Title: Birding with Benefits
Author: Sarah T. Dubb
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: June 4, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Fun • Refreshing • Niche

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, clichés be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple.

Celeste can’t tell a sparrow from a swallow, but John is a great teacher, and the hours they spend hiking in the Arizona wilderness feed Celeste’s hunger for new adventures while giving John a chance to practice his dream job. As the two spend more time together, they end up watching more than just the birds, and their chemistry becomes undeniable. Since they’re both committed to the single life, Celeste suggests a status upgrade: birders with benefits, just until the contest is done. But as the bird count goes up and their time together ticks down, John and Celeste will have to decide if their benefits can last a lifetime, or if this love affair is for the birds.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The cover of Birding with Benefits absolutely caught my attention and I knew immediately knew I needed to read this one. Despite not reading a ton of rom-coms, when I do pick one up I like it to be on the quirky side with a unique premise and notable characters - this one certain fit that bill.

Sarah T. Dubb's debut strings together an inviting setting (hello Arizona wilderness), an unlikely pairing, and an immersive birding competition. I was entirely entertained through the first handful of chapters, yet around the half way point the birding takes a back seat and the story isn't as strong without it. The strongest moments were the ones where they were out in the parks on the trails or searching the backyard all in the name of the competition.

Celeste's vibrant personality paired with John's quiet demeanor made for the ideal pairing, not just for the competition. Her new self-discovery attitude and intent on seeking out new experiences were highly entertaining. The addition of her relationship with her daughter (although not prominent) added just the right amount of depth to her story. As for John, he was the ultimate MMC with his rustic, librarian-in-the-wild vibe. Yes, I would have liked to have gotten to know him a little better

At the end of the day, Birding with Benefits was a delightful and quirky rom-com I certainly enjoyed. It had an upbeat vibe and made me want to get out and pay attention to the birds local to me. The second half wasn't nearly as strong as the first, but that might simply be my own personal tastes. I will keeping an eye out for news on Sarah T. Dubb's next project and hope it is half as fun as this one was.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• birding
• middle-aged characters
• faking dating

⚠️ CW: sexual content, cursing, infidelity, alcohol, cancer, divorce

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I consume romance novels for the same reason I watch birds—for the sparks of joy, because I prefer to be happy when the world gives us so many reasons to be sad."

Overall, i liked the story, and I liked the concept.
A romance about birding is really cute!
It had all the nature vibes.
I also liked the fake dating and how fast it turned to real feelings.
The spice was 🌶🌶🌶🌶🥵
The MMC was my favorite.
I wasn't a huge fan of the FMC, and I found the writing to be a bit childish at times. The FMC was supposed to be 42 but acted like a high schooler.
If you know me, you know I am not a fan of the 3rd act break up or when characters can never have a mature discussion about their feelings. I felt like it was so annoying that the FMC didn't want a relationship, which is fine, but she couldn't communicate properly.
The first half of the book was really good, but I felt the second half lost me and dragged on because the FMC was so upset that their time together was ending. It made me very frustrated, lol.
Lastly, i really liked how the MMC was all about consent. The consent was very obvious, and it was refreshing to see.
Consent is so important!

3.5 stars!

As for the birding, and I say this as a non-birder: I actually wish there had been MORE birding. The most magical parts, both writing-wise and in terms of the relationships arc, were on the trail during the birding competition they were participating in, but yeah. I wanted that to play a larger role in the narrative. I also wanted more humor. Give us a romcom cover and we'll expect laffs.

This was a cute book. I feel like it started strong but then there were parts that I was like well this is cute but lacking something. I liked the parts about bird watching. It just didn’t wow me.

Ok, I had a lot of fun reading this and now I want to go birding!!

I loved this original setting, learning about birds and the birding community. I can honestly say I have never read anything like it!

I really enjoyed following Celeste as she tries to navigate life following her divorce. She's trying to figure out what she wants from life after having put herself last for so many years. I thought the chemistry between her and John was off the charts and the build up to their relationship moving from friendship to more was perfection, plus the communication was EVERYTHING.

My only downfall with this book, and I feel horrible saying it after what Celeste has been through, was I couldn't see her as a 42 year old woman. A lot of her dialogue and actions felt extremely YA to me to the point I had to remind myself multiple times that she was a full grown adult. I think it was a delicate balance between trying to get her personality across on the page (enthusiastic, vibrant, full of joy and optimism) while maintaining a realistic representation of her age and timeframe in her life.

Overall, a wonderful debut novel!

A really great debut - loved the older main characters, loved the writing, loved the bird watching aspect. Definitely keeping an eye out for what Sarah does next!

This was so much fun to read!! It's a fact that I love watching the song birds on my property, so the birding tie in was something that I really enjoyed. However, it's not necessary to know or even care about birding to really enjoy this book. It had me laughing and turning the pages as fast as I could. It's also pretty spicy, so if that's not your jam this is your warning. If you're a fan of the fake dating trope, you need this on your TBR now!

