India Holton has NEVER failed me and honestly after reading her fourth book I doubt she ever will. All of her books are so fun, this one included. Devon and Beth have such a cute dynamic and India continues to write some of my favorite banter and romance plot lines. Honestly, she is such an underrated author and I really hope this book does well. I absolutely loved it!

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love is my second India Holton book and I am pleased to say it’s my favorite of the two. If you want a humorous, cheeky rom-com set in a highly stylized version of England this might just be your new favorite book.
This follows Beth Pickering, a precocious young woman who happens to be the youngest professor of ornithology at Oxford. We initially meet her as she and another famous ornithologist try to capture the deathwhistler - a rare magical bird whose song can kill. Unfortunately, ornithology is practically a competitive sport and a rogue duo come in and steal the deathwhistler right from under Beth Pickering’s nose. Professor Devon Lockley is a brilliant scholar at Cambridge (oh, the rivalry!) and though he won’t turn down an opportunity like nabbing the deathwhistler, he’s quite stunned by Professor Pickering’s beauty. You can make a guess at where this might be going and you’d be right.
While all this drama is going down, the International Ornithological Society (IOS) is trying to drum up hype for the birding world and offers a hefty prize for the capture of a rare bird called a caladrius. Obviously this sends the entirety of the ornithological community stampeding back to England. Pickering and Lockley keep finding themselves pushed together rather unavoidably and, well, this is a rom-com after all.
This was overall a very entertaining read. It was surprisingly steamy and all around a good time, though it perhaps veered into the ridiculous and humorous a bit too much for my tastes. Or perhaps I should say the brand of humor was not quite for me. If you’ve read India Holton’s previous series, beginning with The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, you will know exactly what I mean. The premise is quite fun and I liked the addition of magic birds. A bird that can strip a human down like a school of piranhas or one that can breathe fire certainly kept things interesting and only added to the wild antics of our main characters and the IOS in the name of publicity and tourism. The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love is also the first in a series called Love’s Academic, which appears to be a series of interconnected standalones focusing on a new couple in each book.

Who knew birders could be so provocative and sexy!

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love had me laughing out loud. This couple's pining over one another, but neither knew made for some hilarious moments. Two famed birders are vying for the convened prize of "Birder of the Year." The magical birds encapsulating this book were unusual and captivating.

Beth believes the good in all and proper etiquette complimented Devon's rogue mannerism and crassness. For two opposites, they found themselves in the following situations: one bed; one horse; small broom closets; simple caresses and smoldering over one another.

Simply loved this couple!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

4.5⭐️

This one was so much fun! India Holton once again brought her signature bonkers fun in this historical fantasy rom-com, and I had the best time on the crazy adventure with Beth and Devon!

The banter, magical birds, helicopter parasols, sabotage from fellow ornithologists competitors, publicists, and French fishermen were all so fun and absurd in the best way.
Beth and Devon’s dynamic was also great, and I loved watching it develop to a deeper and genuine connection.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say a lot, but the making of a romance book aspects and references were the best. 😆

I loved this one and recommend it if you want a fun and crazy adventure!
I’m already looking forward to the next one!

“𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳—𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 “𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺” 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘵.”

“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘺, 𝘴𝘱𝘶𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥.
𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.
“𝘔𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨?”
𝘏𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥. “𝘕𝘰, 𝘴𝘱𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷— 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”

“𝘏𝘦’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘖𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺; 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧-𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯.”

Thank you so much to Berkley, NetGalley, and India Holton for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own. 😊

I DNFed this book at about 10%. I just didn’t love the writing style and the instant attraction between our two main characters. Also, I know they’re in Britain but the amount of times that they said good Jove, I just couldn’t handle. I will not be reading this book on Goodreads or StoryGraph but because I have to give a good star rating on NetGalley I’m giving it a four-star.

Language: R (38+ swears, 2+ "f" + British, French, and German swears); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG+
This rom com has oodles of comedy. I stopped reading because of the sexual content.
The mature content rating is for alcohol use, jokes about drugs, illegal activity, innuendo, kissing, nudity, and sexual touching. The violence rating is for assault, gun use, and mentions of murder.

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love was a silly, magical glimpse into a world I've never thought could exist. It was part Truman Show, part romance, and then there were birds. Like, a lot of birds but also they were magical? Idk, it worked. Of course, the romance was insta-love but in the best way.

