Imagine this: A story that carries all of the charm of Divine Rivals and blends that with the wit and Whimsy of an afternoon strolling around the Ton with the Bridgertons - that is A Rivalry of Hearts. In my opinion, this book was the perfect blend of cozy fantasy and historical romance. I laughed out loud with enough frequency that my husband stopped me to ask what was so funny... the banter was absolutely perfect. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants low-stakes, cozy vibes with lovable characters and easy to follow world building. The writing was flawless. I forced myself to read slower because I enjoyed hanging out with these characters so much.


Details to consider:
- Spicy
- Cozy fantasy/historical romance
- Dual POV
- Witty banter
- Simple world-building
- Rivals to Lovers
- MMC falls first
- Forced Proximity
- Touch her and X
- Magical bets
- Silly nicknames

I received an eARC from NetGalley/Victory Editing in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

Tessonja did it again! I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it!

The book centers on Edwina, a romance author, going on book tour. She finds out when she gets there that she is sharing the spotlight with William, and rivalry and chemistry ensue.

This book blends regency era and fae world together for a magical ride!

first of all, thank you to netgalley and victory editing netgalley co-op for the eARC of this book!

bridgerton meets a fantasy world/divine rivals. enemies to lovers. he falls first. basically everything that i look for in a good rom-com.

i absolutely ADORED this book. this was the first book i had ever read by tessonja odette, but now i’m eager for this series to continue w monty and daphne’s story and to go back and read her previous works. the banter and competition between edwina and william was IMPECCABLE. watching them go from rivals and making their bet together to realizing their deeper, more complex feelings for each other was such a satisfying journey. what started off as a ferocious competition for a publishing contract on a book tour became much more complicated once feelings developed on both ends. both protagonists were forced to grapple with the question of what is more important: a publishing deal (which comes with its own deeper benefits and necessities on edwina’s and will’s sides) or a shot at a once-in-a-lifetime love? can one of them win the contract without severing their connection?

overall, i enjoyed this book from start to finish. if you’re looking for a good romcom that’ll have you giggling and kicking your feet, this is the one for you. five stars!!

Thank you Netgalley and the author for this ARC of A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette.

What a fun rompus read to kick off the summer reading season! The story gives MAJOR Bridgerton meets Cozy Fantasy vibes.

Pick this up if you love reading books about books, enemies to lovers, and cozy fantasy!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god! I am in love! This book! I feel like I want to go back to the start and re-read it all over again.

Edwina is a romance author who is human and touring Faerwyvae on her book tour. Yet with her journey delayed she discovers the book tour will be shared with smug arrogant poet Fae William. What’s worse is she discovers that both her and William are competing to win a publishing contract. Both have important reasons they need that contract and end up come up with a deal to see who can seduce the most people to win the contract.

This book has everything, enemies to lovers, great humour, great world building and the perfect amount of spice. I adored every minute reading about these two characters. The humour and sarcasm was on point. I loved the fantasy world that is the background to their story and honestly spend most of the time laughing, blushing or kicking my little feet. The book instantly drew me in, I loved the writing style and the dual perspectives made the story even better. Being able to see both point of views added to the story. I am now going to have to go and buy everything this author writes.

I really enjoyed this fun fantasy rom com. Set in a regency style time, with an independent female protagonist that shuns the expectations of the time, this gas light fantasy features rivals to lovers, slow burn spice and forced proximity as some of its key tropes.

This story follows Edwina, a human romance writer, travelling to the fae isles for her first book tour, and William, a fae poet who has been tagged on to the tour. After a rocky first meeting the pair find themselves competing for a life changing book deal based on the sales made in this tour. However, after one too many drinks and not feeling secure in her sales after a less than ideal start to her tour, Edwina enters into a magically binding bet with William - whoever seduces the most people on the tour wins and the other must forfeit the contract if offered it.

The rivalry of the pair is the driving force of this novel, their motivation to get one up in the other, verbally sparring and constant chemistry always driving the plot forward. While Edwina is very much as she seems, never shying away or being willing to compromise her ideals, it is William who we get to learn more about throughout the story, especially through chapters in his pov. Getting to see things from Williams perspective every now and added depth that I enjoyed.

I adored this book. I love anything that takes place in the “writing/publishing” world and this one was brilliantly done. With magical elements, moments that made me literally laugh out loud, and romance, this book was so enjoyable and I flew through it! Edwina and William are such real, flawed characters. This was my first Tessonja Odette book and I’m a fan for life.

I received an eARC from NetGalley/Victory Editing in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

I don’t know the last time I have loved a book so much that I finished it in under 24 hours because I didn’t want to stop. This was a blast to read! I truly found myself giggling at so many points while reading and had a near constant smile on my face with the dialogue between Edwina and William. A couple good spicy scenes as well! The setting of a competitive book tour and characters trying not to catch feelings was really fun! I also enjoyed the glimpses into a couple of the fae courts as well while they were on their book tour.

I could gush forever and will be recommending this book to anyone looking for a solid rom com! Thank you so much for the eARC!

