This was a cute fun fantasy romance with a lot of fun whitty banter....... recommended for people who like Divine rivals.

This was a quick and dirty, cozy romance. If you like Bridgerton, this might be for you. It's a casual mix of regency and modern romance with spice. For a cozy story the tension was amazing!

The one huge thing that put me off was the MMC's nickname 😭 the worst. Genuinely felt like middle grade cringe. I had to withhold a star for that, I'm truly sorry.

Thank you so much to Tessonja and Netgalley for the ARC. I received the eARC for this title and I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

This was very fun. I haven’t read anything by this author before, or in this universe, but the worldbuilding was very detailed and interesting. The fantasy aspect was quite light but well-done – a bit like the book as a whole, which is minimal on conflict and high on fluff.

The romance is entertaining and the chemistry between Edwina and William is good. I particularly liked getting William’s POV as I liked his perspective on things and how into Edwina he was even when she was taking longer to warm up. They had some good scenes together and the book is quite steamy. I liked that the love scenes were a bit messy and imperfect, such as Edwina being distracted by her writing inspiration. That was cute.

The wider plot didn’t really work for me – the premise began to feel a bit forced and it actually felt a bit inconsequential to the characters. Even when the stakes were raised in the final portion of the book, it still didn’t go anywhere or lead to any real drama. I didn’t think that the book needed it, really, or it could have been worked in better.

But the romance is quite sweet and there is a lot to like about this book. It’s very cosy, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, there’s a lot of fun worldbuilding and overall I really enjoyed reading it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Attempted sexual assault, use of intoxicant potions, vomiting, death of a parental figure (in past), terminal chronic illness (side character), fainting, on-page sex, public sex (not between MCs), voyeurism.

This book was lighthearted and had me kicking my feet and giggling. It’s the perfect mixture of fantasy and historical romance. Edwina is a human author that is running late to her book tour in the Fae Isles, and when she arrives, she finds rival William has overtaken the rest of her tour. Their work enemy relationship evolves into so much more! I really enjoyed the world building in this book because it was clear and accessible to readers. This is my new go-to cozy read!

A Rivalry of Hearts
Tessonia Odette

“We can’t stake our careers on one night of sex. It’s asinine.”

This book gave me life. A game of seduction and sabotage. Holy hot! I want William to ruin me anytime🥵.
It had all my favourite faeries shenanigans; fairy wine, fae bargain, one bed at the inn (teased), nicknames, inability to lie… the banter, I was giddy with it, I laughed out loud and kicked my legs. It was glorious! Top tier banter!

“Whoever can seduce the most lovers by the end of the tour wins.” 😉

“I also learn that he is six-and-twenty years of age, which means the bastard has not only beaten me in sales, beauty, and popularity but in youth too.”

And the ultimate kicker, its enemies to lovers. You guys! A Rivalry of Hearts is such a fun, cosy, low stakes fantasy romcom! Take a trip to Faerwyvae and fall in love and laugh out loud whilst doing it!

Two rival writers, vying for one prestigious publishing contract. A bargain of hearts and seduction.
Human author Edwina is visiting Faelands for the first time and makes an ill guided bet with the other author on the book tour, William, who’s a full Fae.
The bargain terms; whoever can bed the most lovers during their month long book tour wins the coveted publishing contract.

“Let me spell it out for you, Weenie. I may be willing to play fair and leave our win up to Mr. Fletcher’s choice, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to roll over and let you win this bet. Push me into a corner and I’ll fight. Refuse to play fair and I’ll play dirty. You want that?”

I’m in delight that there’s another book, but also disbelief that I’m left again waiting, praying, begging for more. Book two; My Feral Romance, I cannot wait for December 2024 to roll up so I can sink my teeth into this!

“Ah, you didn’t know. He doesn’t bother to whisper like me.
“Did I not know about what? That… that fae don’t have fangs? It was a creative choice, and I stand by it —“

A Rivalry of Hearts is book one in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series and is available tomorrow, June 12th.

Not a drill, enemies to lovers fans, get this ASAP.

(REVIEW POSTED JUNE 11TH 2024.)

A dive into the world of the fae and romance and a sort of but not really enemies to lovers story. Took me a little while to get into but this was enjoyable. My first read from this author and probably not my last. 2.75 🌟 rounded up

In the world of fantasy and fae romance, no one does it quiet like Tessonja Odette and so I was thrilled to hear that she had another story coming out in her wonderfully rich world of Faerwyvae. A Rivalry of Hearts is a standalone so you do not need to have read any of Tessonja's other novels to thoroughly enjoy this book. However, if you have you have, you will appreciate some of the connections and character cameos she weaves in flawlessly into her latest read.

