ARC Review - Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op!

This book was a slow-starter for me, but once things got going I sort of enjoyed it.

I have to begin by admitting fantasy is not my favorite genre, but I do love certain books with characters that present as generally human. The animal/creature (Unseelie?) forms that some characters take was a little off-putting, but that's subjective.

Because I'm weak for a handsome male with dark hair, it wasn't too difficult for me to immediately click with William Haywood, our MMC. He might be fae, but he's sexy. Edwina, FMC, is almost unbearable at times. She's described as "quirky," but she comes across as naive and annoying at the best of times, and honestly, William can do better. The book does get better as the flirtation between them grows, and there is some decent spice once Edwina stops being an idiot about everything. I just like my FMCs to have be a little more worldly and not quite as silly.

Overall, it's a cozy fantasy romance, and if you're into fae worlds and rivals-to-lovers with decent banter you might like it. Three stars because I didn't hate it and it wasn't poorly written, I just didn't really get into it.

See review also on Goodreads!

3.5 STARS. My first Tessonja Odette and it didn't disappoint. This was a cosy fae romance that swept me up from the start. I love books where the characters are authors. I will definitely be reading more books in this series.

This is a prime example of reading books that you didn’t expect to read and just go for it, because this was cosy whimsical read which I throughly enjoyed.

Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and seduction

A story of history, laughter and a heavy dose of romance. This was very much a rivals to lovers story of William’s and Edwinia, but so happy without the rivals being the focus of the story.
The plot is fairly straight forward. But the lovely characters, sweet romance, and bright sparkling world more than made up for it!
Have to mention I didn’t really like William at first bit slowly he won me over like he didn’t Edwinia heart.

The cover is so perfect and stunning.

I really liked this book, H was different from what I was expecting o it really gave me the Jane Austin lives I was looking for and needed.it perfectly blended fantasy into a historical setting which this my favorite kind of story! I can't wait to buy the books.

This book is so cuteeee 🥹💗🎀 I loved the banter between the main characters & enjoyed the whole rivals to lovers storyline (& the writing made this such an easy read!). I’d recommend this book for those who enjoy rom-com cozy fantasy vibes! It was a total palette cleanser between the heavy romantasy books I’ve been reading - if you’re into those vibes or love the below tropes please go & read this!

Thank you @netgalley & @tessonja for the ARC 💗

💕Rivals to lovers
💕Rom-com
💕Bridgerton vibes
💕He falls first
💕Bargains made with banter (iykyk)

This book was so sweet! I absolutely love the world Tessonja has created (the same world as her other series). It is light, magical, and funny. There were some moments where our two main characters were incredibly frustrating and I just had to let go of the plot a little bit, but it was still a fun read. I love the subtle references to Anne of Green Gables' Anne and Gilbert. Rivals to lovers, lots of tension, I'm excited to read the next books in this series.

I received an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review :) thanks netgalley!

I cannot even begin to say how much I LOVED this book. This book is the perfect cosy fantasy - with characters who are reminscent of Anne Shirley Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe.

The book followers a human author who has been offered a book tour in the fae realm with the hopes of a contract there. As some one who doesn't quite fit in outside of her smutty romance novels, she is enthused with the opportunity. Only she ends up late to the tour, to find the publisher has included William, the poet on her tour and turned what would likely be a sure deal contract, has turned into a competition with a smug and rather attractive fae.

Naturally the competition invokes certain feelings to rise and make them question their bet, which had interesting and rather alluring terms.

I have recommended this book to everyone I know and wont stop!

If you haven’t picked up A Rivalry of Hearts, you’re seriously missing out!

Sweet, spicy, funny, I truly enjoyed everything about it. I loved Edwina and William and their snark and banter. I’m a big lover of enemies-to-lovers and rivals-to-lovers so this was right up my alley. Even the side characters were great. I found myself kicking my feet at the swoony parts and laughing out loud at the humor. What a fun read!

This was a very unique and cute read. I love the whole fae world creating and the blending of old and modern in it. The main characters were both very loveable and had great chemistry together. I also really enjoyed the relationships of the whole group (main and side characters) and am very interested in getting to read the others stories.

A Rivalry of Hearts was such a fun read!! I am so glad I got this arc from NetGalley.

If you love the Fae but maybe don’t want a whole fantasy book or world to dive into (but still want the world set in a world of magical creatures), this is such a different and great choice. It was light, fun, and still felt unique from other romcoms or even fantasy romances! I can’t wait for the next one.

“A Rivalry of Hearts” 5/5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book!

I had so much fun reading this book! It was such a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed getting to know Edwina, William, and their world. The poet x author dynamic was so cute.

