Well plotted, witty and entertaining. An original mix of paranormal romance and fantasy with a lot of spice.
I rooted for the character and enjoyed it.
Well done, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you're into cozy romantasy and need a light easy read... then this is for you. I on the other hand think I was in the wrong mind set for this kind of story and couldn't appreciate it. I liked Tessonja's writing and world building but felt that the story was a bit too slow and repetitive. The spice is good but the slow burn is slowwwwwww. I think if I didn't have so much on my plate to do this month I could have sat bag and enjoyed this a bit more.

Thank you @netgalley and Crystal Moon Press for the ARC.

A cozy, rivals-to-lovers fae romantasy with dual POV set on the creatively thought of world of Faerwyvae in what feels like the late 19th century. Both Edwina and William are loveable characters though Edwina is a little dense about romance despite being a renowned fae smut author. When the awkward adorable author clashes with the irresistably charming actor/author fae on her book tour, they forge a bet (while heavily under the influence unfortunately) to determine who will win the career boosting contract offered by their publishing company. It was very entertaining/relatable to follow as Edwina cluelessly tries to figure out seduction in order to win the bet while fighting off her conflicting feelings for William and the intense private interactions had me giggling/blushing (what I would do for a “free pass” at Will ooof). The side characters are very funny and the themed Fae kingdoms provided and entertaining variety of settings for the story.
I appreciate the inclusion of a favorably-portrayed non-binary character in this story. I look forward to the sequel!

**Thanks to NetGalley and Tessonja Odettte for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This book was a fast paced read where I was so excited to see the interactions of the characters. Overall it gave me such a different taste of fae characters and their world. I love how the main character strives to reclaim the significance and impact of women's literature and smutty romance books. It holds more depth and meaning than people realize and I love the character chemistry between the two characters. It took me a while to get through the second half but I overall enjoyed the character development and the rivalry. Looking forward to the next book!

For fans of Emily Wilde, Knights Bride and The Spellshop : this rivals to lovers spicy romantasy will steal your heart!
I absolutely loved Edwina and her encounters, her openness and akward talkativeness (i related to her so much!) and how William turned out to be not just a fae poet but someone who Edwina can lean onto.

Cosy, adventurous, a new beautiful and exciting take on faes and humans! Recommending it with my whole heart.

Another epic fantasy romance by Tessonja, her books always lift up my mood and her writing got me hooked into the story right from the beginning!

It’s good to be back again in Faerwyvae, it’s been a while and I really like that I got to explore around the fae isle again with the book signing tour that the main characters (Edwina and William) are having!

Putting down this book is so hard with all the lovely characters introduced in this story, they’re all very well developed.
I really admire Edwina, especially her determination and bravery to survive in the world of publishing. It wasn’t easy being a career woman but she really proved herself in here.

As for the romance, readers who like a little bit of steamy scenes won’t be disappointed with this one!
I love Edwina and William as a couple, I was rooting for them the whole time I read this book. However, I wasn’t a fan of the third act break-up near the ending. Nevertheless, I still really enjoy the whole story.

Overall, exploring Faerwyvae with Edwina and William has been fun!
I am looking forward to read the next book in this series, which possibly about Monty! It’s time that guy has his own happy ending!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Explicit language, overindulgence in liquor, fantasy drug use, mention of death parental figure, chronic illness, descriptive on-page sex scenes (medium spice), public displays of sexual activity and mentions of voyeurism, and taking advantaged of an inebriated person (stopped before he can make attempt).

This was super cute and funny with a great amount of spice! I really enjoyed the world building and thought the dialog was witty. Both Edwina and William were fantastic characters with great chemistry. I absolutely loved their banter and easy way with each other.

A Rivalry of Hearts is a lovely beginning to this cozy romantasy series. All of the other characters were so much fun and brought so much to the story. I can't wait to read the next one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have been wanting to read a book by Tessonja Odette for a while, so I was thrilled when I was gifted an ARC by NetGalley.

This was such a fun and enchanting gaslamp fantasy with some of my favourite tropes, including enemies to lovers, forced proximity and academic rivals. The story surrounds Edwina, a human romance writer going on tour with a handsome fae poet named William. On a night where she gets a bit too intoxicated, she and William make a magical and binding bet - whoever beds the most people by the end of the tour get the publishing contract.

The angst, the witty banter, the tension, and the character development made A Rivalry of Hearts one of my favourite cozy fantasy reads - along with the Meads and Mishaps series (IYKYK). And there is 🌶️ also sprinkled in, for any fans of romance that is a bit picante. I absolutely loved both Willy and Weenie’s characters and found myself grinning and kicking my feet throughout the book.

