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"So riotously clever it almost defies description...an alchemy of romantic elements held in perfect harmony."—NPR
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, stealing 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.
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Creators
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Release date
July 23, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593907672
- File size: 297422 KB
- Duration: 10:19:37
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from May 13, 2024
Putting a tongue-in-cheek twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope, Holton (The Secret Service of Tea and Treason) opens the Love’s Academic series on a gloriously madcap intellectual adventure tinged with a hint of whimsical fantasy. In 1890s England, socially awkward bluestocking Beth Pickering, a young professor of ornithology at Oxford, must cater to the whims of her male colleagues and the university’s wealthy donors. While on an expedition in Spain with Mrs. Hippolyta Quirm, a wealthy birding enthusiast, Beth runs afoul of handsome rogue Devon Lockley, an ornithologist from rival Cambridge University. The quarrelsome pair cross paths again when the International Ornithological Society launches a contest to name the International Birder of the Year—and sparks, and feathers, fly. Faced with scheming publicists, unscrupulous fellow bird lovers, and reality show levels of machination, the pair fly across countries via mechanized parasol to solve the mystery of a rare (and possibly mythological) bird, falling deep in love along the way. The charming supporting cast provides a zany counterpoint to what is ultimately a sweet, wholesome love story. Readers will find it an irresistible confection. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. -
Elizabeth Knowelden will capture listeners' hearts with her charming performance. Rival ornithologists Beth Pickering, a recent graduate, and Professor Devon Lockley are on the hunt for the death whistler bird, one the rare jewels in birding. While Beth finds Devon to be brash and egotistical at first, it's only a matter of time until Devon's charm sucks her in. Knowelden's voice is dynamic, elegant enough for modern fantasy, and lively enough for an adventurous romance. Listening to Beth and Devon bicker will entertain listeners the most. Knowelden's performance is so charismatic and detailed that listeners will laugh at every scoff and playful jab. With its winning romantic payoff, this performance is a crown jewel. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
November 1, 2024
Holton, who has earned LJ Best Book and Best Audiobook lauds, begins a new series involving academics. (Her previous series, "Dangerous Damsels," focused on witches, pirates, and spies.) Set in a fantasy Victorian England, book one centers on a hotly contested academic fight by ornithologists to nab the highly endangered caladrius bird. The one-sided enemies-to-lovers plot sees rival birders and professors Beth Pickering and Devon Lockley stranded in each other's company as they are caught in a web of schemes and competitors up and down the length of England, all in pursuit of the caladrius. Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden is in top form reading Holton's book, hitting every pun, pausing at just the right moment to key listeners in to the jokes, delivering the dialogue in such as way to make the attraction between Beth and Devon something both frothy and simmering, and conveying the rambunctious plot with spot-on rhythm. It all adds up to an experience of sheer romantic glee. VERDICT Holton's charm-, joke-. and wit-filled banter is brought to excellent realization through Knowelden's pitch-perfect and perfectly timed reading. A pure delight.--Neal Wyatt
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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