Tessonja Odette

Fantasy romance author

A Rivalry of Hearts – Fae Flings and Corset Strings – BOOK ONE

By Tessonja Odette

A Rivalry of Hearts – Fae Flings and Corset Strings – BOOK ONE
Get the ebook on AmazonSigned copies on my shopPaperback or hardcover on B&N

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 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.

WHERE TO BUY:

OTHER OPTIONS:

  • Order in at your local bookstore: Pretty much any in-person bookstore should be willing to order you in a single copy by request. All they normally need is the ISBN. Paperback ISBN: 9781955960274; Hardcover ISBN: 9781955960267.
  • Search: You can also use the above ISBN numbers to search online at your regional bookstore websites. Just enter the ISBN (or book title) into the search and see if they come up. If not, there’s still hope. It can take a number of weeks before new books show up on book retailer websites.

***This page contains affiliate links to Amazon, which means if you click the “Buy on Amazon” links or button, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for the support!

A Note on Content

A Rivalry of Hearts may be a cozy, low-stakes, fantasy romcom, but it does contain some topics that may be upsetting to some readers. Below is not an exhaustive list, but please note the following content:

  • Adult situations
  • Explicit language
  • Overindulgence in liquor
  • Fantasy drug use
  • Death of parental figure (mentioned)
  • Chronic illness of family member with poor prognosis
  • Descriptive on-page sex scenes (medium spice)
  • Public displays of sexual activity and mentions of voyeurism
  • Intended SA/taking advantage of an inebriated person (not explicit; the perpetrator is intercepted and stopped before he can make an attempt)

FAE FLINGS AND CORSET STRINGS FAQ

Q: What is the release date of A Rivalry of Hearts?

  • June 12, 2024.

Q: Does this new series mean the Entangled with Fae series is over? Or will you write more?

  • Entangled is an ongoing series and I do hope to write more fairytale retellings in the future.

Q: Why did you start a new series set in Faerwyvae instead of just adding A Rivalry of Hearts to the Entangled with Fae series?

  • In 2023, I had an idea for a book that was so tantalizing I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Even though it’s set in Faerwyvae, I realized the story wouldn’t quite fit my Entangled series. Firstly, it isn’t a fairytale retelling. Secondly, it was going to feature adult characters and slightly more mature content. (I’ll go into more details in the next question.)

Q: What makes the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series different from Entangled with Fae?

  • Fae Flings is adult fantasy romcom, where Entangled is new adult fairytale retellings. Fae Flings features adult main characters in their mid-to-late twenties.
  • Fae Flings features a romcom plot in a fantasy world. Low stakes but high emotion.
  • Fae Flings will not be fairytale retellings.
  • The stories will be less-focused on royals and massive stakes that impact the fae courts and more on the romance/small scale personal stakes of individual characters/couples. Again, it’s a romcom plot but in a fantasy world.
  • The settings will revolve more around the workplace or common working class settings than fae courts and palaces (though lush settings will still be present!)
  • The books will have more spice and more adult language.

Q: Are there any similarities between Fae Flings and Corset Strings and Entangled with Fae?

  • Yes! Fae Flings contains much of what you love about Entangled!
  • Same banter, humor, and HEA endings.
  • Same Victorian/Edwardian inspired setting and time period.
  • Same cozy vibes and Bridgerton-esque feels.

Q: Will there be any crossover characters between Entangled with Fae and Fae Flings and Corset Strings?

  • Yes!
  • The main character of A Rivalry of Hearts is the author of the Governess in Love series that Gemma reads in Curse of the Wolf King. Gemma will make a cameo!
  • A side character from A Dream So Wicked (Monty Phillips) will star in the first two books. In the first, he’ll interact with the main characters in a similar way that he does in A Dream So Wicked. In the second book, he will get his HEA.

Q: How long will the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series be?

  • For now, I have plans for three books, but the series may be ongoing.

Q: What books/films/series inspired you to write A Rivalry of Hearts?

  • Similar books would be: The Hating Game, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, and The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy.
  • Inspiration for the main couple comes from Anne & Gilbert (Anne of Green Gables) and Elizabeth & Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
  • The main inspiration, however, was a random “what if” scenario that I had, where I began daydreaming about what it would be like if the author of Gemma’s (from Curse of the Wolf King) favorite series came to visit Faerwyvae. And that spiraled into “what if she got to experience a romance similar to the ones she writes about?” and now here we are lol.