I don't feel like much happened in this book. I didn't care for the main characters; there wasn't much in the way of character development. It was a rather flat story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this! I found it a fun quick read and we had a good time discussing in our book club. I liked the premise but would have liked for the #metoo storyline expanded a bit more.

Fiona's very public crash and burn led to the cancellation of her popular tv show. As conversations about a show reboot heat up, the former child actor wants no part of it while the rest of the cast is on board. Her costar Sam is tasked with getting Fiona to sign on. He's struggling to figure out why she isn't interested. How many secrets will the show's potential revival reveal?

I can't put my finger on it, but something about Fiona, Sam, and their quirky romance hooked me. They were real and relatable characters dealing with real-world problems. I enjoyed the side characters as well.

Birds of California is a fascinating mix of Hollywood drama and characters facing serious issues. I would have liked to see a little more detail on the resolution of this story. I felt like we got the summarized version of the ending. I would definitely read a sequel with more detail on how things ended and a "where are they now" update on Fiona and Sam.

If you want a non-traditional romance with depth, check out Birds of California.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for a review copy of this book.

What I enjoyed about this one:
- second chance romance
- the cover is gorgeous
- celebrity where are they now atmosphere

What missed:
It felt like the story began halfway through. I wanted more about the past because it sounded so interesting.

I'm adding this to the list of underwhelming book Tok recommendations. This one had a strong concept going in, but the slow burn really hindered the development of the story.

“Sparks fly and things get real in this sharply sexy and whip-smart romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a post #metoo Hollywood from New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno–page-turning escapist fun in the spirit of Beach Read, The Kiss Quotient, and Red, White and Royal Blue.“

I’m starting my review for Birds of California with this marketing quote because this book is probably the furthest thing from a romantic comedy. Listen, I know the publishers these days are playing fast and loose with their use of the romantic comedy label for everything and anything, but this has got to be the most egregious use in a very long time. Admittedly, the book does have a romance, but I wouldn’t personally call it romantic. It’s quite boring to be fair, and the couple did absolutely nothing for me. But calling it a comedy??? When it’s actually more an exploration of PTSD and possibly a response to the MeToo movement in Hollywood?? I would like a word with however came up with the marketing plan of this book! Anyways, I quickly shifted my expectations while listening to this audiobook. Fiona is a character who is dealing with a lot of trauma from being a child star. I was ready for this exploration of her character and the bones for a good story were here, but they weren’t filled appropriately. A lot about this book was surface level and the main reason is the romance. It completely takes away from what could have been a deeply compelling story. The problem with the romance is that the love interest is just not interesting. Sam, who was Fiona’s co-star and who has snaked his way back into her life to convince her to make a comeback on a reboot of their show, is as bland as unseasoned chicken. All I can remember about his character is that he enjoys masturbating, which you know, not a personality trait. I think if the focus had been on Fiona and this book had been more of a general fiction story, I could have gotten behind it. Katie Cotugno has a good writing style, but the execution of Birds of California fell flat.

Katie Cotugno has the ability to really get deep with her characters' emotions, and this book continues that streak for her. Fans of Cotugno are used to her YA novels, and in this adult fiction novel, she's able to weave in a beautiful story about two celebrities in Hollywood dealing with their fame and calls for a reunion and reboot of their former show. This was a really beautiful love story that Cotugno fans will surely devour!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Whether it was timing or what, I could not get into the story.

This was a really awesome and interesting premise, a child star who seemed to go off the rails. Rather than support her, fans and the media used her deterioration as fodder for tabloids. It was very Britney-esque with strong #metoo vibes.
This story took place a few years after Fiona’s troubles, and she basically is trying very hard to stay out of the spotlight to avoid the toxic media coverage that follows her. Her former co-stars want to create a reboot of the show that launched her career but Fiona is vehemently against it, for so many reasons. I really liked the romance part of this story and also I loved her neighbor but I can’t remember her name. She was fabulous though, so many amazingly described outfits and stories.
I also loved the weetzie bat shout out. I compare every book set in ca to that if I’m being honest.

Perfect book, no notes. I absolutely adored Birds of California. The chemistry between Sam and Fiona is wonderful, the side characters are a fantastic addition. There’s enough background to flesh out the story but it’s fully grounded in the present. Enough substance to satisfy general fiction readers and enough steam for romance lovers. And I didn’t see the ending coming until very far into the book. I’m excited to recommend this one all summer.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance reader’s copy.

I wanted to like this one - I really did. I got about 20% of the way into it and just a few things turned me off - so sad to say it’s a DNF for me. I know a lot of people like it though so it’s probably just not my cup of tea.

