The Courting of Bristol Keats
Mary E. Pearson’s The Courting of Bristol Keats offers an imaginative world of Fae with less than likable lead characters.
The Courting of Bristol Keats delivers a present day enemies to lovers tale with exquisite world building and all the makings of a fantastic romantasy. There’s a broody King, a sassy leading lady, magic, romance, and intrigue. Unfortunately, the book falls a little short on piecing together a cohesive plot, while the protagonists lacked the type of character growth that would make me want to continue the series.
The story begins with Bristol Keats receiving a mysterious letter, from an unknown ailing aunt, who wants to bestow valuable art upon Bristol and her sisters. While the sisters are skeptical, Bristol begrudgingly obliges. They’ve fallen on hard times following the death of their parents and this could be exactly what they need to survive.
Upon Bristol’s arrival at the planned meeting place, she uncovers some shocking truths. Not only have major parts of her secretive life been a lie, but her father may still be alive and living in the fae world of Elphame. As such, Bristol strikes a bargain with King Tyghan of Elphame to close a magical door in exchange for help locating her father.
Bristol travels to Elphame and is immediately thrust into the intrigue, unrest, and politics of a kingdom at war. A world where the manifestation of latent powers of recruits from the human world—like Bristol—are the key to the kingdom’s survival. Old wounds, Family secrets, an unexpected romance, and magic (because of course) fuel Bristol’s journey to the truth. Along the way, she learns how to unlock her magic potential, while getting to the heart of her parent’s mysterious pasts.
Pearson does an excellent job in the beginning of the book laying out the fae realm and its inhabitants. She dives into the different species of fae, their characteristics, and powers in an enjoyable way. The differences in how time passes in the fae world and human world made for an interesting plot point as well.
One of my favorite world building tidbits came from learning that many of the great human artists such as Leonardo da Vinci studied art in the fae realm. And speaking of art, this book itself is absolutely stunning! Even if you never crack the cover of this book, it makes for a beautiful edition to your shelf if you’re a sucker for a sprayed edge…It pains me that I enjoyed the artwork more than the book itself.
The Courting of Bristol Keats feels like a YA book with a sprinkle of (underwhelming) spice thrown in to help it make the leap to an adult audience. Unfortunately, the jump fell flat. The characters and plot feel extremely underdeveloped. Not to mention, there are so many characters added to the story who do nothing to progress the plot. The supporting cast felt more like a burden as I constantly forgot who was who. While I enjoyed Bristol’s sassy retorts, her relationship with Tyghan felt like watching the annoying couple in highschool who were constantly fighting, breaking up, and getting back together. There was nothing about this story that made me want to root for them.
Holy plot holes Batman! This story is full of them. Bristol lives in a Hallmark movie-worthy small town that is apparently overrun with fae…Who somehow don’t know about each other even though they have the power to see through glamorous? Without offering any spoilers, I actually laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of why Bristol’s powers hadn’t manifested. Seems like something these intelligent and capable fae would have checked on all recruits from the beginning. I also find it unbelievable that nobody slipped to Bristol the truth about her parents' pasts well before she discovered it herself.
As a card carrying member of the smut lover’s club, the romance did not deliver. There was so much buildup in the first 60 percent of this book, only for the spicy scenes to bore me. They left too much to the imagination and I’m not sure if this is due to Pearson having primarily written YA novels beforehand, or if the characters were just so unlikable I couldn’t get into the “action.” Either way, I give it one chili pepper. The cliffhanger at the end of the book leaves us with a love scene and not one resolution to any of the larger plot points.
Overall, The Courting of Bristol Keats has some well done elements that could make for an interesting sequel. I don’t think I’d be interested in returning to Elphame, but some YA romantasy readers may find this right up their alley!

I'm brand new to this author but have heard nothing but rave reviews of her books through the years. I was super impressed with the world building and character building in her first adult romantasy. I'm a huge fan of romantasy and this gave me EVERYTHING I'm looking for!

Bristol, an ordinary girl, finds herself swept into a world of fae who enlist her help to rescue their kidnapped king. As she hones her hidden magical abilities, she becomes enamored with the fae prince. However, she soon discovers that he has been deceitful about his connection to her parents, who also had fae lineage. Unfortunately, this book ended up not being up my alley. The writing is decent, and there are numerous avenues for the plot to explore. Unfortunately, it feels like those paths were left untaken throughout the lengthy narrative which didn't work for me. Personally, I lean towards stories with a more concise plot and a satisfying conclusion. But overall, it was a pretty decent read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I read the synopsis, I thought for sure I was going to love this book. I've read The Remnant Chronicles and the Dance of Thieves duology by Pearson, both of which I loved. However, this book was tough for me to get into. I picked it up and put it down at least a dozen times. For me, it was because of the multiple POVs. This made connecting to the characters very hard, and I found I didn't care about anything happening. I got halfway through the book and tried to convince myself that it would get better, and I would love it, but I DNF'd at 60%. Maybe I will pick it up again because the premise is promising, and I am a fan of Pearson's other works.

