In this fresh and funny coming of age novel, a teenage falconer in training gets in trouble when he finds himself falling for a girl who is part of a radical animal rights group, now available in paperback.

Mercer Buddie wants two things: a girlfriend and the chance to prove himself to his master falconer father. With hunting season approaching, fourteen-year-old Mercer has only a short time to train his red-tailed hawk, Flip.

Then Mercer meets Lucy and thinks his love life is about to take flight—until he discovers that she belongs to a fanatical animal rights organization called HALT. If Mercer wants to keep seeing Lucy, he’ll need to keep his love of falconry and his family’s raptor rehabilitation center a secret from her, and Lucy’s involvement with HALT from his family. This book for teen boys asks: Is love worth all the lies—and maybe even the loss of his bird?

• An Unlikely First Love: He’s a falconer from a long line of hunters. She thinks all animals should be free. What happens when Mercer has to hide everything he is to get the girl of his dreams?
• Opposites Attract Romance: Mercer thinks his love life is about to take flight with Lucy, until he learns she’s part of a radical animal rights group determined to shut down places like his family’s raptor center.
• High-Stakes Family Drama: Torn between proving himself to his master falconer father and keeping his new relationship a secret, Mercer gets tangled in a web of lies that threatens his bird, his family, and his heart.
• A Passion for Falconry: Feel the thrill of training Flip, a red-tailed hawk, as Mercer learns the ancient art of falconry and prepares for the hunt of his life—if his secrets don’t cost him everything.