Book Review: A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette
Fae Flings and Corset Strings #1
Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and desire.
They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract.
The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option.
Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game.
Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?
A Rivalry of Hearts is a spicy standalone adult fantasy romcom in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series. Every book in this interconnected series is a complete story and ends with a HEA. If you like academic rivals, enemies to lovers, and quirky heroines, then you’ll love this sizzling tale.
The Fae Flings and Corset Strings series is set in the same world as The Fair Isle Trilogy and Entangled with Fae. Journey back to this beloved fae world or fall in love for the first time.
My Review:
This was my first time reading Tessonja Odette, and I absolutely loved the fae universe she created, the the magical setting and lighthearted storytelling made this perfect for me. It was a great introduction to the cozy romantasy genre and I loved it.
Edwina is a romance writer, happy that she is finally having her first book tour and meeting fae (she is human). But she wasn't expecting to share her tour with another writer, William. Fae, handsome and poetry writer.
The romance (enemies to lovers) between Edwina and William is definitely one of the book's highlights. Their dynamic is charming, their desire vs rivalry was exquisite and I wanted to read more. The romance is steamy but not very spicy, I think it was perfect for this book. William feels much more mature compared to Edwina, but he is actually younger than her (only three years). She sometimes behaves selfish, too naive and insecure for her age, which frustrated me at times and made the story slower unnecessarily. I was expecting more of her.
But the side characters really made this book more enjoyable. Daphne and Monty were intriguing, and I’m really curious to learn more about their story in future books.
Overall, A Rivalry of Hearts is a sweet, toe-curling spicy romance book and I can’t wait to read the next book in Fae Flings and Corset Strings series! If you enjoy romance with a touch of magic and a well-built fae world, this is definitely a book worth reading.
⭐ 4/5 stars
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