The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton (April 8, 2025) Huge thanks to @berkleyromance for the #gifted finished copy and PRH Audio for the gifted advanced listening copy of this riotously fun and funny book! (Berkley Partner, PRH Audio Influencer)
In this sparkling follow-up to The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, magical mayhem is sweeping across England, and Professor Elodie Tarrant is the expert called to contain it. The only magical disaster she can’t seem to manage? Her estranged husband, Professor Gabriel Tarrant. Their marriage of convenience, struck a year ago, has been anything but convenient. They don’t speak, don’t live together, and barely tolerate each other. Oh – and Elodie has secretly been in love with him since they were teenagers.
Now, the two are thrown together in a delightfully odd Welsh town to investigate a dangerous magical anomaly. But when the chaos intensifies and threatens all of England, they’ll have to work together to save the country – and maybe salvage their marriage in the process.
This book is an absolute delight! Like its predecessor, the only thing sharper than the banter is the internal monologue. Holton’s whimsical, chaotic world is brimming with charm, dry wit, and the kind of character dynamics that make your heart ache and your sides hurt from laughing. With tropes like marriage of convenience, rivals-to-lovers, one bed, and a quest through a quirky town filled with even quirkier people, this is a Regency romp like no other. You’ll feel every bit of the longing, tension, and hard-won affection between Elodie and Gabriel.
Also woven through the absurdist humor is sharp commentary on sexism and social structures, reminding you why Regency settings can be such rich ground for satire and substance alike. You don’t need to read book one first, but honestly – why would you deprive yourself? And yes, book three (The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire) is already on my must-read list.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts 🎧Elizabeth Knowelden delivers yet another stellar performance. Her narration is full of pitch-perfect comedic timing, biting sarcasm, and emotional nuance. I was full-on cackling. At just over 10 hours (10h 19m), it’s a thoroughly bingeable listen!
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 