I was really excited for an adult novel from this author, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. I found myself bored, which was shocking, given that I typically enjoy this type of story (“regular” girl with a fae love interest) when it’s done well. I had hoped the slow burn romance between the MCs would keep me engaged, but it turned into insta love out of nowhere. I was also confused a lot, and I wonder if that was partly due to the audiobook format. The narrator did a good job changing the voices, but there are so many people/creatures that it was hard to keep track at times. A multicast audio might have suited the story better, or perhaps just reading a physical copy would have provided a clearer experience. Overall, it was ok, but I never really felt the investment in the story that I was hoping for.

Many thanks for the ALC!

The VIBES in this book are immaculate! For fans of Alix Harrow, Emily Wilde, or other dark fantasy lovers, we have fae, portal magic, “real world” girl stumbles into alternate reality, romantasy plot line, etc. I loved the set up, the entry into the fae world, the subterfuge, the magic system, all of it. The book ended abruptly and I’ll perhaps die waiting for book 2, but I’ll ABSOLUTELY be reading it!!!

First of all, that cliffhanger was so abrupt that it felt like there were a couple of chapters missing rather than the author leaving us wondering what would happen next. Overall, I think this book will be very popular with the girlies trying to fill the ACOTAR void. It's a really good mix of fantasy and romance vibes, with pretty decent worldbuilding. It kept me engaged the whole time. It's really hard to take a concept which at this point it vastly overdone and deliver a seemingly originalish concept to it. I was impressed (on all but some of the naming fronts, those were a little eh), and I would like to learn more about this kingdom and I'm actually excited to read the next book which is rare in a romantasy duology. I will say I wish that the authors would have characters use different expletives other than ones that people in our world use currently cause they literally talked about difference in languages and it would be so good to have him a moment of him saying something other than f*ck and having to explain it to her and how he meant it as a compliment and not a bad thing.

3⭐️

I listened to the audiobook and also read this one. I really enjoyed the audio narrators and even up switching to only audio half way thru. They did a great job bringing life to these characters.

The first half of this book was so strong and I was .
gripped. I really enjoyed world that Bristol was thrust into but then it just fell a bit flat. Just nothing really happened and the romance was pacing well but then went to insta love out of no where:

Things I really enjoyed about this book was the two worlds and got that interacted together. That I was never really sure of the real story and what was the truth. In the first half I thought the maze training scenes were a lot of fun. After the first half I feel like many of the chapters could have been omitted. It seemed like filler and didn't progress the story.

I didn't knock down my review of this, but it was evident that this was the authors debut in adult, The overall book still read very YA with sprinkles of adult content, I'm hoping that the author does find her footing in the adult books genre as I do really enjoy her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillon audio for this advanced listener copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I decided to stop listening at the 40% mark. I think it’s a wrong book, wrong time issue. None of the plot points interested me so I couldn’t stay focused. I’m going to try and come back to it, but for now I have to say it’s not for me.

Loved. Loved. Loved. Apparently, I'm in my fantasy era. This book was so well done. I listened to the audio and loved it so much I bought a physical copy. It's one of my top books of the year.

I listened to the audiobook for The Courting Of Bristol Keats.

The book follows Bristol Keats as she navigates a new-to-her world of Monsters, Fae and Gods. After receiving mysterious letters from someone who claims they can help her, she journeys to Elfhame to search for her father, who she thought was dead but believes is still alive. In Elfhame she learns that everything she knew about her family is a lie.

Mary E. Pearson can do no wrong when it comes to writing books! The world building was easy to follow. The characters were well written. I loved the romance, and the dark secrets that go on within the book!

The narrator did a great job keeping me entertained and focused on the story. She brought the characters to life with the different voices she used for each character.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of The Courting of Bristol Keats!

Bristol Keats has been shuttled from place to place throughout her childhood. She returns home after the death of both her parents to be with her sisters, but everything changes when she finds out fae are real and they coerce her into helping them. She's transported into their realm where she confronts dark secrets, powerful magic, and a handsome king.

The characters in the book are fantastic, and made even better by Brittany Pressley's incredible narration. She manages to make each character distinct. This story is told from multiple POVs which makes the world feel richer and more immersive. I liked that the author used this technique instead of relying on the outsider to a new world trope to exposition dump. Bristol's POV chapters are used to build a sense of wonder and mystery. I really liked this approach.

The romance feels real and moves at a reasonable pace without being a slow burn, and it added nicely to the tension surrounding the general mystery throughout the novel. I'd rate the spice medium.

I was surprised at how abruptly it ended and even went back and listened again thinking I missed something. I actually wondered if the ALC was missing a chapter, but I guess it did it's job since I'm left wanting more.

Overall, The Courting of Bristol Keats is a very enjoyable and quick read. I'd love to return to the world and just walk around! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

I enjoyed this quite a bit! I am a big fan of ACOTAR and Crescent City, and this book was very reminiscent of those. It did have its own very unique magic system and world building. I loved the writing style.

