Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


The Courting of Bristol Keats By Mary E. Pearson has Vibes that remind me of ACOTAR but with its little spin on the Romantasy genre. The narrator was wonderful and articulated the story well. Pearson knows how to write a multi-level tale that makes the reader feel like the world they weaved could happen in reality. I loved this story so much; I laughed and cried for Bristol because I felt her emotions. The way things were written made it easy for me to sympathize with what These characters were going through and at times I found myself wanting to reach through the page to either hug, yell, or strangle certain characters. The only thing I disliked was the book ended and I needed to know more so I hope Mary E Pearson writes the second book because I NEED to know what happens next.

First I’d like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. I ended up DNFing it at 50%. FirstI want to say that I really liked the narrator. She did a fantastic job at doing the many different voices and accents. But the story itself just wasn’t for me. It felt very familiar and not in a good way. Maybe if I hadn’t just read The Cruel Prince trilogy I would have thought this was a little more unique. And it’s probably not fair to compare the two, but TCP was just so much more vivid and immersive. I listened to half of this book, which was nearly 9 hours, and in that time I didn’t feel pulled into the world or connected to the characters at all. I also felt that the insta lust between the two main characters didn’t have the development that it should have to feel realistic.

I do think that this book will work for many. But this is my third attempt at reading Marry E Pearson, and I think it may be time to admit that her books just aren’t for me.

This book had such a promising start! It captured that enchanting vibe reminiscent of The Cruel Prince, and I was all in. We follow Bristol Keats as she ventures into a world of gods, fae, and monsters in search of her father, whom she and her sisters believed to be dead. Surprise! He’s alive in another realm. As Bristol embarks on her quest, she discovers far more than she bargained for.

However, I found the ending a bit disappointing. It felt dragged out, almost as if it could have been condensed into a novella or extended into a separate book. Still, I will definitely read the next installment—I need to know what happens next for Bristol, her father, her mother, and Tyghan!

I enjoyed getting to know Bri and her word of fae. I read and listened to the audiobook at the same time because I was so wrapped up in the story. Can't wait for book two.

So first of all - I mostly liked the narrator. I've heard her before in other things and I don't have a problem with her at all.

Overall I liked this. One thing that I didn't realize and it ended up sort of disappointing me was that this is going to be part of a series. In my head, for whatever reason, I thought it was going to be a standalone book so I was looking forward to a complete story. Either way, I liked it. I thought the world was interesting - some of the dynamics or characters I didn't really get or care about but overall not bad. I unfortunately couldn't keep the majority of the knights straight in my brain but such is life. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book.

2.5 stars. This was my first read from this author and I don’t know if this is how their other books are usually, but this wasn’t it. I should stop letting sprayed edges and pretty covers pull me in.

This was so long and just not interesting. So much we are told about happening off-page instead of actually seeing it, which never works for me. This was also giving vibes of The Cruel Prince, similar set up and I just wasn’t here for that. Basically we follow Bristol as she learns fae exist, travels to the faerie realm Elfhame, makes deals with fae, learns about how tricky fae are/the dangers, trying to care for her sisters, learns about her family’s history, etc.

I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.

I’m obsessed. I need more right now.

This is my first read from Mary E. Pearson and I can’t wait to read more from her!

I loved the world-building and found myself unable to put the book down. I kept needing to know what happened next and this book helped me get out of a reading slump.

Unfortunately I found this story hard to follow, and I had trouble connecting with the main character Bristol.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I received the audio e-arc of this book and I wanted to love it so badly!!

I was so confused for the first 20-30% of this book. I didn't quite understand why things were setting up the way they were. I also don't think I was meshing with the writing style much.

I feel that people who love whimsical books, fairytale retellings and little to no spice then you would absolutely love this book.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for my ALC. All thoughts are my own. The narrator was phenomenal and did such a great job with each character's voice and essence. I had no problems with the audio file or any audio issues.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. I really liked it at first and then I lost my enthusiasm. I thought the beginning was paced well with all the world building, even though I had a lot of characters to keep track of. It also seemed like the author assumed the reader was familiar with fae and their worlds from other fantasy books.
I was patiently waiting out the slow build to get to some intense battle scenes but there really weren't' any. Maybe one. I was disappointed there wasn't more action. I also didn't love the ending. I felt like Bristol's feelings at the end were so torn and betrayed and shattered I was mad (spoilers) she hopped back in bed with Tyghan. It wasn't a cliffhanger and I know there's a second book coming but it felt like the ending should have been different.
Overall I'll probably rank it around a 3 or 3.5/5 stars.

Im always intrigued with a story when the plot is mixed with the real world and fae. I think it's a great way for a reader that is used to contemporary to jump into fantasy. For me however, I mainly read fantasy/romantasy so I think it's time that I realize that plots like this seem to end up being something I've read countless times and its nothing new. that doesn't take away that this book had great characters with depth and the world building was interesting.

I would recommend this to someone just starting to get into fantasy. Especially the audiobook. It has a great narrator with amazing range that got me to appreciate the story.

I was given the ALC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to both NetGalley and Mary E Pearson for the chance to read and review this book before it’s released!


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5


The Keats sisters have been trying to survive the death of their parents, working menial jobs and living paycheck to paycheck when one day, Bristol Keats discovers that their father is not dead, but spirited away into Elfhame, the land of the Fae. Bristol is given the opportunity to support her sisters through a piece of valuable art in exchange for her help to locate and close a mysterious portal to another dimension that is loosing horrors on the people of Elfhame.

