4.5, rounded down

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, particularly the start and end. I’ve been hit or miss with this author, and the hits come when the romance is developed but the world isn’t too wacky. India Holton tends to write worlds that are Quirky, but I found that it was largely fun in this book, adding some color to the story, rather than detracting from the plot and characters.

I love a good marriage of convenience, as well as second-chance romances with pining and misunderstandings, which this book provided. I think the relationship conflict was pretty believable, giving us some sweet sweet angst as readers. I also think it resolved in a wonderfully romantic way, and I loved seeing our two weirdo characters make their weird4weird work out. However, the in-between dragged. The middle of this book didn’t know where it was going, and neither the relationship nor the magical geographic problem had a solid answer, so the reader was left aimless for a good half of the book. Still, after about 70% through, the plot and relationship picked up and made for a fun and somewhat silly ending.

Excited to see where further books in this series go!

Arc review: 5 ⭐️
Oh my god the YEARNING.
The PINING.
I AM UNWELL MY FRIENDS.
magical whimsy of course, as Holton has mastered.
But the DESPERATION for each other??
GODS

So good.

My first time reading Holton. I very much liked the world in which Elodie and Gabriel inhabit. All the Thaumaturgical chaos was fun to read and have opportunity for some good laughs. I discovered after reading this there are other books in this "world" and I will be checking them out.

Calling lovers of regency novels, magic, whimsy & academia! This cozy second chance/marriage of convenience novel pits the two Drs. Tarrant in a race against time where a dangerous line of magic threatens the pastoral Welsh countryside. Estranged from each other for a year after their haphazard wedding, Elodie and Gabriel are both pining for each other, but too *brainy* to see it. Oh when these stories are done right, they are so good. And thankfully, India Holton is very good at her job! While predictable, Holton's voice is a breath of fresh air.

the geographer's map to romance | india holton

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

_____

I can officially say that India Holton books are the equivalent of a picnic under your favorite tree (sans bugs) with your favorite snack (cheese and pickles, anyone?) with your favorite person (insert here). They just make you feel good, and The Geographer's Map to Romance is no exception!

Just like Ornithologist's Field Guide, it's fast paced, quirky, over the top, hilarious, sweet and gooey, and a little bit magical.

I had a fabulous time.


THINGS TO LOVE:
+ a botched marriage of convenience
+ magical, geographical disasters
+ transportation by hot air balloons and flying bicycles
+ a charming (?) wannabe tourist town
+ bumbling accountants
+ "Baby" the goat
+ only one tree
+ emergency waltzing
+ "my wife"
+ a dash of miscommunication (but, like, it's charming, just trust me okay)

{a gigantic thank you to India Holton, Berkley Publishing, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!! Out 4/8/25!}

Today I’m reviewing the latest in the Love’s Academic series by India Holton, The Geographer’s Map to Romance. In this romance we follow estranged couple Professor Elodie Tarrant and Professor Gabriel Tarrant who are forced to work together when a magical explosion in a small Welsh village threatens to devastate the rest of England.

What a fun romp of a book!

Romance readers will thoroughly enjoy this next installment in Holton's Love’s Academic series. Filled with magic, mayhem, and quirky adorable characters, Holton’s writing is not to be missed. There’s buckets of pining, and an epic romance scene that sets into motion a perfect reunion for a second chance romance.

I absolutely LOVED Holton’s first book in this series, The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, which you should absolutely start reading if you love fantasy romance. Holton’s gift to readers is how she continues to write such memorable characters who leap off the page and will live happily rent free in their long term memory. Holton will delight readers in how each of her characters aren’t just words on paper, but people you’d love to meet in real life.

This book hit all the right notes for me! It’s a perfect mix of grumpy sunshine energy, magic, and the kind of awkward chemistry that makes you swoon and laugh in equal measure. I couldn’t get enough of their interactions, especially as they slowly realize that there’s more than just a professional connection between them. The plot is packed with action, the world-building with magic felt fresh and imaginative without overshadowing the romance, and the tension between the characters had me on edge. If you love a mix of magic, humour, and a couple finding their way back to each other, this one’s for you. I couldn’t stop smiling through every page, and I think most will feel the same.

