Cover Image: Love and Other Rare Birds

Love and Other Rare Birds

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Member Reviews

Ornithologist Dr. Jaime Martin has spent her whole life obsessed with birds and trying to make her conservative senator dad proud. She doesn’t have time for romance, and even when she did, she kind of kept that part of her life quiet. When a bird thought extinct is supposedly spotted in Alaska, Jamie jumps at the chance to find and document its existence. Park Ranger Rowan Fleming is happy enough with her life, and after a failed marriage, she’s not exactly interested in romance and dating, in fact, she’s not at all excited about having to babysit some fancy doctor in the wilderness for three months. A surprise to them both after a rocky start, they get along very well, get along and may even be attracted to each other. Can a short-term, no-strings attached fling be enough for both of them? Will they be able to leave the wilderness behind them when it’s time to return to their very separate lives?

This one was cute and fun. For those of you who enjoy the close quarters troupe with some “stranded” elements thrown in there, it’s a must read. It’s more annoyance to lovers rather than enemies to lovers, but the exposition there has a solid pacing, and the romance scenes are super hot and peppered throughout once that tension is broken. Even though they break the sexual tension, there’s still lots of conflict/issues to keep the romantic plot moving. Overall, I enjoyed it.

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4,5*

I'm a sucker for romance and this book delivered just that. Bravo! The book is a slow burner, but not in a negative way. The pace of the book made me feel very relaxed, rather than a dragging story. It's a big talent from Angie Williams to be able to write such an engaging and entertaining slow burner, without it becoming boring. I'm very impressed!

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I am a lover of close-proximity slow burn romances, and this book delivered it to me. I love these characters and their romance.

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Enjoyed this slow burn romance and regret I haven't had time to give it a proper review. Ornithologist Jaime and park ranger Rowan are thrown together in less than ideal circumstances as Jaime searches for the elusive Northern Curlew, a bird thought to be extinct. Rowan is assigned to assist in what seems to be an impossible venture. As they search for their elusive target, they find that roughing it in the Alaskan wilderness is not as chilly as it sounds when you find the right person to keep you warm on those frosty nights.

I love a good adventure romance and this book was a pleasure to read. If you are looking for an Alaskan adventure and a sweet romance this is the book for you.

A copy of this book was given to me with thanks from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

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I'm a sucker for forced close proximity stories so couldn't wait to start this one. I loved how the MC's got off on a bad start but managed to put their egos aside and really get to know each other and where their behaviour came from.

I know the main story was the love story but as a big animal lover I was very invested in the rare bird Jamie so desperately wanted to find. I also really loved the scenery from the cabin to the hikes and the secret hot river deep in the woods.

The chemistry between the MC's was believable and off the charts. Overal a great read.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

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I'm such a sucker for a 'stuck together' wilderness romance! Add in two smart, beautiful women, trying to come to terms with their attraction and own personal demons regarding family and relationships, you've got a great story to read.

I'm a self-confessed 'crazy bird lady' so having the MC - Jamie - be a Doctor of Ornithology searching for a thought to be extinct bird in the Alaskan wilderness, really peaked my interest. As did our love interest, and other MC Rowan, a Ranger who is very adept out on the land, and in the air as a pilot.

I loved seeing the women out in the wilds of Alaska, hiking and trekking about, foraging and capturing food, while studying birds. I love that cottagecore aesthetic, and so it just fits that imaginative ideal of living off the land, in the wilds - away from the rest of the world. Especially when there's two hot and heavy ladies, trying to deny their attraction!

It was great seeing them get to know each other, beyond the initial judgements and also both let down their walls to let one another in, and to talk about things that pained them. Their connection was beautiful and hot, and I just really enjoyed my time with this story. It's a perfect escape read, for those who love wilderness tropes, and women who have to re-evaluate what they want out of life, to take a chance at something rarer than an extinct bird - Love!

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Very cute story. Lots of clever dialog, lots of adventures, lots of chemistry between the 2 mains and lots of sex. (actually a bit more than I needed. The epilogue was over the top)
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Honestly, can't say I've come across any Angie Williams books that I've not liked, always full of wit, loveable, realistic characters and great storylines that you can sink your teeth into, Love and other rare birds As all of these. And let's face it, who doesn't love a storyline where the main characters are alone, in the cabin, in the woods?

I've given love and other rare birds a 4 out of 5.

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A love story with two oppo9sit women. Jamie is an Ornithologist in California while Rowan is a Park Ranger in Alaska. The plot revolves around how the two falls in lo9ve even though they live a thousand miles apart. The book had good characters and emotions. Jamie is searching for an extinct Northern Curlew. There are a lot of adventures in the book and it is made for interesting reading. I recommend this book for romance and adventure readers.

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I have a love and hate relationship with this book. I found Jamie, an ornithologist, and Rowan, a park ranger in Alaskan, to be interesting characters on their own, but found their dynamic was confusing with a lack of chemistry. Jamie is attempting to find proof that northern curlews are not extinct and Rowan is the ranger meant to help and protect her in the Alaskan wilderness as she works. I loved the setup. I like ‘enemies’ to lovers stories and the idea of them being trapped together for months while trying to get along was intriguing. I thought the book was at its strongest when describing the science and research of finding the birds and surviving in the wild, but faltered when writing the relationship between the two women. Everything was hot and cold, and while their justifications were reasonable, everything felt overly logical in a way that read as false. The dialogue followed similar trends, I couldn’t imagine anyone talking the way all of the characters do, and everything was over-explained. I wish the characters were allowed to be wrong and irrational, instead of immediately apologizing and realizing they were being immature. It erased any tension or drama between them, making the problems they faced almost boring. Still, I found it mostly entertaining. I liked the overall plot of trying to find a rare, possibly extinct northern curlew. I was way more invested in finding the birds than I was their relationship. The penultimate scene felt forced and awkward, but what happens right after it took me by surprise, and even though it wasn’t exactly a twist, I still loved it. Overall, I think it’s a very obvious and linear book, but is still an enjoyable read with a unique plot I thought was intriguing.

