I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I was originally drawn to this book because of the cover art, it is a fabulous cover! Then I was drawn to the story line. I wouldn’t consider myself a birder, but I do feed birds in my backyard, know some species, and have Carolina Chickadees currently nesting in my birdhouse that I like to spy on. I enjoy a good romance, especially one fraught with sexual tension. I really enjoyed the main character, Celeste, and really found myself relating to her since she’s my age and has a similarly aged child. I really liked John, too, all along thinking it might be nice to have myself a John. I enjoyed the birding portion of the book, as well as the romance. I had a hard time putting it down so I could sleep and do things like cook dinner and keep my kids alive. I can’t wait to see what other books Sarah Dubb has in store for us!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Single parent Celeste is in a “say yes” phase of her life, which leads to her agreeing to fake date a carpenter and birdwatcher. Although she didn’t realize that entailed entering the community’s birdwatching competition to foil the advances of John’s ex — a competition that goes on for weeks. A novice, Celeste is in good hands with the expert birder. When their forced proximity and mutual attraction results in the addition of friends with benefits clause to their arrangement….well, if you’re a romance reader, you can guess what happens next.

Dubb does not write like a debut author. The story is creative and perfectly plotted. The characters are deep, quirky, and interesting, with engaging hobbies. The romance elements are fantastic. Most of all, I loved the SCIENCE of this romance. STEM themed romances are my favorite, and I have become a backyard birder in the last ten year years, and the combination of facts, emotion, and relationship lit up all the parts of my brain.

I’m a fan of the clean, modern, cut paper collage style of covers these days (Bless Your Heart, The Royal We, American Royals series), and this one does not disappoint, depicting the main character catching sight of both a bird and the love interest in a pair of binoculars.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #BirdingWithBenefits via #NetGalley.

I had a really good time with this book. The birding premise pulled me in and John, the male lead, was so cute. I really liked the dynamic between John and Celeste, how they were open to each other but wanted to work on themselves as well. The romance had a good pace, steamy scenes, and a connection I was rooting for from the start.

I would recommend this book to romance readers that like a fake dating, friends with benefits, single adults, nerdy story with a balance of independence and personal discovery.

An ARC copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What really attracted me to this book was its title - I’ve never read or seen a romance with birding involved! A novel concept!
Celeste is a divorcée who has decided to prioritize herself and her teen daughter after her marriage is over. She decides to say yes to new and exciting opportunities. When an acquaintance asks her to fill in for him when he cannot participate in a birding competition she says yes! And this is how she meets John, a quiet avid birder whom she is attracted to immediately. Their chemistry is undeniable, but neither are looking for a relationship.
Then things happen…. And there are some very “spicy” scenes! Three and a half stars.
Thank you Netgalley and Gallery for the opportunity to read the ARC!

I received a copy of this for my honest review

I really enjoyed this story! Our FMC is a single mom in her 40s, who has now been divorced for 2 years. In those two years she has developed the mantra to find herself and be ok alone, because she lost herself to be with her ex. So one weekend she shows up because a new friend of hers said his friend needed a partner to make his ex jealous - and she's is saying yes to new adventures. But when she shows up, our MMC is confused. Well it turns out he needs a bird watching partner for a 6 week contest - not a fake date. But since she introduced herself as the girlfriend before they cleared that up they had two choices, go with it for the contest, or tell everyone its a lie. What harm can a little fake dating do? In fact it can keep people from both of their lives away from setting them up - win, win. Except as they spend more time for the birding contest, and get to know each other, they can't fight the attraction. So another new adventure - birding with benefits, just until the contest is over, she can't lose herself again.

Okay so I totally requested this book because of the cover and it surprised me! Do I want to become a bird watcher now? You betcha! This books was just so sweet and I enjoyed every second!

Thank you to Gallery Books for gifting me an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
All thoughts are my own.

Reading this was plain, flat out DELIGHTFUL. From an interesting, lowkey plot to genuine chemistry between mature characters, I loved this novel to its core!

Quick shoutout to the author for writing older characters. I've only read a few books where the main characters are 35+, but I've loved them all. Something about the way they hold themselves, a higher understanding of who they are and what they want, that I admire so much.

Celeste and John are two wonderfully depicted characters. They both have unique quirks, strengths and weaknesses, and they compliment one another perfectly. Their falling for each other felt so natural and sincere. At no point was I confused or put off by the progression of their relationship!

