Love & Chickens

by Kasey Morris

Ali Hazelwood meets Best in Show and the Chicken People documentary, with a dash of Pride and Prejudice.

Three years ago, Madeline Bennett was at the peak of her chicken showing career. Then, everything changed for the worse.

George Cooper, an arrogant English poultry judge, discounts Madeline's prize rooster at The National, the biggest and most important bird show in the United States. That same night, an accident simultaneously cripples her leg and kills almost the entirety of her prized flock.

Now, Madeline is back on the show circuit, trying to start over. What she isn't prepared for is seeing George again--the man whom she's come to consider her most 'fowl' enemy.

Feathers fly, and, despite a frustrating attraction that develops against their mutual better judgment, Madeline decides she's done with George for good--until an investigation into a corrupt poultry judge on the show circuit forces the pair back together.

Content warnings are viewable on the author's website under Books, near the bottom of the page.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Adult

331 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2024

About the author

Kasey Morris lives on a farm in Virginia with her husband. They have a flock of twenty-something chickens, along with geese, ducks, guineas, and a wide variety of other animals. LOVE & CHICKENS is her first romantic comedy, but she also writes historical fiction under the pen name Tana Rebellis (www.tanarebellis.com) - THE EXILE DUOLOGY books, set in ancient Rome, are now available.

Reviews

[veska · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What?"
"I love you," he said again. "I love you. Do you need me to say it once more?"
"Maybe just one more time."
"I love you," he said, and then he kissed me again.
"And I love you," I told him.

3.5✩
➸Rom-Com, Rivals-To-Lovers

CW: brief mentions of drug use and a mention of overdose, few mentions/brief descriptions of an abusive ex-partner to include mention of physical assault, ableism, mention/brief description of past death of an animal, mention of death of parents, and a brief mention/vague description of past self-harm. (source: https://www.kaseymorris.com/books)

Short Summary: (From Author's Website)
Three years ago, Madeline Bennett was at the peak of her chicken showing career. Then, everything changed for the worse.

George Cooper, an arrogant English poultry judge, discounts Madeline’s prize rooster at The National, the biggest and most important bird show in the United States. That same night, an accident simultaneously cripples her leg and kills almost the entirety of her prized flock.

Now, Madeline is back on the show circuit, trying to start over. What she isn’t prepared for is seeing George again—the man whom she’s come to consider her most ‘fowl’ enemy.

Feathers fly, and, despite a frustrating attraction that develops against their mutual better judgment, Madeline decides she’s done with George for good—until an investigation into a corrupt poultry judge on the show circuit forces the pair back together.

My thoughts:

I loved all the attention to the details when it came to all the poultry competitions and the drama . I never knew I'd be so interested in chicken/goose beef. (We love you Sir Lancelot). I do wish we had gotten more George/Mads interactions, but I still enjoyed it! I love how we went from George Fucking Cooper to Fucking George Cooper So I would definitely recommend this to everyone who loves chickens, rom-coms, or both! :)

The chemistry of the characters was making me giggle and kick my feet in the air. 🤭


Me reading all the wholesome plot twists:


✨Thank you NetGalley and Kasey Morris for proving me with an ARC of this awesome book ✨

[Maddy | madsbookfinsta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am SO HONORED that Kasey Morris reached out to me on Insta to ask if I would read her debut ARC. And I was TICKLED PINK (PUN INTENDED) to read this lil rom com!!

It’s giving the STEMinist novels but with CHICKENS!!! A tidbit of Maddy lore is that my last job involved taking care of wild birds for educational purposes, so as a result I am an enormous bird nerd. Plus Kasey owns a snake (like I do as well) so I know she’s great.

I ✨literally✨ don’t know anything about poultry though - that did not hinder my experience with this book, and in fact TAUGHT me a lot 🐓

Kasey gave us DISABILITY representation. She gave us FOUND FAMILY. She served up RIVALS TO LOVERS. The vibes were immaculate here.

Do a debut author a favor and preorder this book!! You will chuckle and you will be HAPPY ABOUT IT 🫵

Thank you to Kasey Morris and NetGalley for an ARC and eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the best Pride & Prejudice inspired contemporary romance I’ve read! It was so sweet! That said, I wished the latter half of the book concentrated on developing the love story. It felt abrupt along with the ending. Nevertheless, I had a good time reading! 3.5✨

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read and review Love & Chickens by Kasey Morris. I thought the story was cute and having absolutely no background about chicken shows, I learned about it through this story. The story of Madeline coming back after a tragic accident and getting her footing back in the chicken circuit, her relationship with her other chicken friend Patricia, and loathing and liking judge George Cooper. The story was paced really well and I enjoyed the story. I do wish there was more to some of the plot when the story picks up. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. It was a cute and funny story that I was able to read in about 2 days.

Thank You to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this story.

