oh i loved this, it was so cozy and just what i needed! i think the mixing of different genres works so well here.

all of the characters were so unique and likeable, but they were also flawed and this made them feel very real.

i was so happy with the little cameos of characters from previous books, and it made me so excited for the next book in the series!

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!!

This is a perfect little cozy fantasy read! Its so hard to find like a cutesy romantasy book, especially a stand-alone. This book was quite everything I could ask for. I am now diving down a Tessonja Odette rabbit hole and reading all her books!

A Rivalry of Hearts is a spicy, cozy fantasy that hits all the right notes for a truly enchanting read. This book has so many of my favorite things: fae, rivals-to-lovers, dual POV, and a Regency-era setting—what more could I ask for? The banter between Edwina and William is sharp and witty, adding a delightful touch of humor to the story. If you love books that make you giggle and kick your feet while reading, this is perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley for approving me for this ARC. I was so excited to see Tessonja say these were available on her Instagram and applied right away, and feel grateful I got accepted. This is the first book I’m reading of hers but she’s been on my radar for a while now.

This reads like a regency romance in a fantasy fae setting with spice. I loved the writing and how the world building was done. I liked our main characters, Edwina and William, and we meet a cast of supporting characters early on that helped enhanced the book, especially with a hint of a potential new couple towards the end. Daphne intrigued me the most as a character and she really grew on me throughout the story.

I do know this is an adult book with spice but I wasn’t quite expecting an orgy! I found the open way they spoke about sex jarred slightly with this regency-replica time period. I also found Edwina and William got a bit too familiar too fast, and had too many intimate confessions early on. This let down the romance slightly for me as it felt rushed. I didn’t think they really knew each other well enough to do so.

I loved Faerwyvae as a place. It felt so quaint and fairytale like, and I’m glad she has more books set in the same world. I especially liked getting to tour Faerwyvae with Edwina and seeing the different courts through her eyes. The romance felt a bit too hasty and out of character at times so this fell short for me. It did improve later on and I did enjoy the banter between Edwina and William. I loved Tessonja’s writing and will be reading more of her books. I think I’ll read the Fair Isle trilogy next, which is also set in Faerwyvae, and leans more YA which I think I’d personally prefer.

Rated 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Gosh! This book actually had me giggling and kicking my feet from the start. The romance is so well written and the pining is just... MWAH chefs kiss. This was such a cute read and I cannot wait to read more from this series and this author!

All the characters were so likeable and I would read spinoffs of literally any of them. The world building was really good and easy to follow.

I would seriously recommend this to anyone who loves a good rivalry romance, even if fantasy isn't your cup of tea!

I absolutely loved this book! The enemies-to-lovers was well-written, the banter was perfect, and the spice was incredibly fun. I already plan to preorder a beautiful hardback signed copy, and tell everyone I know to read this book!

The world was beautiful and the characters were a joy to read. I can't wait for the next one!

Absolutely delightful cosy romantasy with plenty of spice to boot.

Edwina and William are rival authors on a book tour of the fae Isle. Edwina is a human from Bretton who writes romance novels, and becomes an accidental hit in the land of the fae. William is a fae who writes poetry. Both are up against each other to win the coveted three book deal which will go to whomever sells the most books during the tour. To make things extra spicy the pair make a deal that whoever can take the most lovers will take the contract.

This rivalry spurns on a amusing tale filled with pining, jealousy and love. It's cosy and funny with well-developed secondary characters. There was just something about this story that kept me smiling and constantly rooting for the main pairing.
I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

First thank you netgalley and tessonja for giving me an arc of this, it made my week!

I am a fan of tessonja’s writing, the entangled with fae saga made me fall back in love with reading and coming back like this was glorious!!

I loved seing the isle out of this view and just reminiscing other courts we already visited.
And even for readers not as familiar ( a colleague of mine read it too) it’s super understandable and a great way to get to know the isle

The writing just feels like a hug after a long day, I was both entertained and enthralled and I giggled through the whole book, the only thing stopping me from rereading all the other books is my judging tbr ✌︎('ω')✌︎
As a booksellers pov it was so much fun joining the tour ( monty hire me )

I will wait patiently for our new paring (no spoilers incoming)

So everyone who has a weakness for bridgerton, faes and needs some swooning and giggles, read this after it was published you will not regret it!!

Tbh we just need more silly little rom coms with a dash of fantasy!!!!

From the first page to the last, this book held my attention and my heart. So many emotions, it was easy to get lost in the pages, and I found myself reading it all in one day. It had the air of a historical with a touch of fantasy, keeping multiple sides of my chaotic reader self happy. I will admit that initially, my interest was captured by the cover more than anything else, and I'm happy to report that the insides match the outsides in a spectacular fashion. There are so many tropes I love - enemies to lovers, guy falls first, forced proximity - but there are other elements to the tale that can't quite be captured simply by stating the trope. And the side characters were an absolute delight, each and every one of them. I was already starting to make a list in my head of who I want to see next, although it becomes obvious at the end who will get their happy ending in the next book. I could not be more delighted! There was also great representation in this book with gender identities and sexual orientations, and we also get to see how the fae people navigate their comfort in their own skin. We have one side character who stays in her unseelie form, which is an animal, for the majority of the book, and her discomfort in her human form was so relatable. I am very intrigued to learn more about her in the next book..

