Hi and welcome to my blog tour stop for The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love* by India Holton. I have adored every book India Holton has published and this book might be my favorite? They're all so good. Read on for a summary and excerpt, and you can find my earlier published blog review here. *this post contains affiliate links. **A big thanks to the publisher for the promotional materials. All opinions provided are my own [ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of a blue mural with a blue and orange bird in the top left.]Summary.Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols. Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon. For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals. When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology. EARLY PRAISE FOR THE ORNITHOLOGIST’S FIELD GUIDE TO LOVE “This book is so riotously clever it almost defies description. It's like an alchemy of romantic elements held in perfect harmony. India Holton infuses the story with wry wit and meta inside jokes. Every sentence is positively vibrating with the kind of charm that will have you pressing your lips together with laughter. And yet amid all the outrageous and camp fun, Holton also succeeds in building a genuine love story – between two people who have kept the world at a distance for years but somehow find a home within each other. And if that doesn't sell you, then you should at least know this book has one of the funniest twists on the ‘one bed’ trope I've read in a long time.” —NPR “Holton continues to be the world's leading engineer of the romp. The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love is positively confectionary: a sweetly earnest love story wrapped in layers of sharp word-play, deadly magical birds, and cheeky narrative awareness.” —Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House “Few things are as delightful as an India Holton book, and every time I get the chance to read one, it feels like Christmas morning. Clever wordplay, gorgeous prose, adventure, and romance that made my heart happy-sigh over and over--The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love has EVERYTHING that I want in a novel and the reading experience was like sitting in a magic cauldron, bubbling over with joy. I want to read about Beth and Devon and magical birds forever. I want a nine hundred page sequel about these two lovebirds (!) ambling all over the world. I knew before opening this book that it was going to be tremendous fun, and IT WAS.” —Sarah Hogle, author of Old Flames and New Fortunes Excerpt.THE ORNITHOLOGIST’S FIELD GUIDE TO LOVE by India Holton Berkley Romance Trade Original | On Sale July 23, 2024 Excerpt Suddenly, the trees rustled. Hippolyta and Beth paused, their faces lifted and their senses straining for a sight, sound, or magical vibration of the pileated deathwhistler. Behind them, the servants took this opportunity to lay down their burdens (literal: tool bags, birdcage, heavy boxes, picnic hamper, picnic table and chairs; and metaphorical: weariness for the drudgery of their job). They wiped their brows and pushed up their sleeves in a manner Beth would have envied had she not been so intent upon the trees. "There!" Hippolyta tossed aside her glass of lemonade without looking (braining a red-tufted mousetwitter that happened to be pecking about in the undergrowth, thereby bringing an end to its species on the Continent and losing herself, had she but known it, several thousand pounds). Her attention focused instead on a flutter of gold among the leaves. "Quick, the net!" But even before Rupert could order a servant to obtain the net from a porter and bring it to him, whereupon he could present it to Hippolyta, the deathwhistler was off. With a swoop of wings, it lifted its coin-colored, peacock-size body from a branch and began to fly away along the forest path. "After it!" Hippolyta shouted. Beth lifted the hem of her long white skirt and hastened after the deathwhistler, Hippolyta hot on her heels with a rustle of yellow taffeta. They ran along the path, parasols bobbing, dust billowing as their boots struck the dry earth. The servants watched them blankly. "Faster!" Hippolyta urged. But suddenly, Beth staggered to a halt. The bird glided on a short distance, then descended to the path, its wings folding, its bronze crest glinting in the sunlight. "Why do you stop?" Hippolyta demanded-and, at Beth's urgent reply, staggered to a halt herself before she ran headlong into a chasm. Dropping her binoculars in surprise, she watched them plummet several hundred feet to break against jagged rocks below. "By Jove!" she shouted. "The deathwhistler seems aware of our predicament," Beth said wryly as the bird flickered its long-feathered tail at them. "The chase is not over yet!" Hippolyta averred. "I am determined to protect that bird from unscrupulous hunters [i.e., her rivals] and see it safe in the Duke of Wimbledon's aviary. No deathly chasm