This might be my favorite Odette novel yet. This novel sparkles with wit and banter. And did I mention a magical fairy bet?

DNF - 72%, full Review on my blog!

“His proximity to the bookstore suggests he’s either a shop patron or perhaps a clerk out on his break. Or…maybe he’s here to see me? That is my purpose at Flight of Fancy; I’m here to sign books and meet my fans.”


What in the Wattpad did I just read?

The pretty cover and the concept of rival writers on a book tour immediately intrigued me. While I appreciated the plot idea, the writing style and world-building didn't quite work for me.

I REALLY struggled to get into this. I've had this ARC for over a month, and I wanted to give it a shot, but I couldn't get past the first 13% due to the overwhelming cringe. Despite my efforts, I mostly skimmed through it. The plot quickly became boring, and the lack of chemistry between the characters... was bad. Their attraction to each other was almost non-existent as the author told rather than showed their connection. I absolutely HATED every time William called Edwina “Weenie”—it was beyond cringy for me. The third-act conflict was frustrating—it felt stupid and unnecessary, just.... WHY? They could have resolved it like mature adults. Most scenes were incredibly cringeworthy, and the characters' novels seemed so poorly written that it was hard to believe either of them were popular. By the time I got to the spicy scenes, I was just completely over the book.

Also the name of the fae realm??? Faerwyvae , I mean cool, original ig? but I really don't like it

Overall, I feel like this has a lot of potential, but the execution fell short for me.


Thank you for the ARC, Tessonja!

THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC!! I had never read this author before, and now I want to read every book on her backlist.

I still have to catch up with quite a few Tessonja Odette books, but all the books I've read so far were amazing. She tells the kind of stories I want to read and she writes them the way I liked to read them. So, this book was on my pre-order list for ages already. And then I was browsing Netgalley and all of a sudden I saw this book. Of course I had to request a copy and I'm insanely thankful that the author granted me one.

This book was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more! From the very start I fell in love with Edwina. I think partly because she reminds me a little of myself. The dreaming of becoming an author, getting distracted by story ideas and looking at things from a different perspective compared to everyone else. But underneath everything we find a woman who just wanted to be appreciated, seen and most of all loved.

She also has one of the most amazing co-stars in book history. William is everything a bookboyfriend could and should be. He has a touch of confidence bordering on arrogance. He's not terribly great at flirting, but he's always always there when he has to be and once he loves someone he fights for them with his entire heart and in whatever way possible, no matter the cost and no matter how terribly it might hurt him.

And basically we, the readers, are privileged to watch them fall in love. It's not easy. Especially because the rivalry part of the title is quite serious and the author does an amazing job explaining why both these characters terribly need this contract and why losing really isn't an option. But there are so many funny, heartwarming, touching, beautiful and wonderful moments in this book. And luckily there are a lot of other characters deserving their own stories. I hope the author will write them all!

I had so much fun reading this book! It is the first to an interconnected standalone cozy historical romantasy series. In this book we get fae bargains, rivals to lovers, amazing banter, heaps of spice, and a HEA!

I think my favorite part of this book was the banter, it was SO GOOD. The quips that the main characters would throw at each other had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time!

I thought that the build up for their relationship was so natural which I really appreciate. It wasn’t rushed or dragged out too much either. It flowed perfectly in my opinion! The characters on their own seemed very real to me and I was rooting for them as individuals throughout the book as well.

If you loved The Hating Game or even Beach Read and want to pick up something similar but with a fantastical twist, I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc! My review has been posted on my GoodReads page as well on Amazon.

A Rivalry of Hearts is the first part in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series by Tessonja Odette. This book will take place in the same world as The Fair Isle trilogy and the Entangled with Fae series. I was really excited for a new series by this author and couldn't wait to dive in. Will this book meet my expectations?

Edwina is a human author but is now published in Faerwyvae. She is supposed to do a book tour, but has arrived a little bit to late. This fault has big results, she has to share her book tour with William Haywood and her contract balancing on a thin edge. After a drunk night she ends up in a spicy bet. Who will win the publishing contract?

Both Edwina en William have a good reason to win the contract. Their bet soon leads to some tense nights. However William didn't make the bet to make fun, he wants something more. I really loved the two of them. They are real enemies to lovers, which is really awesome!