Needless to say, I cannot wait to read more of Tessonja Odette’s work and would definitely recommend A Rivalry of Hearts 🩵

4.5/5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
3/5 🌶️

“She walks over to the next alcove. I’m…stunned. She’s the only person in this entire room commenting on the public sex as if it were nothing but a painting on the wall.”

I absolutely adored A Rivalry of Hearts. That book is everything. The world building is super nice, with all these magical realms. Both MC are hilarious and endearing, even though sometimes you want to shake them a little ˆˆ.
Edwina, especially, is so relatable, I loved her insecurities, and how socially awkward she can be. Yes, I absolutely felt some connection with her, and I’m not surprised that I saw on a post, just after I finished the book, that she is written as neurodivergent. She had some very … reliable behaviours (so many kudos to the author for that <3). I adored how this character is a pretext to dissect the Romance Genre, be very ironic about it, but also a true tribute. I loved that second trip I had throughout the pages.
William is also a very interesting character, with many layers. I can’t say much without spoiling the book, but I adored how the author twists (and enriches) her own WB around him. That is a great find and makes him very complex –and lovable (even if I sometimes loved to hate him… just a little). I absolutely adored his evolution, and how he reflects in the end, regarding Edwina and his sister both –but, again, I don’t want to spoil here. (Also Blooming Hell became my new favourite curse!)
I loved how spice is used here, to empower both characters, but also as a “tool” to bring them closer, but not in the usual way (let’s twist the codes a bit, again), even if things also gets super steamy.
If I had to summarize this book, I would say it’s a novel in a cozy fantasy setting, great to help you if you have a Bridgerton hungover, with touches of Dangerous Liaisons. Gold!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tessonja Odette for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Loved this. The title, the cover, the story all delivered. It is rare for me to get that level of cohesiveness and honestly this delivered.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review .

I feel in love with this rivals to lovers story. The banter in this tale had me laughing, smirking and takings notes for the one liners .

Our story centres around two authors touring in a joint book tour . They have a contract to win depending on their sales.
One author is a playboy take poet the other is a smutty regency author who hasn’t really had the same experiences her mfc has.

The story is beautiful with delicate beautiful writing, it is however dusted with spice through the book with good pace and ample detail.

The only negative is that I wanted more!!!! Please let there be a Cassie love story she is not the wilting flower that her illness makes her !

Thank you to NetGalley and Tessonja Odette for allowing me to read an ARC of this beautiful book!

My immediate thought upon finishing this novel was that it had NO RIGHT to be as good as it was! I knew I was going to like it from the start. It’s about two writers (a human and a fae) who wind up on a book tour together. They engage in a bet about seducing fans to decide who will get the big publishing contract at the end… but little do they know, their anger and harsh feelings for each other won’t last for long.

Odette has a way of writing these characters that allow you to feel as if you’re really with them - not to mention how she describes each of the courts and placed they visit on the tour. The book just comes to life. Her characters are smart and funny - all of them. I never felt annoyed reading interactions with the other characters that weren’t Edwina and William. I also love how much she discussed females in society (well, in Fae society compared to humans) and the expectations of us all. It was really powerful!

While I do occasionally grow tired of the females in romance novels completely avoiding the fact that what they’re feeling is real and could never be real, I like the drama it provided for Edwina/Will. It was fun getting to know them and watch their story unfold. The banter was great and William definitely made my heart beat a little faster in a few scenes! 😍

A great read if you want a sweet (and spicy) romance novel about fae/human relationships, love romance novels yourself, and want something clever and enjoyable. Well done, Tessonja Odette!

My book is famous all over the world especially
𝘍𝘢𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘺𝘷𝘢𝘦 🍃

Hi, This is 𝙴𝚍𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 who loves to write romantic novels which were claimed to be "smut and drivel" by 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙷𝚊𝚢𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍 who is a VERY charming poet.

