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

Thank you Mary Pearson and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bristol Keats, a human on the run for all of her life left orphaned with her two sisters finds herself making a bargain with a Faerie King and entering the world of faeries - Elphame.

What I loved:
I felt that Pearson managed to keep the familiarity of Elphame but also explored her own version - I enjoyed the description of characters and the different types of creatures that she introduced.
The concept - though the story of a ‘human’ making a bargain with a faerie king isn’t a new one I enjoyed following Bristol into the world and learning new things about herself and the world she thought she lived in.

Things I struggled with:
Though Bristol is supposed to be in her early 20s I felt that she behaved and read much younger than this. In fact the whole story felt more YA than adult - there was sprinkling of foul language and a slightly steamier romance which I guess is what defines this as adult.

I was enjoying the slow burn but it turned very quickly into all out in love with each other and despite it being a lengthy book I didn’t feel time was taken to really develop the feelings between Bristol and Tyghan. I would have dropped some of the bedroom scenes to have more longing and build up.

I found myself wanting there to be a massive cliffhanger at the end - I kept thinking there must be something about to happen that was going to make me desperate for the next book but it never came. I also wanted Bristol and Tyghan to end as enemies having built up the betrayal and subsequent fallout I was disappointed with how quickly this resolved itself especially considering this is the start of a series.

With lots of loose ends and build up of storylines I am still intrigued and interested to read what comes next. There were some great points to this I just wish it had been hashed out a bit better.

I guess overall this was an enjoyable 3.5 star read, I am invested in the characters and the story and I hope that the next in the series answers the questions I have and delves deeper into world and left open storylines.

Thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for a review copy of this book. I had heard many good things about Perason’s first series and had it on my massive tbr list so I was delighted to be able to read something by her. She did not disappoint. With clever weaving of ancient Irish myth, fairy folklore, Pearson crafts a story about a young woman on the West Coast of America reluctantly pulled into dangerous intrigue in a world she never imagined existed.

Bristol Keats is the middle sister in a family that have frayed apart since the death of their mother a few years previously and now the death of their father. She, like her siblings, struggle day to day to make ends meet. The bohemian transient lifestyle their parents had raised them in left the sisters with little but themselves to rely on or ask for help. So when a letter from an aunt that no one ever has heard of appears requesting Bristol to meet her to offer her a rare art piece, Bristol resists at first, knowing her father never had an aunt. But dire need drives her there in the end and when she meets with this supposed aunt of her father’s she finds herself trapped into a deal with members of the Fae realm. It’s when it’s hinted that her father has been kidnapped by other Fae dwellers and taken there that Bristol’s hesitation to help becomes resolve and she goes there with a small group that includes Tyghan, the king of the Tuatha de Dannan, one of the realms of Fae. There she is trained as a recruit, following a process she doesn’t understand that often involves encounters with the combative Tyghan whose volatile manner both confuses and aggravates her. Slowly, the complexities and political issues of the Fae land begin to reveal themselves as Bristol comes to question her own past and her family’s.

I always enjoy stories that take the ancient myths and give them a twist, especially if they cleverly weave in folklore as well and this tale certainly contained all of that. The characters were enjoyable and the interactions between Bristol and Tyghan had a nice natural feel to it. All in all the author created a story that nicely interweaved contemporary fantasy with some classic Fae elements of the epic fantasy that has a good romance thread throughout

3.75 (I think? Or maybe an actual 4 star?Idk)
This is a bit tough for me to rate, because while I enjoyed this book, there was something missing for me and after giving it some thought, I think I was missing *the* or *a* (big) plot twist.

‘The Courting of Bristol Keats’ was my first Mary E. Pearson book and to be extra honest, I didn’t plan on reading it. Then I did some research and got super interested and here we are.
I don’t know how and why, but I somehow falsely convinced myself that this would be more on the historical side, which, now I can say, it really isn’t.

As this was my first book by Pearson, I do have to say that I really, really, really enjoyed the writing. Way easier to read than expected.

I liked all the characters and think they worked all very well together.
Loved the tension between Bristol and Tyghan, though I will say, their love-story took a turn and went a tad too quick for me.
Generally, the book has a bigger cast of characters than I’d say one is used to with current books and I can see how one might get confused, but I will also say that I really enjoyed everything about it. The cast, the friendships and non-romantic relationships brought something to the story.

I also very much enjoyed the setting. While there was no big exploration of the world, this is also not something that would have made sense for the plot.
I do believe the finished book will have a map though.

While the book is mostly written from Bristol’s and Tyghan’s pov, I did really like how there were chapters throughout the book that were from other characters pov.

