“That’s…not real.” Birds of California by Katie Cotugno

4 stars. Firstly, I love how bright and pretty the cover is. Secondly, I like how easy a read this one was.

Fiona and Sam used to star in a popular tv show when they were teenagers. Fiona has since left acting, after causing scandals left and right, spiraling down and out of show biz. Sam continued on, with minor successes here and there.

A potential reboot of the old show has Sam seeking Fiona, to see if she’s willing to do it. So they find themselves back in each other’s orbit.

This is one of the books I focused on this year, without getting distracted from it. I liked Sam and Fiona. I like how they progressed together the ending., the HEAFN. It’s a book that I needed to read, was exactly what I needed to read to destress from real life.

Thank you so much @harperperennial for the arc of this book. Really enjoyed it.

I was really really enjoying this book and was going to give it 4 stars until ended without resolving literally anything except the main character’s relationship, which is by far the least interesting thing in the book. If you don’t want to resolve any of the external conflict, don’t include external conflict. You can’t introduce a Me Too story line involving the heroine in the last 5% of the book and end by saying that exposing him is going to be a tough road and then not go down that road. You can’t make one of you main character’s main character traits be that he is an in debt starving actor who doesn’t know how he’s going to pay next month’s rent and then just just leave him in the same place as where we found him. You can’t end a chapter with the heroine picking up the phone for an important phone call and then include absolutely nothing about what that conversation entailed. It could have been a very interesting character study of a working actor and a former child-star but neither had any personal growth over the course of the book. It could have been a book about confronting and healing from trauma but it didn’t put in any of the work. This book started as an interesting commentary on early 2000s celebrity and ended in major disappointment. The think is, this book is less than 300 pages, so there easily could have been another 100 pages that could have resolved all my issues and had this be a very great book. On top of all this it was third person limited present tense which is just difficult to read. I am extremely frustrated and disappointed with this book. The only reason it isn’t getting 1 star is because it wasn’t openly offensive and I did actually finish it.

Fiona St. James was once a household name, her popularity initially connected to starring in the family friendly, Birds of California tv series. Then Fiona had one bad media mishap after another, landing her in a mental facility, tarnishing the show’s reputation, and ultimately relabeling her as damaged goods.

As the years moved on, so did Fiona. But her teen co-star, Sam Fox, never did. Bouncing around Hollywood decade later, Sam’s still chasing the lightning in a bottle type fame he once had on the now long gone tv series, one paycheck away from losing it all.

Then they both get the call they never expected- the studio wants to reboot Birds of California. On one hand, they shouldn’t be surprised. In Hollywood, everything old is eventually new again. Still, for the now grounded Fiona, returning to a reboot is a hard no. But for the downtrodden Sam it’s more like a no brainer. Now the still so charming Sam is saddled with the task of trying to make his tv sis to sign on again. Can Sam convince Fiona to return for a revival, or is their connection meant to live on forever, only in reruns?

I devoured Birds of California in a few short hours. It wasn’t a lengthy read, but it was also right up my alley. I couldn’t help but picture Sam as Kevin on This Is Us, and Fiona, a Britney Spears type, another unfortunately common tale in actual show business. While Birds is a work of fiction, the where are they now, washed up former child star syndrome is still rather rampant in the industry. This fictional take creates three dimensional characters you root for with Fiona and Sam, adding just the right amount of laughter and love. I highly suggest tuning in for this one when it comes out in June.

DNF - i’m such a mood reader and i picked this up at the wrong time and couldn’t get into it, maybe another time!

WOW! Sometimes a book comes along that you know nothing about, haven’t seen hyped everywhere and just totally sweeps you off your feet. This was that for me. Birds of California, with its beautiful cover, electric neon text totally swept me off my feet.

This books cover, I feel, totally lead me to believe this would be a literary or contemporary fiction piece, but this was more romance, rom-com, touching on some deeper issues with a delicate touch and it all came together so nicely.

We had a strong, fierce, stubborn and determined female lead with an equally complimentary sweet but full of fire male supporting lead that together created a magical balance of saucy banter, tender moments, fiery tension and loving support.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I absolutely LOVED this book!

Birds of California by Katie Cotugno was a great read! Fiona was a young tv star till she went off the rails. Now she's working at her dad's print shop trying to keep her family going and avoiding anyone who may recognize her. When talk of a Birds of California reboot begins, her former co-star, Sam, gets back in touch to talk her into joining. I really enjoyed reading about Sam and Fiona's relationship as co-stars when they were younger and seeing the changes in their relationship now, years later. There are several steamy scenes in this book so beware! 🔥 But this story isn't all romance. We learn the traumatic events that led to Fiona going off the rails when she was 17 and the struggles within her family. We also learn Sam's backstory and his current challenges as a struggling actor and in his own family. Birds of California is a touch of Hollywood, a touch of romance, a touch of women empowerment and standing up against men who think they are untouchable, and a touch of family support when it's needed most. A great summertime read with some heft to it!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial for my e-arc!

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This was definitely an unique look behind the scenes in Hollywood. The seriousness of the #metoo and the effect of being famous while being so young. I was really invested in that part of the book. However, I felt like it wasn’t explored to its full potential. The romance element was more of a YA to me. It is definitely a quick read, but I felt it was cut too short and the full potential wasn’t quite reached.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short Chapters
Look inside Hollywood 🎥
Quick read

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘚𝘵. 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘍𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨--𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦--𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱.

𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢, 𝘚𝘢𝘮 𝘍𝘰𝘹, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳: 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯, 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘚𝘵. 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴.

Love, love, love. Nobody does whipsmart + funny + sexy like Katie Cotugno, and DAMN can she write a sentence. I can't remember the last time I paused in a romcom so many times to underline passages that gripped my ribcage or made me cackle out loud. Longer review and post to come closer to pub date, but safe to say her adult debut knocks it out of the park, and if you haven't read Cotugno yet because YA isn't your cup of tea, you've got a total treat coming with BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA. Fiona and Sam's story, the glimmering edges of Los Angeles, and a sweet sweet redemption song for women in the entertainment industry had me gulping this down in a single sitting.

Full pub day review:
“Dread surges up like groundwater until he can almost feel the squish of it underneath his feet[…]. Right away he’s worried he accidentally tweeted something offensive about little people or made a sex tape when he wasn’t paying attention.”
🌺
Sam Fox is ancient history to Fiona St. James, just like the acting career she torpedoed via a series of spectacularly public breakdowns. When she took her leave of Hollywood she left behind everyone that was a part of that life, including the guy who played her brother on the flagship network dramedy Birds of California. So why is he walking through the door of her family’s printing business 8 years later?

Sam’s been coasting in showbiz since his teenage acting debut alongside Fiona, never quite making a big break but getting by just fine on his pretty face. When his current series gets canceled, his next paycheck might rely on his ability to convince Fiona out of hiding for a reboot of Birds—but the more difficult task will be getting her to trust him.
🌸
Katie Cotugno is one of my favorite writers, by which I mean it was her work that clued my dumb 20-something brain in to the fact that a story could be a romance AND whipsmart + feminist, all at once. Girl will write a sentence that makes your neurons do a satisfied hum & in the same chapter, a pre-makeouts knee stroke so hot that you’re suddenly making a noise only certain species of bats can hear. I’ve gobbled every book/blog post/newsletter/etc she has written for 10+ years, & her version of love is always my favorite.

I fell for Fiona (prickly, delightful) from the jump, & though I dragged my heels on Sam, would now read the 1000-page prequel/sequel about he & Erin’s cheerfully mean friendship. Huge thanks to @harperperennial for this ARC. You can snag your copy of BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA from the shelf of your local bookstore TODAY!

While I loved the idea of this book and enjoyed a lot of aspects of it, there was something missing for me that would have made me love it.

The story presents itself as a book that takes place after the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, and focuses on the life of ex-child star Fiona as she navigates the potential reboot of her show, many years after it was canceled because of her wild-child behavior. Initially, this plot sparked my interest and I was fully prepared to read how Fiona’s story played into the #MeToo movement. However, we were never really introduced to this aspect of Fiona’s life until pretty close to the end of the book, and I think that was what was missing that would have made me love this book. I needed to read more about what happened after Erin’s series of articles came out, and how all of this played out for Fiona.

Now what I did really enjoy about this book was the chemistry between Fiona and Sam. I loved seeing how they progressed from teenage costars, to eventually each other’s love interest. They shared so many playful back and forth moments, and even a few steamy scenes. Their relationship was definitely the highlight of the book for me!

Overall, I would rate this 3.5/5 stars (round up to 4 stars for Goodreads and NetGalley). I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a cute romance with a bit of Hollywood flair.

Certainly a breezy read but I had some issues with it. I think the grumpy/sunshine pairing is not easy to do, and this book serves as an example. It isn't banter between Fiona and Sam. She comes across as rather mean-spirited and he just takes it. I think the storytelling withheld info from the reader so that there would be a reveal at the end, but it made for lots of moments that didn't quite make sense, and then the ending was rushed instead of a more thoughtful examination of the issues at hand. Even still, there were some very sweet moments.

Birds of California catches up with the stars of a fictional TV show by the same name, years after the show ends. This book has tons of romance but other plot lines about a possible reboot of the show. I figured out where the book was heading very early on, but I still couldn't put it down because I loved Sam and Fiona so much.

I am always all in on a book that is behind the scenes in fictional Hollywood. Fiona St. James is a former child star gone wild. Think Amanda Bynes, Lindsey Lohan, Bella Thorne the list is endless. She is now in her twenties and trying to get her life back when Sam Fox re-enters her life. Sam played her older brother in the beloved sitcom Birds of California. Think Full House, Boy Meets World or any #TGIF show in the 90s.
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Sparks fly unexpectedly between Sam and Fiona as talks of a reboot is in the works. Sam never knew what was behind Fiona’s public meltdown and when he finds out the truth it’s clear nothing is what it seems in Hollywood.
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Thank you @harperperennial for an advanced copy this book is out Tuesday.

