Description

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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, 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.

About the Author

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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.

Praise For…

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"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

“Holton’s prose winks and sparkles with wit and magic, flitting expertly between laugh-out-loud hijinks, swoon-worthy romance, and adventure filled with fowl play. The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love is pure, rollicking fun—and will set your heart aflutter.”—Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Fragile Enchantment

“No one writes banter and charm like India Holton. Beth and Devon's love story isn't just entertaining and educational—it's swoonworthy. The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love is an un-put-downable academic adventure.”—Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, USA Today bestseller of Witch of Wild Things

"By Jove! ORNITHOLOGISTS is a delightfully madcap rivals-to-lovers romp featuring India Holton's trademark wit, genteel ladies who enjoy tea with their fisticuffs—and of course, oodles of magical murder birds. I was charmed from beginning to end!"—Jenna Levine, USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire

“I adored India Holton's latest historical fantasy romance! My heart must be a bird, because Professors Beth Pickering and Devon Lockley have captured it. Holton writes with wit and whimsy, building a tender and sensual romance while sending her characters on a madcap adventure dotted with exotic birds, ruthless ornithologists, and a gaggle of very concerned French fishermen. The story is charming, swoonworthy, and delightfully nerdy, and Holton's prose sparkles with both sly humor and gorgeously rendered descriptions. This is a magically romantic delight.”—Sarah Hawley, author of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

"India Holton’s writing is not only the most vibrantly unique I’ve ever read, but also the tears-in-your-eyes funniest. Her characters—from the rivaling heroes to their colorful supporting cast—all sparkle with pure wit, swoon-worthy charisma, and magical warmth. I want to dive headfirst into The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love and live forever among the feathered creatures and charming academia."—Kate Golden, author of A Dawn of Onyx

"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

Praise for India Holton

“Holton is having as much fun as the English language will permit — the prose shifts constantly from silly to sublime and back, sometimes in the course of a single sentence. And somehow in all the melodrama and jokes and hilariously mangled literary references, there are moments of emotion that cut to the quick — the way a profound traumatic experience can overcome you years later.”—New York Times Book Review on The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

“There’s no literary experience quite like reading an India Holton book...You’ve never read Victorian romance like this before… and it’ll ruin you for everything else.”—Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch

"No one writes like India Holton–and I have never met a more immersive read!"—Sarah Adams, New York Times bestselling author of The Cheat Sheet, on The Secret Society of Tea and Treason

"India Holton’s writing is gorgeous and lyrical, her dialogue clever and witty, and her characters loveable and unforgettable."—Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, USA Today bestselling author of Witch of Wild Things

“A brilliant mix of adventure, romance, and Oscar Wildesque absurdity – one of the wittiest, most original rom coms I have read all year.”—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke, on The League of Gentlewomen Witches