I’ve read most of Mary E. Pearson’s books, and I was thrilled to get an early copy of The Courting of Bristol Keats. It has such an interesting premise, and, based on how much I loved her previous books, I knew I’d enjoy this one. Pearson is such a great storyteller, and I love her rich and immersive writing style. 

Bristol is a fantastic protagonist. Struggling to make ends meet after the loss of her parents, Bristol makes a bargain with the fae and leaves her sisters in the human realm.  Bristol gets much more than she bargained for as she learns of her family’s connection to the fae world and the enigmatic male she made the bargain with.  She’s a dynamically developed character – strong and smart and definitely one to give King Tyghan a run for his money. 

Bristol and Tyghan have a slow-building, swoon-worthy romance filled with excellent banter and sparring and a few twists that challenge their relationship. I’m really curious to see what will happen with these two, especially considering his past with Bristol’s father. 

The world-building is great, too, with vivid imagery and no info dumps, and I love how the author wove such a unique world into the story. It’s a well-paced read, and I was so happy to see that it’s going to be a duology! I can’t wait to get the next book.

This is peak high fantasy. I absolutely adored this immersive story of a complicated family and a fae world. It had so many of the things I'm looking for in fantasy romance, including enemies to lovers, training sequences, and major plot twists! I had an excellent time reading this and can't wait to recommend it to others.

The Courting of Bristol Keats is nothing short of a masterpiece. I am absolutely obsessed. Mary E. Pearson has created a world so mesmerizing and addictive that I am already impatient for the next installment. It’s a stunning blend of The Hunger Games, Fourth Wing, and The Cruel Prince, with all the heart-pounding action, romance, and betrayal that fans of those stories crave.

Bristol Keats is a captivating protagonist, navigating her family's shocking secrets and making bold choices that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot is full of unexpected twists, jaw-dropping reveals, and dark secrets that are delivered so skillfully, I was left speechless more than once. And Tyghan, the fae king, is one of the most intriguing and complex characters I’ve read in a while—equal parts dangerous and seductive.

I’m honestly in awe of how beautifully this story was crafted. Every detail felt meticulously planned, and the emotional impact was immense. I didn’t expect to fall so hard for this book, especially after not connecting with A Dance of Thieves. But The Courting of Bristol Keats is on a whole other level. It’s easily going to give me one of the worst book hangovers I’ve had in ages.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy, romance, and epic storytelling. I’ll be recommending this one to everyone I know. If you pick up just one book this year, make it this one—you won’t regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Ms. Pearson for an opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

If you like your romantasy spice-heavy with a side of plot, this is not for you. This is a dense, plot-rich fantasy that leans hard on characterization and world building and has a reeeeeeeeeeal slooooooooow burn. Lots of characters (occasionally it took me a minute to remember who was who) and pretty solid development for them, too. The romance takes a definite back seat to the politics and plot, so that when it does surface it feels organic to the story. I am not sure that I get the Cruel Prince vibes other reviewers have mentioned; while I loved him, Tyghan doesn't hold a candle to Cardan for cruel deviousness nor for self-sabotaging longing. Honestly Cardan would have made mincemeat of them all (but I'm biased). Don't get me wrong: Tyghan is a fantastic character, caught between a rock and a hard place, between duty to his kingdom's people and his pull towards Bristol.

I'm pretty eagerly looking forward to how this is going to be resolved: it's a complicated situation in which almost every character has made some bad choices even if they thought it was for the right reasons. Ms. Pearson has every appearance of having written herself into a corner but I respect her talent too much to doubt her now. I will say, this book ended at rather an odd point, with a seeming non sequitur from one of the secondary characters, almost like it cut off mid-sentence. But in every other respect this was an absolute treat. Really looking forward to finding out what Maire thinks of all this- we've heard a lot about her but she's the lone character whose voice didn't really appear in the story. Also, not gonna lie, looking forward to finding out what will happen to Cael, whether Tyghan will declare for Cael, for himself, or something/someone else (maybe Bristol will throw her hat in the ring!), what Kierus' grand plan is, how Mick (excuse me, Kormick) will be defeated, what the sisters will do if Bristol stays, and more.

Highly recommended to romantasy fans, especially to readers who like some actual fantasy and plot to accompany the spice.

