
Member Reviews

Absolutely loved this second book in the series by Tessonja Odette. This book follows the storyline of a female full-blooded fae character and a male half-far blooded character. So many ups and downs throughout this novel that keep me up way past my bedtime to get through! This is a book that I could not “put down” since I was so anxious to get to the end! I hope there will be more characters in this series eventually as I am a huge fan of her writing style and character development.

I absolutely love this whole series. The narrators do an excellent job, the cover is so pretty, and it's a fun world to visit! I'd be happy with a dozen of stories in this series!

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of action and a sweet romance. I really likes the balance of action and heart that this book had. Quite an advebture.

This wasn't my cup of tea stylistically but it could be yours if you like Ali Hazlewood or Meryl Wilsner!

Another fabulous Gaslamp romantasy from Tessonja Odette, this book was brimming with banter and sizzling sexual tension. I loved Monty and Daphne in A Rivalry of Hearts so it was fabulous to read their romance and I especially liked learning more about their back story. I also liked that this was both sex and body positive and couldn't help but giggle at some of the situations Monty and Daph got themselves in to but honestly one of my absolute favourite things about this was the introduction of a new side character (who will be the FMC of the next book in the series) - Lady Araminta of the Shining Waters aka the Fae Goth Pinup Model Elle Woods esque Icon who steals her wardrobe from dead old ladies that you didn't know you needed. She had me CACKLING and I can't wait to read her story now!
I listened to the audiobook of this, and while I did enjoy it I did struggle a bit with Monty's voice 🤣but he was written dreamily enough that I could get past it.

When I read A Rivalry of Hearts, I thought "This is AMAZING! It can't get better than this." Apparently, it can.
My Feral Romance is a Bridgerton-esque matchmaker x client romance on the surface, but within pages I was entirely enveloped in the world of Fae Flings and Corset Strings more than ever before. To preface, any reader can dive straight into My Feral Romance without having read A Rivalry of Hearts HOWEVER I would not recommend it. A Rivalry of Hearts (AROH) first introduces our matchmaker (Monty) and artist (Daphne) and while they are far from the focus of that novel, I felt as though the little crumbs I received generated a hunger for this book where I was dying to get my hands on it as soon as I finished AROH. Beside the absolute CHEMISTRY that was present in the first novel, there was also a vital scene in it that is referenced throughout My Feral Romance.
Now, let me start with Daphne. I haven't read many books in which the FMC is a true artist BUT now I think I may need to. Daphne was soooo much fun to read through her perspective. I loved seeing her attempt to draw covers even while handling stress from the more "business" side of her job. In fact, I loved seeing her attempt to determine how she could grow as an artist and improve-which is actually how we tie in our matchmaker Monty. As Daphne realized she was only excellent at drawing females, she needed a male to help her learn male anatomy. Now, if you're anything like me, your brain clicks and goes OH PERFECT, surely she will learn from Monty's anatomy? Right? RIGHT? Wrong. Monty, being the matchmaker that he is, makes a deal to match her up with another man so she can learn as he refuses to date her. I won't go into detail about the why's and how's, as that will be much more enjoyable for you to read and discover yourself, but I actually LOVED how this was all handled.
Often in books when characters can't get together for ~some~ reason I end up getting frustrated because there feels to be a simple solution (*cough* miscommunication trope *cough*). However, in this book I actually appreciated both of their reasons for why they either needed to remain single or why Daphne wanted to find a partner (GIRL READ THE FINE PRINT). And one of the things I appreciated most in this story, is that the book was soooo much deeper than simply matchmaker x client. We see a strong woman in Daphne who overcomes trauma from childhood bullying to grow into one of the strongest willed FMC's I've ever read. Likewise, we get to see Monty overcome genuine external hardship for the one he loves (if you like the "He crawled for her" trope in the sense that he would do ANYTHING to be with her READ THIS BOOK). But at the same time, neither character was just a linear growth into a strong person, they went through many steps and ups and downs to get there and each one was even more relatable than the last.
Overall, I can't recommend this book enough. I related to both Monty and Daphne in ways I didn't think possible. I will be starting my reread very soon for no reason other than my love of this book.
Spice scale: 3/5
Tropes:
~Friends to lovers~
~Close proximity~
~He Falls First~
~Touch HIM and you die~
P.S. If you are on the dating apps, give this book a read. It may provide some hope/inspiration!