Celeste's apprehension to date also makes a ton of sense, given all she's been through; it didn't frustrate me, which is usually my reaction when there's an internal issue like this stopping the character from whatever it is they actually want. I will say, I imagine my understanding comes from her actually admitting to herself and John that she was scared——another admirable trait of Celeste's! Can't forget John either, because that man definitely laid his feelings for Celeste in a really respectful way too.

Can someone PLEASE give Sarah T. Dubb an award for writing sex?! Super hot while having no cringy dirty talk, no superficial comments about his dick size - 11/10 on the spicy scenes.

The side conflict with Morgan was expertly woven into the story, adding little hints here and there that there was something going on. The portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters like Morgan and Em is always so refreshing, I loved that they simply were who they were without it defining their entire personalities, and that there was no extra explanation or issues around their relationship. As for Morgan leaving for Cali instead of college, I can see both her and Celeste's side, and thought it was handled well.

As for Maria, her role offered some much-needed perspective and support in a way that only a true friend can.

To summarize: Heartwarming romance that captures the essence of personal growth and... birding. ;) highly recommend!

Rating: I enjoyed this book but it isn't one that I would reread.
🌶️: 3/5 - a handful of explicit intimate scenes

TLDR : Super cute opposites attract mature romance with birds!

I loved reading a romance novel about established adults. I loved the maturity of our main characters and their ability to grow. You're never done growing and you don't have to be 20 to have new experiences. All of the characters in this book are interesting and loveable. If you're worried about this being a debut novel, don't. You'd never know that this was written by a first time author. Really lovely writing. And the Celeste guidebook?! I cannot! How stupid romantic?! I loved the birding aspect of this book. I could have done with even more birding content but I imagine I am in the minority there. I hope there is just the right amount in there to get anyone reading this book to wonder what's in their own backyards and maybe start with discovery themselves.

This was a fabulously fun romance for this author’s debut! I loved that the main characters were older (40s) and in general had the maturity to match their age. Did they still have ish to figure out (and individuals and as a couple)? Of course! Were there still hiccups in their story? Absolutely– it wouldn't be a rom com without them; but the tension felt realistic and not a product of an easily solvable problem. And the birding! What a fun, unique way to get/keep these characters together. Truly, this book convinced me to be like every other Millennial out there and take up birding as a hobby. For me, the spice was just the right amount of spicy!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
I have such mixed emotions when it comes to this book! I love birds (Go Wingspan!) and really liked the cover and idea of this book. There were many aspects that I liked, like the bird contest, and John was by far my favorite character.
Oddly the writing was YA but the content was adult. The lack of character development was disappointing. I wish the deep talks were had with each other instead of their friends. I had a hard time picturing the MC’s because they didn’t act their age. Especially Celeste! She acted immature and I didn’t find her to be a very likable character.
Overall I thought the plot was unique and wish there had been even more birding! I have to give it 3.75 stars

I don’t usually read romance novels, but I’m so glad I read Birding with Benefits! A delightful story about two people at a transitional point in their lives. I loved the romance as well as the birding storyline - I learned a lot! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - I would recommend this to anyone who loves a descriptive smart novel.

This was a sweet, feel-good book all about discovery. If you love birding, romance, and quiet brooding lumberjack librarian types, this is the book for you! Seriously, I didn’t know how birding could be romantic, but Sarah T. Dubb produced the perfect mashup I didn’t know I needed. From the meet cute to the final chapter, I was rooting for both Celeste and John.

Thank you to Sarah T. Dubb, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Birding With Benefits ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Birding with Benefits is a story of discovery, exploration, and letting go. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a birding romance, especially with older main characters, but I really enjoyed it (and I’m always down for a fake dating trope). Both Celeste and John are believable characters with their own quarks. They’re both holding themselves back from things that could make them happy and Celeste has to face her own hypocrisy. I enjoyed seeing how the characters helped each other grow and develop along the way. I really did enjoy the birdwatching throughout too, and the way the author described the peace that can come from observing your surroundings. I would definitely read another book by Sarah Dubb!

Please this book was SO GOOD, I am melting from the wholesomeness and the slow-burn 😭 it's very peak "let's date to get it out of our systems" to "uh oh, I'm falling in love"

Also this book will make you want to (re)take up birding, the hobby of bird watching is dealt with so much care and warmth for new birders.

