Thank you NetGalley for an ALC of A Rivalry of Hearts in exchange of my honest opinion

My review is simple. I loved it so much that I got the physical copy just to have it in my shelves and show off to my friends when they visited me.

A Rivalry of hearts is a blend of everything that I enjoy: interesting concept, well rounded romance, innovative approach to the standard of the genre. Here we have a Romantasy that can very well be described as fantasy romance in regency era and this is a subcategory that I have becoming more found of by the time.

The banter in this book is fantastic and the character are 3D people that were brought to life by the amazing interpretation of Rusty Mewha and Dani Cochrane (extra points on the British accent that I feel is basically a must have)!

Here we have two writers competing during their book tour for a publishing contract, and if you want something fun, light with not overwhelming world building, this book is for you

I'm still sitting here in shock... because THIS. WAS. ADORABLE!! No, it was perfection. It was spontaneous flower petal generation (aka MAGIC!). This is going to the top of my favorites shelf for how happy I felt at the end.

Tessonja celebrates the smut community in the sweetest manner imaginable with the Regency-inspired, full-fledged fantasy as two rival authors go on tour across the faelands. The audiobook will be a smash hit for fans of the subgenre. Rusty Mewha and Dani Cochrane create a playful narration as the characters Edwina & William go head to head. First, as competitors for the same publishing contract. Then as foes in a personal bet on who can seduce more strangers that the other. I was having such a fun time with Edwina's clumsiness but then we got the first chapter in William's POV and WOOO!! I WAS SWOONING! The chemistry between them grew with every scene. The push and pull was paced so well. From wanting to beat each other, to wanting to sabotage each other, to not wanting to see the other with anyone else.

The set up for book 2 was held back until the very end and I appreciated that so much. Just enough of a tease without taking the shine from Edwin & William. And the way that they (finally) confessed their feelings fit the setting so well. I was really impressed and thoroughly entertained. The fae element was integral to the storyline. The world was easy to slide into and would fulfill and Velaris withdrawals readers may be facing. It even starts with a wild night of faery wine and dancing in a pub!

4.75⭐️ 2🌶

Book 1 in the Fae Flings & Corset Strings series.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed this cozy romantasy so much! Edwina’s curiosity was fun to see and I loved how bold it made her. William’s need to protect others that are dear to him made him irresistible. Their love story was perfect and honestly so refreshing. I always have a fantastic time in the Faewyverse!

Audiobook:
I loved the narrators for both Willam & Edwina’s POVs! I felt fully immersed in the story with how well they both did.

Read if you like:
-Cozy Romantasy
-Rivals to Lovers
-Nicknames
-Witty Banter
-Use Me

**Thank you to Netgalley and Tessjona Odette for sending me the audiobook for an honest review**

This is definitely a cozy spicy fantasy.
The two main characters are a delight. I love how you unravel their secrets and stories thru the book. And how their relationship grows and develops. The story is well rounded and easy to follow, the audio is superb , loved the voices and the narrators. Definitely a book to add to your tbr

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I feel so lucky I got this ALC from @netgalley just in time to apply for the next book in the series! This book hooked me so fast, and I instantly fell in love with the vibes of the story! @tessonja created such a cool love story, beautiful rivals to lovers! Either with the ARC or on release day, I cannot WAIT to read the next book in this series! I'm also SO EXCITED to see her in person next year, literally counting down the days until I can gush to all my favorite authors at Romantasy Bookcon in February! Thank you so much for this audiobook, and thank you so much for the opportunity to apply for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced copy! You can pick up A Rivalry of Hearts on October 22, 2024.

I absolutely DEVOURED this saucy, sordid romantasy! This was my first Tessonja Odette book, and it's safe to say it won't be my last. For having such a demure, cutesy cover, I did not expect this book to be as steamy and salacious as it was -- and I love it for that. The growing romance and relationship between William and Edwina was expertly done, and I swooned right along with them as they competed for the publishing contract.

