Unfortunately something seems to happened with downloading this title and it was lost between my foolproof method and the reality. Sigh! 😞 But going on Holton’s previous books it’s 5 stars.

I love the world that India has created. The characters in this and the tie ins to Ornothologists is so fun

Whimsy. Pure, unfiltered, slightly chaotic whimsy is the heart of The Geographer’s Map to Romance. Sure, it officially falls under fantasy, historical, and romance, but really, this book plays by its own rules with its fair share of tropes that readers are looking for.

At its core, it’s the tale of Elodie and Gabriel, a mismatched pair. She’s a walking ray of sunshine, bursting with optimism and well-intended chaos. He’s the grumpy, growling, lurking in the shadows, who is secretly (and not-so-secretly) pining for her. And here’s the kicker—they’re already married. Technically. If only the whole “happily ever after” part hadn’t gone spectacularly off the rails right after their vows. Thus enters the second-chance romance trope, served up with a side of misunderstandings (another trope) and simmering tension.

But the humor? That’s where the magic really happens. It’s not just witty dialogue; it’s the sheer absurdity of the situations these two find themselves in. The comedy is woven into the fabric of the story, driving it forward even when the pacing wobbles in places.

For true romantics, this book has moments. The kind of swoon-worthy lines that make you pause, inhale deeply, and maybe even shed a dreamy tear. There’s no shortage of quotes you’ll want to tuck away for future rereading.

And while this is part of a connected standalone series, it reads effortlessly on its own. Characters from book one make only the briefest of appearances. Elodie and Gabriel had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the first installment, yet this is where they take center stage. You don’t need any prior knowledge; simply dive right in.

Need one more trope? The lack of communication. It’s the very thing that fuels the book’s charm, creating a perfect storm of frustration, missteps, and razor-sharp banter, specifically during yet another (only one bed) trope.

By the end, while I adored the humor and the witty exchanges, this one didn’t quite capture me the way the first book did. But am I sticking around for book three? Absolutely. The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire, which will follow Amelia Tarrant, doesn’t have a release date yet, but I’ll be waiting. If there’s one thing India Holton does well, it's crafting stories packed with quirky characters, baffling magic, and romance that’s smart, playful, and never overly sappy.

Reading The Geographer's Map to Romance was such a lovely experience - it's the perfect kind of story to get lost in on a cozy, rainy day. Elodie and Gabriel are such dummies (complimentary) and watching them find their way back to each other was agonizing in the best way. Romantic, swoony, cheekily funny.

The Geographer’s Map to Romance tore my heart out in the best way possible.

The Geographer’s Map to Romance is the second in India Holton’s Love’s Academic series, but can easily be read as a standalone (although you should read all of her books because they are fantastic). The Geographer’s Map to Romance is another fabulous entry into India’s fantasy/ historical romance genre that has wit, passion and magic thrown into an imagined magicked Earth. Elodie and Gabriel are both Professors at the same university. And happened to be married: it was a marriage of convenience, on paper, that went terribly wrong from the moment they said their vows. In the year since, they’ve been avoiding each other. Of course, it wouldn’t be an India book if they weren’t thrown together to help save the world.

On paper, Elodie and Gabriel couldn’t be more different: she is like Anne Shirley, all sunshine, optimism, and causes chaos through her well-intentions. Gabriel is taciturn, grumpy, and deeply pining for Elodie. Together they must deal with some powerful and dangerous magic that could destroy everything they love and hold dear if not resolved, a crew of rambunctious tourists haphazardly assisting, a magicked rampaging goat, and a village that is doing everything to get in their way because they like the attention and money that the misfiring magic brings to them.

Through it all, Elodie and Gabriel find themselves being forced to deal with their feelings for each other. There is SO MUCH PINING. Elodie doesn’t think she’s worthy of Gabriel’s love. Gabriel would do anything to ensure she is safe and treasured, but isn’t good at showing it, and together the two of them muddle everything up terribly. I love them so much, and watching them learn to trust in each other’s feelings and show how much they care made my heart grow three sizes. I could spend so many more pages with Elodie and Gabriel. I’d happily read a full series just about their escapades. I hope we do get to see more of these two, because the next book in this series focuses on Gabriel’s sister.

If you love pining, marriage of convenience and only one bed, then you must immediately read The Geographer’s Map to Romance. What are you waiting for?

A delightful and romantic adventure for two souls who are so smart but oh so dumb when it comes to expressing their feelings. I couldn't get enough of Gabriel and Elodie's story! The tension, the mishaps, the banter, it was just perfect!

The second book in the Love’s Academic series is out, and it's an absolute delight! It’s got plenty of India Holton’s trademark humor and whimsy, and just the most intense yearning between our two main characters: Elodie, flighty and exuberant, with a whirlwind nature and a razor sharp mind, and Gabriel, straight-laced and bottled up, who (when around Elodie) hides a tempest of longing behind a disapproving scowl. This story is a second chance romance, for the two of them married for convenience about a year previously and, after the reason for their marriage fell through, have been awkwardly avoiding each other ever since.