A good read, but certainly a little bit heavier, meatier than your normal rom-com. Very timely subject matter handled nicely, but not glossed over. Fiona retired from acting after having a huge public meltdown for reasons she doesn’t share with anyone. She’s now living her life quietly and truly hoping that her past has been put to bed in the public eye. Sam, her former co-star is still acting and loving his life of privilege, women, fame and all else that goes along with it. When his show gets cancelled he reaches out to Fiona for a very public reunion hoping she will help to resurrect his career by giving up her quiet sort of anonymous life. Surprisingly, she says yes, The Fiona of yesteryear is no longer and Sam is shocked and intrigued by the strong woman she has become. And so begins the road to honesty, learning who they each really are, dealing with past issues, romance and of course a great HEA. A well written enjoyable read.

I went into this with pretty high expectations because I've loved a handful of Katie Cotugno's YA novels, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. I genuinely liked all of our characters (Estelle and Claudia, especially!!!), but I struggled to connect to a single thing that actually happened in this story. For such a short book, this almost felt like a slog? It took so long for anything to actually happen, and then when it actually did the book wrapped up in what felt like 2 seconds. With that being said, I did actually really enjoy the way that the book ended! I just wish that we had gotten a little more time to actually appreciate what happened. I do still think I would read another adult work from Katie Cotugno in the future, but this one just... did not hit for me and I am bummed as heck :(

CW: grooming, ptsd, terminal illness (breast cancer), mentions of food shaming/disordered eating

A sexy and sharp-witted celebrity romance that simmers with real world chemistry and cleverness. Katie has this uncanny ability to explain the deep emotions of her characters while still remaining aloof. She creates a plot that is believable, authentic, and beautiful, reminding me of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo“ at times. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚋: Fiona St. James is no longer a child actress and intends to never return to the screen, even when Sam Fox, her long time crush, tries to convince her otherwise. The two find a genuine connection, but making it work despite their differences seems like a landslide in the face of fame and fortune.

The chemistry between these two is off the charts. I couldn’t get enough of Sam and Fiona’s steamy scenes. Catugno is one of my favorite authors and I love the way her characters are authentic and relatable. I’m immediately sucked in. Her writing just clicks for me. I remember her describing Sam as a little vain, but loving him anyways, flaws and all. This is just a really well executed romance that is honest, forthcoming, and effortlessly cool!

Trying to reignite their careers in Hollywood, Sam and Fiona join a reboot of the show they met on years ago. This was a sweet, funny story with just the right amount of angst and turmoil. The MC’s chemistry and romance is charming and entertaining. Both characters undergo serious character growth individually as they overcome their past traumas. I would definitely recommend this as an entertaining summer read!

Easy, enjoyable read, but lacked the depth necessary to make it stand out. A little more character arc and development for both Fiona and Sam was needed here to make this fully come together.

I liked the setup of this and seeing where two child actors and their different paths took them. I liked their vibe and the sex scenes were steamy. But I felt like the banter was forced and Fiona’s wrecking ball behavior made her hard to love: also the big plot twist at the end was seen a mile away and handled so quickly. I definitely wanted more there. All in all a fine but not memorable romance

I went into this book not knowing completely what it was about, and I was delighted to find out the story of these children-actors-turned-struggling-adults to be a whip smart, honest portrayal of how we all struggle with discovering who we really want to be. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved the split perspective of this book. The chemistry between the main characters was a fun build, but got there a little too quickly. The side characters were the shining stars here! Some heavy content, but did not make for a super heavy read. Quick read with a good (if somewhat open) ending.

I sat with this for a while as I wasn't sure, right away, how I felt about it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The cover is STUNNING and the premise is interesting and unique enough to stand out.

I appreciated the "other side" of the Hollywood glitz and glamour overall and I was really rooting for the main characters, Fiona and Sam, both individually and as a couple. I think there was a lot of build-up around the emotional scars that Fiona has suffered through and also a lot of chaos surrounding Sam's current life. This immediately intrigued me and kept me guessing through the story.

I was happy to see Fiona's issues/story come full circle by the end but I was also left wanting more of Sam's story. Where does he wind up? How has he changed and grown? Where does his family stand? Also, accounting for the past: what brought them together years earlier? Was it sheer physical attraction? Did they understand each-other in some secret way?

I love books that thoroughly put me in someone else's shoes and this was interesting but just kinda missed the mark for me with character development. Not in a way that negates the good parts of the story overall, of course. Just worth mentioning that if you're into character-driven books, this one might be a cliff-hanger for you too!

I'd give this 3.5-4 stars overall but I had high hopes [based on the hype] that it would be even higher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC version of this book in exchange for an honest review.