Right, so: That's an ending...if by 'ending' I mean as much as anyone could take before needing the small accomplishment of finishing a book in the middle of a scene so that we can 'anxiously' await the next? Wait. No. I don't ever ever ever mean that.

Brittany Pressley’s narration of *The Courting of Bristol Keats* is a captivating performance that breathes life into Mary E. Pearson’s rich and enchanting world. Pressley skillfully captures the emotional depth and complexity of Bristol Keats, making her journey through a land of fae, gods, and dark secrets feel vivid and immersive. Her voice effortlessly transitions between characters, giving each one a distinct personality and adding layers to the already intriguing story. The way she conveys Bristol's determination and vulnerability makes it easy to connect with the protagonist, pulling listeners into her perilous quest.

While Pressley’s narration enhances the overall experience, there are moments where the pacing feels slightly off, particularly during scenes of high tension or fast-paced action. However, this is a minor issue in an otherwise stellar performance. The combination of Pearson’s compelling narrative and Pressley’s emotive delivery makes this audiobook a thoroughly enjoyable listen, perfect for fans of romantic fantasy who appreciate a narrator who can bring a story’s characters and world to life with nuance and flair.
#TheCourtingOfBristolKeats #NetGalley

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson is a thrilling fantasy story of dark secrets and a hidden world. Bristol Keats has spent her life always on the move, with her parents and two sisters, until recently when she came back home after her parents died. She is trying to provide for her sisters but times are tough and she’s getting desperate. She answers a letter from a mysterious aunt who wishes to meet her and quickly learns of a Fae world that she didn’t know existed. In order to help her family and find out the truth about her father, she makes a bargain to help the Fae leader in exchange for his help searching for her father. Readers follow Bristol into this new magical world full of secrets, dangers, and so much more.

Early reviews of this book have a few critiques that I also agree with. The first is that the FMC and MMC go from hating each other to all of a sudden deciding they are in love. The transition was lacking and could benefit from being developed more (it’s almost as if multiple chapters or scenes were cut in editing). Second, I would have liked more world-building earlier on in the book. We get it as the story progresses but I think I would have grasped the fae world a bit better had I learned more earlier on. Lastly, the book ends pretty abruptly. I was surprised when it ended and expected a little more resolution (however the last chuck of the book sets up the plot for the next book).

That being said, I really enjoyed this book! I thought the plot was unique and interesting. The characters had personality and developed as the story progressed. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but I didn’t have a problem doing so. Also I appreciated how the flaws and struggles of the characters were portrayed and not just glossed over. I found myself not wanting to stop reading so I could continue with the story and see what happened next. I would definitely read the next book in this series!

The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did a fantastic job narrating this book. She was able to portray all of the characters with various accents and personalities skillfully.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me an advanced copy of the audiobook. My honest review is based upon this and not the final version. The Courting of Bristol Keats is expected to be published on November 12, 2024.

The first edition of the physical copy will have sprayed edges and there are rumors of other SE prints coming as well!

Unfortunately I am not enjoying this and I am not going to spend my time on it anymore. The Courting of Bristol Keats felt like every other fae book I’ve read; especially The Cruel Prince. I feel like I’ve read this exact story multiple times before and it was not unique enough to keep me interested in reading. While I wanted to enjoy this, because I do like Pearson’s other work, the world building was lackluster and I found the characters to be bland.

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

A ridiculously fun read with a ridiculously bad ending. This book is full of magical world building that, on reflection, was rather 2 dimensional. I had a great time listening to this on audio, the narrator was excellent, and the main characters felt pretty well fleshed out, but everyone outside of that core group was a bit flat and I still can’t picture any of them nor tell you anything about their different fae races. I enjoyed watching the romance build between the FMC and the MMC, but the ending hit me like a ton of bricks… in that the story, after 16 hours, just stopped very abruptly and I sat stunned, feeling like it ended mid-scene. Through all of the story, I would have said I’d be back for a book 2… but for that ending, I’m not sure I care to come back in any hurry.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the early audio copy of this book to review, I enjoyed it right up until the end.