Usually I take a ton of notes while reading a book and essentially have most of my review done by the time I finish it. In this case, however, I consumed the whole book without really taking notes. Even now that I’m done I am having a hard time explaining my experience with the book.

It wasn’t what I expected but I enjoyed it. While there were funny moments I’m not sure that I would categorize this as a romcom. I think it’s important to note that not a lot actually happens in the book. So much of this book was each of the main characters coming to terms with their own realities - both past and present. If you don’t enjoy this type of story, this is not the book for you.

I was really intrigued by the way the author paced this novel. That, paired with how so many things just lingered under the surface - hinted at but not explicitly stated - made me appreciate the book more than I would have if it hadn’t been crafted this way. Even though I predicted the “reveal” very early on - I felt like the author was very intentional in making it pretty obvious without necessarily focusing on the secret itself. Instead, the focus was on how that secret had so many repercussions in people’s lives.

There were various instances in which I had a clear understanding of why the main character was feeling the way they were. This book was a lesson on having compassion for others and not judging, as we may not have the whole story. It was definitely a commentary on the lasting impact that said judgment can have.

Overall, this felt like a timely piece as we navigate a world where someone like Britney Spears is finally sharing her story and past controversies are being reframed with the context of her experience. Similarly, this book encourages reflection on how we treat others and react based on assumptions rather than known facts.

*I encourage you to check trigger warnings prior to reading this book.

Former child star Fiona is offered a job reprising her role in the family show that made her famous. But she crashed and burned after her Hollywood career ended, and she has no desire to return to that world. Sam, who played her onscreen brother, wants to convince her to reconsider. His latest series has just been canceled, and he needs the money.

When they meet up again, they discover that their teenage infatuation is still alive. But Fiona can't be sure whether Sam is really interested in her or in getting her to agree to do the show. When he learns the truth about Fiona's breakdown, it changes everything. Can he be the man she needs to help her heal?

I loved this book. It's described as a rom com, but it's not. Think Taylor Jenkins Reid or Chanel Cleeton. Think #metoo.

This is an emotional book with well-developed characters, a powerful plot, and pacing that's on-point. Fiona is strong and understandably prickly, after the way she's been objectified since she was a teenager. Sam is sweet and charming, but a total goofball underneath that leading man façade. They really are perfect together, but they've got a lot of baggage to work through first.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Title: Birds of California
Author: Katie Cotugno
Publication: 4/26/2022
Genre: Romcom
My Rating: It was okay

In short: A reboot is being planned for a former popular show, Birds of California, the only problem is convincing the former star Fiona St James to join the project. After a spectacular crash and burn she disappeared from the limelight for a private life. Sam Fox, who was the star of the show, is struggling after his current show gets cancelled and needs this reboot. He gets Fiona to agree to have lunch with him and while trying to convince her to do the show something more grows between them.

My thoughts: This book started strong and I was really invested in the characters, their relationship and seeing what would develop. I loved the storyline of re-booting a favorite show and seeing the contrast of the characters then and now. I got bored though as the story continued to go along but never addressed the overshadowing issue of why Fiona left the limelight and acts the way she does until the 2nd to last chapter. The issue overshadowed the entire book but then was revealed at the last moment without any resolution. It left me wanting to know more and wishing it had been explored more.

I want to thank NetGally for an ARC of Birds of California by Katie Cotugno.

I rated this book 3 stars. This was my first time reading a book by Katie Cotugno. This book was okay, it is based around Fiona and Sam. They were on a tv show that got canceled called Birds of California. Fiona and Sam went different ways in terms of career paths. They then reconnected. This book is a modern day romance.

There was a lot I liked about this book but there was also a lot that was kind of just boring. Nothing really happened for a lot of the book and some of it felt very surface. I wanted more of a resolution in the grand scheme of things and I still have many questions. But my heart broke for Fiona and everything she went through with no real support system. And Sam was just a sweet, half clueless man that I couldn’t help but hope he did well in his life. I actually really liked the two of them together a lot. In the end, a quick read, but not one of may favorites by Katie.

Thank you NetGalley for this book ! This is literally of my top books this year. The author does such a great job at putting so much detail in this book. You would think it’s longer. I feel for this main character and the way we treat young celebrities is heartbreaking. I love the way she grows in this book. Please read this book you’re going to love it 💜💜

“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”

This was an addicting read with frustrating characters that you feel for. I think Katie is a phenomenal YA writer and parts of this read/felt a like a great YA trying to be an adult book. Now, since I am a frequent YA reader, this did not bother me as much but I can see it being an issue to others. I loved the setting, the romance and the idea of someone escaping Hollywood and the pressure to enter it again.

🥰really liked || 💋 some steam
🤟Hollywood, famous people, snarky heroine
📚The Comeback
🎶I Burned LA Down

I'll be honest, this book didn't sit right with me. It had the same tone and maturity as Katie Cotugno's previous young adult novels, just with more explicit sex sprinkled it. I didn't love it, and I wish it were elevated just a bit.