This is the second book in a stand-alone series, where each installment is self-contained but set in the same world. In this story, we follow Daphne, a high-born fae who dreams of becoming an illustrator. Currently, she illustrates steamy romance novels and even uses herself as the cover model. Daphne struggles with drawing men, so she decides she needs a male model. Adding to her troubles, during a drunken escapade in the fae realm, she got engaged and now has a limited time to find a husband in order to escape this engagement.
Then there's Monty, a writer who publishes under the pen name of a grandmotherly figure known for giving steamy advice. Monty believes he can discover the spark between people and match them up, but now his publisher wants him to prove that his methods work. Enter Daphne; Monty is determined to use his techniques to find her a husband while documenting their adventures.
Although I didn't read the first book, this installment is currently quite popular, receiving many 4 and 5-star ratings. Personally, I found the story just okay. It was a bit dramatic and repetitive for my taste. Nonetheless, there were plenty of cute moments, and I appreciate the mention of snack bacon—we definitely need more snack bacon in our lives! When thinking of a bodice ripper, this book fits the description: it has the right time frame, plenty of spice and longing, and lots of crazy shenanigans. While the story is entertaining, it felt a bit dragged out. I found the fae characters to be rather one-dimensional, despite their attempts to be more complex. However, many people adore this book, so if you enjoy stories featuring fae in the real world with some added spice, you might want to give this a try.

An excellent follow up that never relies to heavily on what has already occurred in book 1.
Daphne and Monty are both trying their best to fight their attraction because of their own hurt and bruised hearts. And it is delicious to follow and root for.
I love how subtle Daphne's autism and demisexual coding are. It's explicit, obvious, and touched upon multiple times, but Odette never assumes you're an idiot who needs a text book level, dry explanation of it that holds your hand and details every small aspect in a way that no one ever talks to one another outside of a definition paper.
Daphne and Monty being two little feral freaks was my favorite part of the whole book. How he just stares at her adoringly when she acts like a pine martin, when she bits a mans hand off, its all so lovely.
And Odette has such a stunning ability to describe these things. I was crying at times because of how much I felt the bruised heart they both have. I felt so seen with so much of this book. One of the easiest 5 stars I've ever had.

What a charming read! This author has such a way with making stories delightful. I loved the audio and the story. The story and the dialogue flow so easily and are entertaining. I didn’t want to put it down. More review coming soon.

My Feral Romance is a fun romantasy romp that is hard to put down. It had read Tessonja Odette's previous book in which Monty was a minor character, and I loved learning more about his motivation and rooting for him here. Don't worry, though, while it is a fun connection to have read previous books, this book stands fully on its own. In the book, we see Monty and Daphne enter into a business transaction to include modeling for Daphne's art and matchmaking for Monty's hoping to be published book. Both have jobs on the line that could dramatically change their futures. Of course, lines are blurred as the bargin progresses. I really adored the characters in this book both Monty and Daphne and the side characters, especially Aramninta who is Daphne's close friend. If you are looking for a light, fast read with a romance that features both humor and heartwarming elements, this book might just be for you.
I listened to the audiobook with performances by Dani Cochrane and Rusty Mewha who were equally excellent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book so much! Tessonja Odette is an automatic buy for me when I see a new book from her. The cover art is adorable, the story is delicious and the characters are well written. Her world building is also well done. I cannot to see what else we get from this world/series.

Monty and Daphne are so fun with their banter and Daphne's hilarious inner monolog. I really enjoyed their shift from enemies to friends to lovers and definitely felt the chemistry. The audiobook was a great way to enjoy this book and the narration is excellent.

