Book Review :: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton
ISBN: 0593547292
Series: Love's Academic #1
on 23 July 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magic
Goodreads

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.

Last updated on 13 January 2025

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What is The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton about? 

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton is about two rival bird nerds on a chase across England to catch a rare, magical bird. As the description says, it’s a little Indiana Jones, but with more tea, proper manners, and parasols that double as helicopters.

Beth Pickering is about to nab the elusive deathwhistler bird when Devon Lockley swoops in and steals both her bird and her patience. He’s smug, infuriating, and annoyingly attractive—but Beth has no time for that nonsense. She’s here to win.

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

Devon, meanwhile, is absolutely smitten. Beth is brilliant and brave and somehow manages to make bird wrangling look elegant. He’d love nothing more than to get closer and get to know her more, but hey—they’re supposed to be competitors and he can’t do that.

When a contest to capture the endangered caladrius bird comes along, they have to team up to stand a chance at winning. Suddenly, staying professional turns into figuring out how to share a room—and maybe their feelings—while dodging foul play from other ornithologists. Because in this field, love and war aren’t as dangerous as ornithology itself.

My thoughts on The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love

Once again, I had a lot of fun reading this India Holton book. I read the Dangerous Damsels series a few years ago and absolutely loved them, so when I saw that Holton was writing another series, I hit that ‘To Be Read’ button as soon as I could.

As I drove down the country for an event, I managed to get the audiobook lined from Libby, and enjoyed spending my journey in the car listening to this crazy book.

Much like the Dangerous Damsels series (the first of which is The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels), it’s a historical adventure novel with various quirky twists. In the Damsels series, it was witches and pirates that fly houses, all while drinking copious amounts of tea and consuming their weight in scones, of course.

In The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, it’s all about magical birds that roam the land, and a group of ornithologists running about the country trying to find a particular one to win a prize.

Holton always manages to weave historical fiction with fantasy and hilarity, and I’m pretty confident in saying that I will read and love everything she writes. This book has a little of everything: adventure, humour, romance, banter, science, magic … and a heck of a lot of birds.

And it was a joy to read.

The second in the Love’s Academic series is called The Geographer’s Map to Romance and will be released in 2025.

Have you read The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love? What did you think?