I really really really wanted to love this one. I love Mary E. Pearson’s other books and was so pumped that she was writing an adult book. However, this book fell so short. The first half reads like YA (not in a good way). The MC is older but that’s really the only thing that made it adult. The coming of age / finding yourself storyline along with the almost magical school / quest were right out of a YA playbook. Then the second half was filled with steam in a way that kind of came out of nowhere.

I would read the sequel but this book was disappointing by comparison to the author’s other books.

One last note, I did enjoy the narration. The audiobook was well done and I liked the different voices uses. But, one issue I had was with the writing. There are numerous unnamed POVs which was confusing to listen to. Not the narrator’s fault, just made the audiobook more challenging. I will likely physically read the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 ⭐️

Overall, I enjoyed myself. This was a fresh take on a fae fantasy romance that left me with a renewed interest in the genre.

I wouldn't say that any of the characters stood out to me that much, but they weren't the typical copy-paste of Feyre and Rhysand that you see in all of the popular fae fantasy romances out these days.

The setup was well done and had me hooked. However, I felt like the meat and potatoes of the story were lacking. There wasn't a lot of action on-page, and things were drawn out for much longer than they needed to be. This book did not need to be nearly 600 pages long.

The romance was slow-burn, and I appreciated that, but like many romances, all the tension evaporate the moment they got together. This left it feeling a bit vanilla and almost a bit lacking until the final 10% of the book.

The on-page spice was well done. It's descriptive, but not raunchy (not that there's anything wrong with that). For some reason I thought that this was YA (it explores many of the themes and uses the kind of more simplistic language YA books do), but the spice proved me wrong.

The plot did drop off for me around the 200 page mark and didn't pick back up again until the last 80ish pages. I think this is an unfortunate trend with many of the books being published these days containing a lot of filler and having a large page count for the sake of looking impressive. There's nothing wrong with having shorter books if you don't have as much to say!

Will I read the sequel? Probably not... I don't have the burning need to know how this story ends.

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a review.

3.75 ⭐️
see.. i'm used to her pacing so this story didn't catch me off guard nor did it disappoint me. i'm a little thrown off by the ending and it seems like this will be trilogy ngl with the way she paced everything.
i think i did enjoy the story for the majority of it. (it definitely dragged here and there). plus, i'm not always the biggest fan of fae but this kinda reminded me of a slower paced cruel prince (the world, not the plot) so i was lowkey eating it up LOL and there were definitely plot points that were rlly fascinating.
i am curious to see where the next book will take us for sure

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Macmillan Audio!

The Courting of Bristol Keats has all of the elements I look for in a romantasy. There's an immersive fantasy world with unique magical elements. The enemies to lovers/forbidden romance is top tier. There’s also a little bit of mystery which always makes for a great page-turner. The plot is so compelling and it follows through. With that ending, how am I supposed to patiently wait for book two?

I highly recommend the audiobook. Brittany Pressley is such a fantastic narrator. I almost always have one of her books in my rotation. The Courting of Bristol Keats has a large cast of characters and she does a great job keeping them all easily identifiable. She does especially well with capturing the FMCs wide range of emotions.

This is not the first book that I have read from Mary E. Pearson but it’s definitely my favorite so far. I look forward to reading the rest of this series and will be doing at least one reread before book two’s release.

The Courting of Bristol Keats swept me off my feet in the best possible way. Bristol is the kind of heroine you root for from page one—fierce, funny, and emotionally layered. The slow-burn romance had me kicking my feet under the covers, and the tension? Perfectly delicious. Every scene crackled with chemistry, but it never rushed the emotional payoff. I loved how the author balanced witty banter with raw, vulnerable moments that made the love story feel earned. The love interest was charming without being cliché, and the supporting characters added just the right flavor. It’s a romance that doesn’t just flirt with your heart—it steals it. I couldn’t stop smiling when I finished. This one goes straight to my favorites shelf.



Instagram Review and GoodReads review to come once I get my hands on the hardcover for photo

Finally got my hands on THE COURTING OF BRISTOL KEATS. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I lacked the sizzling, highly tense romance that her most previous series sold me on (Dance of Thieves), but I enjoyed being back in this author's creative worldbuilding nonetheless.

Dnf at 21%. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I struggled with the main character and the fae world. I’m not usually a big fan of fae books so I feel I wasn’t the target audience for this. The narrator was very good though! Just kind of fell flat for me and I didn’t have any interest in continuing. Thank you to the punisher for this free audiobook.!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This felt promising but just didn't do it for me. It felt scattered at points and wasn't keeping my attention. I may try again another time as it was definitely interesting at points!

Seeing that The Courting of Bristol Keats was narrated by Brittany Pressley made this an auto-listen for me. She’s one of my favorite narrators, with a voice that adds so much depth and emotion to her characters. As expected, her performance was excellent. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t work as well for me. I was hoping for a compelling enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but I struggled to connect with the characters, and the pacing felt slow. The world-building also felt a bit underdeveloped, which made it harder to immerse myself in the story. While this one wasn’t for me, fans of Mary E. Pearson may still enjoy it!

Thank you to Mary E. Pearson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read anything by Mary E. Pearson, but I have heard such excellent things about her works that I was very excited for this book. I overall enjoyed this book. While the romance was very prevalent throughout, the plot and world building also held up even without the romance. This is a major thing I look for when reading romantasy as I do not enjoy when the whole world falls apart without romance.

I also loved the ominous POV chapters (the we do not know who’s POV/worlds POV) that were sprinkled in and gave us context on what/who was doing things elsewhere in the world. However, the ending was soooo lacking. We didn’t get any answers to our questions :( i wish it ended with at least bristol’s transformation into her full potential/self without the tick because it’s pretty clear she will decide to learn about real self at some point in this story. It felt like the story just stopped at a random point and will pick up in the next book.

