My next fairy romantasy obsession! I need book two now!
Superb performance by audiobook narrator!

Bristol Keats doesn't know anything.
She doesn't know anything about who her parents really were except that they're both dead and now she and her sisters are broke. Or are they??
She doesn't know anything about herself only that she's 100% human and average, Or is she????
She definitely doesn't know King Tyghan who needs to find someone with a buried fairy power to sense portals and close them before his world is taken over by evil undead soldiers. Or can she??
She doesn't know she's a pawn in a much larger and far more complicated plot than she can ever guess....
until she does.
and THAT's why I need book 2 NOW!! What will Bristol do now that she has the full picture and all the info? How will her relationship with Tyghan and her parents change? How is she going to save the fae world from pure evil? There are so many possibilities with this plot and these characters. It's a compulsive read/listen.

If there’s one thing that elevates an audiobook from good to great, it’s the skill of the narrator—and this audiobook delivers on that front in spades. The narrator’s performance is nothing short of outstanding, bringing each character to life with remarkable clarity and subtlety. Their voice is rich, engaging, and impeccably paced, perfectly complementing the tone of the story.

Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for providing access to an advanced copy of this audiobook! While the narration and writing itself was great, I ultimately had to DNF this at about 40% because I did not feel connected to the characters at all. Plot line and timing was confusing which became uninteresting. Good story idea overall but poor execution I feel.

The Courting of Bristol Keats was an overall win for me, which isn’t surprising since Mary E. Pearson is one of my favorite authors. I’ve loved all her YA books, and this one, while not perfect, still delivered a solid 4-star experience.

The story follows Bristol Keats, who discovers her father might still be alive and trapped in the faerie realm. To find him, she strikes a dangerous bargain with King Tyghan, a character with his own dark motives. The setup is fantastic—full of high stakes, political intrigue, and a slow-burn romance that pays off in all the right ways. The multiple POVs added a layer of suspense, keeping me constantly wondering what each character was hiding. And the last 200 pages? Incredible. They were packed with twists, action, and emotional moments that made it nearly impossible to put the book down.

That said, the first half of the book does take its time getting there. It starts strong but then slows down as new characters and plot threads are introduced. It felt a bit overwhelming at first, and I’ll admit I struggled to stay engaged early on. But once the story hits its stride, it really shines. The romance, in particular, is worth the wait—what starts as a slow burn transforms into a strong, steady relationship that feels authentic and satisfying.

The ending, while a bit abrupt, didn’t ruin the experience for me. It’s one of those “wait, that’s it?” moments, but it left me eager for the sequel. Pearson’s writing, as always, is engaging and sharp, blending the familiar charm of her YA style with a more mature edge.

If you’re a fan of The Cruel Prince or ACOTAR and enjoy a mix of court politics, romance, and intrigue, this book is definitely worth your time. I’ll be grabbing a physical copy (the deluxe edition is stunning!) and can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

Prepare to be utterly enchanted! 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗟 𝗞𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗘. 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 is an immersive journey into a richly imagined world of fae, gods, and magic that had me hooked from the very first page. Pearson masterfully balances epic fantasy with deeply personal stakes, crafting a story that is equal parts heart-pounding adventure and swoon-worthy romance. Bristol Keats is a compelling heroine thrust into a whirlwind of secrets, betrayals, and impossible choices. Her chemistry with Tyghan, the enigmatic fae king, is electric, with their enemies-to-lovers dynamic providing tension and tenderness in equal measure. The world-building is lush without being overwhelming, and every twist kept me on the edge of my seat. With hidden identities, morally gray characters, and a narrative brimming with magic, this book is a must-read for fans of romantasy. I cannot wait to see what’s next for Bristol and this enchanting world.

Thanks, Macmillian Audio, for the ALC!

If you loved (or just liked) TFOTA, you’ll want to read this series. It’s definitely different, but it has CRUEL PRINCE vibes and the open-door scenes we wish it had.

I’ve never read a Mary Pearson book, so THE COURTING OF BRISTOL KEATS is my first. But with an excellent fae world and the audiobook narrated by one of my favorites, Brittany Pressly, I’m willing to bet this will turn into one of my favorite series!

And after that ending, I’m ready for book two!

I think I must be in the minority. I found it a little underwhelming!

