Historical Romance Book Club discussion

Discussion thread for the second BOTM for July 2025. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some HTML is ok' for instructions.)

Join us in reading this HR that features the theme Paranormal!



The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love, by India Holton

Synopsis:

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.

Happy reading!

I would love to participate with this one. It stays checked out at the library so not sure I'll be able to get it this month. Fingers crossed.

My hold came through. Can't wait to get started. I really loved the Dangerous Damsels series. Hope this one is as good. I plan to power through both books of this series in July.

Looking forward for this one. I'm finishing another series and them this one!

thaumaturgic is a new word for me. It sounds so much more scientific than supernatural or magical.

Lots of big words. You need a dictionary handy. Has anyone ever watched Murdoch Mysteries? The beginning of the series was set in 1895, the same year this book is set. All the talk of dark suits and bowler hats makes me picture Murdoch. Having seen the series, it makes imagining the book much easier.

And what a crazy spoof this book is. It has the most unusual plot ever. The supporting characters are just wild.

I read this book and the second one a few months ago. I loved all the characters in this book. It’s a really different kind of historical. I thought it was adorable and fun. I’ve never watched the Murdoch Mysteries. I’ll have to look it up.

I really liked this book. It was so unique. If anyone is tired of the same old, same old, this is your cure.

Laura Elizabeth wrote: "I read this book and the second one a few months ago. I loved all the characters in this book. It’s a really different kind of historical. I thought it was adorable and fun. I’ve never watched the ..."

Oleander wrote: "I really liked this book. It was so unique. If anyone is tired of the same old, same old, this is your cure."

Totally agree with you. Oleander and Laura! It's just so different. The secondary characters are just crazy, eheheh!

I sometimes confess, I just give up to understand the big and strange words, my bad! Wasn't it funny if the book had illustrations of the birds?

Chapter 9 Spoiler: (view spoiler)[I'm up to the scene where the two main characters have to sleep in the same room/mattress, eheh, and I'm looking forward to that. (hide spoiler)]

Enjoy, Sandra!

Thanks, Oleander! 😊

I've started on the next book. It's very much in the same vein as the first. Still lots of big words. But I'm listening to it on audio this time. I don't have to figure them out. I'm up to the "not enough bed" sequence. That's still fun too.

I haven't been able to get this book - but I will look again, sounds really good!

Hi, girls, my review on this one :)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So glad you enjoyed it too. Good review!

Glad you loved it Sandra. I just read the first book in her other series The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and I didn’t like it as much as this one but it was still good and different kind of historical read.

Thanks!!

Laura, ohh, so 😔 I do enjoy the kind of writing. I was thinking in reading the series too.

I have the next two in the series from the library which I’ll read in between other books.

I loved the Dangerous Damsels series. The third book is the best.

I finished book 2 The Geographer's Map to Romance. It was cute but not as good as The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love. It really focused on small moments and the overall plot suffered because of that.

Oleander wrote: "I finished book 2 The Geographer's Map to Romance. It was cute but not as good as The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love. It really focused on small moments and t..."

I agree on that