Katie Cotugno

Sparks fly and things get real in this sharply sexy and whip-smart romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a post #metoo Hollywood from New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno Former child actor Fiona St. James dropped out of the spotlight after a spectacularly public crash and burn. The tabloids called her crazy and self-destructive and said she'd lost her mind. Now in her late twenties, Fiona believes her humiliating past is firmly behind her. She's finally regained a modicum of privacy, and she won't let anything--or anyone--mess it up. Unlike Fiona, Sam Fox, who played her older brother on the popular television show Birds of California, loves the perks that come with being a successful Hollywood actor: fame, women, parties, money. When his current show gets cancelled and his agent starts to avoid his calls, the desperate actor enthusiastically signs on for a Birds of California revival. But to make it happen, he needs Fiona St. James. Against her better judgment, Fiona agrees to have lunch with Sam. What happens next takes them both by surprise. Sam is enthralled by Fiona's take-no-prisoners attitude, and Fiona discovers a lovable goofball behind Sam's close-up-ready face. Long drives to the beach, late nights at dive bars . . . theirs is the kind of kitschy romance Hollywood sells. But just like in the rom-coms Fiona despises, there's a twist that threatens her new love. Sam doesn't know the full story behind her breakdown. What happens when she reveals the truth?

A Novel

Birds of California

Petaco

Fiona is so incredibly unlikeable, I found it very hard to like the book. Anything that I liked was quickly nixed everytime Fiona was mean to someone, angry, and super quick to react to anything in the extreme. She is never rational and that makes it hard. She needs to go to anger management classes. She needs them in a bad way. And some therapy to figure out how to correctly process emotions. She has way too much anger that is not normal. She does not grow during the book. At all. 

Why did her dad not get therapy? I know it's not as simple as that, but it's been years and no one has thought to at least try to get therapy.

Sam needed to grow up. He falls in love but that's it. He does not go anywhere. He doesn't stand up for himself and he doesn't become a better person. What was the point of having a sick mom and a brother? They were mentioned and then... not. There is no resolution there. 

If I'm being honest, nothing is resolved in the book. There is no epilogue, and if you have questions, they won't be answered. You already know what her bombshell is going to be because of the synopsis. Be warned, it is only mentioned in the last few pages of the book. Remember when I said there are no resolutions? Guess what, you don't even get a resolution to that. An epilogue would have really helped tie up some list ends. As it stands, it's like the book just stopped.

Also, I would be hesitant to call this romance. It's more of a drama with some romantic elements.

I started the book knowing it would be a short read. The bar was set pretty low because I wasn’t looking for anything intellectually profound. Unfortunately, I was still a bit disappointed. To me, nothing stood out to make it a memorable book. The writing was mediocre, the plot was subpar, the characters might not have been too bad if it weren’t for a the dull conversations and inner monologues.

All in all, I can see how it would allure many readers, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. 

Camille Mounce

I started the book knowing it would be a short read. The bar was set pretty low because I wasn’t looking for anything intellectually profound. Unfortunately, I was still a bit disappointed. To me, nothing stood out to make it a memorable book. The writing was mediocre, the plot was subpar, the characters might not have been too bad if it weren’t for a the dull conversations and inner monologues.

All in all, I can see how it would allure many readers, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. 

Shawna Delellis

In complete honesty, this book was a cover buy for me. I did end up enjoying the book though! The premise of childhood actors was very unique and I loved the witty banter!

Shareca

Birds of California
Katie Cotugno ★★★★
AB: Julia Whelan ★★★★

🐡 pgs: 288
🐳 genre: rom+com adult contemporary
🦭 pace: quick (≤300)
🦞 sex: 🍆🍆🌶️🌶️
🦑 dual pov: Fiona & Sam (alternating)

My romance mood continues — we have another adult contemporary romance: 'Birds of California' by Katie Cotugno, narrated by Julia Whelan.

