The Habitat Man is one of the books that I didn’t think I’d rave about. Turns out, I can’t get it out of my head.

Tim has had enough. Stuck in a job he hates, with no life outside work other than weekly drinks with his housemate, he wants something different. He wants to make a difference, get back to what he loves and find a way to help people bring wildlife and habitats back into existence. Thus, Habitat Man.

It’s a gentle story, with a slow pace and scattered with a lot of information about wildlife and plants. The author has done their research! But we’ve got a bit of a mystery, bit of a romance, and quite a lot of entertainment thrown in as everything spirals out of Tim’s control. From bodies in a garden to protest movements to court cases, it’s a little more than Tim bargained for.

It’s the sort of book that leaves you smiling. Sure, it’s predictable in places, takes a little while to connect to some characters, and you spend the first half wondering how this is going to make a full story. But it’s calming and optimistic and a feel-good read that was perfect for spring.

The Habitat Man has also left me wondering what to do with my own garden. I think this shows it packs a punch, even if not through the actual story-telling. This is a charming and heartfelt book about so much more than creating a good environment. It’s about overcoming demons, finding where you really belong in the world, and deciding if, now and again, it’s worth taking a bit of a risk.

A recommendation for sure!

I was instantly drawn to Tim from the get-go.
When he starts talking about eco-conservation and the effects of their practices on climate change, people don't take him seriously, until he decides to resign and gets nudged by Charlotte (aspiring life coach) to do what he loves. Eventually, he takes to it and meets Lori. But there's her teenage son Ethan who doesn't want him anywhere near his mom, and he's serious.
It's quite a fun read because Tim's perspective on life, on the decisions he's made and the decisions he's making, is so positive and you can't help but like compost and gardening just by reading this.

Inspirational story and very current for the climate challenges we are all facing. It reminds us of our responsibility to our planet and what we can all contribute to effect change. Highly recommended.

A delightful and thought-provoking read that weaves in some important themes about climate change, romance, and age. Heartily recommended!

Interesting story. I enjoyed the narrative and the characters a lot more than I thought I would. I tired a different genre than what I usually read and liked the journey.

this is definitely not the type of book that I usually select, but I am glad that I gave it a chance. It is a quirky book with many endearing aspects of it. Tim is where a lot of people his age find themselves ,but he is the one willing to take a chance and find happiness. I felt compassion and likeness for Tim from the beginning and really wished for him to find true happiness. It is one of those books that makes you reflect on your own life and what brings you happiness.

I really enjoyed Habitat Man. It was very funny and had great dialogue. The characters were well-written and charming. The plot was solid until just about the end when it fell off. I did not think the surprise at the end fits in well with the rest of the book, it seemed forced and out of place. With that said, I really loved the story and found the oddball characters to be hilarious. Tim and Jo had great chemistry and you could tell they were truly great friends. You might find yourself learning a lot about plants and being more in tune with the environment after this one.

The Habitat Man is a quirky, interesting, and highly original novel. One that has moments of humour and romance while also bringing serious modern-day issues.
We meet Tim, an almost 50-year-old accountant. He isn't happy at work, and after having a very profound moment, he decides enough is enough, and quits his job to become a Habitat Man. This means he starts to give advice to people about their gardens and the wildlife around them.
I felt a little bit sorry for Tim in some parts of this story. A character that is gentle, kind, and sweet. All he wants is a relationship, and as he starts to work in his new position, we see him gaining confidence. The multitude of quirky people he meets with in his new job makes him shine. I loved seeing the change in him.
He meets Lori while working as the Habitat Man, and we see Tim fall head over heels for her. It isn't the easiest road, and there are big bumps in the road that may tear them apart before they even have a chance to be happy.
D.A. Baden has written a story that gives the reader a message around conservation, nature, and the eco system. She manages this without preaching, and her passion for this topic the research she has undertaken really does shine through.I always enjoy being entertained and educated, and this is a book that did exactly that. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she has wrapped this story up with a heartwarming romance factor as well.
A book that has a bit of everything to make  this an overall educational and truly entertaining read. Real life issues as well as humour, quirky characters, drama, and inspiration, too. All topped off with a possibility of romance, what more could you need?

It made a change to read a book about people a little bit older and love. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to read more by this author. Well done!

This one was a slow burner, taking ages for me to get to the point where I wanted to keep reading but gradually drawing me in. It does, however, annoy me when a book starts slow and then the really important bits are crammed into the last few pages in a rush. I watched the page numbers near the end and started to wonder how on earth they were going to resolve all the things that were to follow (that the author had clearly been signposting to us throughout). I did like the ‘book club’ questions at the end which drew on some of the thoughts I had throughout. I’d be tempted to edge it into more stars if not for the slow start, fast end approach. I did have a few tearful moments but less laugh out loud moments I had heard about.

This book made me stop flushing every single wee. I kid you not. This story was a joy to read, despite the characters Jo and Tim being a bit self-absorbed. Him turning fifty and being melancholic, she being busy on her computer. Of course, in the end things were quite different. And she does know how to pull his leg.

Interesting book on how we all need to try a bit harder if ecology is important to us, but not in a pedantic way.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

The story follows Tim a man quickly nearing 50 as he struggles to grapple with the way his life turned out, still single and working a job that he hates. The guilt of the choices he’s made throughout his life leads him to give up the high paying job and repent. Following his passion for ecology he becomes Habitat Man to create environments across his neighborhood that will attract wildlife and help them thrive.

Tim is portrayed as a kind gentle soul that longs for nothing more than to help mother nature bloom in a world cover in concert. The story follows Tim as he moves from garden to garden creating more and more sanctuaries for nature, leaving behind lovely little bits of gardening advice for the plant lover in you.

Every bit of the story is soft exuding the calm of nature even as Tim finds more than he bargains for in one of his client’s gardens. He meets all kinds of fun characters that give a little spice to the story from a man who thinks he is a wizard to a protest group that knits (yes knits, as in scarfs and jerseys) for change.

While the story isn’t all that exciting there are a few twists that keep you going, from Tim’s new love interest to the secret he is holding onto that could ruin everything. He is thrown into multiple scenarios where he is completely out of his comfort zone. But it feels like most of what happens in the book is glanced over, leaving the reader feeling robed of the thrill and excitement it could have given.

Most of the characters in the book are creatively describe with an air of fun and creativity except for Tim’s roommate. I struggled to enjoy their relationship and while she is a big part of the book it did not feel like she really brought anything to the story worth noting.

Beautifully written, filled with detailed depictions of nature and the life it brings. A calming read that entertains as well as informs readers about nature and the impacts humans have on the world.

Thank you Netgalley and Books Go Social of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't help but be drawn to Tim from the very first chapter. He's turning 50 and has been working at an organization, doing a job that he loathes and when he proposes that they consider environmental conservation and effects of what they do on climate change- no one takes him seriously, until he decides to resign and gets nudged by Charlotte (aspiring Life Coach) to do what he loves and that's ecology. So, he takes to it and meets Lori and he can't help but continue seeing her, except there's her teenage son, Ethan, who does not want him anywhere near his Mom and he's serious.
What made this quite a fun read was Tim's outlook on life, on the decisions he's made and he's making and you cannot help but find compost and gardening cool just by reading this.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.