[TheBookPlatypus · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow chicken owner and lover, I HAD to get my hands on this book! I’m literally in the midst of getting my brooder ready for this seasons specialized breeds of chicks!
Such a feel good romance about a woman who shows her chickens and the competitive aspect and corruption that can happen. Her show bestie shows geese and it’s a laugh out loud fun read that gets you inside these shows!
Madeline Bennett is back to showing after a horrendous accident that nearly took her life and all her chickens but one. She’s got a chip on her shoulder whenever judge George Cooper is around as he told her, her birds were mediocre at best .. which was the day of her accident.

It’s an enemies to lovers
A delightful light read
English MMC
Cane use rep.
Little bit of mystery and detective work
“Secret Agent Chicken Spy”.
Cute and Sweet
HEA guaranteed


George ends up being such a swoony character. I mean, who needs flowers when you can buy the woman you fancy top of the line birds of her favorite breed?

“Faithfully yours, George.” 😍😍

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanna thank netgalley for this ARC in exhange of an honest review. And I also wanna thank the author for this copy of the book

I loved this book so much. I honestly didn't think I would but I really did. Madeline had been through a traumatic event and she was piecing her life together again. She associated George with that trauma and because of it she hated him. I loved George so much, he was a sweetheart, you could see he genuinely liked her and cared for her, it was really cute. They passed the hate phase and she started to see him in a new light. He was much more complex than she thought and had more to give that it appeared. I loved Madeline and her strength, she was cautious with her feelings but not afraid to follow them. She lives life the way she wants because she knows it can change in an instant. They were so good together, they each had something to move on from and they helped each other do it

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love & Chickens by Kasey Morris had me laughing out loud while reading. I knew when I first saw the cover and title that I needed to have this book in my life I just didn’t realize HOW MUCH I needed it until I finished it. I learned much more about poultry than I ever thought I would (not something a romance reader typically says, huh?), and I’ve learned that sometimes even the worst accidents can lead you right where you belong. This is a sweet and swoony tale with amazing characters (even our secondary characters) and has one of my favorite topes: enemies-to-lovers. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy books that are down to earth, funny, and just plain SWEET!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Enemies-to-lovers
❥ Animals in books
❥ Books with disability reps
❥ Sweet romcoms that make you LOL

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROS:
•enemies-to-lovers trope
•main character with a disability (and she is super witty!)
•learned so much about chickens! Who knew showing poultry was a thing?! And that chickens have such varied personalities - no wonder they’re popular pets nowadays!
•quick/feel-good/laugh-out-loud read
•debut female author
•fun cast of characters (except Chad 😂)
•lots of plot twists - never boring!
•a dozen chickens - how sweet!

CONS:
•no pictures! 😂 i had to google all the different breeds in the middle of reading

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC! I’m excited to follow this author as her writing continues to develop and her catalog grows. This book earned the 4th star from me because of its unique theme!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love & Chickens 🐔
By Kasey Morris
Release Date: February 27, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How can anyone pass up this book with a cute cover? I took one look and said I want to read it. Had no idea what the book was about. I’m so glad I gave it a go.

I loved the chemistry between the FMC and MMC. I was rooting for them from the beginning. Also loved side characters, especially the animals, Elsie and Sir Lancelot. The story captivated me and kept my interest throughout.

If you are looking for a light read, enemies to lovers, drama sub-plot, and funny romcom, then definitely give this book a read. I simply adored it!

Thanks to author Kasey Morris and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to ARC read in exchange for my honest review.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review: Love & Chickens
4.5 ⭐️

First off, thank you, Kasey Morris for the advanced reader copy of Love & Chickens. I don’t typically go for contemporary romance novels but I’m so glad I did! Love & Chickens is lovely little rom-com featuring the competitive world of chicken shows with a dash of romantic tension between two lovable characters. There were a ton of things I loved about this book! Disability rep, a believable romantic relationship, and the subtle nods to Pride and Prejudice were among my favorite parts of this novel, not to mention the chickens! Before reading this book I’d never guessed I’d be so emotionally invested in poultry. Love & Chickens is perfect for romance readers who are looking for minimal spice and plenty of fluff and butterflies.

[Staci Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much Kasey for this gifted arc.
I absolutely adored this story. I loved the chickens. I love the banter. I loved the storyline and the little mystery aspect. The romance was on point. I felt like this was a very well rounded and well written book. I will definitely be recommending it to all my chicken friends. (and non chicken friends who love romance and a good competition!)

[everydaylindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, why am I crying about chickens? I’ve never cried about chickens in my life. What is this witchcraft?? (She said endearingly) Seriously though, Love & Chickens is an absolute delight, albeit an emotional one. I was welcomed into a world I didn’t even know existed, and Kasey Morris has so carefully put her heart and passion throughout every page.

