I had so much fun with this light romance. I have to say as I have been reading almost exclusively queer/queer coded books I was not sure I would like this hetero normative couple, but I fell very in love with the low stakes and lightness of this one. The book was splendid and I am looking forward to more. I have to say it also made me pick up Essex Serpent again too, The Priest iykyk


also where is my naturalist hottie??

Bit of a slow start for me but eventually fell into the Jane Austin-ness of it with the extra details about family dynamics and in conversations. Alice wishes to be educated and dreams of being a naturalist but can't because she was born a girl. So instead, she pretends to be a boy and has been going out for years without being discovered. Suddenly an actual naturalist, Joe, finds her and takes him/her on as his assistant in the field while staying in the area. Hijinks ensue. The romance takes both parties unaware and neither recognizes how their relationship has changed until they start talking about it with others. It is a sweet story even though there are lies and miscommunication. I did spend a little bit of time just wishing they had spoken their minds sooner and to each other, but I always struggle with miscommunication tropes. It is a cozy, clean, romance that takes place in nature.

From the very first pages, I was swept away by that familiar feeling I get when entering an Austen novel: sharp wit, social stakes, simmering tension, and a heroine who sees the world differently.

Christina Dudley clearly knows her Austen. She’s playing in that same world of wit, warmth, and romantic tension, but she isn’t copying. She’s building something of her own. She’s honoring the classics while carving out her own voice.

The Naturalist is Regency through and through. It’s a thoughtful, romantic, and deeply satisfying story that lingers like the best love letters do.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review The Naturalist!

This book is very uneventful…the most interesting thing to happen is she gets caught dressing as a man but it’s really not even blown up much despite the fact during this time period it would be a major issue and ruin her reputation. I liked the concept in theory, I just found the execution lacking somewhat. I think there was a lot of room for more stuff to happen but it didn’t, which made it difficult to get through the book as it was kind of slow moving.

I received the audiobook ARC for this and found that the narrator’s heavy accent at times made it difficult to follow along with the story and it took me a while at the beginning to adjust to it. I think this made me dislike the story more, as I had to try harder to process what she was saying in order to understand what was happening in the book. While it does help to point out the setting of the story, for International readers outside of Britain, it can be a bit difficult to understand or follow easily. When I listen to an audiobook I like being able to easily understand and not have to decipher what is being said, but I had to actively be thinking about what was said while listening to this. The author also doesn’t really use a different pitch or tone when speaking from different character perspectives. One of the male characters I fully thought was a woman up until the end because the narrator used such a high-pitched voice when saying their dialogue. If there was a bit more difference between the characters dialogue and how it was said, it would be easier to distinguish the characters from one another.

On a more positive note, I do like the setting of this book and it kind of gives Pride and Prejudice but with a cross-dressing STEM gal instead for a mc (Alice, I know you’d be a researcher in the modern world and would love STEM). Another thing I love about this book is the cover, which I think is absolutely gorgeous and has beautiful colours in it. The newer cover is much better than previous editions I’ve seen.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received the audiobook from netgalley and I'm so grateful! The story was so cute and nice and characters were good people.
Alice's is my favorite! I loved how courageous and unapologetically herself she were the whole time! And about the narrator is amazing! I loved the way her accent made the characters and how she changed Alice's voice according to who she was talking too. I for sure continue the series! 🤗

I really enjoyed this book! I think the story itself is really cute! With the multiple POVs switching character to character in the moment, it did get a bit confusing listening to it as an audiobook. I think that could have translated better in text, but it didn’t hinder the story or audio production. I’m a sucker for a historical romance where the FMC has to dress as a boy to pursue a passion in science!

This book is exactly what I expected it to be, a cute romance with a complete lack of spice for the duration of the story. I'm sure there are people who would consider that a detraction, but as somebody who doesn't care either way it was kind of neat and will definately be a draw for some readers. The energy was very Jane Austin with more head strong women, and I wasn't surprised that there is a sequel., which I will look into getting my hands on.

3.5*
A very on point regency romance. I always enjoy a nature based book, this novel was a good short read loaded full of nature and romance.

Joseph Tierney, a naturalist commissioned by the Royal Society, stumbles upon the perfect assistant: an eager lad who knows the lay of the landscape and his flora from his fauna. But Joseph finds their fruitful partnership compromised when this so-called Arthur Baddely turns out to be one Miss Alice Hapgood, daughter of the neighboring squire.

In 1808 England, a woman disguised as a man assists a handsome scientist, sparking a passionate connection that threatens both their worlds.

This light-hearted novel absolutely charmed me. It’s a slow burn, with friendship growing into love. Alice and Joseph are perfect together. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed reading this story and was excited to see that it is a series. I hope they will all be out in audio soon. I listened to the audio version for this one and thought the narration was well done. If two people were ever made for each other, it is the hero and heroine of this book. Both are obsessed with nature. But the time period throws up barriers that make a relationship difficult to even think about. Indeed since he believes his assistant is a boy, the hero never considers such a thing. But our heroine, who is quite young, has declared to the help her desire to marry him. And of course as time passes, things run amuck. It does take a bit to get to the HEA.

I think my only dislike in the story was the heroine's age. It is normal for the time period the story is set in but couldn't she have been at least 18? Seventeen makes me cringe a little. Obviously because I live in this time period.

Overall, I liked the story and the narration of the audiobook. It was enjoyable.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: a little

The Naturalist is a sweet and charming story that gave me serious Pride and Prejudice vibes—in the best way possible. Some of the characters, as well as the author's choice of language, felt like a modern homage to Jane Austen. In fact, it was as if Austen herself had time-traveled to the present, spent a month learning contemporary English, and then decided to write a cozy, witty romance.

I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator was fantastic. She brought each character to life with distinct voices and added real personality to the story.

If you're in the mood for a lighthearted listen (or read), with moments that’ll make you giggle and maybe even sigh a little, I highly recommend this one.

'The Naturalist' is a historical romantic comedy about a girl who loves nature and a Naturalist who impresses her both as a man and as a scientist.

The book has a cute romantic story, with the main characters being endearing and the writing style bringing to mind Jane Austen's novels.

The women in science discussion was also interesting to follow, but the novel doesn't really dwell too much into it, or in women's place in society and education at the time. Still, there were some strong foundations there.

Also, I would have loved for more naturalistic explorations by the main couple, as their banter and scientific discussions were fascinating.

Finally, the narrator was splendid and the audiobook nicely produced.

'The Naturalist' is a delightful love story! Before this, I hadn’t encountered Christina Dudley’s work, but I truly appreciate her clean, classic style. Katherine Anderson is a charming narrator, making the experience even more enjoyable. I’ll gladly continue with this series and highly recommend it to fans of Jane Austen or similar historical romances.

Special thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.