The Last Wish of Bristol Keats - Review

The Last Wish of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats, # 2)

By: Mary E Pearson

Publication: November 13, 2025 by Tor

480 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fae

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Everyone needs something to hold onto, even if it’s a lie.

After Bristol Keats nearly loses her beloved King Tyghan to the monsters her mother had unleashed, their love deepens to a whole new level. Together, Bristol and Tyghan work to understand and reconcile their differences, moving forward with their common goal of saving Elphame. But when a daring rescue attempt turns into a disaster, and a beloved knight dies, Bristol is forced to confront the fact that her mother is more powerful than she could have ever imagined—and more dangerous. Meanwhile, Tyghan’s heart is laid bare when he encounters his former best friend and betrayer again, Bristol's own father, and must wrestle with a new secret that throws everything he thought he knew about his past into question.

Bristol is Elphame’s last chance for survival, but where do her loyalties truly lie? If she fully embraces the magic that has always been her birthright, she could become a different kind of monster from her mother. Is she willing to risk losing the people she loves most, if it means keeping them safe?

Brimming with dark secrets, lush world-building, and addictive romance, The Last Wish of Bristol Keats is the unforgettable conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's first adult series.

The Courting of Bristol Keats was such an enjoyable book for me in 2024. I feel like it has been overlooked because I don't remember hearing anything about it when it released or at all this past year. But Mary E Pearson has written some really great books in my opinion. I knew I would want to continue the series.

Bristol has been through a lot. In the previous book, almost everyone in her life has lied to her and betrayed her. Her parents have kept so many secrets from her. For one, her mother is fae. And considered evil among the fae. Her father, betrayed his best friend for his wife. They escaped to the mortal world and have been bouncing around in hiding ever since, constantly looking over their shoulders. Bristol's mother and father both returned to the fae world seperately. I can't remember exactly why she did, probably got caught somehow by the bad guy who has been using her. And Bristol's father left to search for her. The girls, Bristol and her sisters, thought he was dead. Bristol is apparently half fae. Why the other two sisters aren't also is beyond me. I guess they didn't inherit any power even if they are technically half fae. Bristol goes to the fae world searching for her father, but meets Tyghan and his kingdom. She falls in love with Tyghan, but he's been keeping some secrets from her too. He needs her help to close a portal, oh and he's the best friend that her father betrayed. Side note, the guy she was sleeping with/dating back in the mortal world who also kind of ghosted her is a bad dude trying to take over the fae world, also controlling her mother, and also probably has or did sleep with her mother also. Gross!

So to say that Bristol isn't in the best place is an understatement. Especially because she recovers fairly well in this book. She and Tyghan decide that what they have is worth fighting for. And they decide to put in the work. I really appreciated their relationship because it showed that on one hand, relationships take a lot to make them work, forgiveness being key, but on the other hand, it showed that sometimes we just have to decide that we're going to stay and work it out with the one we love.

Bristol has even more going on. Her parents placed a magical parasite on her to dampen her powers when she was very young. And it's kept her powers in check, but it's been there for so long that removing it might kill her. Yet she will never be able to close the portal she needs to do with it still there.

There were many side stories woven together perfectly. Mary E Pearson did a wonderful job tying all the loose ends up nicely. I had a few questions about things and a few pieces I didn't absolutely love about the ending, but in the end, I was happy with how everything worked out.

I listened to The Last Wish of Bristol Keats on audio so that means I don't have any quotes saved to share with you. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did a wonderful job. I never got pulled out of the story due to narration and that's huge for me.

The Last Wish of Bristol Keats was very well done, and I hope to see it on more lists and recommendations through the upcoming year. I'll be giving it 4.5 Stars. Have you read or listened to The Last Wish of Bristol Keats? What did you think? Let me know!

PS, I wouldn't mind a spin off since I enjoyed this world so much and many of the side characters would make delicious options to delve more into.

Sunday Post - 02/08/26

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was a pretty normal day. I ended up keeping Little Boy home from school to just give him a little extra time to get well. Monday evening, Big Girl had pitching practice, and then both big kids went to martial arts. Tuesday, we went to my parents. I had a dentist appointment. All went well there. After my parents, I did my grocery pickup. Tuesday evening, Big Girl had softball evaluations for rec league. Wednesday, Little Boy was back to school. Wednesday afternoon, one of the coaches from evaluations called and asked us if we'd be interested in Big Girl joining a travel ball team. We are not currently interested in travel ball, but it was an honor to be asked. Thursday, the big kids had their first homeschool class with their new group. That went great. They both had a really good time, and it was exciting to see other kids from both our co-op last year and from martial arts. Thursday after lunch we had several errands. We dropped by my parents' house to give my mom her birthday present that finally arrived. Then we went by Five Below. I had to buy a hoola hoop for Big Girl to use for a pitching drill. The kids wanted to spend some allowance money so we ended up stopping by Target. Then we came home. Thursday evening the big kids had martial arts. Friday was a pretty normal day. We didn't have any errands or extra curriculars. Saturday, Big Girl had a softball camp at the local high school. And I worked on mopping and cleaning the house. We even moved the couches and pulled the rug up to clean under there. This week will be even busier than normal. We are hoping to get a belt testing date soon for martial arts. Overlapping sports is always A LOT! But, sometimes we have to choose overlapping a couple of week or taking a couple of month entirely off. Neither is wrong. I have been reading a good bit, and I've already been blowing through some audiobook this year. But man, I am so far behind on writing book reviews which has become normal over the past several years.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of If You'll Have Me by Esther Hatch (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for An Honorable Love (The Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?) by Audra Wells
Friday: Homeschool Friday - A Tiger in the Tall Grass (Animal Adventures) by Heather Horn