In A Rivalry of Hearts, we meet Edwina Danforth, a young human author whose passion for romantic novels filled with delicious spiciness has earned her fame across the border in the land of the fae. Driven by a desire to maintain her independence and to be recognized for her genuine talent, Edwina is thrilled when she's offered a book tour and the chance at a multi-year book deal that will change the course of her career and life. There's just one catch, she has been paired with an insufferable tour partner, the fae poet William Haywood, whose handsome grace is only overshadowed by his haughty and pompous attitude and annoying habit of being a thorn in her side. When Edwina learns that Willian is up for the same contract that she is depending on whose book sells more, she is determined to win this no matter the stakes, even if it includes her well guarded heart.

If like me, you were a lover of the fire and ferocity of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe when they competed and pushed each other to be better, all the while circling around their growing feelings, then you will absolutely love Edwina and William. As their publishing tour moves through the different courts of Faerwyvae, these two authors find themselves in an escalating battle of taunts and teasing exchanges that will just make you smile. Tessonja masterfully builds the flirtations and tension between Edwina and William, while also weaving in many touching moments that reveal much more vulnerable and complex sides to their personalities. Edwina is a heroine whose curiosity, drive, tenacity and love for all things 'research' will make you love her from the start. And William...he's the perfect blend of saucy, sexy and sensitive who goes above and beyond for those he cares about.

As they spend more time together, both William and Edwina begin to enjoy the daily back and forth and find that it is becoming harder to ignore the mounting attraction between them. However, each struggles to take the chance on opening up fully given that they both have very important reasons for why they must win the publishing contract. They each are holding secrets back that if they were known, could ruin their careers and more importantly their chance at happiness with each other.

I absolutely devoured this book! If you've not dived into Tessonja's books before, they are the epitome of fantasy romcom filled with sweetness, humor, banter and just the perfect touch of naughtiness! This one was no exception. Tessonja once again displays her wonderful comedic sensibilities and talent at writing characters that her readers genuinely can care about. The fire between William and Edwina had me giggling at every turn! I was not able to put this down and without spoiling, I am also happy to know that a few of my favorite side characters will be getting their own story in this series.

A Rivalry of Hearts is another wonderful story from Tessonja Odette and I cannot recommend it enough!

This was my first read from this author and definitely not my last. I normally stay away from regency books but I ate this up!!!! The world building was amazing and easy to follow. Don’t let the cover fool you, this is quite a steamy read!The banter between William and Edwina had me laughing out loud & giggling, kicking my feet. I do wish we got more scenes with the side characters, I absolutely adore Daphne!

I absolutely love Tessonja Odette’s books! Her world-building is so complex and nuanced, her characters are diverse, and her writing is brilliant. I laughed so much through this book! Edwina Danforth (human) is a romance author from Bretton but has a new publisher in Faerwyvae (the isle where the Fae and Humans coexist). She has a book tour on the isle but has been delayed due to several circumstances. Edwina’s publisher allows William Haywood (fae) to join Edwina’s tour so William can promote his book of poetry. Edwina is a tad peeved that William is on her tour and she immediately despises William. To win a coveted publishing contract Edwina enters into a magically binding bet with William to see who can engage in the most acts of intimacy during their month-long turn. The result is sabotage and hilarity, and, of course, our enemies become lovers (one of my favorite tropes).

I loved the supporting characters and wish we saw more of them throughout the novel. The pacing felt a bit off to me and I wanted more from the setting. I know that Odette’s Faerwyvae world is incredibly complex, but the details we got in this book were like sprinkles—they didn’t add much to the story. I love how rich her world is, and I would have liked to see that shine through, but the purpose of this book is the romance. Nevertheless, this was a delight to read! I am very excited about the second book in this series!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC!

"A Rivalry of Hearts" by Tessonja Odette was an absolute delight!

It's a charming, low-stakes, rivals-to-lovers fantasy rom-com that's both steamy and sweet. Edwina and William's rivalry on their fae book tour is filled with witty banter, hilarious scenes, and a touch of magic. The characters are lovable, and the banter is top-notch. It's a cozy read that kept me smiling and rooting for the main pair throughout.

This book is perfect for fans of lighthearted romantasy!