shall stop me! Propellers!" Beth tugged on a cord attached to her parasol handle. Hippolyta did the same with hers. Long metal shafts arose from atop the parasols' caps and, with a whirring buzz, began to spin. The two ladies proceeded to rise from the path. Behind them, the servants sagged down onto boxes, hamper, and chairs. Before them, the pileated deathwhistler pecked the ground as if entirely undisturbed by the introduction of this boisterous new avian species. A glint in its small dark eyes suggested, however, that it was amused and intended to wait for the most aggravating moment possible before taking off again. Hippolyta and Beth angled their parasols in such a manner as to traverse the deep but narrow cleft in the earth, then alighted on the other side. As they drew the parasols shut, Hippolyta held out a hand toward Beth, palm up, without removing her steely gaze from the bird. "Net," she commanded. "Er . . ." Beth said. Hippolyta snapped her fingers impatiently, but to no avail. They had forgotten to bring the net with them. "Bother!" Hippolyta said. "Well, never mind." After all, she had not become the preeminent field ornithologist of the British Empire, and the slightly-less-eminent but still famous field ornithologist of the Continent, without being able to bounce back from such calamities. She began divesting herself of her puff-sleeved jacket. "We shall sneak up on it and toss my jacket over its head." "Good plan," Beth said. She was about to wish Hippolyta luck for such a risky venture when the older woman handed her the jacket. "Now, remember, Elizabeth! When frightened, the deathwhistler makes a dreadful, fatal noise, like-" "Oi! Look out below!" At this holler, Hippolyta and Beth did exactly the opposite of what it commanded: they looked up, into the canopy of the forest. A man came leaping down from a tree, his long brown coat soaring behind him winglike. Birds startled and took to the air. For one awful moment, Beth heard the first perilous notes of the deathwhistler's cry. But even as her heart began to shudder, the man snatched the bird and tucked its beak beneath his arm, rendering it silent. Tawny feathers ruffled wildly, briefly, then settled into calm. The interloper bowed as much as was possible with a sizable bird in his arms. He was slightly unshaven, and a lock of black hair fell over one dark eye roguishly. "Good afternoon, ladies," he said, grinning. "Mr. Lockley!" Beth's exclamation shook her vocal cords, which were used to only gentle employment. "What do you think you are doing?" His grin deepened. "I think I'm stealing your bird, Miss Pickering." "Who is this rogue?" Hippolyta demanded. "Devon Lockley," Beth explained as the man brushed back his hair. "He's a professor in Cambridge's ornithology department." She had been introduced to him during the annual Berkshire Birders meeting last month. He'd not made much of an impression-shabby coat, nice smile, more interested in the sausage rolls on offer than in talking to her. A typical male professor. He certainly impacted more today, jumping down before them in a style that evoked derring-do, bravado, and no cumbersome petticoats. It was provocative behavior, to say the least, and his unstarched trousers, clinging to strong thighs, only made matters worse. Beth absolutely would not blush, for she was an Englishwoman-but inside, her heart was fanning itself urgently with a handkerchief. "Cambridge," Hippolyta said in the same manner with which one might open their steak pie and say "maggot." "And what sort of name is Devon Lockley?" she added, never mind that her own name, Hippolyta Albertina Spiffington-Quirm, ought to have disqualified her from asking. "The sort that unimaginative parents living in Devonshire give their child," the man said. "It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Quirm, especially as you so kindly shepherded the pileated deathwhistler into my trap. Both myself and my associate, Herr Oberhufter, thank you." "Oberhufter!" Hippolyta immediately withdrew a dainty silver pistol from a pocket of her dress and aimed it at him. But Devon's smile only quirked. "I sympathize, madam, but there is no need to do that." "There certainly is! Hand over my bird at once, you rapscallion, or I will shoot you!" "Perhaps I misspoke," he replied calmly. "What I meant was there is no point in doing that. We took the liberty earlier of removing your bullets." Excerpted from The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton Copyright © 2024 by India Holton. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. About the author.India Holton lives in New Zealand, where she has enjoyed the typical Kiwi lifestyle of wandering around forests, living barefoot on islands, and messing about in boats. Now she lives in a cottage near the sea, writing books about uppity women and charming rogues, and drinking too much tea. Doesn't this sound amazing? It lives up to its summary and blurbs. Check it out and let me know what you think!