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Reivew of The Last Wish of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats, # 2) by Mary E Pearson
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Friday: Homeschool Friday - The Friend Who Forgives

NEW BOOKS:

A Foolish Proposal (The Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?)

By: Kasey Stockton

Publication: February 5, 2026 by Golden Owl Press

256 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--One careless remark. One outrageous proposal. One Season to discover love where they least expect it.

Caroline Whitby needs a husband. Unfortunately, her charmingly infuriating neighbor Tristan Shepherd just ruined her best prospect—and then had the audacity to propose himself. If only she didn’t despise him and his insufferably flirtatious grin.

***The Gentlemen's Gamble is a series about seven men racing to the altar in order to avoid losing a wager. Starting January, the books will release in surprise order so as not to give away who the final bachelor and loser of the wager is.

A Deal with a Debutante (London's Most Eligible, # 1)

By: Chelsea Bobulski

Expected Publication: April 7, 2026 by Haven

304 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--She’s running from London’s marriage mart. He’s running out of time to save his estate. Neither planned on falling in love—but their hearts have other plans.

American heiress Calliope Hart is thrust into London’s high society against her will, all because her mother is determined to marry her off to an aristocrat. Despite being named “the debutante of the season” back in New York, Calliope wants nothing more than to avoid becoming another pawn in the social game.

Edward Chase, the Earl of Hayward, is on the brink of financial ruin. To save his estate, he must marry, and Calliope Hart is his last hope. When he boldly declares his intentions, she swiftly rejects him, making it clear she has no interest in marrying for convenience. Undeterred, Edward offers a deal: He will escort Calliope to all the best sights of London that she’s been dying to see if she agrees to visit his estate and consider what they could accomplish together.

What begins as a business arrangement soon sparks something much more complicated—an undeniable chemistry neither can ignore. But as their hearts begin to soften, both must confront their fears: Can Calliope trust Edward with her heart, and can Edward truly win her love when she’s convinced he only wants her fortune?

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - A Tiger in the Tall Grass

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

A Tiger in the Tall Grass (Animal Adventures)

By: Heather Horn

Illustrated By: Victoria Skakandi

Publication: January 1, 2024 by The Good and the Beautiful, Level-2

68 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Book, Christian, Educational, Early Chapter Book

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | The Good and the Beautiful )

*Note: The above link to The Good and the Beautiful is not an affiliate links.

Goodreads description--Adventure is always a step away for young tiger cubs Kash, Reva, and Lata. Their curiosity keeps their mother, Tara, on her feet! What will the cubs discover as they explore the tall grass, splash in the water, and wander a little too far from their mother? Follow the tiger cubs as they escape danger and learn to hunt in the tall grasses of India.

A Tiger in the Tall Grass is listed as a Level-2A reader by The Good and the Beautiful. We get a lot of homeschool curriculum and books from The Good and the Beautiful. My seven-year-old son is a reluctant reader. He can read, but I'm pretty sure he has ADHD and is easily distracted while reading. He is always easily overwhelmed when he sees either a lot of words on one page or many pages in between his starting and stopping point. So I love that this is a chapter book. Early chapter books for this reading level get the child accustomed to reading in chapters without feeling like he has to complete the entire book. A Tiger in the Tall Grass also has pictures included for every page or opening.

A Tiger in the Tall Grass is an informational book that follows a female tiger who gives birth to cubs and her journey to raise her cubs. The tigers are given names, so in that way it is a fictional story. But it focuses more on the life of a tiger and not just a fictional story. The goal of the book is to present information about tigers in a way that kids will easily absorb and be interested in the story.

One complaint that I had is that the tiger names were probably chosen so as to be authentic to cultural names that might be used in the area where tigers naturally inhabit. This is a guess on my part, but the names were ones that could have been interpreted with more than one pronunciation. I would prefer names with more clear-cut pronunciations when dealing with early readers. I'm not even sure if Reva is Re-va or Rev-a. Tara and Lata are the same.

Now for our personal experience while reading this book: My son was fine with starting the book, but he put it down for a week or so, and when I basically forced him to finish it, he wasn't happy about it. I don't know if that's the book's fault or because my son has some oppositional behaviors and doesn't like being forced to do anything.

