I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likable and lovely, the writing was well done, and the storyline felt fresh and new. The female main character, Celeste, feels like a wholly likable and more adult version of Jessica Day from New Girl. The quirkiness is just enough that she’s a fun and new character, but not so much that it’s painful to read. John is a cinnamon roll of a man, and you couldn’t help but cheer for his mature and emotionally well rounded takes. I found myself 75% of the way though pretty quickly, and intentionally dragged out the remainder of the book to try to enjoy it longer.

In all - I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited to read more by the author.

This book was freaking adorable. I came because of the cute cover and clever title, and stayed because Celeste and John had amazing chemistry, great banter, and were all around fantastic characters.

I really enjoyed reading about quote/unquote older characters (in their early 40s) and how they gave love another chance even though they both were hurt in the past. Also the birding aspect of this book? So cute! I thought it’d come across as trying to hard but it was so well done and low key has me wanting to try birding.

This is an incredible debut that had me kicking my feet in glee and I cannot wait for what she writes next!

Birding is sexy, and nerds are in! Give me a gentle, sexy, smart lumberjack/librarian male main character any day! The Meet Cute was so hilarious and there were lots of slow burn and steamy moments too! Did I read this book because I’m in my bird watching phase of adulthood? Yes. Did I expect it to be sexy and entertaining as hell? No, and it was such a pleasant surprise! So fun!

Birding with Benefits

A romance about birding might seem like an odd fit but, just like birding, there is much to be discovered here if you take the time.

I love a book with a super niche topic, whether it be a career, a disability, a hobby, etc. When these topics are well researched, they not only lend an air of credibility to the book, but I also learn a little something along the way. I also love a book with middle aged protagonists. As someone in my mid 40s, it’s great to read about someone whose struggles and life experiences are similar to my own.

Celeste is so relatable, trying to figure herself after losing herself to marriage and motherhood. And John, well, I think I have a thing for lumberjack librarian types now.

I do wish parts of this book had been a little more fleshed out, but overall this was a solid read - the first book I’ve read by Sarah T. Dubb, but hopefully not the last.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

Setting: Arizona
Theme: “Start with discovery, and go from there.”

Celeste: middle/high school English teacher, recent divorcee, single mom to a daughter who spends her weekends with her dad. Always told that while her energy and enthusiasm is appreciated, she is just too much.

John: recently single after he caught his longtime girlfriend snogging another academic and birder, jobless and toeing the line of being a birding guide and a carpenter after choosing not to pursue the academic route like all his other friends/colleagues.

Okay folks, this is a deep dive on birding. Whether you’re expecting it or not, you’re about to get a crash course into birding, and be able to identify so many species in the Tucson, Arizona region. (And if you pronounced this like in What We Do In The Shadows, let’s be friends!!)
You’ll also learn what different packs/groups are called. I learned a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope and I think that’s the most perfect and beautiful name for them.

And of course, there is the benefits. The friends with benefits, the birding with benefits, the we are just fake dating but I am highly competitive and get caught up in the moment…

The closest scene.
OMG the wood shop.

The chemistry these two share is off the page. I appreciate how this story takes us through two adults navigating their insecurities despite existing friendships, careers, success in and out of their careers.

When Celeste and her daughter Morgan have a fight where Morgan brings up the divorce, oof. My chest hurt. It was so real, and crude, but above all, honest.

This debut novel from Sarah T. Dubb marries her knowledge and love of birding and writing. It is full of hope, self discovery, and love. An absolute treat!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this opportunity to read Sarah’s debut.

This book surprised me. I found myself giggling nonstop at the adorableness it all and I knew I was hooked. The dialogue was funny. The plot was fun. The spice was spicy. The MMC was absolutely swoon-worthy. The characters were easy to root for. What more could a girl want from contemporary romance??

Favorite things:
- The meet cute at the beginning. Hilarious, a little bit sexy, and just plain fun.
- The birding. It was so cool to learn about it and it all felt very realistic (love that the author is a birder herself). It definitely inspired me to pay more attention to the birds in my neighborhood.... Plus, who knew it could be so hot?!
- The spice. In particular, the kiss by the mural and the closet scene live in my head rent free now.
- The relationship between Celeste and her daughter Morgan.
- The MMC, John. The sexy lumberjack librarian vibes. The quiet confidence. The THOROUGHNESS. Plus, we love an enthusiastic consent king.
- Celeste's journey of self discovery and growth.
- The side characters. Chris and Maria were both great foils for the main characters and very entertaining to read.