Bristol reluctantly agrees with the primary goal of finding her father, and sets off into Elfhame with the prickly and mysterious (and wickedly handsome) leader of the Fae, Tyghan. This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers type of romance.

Bristol discovers that not only is her family hoarding secrets, but her own life is shrouded in a mystery that she must discover on her own as she learns to make her way within the Fae world of magic and intrigue.

This is a good introduction to this series and I look forward to the next book!

Want to start off by saying I listened to this audiobook and 100% adore Brittany Pressley. She can do no wrong, and honestly there are some books that she saved for me with her narration alone.

Ever since losing both of her parents, Bristol and her sisters are struggling to make meets end. She is propositioned and essentially tricked into making a deal with people who claim to be associated with her "aunt". Upon meeting them she quickly discovers that nobody is who they seem to be, even her father.
Desperate to find and saver her father, Bristol enters the land of gods, fae, and monsters. Little does she know the person she made a deal with is the same person who drove her parents away.

Many twists in this one. The writing style is unique, and I enjoyed that. I am not a big reader of Fantasy; however, the story line was good at keeping my attention for the most part. Definitely a long story and at time repetitive.
The cliff hanger was definitely intense.

Thank you, Mary Pearson, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been trying to listen to this for a couple weeks now and I’m about 30% in. I was really excited for this release but honestly I think I am going to DNF. It might just be that the audio isn’t working for me so I’m planning on getting a physical copy and trying it out that way. There is a lot going on in this book so you have to really pay attention when you’re listening. I’ve had to rewind a lot, which is totally a me problem but if you’re like me be warned! The story has been interesting but it doesn’t feel like anything new to me and I think that’s why I’m dragging my feet to pick it up.

I really enjoyed this book and the audio! It’s a modern day fantasy which crosses real life places, events, and people with a mythical world. I really enjoyed the Celtic mythology women into the story. I did wish there was a bit more focus on main characters and their arcs rather than so many supporting characters. The ending of the book leaves it wide open for the next book in the series. Over all, this book was a fun read and I’d love to read the second when it’s written.

This is amazing! I was absolutely hooked with the puzzle of who is what and who belongs to who. I was skeptical of this book but I am so glad that I gave it a try. It is written so well and keeps you guessing.

Book art would be great for this book!

Overall: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Plotline: 3.5/5
World-Building: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Tropes: MF; Portal; Fae; Enemies to Lovers; Secret Identity

Themes: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Spice Factor: 1.5
Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Audiobook: 4/5
Review: This had a very slow start, and the story itself doesn't get started until about halfway through the book, but once it got going, I was fully invested. The plot line was a bit all over the place, and the constant changing of the POVS was jarring and hard to follow within an audiobook. I did love all the characters, which is what kept me listening in the beginning, as they are written very well!

This is Mary Pearson’s adult fantasy debut, and while I don’t think it was as good as her Dance of Thieves duology, I still really enjoyed it! This will be a great read for those who liked The Cruel Prince and A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I really liked the audiobook narrator’s performance. Some of the world building and politics were a little confusing at the beginning, and there are A LOT of characters to remember and keep up with, but the further along I got in the story, the more I understood. I liked watching Bristol and Tyghan go from detesting each other to becoming friends to becoming much more, and I’m eager to see what happens in the next part of this story. But I will say, the ending was…strange. It was a weird way to end the book, and I think it would have been better for there to at least be an epilogue that brings you back to the overall story instead of just focusing on the main character’s relationship.😅

Content Notes: If you don’t like to read spice (like me), there are three open door scenes you’ll want to skip in chapters 68, 87, and 110. Profanity was used often, including frequent f-words, that I felt were a little unnecessary. Also, there are witches and spells in this book. Most of the spells are fairly innocent (setting something on fire, turning something invisible, etc.) so I was not personally bothered by it, but if you prefer to read books that don’t include that, you may want to skip.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

This was a wild ride. We start off following Bristol as she tries to support her sisters after the death of her father. She receives a letter from an aunt who offers her a chance to make money, which she desperately needs, so she goes and, well, things begin to happen real fast from there with gods, fae, monsters, magic, mayem...

There's a lot going on in this book. Like, A LOT a lot. Starting off, the world building was fantastic. I never felt lost in what was happening and where because of how well done and detailed everything was. The magic was interesting, and the monsters we saw were horrifying. I loved the characters and the relationships everyone has with one another. Everything is so complicated and intricate and I enjoyed seeing the realistic friendships and relationships everyone has with one another. The plot was strong and kept me going at a relatively fast pace to the point where I hated putting the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

My only complaint is the ending. It felt as if the book ended in the middle of a chapter and it was a huge let down for me. It's almost like the book is part of a duology because otherwise the book would be a behemoth. It left me feeling cheated out of an ending.

However, the romance between Bristol and Tyghan was amazing and I loved the two of them. I honestly just wanted more.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

This was on and off for me. While I enjoyed some characters, there were times where it felt like too many were being introduced to keep straight. At times it read like a young adults novel, which pulled me out of the story a bit. There were some plot holes throughout - including a bit about time - but I'm still not sure if this was intended too be fixed in a later story. The ending felt super abrupt.

Thank you Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a review.