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.

3.5 stars

I thought the world building and the idea of the plot were fantastic. I really felt I was in that world. I really liked Bristol's fellow trainees and love there was no back stabbing. In some books there is always a mean girl etc. This was a nice healthy friendship group

The length was a issue. It felt like nothing was happening for chapters at a time. Even by the end, not much had happened. Half the book could have been cut out and we would have got to the same point. It took me a week to read and I nearly DNF a few times. It's a book with loads of things happening but nothing moves forward.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, as I loved the Remnant Chronicles and then loved the Dance of Thieves duology even more! Therefore I was excited to receive an e-arc (all opinions are my own), and dove into the book right away. And it started so good!

I love Bristol, she’s intelligent and shrewd, she knows life’s not fair and there is not a naive bone in her body. It was such a treat to read about an adult character that actually makes smart choices and is adulting.

But then… it got kinda boring? There were some fun parts inbetween the boring parts but basically the boring parts were overwhelmingly too much. I considered DNFing starting from 40% until I reached 85% but I persevered as this is an e-arc and I don’t really want to DNF those.

I’m not really sure where it went wrong. As I mentioned, I love Bristol, I also love Tyghan and Eris and all the other characters, especially the other recruits, and there was enough depth to all the relationships. The love story is great, this is definitely a romantasy. There was a mystery to keep you going and the antagonist… he’s just plain epic. I’ve been pondering what went wrong and I think it’s a combination of a lot repetitive training sequences, and that you already know a lot that the MC doesn’t know yet, due to multiple POVs which lessens the mystery quite a lot. The romance also gave me the ick due to spoilery reasons. And I have to admit: I absolutely hate fairies. The entire world felt familiar, though it’s very elaborate and complex, it is typically faerie. I bet most people will like this though.

What makes this read a 2.5 star read instead of a 3 star is the ending. As in: that was definitely NOT an ending. It just stopped at some random place, in the middle of a spicy scene? And that’s it? So weird!

All in all, I loved the characters and complexity, and do think this is better written romantasy than most in that genre, but I was bored too much to really like this. Such a shame as I believe it does have the seeds of epicness hidden within, it just didn’t bloom. Yet. I’ll definitely be reading the second book to see if it gets better.

It started a little bit slow, but then it picked up with the mystery, thrill and romance. It was a fun new fantasy world and I can't wait for the second book to come out to finish exploring it.

I’ll start by saying, I REALLY wanted to like this. It should've been a win for me— But I just couldn’t get into it.

It was super drawn out, and I needed multiple breaks with other books to actually finish it, it’s a crazy high page count for the pay off. Honestly, I should’ve known better since the authors other work never really clicked with me either, but the premise kept me hopeful enough to try and slog through, to the point where the book just eventually abruptly stops.

The book does a lot of teasing, but it never really delivers on anything, and it felt more like uninspired YA than adult sequel-worthy fantasy. The world-building was fine but never fully came to life, and the insta-love romance and constant introduction of the more of the same characters didn’t really help. (And a very minor point, but as someone who grew up near Bristol, I winced a tiny bit every time the name came up - but that’s probably just me. 😬)

I’m probably being a bit meaner here because I had high hopes, but in a world where there’s so much original and great fantasy, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I wanted to love it, but ultimately, it left me underwhelmed. Not sure I’d have finished it if it weren’t an ARC.

A big thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

3.5 ⭐️

Mixed feelings about this one. The premise and plot line of the book was what initially drew me in. I think maybe the thing that stopped me from being 100% invested was the writing style, which is a definitely a personal preference depending on the reader.

Title: The Courting of Bristol Keats
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Pages: 560
Rating: 4/5

Wow! What a well written, beautifully built world. This wasn't just romance but a great gripping plot twisted with betrayal and hope. Questioning of loyalty and knowing there's two sides to a story.

The characters were great. I couldn't predict where things were going to go and what happened next. There were layers and layers of storyline that had me gripped I was sad it came to an end but the ending really made me chuckle.

The slowburn romance was frustratingly perfect. You know the tension was there and there was so much teasing until it actually happened. *Chefs kiss"

I cannot wait for book two to see how this duology ends. I haven't got a clue where the author will lead us next!


You'll love this book if you like
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- grumpy / sunshine
- Fae world
- mildly spicy
- forbidden romance


Will you be putting this on your tbr? Have you read it already, what were your thoughts??

The Courting of Bristol Keats was a great romantasy read, filled with amazing worldbuilding and twists. As my first Pearson book, I had no clue what to expect. The book gripped me from the beginning and had me perpetually ready for the next shoe to drop. The ending was filled with promise for the sequel without being a difficult cliffhanger. I will absolutely pick the next book up!

so! i have a lotttttt of thoughts about this one

i LOVED the world and the atmosphere of elphame. I really enjoyed the setting and the start of this book. It was vibey and atmospheric which i really enjoyed. The beginning of the book definitely hooked me and I was so intrigued by Bristol and this whole other world that was about to be introduced.

I did find that the story slowed quite a bit after that first 20% and it did drag for me a little. However the plot and Bristol’s character did keep me going - i really liked her motivation in this book and I was really interested in how it would all unfold.

Unfortunately, the romance was a huge disappointment for me. I just didn’t believe in their love at all and i don’t feel like it was fleshed out as well as it could have been- i mean they were catching feelings around the 30% mark and for me that is wayyyyy too soon. I also didn’t like Tyghan much as the male main character/love interest so that definitely has something to do with why the romance didn’t do it for me.

The last 20% definitely picked up for me - I really enjoyed the scenes with the main villain. He was really interesting and I wish we actually got to see more of him. I also liked the scene where all the revelations were made; it felt like a long time coming and it was pretty satisfying!

Overall, this was an entertaining read with a solid plot and world, and a really likeable main character. I just wish the romance didn’t fall so flat for me!

This was a surprisingly fast read. I found myself captivated by the world and characters. Wanting to see where the story went.
However I disliked the ending. Mainly because it feels like it just abruptly ends. While I'm fine with cliffhangers this felt a bit more like an unfinished book.
I will definitely be carrying on the series though.