I’ve loved India Holton’s other books, so I was thrilled to get an ARC for this one. The premise seemed amusing, two quirkily geography professors specializing in magical energy with unrequited feelings for each other who set out on an assignment to contain some rogue magical energy field.

And then for SEVENTY PERCENT of the book, the quest for the rogue magic advances around the countryside, but the neither the characters nor their relationship to one another develop one iota. They’re stuck in their heads, frustratingly and incomprehensibly misreading each other’s cues, over and over.

The last quarter of the book evolves from that broken record and moves the plot forward, becoming more fun and eventful. If you like silly, steamy, suspenseful, magical reads, I’d recommend India Holton’s The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels, #3) #thesecretserviceofteaandtreason

Thanks to @NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

India Holton has become a comfort author and insta-buy. Witty, tension filled, and fiercely independent FMCs make every book a work of art.

If this book were even 1% more tongue-in-cheek I don’t think I would have liked it. While this book does contain a marriage of convenience, one of my emotional support tropes, I didn’t like this one as much as the first in the series, although I did still enjoy it! I’m really looking forward to what I assume will be the third book - Gabriel’s sister.

India Holton never disappoints! This book had more of the witty banter I’ve come to expect from Holton’s books! Holton’s heroines are always smart and funny, the kind of women you want to be best friends with, and they get to fall for their perfect counterparts over the course of a brilliant adventure. I couldn’t put this book down, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I do love a male character who is DOWN BAD, SMITTEN, and SIMPING.

I liked the relationship between Elodie and Gabriel a lot! They were both so cute and going through it. I think it would have been a bit better if the author had made just kissing a part of their past, instead of full-on doing The Deed. It just felt a bit out of place for their history vs. where they were in the beginning of the novel.

It’s so much fun the way the author plays around with romance tropes and flips them on their head — it gives me a good lol.

Howeverrrrr… The actual plot that moves those romantic moments forwards was just a bit not enough. Last book, I felt all the ornithological stuff was a bit repetitive. And this time, maybe it’s just me, but I still couldn’t tell you exactly what their jobs were or exactly what they were trying to do by the end.

This gave me all of the cozy feels like the first book. Nothing can ever make me not love a good marriage of convenience. Now mix that with two scholars who couldn’t be more opposite and this is what you get. At times I found the writing to feel clunky and over complicated. But I still really enjoyed it!

Geographers map to romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed the way the crossed-out thoughts and internal changes were handled. From Elodie's perspective, Gabriel feels distant and stoic, while from Gabriel's point of view, he's a mess, and she appears almost like an unattainable goddess. What started as a marriage of convenience quickly turns into a marriage of inconvenience, filled with tension and emotional distance.
The back-and-forth between the characters throughout the story does an excellent job of building toward their eventual union, making their eventual connection feel earned and satisfying. The book leans heavily into the familiar tropes of a marriage of convenience and the classic "one small bed" scenario, which provides plenty of deliciously awkward moments.
While the slow burn between them was perhaps a bit too slow for my tastes, once the spark finally ignites, it's absolutely worth the wait.

Spice: 🌶️


Favorite Quote:
“Geography wouldn’t be an adventure if we had life insurance.”

This historical fantasy had me giggling throughout. I loved the characters, the author’s style of writing and the humour. The whole concept was very quirky, but if you just go with it, it makes for a very fun read.

I first came across India Holton when I noticed how many people had requested the first book in this series at my library. I will definitely checkout her other books.

Thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

SHE WAS CUTE!!! in all honesty i think i liked this one more than the first book! historical romance is her bread and butter and at this point im reading anything india holton drops. the romance was cutesy if not a little backseat to the historical bit but i digress (this is simply the romance lover in me begging for more)

Okay the VIBES of this one are so great. It's giving magical/historical romance as well as forced proximity and marriage of convenience. ALL of which I adore. I am fairly new to India Holton's books so it took me a minute to adjust to her style of writing. This is a very strong like for me, only reason being that I found the plot itself a tad circular. There would be pining (which was EXCELLENT), then denial of said pining, something magical would happen (sometimes resulting in a magical explosion) and then they'd run away to regroup.

That aside, I think Elodie and Gabriel are ADORABLE and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for my ARC <3

3-3.5/5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Geographer's Map to Romance is a cute read about two people who are clearly in love with each other and have to muster up the courage to express their feelings. A great entertaining read, sometimes it felts a little slow but nevertheless I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters.