‘The Courting of Bristol Keats’ is almost 550 pages long and I don’t think *everything* in those 550 pages was necessary for the story. I did catch myself thinking “this? is? kinda? long?!”.
However, I will also say, I think because it was fairly easy written and combined with the short chapters (I do love me some short chapters), this is something that can be forgiven.
I’d say the first half of the book was mostly chill and the story and pace did pick up nicely during the second half.

There was a scene between Tyghan and Kierus towards the end of the book that I was a bit “meh” about. Specifically, because I didn’t really like the way Bristol was brought up in that conversation.

Regarding the missing plot twist I mentioned in the beginning: the plot and all of the secrets certain characters have were very much clear from the beginning and were filled with some more details through the course of the book. It was just a matter of time when other characters might put two and two together. Besides the obvious emotional distress for when those secrets were finally revealed, there wasn’t really some sort of climax the story was heading.
I will also add, after giving it a second thought, I would have loved some more action or tension or some high stakes, dramatic scene to give me that little something.

The ending was very abrupt. It’s not a cliffhanger. It’s also not an actual ending. It just..ended. It feels like we are missing some sort of short epilogue to lead the way onto book two.
I want to believe there was a rhyme and reason to that ending because otherwise, I don’t really understand it.

Will I read the sequel? Absolutely.

If a debut author or an unknown author had written The Courting of Bristol Keats, I wouldn't have put it on my TBR. The book description just wasn't that interesting. But it was written by Mary E. Pearson, who wrote one of my favorite books. The Remnant Chronicles and Dance of Thieves. I was sure I would love this book.
But I was wrong. The beginning was interesting, but I quickly lost interest. The conflict was uninteresting, the fairy world dull, and the romance was not my cup of tea. Also, I didn't like the way the fairyland people talked. It was too modern.
The ending felt like it was cut off mid-chapter. It lacked any cliffhangers.
Sadly, this book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Tor Bramble for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the chance to read this book but I’m afraid I wasn’t able to finish it. This was my first time reading the author and I felt the plot lacked a certain something. I also found the way the book was set up with dual POV to be extremely confusing at the beginning of the book and it didn’t get any better throughout the rest of what I read.

What a breath of fresh air! I haven’t read any of Mary E. Pearson’s previous books, but after devouring The Courting of Bristol Keats, they’ve rocketed straight to the top of my TBR!

I’ve fully embraced my romantasy era this year, and this book has quickly became one of my favourites. A world filled with magic, fae, and monsters? SIGN ME UP! I especially loved how the magic felt fresh and unique compared to similar reads.

The only thing that felt a bit off was the romance—it moved a little too quickly for my taste, though I still really enjoyed it! The ending was also a bit abrupt and unfinished, but despite that, I need book two immediately!

A huge thank you to the team at Pan Macmillan for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Cruel Prince for grown ups!

I haven’t enjoyed a fantasy like this in so long. I loved the choice of having different types of fae, it reminded me of the style in the Cruel Prince by Holly Black.. It gave the story a unique feel that you don’t usually find in many other fae-fantasies.

I also loved the plotline - Bristol going into the fae world to find her believed-to-be-dead father, and in turn, finding so much more (cough, cough, Tyghan <3). And obviously, Pearson never lacks when it comes to her writing; she created a beautiful love story that I can’t wait to read more of in the next book.

However, I thought the introduction of sooo many characters at the start of the book was a bit overwhelming, and I found myself sometimes confused. With that being said, this was a brilliant read and I am so grateful to receive the ARC. I can’t wait for book two!

3.5⭐️
This book is perfect for those who are looking to get into fantasy. There is a bit of romance, betrayal, tension and slow burn.

Bristol Keats, and her sisters are left to survive the modern world after their parents’ tragic death. When she discovers that her father might still be alive she embarks on a journey to a hidden world of faeries, where she makes a bargain with the fae King, Tyghan.

Whilst reading, I felt like something was missing, perhaps it required more tension, world building, character development & action? I also found the ending to be very abrupt!
Nonetheless, I did enjoy the book overall and will patiently await the sequel. Can’t wait to check out the other books by this author 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the ARC.

I had not read any Mary E Pearson books before, so did not know what to expect, but I enjoyed this in a wish-there-were-more-minutes-in-the-day kind of way. For me, the pacing was excellent and I loved the little interludes where we shifted to a different perspective. I also liked the wide cast of different characters. I especially appreciated how while various characters were doing bad things, there was a logic to it - their different motivations clearly led to the conflict; they were not just being evil for the sake of being evil.
So why not five stars? Well, the ending is very, very abrupt. Many of the threads are left to be resolved in the following book(s), which is fine, but it means this book does not stand alone; it is dependent on rest.

Thank-you very much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this eArc.

Mary E Pearson wrote my favourite series and this was just as incredible!!! She is the queen of fantasy.