Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

I think I knew from the first chapter of this book that it was going to be a 5 star read. The banter and humor and the fantasy world immediately hooked me.

In <i> The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love</i> we follow Beth Pickering, the youngest professor at Oxford and an ornithologist with a lot of knowledge on birds and significantly… less knowledge on people. When out searching for a deathwhistler, a fantastical bird that can kill people with its song, Devon Lockley, rival ornithologist and professor and Cambridge, swoops in a takes it practically out of her hands, she can’t help but <s>love</s> hate him. Absolutely hate him and his roguish attitude and big muscles and brilliant mou-

She hates him. So when they inevitably get stuck together in a quest for the caladrius, a mythical bird that can heal ailments, it’s possible the worst thing that could ever happen to a person.

That’s just a little taste of the writing style that truly made this book what it is. It’s funny and charming and had me hooked the entire time with the hilarious banter and bits happening around our main couple. Not to mention the deep emotional connection that is formed throughout the book and helps to balance out the silliness.

And that’s honestly my best adjective to describe this book, it’s silly. It was an absolute joy to see where the story would go next (because I guarantee it’s not quite what you think, it’s just a little bit different, somehow, someway) not to mention a delicious sprinkling of tension that has you thinking like some very specific agents of press.

Overall, this book was an absolute delight, with hilarious bits, deeply emotional conversations of being brave and standing up for oneself, amazing sexual tension, a wonderful fantasy world, and just so much more, this book is everything I could’ve wanted and more.

India Holton does it again. If you enjoyed the Lady Scoundrels then you are in for an absolute treat with The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love. This book has everything you could want. Beth is an academic powerhouse for all the right reasons. She is brilliant, witty, and above all else she will always be polite! She loves birds and ensuring their wellbeing is the most important no matter how un-ornithologist her ways may be. Devon is a man who knows how to love a woman. He is absolutely besotted with Beth and all his POVs are exactly what I'm looking for when a man is down bad. He is the right about of bad influence on our extremely polite gal and helps her remember that being direct with the truth is not being rude! This book has a great balance of fantastical magic interwoven in to world build the Love's Academic series for future books. The hijinks that seems to follow ornithologist has a mystery who done it style that includes the best giggles.

Someone on social media joked about wanting a book that flips the 1 bed trope and this book does with TOO MANY beds and also NO BED. It is so good and hilarious.

Ornithology is a cutthroat profession, and none knows that better than Beth Pickering. She was on the verge of capturing a rare deathwhistler bird when it was snatched from her grip by the annoyingly handsome, Professor Devon Lockley. Beth swore to devote the rest of her career to both the study of birds and the hatred of Devon Lockley. When a competition to become Birder of the Year gets announced, Beth jumps at the chance to finally make a name for herself (and to secure an elusive tenure position.) The only problem? Beth keeps finding herself thrust together with Devon at every turn.

Devon Lockley has been smitten with Beth since first laying eyes on her. She's pretty, intelligent, and can beat a man with a parasol in the cutest way. He knows that he should keep things professional, but he can't help himself when she starts spouting academic facts. The pair decide they have a better chance at winning if they combine forces, but they start to suspect there's more to this competition than meets the eye. But Beth and Devon quickly realize the most difficult part of the competition may not be the rogue birds or sabotaging colleagues but trying to hide their feelings from one another.

Oh, to live in an India Holton novel where there are magical birds and the simple act of a hand kiss is enough to make one weak in the knees. I've been obsessed with Holton's writing since her debut, and that adoration isn't slowing down anytime soon. I devoured this book in one sitting because I couldn't stop myself from turning the pages. The premise was so wacky but worked so well. Two rival ornithologists falling in love while hunting a magical bird? Yes, please. Beth and Devon were so entertaining, and their banter was full of Holton's signature wit and charm. If you're looking for an absurd, madcap adventure to fall into, then I can't recommend her books enough.

In this historical romance with fantastic elements, two young, brilliant ornithologists compete to find a rare bird in order to win the coveted Birder of the Year title and the even more coveted tenure. But while they start as rivals, they can’t help becoming more and more attracted to each other. Love in this Victorian era is not for the birds!

This was a cute book, filled with humor and wit. It was nice to see an intelligent, neurodiverse woman succeed. However, for me the novel was a bit slow and the rhythm of the characters’ speech was awkward and took a little while to adjust to. The characters felt a bit flat and two dimensional. I wanted to understand and connect them more. The story picked up speed and engaged my interest more the last half of the novel.

Overall a pleasant read. Recommended for fans of historical romances with strong characters and a touch of magical mayhem. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy of this novel.

Gave it 3 stars, I never give lower than 3 stars. It's alright but not as good as the Dangerous Damsels series. For me, the characters were not very likeable at all and the story just seemed to drag on. Sorry, I was really looking forward to it and I really tried to like it.

