This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

The Courting of Bristol Keats is a new book from the author of The Kiss of Deception and Dance of Thieves. This time we follow Bristol, a girl who has never stayed in the same place for more than a few months. Her family has been living nomadically for years and it is only when they settle down in the town of Bowskeep that everything starts to go wrong. With both parents gone, Bristol is taken to Elphame (the land of the fae) to test out her skills. This is a new Romantasy book with magic, sisterhood and fae.

I was so excited to get an early copy of this book. The cover looked amazing and the blurb made it sound like a high action story with lots of interesting characters. Whilst this is somewhat true, I have to admit that a lot of the book felt too slow and meandering to me. It took me about 100 pages to really get into reading it because so little was happening. An entirely new world was being introduced to Bristol who was raised in the human realm so I understand that we need some worldbuilding. But then once she’s confirmed that fae exist she accepts it without blinking or worrying! She isn’t really shocked and claims that their existence ‘explains everything’. How? It was so strange that she was so accepting.

Once we enter Elphame the action picks up a bit with her lessons and trials. She also has a personal mission to find someone (but I wont provide spoilers) so she explores the world at night. It may sound like she has a lot going on, but once again nothing really seems to happen until halfway through the book. We keep getting told what she’s doing but never shown it. And she makes no progress in lessons, training or searching. I found it a bit frustrating.

I liked the characters of Bristol and Tyghan at least. Their interactions were fun and I could see why they were slowly falling for each other. Bristol’s deeply suspicious nature serves her well in the fae realm and it means that the romance is filled with yearning rather than insta-love which I appreciate. However, none of the other characters seemed to be developed. There were a couple of people in Tyghan’s court that I liked (like his sister) but the people that Bristol interacted with were completely forgettable. I literally could not remember their names or what they looked like. Once again, we are told random bits of information about them, but they never seem to have any dialogue. If you can’t see them interacting with the other characters, they become superfluous.

So, I had mixed thoughts about this story. It was clearly an ambitious book with lots of plot points about war, betrayal and magic, but this meant that smaller aspects like characterisation were lost. I also think that it was way too long. If this were a 300 page book with fewer characters I think that the plot would have been much snappier. That being said, I can see fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses being fans of this kind of story. It is definitely more focused on the romance than the politics though.

This book literally has everything! Fae, intrigue, promises, lies, magic, monsters, tension, and forbidden romance all tied together beautifully in this epic romantasy. The characters feel familiar and make the book hard to put down. It is beautifully written; the world building is top tier, and I will definitely be reading the sequel as I feel we have only scratched the surface of this magnificent world.

3 stars i found this a bit boring, while the premise was interesting, the characters and storytelling would drama and I found myself forcing to read through. The overall vibes were nice but the actual events playing out felt generic and cookie cutter. Whilst I gave it a 3 stars for the tropes that are found in this book, it's remains 3 stars because the romance was going to well until the slow burn turned into love too quickly for my liking. Not enough slow burn and their actual relationship was not as exciting as the build up.

I was so excited to read this book, because although the premise seems familiar, it had potential. Unfortunately the writing and constant switch of POVs, vague scenes rather confused me than were intriguing.
Perhaps it was just not my cup of tea 🤷‍♀️

DNF @ 35%

I try to finish every ARC but sometimes I just couldn't, no matter how hard I try. This is one of those cases.
I've enjoyed the Remnant Chronicles in the past and I was curious to read Pearson's new book. Alas, it wasn't my cup of tea.
It had a strong start but after a while I started losing interest. It felt like nothing really happened and the characters should have been developed better. And I wasn't sold on the romance either.
Hopefully other readers will enjoy it more than me.

Dnf @37%

I absolutely hate dnf’ing arcs but I just truly couldn’t find it within myself to continue reading.

Which i’m pretty bummed out about cause this premise sounded amazing and right up my alley

The worldbuilding just felt extremely underdeveloped to me and I didn’t understand what was even going on most of the time. While the start was very strong in my opinion, it quickly lost the plot soon after that and I had no idea what direction the author wanted to go with it.

I feel like the author wanted to explore multiple storylines at once, which I always admire, but I can’t help but think it just ended up causing more confusion along the way?? Made some parts feel very rushed, while other plotlines seemed to drag on for what felt like forever

Really wish I could’ve loved this, cause like I mentioned, the start was very strong and definitely made me eager to continue

Ok.. so when I first started this book I thought OMG 500+ pages is a lot, but my god it wasn’t enough.

I devoured this story and now I’m so sad I’ll have to wait for the next book.

Bristol is bold, curious and compassionate. I think we all saw how the secrets between her and the fae would unravel painfully. I felt it in my heart how that betrayal hit her, yet the author wrote Bristol in a way where she reacted only mildly like you might anticipate.

This does the fantasy/romantasy genre justice, it’s got depth and layers. The connections that you slowly work out between Bristol’s family, the king and the fae realm. It was great being on the inside of the knowledge and secrets we knew would come out, the anticipation for the characters reactions was 10/10.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this. I really enjoyed The Courting of Bristol Keats, it is an engaging, fantasy romance that throws the reader into the world of fae and monsters. I loved Bristol and Tyghan, and the twists, however, I was slightly confused at the ending of the book. I’m intrigued to find out what happens next.