3.75/5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I’ve been a fan of Holten’s work for some years now and very much enjoy the way she writes so I loved the actual prose of this book. The characters were compelling and interesting, especially Elodie with all her quirkiness and zest for life! Pacing was good but at times felt a little slow but not terribly noticeable. The only thing I would’ve wished for from this book would’ve been a bigger deceleration of love from Gabriel. We’re told that he’s pined for her for years and we finally get that conversation between the characters in the last 10% of the book, but I just wish there was something bigger/more dramatic. Other than that I, again, enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it!

I am typically not a fan of romance type books, but I read my first India Holton book Jan ‘24 and have been hooked on her books ever since. Like her Dangerous Damsels series, Love’s Academic series is historical fantasy rom-con that’s full of smart, capable women that fall in love while solving some big crisis. “The Geographer’s Map to Romance” has Elodie and Gabriel, who are geography professors that specialize in magical issues, being called out for an emergency. But it’s quickly revealed that they were married out of convenience but somehow managed to think that they hate each other, so this trip is going to be a bit of a struggle.

The story is cute and full of weird little magical twists that had me laughing the whole way through. Elodie is a smart and resourceful woman who also is just a little bit chaotic while Gabriel is her opposite in his deliberate and by the book ways. It was really nice to see what happens when a sort of ADHD woman has banter with a man who is of very few words. I really enjoyed their dynamic and the whole story. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read and review this!

I adore India Holton’s books. They capture my attention and take me on adventures filled with witty banter and charming/imperfect characters.

I loved Elodie and Gabriel - they were both quirky and confident and insecure and lovely people.

Who knew geographers held the key to saving the world from magical explosions?

I truly feel this series was made for me (and this book seriously confirmed it). The writing style is just so quirky and unlike anything I've ever read before and I fell in love with the two main characters immediately. I liked that they broke the fourth wall at the end by stating their entire relationship was just miscommunication, even though I did find myself getting annoyed along the way. However, I did overlook it because an Anne of Green Gables reference will get me every time (and Elodie is the epitome of Anne Shirley for real).

India Holton does a great job in writing a strong romance novel, it had that element that I was looking for in a Geography professor romance. I was invested in what was happening and enjoyed the fantasy elements in this. I thought the characters were everything that I was looking for and glad I read this.

This book is a delightful romp through a world where magic disasters and personal ones collide, and I couldn’t get enough of Elodie and Gabriel. Their dynamic is electric. I found myself rooting for them to navigate both the external chaos and the intricate geography of their hearts. It’s messy, it’s funny, and it’s deeply romantic; a perfect escape into a whimsical world where love is just waiting to be rediscovered. If you’re looking for a heartfelt adventure with a sprinkle of magic and a whole lot of chemistry, this one’s a must-read!

After meeting Gabriel Tarrant in TOGtLaR, I was so ready to find out more about him and his estranged wife. Loved the light-hearted tension and angst, and ohmygoodness but they're so romantic! I've read every India Holton novel since Wisteria and I truly do think this is the most WILDLY ROMANTIC one yet.

When Holton described this as Anne of Green Gables meets Twister, she was not exaggerating. The academic rivalry between Elodie and Gabriel is so Anne vs Gilbert. Now, did I understand the fantasy science? No. Did I care? Nah.

Maybe because of Gabriel's taciturnity, I would venture to say that this one doesn't quite hit the usual height of Holton's signature comedy. It's still very enjoyably silly, though.

A Magical Period Piece - set in the 1800s, sees two scholars in a marriage of in-convenience. Elodie and Gabriel are as opposite as you can be, their only thing is common is their love of higher learning and the magical properties in the earth/ environment which is their specialty. Elodie is impulsive, free spirited and a disaster of chaos, always leading with her heart. Gabriel is stern, efficient and rational, always leading with his brain. Together they are called to investigate a small town experiences magical outbursts. As they spend forced time together, they learn all the miscommunications and misconceptions that have plagued their relationship. This was a whimsical read - I don't think I'm the perfect audience for it. The writing is very embellished and complicated - it draws me out a lot when there is just a lot of vocabulary that is maybe a little excessive in complexity. A couple of plot holes that were not essential to the story. This is my first book by this author so I don't know if this is her brand of writing, I've heard a lot about her other books. I also did enjoy the cultural highlights and aspects that she added in.

Cute!! I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first one, but it was still a very silly and fun time. I never felt like I *knew* Gabriel, the way that I felt about Devon from the first one. From the looks of it, I'm going to love the third one in the series based off of the little preview!