I liked the idea of this book but the execution left something to be desired. I love history and mysteries and this book definitely had that. I really don't like love triangles on a good day and apparently I read this book on a bad day because I did not enjoy the romance in this book. Overall, I thought this book was just ok.

Romance lover as well as love to read history? I think this would be perfect for you.

Well, at least it was perfect for me. I loved reading it, even though some parts bored me to death. But overall it was such a cute cheesy romance with a hint of mystery and history.


So thank you NetGalley for giving me this book to review.

An interesting story, especially for someone who loves romance as well as history. But the execution leaves something to be desired, I found myself skimming more than reading as some parts were not engaging enough but some were tii rushed. The plot ans suspense was genuinely entertaining so I would still give the author a second chance and read another book.

This was a fun story! Romance with just a hint of suspense. Athena has a mystery to solve- her parents death. She has 2 love interests, and she doesn't know who to trust, which is hard enough right there for a story. It all comes together quite nicely, and the happy ever after is so sweet, that I'm still savoring it.

I really struggled to read this book. Athena is an archaeologist who's life takes an unexpected turn when her beloved parents die in a car accident. I was really intrigued by this book, the romance elements mixed with an Indiana Jones vibe but it didn't live up to my expectations.
It's set across some gorgeous locations but I felt like I was told they were pretty without actually feeling there. Athena seemed inconsistent as a character and there were too many references to her athletic build. I was instantly put off both the love interests by their initial introduction where they seemed arrogant, rude, and in some ways slimy.

Athena is the only child and brought up in a well protected and loved atmosphere. When they suffer an accident under extra ordinary circumstances in Crete and when both of them are killed, Athena returns to her Oxford roots to try to make a start of her life without them.

Athena had a suspicion that everything was not quite what it was with the death of her parents. Meeting the enigmatic Patrice very much man about town who befriends Athena and becomes her lover and indicates that other than sex, he has no interest in any kind of relationship. Hovering in the background is Dr. Jack Latimer, whom she met at her uncle's home and whom she heard having arguments with her uncle. When he turns up in Oxford as her Professor the coincidence seems too much, but Athena is a bit naive and accepts that it is just a coincidence.

The story dealing with artefacts from Egypt and the lucrative trade in them and how unwittingly Athena and her father have become part of this and how many people are on her tail trying to see whether she knows anything about the piece missing and which belongs to a museum in Egypt and which is being pursued by both good and bad guys. Athena becomes the magnet because both sides know that it has to be somewhere which she may knowingly or unwittingly know of.

Set in Oxford, Crete and Paris all three settings unimaginably lovely the story was a good one. Athena is a bit naive for a grown up woman but the story was good.

Unfortunately, this book and I just could not connect. I have tried multiple times, but each time it feels more and more like a chore to read. I really wanted to like it. I wanted to enjoy the story, but I just couldn’t.

The idea of this book is very intriguing. The basic premise is solid, unfortunately it lacks a little in execution. The writing is a little clunky, the dialogue felt unnatural and inconsistent and so much of the story was telling and not showing.

The romance aspect, while it had a nice amount of spice, felt a little contrived. The first love interest seems somewhat gratuitous and definitely gave off creepy predatory vibes. And the second one was a little bit of an odd origin not to mention sudden. She went from borderline virginal and asexual to adventurous sex fiend in a hot minute. It just felt like the characters and their relationship weren’t developed enough.

And the mystery itself was barely addressed until it was rushed in the end. We got snippets of attention paid to it but barely there then all the sudden it’s resolved. I wanted more of that throughout.

"Ancient History": 2.5 ⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @netgalley, @sophiepenhaligon and the publishers for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review).

When you look at the cover of this book, you're automatically transported to Egypt, as if you're going on a trip through Egyptian mythology.

That's exactly what happens in the book. The premise is so promising, so alluring. However, I didn't connect much with the book, except for some specific scenes. I felt like the pace of the book was super slow and gravy, and there was unnecessary stereotypical attention towards women. This just wasn't for me.