In my opinion, this book was just too long and too drawn out. Some chapters slogged on forever and others were just super quick and didn't seem to have a point. I struggled a bit with this one because so much of the story is something we've heard time and time again. I kept getting bored. I was also confused a lot. Especially at the end. It just ends. It's almost like we weren't sure how to wrap it up so let's just stop here and figure it out for the next book.

I did really enjoy the narrator. She has a lovely reading voice and made the characters easy to tell apart. I imagine she had a lot of fun with some of the voices. She was what made this book worth continuing.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this early release in exchange for an honest review.

Bristol and her sisters live in the small town of Bowskeep. They lost both of their parents, and are struggling, but trying their best in life. Bristol starts receiving mysterious letters from an aunt that she’s never heard of before. Against her better judgment, Bristol goes to meet with the aunt and soon discovers that significant parts of her life have been a lie, and her father may not even be dead. Bristol travels to a magical land, full of danger, fae, and monsters, and things get even more mysterious.

I loved the way this book combined fantasy with mystery. I think the world building was well done and loved the concept of the secret magical world. The characters were complex and easy to relate to. I found Bristol to be especially likable. She’s a strong FMC who will do almost anything to help her family which is so relatable. The romance between Bristol and Tyghan was great and I appreciated that it didn’t feel super rushed. The ending was a cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to what happens next in this duology!

I listened to the audiobook and Brittany Pressley did an amazing job. Each character had a clear and distinct voice and the narration really helped me become immersed in the magical world.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

4.5 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the audiobook ARC of this book. I quite enjoyed it and loved the characters too. I look forward to the next book as this one was left on a cliffhanger for sure. It had Fae, other mystical beings, magic, mayhem, portals, and family secrets. I would definitely recommend this book for sure!

Oh man, was I so looking forward to an adult book from this author! I was not captivated by the world-building. I was shocked at how incredibly bored I was. It didn't give me the depth I was hoping for, especially considering how long it is. 2.5 rounded up. The narrator was fantastic - listening to the audio was probably the only way I was able to push through as long as I did.

I thought the synopsis and opening chapters of this book were really great. It reminded me of early 2000-10s fae fantasy and I enjoyed that bit of a throwback.

We meet Bristol and her sisters as they navigate life after their father’s death. Trying to make ends meet by selling his artwork and working minimum wage jobs. A mysterious aunt surfaces out of the blue and the news of her father being alive sets Bristol on a new path that’s quite literally out of her world.

The audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley is what got me through this book. She delivers great voice and pitch changes, with fun accents thrown in, that make the story pleasing to the ear.

I really liked the atmosphere of the book overall, it had many fantasy aspects I like, as well as good world building…

However, for the most part the pacing didn’t work for me and made the book a huge drag. There was a lot of filler in a sense that Bristol joins what’s basically a fae school. It leans very heavy YA with some minor adult content thrown in, an insta-love relationship, and just not enough character development.

Truth is, not a whole lot happens in the plot. There was a great scene around the 50-60% mark that had some tension and action, but other than telling us “fae world = big bad scary” - it doesn’t show any of it. This book should have been much shorter and concise, with a better climax or juicer cliffhanger to set up the next story. I wish there were flashback scenes of the parents, instead of some of these random POVs, I think the book would have benefited from that extra history.

Ultimately, this was a bit average for me but it has interesting potential to become a series.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review.

[3.5 stars]

The writing here was fantastic as was the delivery of the narrator but I just wasn’t invested in any of the characters. The romance also just felt lackluster and I did not see any chemistry between the MCs. I wish I could say I loved it because I loved the Dance of Thieves duology so much. But when Tyghan manipulates Bristol’s emotions, after they’re already in a relationship, so she’d be less angry and they wouldn’t argue, that was a hard no for me. He also goes from I’m attracted to her but annoyed by her existence to “I love her” in a complete 180 spin. Because we get his POV and he was nowhere near that realization when it happens. Bristol I loved. She handles the things that are thrown at her as best she can and considers things from others’ perspectives as well.

The plot is intriguing and I was honestly more invested in that than the romance and I think it would’ve worked better if that was the main focus. The ending was so abrupt and an interesting choice. It felt like a chapter was left off.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the audiobook review copy.

Bristol Keats and her family have always lived life on the run. When they finally stop to settle in a small town, Bristol and her sisters lose both of their parents in a short period of time.

Now struggling to keep their lives afloat, Bristol agrees to meet with a mysterious “aunt,” whom she has never heard of before, in hopes that she may find a way to support her sisters with what the aunt is offering.

As things turn out, though, the “aunt” she encounters is not what she expected, and she soon learns that the world, her family, and even Bristol herself are not what she always believed.

