This one hooked me quickly, given that I immediately liked and sympathised with Bristol. Having lost both parents at an age when she and her sisters still needed plenty of support and guidance, she was trying hard to make ends meet and keep their small family together. And then she receives an offer she can’t refuse – even though it’s clearly dodgy.

As for Tyghan – I can’t say I warmed to him initially. For starters, it was clear he was trying to reel Bristol in and wasn’t all the nice about it. As soon as she learnt her father was still alive, she was determined to find him – and Tyghan and the fae were saying one thing to Bristol’s face and another behind her back. Yet were also very wary of her… It was an interesting setup that kept my interest.

The expected romance – enemies to lovers – progressed much as I’d already worked out that it would. As the political stakes involved in keeping Tyghan’s kingdom afloat continued ramping up, I became more invested in his welfare as I learnt exactly how and why Bristol’s father mattered so much to him. What I didn’t expect was to become so caught up in the emotional chaos once some of those big secrets spilt into the open. Pearson has written YA before and it shows in her ability to dial emotions up to the max. However, unlike far too many YA reads, she gives her protagonists strong reasons for becoming upset and I was really moved at the misery experienced by both the main characters. It helps that they are surrounded by a well-written supporting cast, who have their own opinions on what is going on and choose sides accordingly.

This story arc finished on something of a cliff-hanger – which I’d expected anyway, given it’s a duology. I will be looking out for the second book in due course, as well as hunting down more of Pearson’s writing. Highly recommended for fans of enemies to friends romance in a strong fantasy setting. While I obtained an arc of The Courting of Bristol Keats from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I love The Remnant Chronicles and its spinoff, so I was very excited for this book, and it didn't disappoint!
I am typically not a fan of portal worlds, but I enjoyed the way it was done here.
The whole premise wasn't the most unique, but the way it was executed made it its own story and had me so excited.
My favorite part were the different beast, fairies and creatures, it made the world feel so rich and it just gave it a really fun twist.

I really enjoyed the romance, it wasn't my absolute favorite, but I was definitely invested and rooted for them.
I also liked the character development of the main character. I found her a tiny bit annoying at the start, but she really grew on me as she continued to grow throughout the story.

I will say that I think it could have felt a bit YA at times. I actually went to check at one point if misremember this being the author's adult debut because it just didn't quite feel like it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and will certainly read the sequels, but it didn't quite live up to how much I loved the author's previous books.

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

The Courting Of Bristol Keates is a fantastic, fantasy fable.
The story tells us about Bristol and her two sisters trying to adjust to life without their parents. Their mother was drowned in a storm, and their father, never the same since, had been killed by a hit and run driver. Luckily for them their father had sold some art before their mother’s death, which allowed him to buy a house for the whole family. All Bristol and her sisters have to do is pay for the day to day living..
After receiving two letters from an estranged “aunt”, Bristol is tempted to a meeting by some priceless art. She knows that will pay some of the outstanding bills and make life a little easier. This meeting will open her eyes to a different sort of world, one that shows her things she only dreamed about, and makes her determined for a different future.
I loved the story, the descriptions of all the different characters, I loved it all!! There are fairies, ogres, you name it, it’s in this story!! A magical, fantasy land!.
I hope and pray that this will be a series and the next book comes along quickly!!!!
Many thanks to Pam MacMillan for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #PanMacmillan, #MaryEPearson.

I adored this book, it kept me on my toes and I was obsessed with the world building. I feel like I knew enough to keep me wanting more. I did struggle with the jumping POV's, but I knew it would all click the more I read, which it did. I am excited to see where this goes in the next installment.

I had quite high expectations for this but unfortunately I struggled with this book.

I found it quite confusing at the beginning with multiple POVs but you didn't know who's POV it was in the chapter title. Lots of characters were introduced at once and I found it hard to differentiate and remember them as the story progressed.

With the story I found it quite slow and I also kind of forgot why Bristol went to the Fae lands until about half way through.