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Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.I finished The Pairing by Casey McQuiston & was shocked TO MY MARROW that I wasn’t actually on a tour of France, Spain, & Italy. This book takes you on such a luscious tour of food, drink, & sights that I felt like I was on a sexy, sexy vacation (that wasn’t always super relaxing given the second chance events going on ). Second chance. You know how I feel about you. But The Pairing is hard to pin down when it comes down to an evaluation of how it’s carried out. The book is romantic & sexy & I adore how bone-deep supportive the leads are of each other. That kind of friendship is so special. & yet, there’s an element of their journey on this trip that I found immature, & as another reviewer wrote, Theo & Kit’s journey is “messy.” But underneath it all, & surrounding it all, is so much love & acceptance & adoration, not to mention such a well of appreciation for food, travel, & what humans have created, & all of it left me with this big feeling when I finished. So do I have quibbles about this one? Yes, a bit. But also, I will be thinking about this book for a while. Casey McQuiston really did it big. 5⭐️. Out 08/06.Please a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.It’s not fall but can we all agree that it should be? Perfectly Wicked by Lindsay Lovise gave me that bit of faux crisp feeling in the air, Apple orchard, ghost haunting, secret-kissing feeling I’ve been craving. Featuring an apple orchard manager of a long-held family farm & a ghost hunter who wants to showcase said farm on his reality tv show, Perfectly Wicked sets up a great conflict between our leads from the beginning. Holly & her family have been keeping secrets about their orchard & their family for years & Connor is all about busting them wide open. But Lovise also highlights the good in them & between them & the way they metaphorically set the orchard on fire with is definitely something to appreciate. There are moments this book goes a bit far for me, but it’s also entertaining & atmospheric, & the steam really worked for me, so three big thumbs up! I’m really looking forward to book 2 & hoping it focuses on two very intriguing characters from this book! 4.25⭐️. Out 09/17. CWs: hauntings, references to suicide, death, blackmail.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.This book! I freaking love a book that doesn’t go where you think it will go, that gives you the cool relief of acceptance & love instead of the stress you might have anticipated. Alexandra Vasti’s Ne’er Duke Well offers that & so much more to its readers: 🙌 a well-intentioned duke who has a heart & sometimes gets himself into scrapes bc of it. Peter is an abolitionist, an American, wants to get custody of his two half-siblings, & has had feelings for Selina for so long even if he doesn’t recognize them for what they are right away. 🙌 comedic moments that shine, from a fierce sister to a nervous friend who’s constantly trying to escape Selina’s matchmaking efforts. 🙌 a social fixer, businesswoman heroine who runs her own circulating library for women featuring erotic, philosophical, etc. books that are often denied to women. YESSSSSSS. 🙌 when he could denounce or abandon her, he cleaves more strongly. He supports her & is proud of her when she feels at her lowest! 🙌 the same for her. She knows what his heart wants & from the beginning, she wants to help. She’s so silly in thinking she wants to marry him off to someone else . 🙌 my goodness, the steam is good! Ne’er Duke Well has my heart. A total winner & this author makes me really excited! 5⭐️. Out 07/23.Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.A fantasy with an anxious protagonist who works at a zoo of magical creatures?! Sign me up. In reality, The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean is occasionally too slow for me. But it’s also cozy, soft, & inspiring, as protagonist Aila—who really struggles when asked to put herself out there (not to mention who hates the publicity components associated with her Phoenix keeper job!)—tries & succeeds as the book progresses. With sterling friendship rep & animal appreciation, The Phoenix Keeper is a rewarding fantasy with a touch of romance & danger. If you want a read that demands that you slow down & savor the details of a magical creature-zookeeper job, check this one out! 4.25⭐️. Out 08/13.Please see a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.If you’re looking for a book that gives Julie James’ law enforcement vibes but with a toned down not-quite-alpha hero, you might like Mr. Nice Spy by Tiana Smith. Though there’s no on-page shenanigans in this romance, I totally believed the chemistry between Andee Paxton, a pyrotechnic engineer who just realized her father is a crime boss, & Adam Chan, a CIA officer who’s assigned to her case. In other books the fact that he’s on the case might be the source of the conflict between them, but in this one, it comes down to the fake dating they have to do when Andee’s dad kidnaps them. I always love the back & forth between two people who are attracted to each other but who are fake dating & in this scenario, it’s extra interesting given that the stakes are so big! Other things that I loved about this one are the disability rep—Chan is hard of hearing, he isn’t afraid to express his insecurities when it comes to his job, & just his general willingness to put himself out there when it comes to her. Their first exchange is adorable. Andee, too, is such a fun lead who totally knows how to keep things interesting. I wish there had been more in the romance department, if not physically, then just with verbal declarations, but this is an entertaining & fast-paced cutie of a romance that I really enjoyed. 