Brittany Pressley has one of those voices that sounds like every audiobook narrator--familiar and smooth. I don't speak French but her French sounded immaculate to me. She has enough voice deviation to tell different characters but not as much as someone like Lorelai King.

Bristol and her family have always been on the run, traveling from city to city. She and her sisters always knew her parents were keeping secrets from them. But they finally settled in one place after the youngest, Harper, begged them not to leave. However, everything began to fall apart. First, their mother leaves them and then dies. Then their father also dies in a car accident. Bristol isn't the oldest, but somehow she stepped up to take on the burden of providing and leading the other sisters. Now, a mysterious financial offer from an aunt the sisters have never heard of changes everything. When Bristol learns that her father might not be dead after all, she has to take the chance and try to find him.


Tyghan and his crew of fae have information about Bristol and her family that she and her sisters don't have. But they need Bristol's help to close a portal before the choosing ceremony. They're not even sure if she can do it. She shows no sign of magic. But if they share the information with her she'll never help them. What Tyghan didn't count on was coming to care for Bristol.

Bristol is so sick and tired of being lied to. Her parents lied to her and her siblings all her life. Many people in Bowskeep turn out to be fae. A guy she was hooking up with ghosts her. The secrets of her parents have slowly been trickling out since she met her mysterious aunt, but the biggest secrets are still hidden from her. And much more. So it was obvious to the reader (listener) that when she finds out what her parents and Tyghan have been keeping from her she would feel betrayed. But I couldn't stop myself from barreling forward hoping every minute to get to the big reveal.

Tyghan has been betrayed by his best friend who was as close as a brother. And he isn't over it either. Every decision is viewed through the lens of potential betrayal. Understandably, he keeps information from Bristol. At first, he doesn't know her well enough to trust her. But even when he does...

I don't have any quotes to share with you since I was listening to the audiobook. But I'm sure I would have highlighted quite a bit if I'd been reading a Kindle version.

The Courting of Bristol Keats was better than I was expecting it to be. I shouldn't have been surprised as I've enjoyed Mary E Pearson before. The Courting of Bristol Keats easily gets 4.5 Stars. I absolutely can not wait until I get my hands on book 2. Have you read (or listened to) The Courting of Bristol Keats? What did you think? Let me know.

P.S. From what I remember there was minimal language (including a few f-bombs) and two on-page scenes although not terribly descriptive.

Bristol Keats and her sisters are all alone in the world. They spent their entire lives on the run from unseen foes, trusting their parents to provide them with safety and stability. But when both of Bristol's parents pass away under mysterious circumstances, she is left with too many unanswered questions. Finally, answers come in the shape of a long-lost "aunt" who appears in Bristol's life promising salvation in the form of expensive art. Bristol soon realizes her parents may not have been who they seemed to be, and that their secrets may be more dangerous and fantastical than she ever realized.

This book includes:
- mysterious disappearances
- secretive parents and a life on the run from invisible foes
- a kingdom betting its demise
- camaraderie
- the strength of sisterhood
- decades-long feuds
- magical parasites
- mythical faeries
- multiple POV

Bristol is the typical romantasy hero; endlessly fascinating to the fair folk around her and determined to save her sisters at all costs. The world Mary E Pearson brings to life on her pages is dynamic and holds a whimsy that I often find missing from similar books. If you are the type of reader who loves to wade through half-truths and secrets in search of the truth, you will surely enjoy this book. Sadly, I found Bristol to be grating and unrealistic, perhaps even two-dimensional. The brooding, broken love interest was similarly uninteresting to me, and I found the romance to be forced and cringeworthy. From my point of view, Bristol and her suitor had little chemistry, and their "love" went from 0 to 100 so quickly that it gave me whiplash.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Mary E. Pearson, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/

💐The Courting of Bristol Keats is a wonderful book! It reveals Bristol’s vulnerabilities, strengths, and inner conflicts. The found family is amazing —these characters aren’t just background; they become friends and fighters, sticking with her through thick and thin. Her friends are wonderful additions to this rich plot!💜 The love story is heartfelt and well-developed, but what truly stands out is the balance between romance and a gripping plot. Every twist and turn keeps you on the edge, and the relationships, both romantic and platonic, make the story feel rich and layered. This is more than a love story—it’s a tale of loyalty, resilience, and the power of chosen family.💐

💜It’s a must read!! You will enjoy every twist and turn!

This book started off very good. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and learning about this world the book takes place in. The middle of the book was a little slow with a lot of world building, but I was completely sucked in by the end.

It felt like the book ended in the middle of a story. I know there is going to be another book coming out and the story is going to continue, but I didn't feel even a little bit satisfied with the ending. I read mostly Fantasy series, so I am familiar with books that end on cliffhangers and have books that continue the story. Unfortunately, there wasn't really a cliffhanger at the end and really nothing was resolved. The book just ended. It felt like my book wasn't supposed to end and was missing the last few chapters.

With all that being said, I am very much looking forward to continuing the series with the next book and will definitely be reading it as soon as I can get a copy because I need to know what is going to happen with these characters.