A warning, if you’re a hater of the kind of book that would be drastically shorter if only the main characters would sit down and have a conversation, this might not be the one for you. This novel takes that trope to an absolutely absurd level, which honestly only added to the comedy and the longing in my opinion, but if you’re sensitive to that trope you might just find it frustrating. These two are positively allergic to admitting their feelings and, despite being geniuses, seem doomed through their lack of conversational skills to misunderstand everything the other person does or says. But they do get there in the end, and it’s delightful.

5 stars, and really looking forward to the next one!

The only negative was entirely my fault -- I didn't realize this was the *second* book in the series! In the end even that's a perk, because I know I have another delightful book ready to read. Loved all of it.

Once again, coming in hot after publication date.

2nd Chance isn't my thing - I'm a grudge-holder in life, lol. But I love India Holton, so I muddled my way through this book. Neither main character engaged me the way Ornithologists's leads did, or any of the leads in the previous trilogy she wrote, but it had the signature Holton charm enough for me to finish the story. To any who like whimsical romance and 2nd chance tropes, this will probably be a great read for you.

Absolutely magical! India Holton never fails to amaze and delight. The Geographer's Map to Romance might be my favorite book yet :)

This. Was. Adorable. Perfectly marketed as "Twisters" meets "Anne of Green Gables," with two protagonists on the neurodivergent spectrum. Filled with heartwarming antics and laugh-out-loud moments, at times I was shaking the book saying, "JUST KISS!" Holton is absolutely on my auto-buy list now.

this was so fun and so romantic and just all around so good. india holton never disappoints! marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes and i love the fact that she sprinkled in the two idiots in love trope.

I really enjoyed this historical romance! I love India Holton's writing style and sense of humour, and I had such a great time with this book. I love the marriage of convenience/marriage in crisis trope, so I knew that I would love this! I also loved the magical realism aspect of the book with the involvement of magic in academia. Elodie was a great main character, and I thought the relationship between Elodie and Gabriel was pretty cute. I found Gabriel to be a bit of a boring love interest, but nevertheless, I very much enjoyed this book.

Oh my goodness this was a blast, I love an unserious period piece! This series India Holton has created is most definitely for me :) it is silly, cozy, swoon-worthy-- full of all the vibes I love! The characters are hilarious and the way it is written had me laughing out loud. If you are in the need of a light hearted historical {fantastical?} romance I would definitely pick this up! For fans of Emily Wilde and maybe the show Dickinson or the Enola Holmes movies.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! :)

Professor Elodie Tarrant and Professor Gabriel Tarrant are experts in magical disasters who have been estranged since shortly after their marriage of convenience. There is one hick up, they both secretly love each other.

When they are both accidentally assigned to a case of magic erupting in a Welsh village unexpectedly, they must come together as a team. Can they solve the mystery of why the magic has gone wonky?

This is a sweet romance with one spicy moment that makes it perfect for an 18+ audience looking for a romance with a twist of mystery. Even though this is technically the second book in the series, you do not need to have read the first to enjoy it.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton is a delightful mix of historical fiction and fantasy, creating a world that feels both whimsical and immersive. I loved discovering this historical fantasy sub-genre—it’s such a fun blend of magic, adventure, and romance. The humour is spot-on, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that keep the story light and entertaining. I can’t wait to go back and read the previous book in the series and eagerly anticipate any future installments.

I wanted to love this book so bad, but I dropped off halfway through reading. The characters are colorful and unique, which this author easily pulls off. I LOVED Elodie and I was rooting for her. Unfortunately, I preferred the snippet I got of Gabriel in the first book than what he turned out to be in his book. The biggest issue for me was the plot (or lack thereof). In the first book, I had found myself so intrigued with Orinthology, and I was open to getting invested and learning more about another niche, but I just couldn't find anything interesting about Georgraphy. Ironically enough, the book kept making jokes about how boring Geography was--which would have landed if the author had managed to make the plot more engaging. As it was, it felt meandering and that distracted me from the fraught romance between our leads. The humor is there, though! A reader who is more forgiving of slower paced books would enjoy this. If you loved the first book in this series, you owe it to yourself to at least give this one a try.

I really enjoyed the intersection of all the different parts of this book. It was romantic and whimsical but it was also academic and intelligent. The setting was beautiful, and I liked the little twist put onto the second chance romance trope.

All the characters really stood on their own and added to the story, and I was invested in everyone's story.

Overall, I loved the journey this book took me on!

Very late reviewing this, but thank you to my love Berkley for the eARC! India Holton is an auto-read author for me, and I'm always on the edge of my seat as soon as she announces a new book. I'm obsessed with Elodie and Gabriel's dynamic ("he has a special nickname for her" is one of my favorite tropes!!), and Gabriel is my absolute favorite of India's MMCs so far. My sensitive grouchy angel.