I truly loved this book, and the characters in it. Especially Sir Lancelot, the ruthless goose, who ferociously bit a judge. You are my spirit animal.

Oh and did I mention? THERE IS CHICKEN ESPIONAGE. I REPEAT: CHICKEN ESPIONAGE

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love chickens! So a romance novel featuring a fellow chicken lover was an obvious choice for me and happily, I wasn't disappointed. A little conflict with a sexy leading man, a little intrigue with a hot villian, a twinkly old man, and a brash, fun best friend made for a winning cast of characters. Very low spice, but plenty steamy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mads is a vet assistant by day and a competitive chicken shower on the weekends. She had a large flock of award winning chickens and was at the top of her game until a car accident left her with just one prize chicken, Elsie, and a lot of trauma. She found her way through it and is back on the chicken show scene, but can't get over the way one of the judges treated her at her last show with Benny, a chicken who perished in the accident. Mads eventually gets to know this judge though, and begins to see that maybe he isn't so bad after all, he just happens to say things without thinking. As Mads becomes introduced with the judging side of show chickens, she begins to wonder what it would be like to become a judge herself, but unfortunately gets wrapped up in a bit of the drama that comes with this new role, all while still trying to figure out her feelings for a fellow judge (or two!).

This was such a cute story and the characters were really well done. I had no idea there were chicken shows like the dog shows you sometimes hear about, but I guess that makes sense! I also had no idea how many types of chickens there are out there! There were lots of cute and funny moments, and while it was a tiny bit predictable at times, it was a very quick and light read that had me smiling all the way through. I will definitely check out what Kasey Morris puts out next, and recommend this one to anyone who enjoys stories with animals (and animal lovers) and a light-hearted rom com. Thanks to @netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to read this fun book! It is out now, so go grab your copy!

[vasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first ever arc!!!
i’m so thankful i got the chance to read this book and get to review it!

love and chickens - 3,5 stars

this story is about madeleine bennett who has a flock of chickens and goes to chicken shows. three years before the start of this book she was at a show and the judge, george cooper, misjudged her chicken. after the show she got in an accident and lost most of her flock. wanting to get back to her old status quo, madeleine takes place at a regional chicken show, where she meets george again. this stirs up some resentment in her but quickly she realises, that george is not the despicable human she thinks he is.

i was sceptical when starting this book, since i have never seen someone write about chicken shows. i honestly thought it was going to be silly, but i was proven wrong.

as this book is very short i feel like it lacked a little in character depth and the plot was a little all of the place, at leaset in the first half.
that being said i had a little trouble getting into the book, since i didn’t really connect to the characters at first. i loved george, he’s such a man.

all in all this was a very cute and cozy palette cleanser between books. i can only recommend!

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor of receiving this ARC, courtesy of Kasey Morris & Netgalley, &and I must say, it did not disappoint!

I normally wouldn't go for a book about chickens, however love and romance is definitely up my alley! Going into this book, I was unsure of what to expect but to my surprise, it was nicely put together. The author found a way to incorporate chickens, a hate-to-love romance, a scheming potential love interest, physical disability & dealing with it in everyday life, drama, and not to mention a few spicy scenes into one book and I loved it.

Whenever the author mentioned a breed of chicken/poultry, it was never in an overwhelming way, but rather in a way that makes you curious and want to see the beauty being refered to. (So don't be detered by the title! Even if you're not a chicken person, the romance in this book will keep you engulfed!)

Madeline & George's relationship was fate! Madeline went from disliking George so much, practically hating him to falling in love with him. The events leading up to them falling in love were so great, at some point I thought to myself "There is no escaping this man!" Lol.

It was such a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish!

[Barbara Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a chicken owner and lover, I was psyched to see a romance book centered around the poultry world and their care and showmanship. This book also brought in disability, found family, enemies to lovers and a hint of England. I mean, it had all my happy things! Who knew there’d be so much much behind the scenes drama in the world of chicken/geese showing?! I certainly didn’t but I was here for every minute of it!
Madeline is back to the show world after a horrible accident on her way to a chicken show that nearly ended her life and took all but one of her prized chickens. She’s got a real chip on her shoulder against English Judge George Cooper because he’s told her that her birds were mediocre at best, which she knows is categorically not true, but he thinks so because his family back in England bred another breed and feels they are superior.
Soon they are working together to break down the corruption in the Association and help Maddie’s fried Patricia’s goose finally get the recognition it deserves.
George stole my heart when rathe than send her flowers to court her, he sent her a dozen of his families best chickens.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

[Krislyn Vergara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Madeline showed prized chickens until one day she got in a bad car accident and got injured and all but one of her chickens passed. She took a few years to heal emotionally from the accident and rejoined the show circuit for chickens! That is where she saw her nemesis Judge George Cooper! He was the judge that gave her most prized chicken a bad review the day of her accident. Seeing him now, she holds a grudge, but she gets over her hard feelings when she gets to know him better and understands his struggles in life with his family.

