The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love (Love's Academic #1)

All may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology. Cheating is practically one of our scientific principles. “

Ornithology: (noun) the scientific study of birds

I like birds as much as the next person, but I never imagined they could be this much fun! 

The blurb describes this as a historical-fantasy rom-com set in 1890’s England with shades of Indiana Jones, as it involves a madcap dash by a group of competing ornithologists to be the first to safely deliver their version of the Holy Grail: a rare magical bird called a caladrius while avoiding both human and magical bird peril. The prize offered by the British Tourism Board and the International Ornithological Society? The coveted Birder of the Year title, 5,000 pounds and a tenureship for any professor who wins. However, as my opening quote suggests, when it comes to birding … no one plays fair!

Prim and proper Beth Pickering and roguish Devon Lockley are Ornithology professors at Oxford and Cambridge, respectively. They’re also rivals in this new competition, but someone needs to remind them of that, as they seem to spend as much time watching and trying to capture each other’s interest, as they do the magical bird at the center of the competition! When, in the course of events, they find themselves under attack by a succession of less than friendly birds, such as a Rabid Flesh-Eating Lapwing, Frostbird or Whopper Swan, they band together to stay out of harm’s way. Ironically, the birds aren’t their biggest worry, as it’s their fellow ornithologists and those behind the scenes who pose the most danger!

As these two capture the attention of the media and the romantic imaginations of the public, will their relationship take flight or will the wings of their budding relationship be clipped? I can assure you that this story left my heart soaring! Beth and Devon are a couple I won’t soon forget. Beth’s hilarious mistranslations of French and comical politeness regardless of the situation had me giggling throughout, and she and Devon’s chemistry and banter was delightful. Side characters like pretentious Hippolyta Quirm, whose entertaining quotes begin each chapter, press agents Monsieurs Fettick and Flogg, the French fishermen and the sisters Fotheringhman were a hoot as well.

In the first of the Love’s Academic series, new-to-me author India Holton has written a book that’s so full of charm and witty humor that even the villains were fun to spend time with! Her prose is gorgeous, the world she’s created with ordinary humans using some extraordinary tools (example: helicopter parasols … how cool is that?!) and interacting with magical birds is so richly imagined that I would’ve enjoyed staying there even longer. I listened to this on audio while reading along, and the narration by Elizabeth Knowelden was stellar. This is a book that I would HIGHLY recommend listening to!

I don’t typically read historical romance or fantasy, so I give major props to Holton for writing a story that left me eager for the next in the series! Side note: Read the author’s note if you can. 

★★★★ ½

Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author India Holton for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out now.