When your comp titles are are The Cruel Prince & ACOTAR, of course I have high expectations for the first in this new adult duology. This lived up to <i>most</i> of them. I need the next one ASAP.

4.5 ⭐

Mary E Pearson's writing is so fluid and enjoyable to read. The Courting of Bristol Keats is the first in a duology filled with magic, fae, danger and mystery. Bristol, our FMC, lives in a tiny town with her sisters after the loss of her parents. Struggling to survive, she receives another message from an estranged aunt to meet with her. Out of desperation she goes to meet only to help secure money for her sisters.

Bristol being an intelligent main character made her shine to me. Despite being new to the world, she seemed realistic and quick to catch onto the scheming of the fae. She really shone in her interactions with Tyghan. I love how their relationship started as enemies to his intrigue getting the better of him to start to want her. I wish this was a bit more slow burn, but the spice was a good addition.

Points only taken off because of the ending. It felt too abrupt. I'm hoping the next one picks up directly where the first left off.

📙 Betrayals and secrets
📙 Reluctant allies
📙 Enemies to lovers
📙 He falls first and falls harder
📙 Forbidden love
📙 Hidden powers
📙 Court intrigue/politics

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an eARC & ALC of The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E Pearson in exchange for my honest review!

tl;dr
Court politics, fae intrigue, magical school, and parents with secrets all converge, with a romance that moves way faster than the rest of the plot.

Thoughts
I'm going to have to split this into two parts, because the plot and the romance both did entirely different things for me.

We'll start with the main plot, which feels a bit like a magical potpourri of ideas. There's fae court intrigue and all sorts of political machinations. There might be a war on the horizon! There's a missing parent with a dark past. And also, there's a magical school that Bristol only sometimes attends. It's a lot to fit together, but it does seem to work for the most part. The school section gets the short end of this, with Bristol's fellow classmates painted as interesting, but largely non-present in the rest of the threads. The separate threads weave together by the end of the book into a fairly focused storyline. There are enough original takes in here that the story feels fresh, without straying too far from what makes faerie court intrigue as popular as it is. Some of the reveals in the second half especially look like they'll be setting up some cool things in the next book.

The romance is where I find myself struggling. I like a good enemies-to-lovers, and the story certainly opens up as if we're going to get there with some nice slow burn. But they say time passes differently in the faerie world, and time must also pass differently in this book, because these characters fell in love WAY faster than I expected. There was some bickering, and then suddenly there wasn't, like a switch had been flipped. It's not quite instalove, but it certainly comes close. If you enjoy sudden and searing passion in your romances, this will probably land well with you. But for fellow fans of a relationship that has to marinate a little longer, you may feel a bit of whiplash at how quickly the first declaration of love appears.

Bristol Keats was a slump breaker for me. Fast paced, unique and fun -- I loved this book so much. I highly recommend to fans of fantasy romance who are looking for a fresh new world.

Enjoyed this book and think it was very atmospheric in its fantasy world building. I am a sucker for mystical stories that intertwine monsters, curses, and other fantastical elements, so this was an interesting debut read. And can we talk about the sprayed edges!

A cozy romantasy that follows a girl who ends up in the fae realm with a binding promise to a fae king, now she'll have to find a way to survive and protect her sisters while solving the mystery of her father's death and her growing feelings for a particularly grumpy fae king. This is the first book in a duology and I adored the slowburn romance between Bristol and the MMC. The story has a cozy vibe that just makes it a nice easy read. The story is a long one but I found myself enjoying every chapter and I can't wait to see what awaits these characters in the next book!

Loved the characters and the extremely complex intertwined relationships. There are so many things I’m excited to learn in the second book! When do we get that?

This is another twist on Fae and the land of Faeries. Three sisters learn that what they thought was true of their parents may not have been when magic comes knocking. The middle sister, Bristol, is who takes charge to find the answers they need. She gets more than she bargained for.

This is an adult book, so there is language and open door bedroom scenes. I thought the world building was great, characters were complex and likable, and details were unique. The whole thing is very unique take on fae in the present day.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Bristol receives letters from her aunt and finds out that her father might still be alive. She is desperate to save her father.

I wanted to like this book. I found it to be very slow. It took me a very long time to get through this book. I think the book was too long. I did however like the ending so I’m glad I didn’t give up on the book.

Thank you NetGalley, Mary and Flatiron Books for the ARC!

I loved this book and the unique premise, strange world building and lovely prose. The details were spot on in their description and the writing didnt feel either flashy or too simplistic. It was balanced and described the characters and the setting very well for my tastes. I enjoyed the romantasy themes and am anxious after tht cliffhanger to see what is in store for us in the next book!

As a longtime fan of Mary E. Pearson, I was eager to dive into The Courting of Bristol Keats, hoping for a fresh take on fantasy romance. While the book certainly had its moments—strong world-building, an intriguing premise, and a slow-burn romance—it ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.

The story follows Bristol Keats, a young woman struggling to support her sisters after their parents’ deaths. When she receives mysterious letters from a supposed aunt, she’s drawn into a hidden world of fae, gods, and dangerous bargains. The central mystery—her father’s potential survival and the dark secrets of her family—adds an interesting layer to the plot. However, the execution felt uneven, with pacing issues that made it difficult to stay engaged.

