The Courting of Bristol Keats is an engaging fantasy romance that seamlessly weaves compelling characters, a sweet romance, and magical danger into a story you won’t want to put down.
As a long-time fan of Mary E. Pearson’s writing, I was thrilled to see her venture into adult romance and Fae. The Celtic lore and portal fantasy elements were fun and I was surprised how much she embraced the open-door intimacy! There are only a couple scenes, that were both tastefully written and titillating enough that I think it would keep both shy readers and spice lovers happy. While the ending felt a bit too abrupt, it left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. I can’t wait to continue.
Tropes:
- They fall fast 🤍
- Fae courts and intrigue
- Banter with a Grumpy MMC
- Forced proximity
- Open-door romance
Content Notes:
Graphic: Sexual content, war, violence
Moderate: Death, grief, death of a parent
Minor: Body horror, car accident, murder
Want to read
January 20, 2024i just really wanna read this book right now
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