The Courting of Bristol Keats pulls readers into a world of fae, gods, and buried family secrets. Bristol Keats has lost her parents, and then, out of the blue, letters start arriving from an “aunt” she’s never heard of, hinting that her father might still be alive – not dead, but trapped in another realm. Bristol dives into this hidden magical world to find him and ends up forming a complicated alliance with Tyghan, a fae king who has a dark connection to her family’s past.

It took a little while for the story to fully draw me in – the pacing at the start felt a bit uneven. But once I was into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and read most of it in a single day. This story leans more into the plot than romance, with a slow-burn dynamic that builds tension gradually rather than jumping into anything too quickly. The relationships are well-crafted, especially the back-and-forth between Bristol and Tyghan, which adds a lot of intrigue.

The ending, though, is a bit unusual. It doesn’t exactly finish on a cliffhanger, but it’s abrupt, and it feels like there’s still more story to tell.

Overall, I’d give it four stars. Despite the slow start and the sudden ending, the story and characters kept me hooked. I’ll definitely pick up the next book to see where Bristol’s journey goes from here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this digital ARC.

Thank you, Pan Macmillan and Tor Bramble, and NetGalley, for the arc of The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I have fallen down a bit of a romantasy rabbit hole recently and have absolutely zero regrets, especially having just finished The Courting of Bristol Keats! Firstly, I’m a fan of Mary E. Pearson, so I had really high expectations, and they were totally fulfilled and surpassed. The story begins with and in the most part is told from Bristol’s PoV, with the occasional chapter from other characters’ perspectives, adding greater depth and nuance to the story. Let’s just say that a horse’s PoV was a PoV I never knew I needed! I was hooked from page one, a non-stop action story that had me ignoring family and friends to keep reading.

The FMC, Bristol is the middle of three sisters, she could be described as the Alpha having stepped into the role of leader and protector. She is determined, clever, sarcastic and sharp tongued, stubborn, strong and loyal to her family and those she sees as her chosen family. Whereas Tyghan is a determined leader of his people, traumatised by betrayal, damaged emotionally and physically, he keeps his thoughts and feelings to himself, rarely laughing but just as fierce as Bristol in his love for those close to him and his determination to save his kingdom.

This is where Pearson’s skill in world-building really shines, as Bristol migrates from the Human world to the Fae world, from her entry point to her destination, the world is created with utmost care, detail and depth, illustrating the artistry of this realm of Fae, Gods and Monsters, it’s culture, politics and wars that Pearson has created that completely pulled me in and was almost another main character in the story. It's really hard to talk about this book without spilling plot secrets but, as I’m sure you can guess there is romance and it is truly hot! The banter between Tyghan and Bristol is fiery, fast and feisty, with the odd funny moments that only drew me in more to their relationship. The pace of the story and plot are as you would expect are high octane, with so many twists and turns that sometimes I had to reach for breath, and I’m not just talking at those sizzling moments!

What I can tell you is that Mary E. Pearson continues to deliver the magic in her writing, and I am truly heartbroken that I will have to now wait for the next instalment of adventure, romance, love, revenge and more! If you love fantasy, romance, high stakes action and of course a horse’s PoV pick up The Courting of Bristol Keats when it’s released on 14 November 2024. You won’t regret it!

I have really enjoyed all of Mary E. Pearson's books series and was so excited to get an early copy of her newest release The Courting of Bristol Keats. This book is different from Pearson's previous books and takes on a more adult feel as we visit the fae world where our main character Bristol must tries to uncover her family secrets and survive in this new world. This book is quite a chunky one and there are lots of twists and turns to keep the plot developing. I initially found it a little bit slow to get into but I eventually become swept up in the world building and character development and couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and cant wait to pick up the second book. I was a bit disappointed with the end as I felt it ended not so much on a cliff hanger but rather abruptly. However I imagine the second book will pick up where we have left off and I look forward to diving back in!

(actually 3.5, or maybe 3.75 i honestly struggled rating this)

i'm a sucker for any books about fae, and i did enjoy this thoroughly, but there were certain elements that i wish had been expanded on because some bits just pass by without much depth. the ending was also just a bit meh for me too. (i also find it slightly weird that the mmc decides to shack up with his best friends daughter - even though they did try to explain it away with fae time magic)

✨3.5 stars✨

This was my first time reading a book by this author but I was excited because her other books are often hyped up on social media.

In this book, Bristol and her sisters are left reeling after losing both parents and struggling to make ends meet. Bristol then starts getting mysterious letters from an aunt who want to meet her, initially thinking it to be a scam but when her older sister loses her job (at the hand of the faerie people who want to speak to Bristol) Bristol agrees to meet with the aunt.

The beginning of the book was definitely the strongest aspect especially when we were introduced to the mystery surrounding Bristol’s dad and the connection to this other world.

However, there were certain aspects that fell a bit flat to me. For example, I felt like the book dragged in the middle and then the ending was really abrupt.