One of my biggest struggles with the book was Bristol herself. While I typically enjoy determined and headstrong protagonists, she often felt frustratingly reactive rather than proactive. Many of her choices seemed dictated by convenience rather than character growth, which made it hard to connect with her journey. The morally gray fae king, Tyghan, was compelling in theory, but his dynamic with Bristol lacked the chemistry I was hoping for. The enemies-to-lovers trope is present, but the emotional development between them felt rushed, making their relationship less satisfying than it could have been.

Despite these drawbacks, the world-building was well done. Pearson’s writing is immersive, and the descriptions of the fae realm were vivid and atmospheric. If you love court intrigue, hidden identities, and slow-burn fantasy romance, there’s definitely something here for you. The audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley was a major highlight, adding depth and personality to the characters that kept me more engaged than I might have been otherwise.

Overall, The Courting of Bristol Keats wasn’t a bad read, but it felt like a standard fantasy romance that didn’t quite stand out from the crowd. The potential is there, and I think the sequel could improve upon some of the weaker elements. If you’re a fan of The Bridge Kingdom or The Iron Fey, you might still enjoy this, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

I love romantasy books, but this book was uneven at best. The worldbuilding was great, but the middle of the book dragged.

This was a great introduction to a promising series. Bristol Keats is an orphan struggling to make it, along with her two sisters, when she receives a strange letter from an “aunt” offering help. When Bristol attempts to meet this person, she is unexpectedly thrust into a world of fae in which her father might be alive after all.

I loved the writing style of this book, which organically flows with beautiful prose. I tend to get weighed down by excessive scenery description, and this was the perfect amount of detail for me. The one thing I found lacking was character depth, which I think is partly because so many characters are introduced. I hope more depth is given in the upcoming books.

This novel explores manipulation and love, and whether the two can coexist. Who will we become when loved ones and the world around us demand we fall in line? I was forced to really reflect on if I would handle situations the same way, and what would MY motives be?

We’re left on a cliffhanger with more questions than answers, but I didn’t mind! If you’ve been around the romantasy block, this plotline might not feel very new to you. However, if you’re still dipping your toes in like me, hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the gifted eARC!

I found the summary/teaser to be more intriguing than the book. While fantasy is usually one of the genres I am drawn to, Bristol felt too close to "cozy" to appeal much to me. The mystery portion was well done, the characters were interesting, but the push/pull of the primary romantic lead characters felt to predictable and more YA than adult fantasy.

I loved the premise of the book as I’m always interested in parallel worlds of the fae variety in my romantasy reads. The characters are also done very well in my opinion, with a strong balance between the main and secondary players. The pace of the story is the only personal hiccup I found, which had me dragging my heels through the read for longer than I would’ve liked.

I had such a backlog or ARCs and reviews that I'm barely coming back to this one and it's beautiful self has already been released out into the world.

It makes me sad that this book is consistently sold out when I meander down the stores book aisles. Fae, gods and monsters? Sorry, but this book should be way more talked about.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster! It was intriguing and stressful at the same time. Can’t wait to see what is next

Bristol was a lot of fun. Highly emotional . I felt like I knew what was going to happen . There were some twists that did surprise me . The “tick” was and interesting aspect. The whole thing about keeping secrets is that they are going to find out. So that part was not surprising. I liked the world building and some of the characters. Im still trying to decide how I feel about her older sister. Was she just thrown in for stress.

Bristol and her two sisters were left as orphans .out of the blue a letter arrives from an aunt they never knew they had. It turns out that their parents weren’t honest about their past and Bristol is now faced with some fae that want to put to rights what her parents messed up. And maybe her father isn’t so dead? The fae king, Tyghan, who was her dad’s best friend, also seems to know a lot more than he’s letting on. He’s also devastatingly attractive…. Can Bristol find her way in the complex fae court?
Fantastic new romantasy. Can’t wait for book 2!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC- my opinions are my own.

🗡️ I was unsure of what to expect with this one, but I ended up feeling pleasantly surprised! It was loaded with diverse magic and fantasy that was fun to explore as I got deeper into the story. The was a variety of characters that were interesting and unique and included faeries, ogers, shape shifters, and sprites. The interaction between the human and fantasy worlds added a fascinating dynamic to the storyline! I will be on the lookout for book 2!

🗡️ Bristol and her sisters tragically lost their parents one after another in a short period of time, and were struggling to get by. In an effort to find more security and stability for her sisters, Bristol meets up with an unknown individual who had been sending the sisters mysterious letters. Bristol soon finds herself immersed in a fantasy world that she had no idea existed, surrounded by all different kinds of creatures and beings. She has been sought after because she may hold the key to saving this magical realm. However, as she discovers more about this new place she uncovers deep secrets that begin to haunt her.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Fae, magic, betrayal, secrets, romance!!!

WHAT IT IS ABOUT:
Bristol and her sisters are left orphans struggling to pay the bills after their mother disappears and their father is killed. When an unknown aunt surfaces and wants to meet Bristol initially rejects her requests. However, Bristol finds herself thrown into the land of the fae and makes a binding promise with a fae king in order to help her sisters and herself survive and maybe learn more about her father’s death. Unknown to her, the fae king has a secret, one that will change everything she thought she know about her life and her parents.

WHAT I THINK:
I was skeptical about this book in the beginning but I am SO happy that I got through the slow beginning. I ended up LOVING Bristol; she is strong, smart, and very determined! The MMC is one grumpy SOB in the beginning but the more you learn the more you love him. The author does an excellent job at spilling a large secret early so the reader (ME!) just wants to know when shit will hit the fan!. A great book for all fantasy/romantasy readers.