The Courting of Bristol Keats
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Average rating3.7
Limited edition printing with stenciled edges From New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from. Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.
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The Courting of Bristol Keats is a 1-book series first released in 2024 with contributions by Mary E. Pearson.
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The Courting of Bristol Keats is a solid entry into romantasy, but it shows growing pains as part of the author’s first adult series. While the premise and world-building are intriguing, the slow pacing in the first half makes it difficult to stay invested, and the romantic connection feels underdeveloped, coming seemingly out of nowhere. These issues likely stem from the author’s transition from YA to adult fiction, and the tonal shift may not resonate with readers who adored her previous works. If you loved her earlier books, this one may feel like a departure, both in execution and depth. That said, her signature prose and creative flair shine through, offering promise for future adult projects once she finds her footing.
Absolute perfection up until the last scene, like? Ending it in the literal middle of a bedroom scene was a..... Choice.
This story marched confidently and unabashedly into absolute mess territory.
The tone of the initial chapters is done well, but this changes drastically as the book progresses as if the author just decided they could frontload all their effort and wing the rest. I have whiplash from the inconsistent and sloppy writing which featured characters fluctuating in personality between 16 and 40.
What little world-building is present is applied with no rhyme or reason, such as how the passage of time differs between the two realms, but suddenly doesn't matter so X plot point can happen. Lots of telling, not showing with various events. I don't even have the energy to get into all the forced plot points.
The love interest had the appeal of wearing 40-grit sandpaper socks and (shockingly) there was no real connection between him and the protagonist. Additionally, without giving away spoilers, the whole situation was a little ick.
Lots of side characters, but don't worry, they are all the La Croix version of one of two archetypes: annoyingly chipper/friendly or vaguely mysterious and not to be trusted.
I kept reading because I expected, at 560 pages, this would form a cohesive story but the characters are dumb, the writing gets worse and it just...ends. It's not even a cliffhanger - more like the literary equivalent of syncope.
