Tessonja Odette can literally do no wrong, she's an auto-buy author for me. I've read every single one of her books and they always exceed expectations and A Rivalry of Hearts was no exception. I love the tension and banter between these two, and the rivalry to lovers was so well done. They had me kicking my feet and giggling the whole way. This one was more spicy than her other books and I'm not complaining! I'm so excited for the next book in this series!

“𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯… 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶”

When I tell you this is THE cutest book I have read in 2024 - I’m spitting bare facts guys. @tessonja had me out here literally kicking my feet and giggling like a gosh darn school girl.

I am ✨ obsessed ✨ with William & Weenie I cannot cope 😭 their chemistry is off the charts. They are equal parts hilarious and adorable. I am just so mad I waited so long to read it!!

I actually think I have a new book boyfriend for life now, Will is just 😍😍😍 had me melting into a damn puddle.

Couldn’t recommend this read enough if you love:

✅ rivals to lovers
✅ he falls first
✅ competition

Tessonja writes with such whimsy and immersion, I loved every second, the spicy scenes were 😍🔥 - and I adored the side characters, I cannot WAIT for the next instalment!

A cosy magical romcom - its got a bit of everything and I loved it!
We're talking professional rivals, writers no less, so the banter was bantering, and when we get to it the spice is spicing!

Its a Bridgetown vibe fae story, where Penelope and Colin are rival authors and don;t like each other, but make a stupid bet and boom, here we are.

I just adored it. Its kicking your feet and squealing kind of story, and I am so glad I got to read it!

Fluffy and cute, perfect to read snuggled up on as winters afternoon!

Who to recommend this to: readers on a fairy romance binge

Personally, I liked the author writing style, world-building and how the spicier scenes were written. But I would only recommend this as a library book; I can see the main characters grating people the wrong way. I'll pick up the next one, I'm interested in those two characters.

The concept of this book sounded like so much fun, but unfortunately, I had a hard time following the story. It was slow-paced with not much happening, which I usually don’t mind, but with this one, I really couldn’t bring myself to push through.

I went into "A Rivalry of Hearts" expecting a quaint and charming universe, perhaps along the lines of something like Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. However, what I found was a much spicier ride than anticipated! Tessonja Odette’s world-building was intriguing, but the book leaned more heavily into the realm of spicy romance than fantasy, which wasn’t quite what I had hoped for.

Though I enjoyed aspects of the setting, the plot didn’t grab me as much, as I was expecting more of a fantasy with romance woven into the story rather than the reverse.

If you’re looking for a fantasy romance with a steamy twist, "A Rivalry of Hearts" might just be up your alley, but if you're expecting a more traditional fantasy adventure, you might want to adjust your expectations accordingly.

Thank you to Tessonja Odette, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love, love, loved this book! The characters, the rivalry, the story, I just cannot wait for more books in the series. A Rivalry of Hearts had me hooked, I couldn't wait to get back to the book.

A Rivalry of Hearts is a warm hug in book form. I urge you to read it !!

This book had a premise I really love and had all the things to be a great cosy novel, but I just couldn’t get into it. I found the characters didn’t quite have the depth I was after, and I didn’t find it aligned with my usual reading preferences.

That being said, if you regularly read regency fiction, this might be the perfect blend of fantasy and historical romance for you.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early.

This book was whitty, funny, light, and of course SPICY! I absolutely adored this book and can’t wait for the next one! Edwina and William are the absolute perfect rivals to lovers and I am here for it!

Tessonja Odette has done it again. A Rivalry of Hearts was the cutest read!!! So fluffy and fun for a historical fantasy that I absolutely adored.

Who writes drivel now? You smug bastard?

✍️ Cozy rom-com fantasy with a sprinkle of spice
📚 Fluffy banter and snarky flirting
✍️ Fae and whimsical vibes
📚 Rivals to lovers

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet and I enjoyed every minute of it. It felt really original to be reading about an author of fantasy romance while reading a fantasy romance. I devoured it all in one day.

It's the perfect cocktail of cozy, historical, and romantic fantasy and I absolutely loved the whimsical and magical world building. Edwina as our stubborn yet somewhat insecure writer of smut and drivel was a joy to read, while at the same time I completely fell in love with an even more stubborn William (the Poet). There's medium high-stakes, which is ultimately the main conflict of the story, and I really appreciated how both main character's reasons for needing to win were seen as equally as valid.

