The Courting of Bristol Keats is a great faerie romantasy. The book really came into its own when we got to the faerie realm, it was full of whimsy tones, colourful creatures and political intrigue. I also loved the art appreciation throughout the book, adding to its rich and vivid detail.
The FMC is likable and I have nothing negative to say about her or any of her decision making. The MMC gave me Cardan vibes, this is definitely a book for fans of The Cruel Prince. Saying this it is different and gives a new voice in the world of fae.
The romance was great, I cannot express enough how much I am rooting for these guys. Things are messy but in the best way. The family secrets and twists and turns keep the pace steady for a longer read of 500+ pages.
I do think it could have been shorter but with the lyrical writing and world-building I can see why it’s on the longer side.
I’m invested in this quest and characters, looking forward to what’s to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Words cannot express just how much i love Mary E Pearson's writing and way of telling a story. It is always so whimsical and magical, tension filled with some of the highest stakes i've read about. Every moment spent inside of a world they've created is an absolute delight!!!

I always really enjoy when a story is told through dual POVs, and this one was no exception. Primarily we hear from Bristol and glimpse into what she is thinking and feeling at certain moments. We also hear from Tyghan on occasion, but when it is their pov it really doesn't disappoint. It adds another layer to their relationship and the story, and gives a lot of insight into the situations that are unfolding. There are a couple other chapters told from different characters, which again added something really special to the overall vibe.
I really loved just how opposite both of the characters were at their cores. Bristol is deeply emotional and loyal, stubborn and fierce about those she holds dear. By contrast Tyghan is stoic, almost like a robot, and doesn't form emotional attachments easily (if at all). BUT when they connect fully it is truly on a whole other level, and you really do see sides to both of these characters that i didn't think they were capable of.

This was a phenomenal book that i doubt i will stop thinking about any time soon. Its filled with so many twists and turns, amazing and lovable characters. Everything has clearly been throughout out with exceptional care. I don't think there is a single person who will be dissapointed by this, and if you did enjoy it i would urge you to read the authors other works!!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like I am losing my mind by how AMAZING this book is!! My fae queens have been Holly Black and Lyra Selene, and now they are joined by Mary E. Pearson! I'm telling you, adult fae romantasy has never looked this good!

For the most part, it's told by Bristol's pov, but we do have some chapters told by Tyghan's pov, and a couple of scarce chapters told by others, which gave us new nuanced insight into the world and plot.

I'm borrowing the Tyghan's description of Bristol because it's so spot on. Bristol is the alpha sister of three, even though she isn't the oldest. She is the protector and a leader in groups, even before some revelations. She has a sharp mind and sharper tongue. She is stubborn and fierce and loyal, and she has a strong moral compass that doesn't waver by anything, even by family. In other words, she's the best lmao!

Tyghan is still plagued by a betrayal, traumatized both emotionally and physically. He doesn't trust, he doesn't laugh, he simply does his duty with a bullheaded personality. But he is fair. He judges people by their actions, he doesn't assume, and he takes into consideration every single scenario and has backup plans for his backup plans. He is an amazing main character, and I love him deeply.

The romance is SIZZLING and the chemistry is SCORCHING!! Sparks fly at every encounter along with banter and flirting. It was so wholesome, and what a joy to read! It really made me fall deeper in love with the characters and the book.

The plot has maaaany twists and turns, and yet, I never felt overwhelmed or had the urge to just sit down and breathe. It literally has everything, every kind of scene that you need or don't know you needed. For example, I didn't think I needed a pov by a horse, but I got it, and it's one of my most cherished things about this story.

I WILL NEVER SHUP UP ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED THE PROOFS! I NEED ALL THE SE'S! AND HOLY MOLY WHERE'S MY TV ADAPTION AND THOUSAND FANFICS BECAUSE FOR THE LOVE OF ELPHAME I CANNOT GET A GRIP!!! I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!!!

If you didn't figure it out, The Courting of Bristol Keats is one of my all-time favorites, and I am now crying over the fact that I'll never get to read it for the first time again...And over the fact that I don't have book 2 in my hands...

