Birding with Benefits: A Novel
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors
Published
Gallery Books , 2024.
Status
Checked Out

Available Platforms

Libby/OverDrive
Titles may be read via Libby/OverDrive. Libby/OverDrive is a free app that allows users to borrow and read digital media from their local library, including ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. Users can access Libby/OverDrive through the Libby/OverDrive app or online. The app is available for Android and iOS devices.
Kindle
Titles may be read using Kindle devices or with the Kindle app.

Description

A divorcee embarks on her “year of yes” and crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood.Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, cliches be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple. Celeste can’t tell a sparrow from a swallow, but John is a great teacher, and the hours they spend hiking in the Arizona wilderness feed Celeste’s hunger for new adventures while giving John a chance to practice his dream job. As the two spend more time together, they end up watching more than just the birds, and their chemistry becomes undeniable. Since they’re both committed to the single life, Celeste suggests a status upgrade: birders with benefits, just until the contest is done. But as the bird count goes up and their time together ticks down, John and Celeste will have to decide if their benefits can last a lifetime, or if this love affair is for the birds.

More Details

Format
eBook, Kindle
Street Date
06/04/2024
Language
English
ISBN
9781668037843

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Commitment-averse protagonists encounter someone who prompts them to rethink their approach to relationships in these moving, engagingly written novels. Outdoorsy readers will be drawn to the birdwatching event at the center of Benefits, and the lengthy hike undertaken by Here's characters. -- Basia Wilson
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Published Reviews

Publisher's Weekly Review

Dubb's charming debut finds recently divorced Tucson middle school teacher Celeste Johanssen agreeing to play "partner" to softspoken birder John Maguire. Due to some miscommunication, Celeste thinks she's agreed to be his fake girlfriend, but what John actually needs is a partner for the area's annual Bird Binge birding competition. Though Celeste is way out of her depth among the avian enthusiasts, under John's guidance she quickly develops an affinity for birding, endearing herself to John with her enthusiasm. As they work to show up John's snotty ex Breena by identifying the most species, explosive chemistry builds between Celeste and John. Both love-shy, they agree to a friends-with-benefits arrangement for the duration of the competition, leading to some red-hot love scenes. But can they really keep their feelings out of it? Dubb pulls off the fake-boyfriend trope with ease and mines her own experiences with birding in Tucson to add authenticity to John's passion. Celeste's bestie, Maria, and John's bestie, Chris, steal every scene they're in, adding humor and a sense of community to the romance. Dubb is a writer to watch. (June)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review

DEBUT Celeste Johanssen is two years post-divorce and attempting to embrace discovery, from skydiving to vermicomposting. So when an acquaintance asks her to pose as a fake date for his friend, she says yes, which leads to volunteering herself as a partner in a birding contest, even though she knows nothing about birds. Her fake-date and birding partner, John, turns out to be a delightful cross between quiet librarian and sexy lumberjack. Together, they embrace the stillness of the woods and the beauty of the birds as they tick off each species they spot, one by one. The night of the competition's big finale draws near, and real and fake begin to meld as Celeste and John grapple with the contest and the unexpected consequences of very real emotions. Birding enthusiasts will enjoy an entire novel full of nods to their favorite avian friends, and readers get to follow along on the quest to find each entry in the couple's birding diary. VERDICT Readers will appreciate this quirky romance that manages to bring together very different people to find commonalities and shared experiences, a worthwhile and touching lesson for all.--Judy Garner