3.5– this was really cute, and I enjoyed the uniqueness of the premise. I loved that the heroine was post-divorce, finding and rebuilding herself as much as she was falling in love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
🌶️🌶️ 2.5/5

Celeste's character was just okay for me. As an older FMC, I really wanted to love her being a teacher myself, but I really felt like despite being that same kind of teacher who is always enthusiastic and passionate, that really isn't the full story and that was all that came across in her character. It felt like a facade to hide the damage and baggage of her divorce and that there wasn't really much else to her besides being very pleasure deprived.

In contrast, I loved John's character. He was very definitive as a quiet, mysterious but sugary sweet cinnamon roll MMC. His reactions even when faced with conflict were true to the character set out for him and felt very consistent. John's passions and patience are a swoon-worthy combination that make him a delightful and sexy AF MMC. His birding level observations particularly when it comes to Celeste made me melt! His attention to detail... AHEM... is very appreciated. Wink wink. How come no one wants to nibble off my earrings?! I'm going to forever think of that when I put my earrings on or open a closet...

For me, the mother daughter interactions were a bit contrived until the end and even then it seemed very quickly wrapped up. That being said, I was pleased to see an alternative relationship mentioned, presented and normalized and I particularly loved the use of "person" rather than "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" and the implied the inclusion of that term for a relationship.

I absolutely loved the fake dating alongside birding competition aspects, they both brought a little niche to the trope that really encourages readers to stop and be present in the beauty that is the natural world around us. Bird watching is not just for older people and definitely shouldn't be sold that way! Birds are incredibly fascinating creatures and the thought and love that went into showcasing that needs to be CELEBRATED!

Dear readers, go forth and notice the majesty of birds in their habitat today and bring this charming book with you to combine your passions. This is a must read for fake dating and bird lovers alike.

First of
All it is incredibly refreshing to read a book about two characters in their early 40s. I find the elder millennial is a forgotten group in the romance genre. This book was a delightful opposites attract, fake dating romance and I truly enjoyed it. I loved that it was set in the word of birding, which much like the heroine I knew very little about but I really enjoyed learning about. The quiet sensitive hero with his own insecurities was a nice surprise too as I found him just as layered as the heroine whom I adored. I loved that she had a full exciting life post divorce and was up for any adventure. A perfect book to read in a hammock.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.

If you are a romance reader, be sure to add this debut to your summer reading list!

Birding With Benefits begins with a blind date between divorcee and soon to be empty nester, Celeste, and John, a deliciously handsome woodworker and experienced birder, who is single after ending a serious relationship. Set in Arizona, this spicy, slow burn, open door novel will have you speedily reading through the pages, while also enjoying the delight of being out in nature and discovering the magic around birding.

Celeste, who is a middle grade teacher with no birding experience, and John hilariously come together to compete in a prestigious birding competition that takes place over 42 days, and they decide to fake a relationship to get Celeste’s coworkers off her back about dating, and John, while a partner for the competition as well as the added bonus of making his brilliant and stunning former girlfriend and birding partner, Breena, jealous.

This novel also has a great mother/daughter relationship between Celeste and her teenage daughter, Morgan, and we root for Celeste as she sets out to find the identity she lost during her marriage to Morgan’s dad. John also struggles with his own feelings of what it means to be successful and confident with his life choices.

I loved this debut novel written by Sarah T. Dubb, who is a professional librarian. It is fun and sweet, and has me looking at and listening to my surroundings and the birds more attentively and appreciatively. The author has certainly piqued my interest in birding!

Highly recommend.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Celeste has been divorced for two years and her teenage daughter, Morgan, will be leaving home in September for college. Like many empty-nesters of a certain age in romcoms, Celeste has embraced “saying yes” to new experiences and people because her marriage made her “unable” to live as large as she wanted as she was “too much” for her staid lawyer husband.

Saying yes leads Celeste to fake dating John during a birding competition even though Celeste has never bird-watched in her life (it’s a new experience!). She’s described as effervescent and chaotic, but besides babbling dialogue I found annoying her behaviour didn't really scream "unleashed exuberance!"

