Birding with Benefits

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.