I found it to just be ok. The story wasn't very exciting, it didn't feel like much really happened!

I'm wondering what I missed!

The ending was at least decent. It was a 3 star read for me

4.5 rounded up! The courting of Bristol Keats was a delightful fae story that I just ate up. Getting to see and experience a new world through Bristol was a treat along with seeing her earnest love for her family and her eventual love of her new friends in the Fae realm. I also really loved the parts of the story from Tyghan’s POV watching him grapple with his feeling of betrayal and burgeoning care for Bristol was very interesting. The plot was compelling and while due to the nature of the multiple POVs I knew where it was heading I was very invested in seeing what would happen when the characters who where in the dark learned the truth,

The narration was very well done and the narrator did a good job conveying who the was being followed, I often prefer multiple narrators for multi POV stories but that wasn’t something I felt was Necessary for this one.

WAIT THIS WAS SOO GOOD. A great fantasy romance that straddles human and fae lands. Family secrets, betrayals, a slow burn romance, political intrigue... Mary E. Pearson really delivered with this. I can't wait to see where Book 2 goes.

3.25! Although I thought the book was okay, I was so sad not to love it as much as I was expecting to… I LOVE Dance of Thieves so I ended up having high expectations and maybe that affected my reading experience a bit. I found the plot and characters okay, Bristol was definitely my favorite.

For me, the biggest flaw was that the story felt similar to some other books I’ve read, so it seemed like I was reading more of the same but I’m curious about the sequel!!

A great read for those who love historical thrillers and also romantasy, and the audiobook has a great narrator.

I really enjoyed this book! It was definitely a slower pace than I normally enjoy but overall I loved the fantasy elements and the way that the world was built.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

I will be the first to admit that the phrase “fae romance” makes me nervous and usually makes a book drop on my priority list, but—if I’m being very honest—the cover got me, man. I haven’t read Pearson’s other work, but I know a lot of people who like them, so I felt pretty comfortable giving this a shot. I liked the writing quality quite a bit and I thought Bristol was an interesting main character and the world was fun (perhaps a little The Cruel Prince-like if The Cruel Prince had a quest plot, which maybe saved this for me because I do very much love Folk of the Air). I do like when my fae are creepy unsettling weirdos—I hate when fae are just hot, better humans. Let them be weird!!!!!! (I digress.)

I thought that the side characters were a little challenging to keep separate and I didn’t care much for the romance. It definitely moved way too fast for me personally, but I’m fickle as all hell when it comes to romance so YMMV. Regardless of the fact this didn’t land for me in the way I’m sure it’ll land for others, I’m still curious to see where the story goes and will pick up the next one. The Courting of Bristol Keats is a pretty easy read that feels familiar, and while there were definitely parts I lost track of who the POV character was or just how far along in the book I actually was, I didn’t struggle to get through it (I am a pretty easy going reader so like, again, YMMV).

Brittany Pressley did a very good job narrating, and I overall enjoyed the audiobook.

First off; thank you so much to Macmillan audio for this early audio copy!

I’m really liking the world and writing in this tale, but I’m also finding it to be a bit too complicated of a story for me to be able to follow accordingly on audio alone. I think this would be best enjoyed with a print copy and audio as a companion. I don’t want my esperience to be colored by this, so I will not be continuing until I have a print copy to read at the same time.

I am so thankful and lucky to have been given an ARC for the audio book!

I have to say, I loved this book! Mary E Pearson does a brilliant job world building and giving us the information about the world, characters and plot without doing an info dump. We slowly learn more of the secrets and more of the world through the various POV’s which I loved.

I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed a book with so many small side characters POV’s but it was such a fun and interesting way to provide more information about the world.

Bristol is such a wonder FMC, she’s fierce, strong but also relatable, she feels deeply, fights for what is right. Pearson did an amazing job providing us with complex characters who you can’t help but root for, even when they are making mistakes.

There were plenty of plot twists to keep you engaged.

Now I have to talk about the narrator, because we all know audiobooks are only as good as the narrator. And my goodness did Brittany Pressley do a phenomenal job! She voiced so many characters beautifully! The accents, the emotion, that came through. I felt truly as though I was there with the characters.

This was a great “read” and I am so excited for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, Mary E. Pearson, and Brittany Pressley (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of The Courting of Bristol Keats in exchange for an honest review.