We both are on "The Heartbeats Tour" to get a publishing contract. He has his own reasons and I have mine 😏
And now we know that this won't go down without a fight ( for that you need to read the book🤭)

The aura of Edwina was so refreshing and powerful 🤌🏻 this lady has my heart. The way she claims her spot in any space is something worth reading.
William is fascinating 😚 He is kind, tough, understanding and good with words🫠

It was a beautiful beautiful story and I was not able to stop reading it at all.
It talks about family, finding oneself and loving each other through the imperfections 🌸

If you love reading about rivals to lovers, one bed, elevator romance🤭, fae romance, historical fiction 💖 FMC human and MMC fae.....I highly recommend this book🪻

I am so excited to read the upcoming stories in this series 💚

Humorous, witty, entertaining, and oh so heartwarming. I was immediately sucked into this rivalry to lovers romance and I couldn't put it down. It was just pure fun. You have two authors competing for a luxurious contract and each have their own stakes for winning. On top of that, they instigate a ridiculous bet that has they trying to one up each other along the way.

I couldn't stop laughing at the antics their rivalry and bet created. Mixed in, you have the authors falling in love when they know they should be focused on winning the contract. If you're looking for a great fun historical romance in a fantasy setting, this is the book for you!

I adored A Rivalry of Hearts; what a masterclass in romantasy. The romance was an absolute delight and the overarching plot was really enjoyable. I loved getting a glimpse into the different fae courts and hope we get to see more in future! I am undone and need more from the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series.

The longing, the yearning, the tension - done to absolute perfection! The buildup to the climax with Edwina and William was electric. Their chemistry practically leapt off the page and they were so believable as a couple.

I loved the dual pov! I wasn’t sure about William at first but the small peeks behind the façade were so impactful and I grew to love his many performances. Edwina felt like getting a glimpse behind the curtain of the reality behind romance writing; it felt really genuine and the love of the romance genre shone through in this character.

“Use me” was my absolute undoing. I was completely gone by that point and devoured this book. Tessonja Odette the author you are!

Please do yourself a favour and read this, I genuinely can’t recommend it highly enough! Easiest five stars. What an absolute joy this was to read from cover to cover.

this book absolutely page turner for me! The characters had the best banter and such a gorgeous development from rivals to lovers. i loved the soft fantasy, with fae and magic.

After publishing several scintillating stories about the fae of Faerwyvae, Edwina Danforth is invited to complete a book tour on the Fae Isle. When she arrives, Edwina finds that she is competing with the handsome but arrogant William Haywood for a publishing contract that would allow her to continue her writing career and move to Faerwyvae. Fueled by a desperate need to win the contract, Edwina makes a bet with William that the one who beds the most lovers will be the one who wins the contract.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️s - This cozy, rom-com fantasy gives Bridgerton with Fae vibes. The witty banter between William and Edwina is exquisite in the way only two writers can banter. I love the way the two characters goad each other.

Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️s - Sex present plus lots of teasing moments. Each spicy scene is teasingly tantalizing with enough kick to be satisfying but not too much tease to leave anyone but the characters frustrated. Lots of adult content including an orgy, drinking, and fae drugs. Again, think Bridgerton but with Fae.

Thank you Tessonja Odette, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for the ARC. I loved this introduction to Faerwyvae and am planning on plunging into more stories from this world.

A Rivalry of Hearts is a spicy standalone adult fantasy romcom in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series...

"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."

What a wonderfully whimsical whirlwind of "smut and drivel". I absolutely adored this book! I was a little worried about the initial information dump in the first couple of pages, however, I quicky became immersed in the magical land of Faerwyvae and all its colourful creatures.

I adored our curly haired, bumbling romance author, Edwina Danforth, from the very beginning. Her biting banter with William was perfection and their rivalry was highly entertaining, witty and sizzling with sexual chemistry. I was super giddy by the end. I was literally beaming from ear to ear when reading THAT elevator scene.

This book was satisfyingly sweet, super spicy, incredibly entertaining and all-around good vibes. I'm ridiculously excited for Monty and Daphne's story. I need it now!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first book I've read from Tessonja Odette and my goodness, she breathes sweet sweet life into me with this wonderful rivals-to-lovers fae romcom! The romance had me giggling and kicking my feet, and both characters were wonderful, believable individuals with great motivations and enough heart to drive the show. You will love this passionate heartfelt book, full of sensual teasing and incredible fun.

Odette's writing is addictive and has an easy flow, and she doesn't make me feel lost even though this is a preexisting world she has written in before.I am now so eager to dive in the rest of Odette's books within this universe, and I am GREATLY looking forward to the sequel. I will be getting my hands on a physical copy of this book as soon as possible!

Oh how I loved this book!!!!!! It was such a good enemies to lovers with such good spice and banter! I loved every second of it and was so happy with the ending and being able to get a glimpse in the future. I am so excited for the next book and the focus on the next couple too!





I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.