Are we surprised that this book was a knock-out? Absolutely not because India Holton books are always a treasure. It was a laugh riot, aggressively charming, and sucks you right into this romp-filled adventure rom com. I honestly hope this book gets turned into a movie, it would lend itself so well to screen. Its of elements of the Disney animated version of Tarzan (think Jane traipsing through the forest in her bustled dress) and The Lost City movie with Sandy B and Channing Tatum in the fun adventure rom com sense. India Holton is an auto-read for me and she hasn't disappointed! I've already recommended this book a bunch and will absolutely be buying it for family/friend's gifts. This is a perfect summery read to really brighten the spirits.

In The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, India Holton whisks us to a world that is both strange and familiar, offering a humorous historical fantasy/romance set in 1890. The novel follows the adventures of female ornithology professor Beth Pickering as she sets out on birding expeditions.

As one might deduce from the title, much of the action revolves around birding. But Holton takes things one step further. These are no ordinary birds the characters are pursuing. The birds of interest are thaumaturgic, or magical, in nature. There are birds whose call can kill you, birds whose emanations can freeze you, birds whose magic can melt metal, and so on. Many of the birds are deadly, which makes ornithology a bit more adventurous than, say, my own experiences spotting backyard orioles and woodpeckers.

As the plot progresses, the International Ornithological Society announces a contest. The title “International Birder of the Year” will go to whoever can capture a bird called the caladrius. With the announcement of the contest, the no-holds-barred jockeying between competing ornithologists is on. But the contest takes a dangerous turn when magical birds start turning up to influence the outcome of events.

Every romance needs a leading man, and in this case, the dashing Devon Lockley fills that role nicely. Lockley is a handsome rogue who initially serves as an antagonist to Beth. The course of events, a mutual attraction, and some behind-the-scenes maneuvering that the main characters don’t know about combine to push Beth and Devon together, though there are also forces threatening to pull them apart. Holton keeps us guessing as one character or the other always seems ready to sell the other out in order to claim the prestigious prize.

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love offers humor in a variety of forms. We are privy to the thoughts of the characters, and Holton uses strikethroughs to indicate what they are really thinking, versus what they think they ought to be thinking, to good effect. Holton pokes fun at ornithology, college rivalries, upper-class pretentions, and professors (the desire for the elusive tenure being one example). There are ridiculous situations to be endured and villainous competitors to be outsmarted. Adding to the entertainment are the “quotes” that introduce each chapter, satirical advice about birding taken from fictional character Hippolyta Spiffington-Quirm’s book Birds Through a Sherry Glass. At the same time, the danger of encountering some of these magical birds makes for very real threats to the characters’ lives. The back-and-forth between laughter and suspense is part of the book’s appeal.

Holton’s decision use 1890 as a temporal setting is a sound one. For one thing, it lends novelty to the events, as she tries to recreate the intricacies of travel by rail, on foot, or by carriage. For another, some of the action simply couldn’t happen in today’s era, when the internet and social media make for the fast spread of news. With the 1890s setting, the characters must rely on word of mouth and their own wits to try to figure out where they might find the bird, and what’s going on with their competitors. The time frame also allows for difficulties with navigation and travel. There’s no GPS to rely on and no rental cars. Rail schedules don’t always align with the urgency of getting from Point A to Point B, and so on.

The fantasy element of the book allows Holton to add some nuances of her own. For example, there are devices like the immensely useful helicopter parasol at play.

All in all, The Ornithologist’s Guide to Love is an entertaining romp that continually delivers surprise and, well, magic. I’ve never read a book quite like this one, and the novelty is one of its appeals.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Berkley, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been saving India Holton’s latest book for a time when I really needed a great read in my life after falling in love with her previous series “Dangerous Damsels.” What could be more appealing than Lady Pirates, Witches and Spies in the 19 century who love Austen, Wordsworth and Byron? Well, how about late 19th century rival Professors in Ornithology on a quest to find a rare magical bird, with tenure as the prize??!!!??

If.you don’t think academic bird hunters can be at all sexy or funny, think again. Holton has some secret magic in her writing and I for one cannot get enough! If you are looking for a cozy and steamy fantasy romance that will make you smile from the first page to the last, look no further! Add this to your TBR now!

India Holton's new book, The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love, is the perfect summer read! It follows rival ornithologists Beth and Devon who are both racing across England’s countryside as part of a competition to find the rare deathwhistler bird. The bird is rumored to have magical powers, and whoever finds and captures it will become Birder of the Year, a position that will greatly improve the winner’s professional life.

From their very first interaction, Devon finds Beth to be beautiful, intelligent, and extremely good at her job. However, he cannot, at any cost, let her know this because of their rivalry. And of course, this becomes harder when the two ornithologists are forced to team up to have a chance at finding the rare bird. It also becomes even more difficult when all of England suddenly starts following their progress and shipping them together!

India Holton’s characteristic humor and creativity shines throughout the book just as it did in her Dangerous Damsels series. Her books are lighthearted, fun, and adventurous just much as they are romantic and dreamy. Her characters are so wonderful and feel so real! I felt exactly like I was an ornithologist tramping across the country in search of the deathwhistler alongside Beth and Devon.

I'm so excited for the rest of the series and I cannot recommend The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love more!

So I'm not usually a fan of regency era romances mostly because the mfc is generally a damsel in distress and that's almost never something I enjoy. But I had so much fun with this one! Beth did annoy me at times, but the excitement of the story made up for it. Devon was such a fun character and exactly the love interest that I love!