I love these characters. I enjoyed the first book, but a couple of things did not work entirely for me. I'm so pleasantly surprised with how much the story grew on me in this second installment. I'm a sucker for this type of romance.

Overall rating: 4 stars
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Pub Date Apr 08 2025

Thank you to the author, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the series that keeps on giving and giving.

Holton's writing is snappy, funny and above all, quality. If you enjoy the first one, you'll definitely enjoy this one as well. If the dynamic and tropes offered by this one sound appealing, you can very well start here without fear of missing some overarching through plot.

I will note that this entry is a lot less preoccupied in the actual explanation of the magical geography like how the Ornithologist's guide to love did. That's not a critique, just a heads up that if you liked the worldbuilding there is ironically slightly less of it here.

4.5 stars

This series is just delightful. India Holton is so clever with her tropes - in this one we’ve got marriage of convenience, forced proximity, lovers to enemies who are still married and secretly in love with each other, only one bed (and under one tree), etc.

The slow burn between Elodie and Gabriel was torturously tension filled and I adored getting both of their inner thoughts which were full of pining and convincing themselves that the other hates them. It was so satisfying when they finally admitted their feelings and I appreciated that there was some spice even if it was minimal.

I honestly don’t understand half of the dialogue in these books but I think that’s part of the fun. I love all of the wacky magical disasters and eccentric characters. Highly recommend this series if you’re looking for a lighthearted and unserious yet very romantic and magical read.

I am very grateful to Berkley for sending me the ARC after I basically begged them to. All opinions are my own.

The second entry in Holton's love academic series readers are reintroduced to Gabriel Tarrant (The cousin of Devon from book 1) and his estranged wife Elodie. They are both professors of (magical) geography and despite their apparent dislike of each other end up running in the same circles all too often. The novel starts with both of them being dispatched to the Welsh countryside to deal with a magical disaster and the two find themselves in unfortunately close quarters. What ever will they do? The answer: lots of pining, some make out sessions (or a physiological response to danger and imminent death) and perhaps realize they don't dislike each other as much as they thought.

The book is cute and funny and the romance between Gabriel and Elodie is wonderfully drawn out - they work hard for the HEA together and also learn and grow at the same time. The side characters like: an agitated secretary from the home office, the cheerful innkeepers daughter, an angry goat (perhaps that is repetitive) also add humor to the story.

The novel incorporates one of my favorite microtropes which is where we are in one of the main characters pov and they are hopelessly in love/infatuated with the other main character but thinks that the other main character hates them and then we get the other main character POV and it's exactly the same for them. This book does this very well. I hesitate to call this enemies-to-lovers because Elodie and Gabriel are never exactly enemies.

Overall I absolutely enjoyed this book and will of course be on the lookout for the next book in the series. I highly recommend.

Convinced more than ever that India Holton is incapable of writing a book that I won't immediately fall in love with. I appreciated how ADHD-coded our heroine is, and how her neurodivergence tends to make her better at her job instead of being an obstacle or problem to be fixed. And the magic of this world was so fun to learn about. Another fabulous historical fantasy romcom by one of my favorite authors!

Oh boy…

Okay, first. I love the way India Holton writes. I love the worlds she creates and the references from literary classics she uses. However, this felt like a very very toned down India Holton novel.

To me, it didn’t feel as whimsical or unabashedly strange. I think in large part that had to do with the lack of banter. And while I appreciate trying something new… I just don’t think a non-speaking curmudgeon fit in this format.

The romance also was a bit of a slog for me. The reason they got married felt implausible. And the reason for their estrangement felt anticlimactic. I think there was a lot more room to create a goofier reason that a husband and wife were separated. And better build up for how they find each other again.

In truth, I didn’t see the potential of them as a couple. It was hard for me to believe they actually loved each other—apart from them just saying that they did.

So while I do love India’s writing—I still think of the first of the series on a regular basis—this one lacked whimsy for me. I most definitely will still continue on however!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this one early! Looking forward to more India Holton.

After Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love was my favorite rom com of 2024, I was STOKED to get the arc of the second book in that world! I devoured it in a couple days. I have such a huge crush on India Holton, she is the wittiest writer and writes the most incredible neurodivergent romances that make you squeal and kick your feet and laugh out loud. The premise is miscommunication, and I was screaming at them to just talk to each other, BUT it was adorable and I’ll forgive one of my least favorite tropes on account of everything else good. If you like laughing and just off the wall bonkers crazy fantasy plots, this is for you. India Holton: I have a guest room available for you anytime you want, please visit. This publishes April 8, so that gives you plenty of time to read Ornithologist’s Guide and be ready for this when it publishes. I’ll be purchasing a copy for myself on the day!

Professor Elodie Tarrant married Professor Gabriel Tarrant in a marriage of convenience... that after only a few days because exceedlingly unconvenient. She walked away rather than expose her heart and has been avoiding him every since. But a magical disaster in a small Welsh village has thrown them together again. With the threat of a magical cascade they must work together to protect the village, the rest of England and even their own hearts and relationship.

Why I started this book: Holton is an autobuy author for me and an immediate request from Netgalley.

Why I finished it: I love Holton's wry observations, about academia, love and life. This story was heavy on the magical disasters and how love can just be like that... delightful, charming and it inspired me to go read all her other books.

This was great fun. I had not read the first in the series, but I plan to. I can't wait for the third. As a geography major, I appreciated the author's effort to infuse her text with appropriate terms along with the magic. The male and female protagonists paired nicely. I loved that they spent the entire novel together. Alternating character viewpoints also helped enliven and richen the text. Algernon's character was a bit much, but all in all a really good read.

Two pining geographers enter into a marriage of convenience that turns out to be quite inconvenient indeed. For what is actually worse than secretly loving each other while thinking the other loathes you?

The Tarrants travel to the outskirts of the UK in the 1800s to save the area from magical energy that is causing disturbances to the weather, land, and animals. As they overcome magical disturbances, the one bed at the inn issue, and incompetent help, they draw closer together. And who knows, maybe they will realize their feelings are reciprocated.

India Holton is always a hoot. Her writing style never ceases to amaze me and make me laugh. The writing is clever and smart. While the characters are endearing, sometimes the story felt stagnant because of the lack of communication between the main characters. This also influenced the pacing as it made some parts drag. However, the story is still engaging and fun.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of grumpy versus sunshine rejoice! Holton delivers an absolute romp with her characteristic and delightful whimsy. Magical storm chasers, inconvenient marriages, and quirky villagers abound. You don't want to miss it.

Elodie is an expert in magical disasters and Gabriel is the grumpy man she married for convince who she also happens to secretly love. The only thing that fazes Gabriel is his wife whom he secretly pines for. When a magical disaster strikes a small Welsh village, they are paired together to tackle the issue.

I love the magic system in this book and the unique way the author writes fantasy books. I am also a sucker for any sort of grumpy x sunshine book.

If there is one constant in this world, it is my utter delight in India Holton novels, and her newest work is no exception!

Elodie and Gabriel Tarrant are married, but neither one of them is particularly happy about the arrangement. Where Gabriel is calculated, Elodie is a free spirit. Where he is tidy, she's a walking incarnation of chaos. And where he is deeply in love with her, she is also deeply in love with him---if only they would let the other know about it! When an emergency geography assignment pairs them together on an expedition to Wales, they must not only solve the mystery of this surplus of dangerous magic, but also their own relationship.

It is so easy for romance writers to fall into convention and routine. Pairings after pairings shine without too much individual and authentic characterizations, plots follow the same beats, and happy endings are formulaic and unoriginal. But Holton manages to avoid this pitfall like no other author in the contemporary landscape. Though her works all take place in the same world, and with similar pairings (in theory), the tropes she utilizes and her unique pacing manages to make every one of her novels a completely new and exciting experience. The characterizations of both Elodie and Gabriel both shined throughout this novel, and marked them as stand-out characters in her Holton-verse of fantasy and romance. This new installment in her extensive world is full of heart, magic, and above all else, swoony romance.

It is my joy to recommend India Holton and her works to every reader I come across (and working in a library environment, these chances are pretty frequent). I eagerly await the publication of this book and her next and final installment in her Lover's Academic trilogy. Her diction shines, her characters feel true and lifelike, and her romantic sensibilities cannot be topped. In short, I think I may be India Holton's biggest fan!

*special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley of this novel in exchange for an unbiased and honest review*