I did like the fact Gemma, from A Curse of the Wolf King, was featured in this story as well. It connects the stories even more to the Faerwyvae world. Tessonja Odette has a nice writing style which is easy to read. This book is one of her spiciest yet and I can't wait to continue in this series. I really enjoyed reading A Rivalry of Hearts and give it a 4 star rating.

🩵A Rivalry of Hearts🩵
By Tessonja Odette

Review posted to Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, TheStoryGraph, and Instagram on 6/12/24

~~

“I no longer have the luxury of denial. I’m attracted to the weirdest woman I’ve ever met, and just acknowledging as much opens a chasm in my chest, one painful and pleasant at once.” 🫠🫠

Excuse me while I crawl out of my dark romance hole to shout my praise for the most adorable and cheeky read of the year thus far 😍 Tessonja, whatever magic you sprinkled all throughout this cozy, rivals to lovers fantasy, pretty please keep serving, girl! I’m so smitten and in desperate need of more!

I truly never expected to fall head over heels for a book in this genre. In fact, I typically shy away from sweeter reads all together, but something about the blurb hooked me and my goodness, I am so grateful. A Rivalry of Hearts follows Edwina, a quirky romance writer, and William, a charming actor and poet, as they battle to win a publishing contract following a joint book tour across the fae lands. Forced proximity lovers, add this gem to your TBRs right away!

The banter between Edwina and William is golden and left me positively giddy! Their story gives total romcom vibes with endless laugh out loud moments and tons of swoony interactions. Tessonja’s writing is so lush and vibrant, I could picture every setting, every scene, every conversation as it all played out like a movie. The world she created is such a treat, I devoured every single page like slices of the sweetest of confections.

I can’t recommend A Rivalry of Hearts enough. In fact, I’ve already convinced myself to reread it whenever I need a break from the dark and depraved worlds I usually fall prey to (willingly of course 😉). The wit, the charm, the fun and poetic take on enemies to lovers, it’s all a breath of fresh air. Incredible!

Why you’ll love A Rivalry of Hearts
🩵 Cozy Fantasy with Spice
🩵 Dual POV
🩵 Forced Proximity
🩵 Enemies with Benefits
🩵 Academic Rivals
🩵 Fae and Humans
🩵 Found Family
🩵 Magical Bargains

What a wonderfully cozy fantasy romcom! This was my first book by Tessonja Odette, and the author managed to describe a really wonderful world, which made me long to live there.

A Rivalry of Hearts is a cozy, low-stakes romcom featuring a human "author of smut and drivel" who ends up competing for a contract with a handsome but broody and arrogant fae poet. Rivals at first, then maybe something more. Sweet, funny and spicy, and thoroughly enjoyable.

It took me a while to get pulled into the book, but once I did, I was engrossed. This book made me squee with delight, audibly say "aww", and giggle. I do not giggle, I'm a grumpy Finn. William had me swooning and Edwina cackling on multiple occasions.

The writing flows nicely, it's witty and enjoyable. The spice wasn't overly spicy, but had a few fun scenes. Side characters were really great, and I'm very excited for the next book in the series.

What do you get when you take a gaslamp fantasy, add Anne and Gilbert vibes, a smut author and an arrogant fae poet? You get an entertaining steamy, enemies with benefits that will have you smiling all the way.

The moment I saw "Anne and Gilbert vibes", I was completely sold. The romantasy part is a bonus, and the vibe of this book delivers in every way. I love the book tour and the bet between Edwina and William. This was an entertaining bet between a human and a fae and wait until the steam starts. The banter between these two is so good, and Edwina and William's nicknames for each other cracked me up every time.

After the first chapter, I knew this book would be a favourite and an instant recommendation. The rivals-to-lovers trope is done so well and I found the idea of a human author living in a fae world so entertaining. While reading certain scenes, where Edwina was intent on doing 'research' for her 'smut and drivel', my facial expressions gave me away.

The first few chapters are a bit slow, but believe me when I say it adds to the slow burn and the tension. That one specific scene where William did the tower over her with both arms to the side of her head, I'm sure there's a better way to describe this, had me swooning.

