Sweet and spicy. Just like the MMC. I really enjoyed this book. Celeste a divorced mom in her 40s is going through a period of self discovery. Through this she stumbles into John a shy and rugged bird watcher. They agree to be birding partners for a big birding competition. Somewhere along the way they decide to be birders with benefits but only until the competition ends. But obviously romantic drama ensues and we see if they can get over their recent baggage and make a real go of it. Great book if you’re a fan of fun and light romance with just the right amount of emotion.

This book, you guys. This. Damn. Book.

When I tell you that I read romance books to feel all warm and happy and giddy about the world, this book is exactly what I mean. I read the premise for this book a few months ago when it was first announced and NEVER thought I was going to get an advanced copy of it from Gallery Books. So first of all, thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for trusting me to read this in a timely manner and love it and share my intense love for this book wherever I can be heard. This book was sexy, silly, and a damn good time. I always feel hesitant about rating romance books five stars (some sort of internalized misogyny, I'm sure), but I just got that feeling in my chest when coming to the end of this book and I knew that I loved this story.

Let's start with the characters, John and Celeste (aka my birding babies). They really were polar opposites from the start of this book and, at the beginning, I wasn't sure whether their connection was going to feel forced or not. Celeste is vibrant and outgoing where John is quiet and contemplative. However, they proved me wrong. Their connection was full of tension, the kind of slow burn that makes you ache and scream at your book thinking "JUST KISS ALREADY!" and I love that in romance books. There is also a lot of real struggles that these two characters go through which makes their situation take an interesting turn...a very steamy turn. I just loved all of it though.

The plot was super interesting too! I love romance books where I feel like I'm learning about a group of people I've never thought too hard about before. My dad loves birding and maybe that's what sparked my initial interest, but I also have this mind-blowing thought (small, but still impactful) that runs through my head whenever I read books like this. The thought is this, ANYONE CAN FALL IN LOVE. Even birders and we learn so much throughout the competition and I loved all the little fake-dating / friends with benefits scenes that we are fed as well. It was just all so good, how many different ways can I say that?

Anyways, go read this book and to. Sarah T. Dubb (if you see this, queen), I love you and I will read your grocery list and rate it five stars too!

I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley. It’s been on my TBR for awhile now!

The characters were so relatable and I found myself rooting for them to figure out their issues and get together. The development of their relationship (birding with benefits) was super cute and fun to read.

I liked that the author briefly touched on pronouns for other characters and included a nonbinary character as well.

It was a cute pallet cleanser because this isn’t my usual category. I also appreciate that there was a little bit of spice without it being overly graphic or smutty!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a fun ride. I loved getting to peek behind the curtain of the lesser known community of birdwatchers. While I won't be picking up a pair of binoculars and heading into the woods anytime soon, I enjoyed seeing John's character introduce Celeste to this world and all its internal politics. I also really appreciated the age diversity of the characters, especially in a romance. A really fun reading experience.

What a unique hobby to build a romance story around, but it totally works! This was a fantastic story even if you don’t really know much about birds. Both main characters were coming out of long term relationships with baggage and scars, thinking they know what they want next in life. Through a mix up and birding competition opportunity, both Celeste and John put themselves out there and grow (together and individually). This is an open door romance, but tastefully done. Definitely worth a read.

Thank you Gallery Books for providing this boaok for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Growing up in a family of bird watchers, I was quite intrigued with this one. Turns out, bird watching mixed with the great chemistry of the MC's is adorable and spicy! While I usually don't really enjoy the miscommunication trope, it was done in an unexpected and funny way, which made it bearable. This one will be a good fit for those looking for romance novels with characters that are older, both being in their 40's.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. Birding? Check! Fake romance? Check! Slow burn? Check! Steamy pay off? Check!

I loved Dubb's romance featuring newly divorced teacher Celeste and birder/ woodworker John. He teaches her patience, stillness, while harnessing her excitement to learn new things. She brings him out of his shell and when they decide to enjoy a casual physical relationship in addition to their agreed-upon fake romance, things get good. Their relationship and conflict felt genuine and interesting. I'll remember this one!

A romance book about birding?! Yes, please! I was so excited to get this ARC since I am both an avid romance reader and a birder. I was nervous because I REALLY wanted this to be good. I was not disappointed!

First of all, how adorable is the cover? 😍

I liked several things about this book right from the beginning, birding aside. The main characters are in their 40s, which is an automatic plus for me. They are both likable enough, though I'll admit he felt a little flat initially. I felt differently by the middle of the book. I would describe him as charming and friendly, but quiet and introverted- not what I expected. I expected a grumpy x sunshine dynamic. He is not really grumpy at all but she is definitely a sunshiny extrovert though.

The two MCs are also very much on paths of self discovery, figuring out what they love and want to do with their lives. It was relatable to me for that reason. It was also fun to see their relationship go from fake dating to friends with benefits before finally arriving at the HEA. It felt believable, like someone you meet in real life could tell you this story about how they met their partner.

Overall, it was a cute story, and I am really happy to have read it!

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books and Sarah T Dubb for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John and Celeste are not looking for a relationship due to being burned in the past but a misunderstanding leads to them fake dating while being birding partners for several weeks during a contest. Cue chemistry!

