If I could go anywhere in the world it would definitely be India Hilton’s mind!! This was such a fun and unique read. This book was so wacky and hilarious I couldn’t stop laughing out loud. It was truly a joy to read.

AND THE ROMANCE!!! Ahhhh!! SOO GOOD! It had me giggling and kicking my feet. I love mutual pining and when they’re clueless just how much the other person is obsessed with them. It gets me everytime!!

In this book the two MCs are in a competition to find a rare (and magical) bird to win the title of “Birder Of The Year” and I loved being introduced to all of the different types of magical birds I thought it was so fun! I do wish we got to know more of the world in general we were brought into we were just kind of thrown into it with no guidance. Overall this was such a delightful book and I will definitely be looking out to see what India writes next!

3.75/5 ⭐️
I’m having a hard time deciding how to rate this. On one hand it’s fast paced and filled with some pretty funny dialogue. Although it’s slap stick, unseriousness is something I kind of have to be in the mood for. I think I could’ve been if maybe it was formatted a little differently. Like I kind of wish there was less head hopping. But more so I wish the secret PR agents thing wasn’t happening. Because of them manipulating everything, the two main characters lost a lot of agency. While in the Hunger Games there is little agency too and the constant threat of the field changing and manipulated, both in the games and real life, everyone is aware of this possibility, thus giving agency back to the characters as the buck against it. Because of all this manipulation, events and set backs felt like plot convenience.
Overall, it was fine and at times enjoyable. I definitely think this can be enjoyable to anyone that likes lighthearted, silly stories. However, if you’d like your plot to be less convenient and the historical etiquette to not be cherry picked, I would advise reading other reviews before making a decision to read. Not bad, but in my opinion, could’ve been exceptional.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

This historical fantasy has a sweet romance between two rival ornithologists as they search for a magical bird. This is a fun rivals to lovers romance full of humor and adventure and it was truly enchanting.

Beth is an Oxford professor of ornithology who is traveling with Hippolyta, a famous ornithologist and author in search of magical birds. They are in Spain tracking a deathwhistler and just as they are ready to swoop one up, Devon, a Cambridge professor and ornithologist, beats them to it and then the handsome devil pauses to smile at Beth! He is there with his associate, Herr Oberhufter, a fellow birder and High Flier of the Year. Beth and Hippolyta are outraged and try to shoot them but someone has removed their bullets so Beth tries to stab Devon with her parasol. Ornithologists can be ruthless.

The following week Beth and Hippolyta are in France at a bird lecture. when chaos breaks out. The International Ornithological Society (IOS) announces a contest to find a caladrius recently sighted in England. . Whoever finds it will win five thousand pounds, and will be named International Birder of the Year and if they are professors they’ll be given tenure! And so the adventure begins as the birdwatchers rush to England, many of which are ruthless competitors that will resort to blackmail, theft and bribery to find the magical bird.

Hippolyta and Oberhufter scheme to cause Beth and Devon to miss the ferry to Dover. Devon comes to Beth’s rescue and they jump onto a fishing trawler that delivers them to Dover. From there they travel together in pursuit of the caladrius. It’s fun where there is only one horse for them and only one room left at the inn with one bed. Devon is smitten with Beth and admires her intellect and kindness and when she puts on her spectacles, he wants to kiss her. Beth thinks he is handsome and a genius.

There is a plot line that felt a little awkward where two publicists for the IOS believe if Beth and Devon fall in love it will increase applications to Ornithology programs at the colleges. But it's fun when journalists begin to follow Beth and Devon and crowds cheer them on. There is hilarious banter and many wonderful characters that help them along the way.

I love books with humor and adventure and this lighthearted story kept me smiling. I recommend this to readers who would enjoy a historical romance with humor and magical birds.

I was so hoping to love this! Rival ornithologists seemed like such a fun premise. But I don’t know, I don’t think the tone of the book worked for me. It’s definitely very silly and wacky and that seems to appeal to others, but I found the humor of the writing style made it hard for me to connect with the book. I also usually have a hard time getting into historical romances, so there was already that working against me. Maybe it was simply just a case of bad timing or a just-me thing? Would love to circle back and reread if I ever get into a historical romance mood.

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.