This story transports you into a magical world right under your nose! I loved the world building and the combination of fantasy, adventure, and romance! There is a lot uncovered but also a lot unanswered that has me on the edge of my seat for book 2! There were parts that dragged on a bit but in true Pressly fashion, she made it all come to life and had me so invested!

If you are a fan of One Dark Window, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️.5

✨Romantic Fantasy
💕Secret Identity
✨Found Family
💕Fae and Gods
✨Morally Gray Characters
💕Magic

This book was slow to start off but once main story point approaches it was hard to put down. I love secret identity trope especially in fantasies!

The truths that are revealed are very big moments in the book! Her true identity! Her father! Her mother!

I loved the world building and the magic system.

I listed to the audio book! I thought the narrator did an amazing job voicing multiple characters. You can feel all the emotions from the narrators voice!

The ending had me a little nervous. I was hoping to get by without a big fight and or a third act breakup. There is a little heartbreak at the very end.

The book does end in a spicy cliffhanger.

The beginning and middle were great and full of world building, relationships, and becoming who Bristol was meant to be. The ending had a few good discoveries but felt very disappointing. It didn't feel like a cliffhanger, more like a belly flop. I am assuming there is a book 2 and hopefully it picks up the action in that one.

From the first line this book feels like a hug pulling you into this world. Full of mystery and characters you need to know from the beginning this book is a journey that is well worth joining them on. It is also beautifully written making the audio book a perfect listen for anyone wanting to escape our world for a while.

This book is an approachable welcoming any reader and it is a perfect introduction to adult fantasy for someone looking to step up from YA or looking to explore the genre for the first time branching out from fiction.

I am sorry but I never could make it past 15% of this book without falling asleep. I don't know if it was the narrator or the book itself. I tried multiple times on multiple occasions. I feel like this audio is not for me.

No one does slow burn / enemies to lovers quite like Mary E Pearson. This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. Cannot wait for the sequel.

I liked and thought this storyline was interesting, but I was disappointed with the first half of this book. It was just very slow and, for me, made everything seem to drag. After that, it seemed to pick up and grabbed my interest more, redeeming itself. The audio narration was well done, and I would like to see where the next book takes us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this complimentary audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I'm conflicted by this one. Final rating 3.5 stars.

To start with the positives. I was sucked into this book. I was thinking about it while at work and listening to it constantly when I wasn't. I can't say I didn't enjoy listening to it.
The narration was also fantastic. Brittany Pressley did an incredible job.

On to some of the negatives. The writing style was disjointed. It seemed like Pearson took a risk and it didn't quite pay off. There were so many moments in the story where I wasn't sure what was happening. Sometimes, like in Sci Fi, this is intentional, adds to the story, and all makes sense at the end. But in this case, it just seemed like something was missing from the writing and we were on our own to try to figure out what was happening. There were many POV jumps and I am not sure that they were really necessary. There were POV jumps in the middle of chapters. I am not sure about the print book, but it wasn't super clear in the audio. Pressley did change her voice and that was done exceptionally well, I just wish the different POVs were separate chapters, or were cut from the book. Or maybe they could be prologues at the beginning of chapters even? There were a ton of short chapters in this book as is, so I wouldn't have minded having extra, very short chapters for the sake of clarity.

Also, I don't think I liked the ending? It really caught me off guard. There is a cute quip at the end that I suppose makes a good button, but it happens so suddenly and there is no closure. I understand this is the first book in a duology, but I do believe that each book in a series should have its own beginning, middle, and end.

Whole not entirely my cup of tea, this epic faerie fantasy is definitely full of adventure and romance, intrigue and betrayal. I’m just not a huge fan of the full-on faerie land setting. I did like the brooding but lovable MMC and the tortured family dynamics, but the holes left for book 2 were a bit too big. I think there are others who would really enjoy this new story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

My next fairy romantasy obsession! I need book two now!
Superb performance by audiobook narrator!

Bristol Keats doesn't know anything.
She doesn't know anything about who her parents really were except that they're both dead and now she and her sisters are broke. Or are they??
She doesn't know anything about herself only that she's 100% human and average, Or is she????
She definitely doesn't know King Tyghan who needs to find someone with a buried fairy power to sense portals and close them before his world is taken over by evil undead soldiers. Or can she??
She doesn't know she's a pawn in a much larger and far more complicated plot than she can ever guess....
until she does.
and THAT's why I need book 2 NOW!! What will Bristol do now that she has the full picture and all the info? How will her relationship with Tyghan and her parents change? How is she going to save the fae world from pure evil? There are so many possibilities with this plot and these characters. It's a compulsive read/listen.

If there’s one thing that elevates an audiobook from good to great, it’s the skill of the narrator—and this audiobook delivers on that front in spades. The narrator’s performance is nothing short of outstanding, bringing each character to life with remarkable clarity and subtlety. Their voice is rich, engaging, and impeccably paced, perfectly complementing the tone of the story.

Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for providing access to an advanced copy of this audiobook! While the narration and writing itself was great, I ultimately had to DNF this at about 40% because I did not feel connected to the characters at all. Plot line and timing was confusing which became uninteresting. Good story idea overall but poor execution I feel.

The Courting of Bristol Keats was an overall win for me, which isn’t surprising since Mary E. Pearson is one of my favorite authors. I’ve loved all her YA books, and this one, while not perfect, still delivered a solid 4-star experience.

The story follows Bristol Keats, who discovers her father might still be alive and trapped in the faerie realm. To find him, she strikes a dangerous bargain with King Tyghan, a character with his own dark motives. The setup is fantastic—full of high stakes, political intrigue, and a slow-burn romance that pays off in all the right ways. The multiple POVs added a layer of suspense, keeping me constantly wondering what each character was hiding. And the last 200 pages? Incredible. They were packed with twists, action, and emotional moments that made it nearly impossible to put the book down.

That said, the first half of the book does take its time getting there. It starts strong but then slows down as new characters and plot threads are introduced. It felt a bit overwhelming at first, and I’ll admit I struggled to stay engaged early on. But once the story hits its stride, it really shines. The romance, in particular, is worth the wait—what starts as a slow burn transforms into a strong, steady relationship that feels authentic and satisfying.

The ending, while a bit abrupt, didn’t ruin the experience for me. It’s one of those “wait, that’s it?” moments, but it left me eager for the sequel. Pearson’s writing, as always, is engaging and sharp, blending the familiar charm of her YA style with a more mature edge.

If you’re a fan of The Cruel Prince or ACOTAR and enjoy a mix of court politics, romance, and intrigue, this book is definitely worth your time. I’ll be grabbing a physical copy (the deluxe edition is stunning!) and can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

Prepare to be utterly enchanted! 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗟 𝗞𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗘. 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 is an immersive journey into a richly imagined world of fae, gods, and magic that had me hooked from the very first page. Pearson masterfully balances epic fantasy with deeply personal stakes, crafting a story that is equal parts heart-pounding adventure and swoon-worthy romance. Bristol Keats is a compelling heroine thrust into a whirlwind of secrets, betrayals, and impossible choices. Her chemistry with Tyghan, the enigmatic fae king, is electric, with their enemies-to-lovers dynamic providing tension and tenderness in equal measure. The world-building is lush without being overwhelming, and every twist kept me on the edge of my seat. With hidden identities, morally gray characters, and a narrative brimming with magic, this book is a must-read for fans of romantasy. I cannot wait to see what’s next for Bristol and this enchanting world.

Thanks, Macmillian Audio, for the ALC!

If you loved (or just liked) TFOTA, you’ll want to read this series. It’s definitely different, but it has CRUEL PRINCE vibes and the open-door scenes we wish it had.

I’ve never read a Mary Pearson book, so THE COURTING OF BRISTOL KEATS is my first. But with an excellent fae world and the audiobook narrated by one of my favorites, Brittany Pressly, I’m willing to bet this will turn into one of my favorite series!

And after that ending, I’m ready for book two!

I think I must be in the minority. I found it a little underwhelming!

I found it to just be ok. The story wasn't very exciting, it didn't feel like much really happened!

I'm wondering what I missed!

The ending was at least decent. It was a 3 star read for me

4.5 rounded up! The courting of Bristol Keats was a delightful fae story that I just ate up. Getting to see and experience a new world through Bristol was a treat along with seeing her earnest love for her family and her eventual love of her new friends in the Fae realm. I also really loved the parts of the story from Tyghan’s POV watching him grapple with his feeling of betrayal and burgeoning care for Bristol was very interesting. The plot was compelling and while due to the nature of the multiple POVs I knew where it was heading I was very invested in seeing what would happen when the characters who where in the dark learned the truth,

The narration was very well done and the narrator did a good job conveying who the was being followed, I often prefer multiple narrators for multi POV stories but that wasn’t something I felt was Necessary for this one.

WAIT THIS WAS SOO GOOD. A great fantasy romance that straddles human and fae lands. Family secrets, betrayals, a slow burn romance, political intrigue... Mary E. Pearson really delivered with this. I can't wait to see where Book 2 goes.

3.25! Although I thought the book was okay, I was so sad not to love it as much as I was expecting to… I LOVE Dance of Thieves so I ended up having high expectations and maybe that affected my reading experience a bit. I found the plot and characters okay, Bristol was definitely my favorite.

For me, the biggest flaw was that the story felt similar to some other books I’ve read, so it seemed like I was reading more of the same but I’m curious about the sequel!!

A great read for those who love historical thrillers and also romantasy, and the audiobook has a great narrator.