Thank you to MacMillian Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC of The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson.

I LOVE Mary E. Pearson. I think she is a fantastic author, and her Remnant Chronicles series and Dance of Thieves duology are creative inputs into the fantasy genre - creating a fascinating far dystopian future that has basically reset the timeline to feel medieval. I was a bit surprised to see The Courting of Bristol Keats appear as a fae romantasy, but I think it's exciting she's branching out to other parts of the genre and flexing her skills. I truly wanted to love everything about this book because I think she's so fantastic, but parts of it really felt like a miss for me -- or -- maybe -- this first book is just about so much setting building that the later books in the series will contain more action and momentum and this one was just to set the stage.

I think I would give this 3.5 stars, but am rounding to 4 here because I know how strong a writer Pearson is, and I have faith things will make more sense in later books.

I love that Bristol and her sisters are regular 21st century young women who, following the death of both of their parents, learn about the fae world from a long lost aunt who uses their dire financial situation to entice Bristol to join their world to see if she might have a hidden skillset to save it. Bristol is apprehensive of all of this, until another fae informs her her father may still be alive. Hoping to rescue him, Bristol makes the bargain to help in exchange for help finding her father.

From there, I think the story struggled to figure out which plots it wanted to use. It also at first seemed like it was supposed to be limited to two weeks to check if she had this hidden skill, but it felt like every time we reengaged with Bristol more days or weeks had passed and that timeline never came. Was Bristol trying to save her father? Was Bristol trying to save the kingdom? Was Bristol there to fall in love? Was Bristol there to train to be a knight? It never felt like she really focused on any of them with enough depth for progress to be made - though, if I had to pick one, I'd say she spent about 75% of the time just thinking about Tyghan. Was Tyghan wanting Bristol to be the answer to saving the kingdom? was he ready to use the hostage plot at any point? Was any of this actually about his brother? Or his injury? Or revenge? When the plot forces some of that progress in these arenas, it felt like the magic system and the dangers within were deliberately kept for "a-ha" moments, but instead they just caused more confusion in determining character motivations. The layers of duplicity in those around Bristol was also unimaginably complex - an entire kingdom, her family, the townspeople, etc. Some of the secrets kept from her by her family seemed so confusing - like if they didn't know about the fae why did a certain secret exist (trying not to spoil here, but I struggled with this part)? Or it seemed odd that Bristol wouldn't notice certain things changing about herself, especially when it seems to alter her abilities. I don't know - it's hard to write out the parts that tripped me up without ruining the story for others. Basically, it seemed like we were given a lot of puzzle pieces, but maybe they were from different puzzles and didn't fit together, and then maybe also half of them were missing.

I also love a good spicy book, but the sex scenes in this story felt forced and like they were out of Pearson's comfort level. They were thrown into scenes where they weren't needed in ways that seemed to cheapen the seriousness of some of the conversations and actions happening around the characters. This would be a great fantasy read with a strong romance and without the sex scenes - I feel like it was just forced in because that's what romantasy readers want right now.

I did also struggle a bit with character hypocrisy - like Tyghan accusing Bristol of taking risks at a party when, in the moment, everyone knew she had no other choice. I think sometimes arguments or plots were pulled from previous scenes even if they had no bearing on the reality of that scene. Bristol managed a lot of whiplash from multiple characters, and I wish she spent more time reflecting on the big picture to help herself more.

The audio of this book was great - Brittany Pressley does an amazing job! She's got accents for all over the mortal world and all types of fae creatures, and she adds mystery and emphasis where needed. I really enjoyed listening to the book through her.

WTF Mary E Pearson!?!? You draw me into this world and characters and just leave me HANGING!?!? That's cold, so.cold. The book had similar notes to Nora Roberts Dragon Heart Trilogy, but more believable. I cannot wait to see what Bristol evolves into, and what comes of her family. Also, to see what happens with the kings sister... she sketchy as all get out, but also are his guards. I need the 2nd book STAT!