It has a Waterstones signed exclusive edition, which is soldout as I type it, but do subscribe to be notified if more stock gets available. I will not be canceling my preorder even though it's a November adult monthly pick, so I am basically keeping all the editions of this book. Have I said that I loved it? hehe

I’ve never read anything from the author,and wow, what a ride! From the beginning i was captivated by Bristol and her love for art and also i was transported immediately in dangerous and colourful Elphame. Plus I never read 5000 pages so fast!

Bristol Keats lives with her sisters in the small town of Bowskeep. Struggling to keep their household afloat, she accepts an invitation from an alleged great aunt and finds herself journeying to Fairieland where she makes a bargain with Fae king Tyghan. But of course there is more to the story than what she has been told, and now she needs to figure out where her allegiance lies.

This was a really fun read, and although it is 500 pages long, I read it quite quickly. I really enjoyed the depth of the characters and the emphasis on how there are two sides to every story. I was a bit surprised by the ending which wasn't so much a cliffhanger as a rather abrupt ending halfway though a scene! Looking forward to reading more about Bristol's adventures in book 2.

A recommended read for fans of ACOTAR, Emily Wilde, and The Cruel Prince.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked, even loved, the Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson BUT THIS ONE HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD. Pearson combines fantasy, adult romance and mystery in this wonderful new adult romantasy The Courting of Bristol Keats.

The story was, from beginning to end, an adventure. I found myself unable to put the book down, eager to discover what would happen next. Pearson's writing style and her accessibility to the characters were wonderfully executed.

Bristol is such a vibrant and strong character whose fate leads her to a dangerous and mysterious world. She meets Tyghan, a dark fae who is not always what he pretends to be and the rest is history. Pearson knows how to write on hell of a love story. The mix of hope, fear, love and suspense - the complexity of it all - makes it compelling to read. This take on an adult romantasy has everything I hoped for. And yes, it has spice but it was not overwhelming and the plot was plotting.

Pearson has once again managed to transport me into her enchanting world.It is a 5 star read for me, easily, as she has the ability to take me into her captivating stories that pull at my heartstrings. She filled the story with vivid imagery and emotions that made my experience wonderful. I cannot wait to see what happens next. What do I have to give her for the second book? A kidney?

Please, please, please - I need book 2 like I need air to breathe.

4.5 ⭐ Although i haven’t read an other book by this author when i read the blurb i immediately was very interested in it and when i got an advanced readers copy i was super excited to read it and now that i finished it it didn’t disappoint at all!
I loved the world building, the character dynamics, the little twists and betrayals, the chemistry between the main characters and especially the way the main fmc was written. I liked her since the first chapter.
It’s not a 5 star for me because it’s a long book and sometimes i think it dragged a tiny bit but overall i loved it. Very excited to read the next one!!

As a diehard fan of Dance of thieves, i was beyond ecstatic for The courting of bristol keats, it started soso good, it consumed my thoughts every minute. But…… something went wrong and i can’t really pin point what exactly. I enjoyed the court dynamic, the fae, the magic.
The dad plot annoyed me more than i thought it would.
The relationship for the most part was ok, but towards the end i lost interest in reading

This book was one of my most anticipated reads and i am a bit disappointed that i didn’t enjoy it as much as i wanted to

This ine is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me as of now
If you’re looking for an easy fantasy read with less spice and plot then I recommend reading this one

Thank u to the publisher for the arc💖

The Courting of Bristol Keats had everything to be a 5 star read for me. Fantasy, court politics, hidden identities,…
The non-ending, cliffhanger, whatever you want to call it however left a very sour aftertaste that took away all enjoyment I had reading this. At this point, I don’t even know if I will eventually pick up the sequel.

One of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint! This feels completely different to anything she has written before. Mary E. Pearson again creates a rich world, fully developed with a clear magic system and lore. I loved how the story played out and how things were revealed. However, as much as I liked the characters, I do feel like they weren't fleshed out enough but it is only book one. If you are an avid fantasy reader, this book wont be anything new but that's not a bad thing. Its a good solid, enjoyable book that you cant put down. A crackin start to a new series.