All in all, I reallllly loved this one. Highly recommend.

Birding with Benefits is the story of a woman named Celeste who is on a journey to find herself again after being lost to her marriage which has recently ended. This book is a lot of fun and it was extra enjoyable for me to read a rom-com that is more of a mid-life story. I liked the friendships with the side characters as well, those felt realistic and charming.
Overall, It’s funny and heartwarming and more 🌶️🌶️🌶️ than I expected! (Not in a bad way)

Okay, let’s just go ahead and talk about the birding. Get that out of the way. A romance book about birding seemed… odd! But let me tell you, I loved it! It worked so well. I’ve always thought of bird watching as a hobby for older people, you know, something to do once you move to your lush 55+ community. However, after I've learned a few things about it from the steamy, quiet, brooding, introspective, male lead character, John, I'm starting to think us non-birders are missing out on all of the fun.

John has a dream to establish a bird guiding business in the stunning rocky, cactus-filled desert landscapes of Tucson, Arizona. He believes that winning the local birding competition will be the perfect opportunity to get started. However, after going through a breakup, he finds himself without a partner and unable to participate in the contest. This is where Celeste comes in - a fun-loving, adventurous woman who becomes the female lead character and agrees to help John out.

After her divorce, but before meeting John, Celeste decided to live life to the fullest without any commitments. She avoids anything or anyone that may hinder her free spirit or hold her back. Although she is a little eccentric and difficult to predict, she is a delightful person who you could easily consider as your best friend.

In a series of events with a romantic comedy feel, John and Celeste team up for the birding competition, leading to a complicated friends-with-benefits arrangement with many ups and downs and mixed emotions. Things get spicy and fun as they build a mutual love… for birding.

Wow, what a fun and interesting read! I highly recommend it for anyone looking to live life big, love bigger, and see a few birds!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of Birding with Benefits by Sarah Dubb. This book is a must-read for romance (or bird) lovers! This debut has so much heart, and I loved every minute of it. This book has it all -- characters who are on a journey of self-discovery, witty banter, spicy steamy romance, the woes of parenting a young adult/teenager, birding fun, and more. Highly recommend if you're looking for a book that will make you smile,

Everything about this book screamed that I would love it:

3rd person POV

Middle aged couple

Birding (I'm a serious outdoors kid)

Back-on-the market getting their grooves back

This really dragged for me, the story was heavy on exposition, rather than dialogue or activity, to its detriment. I often felt like it was a chore to continue.

I think, perhaps, the fact that it's marketed as a romance, not strictly as women's fiction, threw me. If you're looking for romance, this will likely fall short because the amount of time between the couple, versus the time on their own, really lends itself to being in the women's fiction realm. I love a story of self discovery, but this tended to drag and be too explicitly a focal point for a romance.

2.5 stars rounded up because a debut novel is tough work.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second I saw this cover, I knew I had to read it! Fun and easy and was able to read in one sitting. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy! Publication date June 4, 2024.

If you're looking for a feather-ruffling good time, "Birding with Benefits" by Sarah T. Dubb is the perfect read to shake your tailfeathers to! I wasn't ready when the book spread its wings and soured me into a world of laughter, adventure, and romance. Just be prepared to squawk out loud and flap your wings in delight because once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down!

The characters are a real hoot, and that plot is a nest full of surprises. But what sets this book apart is its love for avian. Dubb's passion for birds shines through on every page, from the vivid descriptions of feathered friends to the quirky birding trivia sprinkled throughout the narrative. You'll leave this book with a newfound appreciation for our fine feathered friends and maybe even a desire to take up birdwatching yourself!

Grab your binoculars, pack a picnic, and prepare for a birdwatching adventure like no other with Sarah T. Dubb's delightful romp, "Birding with Benefits." Who knew birdwatching could be so much fun?

