A divorcee embarks on her “year of yes” and crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood.

Newly divorced and almost an empty nester, Celeste is finally ready to put herself first. When she agrees to pose as her friend’s buddy’s “girlfriend,” she thinks she’s stepping into a fun, low-stakes favor. But John, a quiet birdwatcher with big dreams of starting his own guiding business, was actually looking for a teammate in Tucson’s biggest birding contest, not a fake girlfriend. Their crossed wires lead to fake dating, bird-counting, and eventually… something much more.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. It’s a really strong debut, and I was rooting for it because I wanted to love it. Celeste and John are both great characters individually (textbook extrovert meets introvert) and I loved that this was a romance featuring older characters (Celeste is 42 and fresh from a divorce, which I am so here for).

That said, I didn’t feel as invested in the romance as I wanted to be. It felt a little forced and fast, even though the characters were lovable. On the plus side, the birding scenes were such a unique and refreshing addition. I don’t think I’ve read another rom-com that centered around birdwatching, and it never felt boring. I also appreciated the personal growth woven in and the work that Celeste and John both had to put in to find happiness in themselves, which gave their story more depth. And Celeste’s relationship with her daughter Morgan added a meaningful layer too.

Overall this was a charming, unique debut that didn’t fully land the romance for me, but was still a cute read.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★

Birding with Benefits is out now. Huge thanks to Gallery Books for my copy in return for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books