"A Rivalry of Hearts" by Tessonja Odette is a fun mix of regency romance and fantasy. If you enjoy witty banter and steamy scenes, this is it! The story is about Edwina Danforth, a romance author on a book tour in the Fae Islands, and William Haywood, a rival poet. They compete for a publishing contract through a seductive bet, turning their rivalry into a hot romance.

Edwina is determined and curious, making her a great heroine. William has hidden depths, which adds to his charm. Their chemistry is fantastic, with perfect tension. The world-building blends historical fiction and fantasy smoothly, making it easy to get lost in the story. Side characters like Monty and Daphne add humor and charm.

Overall, "A Rivalry of Hearts" is a captivating romcom that balances humor, romance, and fantasy well. It's a must-read for anyone who loves spicy and fun stories, especially fans of rivals-to-lovers tropes.

Thanks Tessonja Odette and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!

thank you netgalley for the arc. i was so so excited for this as i love tessonja's books however i think this one was a little too spice heavy where it didnt need to be. dont get me wrong, i love my spicy romance books. but the spice in this book just felt random, rushed, lacking connection. i did like the premise and the FMC but sadly didnt work out for me.

DNF at 34%. A Rivalry of Hearts is as fun and frothy as its premise promises it to be, but I've realized that this kind of romantasy just isn't for me.

It started off with the FMC rambling on about herself which kind of put me off but in the end, I loved the book.

We have side-characters like Monty from one of the author's previous books (and their manager) and other new ones in the picture like Daphne and Jolene. The twist on Jolene kinda impressed me like girl you do you. Everyone had their own personality here and they felt quite fleshed out and didn't feel out of place in the plot.

Now the spice between Edwina and William is filled with so much tension and satifaction for the reader. William is a great flirt and the author portrayed the tension and mood for the spice stunningly. It wasn't my heart only shaking, but the chair I'm sitting on too! Just read the book friends. And we have William being vulnerable about his feelings with Edwina. Yessir, we want those kind of men. Adding on, I liked how we weren't shown what kind of fae William is till later on because his unseelie form was cute but hilarious. OH NOT ME FORGETTING ABOUT THE NORTH WING. *Wriggles fingers* 🤣🤣🤣

This was enjoyable to the tee.

5 Spontaneous Flower Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

This book just puts a smile on your face…

So it's not really a secret, just more of an unknown fact, that I used to be obsessed with Historical Romance. This was all before I started writing reviews and before my dreaded 3-year book slump. But I can actually say - I liked Brigerton before it was cool.. Now I am obsessed with Romantsy, it's like my literary catnip, that I can't seem to get enough of...

AND this book is a perfect blend of the two as it took a beautiful mix of fantasy and historical romance and came up with a magical story that was utterly fantastical and brilliant. Some people have said it's like a Fae Bridgerton, which is correct but actually it's more than that. It's more akin to any great historical romance, such as Pride and Prejudice, just with a little more smut on the page and fewer hand flexes. Being within its pages as the story progressed felt like coming home after a long winter in the snow. It was like finding a long-lost love or turning nostalgic and wistful at a memory of a good time well spent.

This book follows Edwina Danforth, who is a human on a book tour in the Fae Islands for her spicy romance novels. Due to events out of her control, her book tour is hijacked by William Haywood as she missed her first two signings. William is a writer of poetry and is super arrogant and judgmental towards Edwina. The two realize that their publisher is going to award a three-book deal to the writer of the tour who sells the most books, and both of them have valid reasons for needing the money. Edwina - knowing she's missed out on two signings and is already behind William - strikes up a bet instead: the winner being awarded the contract. The bet: the person who can seduce and successfully perform an act of personal intimacy in their bedroom with the most people.

I adored the world-building as it was easy to understand and it felt exactly like a historical fiction novel. You could feel the period in the words, and see the time by the way the characters spoke and dressed. This gave a delightful blend of regency with the magic and wonder of fantasy, maintaining the propriety of the time but mixing certain aspects with the absurd. This wasn't a problem though because these eccentricities were accepted. After all, we were on the Fae Island, and the Fae were not as modest as the humans in Bretton. It was also thrilling to see something painted as "Historical" be so accepting. Some characters use "They" as their pronouns and Edwina's work in progress she is writing throughout the novel features an MM romance.

Edwina is an interesting character because she is incredibly stubborn and often prideful in how she reacts. She will let nothing stand in her way to win and is determined to make a name for herself. She is also very peculiar and curious - which puts her in some very interesting scenarios.

William has a secret. The person he portrays as William the Poet is not the same as the person who he is away from the spotlight and there is something about Edwina that makes him want to show her the true version of who he is. As he spends more time with her, he realizes how smart and beautiful she is and he finds it more and more difficult to get Edwina out of his mind.

Their chemistry was spectacular and well-developed. Their banter was giggle-inducing and there is probably one of the best "acted-out sexy" scenes in book I have ever seen. I was kicking my legs, screaming and squealing when this happened. I also liked that there was a balance of character development and plot.

Tropes in this include:
▶ Cosy Fantasy
▶ Dual POV
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Rivals to Lovers
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Voyeurism
▶ Nicknames
▶ "Use Me"
▶ Chin Lifts

Overall, this was a gorgeous, beautiful, cosy fantasy that made me reminisce on how much I used to adore historical romance and reminded me why I now love romantasy. I cannot wait to see the rest of the books in the series.