This book contains some of my favorite tropes:
* Enemies to lovers
* Quick banter
* disability representation
* mental illness/addiction representation

I also loved Madeline's show circuit best friend, Patricia and her grumpy goose that hisses all the time! He is quite the diva!

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read for a hate-to-love rom-com. I didn’t realize this was Pride & Prejudice inspired when I started, but I picked up on it quickly. The elements used were scattered and reimagined in some interesting contemporary twists. The main character uses a cane occasionally (more books should have disability rep). I liked the background of the competitive chickens, it was different for me in a book. I don’t have any chickens, but I do like them and grew up with different family members having them around. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I look forward to the next book from this author.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own. 

[Ellis K. Popa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently started learning about chickens because a friend of mine started a homestead in the last few years and has been telling me all about her birds. I don't know much, but I'll tell you this, as soon as I saw this book, I was like I HAVE TO READ THIS.

I learned about the book from a giveaway that was going on -- full disclosure, I was one of the winners, but I adored the book so much I decided to buy the ebook as well. I'm also planning on giving a copy to my friend who started the homestead.

A big thanks to the author for making such a cute rom com about this topic. I feel this is such an untapped realm for fiction, and I hope it's the start of a trend to come! MORE LOVE. MORE CHICKENS!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This impeckable book is an eggcelent piece of chick lit. If you’ve got a henkering for a fun read, you won’t regret chicken it out. You won’t cock-a-doodle-do better than this book, so shake a tail feather and get reading!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Semi Spoilers-

Thanks so much for the arc! This novel was even cuter than I expected. Just a wholesome tale. Going in with no expectations- just a cute book with a cute title-but it delivered! Enemies to lovers, a little scandal and intrigue, and a happy ending! What more can you ask for in a book based in the world of showing chickens?! George and Mads had a tumultuous start, with Mads having such a traumatic association with George, it’s hard for Mads to get out of her own way. But, in the end, “It all comes down to love and chickens, doesn’t it?” 👏

[Katie Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the early access - net gallery! Very cute little book. I honestly loved learning about the world of chickens and geese while having an enemies to lovers story. Good job!!

[Em Reads Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was super cute!! i learned so much about chickens, and the characters were super cute and fun to read. i love a good enemies to lovers, and the writer did a great job. what could be better than mr darcy with grey sweatpants and tattoos????

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think Best in Show only for chickens. Charming romance around chicken shows with politics, corruption and Old English bantams (MFC’s specialty)

[Maggie Fielder · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say I was excited when Kasey emailed me about her debut novel would be an understatement. As a crazy chicken lady myself and an avid romance novel reader, this book was the perfect combination of my 2 favorite hobbies!!

Even if you don’t own chickens, this is a fun read with a glimpse into the crazy chicken people world with a (small) splash of romance. There were a few nods to Pride & Prejudice as well which was fun to pick up on if you’re a fan.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted read!

Thank you so much Kasey for the ARC!

[Kelsey Anglen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book , you dont have to be achicken lover to enjoy a good love story ! It was diffrent it had chicken drama!

[Courtney R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love & Chickens is a fast paced story about a woman named Madeline, who is in the show chicken circuit. It’s a pseudo enemies to lovers story with the bonus of chickens.

I absolutely love the attention to detail when it comes to the birds and the atmosphere of a poultry competition, especially being a chicken person myself. When an appenzeller spitzhauben was mentioned, I immediately thought of my own bird, Trixie.

There is disability representation, but it is not the main focus of the story, and other social and family issues that don’t take away from the main storyline.

This was a wonderful story.

[Maddy | madsbookfinsta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am SO HONORED that @kaseymorriswrites reached out to me on Insta to ask if I would read her debut ARC. And I was TICKLED PINK (PUN INTENDED) to read this lil rom com!!

It’s giving the STEMinist novels but with CHICKENS!!! A tidbit of Maddy lore is that my last job involved taking care of wild birds for educational purposes, so as a result I am an enormous bird nerd. Plus Kasey owns a snake (like I do as well) so I know she’s great.

I ✨literally✨ don’t know anything about poultry though - that did not hinder my experience with this book, and in fact TAUGHT me a lot 🐓

Kasey gave us DISABILITY representation. She gave us FOUND FAMILY. She served up RIVALS TO LOVERS. The vibes were immaculate here.

Do a debut author a favor and preorder this book!! You will chuckle and you will be HAPPY ABOUT IT 🫵

Thank you to Kasey Morris and NetGalley for an ARC and eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a cute, light, and fluffy rom com. it was different from the romance books i typically read, and i don't know much about chicken shows, but i loved it so much!! i'm so thankful to have received an arc copy