Birding has never sounded appealing but the passion John has for nature and birds is so infectious (the lumberjack librarian with glasses description doesn’t hurt either!) It’s easy to see the appeal. Celeste is such a fun character to root for - wonderful (slightly over the top mom), loyal and supportive friend and brave woman trying to regain her individuality.

I loved how these characters were so honest and vulnerable with each other (even when it was uncomfortable/hard)!

Fake dating, open door.

I loved this book! I felt the descriptive writing of Tucson’s hiking paths transported me in with the birding community looking for that special species to document. Perky Celeste and Serious John complete each other in their new found partnership of birds watching contest and “fake” relationship.
I enjoyed their opposite personalties and how they bonded after recent breakups.
Sarah Dubb’s writing skills were fabulous outdoors and indoors for the love scenes. I am so excited to learn more about birding for my Sunday walks. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It’s a debut novel, and I’m giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️?! Yep!

An accidental fake dating storyline that flowed really well. Loved the chemistry between John and Celeste as they fake dated but really partnered up for a birding competition. Yes, I said a birding competition 😉 Great story, wonderful secondary characters, and quite a bit of spice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Birding with Benefits to come out June 4, 2024.

What a fun debut! It was a joy to read a novel centered around birding. You can see the author’s passion for the hobby shine through. The book was a bit spicier than I anticipated for the subject matter! It was an enjoyable quick read that I’d recommend to any romance reader. I wish there had been more plot or character development but it was great to see the various topics and representation the author tackled.

I’m tired of spicy books having adorable covers. Of course because of the title I know there would be some sexual activity but this was way too raunchy for me

Sadly, I had to DNF. I just can’t bring myself to read a book that is written in third person. This makes me really sad because I was so excited to read it.☹️

I picked up this book because it’s about birdwatchers and the ones in this story have a good time! The parts of the story when they are birdwatching are especially memorable and other than a few over the top moments and drama from the heroine, the story is lovely.

The story starts out fun when Celeste meets John at a park at a mutual friend’s request, thinking he needs a fake girlfriend for an event to make an ex jealous when what he really needs is a partner for a bird-watching tournament in Tucson. Luckily, it works out that Celeste is up for trying new things and thinks this will be fun. The event is beginning and so John accepts her help - he appreciates her enthusiasm even though she doesn’t have any birding experience.

Celeste and John are both in their forties and newly divorced and neither is ready to start a new relationship. John is one of the best male leads I’ve seen and he’s what made this book stand out. One of the teams they end up competing against is his ex and her partner and that adds to the fun – Celeste is really competitive. It’s a six week competition and they get together on the weekends to birdwatch. John also does woodworking and Celeste thinks he smells like a fresh pine tree. Celeste teaches middle school and she asks John to come with her to some of her teacher socials and they enjoy getting to know each other.

Some of Celeste's family have told her she can be overbearing and controlling, which I also found annoying and there was some angst and drama as a result. I wanted to see more of John’s best friend Chris who worked with endangered baby snails – so sweet!

My favorite parts are when they are out birding. John wants to be a guide and he was wonderful to listen to when he talked about birds and other creatures they see. I loved how he wants to help people see what is all around them (not just rare birds). I recommend this to readers who like a romance with beautiful nature walks and don’t mind some third act drama. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Gallery books for the advanced copy of this book.

This was a nice story, nothing earth-shattering, but good-natured and positive. As an amateur birder, I appreciated how birding was brought into the plot. I liked that the main characters were older, more life-experienced, and their interactions seemed realistic to me. I guess I was a little surprised at the sexuality, but not overly bothered.

All in all, this is a fun romantic novel to be read over a weekend. You'll enjoy it.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. WOW. The chemistry between John & Celeste is great with just the right amount of spice. It’s refreshing to read a love story between a couple in their early 40s.
I think I might go birding, who knows? 4.5/5
Thanks to NetGalley & Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up. This was a very cute story that had a lot of elements I really liked - older protagonists, a reasonable set of life experiences, weird hobbies. I don't really know much about birding but I felt like I learned stuff, and I would definitely like to be friends with both of these people. There were times where the writing felt a little stilted or not like real people would talk - lots of extra flowery adjectives. But all in all, a great read.

I received a free ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb
Finally a romance novel about people in their 40s! Celeste is healing from a marriage where she made herself small to fit in her husband's life she is saying yes to as much as she can, including becoming a partner to John (she thinks fake dating, he thinks partner in a birding contest). Ok so I never thought I'd read a novel about bird watching and be so captivated. The way it's talked about made me seriously consider going out myself, but really it made me fall for John and the romantic, purposeful way he approached life. Maybe I should be over the smart lumberjack type in novels but I'm not (which is good cause I married that type!)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Celeste's daughter and best friend were great characters who helped show different facets of her personality. And Chris was so much fun! I was rooting for this pair to win the contest! And moreover, rooting for them to overcome their own self doubt to be together. Benefits scenes were a bit steamy. I would definitely recommend this book. 4.5 stars. Thanks for Net Galley and Gallery Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! I am a birder and I could tell the author knew what they were talking about. I am a nerd for accuracy, and this book did not fail me. The plot was well established, not too many extra characters, steamy sex, all in all a fop pick!