Mary E. Pearson is well-known for her many young adult fantasy romance series including Dance of Thieves and The Remnant Chronicles. The Courting of Bristol Keats is the first in a duology and marks Pearson's adult fantasy romance debut, and it is phenomenal!

The story follows Bristol, a girl who is just making her way in life after losing both parents. When an aunt reaches out to her, everything she knows about her family...and the world, turns upside-down. Her father might yet be alive, so Bristol makes it her mission to find him and learn the truth about her mother and father, as well as her heritage.

Bristol seeks guidance from one of the Fae kings, Tyghan, who has his own history with Bristol's father and harbors many secrets of his own. Since her father's body was never found, her investigation leads Bristol to following a hint that her father was taken by some creature that lives in the fae dimension, hence the help from a Fae King. Of course Bristol and Tyghan end up falling for each other, and there is a nice element of romance woven throughout the book.

The end is certainly something to be reckoned with, and readers will be itching for the next installment. Grab your beautiful sprayed-edge first editions while you can!

Pearson fans who have grown with her books and have entered adulthood will love giving her adult craft and style a chance...and they'll never look back! Pearson's craft eloquently weaves the characters into the fae world, wrapping them around in a blanket of romantic intrigue, treachery, and some political airs. This novel is perfect for fae fantasy romance readers (such as The Cruel Prince or A Court of Thorns and Roses) and romantasy seekers, and it certainly will not disappoint!

I like the blend of storyline to be a mystery over what happened to her father and family, fantasy with fae world and characters, and romance between MMC and FMC. I listened to the audiobook and love Brittany Pressley’s narration. She does a great job of using different accents and voices for the numerous characters. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I was immersed in the world building and character development, I couldn’t stop. The characters’ problems and history were easy to understand which I feel can be an occurrence in fantasy based plots.

I listened to an arc so this may not be valid for published versions. I wish there were chapter headers for Bristol’s storyline and the others. Hoping and assuming those characters and storyline continue through the others in the series.

Some of the descriptions were long and unnecessary while some of the world building could have been enhanced with that language. I liked that some sections didn’t dally and drag out. However, some of the plot points that I would have expected more of was summed up with tactics like “over the next 2 weeks…”. I am intrigued to continue the series when it comes out.

This book isn't bad, but it feels very average to me. The beginning was confusing and it took me awhile to get my bearings, but I also didn't feel like I ever got there. The omniscient POV didn't help with this, especially on audio. I also feel like the title is a bad title for this book. I was expecting an entirely different boo, but got a lot of magic and fight training. Also, I felt like there was no sense of place. Again, that was me not being able to get my bearings.

The book really started out strong for me, but I found it didn't take long to get bogged down into the world building. The mystery of Bristol's parents was really the reason why I kept listening for so long. The love story was a little slow for me. There was hints of attractions, I just wasn't hooked on the "enemies to lovers" trope for the FMC and MMC.

The narration was *ok*. At the start of every chapter, I really had a hard time keeping track of which character was the narrator, because there wasn't a lot of variation with the voice acting. And sometimes it seemed like the character narration switched mid chapter (??). Because I was trying to figure out who was speaking, I'd often have to rewind.

I know that this book will absolutely be a favorite for some, it just didn't hook me.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for my ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

3.5 ⭐️. 1.5🌶️

The book has a strong start Bristol discovers that there are alternate worlds besides her human one and without much knowledge struck a deal with one of the Kings from the Fae world. But she decides to go along with it because doing so will help her discover what really happened with her father’s dissapearance.

There were some part that enjoyed a lot about the book and the romance was one of those. This definitely is a romantasy. But I was expecting more action and a climax to the story which didn’t happen. I was listening to the audiobook and was totally unprepared when the audiobook ended because I thought that something more exciting was coming but it never did.

There were some scenes that gave me the eeeks like when Bristol and Tyghen finally had sex but she still had a big tick in her back 🤢 that was all I could think about in this scene which made it very awkward 😐. The sex is very”demure” not too explicit which was kind of disappointing since this is supposed to be a NA not YA.

The book left me unsatisfied like it didn’t reach it’s potential it had a really good premise. Good thing I listened to the audiobook which made it much more bearable, the narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to live.