Author: Tessonja Odette

Series: Fae Flings and Corset Strings

First Published: 12 June 2024

“You may not know this, but beneath my smile, I’m a fount of bottomless rage.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank so much Tessonja and the team over at the Nerd Fam sending a copy my way!

Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and seduction.

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 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 was pure perfection. I adore every second and every element – from the world-building to the characters. I was captivated the entire time. Put simply, I am obsessed! Edwina and William’s story has stolen my heart and fast-tracked to my all-time favourite books list.

Edwina Danforth is given the chance of a lifetime to get a three-book publishing deal with a Fae publisher. This is a nice change as her human publisher loathes the fact that she writes romance and it has always been a challenge to get her books released. This dream opportunity takes some twists after a week’s delay in getting to the Isle of Faerrwyvae, which means she is late to her book tour. Once she arrives, things have gone from bad to worse as she finds out her potential publisher has added pretentious poet William Haywood to the tour and has decided whoever sells the most books during the tour will be given a publishing deal.

Edwina is the wonderfully chaotic creative I aspire to be. I adore how fiercely independent she is and how defiant she is of society’s expectations of women. She clings to her career as a romance author. She knows any failure or misstep will result in her going back home, where she will be married off as society expects. It was beautiful to watch her stop being so defensive of her career and see her confidence soar. It was also wonderful to see her recognize her privilege and realise that the choices and options she has are not available to all women.

Ah, William! I love him. I adore his point of view chapters as we see just how fascinated and attracted to Edwina he is. While Fae cannot lie, there’s an interesting grey area William utilizes to his advantage. I have never read that before, and it was a fantastic twist. I loved seeing him slowly drop his arrogant poet persona and show the real him. He is fiercely protective of his sister. He is doing everything he can to pay for her higher education and clear their family debts.

This is a rivals to lovers romance, and this dynamic is beautifully depicted. The pair get off on the wrong foot as William assumes that Edwina is a fan, and she overhears him call her books smut and drivel. Both Edwina and William have reasons as to why they need the contract. Their rivalry adds delicious tension to their romance as they battle their attraction and develop their relationship, all with the book deal hanging in the way. The banter in here is top-tier. They are so competitive, which is a lot of fun. I love how they pass notes back and forth during the signing to annoy each other. With the dual point of view, I adore seeing how they misinterpret each other’s actions and words. William accidentally adds a bet to their rivalry, which is a backfire of him trying to goad Edwina into flirting with him. We do get some steam, which is perfection and doesn’t overwhelm the slow-burn romance or the cosy magic of the world. Honestly, watching these two get to know each other and slowly fall in love made me swoon.

I am completely besotted with this world. It gives me Howl’s Moving Castle vibes with the Regency history setting and cozy-ish magic system. The Isle of Faerwyvae is the only place in the world inhabited by the fae. Faerrwyvae is split into 11 courts that are a mix of seasonal and elemental courts. As this story takes place on a book tour, we see several Fae courts. This might have to be my new favourite micro trope – a road trip, but make it bookish. Tessonja perfectly captured the magic and excitement of a book signing.

Tessnoja has an interesting take on the fae, which I’m excited to see her explore in the rest of the series. In this world, the fae have two physical forms – a Seelie and an Unseelie form. The Unseelie form is their physical representation of their magic ability, which can be animal, spiritual or elemental. The Seelie form is modelled after humans and gives the High Fae feel you’ll see in popular fantasy romance books. They can change between the two. It comes down to personal preference, which form they prefer. One of the side characters, Daphne, a publishing intern, feels more comfortable in her Unseelie form and sticks to her animal form for most of the book.

A Rivalry of Hearts has all the whimsy and magic I want from a Regency Fantasy romance. If you loved Oliva Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales series but wished it had a higher spice rating, A Rivalry of Hearts is for you. Don’t mind me while I go and immediately reread this. I cannot wait for the sequel My Feral Romance to be released, especially after that epilogue.