TWs - cheating (past), divorce (past)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I think this book was written for me!! I’ve never seen a romcom about birds before, and I absolutely loved it! Birding with Benefits was a fantastic debut romcom, and is a different kind of second chance romance that focuses on finding love at the right time with the right person. There was lots of inclusivity through side characters, and I hope I’ll see more of them! It’s spicy, funny, and most importantly features real birds which is very cool to me!! If you’re also a total dork, or are just open to learning new things while you read, you have to add this to your TBR for release day on 6/4!

Well this was just the softest warmest hug of a book. I initially requested this book because the absolutely beautiful cover and the title (amazing), and the fact that this was based in the Southwest. I didn't know in the beginning that it was based on middle-aged characters, which I think fit so well! Both of the characters are adorable, soft people who just want someone who understands them. The author's writing is easy to digest and simple enough. I will say, the pacing was a little off and there was like a LOT of sex in the book which, if you take so much as a half step back is a little...weird to think about for middle-aged characters, but all in all this is a very unique, quirky, and warm book and an excellent debut! Thank you to Gallery and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley & Gallery books for the ARC of this book.

WOW WOW WOW. I loved this niche birding romance so so much. It's got a quiet & thoughtful main male character, a spunky, adventurous older (by romance standards!) main character who is a divorcee and mother. It's got birding! Realistic & fun, count competition style birding. It's good woodworking & all the 'wood' jokes you can want from a romance novel. It's heartwarming, but the romance is full of spice. At the end the author's note says something like, if you came to this book via birding I hope you leave a romance reader, and if you came for the romance, I hope you leave a birder. And if you love both (like me), this is a book for you!

Definitely going to be a favorite romance of the year. Off to preorder it and shout about it to my friends.

Things I love in a romance novel:
- Unique/niche interest plot
- Older main characters (in their 40s here)
- Solid friendship element to the storyline that also adds value to the secondary characters
- Chemisty and palpable tension
- Spice and steamy scenes that enhance the story (and are hot)
- Characters who communicate, even if they aren’t perfect at it

Things this romance novel has:
- All of the above

Celeste is on a journey of self discovery after ending a marriage that made her a shell of a person. This means trying every new hobby she can find and rolling with unexpected adventures life throws in her path. Enter John and birding. She thinks she’s showing up for a morning in nature to play John’s fake girlfriend as a favor to a new friend but lands herself in front a man who has no clue what’s going on. He’s expecting a new partner for a birding contest, not a romantic partner. Not one to shy away from an opportunity to learn something new, Celeste is all in and up to the challenge. Between faking feelings for their fellow birders and long hours spent together over the course of the contest, both Celeste and John find more than either of them wanted or expected.

I loved this book so much. It’s very clear that Sarah T. Dubb is genuinely familiar with birding. I have no experience, but everything involved in those scenes feels so natural. I love a niche interest that feels thoroughly researched in a novel and it’s even better when it’s one the author has firsthand knowledge and experience with. This is not a book that uses a unique hobby as an attention grab and then barely features it in the story. Birding really is a major key plot point. The descriptions of the skill, the pictures painted of nature, and the guiding lessons for a beginner birder all lends itself to so many intense moments between Celeste and John. Who knew birding could be sexy?

Celeste and John both had baggage from their past relationships that weighed them down in their lives. I loved how their ‘birding with benefits’ gradually helped them heal, even when they didn’t realize it was happening. It’s a medium slow burn between the two of them. The chemistry is immediate but the tension builds over time — and it’s excellent tension. When it finally reaches its limit, the fire definitely burns. The sexual relationship never takes away from all the other things Celeste and John are building and working through. It creates an intimacy between them that makes it more difficult to deny that while intentions may have been good to keep it casual, it’s not as easy as they thought it might be. I really respected and appreciated the conversations and actions taken when it was time to face feelings. Choices might be frustrating, but words convey the emotions that make it make sense when it needs to.

Another thing I appreciated was Celeste’s relationship with her daughter, Morgan. I thought it gave Celeste’s character a well-rounded growth arc. It showed that it wasn’t just her thoughts and feelings about romance that might benefit from her self-discovery journey. I also have to shout out Chris and Maria as amazing friends to John and Celeste respectively. The conversations among friends and the advice and support offered in all directions was beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The most niche rom-com I have ever read and I absolutely loved it!!! John and Celeste are brought together by happenstance - John needs a partner for a birding competition and Celeste is newly divorced and looking for a year of yes and a fresh start! I loved the mid-life characters and their spark and romance - I couldn’t put this down (and I also loved the birding aspect!) - highly recommend!!!!