A very "tell don't show" fluff romance of no substance.

Athena's father was Indiana Jones after it was cool, an archaeologist invested into returning priceless artefacts to their rightful owners - Athena travels the world with him, attending digs until both her parents are killed in a car accident.

Emerging from grief and staying with her parents close friends, she meets Patrice and Jack - two gorgeous older men with ulterior motives.

The rest is a cheap romance novel with none of the suspense

2 stars
Between the unlikable main character, the insta love and the utterly creepy men in this book, this was a big miss for me.
I was expecting something very different from what I read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

The synopsis of this book leads one to believe that it will focus heavily on Egyptian artifacts and archaeology. In fact, they're only just a sidelight to the plot that focuses on an extremely naive young woman and her experiences with men who are trying to manipulate her to find something her late father (the archaeologist) supposedly had. It's more of a romance than a historical mystery. I was rather disappointed that the female character was not very likable, and there was too little archaeology.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

This book had it all romance in history and so much fun and witt you just can't go wrong

2.5 stars

I think the biggest surprise about this book was that it was nothing I expected. I wasn’t anticipating a fun adventure with a bit of romance, but the script is flipped and the romance is a major focus, with a bit of insta love, a lot of creepy male behavior, and smut. The plot generally fell flat and I was truly excited for it, so I simply couldn’t convince myself to enjoy or appreciate it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in return for an honest review.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book sounded really interesting when I requested it. There's a bit of romance and it involves archaeology and mystery - right up my alley.

Whilst the plot was interesting and the romance was steamy enough I couldn't connect with the characters as they didn't seem well developed to me. The dialogue seemed a little clunky at times and stuff was explained that could have been implied.

In saying that, it was a quick, enjoyable read that I finished in about 3.5 hours.

Athena is following in her fathers footsteps but she notices something is going on. However, her parents pass away in tragic accident before she can find out. This secret comes back to impact her life in the form of two hot bachelors, one French and one American. This sends her life spiraling as she tries to get to the bottom of the situation and figure out who just wants her for information. Who can she trust and what is going on with her fathers legacy? This steamy romance was an entertaining and quick read. Would recommend if you just need some spice with a little mystery in the plot.

SO MUCH NO

I was so excited for this. I am a historian and have taken courses in archeology, so the subject here really spoke to me. But it all fell so flat.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Pace: The pacing had two issues for me. The romantic aspect moved way too fast. I had no chance to actually feel the chemistry between the characters before they jumped into bed with each other. On the other hand the rest of the plot moved soooo slowlyyyyyy.

Telling: There was simply too much telling and not enough showing. We are so often told something about the characters that is never supported by their actions.

Characters: The characters were so hard to relate to and get a sense of. They felt flat and lifeless.

Sex: Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with some smutty sex scenes. But I need there to be something more. But this was just pretty much pure sex all the way through, nothing more.

Athena: I had some real issues with Athena. She was just so blank. No substance. We're constantly told how beautiful she is. It seems like her beauty is pretty much the only thing she has going for her (aside from her musical abilities).

Jack: Jack pretty much suffers from the same problem as Athena. We're constantly told how hunky he is. Sometimes we're also told that he's intelligent, but it's never actually shown or demonstrated, so I don't support that claim...

Ending: The ending was so flat and left so many loose ends. Really unsatisfying.

Archeology: The thing that brought me here - the archeology - was one of the biggest disappointments. I don't think Penhaligon did even a minutes research on what archeology is actually all about.

I loved the synopsis- and in general enjoyed the book. Things didn’t hit me right sometimes but it was an easy book to read and overall enjoyed the storyline. I really enjoyed the locations and the heroine.

I enjoyed this.
I think the characters were fun and well developed. I liked that we the reader got to travel to different places with the heroine.

3.5 stars rounded to 3 stars. A fluffy summertime read, though the characters aren’t very well fleshed out and the suitors are best described as creeptastic. The mystery is superficial at best so it’s not horribly taxing to read (hence the description of it being a fluffy summertime read).