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Kirkus Book Review

A divorced mom gets a second chance at love when she accidentally takes up a new hobby--birding. After leaving an unsatisfying marriage that made her feel small, Celeste Johanssen is putting herself first. Her daughter will be leaving for college soon, and Celeste is ready to finally find out what it means to live for herself, not a man. When a new friend asks her to be his friend John's temporary fake girlfriend, Celeste is happy to take on the challenge. However, when Celeste shows up to meet John, it turns out he has no idea what she's talking about--he needs a partner for a six-week birding competition, not a fake life partner. But Celeste is full of motivational sayings and she's ready to say yes to life, so she decides to be John's partner in the competition--despite the fact that she knows nothing about birds. John doesn't mind making his ex-girlfriend, a fellow birder, jealous, and Celeste knows that a new "boyfriend" will deter all the busybodies who keep asking when she's going to start dating again. As John and Celeste spend more time together, both on birdwatching expeditions and at Celeste's work events, they can't deny that they have more in common than a shared interested in identifying bird calls; they also share a powerful chemistry, and soon they're involved in a temporary relationship that's just "birding with benefits"--perfect for both of them, since John is still bruised from his painful breakup and Celeste isn't ready for a commitment. But as their feelings grow stronger, they'll have to decide if a real relationship is worth the risk. Debut novelist Dubb brings in just the right amount of birding detail--enough to make the competition realistic, but never so much that attention is taken away from Celeste and John's budding romance. It's refreshing to read about adult characters with established lives, and Celeste and John's relationship feels realistic as their largest obstacle is their fear of being vulnerable, not any sort of plot contrivance or miscommunication. This lovely debut about mature characters manages to be both comforting and sexy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Celeste Johanssen thought she was helping John Maguire when she volunteered to be his partner. It turns out that John doesn't need a romantic partner but rather a partner for the Arizona Ornithological Society's upcoming Bird Binge contest. Feeling somewhat responsible for the predicament he's in, novice birdwatcher Celeste agrees to team up with him. Spending so much time with quietly sexy John, however, is starting to give Celeste some thoughts about what it might be like if they really did become romantic partners. Dubb's dryly witty debut deftly chronicles a refreshingly mature heroine's journey of self-discovery while simultaneously delivering a love letter about the joys of birdwatching. The slowly simmering romance that blossoms between plucky heroine and heart-of-gold hero results in some love scenes that are as hot as the desert sun in July, but what is equally notable is the emotional connection the author builds between the two as well as the ties between the main characters and their family and friends that play an equally important part in the story. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

DEBUT Celeste Johanssen is two years post-divorce and attempting to embrace discovery, from skydiving to vermicomposting. So when an acquaintance asks her to pose as a fake date for his friend, she says yes, which leads to volunteering herself as a partner in a birding contest, even though she knows nothing about birds. Her fake-date and birding partner, John, turns out to be a delightful cross between quiet librarian and sexy lumberjack. Together, they embrace the stillness of the woods and the beauty of the birds as they tick off each species they spot, one by one. The night of the competition's big finale draws near, and real and fake begin to meld as Celeste and John grapple with the contest and the unexpected consequences of very real emotions. Birding enthusiasts will enjoy an entire novel full of nods to their favorite avian friends, and readers get to follow along on the quest to find each entry in the couple's birding diary. VERDICT Readers will appreciate this quirky romance that manages to bring together very different people to find commonalities and shared experiences, a worthwhile and touching lesson for all.—Judy Garner

Copyright 2024 Library Journal.

Copyright 2024 Library Journal.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Dubb's charming debut finds recently divorced Tucson middle school teacher Celeste Johanssen agreeing to play "partner" to softspoken birder John Maguire. Due to some miscommunication, Celeste thinks she's agreed to be his fake girlfriend, but what John actually needs is a partner for the area's annual Bird Binge birding competition. Though Celeste is way out of her depth among the avian enthusiasts, under John's guidance she quickly develops an affinity for birding, endearing herself to John with her enthusiasm. As they work to show up John's snotty ex Breena by identifying the most species, explosive chemistry builds between Celeste and John. Both love-shy, they agree to a friends-with-benefits arrangement for the duration of the competition, leading to some red-hot love scenes. But can they really keep their feelings out of it? Dubb pulls off the fake-boyfriend trope with ease and mines her own experiences with birding in Tucson to add authenticity to John's passion. Celeste's bestie, Maria, and John's bestie, Chris, steal every scene they're in, adding humor and a sense of community to the romance. Dubb is a writer to watch. (June)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly.

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly.
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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Dubb, S. T. (2024). Birding with Benefits: A Novel . Gallery Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Dubb, Sarah T. 2024. Birding With Benefits: A Novel. Gallery Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Dubb, Sarah T. Birding With Benefits: A Novel Gallery Books, 2024.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Dubb, S. T. (2024). Birding with benefits: a novel. Gallery Books.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Dubb, Sarah T. Birding With Benefits: A Novel Gallery Books, 2024.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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