Reading 'Birds of California' was quite enjoyable; the characters, the plot, and the ease of reading worked well for a heartwarming romance novel. 😌

My preference for romance is the type of novel in which characters already know each other (especially from their past). I prefer to skip over ✨any✨ miscommunication and get right down to the nitty-gritty of the relationship. Since my boyfriend and I have been together for seven years, I tend to gravitate toward the romances that involve a deep and abiding relationship/connection; those that portray the authentic trials and tribulations that cause you to stay with a person. Fiona and Sam are both outstanding in this regard. 🙌🏾

Being acquainted a decade+ earlier contributed greatly to the strength of their relationship; their romance progressed smoothly, as did their communication. The narration of this book added to its vividness, as Whelan was able to paint a vivid picture of Fiona and her struggles as a child actress. It is a story that, in 288 pages, encompasses Sam, Fiona, and the supporting characters in an impressive way. The growth of Fiona and Sam is witnessed in the growth of those around them as well.

The reading remains consistent, even when it becomes awkward (but, keep in mind, they are meant to be 'adult-children' because they did not have a "childhood"). The focus is largely on the growing relationship, as well as the couple's ability to overcome the challenges of mid-twenties to early thirties adulthood, especially coming from a background as a child actor.

🍆 There were also some wonderful sex scenes to enjoy. They were tasty. 🤤

rowan !

(3.75) super cute. normally i have no problem with predictability, but 😭

Samantha Cherry

Fiona St. James & Sam Fox were teen actors who starred on a Full House-esque family show that ends in flames when Fiona goes “crazy.” Quotes because… well of course there’s way more to it. 7 years later their fictional father / producer wants to do a reboot and Sam is decidedly named as the one to convince Fiona to do it. But when he tries, he’s in for a much different path and lots of learning on what their time on the show really meant for Fiona. 

Read this in a day and throughly enjoyed. I love snarky female leads and a love story with lots of needling. Also … it gets SPICY early on and the author just keeps dripping in that spice throughout. It was nice after reading a few slow burns. It also has swapping POVs between Fiona and Sam with omniscient narration - a structure and perspective I’m not sure I’ve ever read and it was a lot of fun. It also has some deeper character development around mental health and pressure to succeed so to me that makes it a step above a run of the mill romcom. Not to slight those I love them too 😉 that being said, I think we could’ve gotten a little more on the events that led Fiona to her breaking point - the book does a few flashbacks, but doesn’t get too deep into the specifics. Its also an interesting choice to not get into the details of that trauma so much given the undercurrent themes of privacy and what someone gives up or “signs up” for when they are a child/teen star. Reminded me a lot of the work Allyson Stoner does not adays around the “toddler to trainwreck” pipeline. Which if you haven’t heard her story - highly recommend. The author’s choice to not get into it keeps this a lighter read while there are heavier things happening to the characters - not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. 

Read if you like spice, a Hollywood setting, multiple POV, and sarcastic lovers!

I need more of these two. A rollercoaster of emotion but I feel like the whole book was a build up for Fiona and Sam’s future. I wish it was twice as long 

Macy M

Katie Fountain

This was a cute, fast paced book that kept me entertained the whole time. Fiona and Sam are reunited after years of not seeing each other. The chemistry was instant (maybe a little too instant) and their dialogue was enjoyable. It’s a relatively short book so I never felt like it dragged on. 

The plot was decent. They used to be on the tv show, Birds of California, together. There’s a reboot.  Fiona doesn’t want to do it. She’s out of the tv industry. Sam needs the money for multiple reason after his current show is cancelled. They reconnect because Sam is trying to convince her to do the show. They develop romantic feelings and things progress from there.

You quickly learn Fiona dealt with mental health issues during her time on the show and that she is trying to take care of her father and sister on her own. It takes a while to actually find out what the cause so you spend the entire book being curious. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and am obsessed with the cover it.

It’d be great for a quick vacation, plane ride, or for by the beach/pool.

Birds of California A Novel

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