Overall I think it was good but I just struggled with a few things.

Ever since this book was announced I was looking forward to it. Mary E. Pearson is easily one of my favorite authors in the entire world and although I love her YA books, I'm not a YA anymore. I was therefore really curious about her first adult fantasy. So, when I saw the book on Netgalley I requested a copy and luckily Tor Bramble granted me one. On top of that, the Dutch store So Many Pages had the book available a few weeks ago already and I had to order my physical copy too.

This book did absolutely not disappoint. Yes, the start of the book is slow and overwhelming. There are a lot of characters, we end up in a strange world with a lot of new words and it takes some time to understand what has happened in the past and what is going on now. It's not the kind of book you pick up and just understand. It takes a little time. However, I can assure you that it's so totally and completely worth it!

What I've always loved about Pearson's books is how emotional they are. Her characters feel, they feel deeply, and when we read their story we feel with them and for them. Since there is so much build up, those intense emotions are not there right away. However, today I was reading the last 100 pages of the book and I was glad I decided to read them in one sitting. Those pages were intense, those emotions were intense and I can't wait to get more of this!

I also love both main characters and their journeys. They're both confronted with themselves. They're both facing impossible choices and I was also quite surprised with how they dealt with issues and choices. Yes, they are a lot of lies standing between these characters. Yes, we all know that this story is far from over. But there are talking, they are communicating, they are sharing their feelings and emotions, they are trying.

I'm in love and I can't wait for more.

Bristol Keats is the ordinary middle child. Her parents used to travel all over the country with her and her two sisters. The family only settled down recently and then tragedy struck, first her mother died, then her father. To keep her family afloat, Bristol strikes a bargain with one of the fae kings. She follows the fae into their realm and becomes one of only a few new recruits training for one specific purpose, closing a magical portal, but she seems to be the one recruit with the least chances of making the cut.

The two main characters both have trust issues. Bristol who hasn't been able to form roots, whose family history is a web of lies and secrets, who doesn't trust easily; and Tyghan, who is equally reluctant to trust, he was betrayed by his best friend and forced to ascend to the throne because his brother was abducted. By day the two of them can't stand each other, by night things look different. There's attraction, but they have trust issues. Their animosity by day turns into long talks and exchanging of views on life at night. And we know where it is headed.

For an avid reader of SFF this book didn't have many new ideas. I liked the world-building and tolerated the epic aspect of the story (I'm allergic to epic fantasy, so not a fault of the author), I didn't like that the book ends in the middle of a scene. I liked the relationship the three sisters had with each other.

3.5/5 stars

I really thought I was gonna love this as I'm a big fan of a lot of the tropes (fae, slow-burn enemies to lovers), however this just wasn't good.

My main issue was that I found it really boring. I just thought the plot wasn't developing in an interesting way and the progression from one plot point to the next felt very choppy and didn't flow well. Also, there's training and trials involved in this story and a lot of that happens off page, which I think would've been really interesting to see. Even worse than that, the relationship develops off page, in a fantasy ROMANCE?? That's a pretty important thing to see develop. Finally, there were just SO MANY characters! I couldn't keep track of everybody, nor did I care to because none were really developed properly.

This is very ranty, sorry, I just really wanted to love it, but it didn't work for me.

Overall I had a good time with this book and something about it kept me gripped and wanting to read more. However, the flaws in it were impossible for me to ignore too.

The positives were the rich world building which I enjoyed jumping into and throughout the first 50%, and the characters were fun to get to know too. The overall premise whilst familiar, was still unique enough to feel relatively fresh too.

But on the more negative side, the POV jumping from one paragraph to the next was confusing. The secrets hidden from the FMC was so heavily alluded to in the other character’s POVs that you got the gist of them long before the FMC found anything out, so the reveals fell flat and because of this the book just drifted to an end rather than packing a punch. The timeline (whilst deliberately confusing) seemed off in places too and there were also inconsistencies with characters, for example Bristol saying her and her sisters were never apart but we know she’d been travelling in her own for at least a year before we met her.