4.33⭐️. Out 11/05.CWs: attempted murder, murder, kidnapping.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.I feel like anything I say about Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren will sound derivative but this book is A D O R A B L E, an utterly charming Rapunzel retelling with so many smile-inducing adventures between the leads. Ren has had a very restricted upbringing so college is a new world for her. There, she meets golden guy Fitz, & after a less than auspicious beginning (that’s what we could call blackmail, right?) they go on a road trip together to uncover the mystery of Ren’s apparent birth father. This story follows the movie version pretty closely. One thing that’s bothered me about the movie version is how dark it actually is—I mean, the heartbreak of learning you were kidnapped & have been gaslit for years, etc. & how the movie—which, admittedly, is made for children—really glosses over the darkness even though it’s there in the premise anyway. This book delves into Ren’s feelings more, showing snippets of what her life would be like after such a shocking discovery. Tangled Up In You ended up being more swoonworthy than I expected & I was totally crushing on the story & the leads. Shout-out to Ren who holds Fitz accountable, who tells him she can’t conceive of falling in love with someone who doesn’t actually reveal more of himself, & shout-out to Fitz for opening himself up. Super cute, you all. 4.5⭐️. Out now![CWs: child kidnapping, emotional manipulation, gun violence, death.]
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.Sunshine & Spice by Aurora Palit is a delight of a book, a stellar romance that has all of the components to make a reader swoon, get heart squeezes, & feel that emotional richness that indicates a well-rounded story. Leads Naomi & Dev had my heart. Both are Indo-Canadian & both feel a lack of comfort to some degree with the expectations placed upon them (even as Naomi is particularly aware of also how lovely it would be to have been raised as part of that community—to feel an unqualified sense of “belonging” in it—from the beginning.) Naomi’s insecurities & Dev’s struggle to respect his mother even as she doesn’t always acknowledge the validity of his own wishes, form the backbone to the eventual conflict headed their way, even as they begin working together & form a fake dating arrangement. Beyond the richly developed stories for each character & that finely wrought sense of conflict are adorable characters I loved so much. Dev is a prince among men—a grumpy nice boy who blushes at times—& Naomi is a considerate powerhouse I would love to be BFF with. The way that she gives their eventual fight her all—not immediately giving up on them—but then ultimately takes for herself is a stunner! I adored this one & you will too! 5⭐️. Out 09/10.Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs, which include grief.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.The beginning lines of Sorcery & Small Magics by Maiga Doocy are so wry & charming & immediately put me in mind of the Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell, which I adore. Leads Leo & Sebastian have an antagonistic chemistry best described as “the exasperated one & the exasperater”—one of my fave dynamics—& it gains new flourish as the two inadvertently curse themselves into forced proximity. With monsters, bits of humor, a long adventure into the Unquiet Woods, & a series of intriguing secondary characters they come into contact with, this fantasy adventure engrossed me & left me wanting book 2. Please also note there are the *very* beginnings of a romance here, friends, & I can’t wait. 5⭐️. Out 10/15.CWs: violence, attempted murder.
This post contains affiliate links.Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Such a great story about grief, friendship, & found family & one moment in the audio gave me literal cold chills while I was shopping at Walmart. 5 ⭐️, out now. Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young. My first book by the much-hyped author & I can see what all the fuss is about. A friends to lovers queer awakening story with some “I’m home for the holidays” vibes. 4.5 ⭐️️, out now. Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore. This is a sensitive & also messy story featuring a trans hero, a funeral home, & the ghosts that only he can see (& that he’s kept secret for years). Grief, some heartbreak, Jewish culture & history rep, & more but it’s ultimately hopeful & lovely. 4 ⭐️ ️, out 08/20. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki & Translated by Jesse Kirkwood. A series of stories about different interconnected people & how they’re brought into contact with the magical Full Moon Coffee Shop at the right time. There’s an emphasis on astrology & making smart decisions with astrology in mind, & overall themes of getting out of unhelpful patterns of behavior & doing something positive. I didn’t totally connect with this novella because it comes across a bit disjointed & didactic for me, but it was interesting to read. 2.5 ⭐️, out 08/20. Have you read any of these? Are any on your TBR? |
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