I did read the ebook while listening to the audiobook. I highly recommend this immersive technique for reading books. The audiobook for The Courting of Bristol Keats was great!

I enjoyed the courting of Bristol Keats so much! The story is rich and imaginative. I rated it four stars because I felt that the author could have done more with the world building. I did, however, love the characters and the story development. There was angst and mystery and betrayal and all of those things that we love in our favorite fantasy romance books! The spice was spicy when it was there although not the main point of the story. The ending was a surprise but I didn't hate it 😉
Brittany Pressley, the narrator brought life to the characters and the world woven by Pearson in a raw and emotional way. Her ability to convey what the characters are feeling into her voice is phenomenal and had me in tears a time or two!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️ and 1/2

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the advanced listener copy and the opportunity to provide my opinion of the works!

I enjoyed myself with this story. It had some fresh takes on typical fantasy/romantasy tropes. You are also able to pick up the breadcrumbs and put together some of the clues on the reveals. I will say I did not expect the literal way the story ended. I’m interested in continuing for sure!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC for a honest review.
The Courting of Bristol Keats made me remember how much I love fae. This book reminded me of the Cruel Prince series but adult. If you love the cruel prince or fae I would recommend. The chemistry had me floored and in love. AND THE TWIST ughhhh I need book 2 now!

For fans of Cruel Prince and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
It too me about 40% to feel invested. The FMC does not have a strong personality. But I found myself needing to know what happened next.
I am SHOCKED by the ending. Who ends a book like that? I don't need to ask if there will be a book two because this book ended mid thought - pretty much. Like Ma'am... excuse me.... that's not cool. Gimme the rest please.

This was one of my most anticipated fantasy reads of this fall, and for me - it delivered. I really enjoyed the world building in this and I'm already excited for the conclusion of this duology (aka the next book). This fantasy world has portals, fae, deceit, gods, danger, courts and politics, and a bit of spice. For me this book is not spice heavy but still allows for romantic development for the MCs. [For me it was a nice break to be more focused stepping into the world rather than spice on spice]
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advance Audiobook! Super grateful for the chance to listen to this book because now I know I need the audio in addition to a pretty shelf physical copy! I enjoyed the narrator's delivery a lot. Every time I had to put the book down to do life, I was restless to get back to the book to finish it! Cannot wait for the next book.
This was also my first Mary E. Pearson book, so now I'll have to look at her works to figure out what else I need to add to the TBR.

Will happily add to Amazon upon publication.

It took me a few chapters to find my stride with the story, but for the most part, I had a great time!

What I loved:
* the setting
* Bristol’s fellow recruits
* learning how the magic worked alongside Bristol
* Brittany Pressley’s narration

What I didn’t love:
* how much of the plot relied on Bristol and Tyghan not communicating
* honestly just how most of the story would fall apart if there were fewer secrets
* please I’m begging everyone to just talk to each other

I’m super excited to see where things go in the sequel because this book left me with so many questions!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook! I’m excited to get my hands on my physical copy next month so I can finally learn how everything is spelled!! 4.5/5

Probably one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Thank you so much for this advanced listener copy of this audio book. The narration was so good! As someone who is absolutely feral for The Cruel Prince and Dark Academia/Magical Academies, this was made for me. I will be purchasing the beautiful first print copy for sure to collect on my shelf!

Perfect for anyone who likes The Folk of The Air and Harry Potter but wanted a bit more romance and a touch of spice 😍

An interesting read for fans of the mortal girl ends up in a faerie world trope, and reminded be just a bit of Cruel Prince. The pacing was a little off - some parts were very engaging, while others kind of dragged. I feel like there were too many side characters that got too much screen time that I just didn’t care enough about, so that lost me a bit. Overall it’s a promising book 1 but does not feel like a complete story so it’s hard to judge

This audiobook was a lot of fun and perfect for fans of fae romantasy. Bristol, our FMC, is a mortal girl with a very mysterious family past. She finds herself in the world of Elfhame on a quest to uncover the truth about her parents and her own magic. Her journey involves intense training, court politics, and a romance with the fae king Tyghan. Tyghan basically lies to her throughout the entire story, and I kind of felt like Bristol just easily overlooked that, but its a romantasy so I kind of expect our FMCs to be too forgiving at this point.

The audiobook narration was well done and kept me engaged through the 17 hour audiobook. While parts of the romance felt rushed and the overall pacing a bit slow in the middle, the world and characters were intriguing. I would definitely continue this series to see what happens in the next book. I would recommend this if you like easy and fun romantasy 👍🏻

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an early copy. 🖤

Overall the book was enjoyable enough, with how long it is I was able to move through quickly so it certainly wasn't boring, but I also credit some of that to the audiobook. I thought the world was really interesting and would have loved even more world building!

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but even on audio it wasn't too difficult - especially thanks to the narrators different voices and accents. I enjoyed the narrator a lot, it was a pleasant book to listen to with really high quality!

There were some nice reveals and I liked how the fae and mortal realms were tied together in so many different ways. This was a unique book in my opinion, with lots of groundwork laid for the next book, I'm curious to see where it will go.