Thank you for the ARC, Berkley!

did i see this was a DEBUT??? if im making that up, ignore me. anyways i knew nothing about this before going into it, but then i quickly found out it was for fans of indiana jones (not my usual cup of tea, but i digress). the storytelling was solid and the romance was so swoon worthy, i thoroughly enjoyed this!!!!

ARC Review: The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton
Pub Date: July 23, 2024
Thank you to @berkleyromance for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book truly has all I've come to expect from India Holton - humor, hijinks, and a romance to boot! India Holton's books have this brand of humor that I'm not sure anyone else comes even close to doing. Her voice is so distinctly hers that I really do feel like I could pick out one in a lineup (in the best way!).

I laughed and laughed and highlighted so many funny things in this book. It was truly a pleasure to read and I read the first 70% or so very quickly. I liked the sort of quest that they went on and thought the side plot of the PR stunt was genuinely hilarious. The magical birds were really fun and again, just ever single scene was so so funny!

The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is that I (weirdly) didn't really care as much about the romance. I thought the PR stunt story line was SO funny that although I liked Beth and Devon together, I wasn't rooting for them as a couple necessarily. They have this very insta-love/lust thing going on but don't act on it for most of the book other than flirting and banter (which I did enjoy) which I think made the relationship feel just a bit more drawn out than I would have preferred. I'm excited for the next book in the series, as I think her best work is done in subsequent books in series like it was in her Wisteria Society series.

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Villain,” she said lightly.
“Angel,” he retorted.

“The world seemed to melt away. Devon could not have said exactly what he saw in Beth’s eyes that kept him absorbed, only that it felt like everything.”

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

I was truly so excited and ready to read this book. The stunning cover grabbed my attention, I read the summary and could tell that this was different from my usual book choices, but I was so intrigued by the premise.
This book is set in 1890! It is historical fiction + romance + a splash of fantasy.
The biggest adjustment for me was adjusting to the older style of language and phrasing. It took me some time but it was no issue for me after a few chapters! Plus, it really did make the book more fun.
This has funny/ridiculous adventures. It has a wide collection of characters. It has so many tropes that I adore. It has magical birds. It has a strong FMC who you get to see learn a lot about herself and her career throughout the book. It has an MMC who treats the FMC with adoration.
This book had me giddy. I was laughing out loud because it was so funny and clever. Then I was smiling at all of the banter between Beth and Devon.
The romance in this was so beautiful. I genuinely adored them together. This book managed to be comedic yet also have a breathtaking love story at the same time. This combination was perfect for me.
This was so swoon-worthy and so different from things I’ve read recently. I definitely recommend this book!
I know some people picked this as a Book of The Month so let me know what you thought or if you grabbed it! Otherwise, this book will be available in stores on July 23rd!

Read If You Like:
🪶set in 1890
🪶light academia
🪶magical birds
🪶rival professors
🪶the sweetest romance

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love Starts with an exciting, humorous bang! And that energy was met chapter to chapter.

How do I explain it? The vibes are just *vibing* It’s SO FUN. I laughed out loud multiple times. Do you know how difficult it is for a book to make someone laugh out loud and not just expel air out their nose?

Beth Pickering is a professor at Oxford who is traveling with a fellow birder in Spain when they are outsmarted by an unscrupulous fellow ornithologist and his annoyingly handsome colleague Devon Lockley. The two continue to run into each other amid the bloodthirsty world of ornithological rivalries and magical (sometimes deadly) birds.

Despite the love interest starting out as only a male capable of smirking and winking, Holton’s writing proved to be so magnetic. And the love interest, Devon, quickly became the man girls dream about. He was utterly taken with Beth and continuously cited how beautiful he thought she was while admiring her academic prowess and adorable habits. He is attentive, communicative, and protective.

This is a book for fans of Emily Wilde but with many more scenes between the protagonists. And while I adored the academic aspect, the main point of the book was the romance - that was very clear.

It even breaks the fourth wall and references the OxfordxCambridge rivals-to-lovers romance. Holton is hilarious.

Ah! I loved this book so much! It has everything I love in a historical romance! The witty banter, the rivalry, the build-up of the romance! While not in the same genre, I highly recommend this to anyone who has loved the Emily Wilde books. This was so much fun and I can't wait to read more by the author!

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc!