Thank you for the advanced listening copy. I’m a big fan of fantasy/romance so this was on my TBR as soon as I heard about it. Brittany Pressly is a great narrator too. She was a good choice for this book.
Overall the book wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I liked Bristol well enough, I liked her bond with her sisters most. I found the story fairly predictable and the characters weren’t special enough to get me really invested. I think maybe if I hadn’t read so many similar books recently I would have enjoyed this more.

✨ALC Review✨
Wow. I’ve just realized I’ve been on a romantasy kick of late. If that’s not your jam, not to worry: I’m reading and listening to two plain ol’ contemporary romances at the moment.

But back to this book! It’s so good!Bristol Keats and her two sisters have been struggling since their mother went missing and was later found dead. Then a few months later, their father was hit by a car and died. A mysterious aunt they didn’t know about wants to meet with Bristol to give her some art. They’re wary, but Bristol is practical and they need money that this art could provide.

She goes to meet this aunt and instead discovers that fae are real and at least one of them is a giant, gorgeous jerk. It’s kind of a long story, but she ends up going to the fae lands where she uncovers mysteries regarding her family. And falls in love with a giant, gorgeous jerk who is also a king.

So much going on here. There’s discovery of self, adventure, love, villainous plots, and more. @britpressley does a fantabulous job of solo narration for this vast array of characters. I do recommend listening to it.

It’s a great first book because please note it does end on a cliffhanger albeit an unusual one.

Thank you to #netgalley and @MacmillanAudio for the ALC. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance #romancebooks #romantasy #fantasybooks #alc #audiobooks #narrators #voiceacting #bookreview #bookrecs #bookstagram

I am obsessed for many reasons,and all of them are Bristol. I fell in love with her as a character and the world just spun around her in a perfect arch ... the story unfolded in a believable and tragic way. Also the narrator? Killed it

The Courting of Bristol Keats was a nice surprise with some great twists that you uncovered along with our main FMC. Characters that make morally ambiguous choices - love that. I am still thinking about some of the twists that happened and I am eager for the second book.

Narrated by Brittany Pressley who did a great job with the tones of the different characters which helped me as the book is told in the third person so helped me keep track of which character was speaking.

I received an audio review copy via NetGalley / Macmillan Audio and these thoughts are entirely my own. This book is due to be published on November 12, 2024!

Spice level:🌶️🌶️.5/4

Bristol has two sisters; their mother is missing and their father is dead. They have moved a lot, never staying longer than a month or two before coming to Bowskeep. Then, Bristol finds out that her father might still be alive, taken by dangerous fae. Tyghan, a leader in the fae realm, convinces Bristol into an agreement in exchange for helping look for her father.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. If you enjoyed Holly Black's Folk of the Air series but wanted it to skew a little more mature, that's where I think The Courting of Bristol Keats lands (if you are looking for ACOTAR, that's further on the side scale). Pearson writes an immersive Elfhame, but it never feels like an info dump. Given the number of plot lines, I can see that this has been set up as a series (it is) so do not expect this novel to resolve tidily. Brittany Pressley does a wonderful job narrating (and always bonus points from me when you properly pronounce Samhain). I'm excited to read the next entry in this series!

Thank you to Macmillian Audio for an ALC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 11/12/24. I’ll be posting on instagram closer to publication.

I think this author is just not for me. This is my second book by her this year (the first being the first in the Remnant Chronicles) and I just didn't enjoy it. Or rather, I was having a good time until the couple got together. Maybe I just don't care for the romances she writes. It got very boring and eye-roll-worthy after that because a) it became the only thing the plot was about, and not in a good way, and b) I didn't buy it. I didn't get much chemistry between them before they went from 0 to 100, and where's the fun in that? Alongside that, the worldbuilding was not easy to follow. I still have a lot of questions about this world and the characters. And the ending was just ... so unsatisfying. I don't think I'll be looking for the sequel.

For such a big book, the plot moves very quickly and the reader is engaged from the start. I liked that the twist came in the middle of the book rather tan making the reader wait until the end. My only criticism is that this book seemed to be led by the enemies to lovers trope rather than the plot driving the story.