I absolutely devoured this book. I listen to audiobooks while I clean, drive, feed my animals, etc. I have a hard time listening to audiobooks unless I'm also doing something physically, otherwise my mind wanders. While I was cleaning my house yesterday I put on this audiobook. And I cleaned until 2 o'clock in the morning,because I didn't want to "put the book down."
I usually enjoy Mary E. Pearson's writing, so I've been looking forward to reading this title. But I was not expecting to absolutely ADORE everything about it.
I like paranormal romance/fantasy, I think sometimes people call it like uevak fantasy or something. But only very specific kinds, series like Richelle Mead's Georgina Kincaid and Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson. Series that are split between our world (in our current time period) and the faeworld just usually don't do it for me. But this book made it work, seamlessly.
I really loved the entire cast of characters. Most of the story is told from Bristol and Tyghan's perspective, but there are a few other perspectives here and there. There have been times in other books that I struggled when that was the case, but Pearson did an excellent job of weaving them into the story.
The narrator, Brittany Pressley, was perfect. I've listened to other books she narrated, so I was excited to see her listed for this one.
My only issue with this book? The last time I checked to see how much longer I had left there was like 3.5 hours left. And then I swear to god, 5 minutes later it just ended! Ok, ok, fine, that's all on me, I GUESS. Maybe Mary shouldn't write books that keep me so enraptured I don't realize 3.5 hours has passed and my kitchen is spotless.
Thank you a million times over to Flatiron Books and Netgalley, who provided me with an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
And now, the wait for the sequel begins.

Fans of romantasy are going to love this! You have a female protagonist who loves her family and will do anything to protect them. She finds herself in the fae world and undergoes training, discovers her own abilities, and has a steamy romance with the king. Highly recommend for all romantasy readers!

My one complaint is that it ended rather abruptly and the love was a little too instant for me. But all in all I can't wait for this to come out and will be anxiously awaiting the second installment.

I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY. One of my top favorite books of the year. I loved Bristol as a character, and the world that Pearson created is intriguing and well written. If you’re looking for a romantasy filled with faes and monsters, here ya go. Look no further. I found myself hoping the story would never end and I'm distraught that we have an undisclosed wait for the next one.

The narrator of this book must’ve worked OVERTIME because this is one of the best narrations I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. All the voices and accents were so good.

I really enjoyed The Courting of Bristol Keats, and the audiobook version made the experience even better! The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did an amazing job on this audiobook. Her voice was so pleasant, and she really nailed all the different characters. I’d honestly listen to more books just because of her narration.

As for the story, I loved the premise. Bristol’s journey to uncover the truth about the deaths of her parents and dive into a world of fae, gods, and magic was such a fun ride. There are some wild twists along the way, including some jaw dropping family secrets, and people not being who they have claimed to be. The romance never felt too over the top. There are even a few mild spicy scenes! The story blends fantasy and intrigue really well without being overwhelming, and the way it all ends? I literally thought I was missing a chapter because the cliffhanger left me so shocked!

If you’re into romantasy with some dark twists and plenty of character growth, this is definitely one to check out. I’m already excited to dive into the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I have some mixed feelings about this fantasy romance book 1 in the series. I found the world building to be lacking in the beginning half of the book, and then once it “clicked” I had to re-engage myself in the story. I also found myself getting confused between characters and not really loving any of them as much as I wanted to. Ultimately it was an engaging and enjoyable audiobook but I’m not 100% sold on whether I’ll pick up the next book in the series.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson was one of the most enjoyable romantasy reads in recent history.

Pearson has created a very immersive universe. I was dragged into this world and I did not want to leave! I loved so many of the characters, including the main character, Bristol.

All aspects of this book were amazing. I loved the characters. I loved the universe. I loved the romance. I loved the plot. There were multiple different plots that were woven into one another well. It was intriguing, and not overwhelming.

I will be reading the next book ASAP and will be buying a physical copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook though. The narrator did an AMAZING job!

I wanted so much to like this book as I have enjoyed other books by this author, but I guess I failed to adjust my expectations going into this when it was announced as an adult fantasy that the content from Pearson's previous books would be widely changed in this one. It was not what I expected with multiple "F" words used often and more moderate swearing in general. Add to that, there were multiple open-door scenes and a lot of what felt to me more lusty moments than a true romance. It's not my personal content level and I skipped what I could, but I just can't recommend it due to my own personal preferences. There is also a prominent LGBTQ character and that story line made me uncomfortable.
I listened to the audiobook and while the narrator wasn't bad, I had a really hard time keeping up with all the different POVs with the single narrator. It was often difficult to know whose perspective the chapter or section was in and I'm not entirely sure how many POVs were actually in the story.
I am giving it three stars because I was pulled in by the plot and the world Pearson was building. I wanted to know what was going to happen and what would be revealed next which is why I read what I read, but at the end of the day, it just didn't work for me personally due to the content which was disappointing.
I received an advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for the ALC! As a warning, there are vague spoilers at the end of this review for the end of the book.

The narration of this book is what really made me enjoy it more than I probably would have if read. The voice acting was amazing, never had any trouble knowing who was talking and really got me into the story.

Overall I enjoy a good portal sort of story where someone discovers a new world from our urban society. I was also into romance and did enjoy the characters, their banter and the way the story was moving. The jumping different sort of POV (being third person) did sometimes throw me off because it did not just follow specific characters.