'This is a very cute book! India Holton is like... VERY witty. This is the first book in a long time to make me actually laugh out loud. I loved all the banter and the fun little sort of meta details that sort of played with the genre (too many beds and one of the characters literally saying "they're rivals who BECOME lovers" lol). Beth Pickering was delightful; if you read and liked Emily Wilde, you'll probably like Beth Pickering (I love a polite but socially awkward professor who just wants to talk about her field of study!). And Devon Lockley was very charming; I don't always enjoy an insta-love situation, but I actually quite liked how Devon was immediately gone for her. In this sweet novel about a birding competition, I think it worked.

However, there are a few things that kept it from being a 5-star read for me: it was a bit repetitive, the ending was vert abrupt (can we get an epilogue??), and I didn't FEEL as much chemistry between Beth and Devon as I would have liked.

That said, I see there's going to be a second book in this series and I will read it!

What an absolute JOY to read! Bonkers, irreverent, witty, laugh-out-loud funny, and yet also sweet and heartwarming, this was exactly what I wanted!

I loved buttoned up Beth and devilishly handsome Devon. Their rivals to lovers chemistry was both off the charts and heart-achingly sweet. I actually had tears in my eyes at points as they bared themselves, because it was so beautifully done.

And of course it wouldn’t be an India Hilton book without insane happenings, madcap adventures, and kooky side characters. I will say, if you’re familiar with French, an early section of the book is even funnier. And the riff on “just one bed” throughout the book had me in stitches.

Highly recommended!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

An utterly delightful romp through an alt-Victorian England full of magical birds-- but ornithologists here are no meek and mild-mannered hobbyists! They are fearsome and competitive -- except for the two youngest professors in the highest echelons of Cambridge, Devon and Beth. Brilliant and awkward, they are in a race for Birder of the Year, but find themselves fighting (in the most adorable fashion) a rather inconvenient mutual passion for each other.

6/5 ⭐️s

I loved this book. It’s everything I ever wanted in a historical fiction/romance.There is little I love more than rivals in a historical romance and India nailed it. I loved every second of this previous book. I am immediately going to check out more of her catalog!

Professors Beth and Devon are rival ornithologists in a contest to win Birder of the Year (and most importantly tenure). By time-honored rom-com happenstance, they keep bumping into each other and end up having to work together to capture the very rare and elusive caladrius bird.
This was a delightful, silly, and heart-warming good time. There’s a touch of magic in the Victorian England setting (the birds have magical powers). Beth and Devon are compatible via their nerdy, neurodivergent-coded personalities. The dialog and pacing is quick. The side characters add to the comedy. A very fun, light read.

India Holt is an auto buy author for me and this book is no different. Funny, whitty, smart, unique!! I absolutely love historical mixed with fantasy. Such a read! It’s so unique that I just urge everyone to read this whether you’ve read this author before or not.

Two young and beautiful ornithologists. One chance to capture a rare bird, become celebrated in the field, and get tenure in their twenties. An endless amount of shenanigans.
This book is a silly and unserious joy, much like India Holton’s other work. There’s a lot going on here but it’s not hard to keep track of and it all comes together in a satisfying way. I will read everything she puts out forever probably.

I loved it. This is both an emotional and awe inspiring read for me. The banter was top notch and the setting had me loving vicariously through these characters.

📣 two rival ornithologists fall in love in this quirky & adorable tale

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 if you were a field scientist, what’s an animal or other organism you’d like to study?

The wit & charm of India Holton’s books!

In The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, Beth & Devon are rival ornithologists with totally different personalities on the surface. She is very polite & concerned with etiquette; he is a “scoundrel” & a rogue who steals a bird at the beginning of the book from her.

But as they engage in a hunt for a legendary bird, Beth & Devon discover they actually do substantive commonalities, in addition to an attraction to each other that they don’t want to let go of.

The way that these two fall in love is so adorable & fun to watch. Holton has such skill with words—especially metaphor—& Devon’s fascination with Beth gave me all of the swoons I was looking for, with the addition of unique writerly charm & personality that makes these books feel particularly winsome.

If you are a fan of novels of manners, or you have a friend who hasn’t tried romance yet but who has every word of Pride of Prejudice tattooed on their heart, I highly recommend these books. How many times can I say that they’re adorable? But they are.

5 ⭐️. Out 07/23.

CWs: some light violence, manipulation & harm done to magical birds, loss, the hero can’t have children (though this isn’t upsetting to either lead).

[ID: Jess’s hand holds the book in front of a multicolored mural with a blue & orange bird on it.]

Thank you so much both to Netgalley and Berkley for the chance to read The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love as an ARC! I adore India Holton's writing and was so excited for the chance to review this one early. This book certainly had the humor and wit that I've come to expect from Holton's books, but felt a bit slower in pacing and repetitive storyline than others by her. I can't say I've read many books that revolve around one's passion for birds, but I found myself really enjoying the premise; very unlike anything else I've read so far! I think if you're a fan of Holton's writing, rare birds, and historical-fantasy-romance, this would be worth picking up.