The best romances have a good mixture of emotional growth and physical intimacy, and I really think this book balanced that well. I'm already ecstatic for the next book in the series, and I can't wait to revisit this gorgeous world again!

If you enjoy rivals-to-lovers, bargains, smut, a whimsical world, and celebrating the romance genre, this is 100% the book for you!

I loved this book! Edwina and William are such a fantastic couple and the banter in this rivals to lovers Fae/human romance is spectacular! When I realized the audiobook was coming out I had to give a listen! Rusty Mewha and Dani Cochrane bring these beautiful characters to life. It was wonderful to revisit this story through their dual POV performance. The banter is all the more hilarious and the steam all the more swoon worthy. I would highly recommend this audiobook for fans of Tessonja Odette's new Fae Flings and Corset Strings series as well for new readers who are looking for a fun fantasy romance with cozy vibes and awkward bookworm characters. Long live "Smut and Drivel"!

A Rivalry of Hearts: A Swoon-Worthy Romantasy That Will Make You Blush!

Alright, let’s talk about A Rivalry of Hearts! This was my first dive into Tessonja Odette’s magical world, and let me just say—I’m hooked! If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I totally would!

From the very first page, I was squealing and blushing over the electric chemistry between Edwina, our fierce FMC, and the swoon-worthy Will. Seriously, they’re like the ultimate power couple! Edwina is an absolute gem—enigmatic, strong-willed, and a career queen with a heart of gold. I loved her stubbornness, but what really stole my heart was her growth. This 29-year-old knows her flaws and tackles them like a champ. It’s so refreshing to see!

And the banter? Chef’s kiss! The witty exchanges between Edwina and Will had me grinning like a total goofball. Will is just the icing on the cake—charming and oh-so-dreamy! 🍰✨

Tessonja blends romantasy and regency so seamlessly, creating a world that wraps around you like your favorite cozy blanket—without feeling overwhelming at all. And the side characters? Oh my goodness, I can’t wait for book 2! Daphne has already stolen my heart, and the setup for the next adventure is just delightful!

Hands down, this is one of the best books I’ve read in 2024! If you’re not diving into this yet, what are you waiting for? Grab it and get ready to be enchanted! 🌟📚💖

To start, the narrators did an excellent job and the audiobook was very well done
This book has some of the best things about the genre all wrapped up in one cozy, sweet package. We had enemies to lovers, forced proximity, faeries all in the background of the regency era. Edwina is a romance writer. Will is a poet who calls Edwinas books "smut and drivel." They are rivals on the same book tour competing for a contract with a book publisher. The banter is fun and the spice is delicious. An absolute must read for light romantasy fans!

Oh my goodness, this audiobook was absolutely adorable and so cozy! I love cozy fantasy and this one really hit the spot. I can’t wait to read more from this author

Divine Rivals meets Bridgerton

The overall story was enjoyable. I enjoyed reading as Edwina really grew into themselves and rather than imagining what the characters in her story does she starts to explore those aspects of herself. I will say I was not a fan of the bet, but that's just personal preference.

I was surprised at the secret reveal near the end of the book. I was soooo mad over the fight, but I suppose without it we could have that girl in the crowd making the grand gesture moment. The Disney movie girl in me was like yesssss. Declarations of love and want. I'm a sucker.

A simple book tour turned into a wild bet in a game of hearts.

Will and Edwina may have just become my favorite romantasy couple!

This spicy, regency, enemies-to-lovers, comedic romantasy is a delightfully unexpected biblio-jewel. Edwina, a human smutty romance author is attempting to be taken seriously as a female author and not be forced to write under a male author's name. Traveling in the Faelands, Edwina finds that she is more popular than in the human world and hopes to boost her sales across the board. Will is the opposite. He is a disgraced Fae actor posing as a poet in support of his ill human sister, the actual poet., given the ability to publish her works under Will's name. Will has to convince his fans that he is the insightful poet they believe him to be.

During this book tour, the two of them have been offered a publishing deal—the same deal. They both have reasons for wanting and needing to win this deal: her to make a name for herself and his to help financially support his sister.

