A review by romancingthereader
Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I have a hundred reasons this book shouldn’t slap for me. But it did, and let me tell you… This five star… this one is just for me.

📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dunn

📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Standalone

📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book on Kindle. Borrowed from Libby.

📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Contemporary romance

📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Strangers-to-lovers, fake dating, opposites attract, love after 40.

📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Celeste is on a journey of self discovery post-divorce, and though that includes swearing off men she finds herself in a park with John. John needs a partner for a local birding competition, and after some confusion ends up with Celeste as his birding partner AND his fake girlfriend.

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: There’s a meme out there about how you turn 35 and start looking at birds more. And I mean… for me at least, it’s true. The second I saw this book I was feral. I didn’t know if it would live up to my internal hype. 

It did, but in ways I couldn’t have expected.

Celeste and John were such great characters - Celeste was over the top and John was so subdued. But they made bird watching seriously sexy. I thought this might be closed door until the slow burn ignited and my lord, that sent me into a tailspin.

This made me want to go watch birds. It made me want to pay more attention. It had some spice scenes I KNOW I’m not going to forget for a long while. And it had some solid, gorgeous life lessons and self reflection too.

I’d sell my soul for an epilogue here, but otherwise it was perfect.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3/5 🌶🌶🌶