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I loved the book and thought it was well written. The main characters were a joy, and I thought the writer did an excellent job describing the birds. Great Job! I recommend


I received an ARC copy from the publisher BSB via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

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Sweet romance with low angst and an adventure in nature.

Pro:
Likeable characters
Finding yourself
Academic MC
Living off the grid
Adventure in nature

Con:
-

Bonus:
Probably the best first sentence used in an About the Author ever.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

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First of all would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with the arc in exchange for a honest review .
Was pulled into this book by the premise and enjoyed the book however felt like some tropes weren’t executed well , the butch / femme relationship had so much potential however it did fall into stereotypes at times , saying that it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book and love for the characters , Jaime and Rowan . The book was mainly focused on the main characters which if you like that then you’ll like this book however I do quite like when there’s a couple of subplots as it breaks the story up a bit but again loved the main characters for all their quirks and strengths and weaknesses .
Would I read this again ? Yes but if I could go back in time and read it for the first time I would it definitely kept me interested and read quite quickly despite the slow burn .
I loved this book and would recommend to others .

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Really good. Loved all the descriptions of the birds in Alaska and how some have managed to reappear and adapt to a different environment after almost being extinct because of over hunting. The author did a great job of describing the Alaskan wilderness and how treacherous it can be to people if they don't pay attention to what's happening around them. The relationship between Jamie and Rowan was really cute and sweet, even though at first they had preconceived ideas about each other it only lasted for a page or two. There's not to much drama or angst between the man characters, but there's quite a bit of adventure and mayhem throughout this story. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

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Love and Other Rare Birds by Angie Williams is a lovely romance between an ornithologist looking for a thought-to-be-extinct species of bird in the Alaskan wilderness and the park ranger tasked with keeping her alive. I really like to read books set in the wilds with butch/femme characters that have to rely on each other. I also enjoy reading about the Alaskan wilderness so this novel is really my cup of tea.

The two protagonists don’t have a very good introduction to each other. Park ranger Rowan Fleming is late picking up Dr. Jamie Martin because she was called to an emergency. Things don’t get much better when they finally do meet, but the two must learn to work and live together in a one room cabin many miles into the largest Alaskan wilderness park…alone…for three months.

Even though this is basically a character driven tale, the setting is very important to the overall story, and the author did a good job describing this area for the reader. Both Rowan and Jamie are easy to relate to. I especially connected with Rowan. Their love story is charming and well worth reading.

I had fun reading this butch/femme, Alaskan wilderness romance. If you like a good love story set in the wild, then check out Love and Other Rare Birds.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

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Dr Jamie Martin has just been handed an golden opportunity to potentially uncover and confirm a sighting of a rare species of bird thought extinct. The sighting could open doors and further her career. But her guide is the very attractive Ranger Rowan Fleming, and Jaime needs to keep that attraction under control so that she can remain focused on her goal!

I liked quite a few things about this story. I’m not a bird person and so huge kudos in undertaking the deep research, this story needed to make the MC sound like she was an expert in the field and making the readers comfortable with the subject matter. I also liked the build up of the chemistry between the two MCs , it was a nice slow burn and even though there was a lot of push and pull the coming together was decidedly hot 🥵
Right from the start you know where the angst was going to come from and I really liked that the MCs were mature about it and spoke openly and that was a refreshing change as well.

However there were a couple of things that bothered me as well. The focus of this book is entirely on two MCs, which I liked but then again I felt like In the first third of the book there honestly wasn’t much going on and I would have liked to see more friction or some kind of action. I liked the femme / butch romance but I did find that some of the behaviors in certain scenes read a little heteronormative, and made me cringe just a tad.

This is my first book by Angie Williams and I did enjoy the writing. The beauty of the Alaskan wilderness is captured really well. I found the second half to be much more interesting and engaging which in turn vastly improved my opinion about this book. 3.75⭐️s.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is the first novel I've read by Angie Williams, and I really enjoyed it and would recommend if:
1. You don't need a huge cast of characters to make the it interesting - there is HUGE focus on the main characters here (which I loved).
2. You like a good steamy romance.
3. Outdoor/wilderness settings.
Love and Other Rare Birds was bittersweet for me... I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end. Will be going on the reread list.

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This book was so interesting. Some moments reminded me of the movie UP. The dynamic between the two was great. A nice slowburn is always appreciated. Both characters were likeable. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure.

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Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book over the course of a day, and it kept me entertained throughout. The pacing was quick enough but did not feel rushed. Having worked in the outdoors and a casual interest in birds, the book was easy to get into. While the premise of the book revolved around the northern curlew, I appreciated the albatross side piece. A miscommunication between Jaime and Rowan makes them both admit to themselves and eachother what they really want. This book is flirty and steamy at times. Rowan was my favorite character: a little rough around the edges, a wholesome badass, and delightfully human. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book for what it was.

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I like the premise of this, however, it wasn’t executed well. Overall 2 stars.

The whole book feels unseasoned. 90% of the book is moved forward by the sun rises and sets. It’s only plot-driven for probably 5%. The readers are told why the characters are attracted to each other and their barriers instead of being shown. This puts it as a 3-star book for me.

What makes it downgraded is because I found it troubling the way the author described Jamie and Rowan in their femme and butch roles, especially at the end with the intimate scene. This is just a general issue I have with how heteronormative the femme and butch labels are. And because I felt like this book is fueling those heteronormative stereotypes in a lesbian relationship, this book left me a bad aftertaste.

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