I am still interested in reading the conclusion to this duology and I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the vibes of the Cruel Prince world by Holly Black, the faerie world even had a similar name in this.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Bramble Pan Macmillan for this eARC. I really enjoyed this!

The Courting of Bristol Keats is one of the few ARC’s I’ve read recently that sucked me in from the get go and I ended up reading it in 2 days despite being away with family for the weekend! Hidden identities, epic new worlds, political intrigue and a moody handsome King…Bristol Keats finds herself leaving the human realm on a quest to find out the truth in a world of deception.

I loved the twists and turns in this and the host of side characters, I’m still not entirely sure who to trust which makes me excited for book 2 in this duology! There is rich and detailed world building and a gripping plot, the romance is still there though and the high stakes between the two main characters gives rise to plenty of angst but also swoon worthy moments. I’m rooting for these two!

The Courting of Bristol Keats releases 14th November and I’ve already got my Waterstones special edition preordered!

I started this book on the 28th August and I have only just finished it!

The main reason for this is that it felt overly long and I don't think it needed to be.

The plot and characters were great, but it felt like the story wasn't written well. The writing style is hard to follow and get invested in and it felt like I couldn't connect to any of the characters. I loved that it had all my favourite mythical creatures and magic to read about though! The writers style is very beautiful and almost magical. I read some reviews saying it reminded them of The Cruel Prince but I only see that as they both included fae.

I did enjoy it overall but i just wish it had been a 300 page book instead of 500+ as not much happened until the very end.

The ending was a surprise and left it open for another book, I'm not sure I'll pick it up though.

Spellbinding! My favourite book of 2024! From the first page I was gripped. I read the whole book in 2 days because I just couldn't put it down. This will be on my Christmas Gift List. I love to buy books for secret Santa's and this will be a real treat for whoever receives it. Buy it, sit down and prepare to be transported to a world of secrets and fantasy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Mary E. Pearson for sending me an ARC of The Courting of Bristol Keats.

Bristol Keats has moved around her whole life, as if her family were always on the run from something until her and her sisters managed to convince her parents to stay in Bowskeep. A few months ago her mother up and left, turning up dead not long after, then her father passed away too leaving her and her two sisters behind. Now she is receiving letters from aunt she's never heard of, she has been ignoring them, but money is tight and she is offering her financial help so Bristol gives in and goes to meet her. Only when she gets there she finds out that everything she knew was a lie and her father might still be alive, taken into another realm.

Eager to find out more and potentially save her father, she makes a deal with a fae king, Tyghan, to help close a portal in exchange for help finding her father. Not knowing that he is the man her parents have been on the run from her whole life and he is also interested in finding him.

After reading the Remnant Chronicles series and the Dance of Thieves duology, I knew I would love this and I was correct. I was straight away pulled into this book and found it rather hard to put down. I like how it's not specific pot's we just get to follow different characters throughout the story and get more insight into what they are doing. I must admit though when it came to the world building I was a complete goner, but I was still able to somewhat understand what was going on and enjoy the story.

I really liked Bristol and the fact that she had a backbone, she felt like a very real and relatable character, doesn't back down and stands her ground. She has such a strong love for her family and friends, loved her. Then Tyghan, well he was just great, loved how he acted around Bristol.

Now the ending, whilst reading I kept seeing my %of the book read get closer and closer to 100 thinking how on earth is this going to end, well it was a cliffhanger to say the least. I am in need of book 2 asap and this hasn't even been released yet :') Would absolutely recommend this book!

KEY TROPES:
- reluctant allies to lovers
- secret identities
- magic
- fae and gods
- romantic fantasy
- slow burn
- morally grey characters
- found family
- fish out of water

Bristol Keats is trying to make ends meet for her and her 2 sisters after the deaths of her parents until one day she is offered an enticing deal that could solve all her problems.

I’m so conflicted about how this book made me feel. It has all the angst you would expect and the characters make decisions you don’t agree with and it can be quite frustrating. This book lagged a bit during the first 40% but it really takes off after that, however, I did expect there to be a bigger conflict for them to deal with towards the end. As such, it ends rather abruptly saving all the actual action for the next book.

3.75 stars:

This book had me in turmoil for most of it. Some parts had me hooked and wanting to know more, others had me wishing we could get through it faster, and some parts completely lost me. However, The Courting of Bristol Keats is a richly woven portal fantasy that combines fae with political intrigue and enemies to lovers.

Our main girl, Bristol, is recruited by the fae King Tyghan to journey to Elphame. She’s tasked with locating a mysterious door, training with Tyghan's court, and grappling with her father’s potential survival—all while supporting her sisters back home. Bristol and Tyghan are both haunted by past betrayals and loss, making their gradual connection heartfelt.

This book has so many aspects that I loved, like secrets, betrayal, secret identities, gods and shifters. It's marketed as a romantasy but I feel that readers also need to know this is also an epic fantasy full of magic and worldbuilding, and a shadow daddy. And even though it seemed predictable at times and slightly hindered by abrupt perspective shifts, the story shines in its lush world-building and complex sibling bonds. The cliffhanger ending leaves much unresolved but hints at promising developments to come.

I do recommend this for readers who are wanting more epic fantasy over their romantacy but still want the romance without any over the top spice.