5 ⭐
2.5 🌶️

This was a delight! On the one hand, it's very Jane Austen, yet on the other, it's spicy and sweet and filled with very un-Austenesque characters. Oh my, I loved Daphne, a fae who stayed in her Pine Marten (think of a cross between an otter and a weasel--adorable 😍). Monty, the rake! But our focus is on Edwina and William. Edwina, the author of spicy romance novels, and William, the poet. And this poet is precisely the kind females swoon over--tall, handsome, and a poet! It's a rivalry to start, but William is drawn to Edwina, and Edwina is drawn to Wiliam. From there, it is just one funny, delightful scene after another. I so enjoyed every single word of this story. Both characters had flaws, but the emotions that flowed from both made me smile. You wanted both to get what they needed, and Tessonja tied up their story impeccably. I especially enjoyed how you "modernized" characters' behaviors in a setting I would call steampunk (the elevators clinched for me), IYKYK. I eagerly anticipate the next installment of Fae Flings and Corsette Strings.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader ebook. These opinions are delightfully my own.

This was such a fun, light, spicy and cozy fantasy read. I absolutely loved Edwina’s and William’s competitive spat, and bargain struck after a few drinks. The banter between the two leads was spectacular.

Edwina is a determined writer, trying to make a name for herself in a world that doesn’t take women writer seriously.

This book was a low stakes gas lamp romantasy set in a magical world where humans and faes interact. The characters are not perfect. They are flawed, and this makes it so much more relatable. I had many laugh out loud moments, toe curling shrieks, and a few blushes here and there.

This is book #1 in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series, but can be read as a stand alone in any order. Please check TW before reading.

I cannot wait for the second book releasing later this year.

Add A Rivalry of Hearts to your list now!

Thank you NetGalley, and Tessonja Odette for the ARC!

Edit: Changing this from 4.5 to 5 stars after thinking about it almost everyday for a month after reading and being one of my absolute favorite books of the year.
This was such a delight to read. A Rivalry of Hearts is a cozy fantasy set in a victorian-inspired fae world about two rival authors on a book signing tour competing for a publishing contract. I think this book is perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and A Fragile Enchantment. It was just so sweet and funny, but with the right amount of spice and romance, that I loved every second of reading it. I like the clueless human in a fae world trope, but I especially love when the fae man gets flustered and head over heels for the first time for the human. I also really appreciated how the author showed the struggles of women trying to live in a world where society is always in favor of men. I will definitely be reading more of Tessonja Odette’s books from the Faerwyvae world in the future and I can’t wait for more books in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series.

DNF 20%

I’m not rating this for the obvious reason that I don’t feel comfortable giving it a point system value when I didn’t even get halfway through. That being said, I simply could not continue this.

Edwina and William make a bet (rather, she makes the bet in a drunken state) that whichever one of them sleeps with the most people in a fixed period of time will be the winner of the coveted publishing deal they’re both up for. Unfortunately for Edwina, William is terribly, horribly in love with her. This is not a spoiler. It is just incredibly obvious subtext. I can already picture in my head the confrontation scene around halfway through the book where he gets drunk and confesses to her and/or she catches him lying about sleeping with someone and the truth comes out that he never wanted to go through the deal and he was only doing it to appease her. Then she feels conflicted because he’s an asshole but they’ve gotten so close these last few days (they can never wait a week to fall in love) and they end up having sex. Or, actually, maybe they give up the bet much quicker and just have sex from the beginning. Then in the third act they’ll remember they’re actually competitors and she’ll turn on him even though it’s obvious he’s gonna give up the deal for her because he’s so in love. All of this culminating in the end where he leaves and she feels like she ruined everything and has to apologize to him. Again, this is all completely made up by me. I have no intentions of seeing if any of this actually happens in the book.

I’m mostly joking. I unironically love regency romance novels, all of which are the exact same plot strewn together with different character names. I’m not judging for that. And maybe the book would have subverted my expectations. But I simply don’t care to find out, because this book suffers from what I am now coining as male characterization dissonance. As in, a man acts one way during the female point of view, and is a completely different character when the story is told from his perspective. (See: Xaden from Fourth Wing) William is annoying, and really, really rude. But his point of view chapter did not convey that at all. And, sure, one might say that characters put on facades for others to interpret and that’s not their real self. But come on. Anyway, he’s just too much of a dick for me.

Edwina is the shy, clumsy, and blabbermouth type protagonist that I don’t really like very much. Characters that lack this much confidence are frustrating to read from the point of view of. This book certainly has an audience, but I don’t think it’s me.

This served everything I was hoping it would. I LOVED the witty banter, dynamic relationships, and bookish theme. I full heartly give this a 5 star endorsement and would recommend it to anyone who reads RomComs and/or Romantasy. It’s a lighthearted story infused with a reader’s soul. The way Edwina transforms when she starts talking about books is so darn relatable. Edwina’s character development was delightful to explore. However, I was absolutely here for the romance and steamy bits too. Overall, this read was super fun and plain delightful.