The narrators Rusty Mewha and Dani Cochrane were a perfect pair. They brought this story to life, and the banter and spicy scenes were chefs' kiss.

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Tessonja Odette for this ALC. This review is given honestly and voluntarily.

Updated 10/8/2024

Thank you to Tessonja Odette and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an arc and ALC to read and honestly review.

4.5/5 Stars

I have absolutely loved every book I have read from Tessonja Odette, I have read all of her fantasy books and have arc read her books for like 2 or so years now. When this book was announced I was so excited as my first book from Tessonja that I read was the Curse of the Wolf King and I was excited that we were getting a book about the author that our FMC in curse of the wolf king loved. This also is her first actual Adult book the previous books have all been ya or new adult which I love but I also was excited to see her branch out into fully adult books. This is a rivals to lovers romance between two authors competing for a publishing contract, one writes smutty romance and the other is an arrogant poet. The tension was perfect and I adored this book.

Edwina Danforth hasn’t been in Faerwyvae long and has already broken the basic rules, never make a bargain with a fae and don’t get drunk on fae substances. When she learns that her publisher not only is making her now share her book tour with her rival William Haywood and is competing for their next contract based on whoever sells the most books, she feels like she has to come up with a new plan as she doesn’t believe she is as popular as him. With the help of fae wine, Edwina makes a bargain with William, whoever can seduce the most people into intimacy in their own bedroom wins the contract. But when their rivalry starts to turn into more, what happens when the person they desire is each other?

The relationship between Edwina and William is so good, the tension is so fiery and exactly what I want in a gaslamp fantasy romance. The build up to the steam was really amazing. I felt like it did pay off. I was expecting a tiny bit more spice but I am still very happy with what we did get. I really did love how Edwina and William’s relationship built during the book and it was an amazing progression from rivals to lovers.

I can’t recommend this enough and while it can be a standalone I do recommend at least reading Curse of the Wolf King as it is amazing and you will have some added enjoyment to this one. This is out today!

I was recently approved for an audio arc of A Rivalry of Hearts and the narrators Rusty Mewha and Dani Cochrane were amazing. They both managed to bring these characters to life and I can’t wait to reread this book via audio soon. I only listened to the first few chapters so I could update my e-arc review to include some about this audiobook. I really adored this book and these narrators were instantly able to draw me in and they sound like what I imagined the characters would sound like.

📖 𝐀 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐚 𝐎𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞
🎧 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐚 & 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴.“

I was completely entranced by the fantasy world Tessonja created in book 1 of 𝐅𝐚𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 & 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬! I loved this rivals to lovers story. I am an audiobook girlie and this one really delivered!

Edwina Danforth is a human romance author who has been invited to The Isle of Faerwyvae. Faerwyvae is a magical part of the world where the Fae live alongside humans. She is excited to headline a month long tour to promote her books. She was so ready for her work to finally be appreciated but she was not counting on competing for a publishing contract with insanely attractive fae poet, William Haywood.

He’s arrogant and infuriating and now they must survive this tour while also trying to win a bet. Whoever can seduce this most partners before the end of the tour will win the publishing contract. They each have their own reasons for needing to win. Unfortunately for Edwina, she may write spicy books, but her experience in seduction is severely lacking.

William Haywood needs this contract and he’s ready to do whatever he needs to win, he just wasn’t counting on falling for his rival.

This is a “he falls first” story and I LOVED having Will’s POV. It was so fun seeing how he truly viewed Edwina right from the beginning.

"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦."

If you love rival to lovers stories that are mixed with fantasy, go add 𝐀 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐚 𝐎𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞, to your TBR! The audiobook narrated by 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐚 & 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞 was PHENOMENAL. I will 100% be listening to it again in the future.

I am beyond excited for Daphne’s book next! 💞

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🫶🏼 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
✨ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
🤭 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴
💋 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘛𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯
🧚🏼‍♀️ 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
💞 𝘍𝘢𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴
🖋️ 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵 𝘹 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