I am not sure I can praise this one enough. I spent an entire day this weekend completely wrapped up in this book. I honestly wanted more. I thought some parts were weird but that is kind of the point.
This poor girl just lost her dad, and her mom has been gone for years, and she has a chance to get some money for her and her sisters to just survive and bam, she enters a pact with a fairy. Ugh I hate when that happens.
She ends up attending their academy and falls in love and lots of bad scary things happen and she learns about her parents. It was just lovely. Is there going to be a second book? Because I want that already.
More of this please.
The narration was perfection as always.

I approached The Courting of Bristol Keats with high hopes, drawn in by the intriguing premise and the promise of a compelling story. However, despite my initial enthusiasm, I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the book.
Ultimately, I didn't finish the book, which is unusual for me. I kept hoping that it would pick up, but unfortunately, it never did. While I can see that others might enjoy the book's style or themes, it simply wasn't for me. I wish I could have connected more with the story and characters, but in the end, The Courting of Bristol Keats was a disappointing read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of The Courting of Bristol Keats.

The Courting of Bristol Keats is an extremely complex story. The overall main storyline felt overshadowed by so many minor "side stories" or conversations that did not feel relevant to the plot. Overall, it was a decent book and the ending sets up a second book (I think). The narrator did a FANTASTIC job portraying the various characters.

When I'm listening to an audio book with multiple POVs, I prefer the narrator to announce the POV character's name for each chapter. This book did not do it and at times it was confusing when a new chapter would start.

This people is how you write a book set in Elfhame. I love that Pearson went beyond the one dimensional version of fae to include a variety of fae creatures in her book. I would have loved this book for that fact alone. The world building is so richly detailed. I also simply loved the plot as a whole. There were so many twists and turns that you never knew which direction the story would go. That’s especially well done when coupled with characters that you spend the book side eyeing. At this point, I don’t trust anyone. I feel they all have ulterior motives and I am here for it. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Bristol and Tyghan. Their relationship development had some of the best banter, which I’m a sucker for. However, that ending. Pearson has some explaining to do after that. Literally the book just ended, and I went back to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Nope that’s literally how it ends. Ultimately, the ending accomplished what it set out to do — hook readers for book 2. I read this via audiobook, and while I really enjoyed Brittany Pressley’s narration, I wish I had combo eyeball/audiobook read it. There were so many characters that I had difficulties at times keeping the characters straight. That said, it was still enjoyable and entirely possible to enjoy the audiobook only.

I loved that we got so many POVs, I loved how we knew things before the characters. I loved the short chapters and the writing style. I loved the characters, the Fae world, the different creatures. I loved the overall plot, it kept me invested and curious and kept me reading until very late. I just loved this book so much I can’t wait to eventually hold it. I also still have so many questions, need more and I am really looking forward to the next book.

The narration was superb. I loved the narrator and all the voices for the different POVs.

After reading this book, I preordered the book for my shelves. I loved the voice for the audiobook. She did an amazing job and sounded exactly how I would see Bristol. Bristol is funny and witty and has no clue that fae existed. She also has no idea why her parents were always on the run when she was younger and learns that she really had no idea WHO her parents were. or are? All Bristol knows is she is supposed to be able to close a door. Simple right? Not a lot to ask of a simple mortal. I enjoyed hearing Bristol discover the fae and go through training to be able to close this portal. She also learns that her father is possibly not really dead and may have been taken to this world. She hopes to find her father and help the fae king Tyghan save his people. She and Tyghan have something going on between them that the Fae nobles are not happy with. Especially since they happen to know who her parents are really and they are very fearful of Bristol. But she is their only hope to save the kingdom.

I couldn't put the book down and I am very excited for the next book. Thank you Flatiron Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Firstly, we'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for generously providing this advanced listener copy in exchange for our honest thoughts.

Bristol Keats and her family have lived a life on the run. She’s not sure what they have been running from, but it’s the only life she and her sisters have ever known.

After tragically losing both her parents, Bristol begins to receive letters from a mysterious aunt who says she can help her and her sisters.