I have been waiting to read this book after devouring A Rivalry of Hearts. I have been waiting to hear more from Monty and Daph. This book like the first did not disappoint. I love the magical world that Tessonja has created and I love this low-stakes/cozy fantasy romance that she has created with this series.
I rate this book 4.5 and 2 spice level. The audio book I rate 4.00. (both narrators were engaging in the story).
If you love: cozy fantasy books, friends to lovers, dating lessons, fae bargains, banter, romance columnist x illustrator, and match making then I would recommend this book for you.
What I loved:
Daph truly had my heart when she was first introduced to in A Rivalry of Hearts and I absolutely loved her personality. I love her naive and logical thinking.
Getting to know Monty- I knew Monty had some layers under his chilled exterior but My Feral Romance we get to know more about him and I genuinely loved his character development in the story. I also loved the little things he would do for Daph (going out in the rain).
The romance between these two- I love a friends to lover type of romance and add in Monty trying to help Daph in the marriage circle - we all knew what would be in store for both of them. And the mirror scene....... (I was kicking and screaming!).
New character: Araminta (I was bummed when we did not see Edwina and Will in this story BUT) I was excited that Araminta was included. She is HILARIOUS and just what Daph needed in her life.
I can't wait to continue the series and I am looking forward to the next couple.

Well I loved this even more than the first one! And I’m really picky about friends to lovers. But this was done so well. Monty’s reasons for behaving the way he did were understandable and I loved his character development. And I just adored Daphne. Her neurodivergent struggles were so relatable. The world building of course continues to be just enchanting and immersive. I cannot wait for the next one!
Thanks to the author and Dreamscape media for the ALC.

This was my first book with reading about Faes in a romcom and not in fantasy book and I must say I really enjoyed it. I liked that I could enjoy the world without any danger looming on top of our main character's head. There were some secrets involved which kept me hooked but nothing life threatening dangerous. I loved the personality of Daphne, she was shy, anxious but feisty, normal and not pretentious at the same time. Monty was a total charmer but I liked his background story, it gave his character a lot of depth. Their lessons were full of chemistry. Armenta was such a delight and I cant wait to know her story, I hope the next book is about her, I need to know what happened after that epilogue.

TESSONJA ODETTE, THE WOMAN YOU ARE!!!!!
The way I eat up every single book this woman writes, holy hell. I loved the first book in this series, and this standalone “sequel” set in the same world did not disappoint! Monty and Daphne are adorable and endearing and provide so much good banter. The author always makes sure the conflict in the stories is minimally painful, but masters tension and tenderness in equal measure between her main leads. A beautiful fantasy world, built with intriguing conventions, creatures, and plot points, I highly recommend this cozy, sweet, and in some places very perfectly spicy novel!!! Bonus points for an amazing set of audiobook narrators, with really amazing voices. 4⭐️
*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

There was great banter and pining, but I didn't feel like there was a lot of plot. The conflicts weren't as tough to overcome as in the end they just needed the confidence they got from each other in order to resolve them, it's more character study and relationship development. It was still fun to listen to and the narrators did a great job with the dual POV. Overall I still preferred the first one, it just felt like the relationship was more believable but in this one I just felt like these were the leftover characters that needed to end up together.
Thanks to Netgalley, Tessonja Odette and Dreamscape Media for this ALC that I chose to listen to and review

"I've always had a weakness for worrying over the people who annoy me most."
To say I adored this book would be an understatement! I love Edwina & Monty so flipping much. Both as a couple & as individuals. They literally leapt off the pages & became real to me, The narrators were fantastic and really made the characters come even more alive to me. I was quite forlorn after I binged the book to realise they are in fact only characters in a book, because I so desperately would love to be friends with them. ( This book is such a wonderful balm for the soul when you're feeling weary. I could go on and on but l'll leave it at there for now. I'll be doing a reread again very soon lol!

This book had just the right amount of cosy story telling, romance, spice and fae. As an interconnected standalone I am glad I read the first book to provide me some context for this one.
The story follows Fae Shifter Daphne, a publishing assistant who is given the opportunity to paint/design artwork for her author friend Edwina, but Edwina’s work is very raunchy and Daphne needs some inspiration.
Monty of the other hand has made a name for himself as a match maker, and has been bolstering someone else’s name giving relationship advice, which has been turning more and more risqué. But when he try’s to write his own book with his advice he’s told he needs a case study…
As former co-workers and friends Daphne and Monty strike up a deal to progress both of their careers.

The world that Odette has created brings such joy. I can get lost in it over and over again. I found this book to be what I needed in the transition to winter.