Back to the main characters - they were so delightful and lovely, I couldn't get enough. So many layers to them both but especially with the hero, William, who has such an interesting backstory that comes out in bits and pieces as the story progresses. At first, the reader is led to think he is going to be a rude, arrogant character...but then, as he and our heroine, Edwina, spend more time together, he reveals a bit more of himself with every interaction. William is absolutely head over heels for Edwina fairly early on, but he fights it, given that she is human and he is fae. Not to mention their bet, which pits them against each other for the chance to win a publishing contract, and in order to win the bet, they must beat each other in how many people they can sleep with before midnight each night. Not to worry - there is no cheating or any major OW/OM drama in this book. But it's fun seeing their jealousy and teasing as they realize the only person they want to sleep with is each other. William is protective of Edwina in a way that gives me all the good feels, and Edwina grows to care more for his well-being than she does her own ambition. However, both have a lot more to lose than a contract if they lose the bet, so there's a lot of angst as they get closer to the end of the book tour. It's heartbreaking and emotional, and I wanted at times to shake them through the pages. But love will prevail, and all that angst and drama will come to a very satisfying conclusion. And what I especially appreciated was the excellent epilogue (or two!) - so don't skip those. It will leave you smiling ear to ear.

I didn’t know what to except with this book, and it totally blew me out of the water!
An enemies to lovers fae romantic fantasy; this book had me kicking my heels and giggling.
Will as the MMC and Weenie as our FMC are a match made in literary heaven. All bets are on (or are they off?) as the two battle to win a top contest with their publisher. Set in the regency era; this book will transport you to a new world that you won’t want to leave. I love the authors unique writing voice and will absolutely be seeking out more of their work.

How does one review a book that leaves you in one of the worst reading slumps you’ve ever experienced?
This is a romance book for fantasy readers. In a way that if I were lucky enough to be a fae, I'd go to a library (in fae world, of course) and pick this up. Then, I'd devour it in less than a day.
Whatever magic Tessonja used while writing this, I really hope she has a lot more left because we need more. It was perfect. Everything from the true rivals to lovers dynamic, to the tension and slow burn. Every scene was thought through, every conversation full of banter and love. I, with all my heart, hope no one saw my face while I was reading this, because I probably looked half mad. I was either crying or giggling like an idiot, and I'm pretty sure that tells you enough about the emotional rollercoaster I was put through.
I cannot recommend this book enough and It definitely isn't the last Tessonja Odette’s book I'll read this year!

I absolutely loved this book! The romance was so cute and the banter was top tier. I loved the combination of fantasy and historical elements. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book as it had me hooked from the beginning. This was such a beautiful story and I loved the storyline. It was very well written and the description of the main characters was amazing. I cannot wait to read other books written by this author.

I’m in love! This rivals to lovers was quirky and fun with excellent banter and the perfect amount of spice! The Victorian feel mixed with fantasy elements made it something special!

I can’t wait to read more in this series ♥️

Edwina is a writer eager to win a publishing contract. She is competing with a Fae, William. They fall in love along the way against their wishes... Lots of spicy scenes. Love how they fight and flirt and banter. Very funny scenes... a light-hearted fun read.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This book is slow burn and full of fantasy aspects you wouldn’t see in a lot of other fantasy books making it have a more whimsy feel. It’s definitely a romcom and I enjoyed the banter Will and Edwina had! This book is also fantasy regency, so Edwina is determined to be successful so that she doesn’t have to go home and be married off.
I loved that Will fell first, the first chapter of his POV had me kicking my feet and made me even more excited for his POVs going forward. I also loved that Edwina was headstrong and refused to let anyone or anything get in between her and her dream, even love. And the item Edwina was supposed to auction, that was my favorite scene!
While this book is a fantasy romcom it still hits on serious topics such as chronic illness and loss of a parent.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters, I think Daphne is my favorite side character but I also loved Monty and how he came to defend Edwina.
This book has:
-Found family
-Queer representation
-He falls first
-Protective MMC
-Witty FMC
-Dual POV
-Rivals to lovers
Thank you so much Victory Editing & Tessonja Odette for the ARC 🖤

A Rivalry of Hearts, a fantasy rom-com set on The Isle of Faewyvae, delivers a romantically (sexually) tense rivals authors to lovers story-where he falls first.

Author Tessonja Odette has created a world that is simply fun and easy to be fully immersed into, which is always a delight with fantasy novels. A Rivalry of Hearts was a perfect combination of fantasy, romance, comedy, and spice. The banter between characters, not just William and Edwina, but with Monty and Daphne, leave you looking forward to further works within this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for an advanced copy of A Rivalry of Hearts in exchange for my honest review.

Review posted on Goodreads on 5/4/2024.

I absolutely LOVE this book. I love the dual POV, the enemies to lovers, and the rivalry that Edwina and William have. All of the characters are so well written and this was such an easy read. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.

So I was actually quite enjoying this until about halfway and then for me it just lost that spark. But I really loved their banter and enemies to lovers vibe at the beginning. The cozy, competing authors fantasy fae element was super fun!

However, I was not a fan of the "the bet" they had going on but I was able to get over some of it until things started to just feeling too all about sex. I feel like it was doing such a great job building up that angst but it started to just get too lusty and not lovey in my opinion.

It was still cute but not quite what I had hoped. Maybe I just went into this with the wrong expectations since I haven't read her other books. I'm sure it'll be someone else's jam and they'll love it. It just wasn't quite the right fit for me unfortunately. If you like a cozy, fun, sexy & spicy fantasy fae story then definitely give this a shot.

god im so in love with her writing style, it’s SO magical. 5/5 ⭐️, im obsessed.
literally read this in a day and so so so sad it’s over