But, Bristol soon discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family were lies and that her father may still be alive.

Bristol sets out to find her father and help save a world she didn’t even know existed.

An enthusiastic YES! I loved this book so much! I can’t wait to get my hands on it and I’ll be impatiently waiting for the second one as well.

I’m so glad I got an ARC approval for the audiobook. The combination of Pearson’s exceptional writing and the narrator's incredible delivery made this an all-time favorite. The writing is amazing, and the narrator absolutely nailed it—exactly how I imagine Mary E Pearson wanted it to be heard.
The world in this book is hands down one of the most atmospheric fantasy settings I’ve ever come across.

With so many fae and romantasy books released lately, it’s been tough finding one that truly stands out, but this book absolutely does. Pearson balances the plot and romance perfectly. The tension between the characters is spot on, and there are just enough spicy scenes without it taking away from the story. The romance is beautifully developed, never felt rushed, and the relationship between the characters feels natural and well-earned. Best of all, the romance complements the plot rather than overshadowing it.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, but not the kind that leaves you hanging by a thread. There’s still so much left to explore in this world, and I’m thrilled that this is going to be a duology—my favorite format! I can’t wait to dive back into this world and see how all the lingering questions are answered.

An amazing combination of fantasy, mystery, romance, and adventure with a previously unknown world filled with magical creatures, a determined and headstrong FMC trying to save her family, and a powerful MMC with secrets to hide. What an amazing world!

Bristol Keats and her sisters have been trying to stay afloat since their parents died, but when Bristol finds out her father may still be alive and is offered the chance find him and earn money for her family she takes it even if it means going to a magical world filled with creatures she didn’t know existed. While there she learns her parents were keeping secrets from her and her sisters and those secrets begin to unravel.

This book is exceptionally well written with such a unique concept. I loved the concept of this hidden world right under our noses. I think Bristol accepted the fact that there were magical creatures living amongst her family a little quickly, but it was done in such a way that Bristol had always felt her family was different so to her it made sense. I really liked the relationship between Bristol and Tyghan, I feel like there was a good amount of early tension and chemistry but it didn’t take them too long to get together. As the FMC I found Bristol to be very likable, I understood her personal motivation throughout the story.

There is still so much left to wrap up in this story, many of the mysteries are still unsolved and the ending seemed abrupt, I wouldn’t say it was a traditional cliffhanger where something big happens at the last minute and leaves the reader in total suspense, it seemed more like a chapter ending, but I do like where things are headed.

I saw that this is going to be a duology and I’m really excited by that. I love that we get to return to this world but also that I will be seeing the answers to all the questions this book raised in the next without reading a seven book series. I’m really excited to continue on and can’t wait for the next book!

I listened to the audiobook ARC of this and I thought the narrator did an amazing job. The voices were unique and she really pulled you into the world. I would definitely look for more books with her as the narrator.

Thank you to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

i was so invested in the book and then it ended so suddenly. i had to check my paperback copy to make sure the audiobook wasn't missing chapers. omg. that was so mean. hahah now i have to wait who knows how long to find out what happens. 😭😭😭 i can't wait to get my hands on book 2 even though this one doesn't release for a couple months. ♡

the book was pretty good tho, very chonky. everytime they mentioned elfhame i could only think of the cruel prince series. 😅 i like bristol very much as a main character.

thanks to netgalley for the ARC audiobook.
#netgalley #arc #arcread #thecourtingofbristolkeats

Adventurous and fast paced. A glimpse into a magical word with characters that are likeable albeit a bit shallow in development. The pace of the story line keeps things moving along, there's not much to digest otherwise though. There isn't a ton of complex world building and the characters backgrounds are left to be a bit of a mystery that you only uncover as the story unfolds. A entertaining, fantasy enemies to lovers romance read with twists and plot line shifts. I feel like this title is a quick weekend read that can be addictive and hard to put down. The audiobook has fantastic narration that was pleasant to listen too. Those who enjoy Sarah J Maas will find this title to be within the realm. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the audiobook edition of this ARC.