If you’re a fan of more traditional fantasy/folklore I think you’ll enjoy this wonderful, whimsical story. I personally would classify this book more as traditional fantasy rather than romantasy, though there is some romance in it—it’s just not the main focus of the book. This book takes the reader along with Bristol as she’s whisked away to an alternate fairy world called Elphame as she searches for her father but also makes shocking discoveries about herself, her family, and those around her. There are many, many secrets Bristol has to uncover and what she does with that knowledge really shows what type of person she is.

We have many interesting side characters, not least of all is our leading man, Tyghan. I can’t say much about him or else I’ll spoil things, but I do hope we get some fan art of him and Bristol along with a few other key characters.

If you enjoy the more folklore-esque writing style of Juliet Marillier’s 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 or her 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 and the creature vibes (and hot MMC) of Labyrinth (RIP David Bowie) you’ll enjoy this book.

This is my first Mary E. Pearson book, but not my last…Now to patiently (impatiently) wait for book two!

4.5 Stars!!!

If you’re a fan of Dance of Thieves, the YA duology by Mary E. Pearson, then you absolutely need to dive into The Courting of Bristol Keats, the first book in her new adult fantasy duology!

The Courting of Bristol Keats is packed with adventure, action, forbidden romance, magic, fae, portals, treacherous kings, betrayal, dark secrets, and promises that must — and will — be kept. Although the book is thick, don’t let that intimidate you! You’ll be immediately drawn into Bristol’s journey as she navigates the Fae world and a magical school, all while uncovering family secrets and discovering her true identity. ✨

I especially loved the dynamic between Bristol, the heroine, and Tyghan, the king, as they were refreshingly honest with each other about their feelings, which led to little to no miscommunication between them. The chemistry and banter between them are fantastic, not to mention their magical moonlit dances.

I’m eagerly awaiting book two, because I can't wait for even more jaw-dropping moments as new secrets are revealed — and of course, I’m dying to know if their love will survive the trials ahead!

This book was gorgeously written with compelling characters and dynamic storytelling. I've been a fan of the author for years and this book did not disappoint! It had a sweeping storyline filled with lush and vibrant characters. The world building was different than other books I've read, but it was gorgeously done with rules and settings in that world that made it amazing. The characters captured your heart and their stories throughout kept you guessing yet falling in love with all of them as the book went along. Would highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this story. It was quite long, but it wasn't hard to get into, and it kept my attention throughout. There were many twists, and one even had me shouting out loud at my tablet.

Bristol is just trying to survive and help take care of her sisters after the deaths of both of their parents. Bills are piling up and becoming past due, and she has no idea what to do other than work as many extra shifts as possible. But a letter, or three, from an estranged aunt on her father's side that promise a gift that could help them financially has her questioning everything. She takes the bait and instead finds herself making a promise to a fae king to help save his world.

Tyghan is the fae king with secrets he intends to keep from Bristol. Her knowing could destroy her, and possibly his world. He just needs her to close a hidden door, and then they can both move on. But there's something about Bristol that he can't figure out, and as time passes, he wants to know more. He wants to know her.

Their relationship is slow-building and filled with fun banter, friendship, and intimacy. And moments that could break them apart, especially when the truth comes out.

The world building was excellent. I could envision the buildings, the woods, the food, and their attire. The author created many characters, each having some part to play in Bristol's time with them, and made them all memorable. She gave a lot, without giving too much. I'm really excited for the second book in this duology to see what happens between Bristol and Tyghan, as well as how they plan to save his world.

I'm DNF'ing this at 50%, I really tried. Based on the description alone, I would think this book has everything I need in a fantasy romance. Unfortunately, the execution fell really short of my expectations. The worldbuilding is massively confusing, and as someone typically forgiving of that, I can't get past the inconsistencies and lack of coherence. I think part of the problem is the author dumps so much information into every single page that it's hard to keep track of. On top of that, the timeline is massively messed up. The world our FMC is from is essentially modern day, but, and spoiler alert, her dad was somehow able to study art with Da Vinci in the fae world? It doesn't make sense, even with the vague "time works differently here" explanation the author gives. On top of that, I always have a hard time with stories that try to straddle fantastical worlds with real-world elements. The mentions of famous artists threw me out of the story every single time.

I said I was typically forgiving of worldbuilding issues, and that's true, but what made the issue even worse is that I couldn't connect to any of the characters. The MMC doesn't really have any redeeming qualities or an edge that makes him appealing, and the FMC makes incredibly rash decisions with a motivation that doesn't feel believable. She throws herself into a new fae world with seemingly no issue despite just learning about it a few hours prior. The connection between the two of them feels manufactured, and I just can't get behind them.

This was a fun adult fantasy read, full of fae creatures, magic, mysterious backstories, and a touch of spice. I enjoyed the call to action, the setting, and the “fish out of water” feel of a mortal finding herself in Elfame. It was definitely reminiscent of The Cruel Prince, but a tad more “grown up.”