Thank you netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. From the title and cover I was expecting quite a different vibe than what we actually got. Maybe it's just me but I didn't pick up from the synopsis that this is an urban fantasy, the title gave me the impression it was going to be more sort of 19th or 20th century gothic.
I found the inclusion of gods a bit confusing and unnecessary and overall the book just wasn't to my taste.

I had a really good time reading this book. The plot was interesting and a good level of world building. Would recommend if you are looking for a new adult fantasy!

3.5

Romantasy | Fae Romance

The story was more interesting than what I expected. I found it difficult to keep track of some things for most part of the book and I would have loved more descriptions of side characters, monsters and places to make it easier to imagine, but overall it was a nice read. The way it’s written is beautiful and that ending... - let's just say that I can’t wait for the sequel!

Thank you to netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Courting of Bristol Keats has immersive world building, dark family secrets, lies and miscommunication, and a clever romantic plot line that I couldn't get enough of.

When Bristol Keats accepts a gift that ties her to faerie, her entire world is thrown upside down and she is forced into a battle between heroes and monsters where lines quickly become blurred and no one is as they seem. To save her family, she may have to betray her heart.

I did enjoy this book but I must admit some bits I did struggle with. I found it hard when the pov changed as no title or any indication of who’s pov you were reading just had to figure it out. The first half did feel a bit long and dragged out which again made it harder to get into. That being said I did love the character of Bristol Keats very strong and motivated by protecting her family. The book is highly detailed and focuses more on the fantasy than romance which I did like.

Mary E. Pearson is a fantastic fantasy author and I was so excited to receive an arc of her first adult book!
The Courting of Bristol Keats is filled with adventure and mystery. It’s a classic story of a mortal in the fae realm, with some familiar fae elements, and the world building is amazing. I liked this depiction of Elphame more than other books.
The romance is good but isn’t the main plot point which made the fantasy aspects of the rest of the book all that more intriguing.
However some parts were a bit of a slog to get through, and there were so many characters and connections/secrets to remember, it made it difficult to follow sometimes. Also a very abrupt ending with lots of loose ends?!
I’d still recommend this to fantasy and fae lovers as I did enjoy it and am already excited for the next book.

(3.5/5⭐️) 📚 Thank you NetGalley and Mary E. Pearson for providing me with an ARC of this book!

The rundown:
What I loved:
- Bristol as a character. She is a family person through and through. Determined. Speaks her mind. I love characters who aren’t afraid to ask questions and push buttons even if it’s a Fae King/God.
- Relationship dynamics.
- The plot as a whole! Thoroughly enjoyed the book’s concept and premise of the story. It’s unique despite being similar to other fae books like Cruel Prince.

What I disliked:
- Lots of random changing perspectives without any sort of introduction or title as to who it is until you’re a few pages in.
- Too many characters. Hard to keep track who is who and who there are to everyone else.
- Perhaps too detailed in the ways I didn’t want. I wanted a bit more world building and character descriptions but felt like details were focused on the plot which felt a bit drawn out

The beginning was super immersive but feel like after 50% through it felt a bit drawn out. It also felt like there wasn’t much of a conclusion, though I know it’s a duology so I suppose more questions will be answered. Would have preferred if it was a standalone but don’t hold me to that as I have no idea what’s in store in the next book. However, the ending doesn’t really sit right with me and felt like it ended half way through something. Definitely a different type of cliffhanger than I’m used to.

Overall, I still enjoyed the book! Do I wish it was shorter/more condense and perhaps a standalone? Yes. Will a read the second book? Yes. I will also give this a reread when the fairyloot book comes because the kindle ARC formatting was awful which I think ruined my reading experience a tad bit.

3.75 star

Thank you NetGalley and panmacmillan for the ARC.

