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.

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton is witty and fun, just the kind of historical romance I love to read. In book one of her new series, Love’s Academic,  India Holton continues with her heroines being clever and capable and finding heroes that love smart women.

In this new novel, both Beth and Devon are incredibly clever and fun characters, each learning trust along with love and passion, accepting that they bring out the best in the other. And isn’t that the way all relationships should be?  I love the set up of the romance, that while the forced proximity is due to the contest and the press, that both of them inevitably fall for the other, especially over witty repartee and intelligence deductions. The adventure and romance are lovely with a spectacular ending.

If you love historical romance that is especially witty and fun, I suggest checking out The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love. It is fun but still is infused with deeper elements like trust and passion and both characters fall due to the intelligence and strength of their partner. I love the strong female protagonist of Beth but I also love the charm of Devon. This is the perfect romantic read!

Rating: 5 out of 5 magical birds