I cannot rave about this book enough. I made sure I mentioned to those who didn’t want to read the beautiful physical edition that the audiobook was phenomenal

Bristol and her two sisters lost both of their parents and are trying to make it in their small town. When Bristol gets a suspicious letter from a family member that she never knew existed, things get a little interesting. I loved Bristol from the start. I was pulled into her story and needed to know all the things. We are given little breadcrumbs of information that I just needed to understand. I did not want to put the book down. I cannot wait to read more in this series. I did enjoy the romance and the bit of spice. I also adored the friendships. The narration was great. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an advanced audio copy of this book!

After I finished this audiobook, I had to sit with it for a couple of days before I could even begin to get my thoughts together. Even still, I don't know how to describe this book or how it made me feel, but here goes...

"The Courting of Bristol Keats" is a story about an orphaned girl in her early 20s who works to support her two sisters. After receiving letters from an estranged aunt requesting they meet, Bristol gets dragged into the Faerie world, where everything from the rules to the passage of time is different from the small town she grew up in. While there, Bristol learns much about her heritage and her abilities while growing closer to the brooding king, Tyghan. But there are still many secrets she does not know that could change everything.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this book. The premise sounded incredible, the cover was stunning, and I loved the audio narration. But unfortunately, this story fell flat to me. This book was over 500 pages long, yet I felt that not enough happened plot-wise. There were a lot of filler moments that made the story drag and it left off at a confusing place. It felt like Pearson had written a full book and was told to cut it in half and make two parts. This book didn't feel complete in nearly any way.

I don't normally say this, but the romance was one of the few things that saved this book for me. I thought it developed in a familiar and relatable way and I loved Tyghan. The pining was unmatched and I couldn't wait for the big reveal in the end but by the time we got there, I found it way too anticlimactic. They forgave each other way too easily.

At this point, I still have faith that the author will redeem herself in the second book because I love Mary E. Pearson's writing. I give this book a 3/5 stars

Bristol and her sisters lost their parents and are trying to survive on their own. They start to receive letters from an aunt who is promising she can help them. The problem is, they’ve never heard of this aunt. After deciding to meet, Bristol’s world is turned upside down and she realizes nothing is what she thought it was and her dad might be alive still after being kidnapped by creatures from another world. Desperate to find out if her father is still alive and to see if she can save him, she travels to another realm where she makes a bargain with Tyghan, the fae king. He’s tangled in their mess and also has reason to find her father.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed Bristol’s character and the journey to find her father. The slow burn was much appreciated, it was actually slow! The dancing scenes were so sweet. I really enjoyed this story!

The audiobook narrator did a great job, I really enjoyed the portrayal of the characters for the chapters that I listened!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Mary E. Pearson, and Macmillan Audio for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review. This published on November 12th.

The moment I began The Courting of Bristol Keats I was getting Holly Black’s Elfhame vibes! I’m starting this review with recommending this to any Folk of the Air fans! But this is an adult Elfhame in which we get some incredible romantic tension and spice!

Bristol suffers from family secrets and suppressed magic. She enters Elfhame having made a bargain to help them if they help her, but she doesn’t realize that not everything she’s heard of fae is true. I really enjoyed the constant irony of the story through multi-POVs. While knowing the secrets of each party might seem spoilery, it really upped the anticipation of converging truths coming to a head. I also found the POVs of inanimate objects, locations, and beasties to be so fun and unique!

I enjoyed the found family, training, and reluctant allies tropes. I felt the romance was the perfect amount of tense and spicy without anything too gratuitous. I did not expect the ending to be a cliffhanger though! Now I have to be patient while waiting for the next book! In the end, this was five stars for me!

When your comp titles are are The Cruel Prince & ACOTAR, of course I have high expectations for the first in this new adult duology. This lived up to most of them. I need the next one ASAP.

4.5 ⭐

Mary E Pearson's writing is so fluid and enjoyable to read. The Courting of Bristol Keats is the first in a duology filled with magic, fae, danger and mystery. Bristol, our FMC, lives in a tiny town with her sisters after the loss of her parents. Struggling to survive, she receives another message from an estranged aunt to meet with her. Out of desperation she goes to meet only to help secure money for her sisters.

Bristol being an intelligent main character made her shine to me. Despite being new to the world, she seemed realistic and quick to catch onto the scheming of the fae. She really shone in her interactions with Tyghan. I love how their relationship started as enemies to his intrigue getting the better of him to start to want her. I wish this was a bit more slow burn, but the spice was a good addition.

Points only taken off because of the ending. It felt too abrupt. I'm hoping the next one picks up directly where the first left off.

📙 Betrayals and secrets
📙 Reluctant allies
📙 Enemies to lovers
📙 He falls first and falls harder
📙 Forbidden love
📙 Hidden powers
📙 Court intrigue/politics

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an eARC & ALC of The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E Pearson in exchange for my honest review!
3 likes

Bristol Keats was a slump breaker for me. Fast paced, unique and fun -- I loved this book so much. I highly recommend to fans of fantasy romance who are looking for a fresh new world.

i wanted to love this book, since i've enjoyed previous books by mary e. pearson. however, i found the world-building a little confusing, and it ended up feeling too long.

I loved The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E Pearson, so I was really looking forward to her adult debut!! Unfortunately, this was a major flop for me. The writing / audio was super clunky and hard to follow. I found myself having to go back and relisten to chapters all over again because I missed things. I feel like a lot of character development and the action of the story happened off page. Characters would talk about things, but we wouldn't see it happen. Overall, it was a confusing and frustrating reading experience.

What a great book this was! Fast paced and kept me intrigued the whole time! Would definitely recommended to anyone looking for a great book to read.