If you need more convincing to read this book, the tropes below will have you running to get this on KU.
- Bargain with a fae
- Smut author
- Fae poet
- Rivals to lovers
- Fantasy Romance
- Dual POV
- Unusual nicknames

I am so ready for the next book!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I eat up rivals to lovers every time and A Rivalry of Hearts is exactly what I love. Easy to read, low stakes and at times had me giggling and blushing. Felt like a very cosy read and helped pull me out of a heavy fantasy slump I'd been having. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-Arc!

This was such a fun read!! I absolutely loved all the snark and banter. An interesting story line, a little bit of misunderstanding and miscommunication, which I'm
not a huge fan of, but otherwise good. Cannot wait for book two!

Sexy and adorable.

Edwina is a 29 year old human trying to compete for a publishing contract with a 26 year old fae, William Haywood. It is hate at first site for Edwina and confusion/attraction for William. After getting drunk on fae spirits William and Edwina make a bet, whoever can sleep with the most people get the publishing contract. Can either of them bring themselves to do it or will their attraction for each other win over?

While this book is a technically part of a series, it works well as a stand-alone. I didn't feel like I was missing any information. The characters are adorable, funny, and sexy. I loved seeing a short, curvy, small-breasted human woman older than the fae love interest. Odette did an amazing job creating a world that fell new, but comfortable. The writing was immaculate, flowed well, and correctly did a dual POV. I will for sure be jumping back to the rest of the Fae Flings and Corset Strings Series.

Tiktok review will posted June 11 on @jackireadsthings

This was a cute fun fantasy romance with a lot of fun whitty banter....... recommended for people who like Divine rivals.

This was a quick and dirty, cozy romance. If you like Bridgerton, this might be for you. It's a casual mix of regency and modern romance with spice. For a cozy story the tension was amazing!

The one huge thing that put me off was the MMC's nickname 😭 the worst. Genuinely felt like middle grade cringe. I had to withhold a star for that, I'm truly sorry.

Thank you so much to Tessonja and Netgalley for the ARC. I received the eARC for this title and I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

This was very fun. I haven’t read anything by this author before, or in this universe, but the worldbuilding was very detailed and interesting. The fantasy aspect was quite light but well-done – a bit like the book as a whole, which is minimal on conflict and high on fluff.

The romance is entertaining and the chemistry between Edwina and William is good. I particularly liked getting William’s POV as I liked his perspective on things and how into Edwina he was even when she was taking longer to warm up. They had some good scenes together and the book is quite steamy. I liked that the love scenes were a bit messy and imperfect, such as Edwina being distracted by her writing inspiration. That was cute.

The wider plot didn’t really work for me – the premise began to feel a bit forced and it actually felt a bit inconsequential to the characters. Even when the stakes were raised in the final portion of the book, it still didn’t go anywhere or lead to any real drama. I didn’t think that the book needed it, really, or it could have been worked in better.

But the romance is quite sweet and there is a lot to like about this book. It’s very cosy, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, there’s a lot of fun worldbuilding and overall I really enjoyed reading it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Attempted sexual assault, use of intoxicant potions, vomiting, death of a parental figure (in past), terminal chronic illness (side character), fainting, on-page sex, public sex (not between MCs), voyeurism.

This book was lighthearted and had me kicking my feet and giggling. It’s the perfect mixture of fantasy and historical romance. Edwina is a human author that is running late to her book tour in the Fae Isles, and when she arrives, she finds rival William has overtaken the rest of her tour. Their work enemy relationship evolves into so much more! I really enjoyed the world building in this book because it was clear and accessible to readers. This is my new go-to cozy read!

A Rivalry of Hearts
Tessonia Odette

“We can’t stake our careers on one night of sex. It’s asinine.”

This book gave me life. A game of seduction and sabotage. Holy hot! I want William to ruin me anytime🥵.
It had all my favourite faeries shenanigans; fairy wine, fae bargain, one bed at the inn (teased), nicknames, inability to lie… the banter, I was giddy with it, I laughed out loud and kicked my legs. It was glorious! Top tier banter!

“Whoever can seduce the most lovers by the end of the tour wins.” 😉

“I also learn that he is six-and-twenty years of age, which means the bastard has not only beaten me in sales, beauty, and popularity but in youth too.”

And the ultimate kicker, its enemies to lovers. You guys! A Rivalry of Hearts is such a fun, cosy, low stakes fantasy romcom! Take a trip to Faerwyvae and fall in love and laugh out loud whilst doing it!