There were a lot of characters introduced (which I typically love), but I’m hoping we see some more depth/development from the supporting cast in book 2. As a side note, the audiobook narrator did an exceptional job with the various voices and accents!

Overall, a solid start to the duology.

I quiet enjoyed following Bristol on this crazy adventure to the land of monsters, fae, and gods. I enjoyed both her as a character and the growth that happens in this book. I will state that this book starts out incredibly slowly and takes time to build. But in the end the build up is worth it. I enjoyed the ending a lot and am excited to see what happens next in this series.
Thank you so much to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I’ve read another series by Pearson and was taken by the imagery and character development. This new series is no different, two worlds struggle with love and war. I’ll admit it’s a bit steamier than I was expecting, not graphic but clear enough it might not be appropriate for young teens. Bristol is the middle child yet she emits leadership abilities neither of her sisters share. As the girls are orphaned Bristol finds out things are not as they seem. She’s strong, independent and about to find out answers she never knew she wanted. The book is a long one but with good reason, lots of details and story building. There will definitely be at least one more book because we are left with a few unresolved problems. I was thrilled to read an advanced copy and happy to leave my review voluntarily.

Yes!! This was spectacular and the only downside is the wait I now have for the second book in the duology. I knew that the blurb sounded interesting, but it didn't even come close to how outstanding this storyline truly was. I was pulled into the story from the beginning and stayed immersed the entire time. The characters were well written and easy to connect to and the world building was done effortlessly and never felt clunky time consuming. It felt natural and easy.

When Bristol finds that her world isn't what she always believed it to be, she's more than a little shook up. As if that isn't enough, to also find out that your parents aren't exactly who you thought they were for all these years is an even larger shock. And being thrown into another world with fae and other creatures where you are unsure who you can trust and what the traditions are is stressful in and of itself. I was glued to this book to see what would happen next and what twist was coming around the next corner.

I'm truly a little tough on fantasy books. World building is a challenge, and I hate it when I feel bogged down with it. This author didn't do that. She has a knack for writing fantasy and this book was such an easy one to read. I never had to battle through a chapter or page to get to the next one. That's rare for me. Simply wonderful!!

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I was also fortunate enough to gain an early copy of the audio. Wowza! I know it sounds like I'm gushing just to gush but truly, the narration was really spot on for this story. It lent itself to the enjoyability of the story. I have zero complaints and only praise. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I have provided reviews of both voluntarily and they are entirely my own opinions.

тιтℓє: The Courting of Bristol Keats
αυтнσя(ѕ): Mary E. Pearson
ηαяяαтσя(ѕ): Brittany Pressley
ℓєηgтн: 17h 21m
ѕσυя¢є: NetGalley
яєℓєαѕє ∂αтє: November 12, 2024
яαтιηg: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ѕєяιєѕ: The Courting of Bristol Keats, #1

му тнσυgнтѕ:
THIS IS GOING TO BE A DUOLOGY, Y’ALL.
And this one is a thiccc romantasy!

So Bristol and her sisters lose their parents and they’re just trying to get by.
Then one day a letter arrives from an aunt they knew nothing about and it seems their dad isn’t dead. Or is he?
Bristol seeks out this aunt and finds herself in a new world that’s full of magic and deceit.

Tyghan is a fae king and the Lord of Monsters.
He needs Bristol to journey to Elphame and train to help him out in exchange for sending money to her sisters back home.
He was a tough character at first, but his struggles were raw and real and really rounded out his personality.

This one was a bit difficult to follow at times. We get multiple POVs from characters who aren’t major players and that threw me for a loop.
But it was also interesting.

I’m completely and utterly OBSESSED.
The plot was thrilling and sexy and nonstop.
The development is thorough and twisty and unique.
Secrets and lies and betrayals abound!
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK STAT!

A brooding hero with a tortured soul, a smart, strong heroine whose entire reality is uprooted, a mysterious past, intrigue, secrets, danger, romance...this book has it all!

The Courting of Bristol Keats has a lot of promise and my curiosity is definitely piqued for what come next in this series.

While the world the author created was intriguing, the world building and the mythology were a bit shallow in their development. While this may have been due to the length of the book (it comes in at 560 pages), I hope that we will get a clearer understanding of both in book 2.

I appreciated the lack of info dump. The mysteries the were resolved were done so organically and although some lead to even more questions, it simply left me that much more anxious to read the next book.

* Fair warning for longtime fans of Mary E. Pearson's YA books...do not expect the same level of spice. This book includes open door scenes as well as language.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mary E Pearson really is the new queen of faerie. This book was absolutely lush. I cannot recommend it enough. It had everything I wanted - a smart, brash, outspoken heroine, a tall dark and brooding hero. Secrets, lies, treachery, spice and a cliffhanger ending.

10/10