THE COURTING OF BRISTOL KEATS

A fae king falls for a sassy pizza delivery driver in this slow-burn romantic fantasy.

Months after the death of their father, Logan Keats, leaves them orphaned (they think), a trio of down-on-their-luck sisters receive an intriguing proposition: meet with their great aunt and leave with a priceless work of art. There's just one problem. Logan grew up in foster care and had no relatives. Bold youngest child Bristol seizes her chance to make the family some much-needed cash, only to find herself surrounded by monsters. As it turns out, Logan grew up in the fairy realm of Elphame and his daughter may hold the power to save the fae world from utter destruction. The news that her father might still be alive in Elphame, coupled with fae king Tyghan's promise to help her search for him, makes for an offer Bristol simply can't refuse. Little does she know, Tyghan knew both her parents back before she was born. Her mortal-born father fell for her mother, leading him to betray Tyghan , and the lovers went on the lam in the mortal realm. Also unbeknownst to Bristol, the king is certainly not planning to give either of her parents a warm welcome once he finds them. Though not as tightly plotted as one might hope, Pearson's latest offering dishes up plenty of fun for romantasy fans, with a slowly simmering passion that builds for more than half the novel. Readers looking for a well-researched fae novel with plenty of traditional fairy lore will delight in the little moments Bristol and Tyghan's story has in store for them. The worldbuilding is top-notch, although some readers may find the occasional lore drop a smidgen too info-dumpy for their tastes. Some sections become sluggish, as Pearson tells rather than shows the story, but these are few and far between, and reader interest should hold on throughout.

A fun and sometimes steamy romp through fairyland.