Two rival writers, vying for one prestigious publishing contract. A bargain of hearts and seduction.
Human author Edwina is visiting Faelands for the first time and makes an ill guided bet with the other author on the book tour, William, who’s a full Fae.
The bargain terms; whoever can bed the most lovers during their month long book tour wins the coveted publishing contract.

“Let me spell it out for you, Weenie. I may be willing to play fair and leave our win up to Mr. Fletcher’s choice, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to roll over and let you win this bet. Push me into a corner and I’ll fight. Refuse to play fair and I’ll play dirty. You want that?”

I’m in delight that there’s another book, but also disbelief that I’m left again waiting, praying, begging for more. Book two; My Feral Romance, I cannot wait for December 2024 to roll up so I can sink my teeth into this!

“Ah, you didn’t know. He doesn’t bother to whisper like me.
“Did I not know about what? That… that fae don’t have fangs? It was a creative choice, and I stand by it —“

A Rivalry of Hearts is book one in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series and is available tomorrow, June 12th.

Not a drill, enemies to lovers fans, get this ASAP.

(REVIEW POSTED JUNE 11TH 2024.)

A dive into the world of the fae and romance and a sort of but not really enemies to lovers story. Took me a little while to get into but this was enjoyable. My first read from this author and probably not my last. 2.75 🌟 rounded up

In the world of fantasy and fae romance, no one does it quiet like Tessonja Odette and so I was thrilled to hear that she had another story coming out in her wonderfully rich world of Faerwyvae. A Rivalry of Hearts is a standalone so you do not need to have read any of Tessonja's other novels to thoroughly enjoy this book. However, if you have you have, you will appreciate some of the connections and character cameos she weaves in flawlessly into her latest read.

In A Rivalry of Hearts, we meet Edwina Danforth, a young human author whose passion for romantic novels filled with delicious spiciness has earned her fame across the border in the land of the fae. Driven by a desire to maintain her independence and to be recognized for her genuine talent, Edwina is thrilled when she's offered a book tour and the chance at a multi-year book deal that will change the course of her career and life. There's just one catch, she has been paired with an insufferable tour partner, the fae poet William Haywood, whose handsome grace is only overshadowed by his haughty and pompous attitude and annoying habit of being a thorn in her side. When Edwina learns that Willian is up for the same contract that she is depending on whose book sells more, she is determined to win this no matter the stakes, even if it includes her well guarded heart.

If like me, you were a lover of the fire and ferocity of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe when they competed and pushed each other to be better, all the while circling around their growing feelings, then you will absolutely love Edwina and William. As their publishing tour moves through the different courts of Faerwyvae, these two authors find themselves in an escalating battle of taunts and teasing exchanges that will just make you smile. Tessonja masterfully builds the flirtations and tension between Edwina and William, while also weaving in many touching moments that reveal much more vulnerable and complex sides to their personalities. Edwina is a heroine whose curiosity, drive, tenacity and love for all things 'research' will make you love her from the start. And William...he's the perfect blend of saucy, sexy and sensitive who goes above and beyond for those he cares about.

As they spend more time together, both William and Edwina begin to enjoy the daily back and forth and find that it is becoming harder to ignore the mounting attraction between them. However, each struggles to take the chance on opening up fully given that they both have very important reasons for why they must win the publishing contract. They each are holding secrets back that if they were known, could ruin their careers and more importantly their chance at happiness with each other.

I absolutely devoured this book! If you've not dived into Tessonja's books before, they are the epitome of fantasy romcom filled with sweetness, humor, banter and just the perfect touch of naughtiness! This one was no exception. Tessonja once again displays her wonderful comedic sensibilities and talent at writing characters that her readers genuinely can care about. The fire between William and Edwina had me giggling at every turn! I was not able to put this down and without spoiling, I am also happy to know that a few of my favorite side characters will be getting their own story in this series.

A Rivalry of Hearts is another wonderful story from Tessonja Odette and I cannot recommend it enough!

This was my first read from this author and definitely not my last. I normally stay away from regency books but I ate this up!!!! The world building was amazing and easy to follow. Don’t let the cover fool you, this is quite a steamy read!The banter between William and Edwina had me laughing out loud & giggling, kicking my feet. I do wish we got more scenes with the side characters, I absolutely adore Daphne!