What I thought to be especially strong was that it wasn't just the main characters that were interesting, but the side characters that got introduced were equally as captivating and I wanted to get to know more about them as well. The friendship between Edwina and Daphne was especially lovely to read (I love, love Daphne!). Obviously the main characters' relationship building was the main focus point of the book and I really enjoyed seeing their back and forth stubbornness blossom into something great. (Also can we talk about that elevator scene?? Damn.)

Although I'd love to read more about my favourite author of smut and drivel, I'm incredibly impatient to read the next story knowing that it’ll star my favourite side character! (Did I mention I love Daphne?) I also have the gorgeous The BookCove edition of A Rivalry of Hearts book on pre-order and I already cannot wait to give this book a re-read once it arrives.

I enjoyed reading about the world of Faewyvae. It was so cozy;] the imagery was written beautifully of the fae lands. I was giggling and kicking my feet reading Edwina and Will's banter. The tension was everything and the spice was perfect. All the characters are so lovable I can't wait for book 2.

I couldn't quite get into this one. I liked the setting and cosy vibes, but couldn't connect with the main characters.

Divine Rivals meets Bridgerton

The overall story was enjoyable. I enjoyed reading as Edwina really grew into themselves and rather than imagining what the characters in her story does she starts to explore those aspects of herself. I will say I was not a fan of the bet, but that's just personal preference.

I was surprised at the secret reveal near the end of the book. I was soooo mad over the fight, but I suppose without it we could have that girl in the crowd making the grand gesture moment. The Disney movie girl in me was like yesssss. Declarations of love and want. I'm a sucker.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Drama: 💧.5
Sugar: 🧁🧁🧁
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Trope: Rivals to lovers - gaslamp fantasy - fae - forced proximity - bet - slow burn

I thank the author, Tessonja Odette, and NetGalley for the ARC that was sent to me. This is my honest opinion.

Delightful! I had so much fun reading this story of rivalry and love!

Edwina Danforth, human, author of slightly spicy romances, and William Haywood, fae, poet, are competing for a contract for the publication of three books with the most important publisher of Faerwyvae. The winner is determined by the number of copies sold in their combined tour of the island. Thanks to one drink too many (never drink fae wine if you are human), the two decide to challenge each other in a further test: whoever manages to have the most partners for the night during the tour, wins; the loser will renounce the contract, even if they were chosen on the basis of sales…

We have a rom com set in that world that readers of Tessonja Odette's previous novels already know, where humans and fae interact. The vibes are regency, with corsets and all, as well as a female protagonist who rejects the idea of ​​an arranged marriage in favor of her career as a writer, which would normally make me turn up my nose, but which I tolerate precisely by virtue of the historical romance setting.
The rivalry and constant barbs between Edwina and William are the strong point of the novel, accompanied as they are by the growing attraction between the two. There is no shortage of hilarious moments, when Edwina distances herself from reality, leaving her imagination free every time a sudden inspiration for her novels strikes her, or when we discover why William has given up his theatrical career.
While the male protagonist has my full support, there were moments in which our Edwina put my patience to the test: too proud, too harsh with others, with the excuse of always being faithful to her own ideals, which is easy if you have your back covered by a wealthy family; those, who find themselves dealing with the more concrete problems of everyday life cannot afford such idealism and must be more pragmatic, making compromises.
The spicy is never excessive, and in addition to raising the temperature, it is also used in a comical way.
In short, a cozy fantasy with a touch of spicy (which never hurts), which will make you have fun and sigh in delight!

This rivals to lovers/historical/fantasy romance was absolutely adorable. Fantasy is not one of my favorite genres but when it reads like this, I love it! I absolutely adored this book. It was laugh out loud funny at times, and I as a book lover that loves reading books about books, this was so perfect. The characters were so well developed and pretty much all of them were loveable. Reading this book was my first experience with this author, and I will happily be looking to read her other books as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of the eBook in exchange for an honest review.

My first book by this author, and it will not be my last!!!

I went into this book because I loved the cover, but when i started reading it, I stayed for the characters! This book was a big and beautiful surprise and read for me. I couldn’t put it down for even a second!!!

I need more!!!

This book is such a fun ride! The Rivalry of Hearts blends romance, fantasy, and humor in the best way possible. If you're looking for a light read that still hooks your interest, look no further. It’s got just the right amount of magic, intrigue, and heartfelt moments to keep you turning the pages. So good!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This is great for those that enjoy fantasy, fae, historical romance, and a bit of spice. I only like a few of these and am rating it a solid two stars.

If Tessonja writes it, I read it. This is a very cute low stakes rivals-to-lovers fantasy romcom with the perfect amount of spice, that I absolutely adored. I loved the soft fantasy of it, characters were extremely likeable and fun. Definitely what I needed as a nice lighthearted book!