“A Rivalry of Heart” has:
-rivals to lovers 📖
-fae 🧚🏻
-cozy vibes 🤍

I highly recommended to any who loves romantasy🫶🏻

*Thank you to NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

I haven't read anything by this author but this book was really good. I'm not a fan of fae world yet I wanted to read more. It had a fair share of cheesy lines and cliches than I preferred but overall it was a great experience. I want to read more of this author, and I highly suggest this book.

I am so excited for Tessonja to be reaching new levels in her career and have the chance to become more widespread. I have had the honor of following her almost since the beginning and I love her work now just as much as I loved her first works which have since been unpublished. And what better way to jump off the next stage of her career than this incredible book focused on a publishing contract? Edwina and William are such fun characters and their bet is so ridiculous. I love the theme of smut and drivel throughout, which is surprising because it's usually my least favorite part of any book, but it's done rather tastefully in my opinion. William is actually quite the gentleman about it, especially when not under the influence, and it gives the reader a fair warning. It is so hard to word reviews for fantasies like this without giving something away, and I always feel the need to explain my reasoning, which is something I've been working on especially because it gives away spoilers. I loved William's twist and while it's not something I expected, it didn't surprise me for some reason, but it just seemed so fitting. As for the end, I did kind of call that, but I would have been more upset by some twist and I think it's only because I know this author so well. I can't wait to see what's to come in My Feral Romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Crystal Moon Press in exchange for an honest review.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading (and swooning) over Tessonja Odette's Entangled with Fae series, I knew I had to get this one as an eARC.

A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette is a fantasy romance novel about an author and a fae. They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she’s trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract. The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option. Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game. Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?

A little spicer than I like, but was still a decent read.

A Rivalry of Hearts follows two rival authors fighting for a writing contract in a whimsical, Regency-inspired fae world. Unfortunately, I liked the idea of this story better than the book itself.

As always, I love the world Odette has created and her take on fae. However, this reads more like a cozy rom-com than her previous, more plot-heavy fantasy romance series.

If you love rom-coms, you may love this. Sadly, I do not love rom-coms.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

"A Rivalry of Hearts" is an enchanting and compelling read that masterfully intertwines romance and competition. The author brilliantly captures the tension and passion between the protagonists, making their journey from rivals to lovers both believable and deeply satisfying. The story is rich with vivid descriptions, witty dialogue, and emotional depth, ensuring that readers are fully immersed in the characters' world. Each twist and turn in their relationship keeps you eagerly turning the pages, rooting for them to find their happily ever after. It's a delightful and heartwarming tale that will leave you smiling long after the final page.

Reading a romance book about a romance author should be on everyone's 2024 Reading Bingo, and this is the perfect book for such a prompt.
With a drunken poetry battle, an epic orgy, and a competition with hearts on the line, A Rivalry of Hearts is the perfect cozy fantasy with a generous helping of spice. The seduction bet between Edwina and Will was such an interesting and fun use of traditional fae bargains and I love their approach to steamy scenes was with curiosity and consent (and competition). I also appreciated the queer characters and the reflections on sexual attraction without having to define labels, which I relate to as someone on the acespec.
I'm now having withdrawals from Tessonja Odette's captivating words and ready to explore the extensive back catalog (including more books from this world) while anticipating the next Fae Flings and Corset Strings book, My Feral Romance (yay for Daph and Monty!).

Absolute heartwarmer of a love story! The perfect low-stakes, cozy, fantasy romance for lighthearted escapism, when you just want to curl up with a cup of tea and forget about everything but the possibility of happiness and love. Rivals to lovers, with the best dash of spice, this is such a magical romp through the faelands.

A Rivalry of Hearts is the first book I've read by Tessonja Odette but after this read I look forward to reading more.

Edwina is a human from the human town of Bretton. She is visiting Faerwyvae, a land where humans and fae live together, on a book tour to promote her Fae romance novel. On arriving (late) for her book tour she discovers that she is now touring with a second author, William.
Soon after arriving she learns that the author with the most sales will get an amazing contract with their publisher which leads to a drunken bet with William about seducing strangers for points.

Unfortunately the hate at first sight becomes something more and they have to decide what's more important the bet they both need to win the contract or the love they are feeling for each other.

This is a spicy human/fae romance set in a very interesting land of things powered by fae magic. I loved the 2 povs of William and Edwina as they both fought their own feelings but still gave into temptation.
A fun romance novel for anyone who loves a hate to love trope.

I’ll be back with a full review… but holy crap. I already miss the characters and the world! Weenie and Willy forever ❤️

And... I'm back! This entire book is living in my head rent free. Rivals to lovers authors, William and Edwina, compete to win a publishing contract in the faelands. This book was heartfelt, sexy, and incredibly endearing. I hope you pick this up and fall in love with the world and the characters as much as I do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing!