A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette - Book Review

Series: Fae Flings and Corset Strings #1 (Standalone) 

Publication Date: 12th June 2024 

Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Lighthearted but could have been shorter 

Romance author Edwina Danforth needs the book contract from a publisher in Faerwyvae. After all, her books have a greater readership in the fae land than in the human world. However, William Haywood, a handsome fae and poet, popped up as her rival. 

Drunk on a fae substance, Edwina manages to make a bet with William. Whoever loses will have to give up their claim for the publishing contract. Both are determined to win but turns out there’s a lot more at stake. What happens when the rivals fall for each other? 

The story comes in Edwina’s first-person POV with a few chapters from William’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

As the original blurb suggests, this is a steamy romance with enemies-to-lovers trope. It has a historical fantasy setting with a human FMC and a fae MMC. I’d put it somewhere around the Regency and Victorian eras, though the rules in fae land are different. 

The book starts with a short note and a list of content warnings. I appreciate this. The themes have been handled with a light touch, but still, a list would help some readers. 

Now, the first section is solid. I loved the introduction of the characters and the banter between the lead couple. We also get two colored illustrations, which makes it easy to visualize them. They are not perfect and continue to make mistakes. But they also realize and acknowledge the mistakes, so that’s nice. 

The last section is again quite good despite the third-act breakup. There’s one conversation between two women which I liked a lot. It’s evident that the character arcs have been planned with care to not bring sudden and contradictory changes. 

However, I wish the book was tighter in the middle. After the initial 30%, the pacing dips drastically until about 70%. Though we get new insights about the main characters, it feels like the story is going nowhere. There’s only so much banter and sexy talk one can read. 

Still, I like that the characters take time to jump into ‘action’. There is still steamy talk and some scenes (with other characters). Some of it is almost presented in a clinical approach, which is fun to read. 

I like it when the MMC also gets a POV. However, here, it is limited to his feelings for the FMC. The POV could have added more depth to his personality. A lost chance, IMO. 

The side characters are fun. Daphne, Monty, Zane, and Cassie add to the story’s charm. They have distinct personalities and some depth. 

The setting gives mixed vibes. It is not detailed enough to imagine everything but manages to paint a decent picture. Apparently, the setting is from another series (and a couple of characters have been in other books). Kinda standalone with a bit of crossover stuff. This may not work for everyone. 

The ending is cute. There’s a bonus epilogue which is actually a teaser for the next book. For a change, I don’t mind this as I want to read their story. 

To summarize, A Rivalry of Hearts is a fluffy, cute, and spicy romance if you want a low-stakes cozy fantasy. Despite the minor issues, I'm excited to read the next book with D and M.  

Thank you, NetGalley, Crystal Moon Press, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #ARivalryofHearts