A Tiger in the Tall Grass was a good level-2 chapter reader. It's educational while also presenting information about tigers in a story format. My son wasn't happy about finishing this book, but I don't imagine he'll enjoy every book he reads. He mostly doesn't enjoy reading at this stage. From my perspective, A Tiger in the Tall Grass gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read A Tiger in the Tall Grass? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for An Honorable Love

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

An Honorable Love (The Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?)

By: Audra Wells

Expected Publication: March 19, 2026

? pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--One grump. One thief. One highly-questionable adventure.

Leonard Stanton has perfected the art of being alone. He keeps to the edges of ballrooms, and society, whenever possible. But when a priceless family heirloom is stolen off his very person, he finds himself dragged into the one thing he hates most—a social entanglement.

Enter Miss Honora Gillingham. Vexingly cheerful, utterly unpredictable, and the last person Leonard should trust. Mostly because . . . she’s the one who stole from him.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

If You'll Have Me - Review

If You'll Have Me

By: Esther Hatch

Expected Publication: February 3, 2026 by Shadow Mountain Publishing

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A lady desperately seeking freedom. A prosperous younger man. An unexpected connection.

Anna Atwood returns to Breckenridge, where she spent one blissful summer as a young woman. This time, though, she comes to the quaint town as a penniless spinster with a single hope: to build a life free from the constraints her father’s death put on her and free from the persistent suitor Mr. Green, whose plans for marriage are Anna’s worst nightmare. When she runs into David Tate, the boy she knew from that memorable summer, she finds he has grown into a confident and striking man. As they rekindle their friendship, David offers her warmth and protection in the moment she needs it most—when Mr. Green appears in town and threatens to destroy Anna’s carefully laid plans.

David Tate remembers Anna as the spirited woman who once brought light into his dark childhood. Now a man of means, he has a promising future, if he can withstand the powerful Lord Murphy—a man whose menacing hold on the town he owns is surpassed only by his relentless hold on David’s life. When David meets Anna again, he realizes he has a chance to save her from Mr. Green’s schemes, even if it means putting David in danger of Lord Murphy’s wrath and revealing David’s deepest secrets.

In a moment of desperation, David and Anna agree to a proposal of convenience to provide the safety they both need. But as their attraction ignites, the looming dangers from Lord Murphy and Mr. Green threaten to destroy their budding happiness.

Esther Hatch is an auto-read author for me. I have loved every book I've read by her. And this one was no different.

Anna and her mother are in trouble. Her father passed and her relations have decided that they will no longer support Anna and her mother. But they just need a little over a year for Anna to be able to access her inheritance. Anna convinces her mother to return to Breckenridge where they spent one summer when Anna was seventeen. Some friends they made have a cottage that Anna and her mother can stay at, but only for two weeks because they have already rented it. Anna's only other option is to marry a man who is twice her age and as sleazy as they come.

However, their first day back, Anna runs into David who used to follow Anna around that summer. David is three years younger than Anna which isn't typical in historical fiction. David kept his family a secret from Anna back then. His father is Lord Murphy and is quite abusive. As adults, David and his sister Julia are mostly left alone at the family's country estate due to the sacrifice of their older brother, Griffin. David has been in love with Anna since he was fourteen. He had no idea if he would ever see her again though.

When the awful man pursuing Anna's hand shows up to a dinner, David takes matters into his own hands and declares that Anna can't marry Mr. Green because she is engaged to him. The two intend to call off their engagement in time because David has no plans to ever marry. This was a little confusing to me. He was obviously enamored with Anna from the start. So why go through so much trouble to "enjoy their engagement" when that would only leave him with the inevitable broken heart in the end. Yet I suppose he was just so thankful to get to have these moments with Anna that he never dreamed he would actually get.

The aspects involving Lord Murphy felt alittle unrealistic. A little too dramatic. But real life can definitely be stranger than fiction.And I appreciated this book touching on the idea of a member of the peerage being abusive. Obviously, that part could have been real.

Anna and David were such a great couple. And my heart broke for David and his siblings. I am interested to see if Esther Hatch will pursue stories for the side characters, Julia especially, but Griffin also.

Favorite quotes:

-"You see, if I were to fall from this branch right now—” I grabbed her arm. “Please don’t. David would be extremely disappointed in me if I allowed that.” “But if it were to happen—” I tightened my hold. “It won’t.” She narrowed one eye at me as if she simply wanted to finish her sentence. “The point is, I wouldn’t be sad for the climb, even if I fell. Even if I were in pain for days afterward.” ... “Here’s to the climb, then.”

-I’d thought losing my father had been excruciating, but having a father like mine— even if I’d had to lose him— had made my life a paradise compared to David’s.

If You'll Have Me is a semi-marriage of convenience--which is one of my favorite tropes. I rooted for Anna and David. I really liked that Anna was the one to be vulnerable first. As someone who was terrified of that in my life, I can respect it in others. If You'll Have Me gets 4 Stars. Have you read If You'll Have Me? What did you think? Let me know!