-> tropes: enemies to lovers • fae romantasy • found family • morally gray mmc • slowburn • forbidden romance • secret identities

I like reading about fae so of course I was excited to pick up this book! It took me a few chapters to really get immersed in the story, but the world building and the twists and turns really kept me engaged. The fae world that the author created was very interesting, with different creatures and types of magic!! It also had great balance between the intriguing plot and the angsty romance.
I loved the fmc Bristol, she’s so strong and loyal and relatable. And the rest of the characters were awesome, forming a wonderful familial bond that literally melted my heart <3
Sadly the story felt too long and dragged a little. I think the book could have been shorter. While the end was awkwardly abrupt, I'm looking forward to the next book!!

“𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙬𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣—𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙩𝙨.”

The Courting of Bristol Keats is Mary E. Pearson's highly anticipated debut adult fantasy novel, set to release on November 12th. The story follows Bristol Keats, a young woman who is determined to care for her sisters in their quaint town of Bowskeep following the tragic loss of their parents. Things got interesting when she started getting these mysterious letters from an unknown aunt. They reveal some shocking family truths that made her think her father might still be alive, held captive in a dangerous realm she never knew existed. Bristol's quest to save him leads her to make a risky bargain to an arrogant fae, who has his own motives and a dark connection to her family. Their encounters are charged with an intoxicating tension, as Bristol is drawn to him against her better judgment. She must confront not only the fae court’s deceptions but also the long-buried secrets of her own family.

Honestly, the book started with so much promise. The world-building is incredibly rich, and the mysteries surrounding Bristol's family are so intriguing. I was really drawn in at first, but as much as I wanted to stay invested, I found myself struggling to stay engaged as the story went on. The pacing slowed significantly in the middle, and the momentum that got me excited initially started to wane.

I think some readers might enjoy the slower pace, as it allows them to really dive into the world and characters, but for me, it felt overly drawn out. I also think I would’ve connected more if it had been written in first POV. As we've discussed by another ARC reader, the way it’s written gave away key details early on, so by the time the FMC finally pieced things together, the impact of the revelation felt anticlimactic. There was a lot of potential for suspense and surprise, but knowing so much ahead of time had me just waiting for her to catch up, which ended up making those moments less thrilling. I kept thinking that if we were experiencing the story through her direct thoughts and feelings, we’d be more immersed in her journey. It would have been powerful to unravel the mysteries at her pace, letting each discovery hit with the same shock or excitement she felt. I think that shift could have brought more emotional depth and made the whole story more engaging, especially in those pivotal moments.

That said, there’s a lot to appreciate in Pearson’s writing, especially if you enjoy detailed world-building and character depth. I think many of you might enjoy it more than I did, so I’d definitely recommend checking it out when it’s released. Plus, this is just the first book in the series, and the next one might turn things around for me, like with other Romantasy series.

Would I continue to read it? Yes, since I’m already invested in the story and want to see how it ends.

Overall, it’s definitely worth giving a try.

Thanks to author, PanMacmillan and Netgalley for granting early access to this book. Please note that this review is based solely on my personal thoughts & opinions.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

First off, I enjoyed how the reader’s are in the same space as Bristol Keats where we don’t understand anything going on despite getting peeks from Tyghan point of view. Then we are learning at the same time as Bristol is learning and the rules of the new world.

The book gives similar vibes to The Cruel Prince but in a more fun and enjoyable way.

One thing I have the problem with is the jumping PoV. It isn’t made clear right away which PoV it is until after a paragraph or two. Also I love short chapters but it didn’t work here as the PoV change after a chapter. So I feel like barely learn anything before we jump into a whole new scene and storyline.

Immaculate.
This book was a rich, epic fantasy. Yes, there were elements we’ve read before, but the author spun them into something spectacular.
The world building was intense, crafting complicated and beautiful settings for the reader to visualise.
I honestly loved this book so much! The fantasy and character development was first and foremost, with found family and other relationships developing and exploring. There’s an enemies to lovers trope, but the romance didn’t consume the book, it felt truly like a fantasy with an element of romance and I loved that.