First things first, I didn't realise just how long this book is. I picked it up for a fun and easy fantasy read and was shocked by the estimated reading time. This made me a bit anxious as I was worried the length meant the story was going to drag, but luckily this was far from the case.

Even though the book is well over 500 pages, the pacing is excellent and the story covers a lot of ground. Mary E. Pearson expertly skips over describing things that would slow the pace down but not at the expense of plot or character development. Every time I thought we were going to have a long journey happen, it happened off-page, which worked well to keep things moving.

The multiple POVs also keep things going and help you start to see the two sides of a fairly big plot point, making things a lot more complicated than just good and evil. I really like that while there is a big bad guy (he's a massive ass) in the story, not all is at it seems with the other bad or good guys and this is done really well.

I will say that having two or more POVs within one chapter did get a bit confusing at times. It works better as the book is written in third person but I still found myself having to go back some times to make sure it had switched to another character's perspective. This along with the really random different length chapters were slightly jarring.

The end of the book was also slightly disappointing. It felt like there was a good stopping point a few chapters before the actual end so we would have been left with a bit more suspense. A couple of biggish things happen but then the story continues and just kind of peters out. I wanted more of an actual ending but it kind of felt like the author was hitting a word count rather than making it end at the right moment for the story.

Saying that I am really excited for book two. I love a duology and can't wait to see where the story goes now.

The Courting of Bristol Keats
by Mary E. Pearson

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy

My first book by this author, but I love fae stories so was keen to try. I Loved It.
It did take a while for me to get into it, it felt a bit confusing at the start but I carried on as as I started to get into the story those first parts then made sense. It'll definitely be a re-reader for me. Its got depth to both the characters and the story, and I'm sure there's lots I've missed that I'll pick up on subsequent reads.
Its a different story from the usual fae romance, with lots of quirks and strange twists and turns. I found that kept me investigated in the story, eager to see what happens next. There's a great mix of characters too, and my opinion of some changed as the story unfolded. I still have no idea which way the story will go, what Bristol will do, how she can get over Tyghan's actions, what will happen with her sisters.....so many unanswered questions. I really wish the next book was out now :-(

Stars: Five, a terrific read, really enjoyed it.

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers

#TheCourtingofBristolKeats #NetGalley

This was my first experience with Mary E. Pearson’s writing, and it completely exceeded my expectations. I found myself captivated, eagerly turning pages and wishing for more time to immerse myself in the story. The pacing was perfectly balanced, and the occasional shifts in perspective added depth to the plot. The diverse cast of characters was another highlight, each one distinct and driven by personal motivations. Even when characters made questionable choices, their actions felt justified, adding a layer of complexity to the story beyond a simple good-versus-evil dynamic.

The only drawback for me was the abruptness of the ending. While it sets up future books well, it leaves this installment feeling somewhat unfinished. Still, I’m excited to see how the rest of the series unfolds!

The Courting of Bristol Keats is without a doubt one of the best books out in 2024! We’ve seen so many Fae romantic fantasies these past few years, and admittedly, while I love fairies, romance, and fantasy, the ones I’ve read combining the three haven’t been the best. I feel like there’s this sort of dynamic adult romantic fantasies often have that I’m just not a huge fan of, and so, I usually don’t go into them expecting a masterpiece. Maybe it's because of Stephanie Garber’s blurb or perhaps it's because of the beautiful cover, though, because I came into TCBK expecting greatness, and that’s exactly what I got in return. From the first page, I knew me and this book were a perfect match. I’ve been struggling with a reading slump lately and I’ve failed to find books that interest me instantly. With TCBK, it was no problem getting hooked to this world. Mary E. Pearson is such a fantastic writer. I read her Dance of Thieves duology a couple years ago, and liked it, but wasn’t super impressed to call myself a fan. That has changed now with TCBK. This book felt a lot to me of Stephanie Garber’s books. It had the same charm and magical feeling I felt when reading the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, which is a huge compliment because it is rare to find a book that made me feel as much as I do about that series. I highly highly recommend!

The story definitely intrigued me when I began reading, but my interest and engagement was lost the further I went into this book. I think it was the constant changing of perspectives and not knowing whose it was until I had read into it. This pulled me out of the book and became frustrating.
I loved the writing and the narrative voice of Bristol, but the ending was a little disappointing with no obvious resolution.

