This incredibly witty and romantic rivals to lovers novel will have you squealing and kicking your feet! A Rivalry of Hearts was just so stinkin’ cute!!! I had a blast reading this fae romance and I’m looking forward to the next book already. I also immediately purchased every Tessonja Odette book because this was such a great read!!

DNF AT 50%

This book has a lot of nice things, it is fun, it has a great setting and it is pretty nice. And William is a good character. I really enjoyed him! (And Monty, and Daphne... they are great secondary characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them!).
And the world-building is so nice! I enjoyed exploring it with Edwina. In this world fae and humans coexist, but they live, for the most part, separated. They interact, but mostly the fae live in their part of the world, and the humans in their own. Edwina has the opportunity to visit the part in which the fae live because of her book tour. It is all new to her, and it is all new to us. And it was so much fun discovering this world with her. It is a beautiful place and I enjoyed it!
It all sounds great, and it is but... But I didn't like Edwina. She was so annoyingly stupid, and she made me roll my eyes so much!
Mind me, she has some good traits, and there were some chapters that I loved, and in which I loved her too but... but for the most part I found her annoying, especially for everything related to the bet the two MCs made. And every time I put the book down I had zero motivation to pick it up again, because really, I couldn't connect with Edwina at all.
I tried because, honestly, the book is not bad, and it is funny but... but I wasn't really interested, so I just let this one go.

This book was so unique and such a perfect read. It was absolutely my favorite read this year. It was full of humor and romantic moments that kept me hooked all the way through!

A RIVALRY OF HEARTS is a light, romantic-comedy with fairy tale tropes ideal for summer reading. Edwina and William are both charmingly endearing and their on page chemistry will keep a reader hooked. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC.

The cover alone hooked me, and the fact that it’s a fantasy romance romantic comedy! It was so cozy, charming, whimsical, romantic, and honestly just so hilarious. There were so many moments I laughed out loud because the character’s interactions were so funny. This book delivered in every single way imaginable! I loved everything about it. The characters were amazing, the romance was so angsty and full of tension while still delivering that cozy feeling, and the world was so rich and charming, and I just couldn’t get enough of it. This is probably going to be one of my favorite reads of the year!

Edwina and William have such amazing chemistry right off the bat. Edwina is such an awesome FMC, and I loved her so much. She is so snarky and I loved how determined she was to make it as an author, and to not conform to what society thought she should do. William comes off as very arrogant at first, but as the story goes on and the relationship between he and Edwina develops, you start to see why he acts the way he does. We get to see the vulnerable side of him as his feelings for Edwina develop. These two complement each other so well, and I just loved everything about their romance. And it was so angsty and full of tension!

Overall, this was an amazing read and one that will leave you feeling all the butterflies! It’s going to be one I always recommend now. Definitely a trophy shelf read!

If you want a regency romance with fae, all the spice and steam and writers that love steamy books, this one is for you! Edwina and William were such a fun couple, fae bargains, light, easy and smutty. Definitely check this one out if you loved Tessonja's other works as well.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the E-ARC.

This was such a delight! I had a lot of fun reading this, it was nice and light and like a breath of fresh air after the more intense reads I've been going for. I felt for both of the characters and agreed with each of their motivations. I didn't think one deserved to win over the other in terms of their little competition, but obviously it turned out well. I loved seeing the world and the atmosphere and the settings, and it brought in some cameos of her other works. I've got such a backlist to get to of Tessonja's, and I am exciiiited. Can't wait for the second one of this series too, I love a good bit of banter.

A Rivalry of Hearts is a spicy standalone adult fantasy romcom in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series, penned by Tessonja Odette. It's the first book in the series and can be read on its own. I fell in love with it at first glance—the academic rivals, the alluring ambiance of magic and romance, and the quirky characters who march to the beat of their own drum.
The main characters are simply adorable. Edwina Danforth, a chaotic and witty human author of spicy romance novels, and William Haywood, a criminally handsome fae poet and actor, find themselves brought together by fate for a joint book tour on the Isle of Faerwyvae. Their interactions revolve around a publishing contract rivalry and a misread flirtatious sentiment, leading to hilarious events after a magic-fueled bargain. The stakes are high for both main and side characters, leaving no room for complacency. As they navigate multiple unfortunate circumstances, they explore uncharted territory, grapple with their emotions, and trigger a series of domino conflicts that keep readers giggling or laughing out loud throughout the story.
In ‘A Rivalry of Hearts', the prose is refreshingly enchanting. The world’s features and intricate details are woven seamlessly into the story, creating a sense of home. As the plot unfolds, hidden layers of lore emerge, immersing readers even further in the magical realm. Each character possesses a mesmerizing charm, and every dialogue and scene sparkles with captivating energy. The roller-coaster of emotions and unexpected twists keeps readers blissfully engaged. Trust me when I say that praising this whimsical and compelling tale without spoilers is a delightful challenge.
In summary, the moral of the story is that humans can thrive in the Fae Realm if they avoid fea wine and magical bargains, embracing their ‘happily ever after’ while immersed in Tessonja Odette’s books. I wholeheartedly recommend this unputdownable novel—I relished every second spent on the Isle of Faerwyvae—and eagerly await the sequel.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the eARC of this enchanting book. Dear Tessonja Odette, your words breathed life into the Fae Lands, and I’ve become an ardent advocate of your art.

Thank you NetGalley and author for the E-Arc of this book! I definitely enjoyed myself.

This book screams magic and regency, but also longing and yearning for one another. Just how we like our books ;).

Can I just say I loved the word choice? Like the nicknames and how characters address each other with respect but also with a certain flirt in it? I loved the banter between William and Edwina. William is dreamy, a man with a wanting heart. And Edwina is sweet but also filled with fire when it comes to writing her books. The characters fit wonderfully well together. Even the sidecharacters had their own flare to add and it was truly wonderful.