Celeste doesn’t want to embrace a relationship with John because being a couple means “loosing yourself.” Let’s ignore the obvious ways in which Celeste could combat this (being aware, setting boundaries, good communication, etc.), and I’ll just point out how Celeste deep dives into birding and lacks insight that her obsessive behaviours – I mean enthusiastic embrace of the zest of life – may be a problem that extends not just to romantic relationships.
One good conversation with the BFF and everything is cured.
Smut was good. I bet people will love this book.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Since her divorce 2 years ago, 42 year-old Celeste has been a 𝐘𝐄𝐒 kind of woman, always trying new hobbies and adventures as they present themselves. When a new acquaintance of hers asks for her help, she’s all in. She thinks she’s helping out his friend by pretending to be the new girlfriend. What failed to be clear is that, yes he needs a partner, but it’s definitely not a girlfriend type of partner. The friend, John, needs a birding partner for 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭. As Celeste already introduced herself as John’s girlfriend and birding partner, they decide to keep up the fake-dating ruse for the 6 weeks long contest. John desperately wants to win this contest as this might help him start his guided bird-watching business, and well Celeste loves to win, seems like the ideal situationship for the two and it also doesn’t hurt that John is a sexy librarian-meets-lumberjack bird watcher.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
Give me all the bird romcoms. It’s niche. It’s needed. I want more!! I found a big love for birding during Covid when I was laid off from being a flight attendant. I would wake up in the morning and go for walks in our nearest park and watch the wildlife wake up. I ended up buying my first Nikon camera and photographing birds during this time (you might of seen me jumping up and down to sighting Cedar waxwings and eagles nesting if you were in YYC during that period!) Fast forward to seeing this novel pop up as a June release. I wanted it, needed it and knew it would be a new favorite. When I received it as a ARC, I jumped up and down like I did when I found all the birds I wanted to sight. This book had everything I love: romcom, birds and self discovery. The MCs are refreshing, layered and compelling. Having a romcom set around MCs who are rediscovering themselves after heartbreak and a whole previous life was so refreshing.

I seriously loved everything about this book and will be recommending this as a cute summer romance!

Thank you to NetGalley & Gallery books for the ARC of this book. Okay who thought birding and romance together would be so good!! Really enjoyed this light hearted read! Such a fun read!

This is a fun light rom-com great for a beach read ! I love that the main characters are in their 40s but they felt a bit younger in the writing especially Celeste. The book deals with divorce, mother-daughter relationships, fake dating , and self discovery with new love .

I really enjoyed the nature aspects of the story and the birding facts . The characters were likable and infuriating at the same time—full of heartwarming moments, quirky and some humor and for those of you who enjoy steamy there’s some of that too .

Newly-divorced, our almost-empty-nester heroine is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, clichés be damned. In "Birding with Benefits” by Sarah T. Dubb, readers experience a delightful romantic comedy that will leave you smiling and yearning for your own "year of yes."

Meet Celeste Johanssen. She’s a middle school teacher in Tucson who embarks on her personal journey of self-discovery. When she agrees to play "partner" to the soft-spoken birder, John Maguire, she thinks it's all part of a fake girlfriend charade. But John has other plans, because he needs a partner for the annual Bird Binge birding competition. Their crossed signals lead to unexpected adventures, both in the Arizona wilderness and in matters of the heart.

Dubb's writing captures the beauty of birdwatching and the thrill of newfound love. Celeste's transformation from a cautious divorcee to an adventurous spirit is heartwarming. John, the shy birdwatcher, is a cinnamon roll of a character—gentle, patient, and passionate about his feathered friends. Their chemistry is undeniable, and as they explore the desert landscape, they discover more than just birds.

The pacing is perfect, allowing readers to savour the unfolding romance while immersing themselves in the vivid descriptions of Arizona's natural beauty. Dubb's prose is both witty and heartfelt, making this debut novel a delightful escape. Whether you're a seasoned birdwatcher or a novice, "Birding with Benefits" will leave you longing for wide-open skies and the thrill of unexpected connections.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Gallery Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't finish this book. I couldn't get into it. I found it wasn't holding my attention. I also felt that I had read this book before. I don't think I actually did but I definitely read a book with a very similar plot many years ago.

This was a very enjoyable read!

Both MCs are around 40.
Celeste is on a post-divorce mission to say yes and try new things.
And John ends up being one of those things.

The reason for the fake dating is amusing. It eventually turns into “let’s keep it casual”. And we all know how well that works out in Romancelandia!

There was a lot more on page birding than I anticipated, but I am from a family of (casual) birders and the birding was absolutely one of the aspects that drew me to this book, so I really enjoyed reading all of John and Celeste’s birding adventures.

But it’s not just birding! There’s bowling, a costume party, and hanky panky in a woodshop in the spirit of that pottery scene from Ghost. Celeste and John have a lot of fun together in and out of the bedroom!

My only gripe is how often it’s mentioned that both Celeste and John need a connection with a person, that they aren’t made for casual sex. Which in general is fine, but it was mentioned frequently enough that it started to feel preachy.

Overall I really enjoyed this low-angst open door Romance and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun contemporary featuring 40+ MCs!

Thank you to Gallery Books for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This book is really steamy and for some reason I wasn't expecting that. The cover quote from Christina Lauren calls it "blazingly sexy" (which I didn't see until now). I wasn't particularly interested in that at the moment and skimmed most of those parts.

There's a fair bit of time spent birding, which one would expect in a book called "Birding With Benefits" (also the "with benefits" should have alerted me to sex). I love that a more niche hobby got it's own book.

I really liked both Celeste and John.

This cover is fantastic!

I would definitely read more books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada.

4.5
A fun, quirky Rom-com and middle aged John & Celeste. I enjoyed this read, the birding aspect of it and all. Hit home in a few ways for me and I love a book that can do that for me. Very well done! The honesty between these two, was so mature and real.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for the chance to read and rate this ARC. I’m so glad I went after this one!