Say yes…in her quest to say yes to a new life post-divorce, Celeste immediately jumps in as a fake girlfriend to help John save face with his ex-girlfriend. What she didn’t realize is that she was supposed to be a birding partner…not a fake girlfriend. While Celeste is clueless when it comes to birding, she is all ready to fake it until she makes it! Birding with Benefits is such a fun, lighthearted book with such a unique and fun premise. Celeste's naïveté paired with a good attitude and a “say yes” motto makes for a compelling female lead in this witty novel. Such a fun read and a reminder that you are never to old to say yes to love…or finding a new hobby!

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram ahead of publication!

4.25 stars, but rounding up!
Birding with Benefits was such a wonderful surprise! I never thought i would be sitting here going on about how I loved a book centered around ornithology, and no disrespect to people who bird, but it isn't my hobby or something I would get in to. But I totally loved this book and it really made this story unique!! So if you're reading this and are like "birds? birding? eh I'm not into that..." Think Again!! because the birding aspect of this book is just the right amount - enough to allow this book to be unique, authentic and real, but not so much you get lost in the minutiae of birding or get bored with it.

I really liked both main characters (Celeste and John), and the way this was set up as a later-in-life romance (I feel like there has been more of these coming out lately? Just me?) where both characters have things they need to work though in order to give and receive love, as a result of how they were treated in their prior LTR. This allowed both of them to experience growth. Also, while this book does employ the "fake dating" trope, if you're not usually 'into' that type of book (neither am i!) it really worked here in a natural sense - it evolved after a series of miscommunications and conveniences rather than jumping in to it head first.

Anyway, I found all the characters in this book to be ones I was rooting for - well not John's ex - but you're not supposed to be rooting for her, haha. I hope that the author keeps writing (it's hard to believe this is a debut) because I really enjoyed this reading experience!

Grateful to have received an ARC from Gallery Books via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really really wanted to love this book, I mean look at that cover, it’s stunning.

Sadly I just could not get into it, the whole birding thing just annoyed me and was boring.

DNF at 10%

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, which is so unfortunate because this was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2024!

Overall, I think this is a really fun, unique concept for a romance, and that cover is GORGEOUS! I was drawn into the idea of a quiet, shy MMC and some delicious tension. But it happened too fast for me (I want a sloooooow burn) and the underdeveloped characters kept pulling me out of the story. I didn't really think their romance was authentic and I wasn't even really invested in their HEA. And it honestly felt like there were a few too many sex scenes. I know, I know. But too many and we lose space for crucial character and plot development.

This was still a fun read, and I loved the birding elements, but overall, it didn't win me over. I hope it finds its audience!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This was a delightful story. John and Celeste are so sweet. I should have expected the open-door sexy time based on the title.

I want to become a birder now! Maybe my husband will want to help with the benefits part, lol.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book brought a unique twist to the genre. As a master naturalist, I really appreciated the dedication to birding, proper techniques, and showing how shared interests (aside from physical attraction) created a solid foundation for the HEA. I also love the FMC being in her 40s and not a early 20s woman who finds her HEA. I thought the story was engaging and the author clearly has a passion for both writing and birding. I did feel that the ending was a little rushed, but the grand gesture felt right for the MMC.

Celeste has a year of yes to everything but love. She didn’t expect her one yes to learn about birding would put her on the edge of the one that she doesn’t want. We’ve all been in a relationship where we have lost ourselves along the way or given up part of ourselves. This is what Celeste has done when she was married. However since her divorce she is saying yes to the everything but love.

This was a cute fun read.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

Celeste is a vibrant, enthusiastic and caring middle school language arts teacher who is trying to find herself after getting divorced two years ago. She finds herself agreeing to be a fake girlfriend for an acquaintance's best friend, John. John is an avid bird watcher and recently lost his job. He got out of a long relationship a year before and is hoping to start his own business being a guide for bird watching. John and Celeste continue to fake date and compete in a bird watching competition that John has entered. Celeste is still trying to find herself and doesn't trust herself to be in another relationship without giving up part of herself. Will she be able to stop seeing John after the birding competition is over like they agreed or will she trust herself to be in a relationship again?

I enjoyed this book. I really loved John's character and learning more about bird watching! Celeste is a complex character and hard to like at times, but I did admire her honesty and willingness to try new things throughout the book. This book was enjoyable and it was fun to see John and Celeste get to know each other socially and during their bird watching sessions. Maria and Chris, Celeste's and John's best friends were also a delight and added a lot of value to the story! Overall, I would recommend this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️