The Cruel Prince quest version.
Bristol is recruited to find a door, a deal struck with fae King Tyghan, Lord of Monsters, to journey to Elphame to train and help his own mission in exchange for money for her sisters back home and to also search for her own father who she thought dead.

We basically have two traumatised characters - Bristol has lost both her parents and has spent her life running and rootless because of her parent’s secrets, afraid to get attached and then lose it all.
Tyghan has been betrayed by his best friend and lost a brother. He cannot bring himself to trust anyone.

It is easy to see how this will go. Late night conversations. Sharing hidden depths and emotions. Cold and cruel, but secretly gentle and kind. Day and night.

Though Harper is rather defenseless when it comes to a good book.They've given her a deep-seated belief in happy endings.

I did love the touching relationship between the three sisters, built through a fleeting beginning in the human world and stories and emotions relayed lovingly by Bristol. Again, this gave major The Cruel Prince vibes.

What I wasn’t a fan of:
There was random changing perspectives of characters which were not always clear, sometimes making it clunky and more confusing to follow than it needed to be.

This is very similar to all the other fae books out there, but Pearson’s descriptions keep it feeling fresh and not redundant in the Faerieland archive.

I am torn between a three and a rounded up to four star rating. The ending definitely took some enjoyment out for me. There was no resolution, no closing to the arc. It literally ended in the middle of a bedroom scene from the perspective of a side character.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing an arc in exchange for a review.

With thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC. The review on Netgalley will be spoiler free, but please be aware that the review on Goodreads does contain spoilers which I have hidden behind spoiler tags.

3 stars

This book infuriated me.

First, the good bits:

- I loved the beginning and the introduction of Bristol and her sisters. It was a comforting start, as portal fantasy is very common and nothing new.
- Some of the side characters were excellent.
- The worldbuilding was good too, because as mentioned above, this is a portal fantasy into a world of fae which is nothing new, but I enjoyed the author's spin on the worldbuilding, seeing how all the different creatures worked, how court worked etc.

The meh bit:

- The first part of the book was SO GOOD and then as it got into the middle part, it was almost as if the author lost control of the narration? It meandered all over the place, and turned into an absolute snoozefest. It was very odd. The author did manage to pull it back together for the final part of the book.


The bad bits:
- The lies and manipulation from Tyghan got to be too much for me.
- The continuity errors with time passing quick in the mortal world and passing very slowly in Elphame yet this apparently not being a problem for Bristol at all?
- Bristol forgave Tyghan far too quickly.
- The ending was stupid. Really, really stupid. And it absolutely killed all my remaining interest in this world.

I really do think the author had something special with the first part of the book. I think if she'd cut down on the romance and focused on developing Tyghan and Bristol's relationship more, it may have gone a bit better.

Overall, I don't think I'll be buying my own copy of this book or reading the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.

This was a DNF @ 30% for me. I don't think I was the right audience for this. 150+ pages in and my interest waned quickly. It already felt like it was hitting stale romantasy beats, such as the emphasis on how Bristol, the main heroine, & Tyghan, her Love Interest With An Icy Exterior, found each other physically attractive despite the two not even on the track of properly befriending the other yet.

I have loved Mary since I first read The Kiss of Deception in 2014 (If you have not read this series LEAVE NOW AND READ IT).

The amount of magic you find in this book is outstanding! Only Mary can weave a tale full of adventure and romance and heartbreak and revenge!

I loved EVERY single character, yes can you believe they were alllll amazing?! Every chapter had something special that flowed with the words, it was EXCELLENT world building my god. I dont even know how to explain this kind of writing but it is the Best of the Best and you can see why she is a best seller!!!

Bristol where do I begin? Tyghan can you help me out?

I really dont want to spoil anything here so just know you HAVE to read this and add to your TBR. It releases on the 14th November and I am praying Mary will grace the UK with a tour!!!

OH ALSO that ending that ending that ending.
Is this what it feels like to be in love?

Such an enjoyable fantasy. Love the characters and the universe Pearson has created! Cant wait for the second book