It is the end of the book that makes me struggle to give the book 4 stars (and only that much because of the excellent narrator) but truly it’s 3.5 at least for me. The book IS called Courting of Bristol Keats and I suppose there is a lot of Courting and relationship growth but the end is lackluster. It felt like once we realize it is over, it did drag and should have had just finished the book with one big climax or at least had more. There is no build up or climatic end. I wouldn’t call it a nail biting cliffhanger but definitely left with “where’s the rest?”

I’ll read the next book, but definitely wish we had some kind of wrap to all the training and planning in this one for something.

Thank you to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC copy in exchange for an honest review!

Summary: This is an upcoming romantic fantasy written by Mary E. Pearson. The story begins in the town of Bowskeep, where FMC Bristol and her sisters are struggling to get by. Little do they know that everything they thought they knew about their parents and about their world is about to change. Follow Bristol as she navigates an unfamiliar land, desperate to find her family and discover the truth.

Review: I listened to the audiobook version of The Courting of Bristol Keats, so I'll speak about the narration first. I thought this was an absolutely fantastic narration by Brittany Pressley, so much so that she'll likely be a narrator I specifically seek out in order to listen to books she has voiced. Although the book is narrated by Brittany alone, she uses different voices for each character and I had no trouble following conversations or determining which character was speaking. The accents and voices used were not jarring to the ears at all. The pacing was good (I listened at 1.2x speed) and pronunciations were enunciated well. Overall, this was easily a 5-star listening experience.

As for the story, I found it enjoyable. It is definitely more heavily focuses on character development rather than world building, but I found the world building sufficient enough to be able to follow the story. I found the pacing of the story to be decent and I didn't find myself getting bored or losing interest as I read. I found the characters to be likeable and relatable, particularly in the first half of the book, but I didn't find myself falling in love with the characters. I did find the ending of the book to be somewhat abrupt, as if the story just stopped. There are a lot of questions left unanswered, so I'll be looking forward to reading the next book to hopefully find out some answers!

Rating: audio narration- 5 stars. Story- 4 stars. I found the characters to be a bit less relatable in the second half of the book, particularly Bristol and Tyghan, who both make some questionable choices towards the end of the book. That said, those choices are likely part of their character arcs that will see more development in the sequel.

Thanks Macmillan for providing me an ALC! The audio quality and narrator are great! I DNF’d at 53% as I couldn’t get into the story.

I'm torn between 3 and 3.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narration! The narrator was one of the biggest reasons why I kept listening. She was able to emulate the different characters so well, and provided emphasis and depth at the perfect moments that really sucked me into those tense moments.

For the story itself, I really loved the alternate reality that lies hidden next to the "normal" world. However, this story was 1) far too long, 2) was very repetitive, and 3) didn't give us much in the end. I found myself getting irritated because the character descriptions were very few and far between. I struggled to picture what the characters looked like, and that causes me to get thrown out of a story super fast. Despite how thick this book is (560 pages), the ending left us on such a massive and very unsatisfying cliffhanger too.

Overall, not my jam. However, if you're a romantasy fan that likes it heavier on the romance and less on the fantasy, I would say this would be a great one to pick up!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy of this audiobook.

This was my first read by this author. While I was excited for this book, I didn’t feel how I thought I would after I read it. Bristol has the opportunity to find her dad whom she and her sisters was thought dead. In turn she strikes a bargain/deal to go to the fae realm and find answers about her dad but also ends up learning a lot more about her family in the process. The romance I felt was more insta. I thought it was a bit too long. It needed more character descriptions. The ending felt like it was cut off mid chapter. I might be back for the next one.

Narration by Brittany Pressley did a great job with all of the different voice acting for the characters.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book didn't do it for me. As the first in a series, I hope the holes in this story will be filled in the next book with all the material lacking here.

There were never enough details, enough fleshing out of anything. Bristol just accepted all the weirdness of the fae world, the "monsters", and all the beings she never knew existed, as well as their societal rules, while the reader is left wanting more information on this alternate world. How her sisters were surviving without her was never touched upon, and I found myself growing more and more irritated. It took way too long for anyone to look closely at her to figure out why she was failing so spectacularly despite her parentage and the special abilities she allegedly had. And that, too, was not addressed well enough. Nor was she given any guidance with her magic.

Like I said, it wasn't for me. And there probably wasn't enough framework to make me read the next book.

Does Mary E. Pearson ever write anything bad?
The answer to that question is no.

I have read, The Dance of Thieves, The Remnant Chronicles, and now this and I am officially a fan for life! From the first page she weaves a world with her words that enraptures your every interest just begging you to read more.

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.