Travel to a world filled with gods, monsters, and fae along with Bristol as she finds herself pulled into the power struggle between fae kingdoms and works to find her footing amidst her own conflicting loyalties.

I devoured this one. I did not want to put it down. It’s 17+ hours on audio (at 1x speed), and I started and finished it in three days time. (I tend to listen at a speeds between 1.8x and 2.3x most of the time, but that’s still a lot of book in a short period of time.) It had me hooked to the very last moment.

I loved the forbidden romance aspect, the multiple POVs, the world-building, the growing friendships and bonds among the recruits, and the heat between Bristol and Tyghan.

Plus this one is narrated by Brittany Pressley. That is always a win in my book. I enjoyed all of the accents she used and vocal choices she made. She captured the multiple POVs well. Her narration is a big part of how I was easily able to consume this one so quickly.

My main complaint: This one is book 1 in a series, but even for a fantasy series, the ending felt abrupt to me. Book 2 can’t come quickly enough.

4.75⭐️ for the story
5⭐️ for the narration

I will gladly reread this one again before book 2 comes out.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

This is a perfect set up for a series of novels. The world building was rich and complex, but still allowed it have a small town feel for the main character. This falls more under romance than fantasy, in my opinion, if that's your thing. The narration was good, if you can get past the odd pronunciation of the word "troll."

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this <i>immensely</i>. So thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy. All my incoherent ramblings are obviously my own because no one would script this.

Hey friends, were you not into the "enemies" part of enemies to lovers in The Cruel Prince? You know, the kind that are, in fact, enemies that try to kill each other? Cool, might I recommend this book instead?

This book isn't like TCP but it also kind of it. Like maybe cousins.

And let me tell you, in a world inundated with fae stories, this is the only kind I like to read. The kind that are, you know, based on actual fae, and not the path SJM has taken them (no shade, just not for me).

Bristol is just a normal girl with her normal sisters trying to survive after losing both of her parents. They're trying to keep the lights on when a mysterious "aunt" starts sending them letters telling them she's got a hefty inheritance for them. Knowing her dad was an only child makes this unbelievable to them, but in a desperate move, Bristol decides to take the meeting.

That's when she discovers the world of Elfame.

She strikes a deal to keep her sisters safe and afloat while she searches for her dad, who she doesn't believe is dead (plot twist!), and she's supposed to join a group of recruits that are believed to have the power to save Tyghan's world. Tyghan, the king, was not supposed to be king. He was more like the spare, but then his brother got kidnapped and now he's trying to rule a kingdom all while not going mad because yes, his best friend betrayed him and stabbed him with a demon blade and now demons are trying to take over his mind.

Y'all these two are having a ROUGH TIME.

And we get to watch them slowly fall in love. And honestly major shout out to Mary E. Pearson because she managed to make an age gap not actually an age gap (claps all around), she made everyone a bit in the wrong and a bit in the right, and she made all the girlies a team. I love.

Also massive shout out to the one and only Brittany Pressley because she can do no wrong with her narrations.

The major issue with this book is that it's not even out yet which means I'm going to have to wait eons for book 2 and that makes me want to throw a tantrum.

It's going to take me a bit to fully process this book. Some parts I really enjoyed and then others it just kind of lost me. I was constantly trying to remember exactly what each monster or fae or character actually looked like and what their abilities were. I did enjoy Bristol's character and her relationship with her sisters and her new friends. The slow burn relationship between Bristol and Tyghan was fun. But then the ending of the book just kind of ruined it for me. I get that we'll eventually get another book but it was really an abrupt ending. I will probably read the next one because I really do want to find out what happens but I'll probably still be frustrated about the ending.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

*3.5 stars*

I really enjoyed the Dance of Thieves duology and the Remnant Chronicles, so I was beyond excited to receive an audio arc of this book! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters and the story to life, and I really enjoyed her performance. However, this book did not live up to the excitement that I had for it.
The plot was intriguing enough - I was instantly reminded of The Cruel Prince, as Bristol arrived in Faerie from the (modern) mortal world and tried to adjust to her new life. However, the worldbuilding was really sparse and never fleshed out. The case was the same with the political drama - we never got any kind of strategy or buildup to the major plot events, so the story ended up being more romance/family drama than fantasy.
The characters were also extremely bland. Bristol had almost no development throughout the story and I felt mostly secondhand embarrassment for her throughout the book. While Tyghan had potential to be another Cardan, I found the romance really rushed and unfulfilling. I also thought it was weird that Tyghan was best friends with Bristol's father, and completely lost interest in the romance during a scene where Tyghan bragged to Bristol's father that he was sleeping with her. I found it gross and unnecessary to include that kind of romantic plotline. Readers should know that this is Pearson's adult debut, so the spice level is higher than her previous YA books.
If the romance had been different and the characters a little more compelling, I might have enjoyed this book more. As it is, I think it's a fun and vibey read for the coming fall season, but I don't know if I want to read the sequel.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the arc!