Thank you to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read this ARC, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a fun enemies to lovers read. I really enjoyed the banter between the two and loved the ending.

I gave this book two stars. The concept was intriguing and I went in really excited and although it did have some good moments, I felt personally that the book lacked structure. The situation that our main characters are put in is so far fetched and ridiculous that it seems improbable and impossible especially between two people who have literally just met, and I understand that this is a fantasy but it’s a fantasy that is based in reality and in a world a lot like our own. I do think this book is a great concept and there were a lot of good and intriguing points I just wish that there had been a little more thought into a more believable plot that could have brought the characters together, the plot seemed a little weak and I think there could have been other ways for things to develop.

The chemistry between the two main characters William and Edwina is there and there is tension between them for the a lot of the book which is why I enjoyed some parts of this book. However, Edwina is needlessly stubborn and don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a stubborn character but when that is used to imped the plot or relationships for most of the story it becomes a determent and made me like her a lot less. I wish there has been more spice throughout the book since that is what it was advertised as; a light and easy fantasy read with smut and there is but not till closer to the end.

I have to say that at some point I looked at how much progress I had made and was shocked to see that I was 80% through since nothing had progressed with the plot or the characters and I was almost done the book, what plot there was dragged out and then wrapped up super easy and neat in a few pages at the end.

The world that she built for this book was whimsical and did capture a cozy fairytale vibe, I really liked the descriptions of the different courts in the fairyrealm. Also they fae themselves were a great interpretation.

I didn’t love this book but neither did I completely dislike it. I just had some things that I couldn’t look past. This book is a light and easy romantic fantasy read and if the premise intrigues you then check it out. I know that others will love this book and it’s okay for everyone to have different tastes and opinions on books.

I really wanted to love this, it was one of my most anticipated reads for this year but it really didn't do it for me. I really tried but DNF at 45% unfortunately.

I'm giving 3 stars because I didn't finish it and wouldn't feel right rating it anything else and there were things I enjoyed about the book.

I liked that it was dual POV, I always love that in a book. The characters were nice and the MCs had a few sweet interactions. The main character is definitely neurodivergent coded if not canonically and I liked seeing those traits in her. If this had been more character focused, and maybe YA, I would have devoured this.

I think if the plot had been a bit different and more focused on their actual writing rivalry or been more character focused rather than throwing in the weird and cringey sexual statements and sex bets and bargains it would have been better. I totally acknowledge that that plot point is mentioned in the description of the book but I didn't think it would be so cringey or uninteresting.

The characters were cute and fun and the initial rivalry was fun too but the plot went a bit bizarre while also being boring at the same time. It was all a bit too ridiculous, I completely lost interest.
And the nickname? For one thing Weenie is the most annoying and frankly stupid nickname it felt like I was reading about children and it was repeated so often I got so sick of it.

Definitely good and bad aspects to the book but overall it really wasn't for me. If you liked Emily Wilde or Half a Soul I would give it a go!

A Rivalry of Hearts was one of the cutest books I’ve read in a long time. It’s a hilarious story about an author named Edwina Danforth who has set off on the Heartbeats Tour. Due to bad weather during travel she misses the first week of tour and when she finally catches up she meet another author that has been added to the tour in her absence. His name is William Haywood and he is an up and coming poet and famous actor. Instantly William and Edwina do not like one another and wishes the other would go away. There banter throughout the entire book is absolutely hilarious. From the funny names they call one another… Ed, Weenie and Willy. To the bet the magically binding bet they made to see who would ultimately win the publishing contract at the end of the tour.

Edwina is so charming and intelligent but also dumb as a brick when it comes to love and lust. She’s obsessed with everything about love but sometimes she’s so obsessed, she missies what is right in front of her face. And William is ridiculously charming and he knows it. He’s attracted to Edwina from the moment they met but chooses to “hate” her because he needs to win the publishing contract. But as with any good story, William can only avoid Edwina for so long. And even though it takes Edwina a much longer time to catch on to the fact that William is in fact attracted to her, she struggles with accepting her own true feelings.

I most definitely recommend this story and think it’s a delightfully funny and romantic read.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc.

I love all of Tessonjas books! Just as expected- this was a fun, romantic and spicy fast read with a lot of banter, rivalry and pining. Edwina wasn’t my favorite FMC in the series, but I devoured this book nonetheless.