The book felt like a perfect summer romcom with magical elements (fae, what can I say more?) and hot elements. Two friendly rivals who bicker towards each other but secretly long for each other is my new favorite trope!

If you like any of the above, please give this book a chance!

A Rivalry of Hearts gives everything you want in a romance novel! We've got spice, sweetness, and humor that made me giggle through multiple pages. A perfect rom-com!

I really wanted to like this but this story came off juvenile, at least for me. I wanted to to get into Odette’s work but I feel that it isn’t for me.

A Rivalry of Hearts delivered everything I wanted in a romance and more: academic rivals-to-lovers, poorly-made bets, clever and entertaining banter, stunning wordbuilding, friendship, and women supporting women.

I absolutely adored this and will now be reading everything Tessonja Odette ever has and ever will publish.

Such a fun read. Great combination of romance and a touch of fantasy. Can't wait to hear more from this group of friends and the world they live in.

Really enjoyed this book, it was a nice easy fluffy romantasy that was the perfect palette cleanser while still being engaging.

I enjoyed William and Edwina’s story a lot. I loved the backlog of this author so I was excited to dive into this fae romantic comedy.

Things I loved:
- The banter
- The fae world
- William’s yearning
- Edwina’s steadfastness
- The romantic tension that you could cut through with a knife
- I want to eat and drink all the things mentioned in the book, stat
- The cover is fun and colorful and a great representation of the book
- I need a book with the sister now pls and thank you
- June’s story (IFKYK)

Things I didn’t adore:
- The constant mentioning of sex, etc. It seemed like one of them couldn’t go a chapter without imagining sex or mentioning sex. It is entirely subjective if you like this or not, but it wasn’t my thing and I wish it was either closed door or just had the few sex scenes. I feel like the author was great at showcasing the yearning and love and didn’t have to always describe the physical in detail
- Edwina annoyed me at the end reveal—her reaction felt like she reverted back into her previous self and that her character development had made no progress. Granted, the sister does call her out on this, but it still bugged me
- The they/them pronouns, while I get why they were there, really took me out of the story every time I encountered it. Could just be because I’m an editor by day and I’m always correcting errors, but it took me a while to realize it wasn’t a grammar mistake but pronouns. It’s another subjective opinion that didn’t affect the rating, but took me out of the story

Overall, it was very enjoyable! But the above was the reason why it didn't get a higher rating from me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve been looking forward to “A Rivalry of Hearts” for a while. On paper, everything about this book is catnip to me. And while it is not perfect, it’s a fun, quirky diversion. I would call this cozy-adjacent as there is a fair amount of stress with higher stakes built into the nature of the wager between the FMC & MMC.

The world building is fairly well accomplished. Honestly, my biggest criticism is that the book is written in present tense, which, anymore, is an almost automatic DNF. It’s extraordinarily clunky and smacks of inexperienced, poor writing. I don’t think it serves the plot in any capacity, especially since there are constant asides written in past tense. During the asides, I thought, “Wow, this is great!” But the minute it switched back to present tense, I was pulled out of the story.

Similarly, there were several instances of modern word usage that stood out because they didn’t fit within the context of the time period the author established.

About seventy percent in, there was an out-of-the-blue, magically problem-solving piece of information about fae-human partner lifespans that was oddly out of place.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

1000% yes to this book

I, a non-believer of all things related to love, actually believed in love for a quick second while I was reading this book

This is a 4/5 read for me. It was close to 5/5 but some things I just didn’t enjoy. One of those was how Edwina could kind of be a bit infuriating and naive. Like girl. Open your eyes please you’re nearly 30. I also felt like that William fell for her a tiny bit too fast after being so dismissive in the beginning. But all in all, this was a cute story to read and I absolutely loved the banter between the two and between Daphne and Monty. Daphne was one of my favourite characters. Adding side characters like Zane were a nice addition too. In my opinion it’s the perfect book to read when you want a fae fantasy/romantasy but don’t have the energy for long world building. It is a cozy read that has a good amount of spice.

Anyone who likes rivals to lovers set in a fae world with a smattering of academia will love this light-hearted romp about two authors (she a humam writer of trashy romance books and he a fae pompous poet) who make a bet whilst on their joint book tour in the fae lands that whoever can seduce the most Lovers will win the one book contact on offer by their publisher.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Pretty spicy? Given that this is a smutty book about smutty books 🧐

I cannot express how grateful I am to have received an ARC of this book, and I will be purchasing a physical copy. I finished this in less than a day and could not put it down; it was so much fun.

If you love rivals to lovers and cozy fantasy - THIS IS FOR YOU.

We follow the journey of two competing authors: William Haywood and Edwina. Edwina has been invited to do a book tour featuring her most recent novel, but due to delays in her travel to get there, her tour is now shared with heartthrob poet, William Haywood. His allure and fame is clear during the first few book signings while Edwina’s is not, which leads to them making a bargain.

Instead of having whoever sells the most books receive a contract from a publishing company - make it “who can seduce more people into private, physical acts of intimacy?”

This was SUCH a fun premise and created such tremendous tension throughout the entirety of the book, and there is nothing I love more than a slow burn.

I absolutely loved both of our main characters, which does not happen very often. Edwina is witty, charismatic, and very much her own person. I appreciate an “older” FMC who is already very much her own person. Will is so much fun getting to learn his personas, as well as what is really important to him.

I loved the romance so much. I loved this book; it was so much fun and I think I forgot to blink while reading. I just couldn’t put it down!

If you love books based around books and bookstores, human x fae romance, this is for you!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and Tessonja Odette for this ARC.