I typically LOVE more than one POV but the POVs in general in this book were kind of confusing to me. It seemed like it switched around mid chapter from third person to third person omniscient, and didn't just focus on certain characters. I would have appreciated a chapter header telling me which POV I was getting rather than figuring it out myself every time. I also thought that, as the reader, knowing so many of the secrets and lies for so long before the MC found out diminished how much I enjoyed it, especially the relationship aspect. I spent too much time feeling for the MC, who never really got a moment to shine fully. I'm expecting some big things for Bristol in book 2!

I can safely say I've never read an ending quite like that, and it definitely caught me off guard!

Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

5 star audio!

This book was a lot of fun! Great for fans of acotar and fae romantasy books. I would say it is very easy to get into without intense world building. Reads more like a YA book to me but not in a bad way! There is political maneuvering and swoon worthy romance. It was really well produced on audio too, I would highly recommend listening as your form of reading for this one!

I listened to this audiobook and it was great! I've been so eager to get my hands on this every since I found out Mary Pearson was writing her adult fantasy debut, and it did not disappoint. This has similar vibes to The Cruel Prince. The story follows Bristol Keats, a mortal girl whose family has moved around constantly throughout her life due to a threat her parents won't tell her and her two sisters about. After the death of her mother and then her father, Bristol feels aimless and her only goal is to support her sisters.

After receiving mysterious letters, she meets with a supposed aunt and subsequently agrees to go to the world of Elfhame. She makes a bargain with the fae king Tyghan - she will attempt to seal a portal in exchange for his help finding her father, who may not be dead. She ends up finding out that her parents are not who she thought, and that they are tied to the realm in inextricable ways she couldn't have imagined. Her father and Tyghan had once been best friends. She also works to discover the depths of her own magic.

The sheer depth of the secrets Tyghan was keeping from Bristol was hard to ignore. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop - it was slightly painful knowing that the eventual reveal would blow up their relationship, so I found it hard to get fully invested in them together. But even still, I truly felt for both characters - the amount of pain that they have experienced, especially Tyghan, was visceral and devastating. I just wish that Tyghan and Bristol would have ~the~ conversation earlier, it could've saved them from so much trauma and I KNOW they would've worked it out. But alas, the way things unfolded produced so much tension and I was on the edge of my seat. My heart really went through the wringer.

The plot was very well done. This audiobook is a LONG one (nearly 18 hours) but I was intrigued pretty much the entire time. Bristol navigates Elfhame: undergoing intense training, searching for her father, bonding with other recruits, dealing with her growing feelings for Tyghan, and unraveling so many truths about her life. The ending was so emotionally charged and I can't wait for the sequel - I need it now!!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC! 📚

I listened to this on audio, and it was wonderful! There’s magic, fae, complicated family dynamics, and a slow-burn romance with lots of banter. I went in not knowing anything about this book, so I was pleasantly surprised to really love it. I’m excited for the second book in the series to release, and I’ll be looking up past books by this author!

Stars: 3.25

I had a difficult time rating this book. Let’s start with the good parts. I think the concept was cool, and there were times I felt really engaged with the story. I also really enjoyed Bristol’s training and her journey becoming friends the recruits. It felt at times a little ACOSF valkyrie-esque. Without spoilers, I will also say I enjoyed the unique way Bristol discovers hidden talents about herself.

Now for the bad. I think it was simply too long as there were several parts that could have been cut for a much tighter book. The book ended in a very unusual way that felt like the book either needed to end sooner or it needed a couple more chapters. Personally, I didn’t really root for the MMC. I’m not a fan of dad’s best friend trope nor do I enjoy MMCs that keep secrets, especially past the point where the characters are intimate or have said I love you.

I listened to the audiobook, and I think Brittany did a great job with narrating, especially Bristol’s character, though I wish there had a been a duel narration for Tyghan. It was difficult at times to know which perspective I was in when I was listening. The seemingly indiscriminate perspective change to random minor characters made this even more confusing.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for providing an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful and thrilling story about defending your family and doing anything to save them. The narrator of the audio was amazing and I couldn't stop listening! I had to know what would happen next! I loved the struggle that Bristol faces on a daily basis, the friends and family she makes for herself in the fae realm and the enemies to lover trope. I can not wait to find out what is in store for Bristol next!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by this author, so I didn’t really have any expectations going into this book.

It ended up being an enjoyable read. It was interesting from the very beginning and I really enjoyed the ending. I think the middle was a little slow, and I wasn’t interested in that part of the story as much.

I enjoyed Bristol’s character and how she was willing to go off in search of her father at the risk of her own safety. She was out of her element completely in Elfhame, but I liked how hard she tried to adapt to those changes.

The romance was okay in this story. I thought the dancing was cute, but I do feel like parts of the romance were rushed. I’m also not a fan of spice, so be aware that there are several open door scenes in this book.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. My only issue with the audio was that I had a hard time telling when the point of view switched (and it switched fairly often).

Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an easy romantasy book to read.