This book was delightful, I truly can't think of a better word to describe it. This was my first time reading anything from India Holton and I will definitely continue reading books in this series and beyond. I found myself literally laughing out loud due to the humor being presented (seven beds was truly so funny and the right amount of humor to add in tropes without making the tropes too much). I thought that the romance was really well presented especially since it seemed to be a short time frame from when the characters were meeting to when they were saying "I love you." The academic rivals aspect to the relationship between Devon and Beth was such an interesting take on the trope because it felt like rivals but at the same time they were able to put aside the rival in order to save the bird and continue on in the competition. Honestly I can't say enough good things about this book and the writing style, I will definitely be recommending it to fantasy readers and those who don't lean towards fantasy.

DNF - the writing tried hard to be of the period, but just missed, as did the characters and plot.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Another fun, magical, screwball romantic comedy from India Holton - and I loved the take on magical birds in this one. The romance felt natural and the laughs were even bigger. A great follow up to her first series.

Laugh-out-loud funny and utterly charming, every word India Holton writes is a delight to read. The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love is the perfect follow-up to her Dangerous Damsels series, taking us on a rather polite romp through the English countryside in pursuit of a magical bird,—no, tenure!—no, love! I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love is the start of a fun new series from India Holton. Just like with her prior series, she seamlessly blends historical romance and fantasy, along with a dash of quirky humor. And this may be one of only two bird-centric books (the other being Chick Magnet by Emma Barry) that has made me forget my severe ornithophobia and vibe with birds as a focus. The story centering around magical birds was definitely a plus.
The characters aren’t particularly deep, but that’s in keeping with Holton’s style. Their dynamic is a ton of fun, with them alternately being at loggerheads and circling each other, with Devon pining over Beth and Beth cluelessly wondering about his interest.
There’s a bit of a plot to move the characters along, centering on a competition to capture an endangered caladrius bird, and that’s a lot of fun too. There is a bit of bureaucracy and attempts to drum up publicity around the field of ornithology which was a tad mundane, but I did like that this added dimensions to the alternate-world the series is set in.
This is another solid series starter for India Holton, and I’m curious how this one will develop. With her style being a bit divisive among some readers, I don’t think she’ll win you over if you didn’t like a previous book, but if you’ve enjoyed her style thus far, this offers more of the same. And if you’re new to her work and want a fun historical-fantasy romance, I’d recommend checking this out!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I adore India Holton's works and The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love did not disappoint. I recommend this for fans of romance.

Beth and her mentor are on the verge of capturing a rare bird when Devon, a rival ornithology professor, steals the bird out from under their noses – and captures Beth’s interest at the same time. Devon is smitten, but refuses to admit his attraction to anyone, including himself. When a competition with a significant prize is announced, they both join in the hunt, but soon acknowledge that they’ll have more success working together than individually. As their search continues, they realize there’s more at stake than just a competition and its prize.

When I saw this book on NetGalley, there was nothing to indicate whether it was part of a series, and I guessed that it was book #4 in the author’s Dangerous Damsels series. I guessed incorrectly – the book is the first of a new series, and I probably would not have requested it had I known. Fortunately, it turned out to be a (mostly) entertaining read.

From the start, I didn’t like either Beth or Hippolyta, her mentor. Hippolyta took advantage of Beth at every turn, and Beth let her get away with it. I am not a fan of mistreated women who don’t stand up for themselves, no matter who is doing the mistreating. One incident in the story led to Beth’s determination to do her own thing, though, and she grew on me as the story continued. Devon’s character didn’t change much overall, but the way he was portrayed did, and I stopped being so annoyed by him and his behavior.

The chase to locate the prized bird was filled with what were probably supposed to be comical mishaps, but most of them seemed over the top to me. Then again, I am neither a fantasy nor a romance reader, so maybe these would appeal to other readers? The twist thrown in when they neared the completion of the contest reminded me of the stereotypical dastardly villains of old, and it was rather easy to figure out who was behind it. The motive seemed ludicrous, though in keeping with the rest of the story.

At this point in time, I have no intention of continuing this series, especially since the next book appears to feature a different academically-minded couple, but I may change my mind when it is released.

I devoured this book in two days. The banter - expert level. Rakish Rogue - bring me more. Sweet, badass, innocent leading lady - absolutely.
Snarky, regency, romance and a devious behind the scenes plan with secondary characters pulling strings.
Very enjoyable, swoon worthy.