Thank you to Tessonja Odette and Netgalley for my gifted ARC copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Absolutely fantastic. I was hooked within the first few pages of this book. This is my first time reading anything from this author, and I was immediately drawn in by the writing style and characters. The book just succeeded on every level for me, a true home run - I cannot recommend this enough for anyone who likes Regency romances and fantasy!

I absolutely loved this! It was exactly the mood I was in and I constantly wanted to pick this up.

My first time reading from this author but definitely interested in reading more! It was the perfect cozy romantasy that had enough plot without being too hard to follow and enough romance to keep it entertaining. I also loved the setting of the story.

This was my last read of May and oh my god do I have things to say about it. I will rant and rave about this book til I die, I think. I love regency romances first and foremost, but weave in a little magic and you've got me hooked. I honestly thought, given the premise, it would turn out to be a little bit too smutty for me. It really did seem like a book based on a bargain of sex. But it was surprisingly steamy in all the right places and filled with rivalry and laughter and an entirely loveable cast of characters. The way Will showed his love for Edwina? Monty and Daphne's banter? I was in love with it all. I loved Will's fae magic and Daphne's human form, and Monty's clear affection towards her. I kicked my feet and squealed with delight at the end knowing their book was next. I loved that Edwina's little upset over Will wasn't just brushed off, because she really was out of line with that. It was so easy to see why Will did what he did, and I'm glad Cassie backed her brother up on that. I do wish that maybe after some chapters had ended, it would've switched POVs, but that is quite literally the only nitpicky thing I have to say about this book. I need a hardcover of this ASAP (it's beautiful. downright gorgeous, however the dust jacket will be going into dust jacket jail).

Okay, first off, this book was adorable. It had me giggling and kicking my feet through the entire thing, because to was just so cute. I adored how it was a fantasy rom-com that followed two rival booksellers on a book tour who were competing for the top spot. As a big fan of smut and drivel, I really liked and connected with Edwina and I loved how she was a romance author. She was very quirky and funny and all in all a vey relatable character. The banter between her and William was so good, specifically their book (I’m still swooning over the ending with it.) I really enjoyed the cozy, slower pace of this book and I felt like I was on a book tour seeing my favorite romance author.

My biggest problem with this book was Will’s nickname for Edwina. He called her Weenie through the entire book and every time I would cringe and skip over it. It just wasn’t cute in anyway and really brought me out of the story.

Thank you Tessonja Odette and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for my ARC.

This was an entertaining read. It was a mixture of Fantasy with Fae and Historical Romance. A little like ACOTAR meets the Bridgertons!

The fantasy/magic system was pretty simple and unfolded as the story went along so you never felt overwhelmed by learning a new magic system.

Edwina, a human author, writes steamy romance novels. She ends up writing a novel about a human and a Fae that becomes hugely popular in the Fae lands. Her publisher invites her on a book tour in the Fae lands to promote her book. Edwina’s ship is delayed in arriving to the Fae lands so they invite William, a Poetry author at the last minute to join the book tour in case Edwina doesn’t make the tour in time.

Edwina arrives a week into the tour and discovers her now tour partner will be competing with her for the one and only “3 book contract” the publisher has available after the tour. The contract will be given to the author with the most book sales.

After several warnings to not drink the Fairy wine, Edwina ends up drunk and overflowing with confidence, and accepts a side competition with her rival William to battle it out for the beloved book contract.

The story is Dual POV
Rival to lovers
He falls first

The more I got to know William, the more I liked him! Edwina had moments when she shined, but her pride and defiance was annoying to me at times.

Romance content: It’s pretty 🌶️🌶️ with explicit language.

#ARivalryofHearts #netgalley

Reading this was an absolute delight! Combining historical romance with fae elements, steaminess, and a rivals-to-lovers trope, it hit all my sweet spots. The intense competition and deal-making between Edwina and William were both entertaining and engaging. Their fiery chemistry and sharp-tongued exchanges were fantastic.

The witty banter and palpable tension between Edwina and William made each page a joy to read. I loved how their rivalry turned into something deeper, creating a perfect blend of romance and excitement. The side characters were charming, adding layers of humor and warmth to the tale.

My only complaint is that I found some parts a little rushed and others without depth but overall I liked it so much and it really got me hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the eARC!!

"I know I've acknowledged this before, but William's smile is a work of art."

This book was so good, even though I didn't have the highest hopes for it. It follows Edwina Danforth, a romance author whose books are most popular in the land of the fae. She embarks on a book tour with a rival author, William Haywood. Edwina and William stumble into a bet of seduction for a coveted publishing contract. They both have their own reasons for wanting to the contract, and neither will go down without a fight. However, as the tension between them grows, so does the attraction. Soon, the objects of their desires become each other.

"I love him enough that I won't let your fears for him come to fruition. I won't let him lose himself in me. But... I won't push him away either."

This book really took me by surprise. I didn't have super high expectations, but oh my gosh the tension was so good. It was basically like a fantastical Beach Read with more spice. So so good.