What do you get when you have too long time archaeology rivals put on the same expedition which they both need for their careers? You get this delightful book with action and banter, and the most delightfully written characters. I was drawn into this book from the very beginning. I could see that there was an underlying chemistry between Corrie and Ford underneath there very explicit dislike for one another. It was fun to see how they had to deal with each other while trying to save their expedition from all of the outside influences. I was entertained from start to finish.

Raiders of the Lost Heart was a fun romance with all the laughs, spice, and Indiana Jones-inspired adventure.

Ever since she became an archaeologist, Corrie has always been intrigued by the search for the lost remains of her ancestor, an ancient Aztec warrior. When she is offered a chance to be a part of the expedition looking for his remains, she jumps at the opportunity, only to find out the team is led by her academic nemesis, Ford.

Going into this read, I was so excited about the story being a mix of romance and adventure, and it delivered on both! The chemistry between the two main characters was off the charts! (Also, I ADORE that the male lead was named Ford based on Harrison Ford. So clever!) The banter, romance, and drama of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, anxiously anticipating what would come next.

If you want to escape into a new, fast-paced romance with all the twists, turns, and spice, definitely keep this read in mind!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

A cheesy and steamy romp for fans of The Mummy and Indiana Jones, though a little less exciting.

I was very excited for the premise of this one, plus that cover! The academic rivals and forced proximity on a dig in Mexico sets the scene for tension and an archaeological mystery. Corrie and Ford always had vibes for each other until Ford ended up with a career opportunity Corrie was vying for. The first third of the book was somewhat cheesy and cringy, then the pace slows right down until the last third. There was less adventure than I was looking forward to, which made the book drag a bit.

I adore Corrie. The way she is unapologetic about herself but also allows for vulnerabilities to show through her badass adventurous self. As a Latine woman, she has to prove herself on multiple fronts in the misogynistic boys world of archaeology. I really appreciate how Segura has Corrie must manage people's focus on her body instead of her brains.

Ford and his decisions left a sour taste in my mouth. From his POV, both he and you know he needs to come clean but he takes forever to actually do anything about it.

I will read future Jo Segura titles since there is great promise, but this fell flat for me.

CW: cancer, sexual harassment

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

Quick Synopsis:
Ford and Corrie are rival archaeologists who met in college. They never entirely forged a friendship and now rely on animosity to deal with one another. When Ford is forced to ask for Corrie’s help on his latest dig, the two have to figure out how to live and work alongside each other. The two must also determine how they’ll deal with their mutual attraction and hatred with so much at stake for the dig.

Storyline/Pacing:
The story started fast-paced and very intriguing. I enjoyed the adventure aspects of the plot and even found the relationship aspect cute. That said, about 50% into the story, the plot gets weighed down with the relationship and loses the adventure aspect. The momentum slowed for me, and I was left wishing for more. Additionally, I’m ready to read a book where parental cancer isn’t an obligatory character hardship. I think this had some bearing on my feelings toward this one. I know I'm an outlier in this, because all the reviews seem very favorable, so it may be another case of the wrong reader.

Author:
I loved that this story highlighted women in archaeology, and I feel like it’s a great debut. Jo Segura has a strong voice, and her feminist perspective shined through.

Overall:
I recommend this to anyone who loves strong female leads and enemies-to-lovers tropes. It was a humorous romance with a bit of spice and a hint of Indiana Jones.
⭐️⭐️⭐️stars

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the Digital Review Copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Berkley for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, rivals, Indiana Jones vibes, women in STEM

I really liked this one. It was cute and sweet. I was torn at first because I didn't love Ford and some of the stuff he did to Corrie. He eventually won me over. The characters were developed so well. It was fun and full of adventure. I highly recommend it!

Unfortunately I did not like this book very much. It’s definitely because of the expectations I had going into the book. The marketing and premise of the book had me ready for an action packed adventure romance. What I got was a romance that just happened to take place at an archaeological dig site, not particularly exciting.

I also just really did not like Ford and I would not have forgiven him. Not a chance.

The marketing for this book is a disservice to the author because I have a feeling I won’t be the only one let down. I did enjoy her writing though so I will read her next book.

When I first saw this cover, I wanted this book. When I saw it was a Latinx MC romance, I needed this book!!

This book was such a fun read!! It has a bad ass Latina MC who is kicking butt and taking names and fighting to make a name for herself in the male dominated field of archaeology. Often compared to a Latinx Lara Croft, I admired the hell out of Corrie Mejia as she was unapologetically herself.

When she finds herself on a dig in the jungles of Mexico working with her rival archaeologist Dr. Ford Matthews, the jungle climate wasn't the only thing heating up!! This book was spicy!! And I'm not mad about it!

Pick up this book if you like bad ass women, a little humor with your spice, and an awesome jungle setting!

Thank you to Berkley publishing for my complimentary eARC and to PRHAudio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Raiders of the Lost Heart was a wild and crazy adventure. Think Raiders of the Lost Arc meets Romancing the Stone. Lots of witty banter and arguments over who is really the boss, along with the added enjoyment of an enemies to lovers/second chance romance. The steamy Mexican jungle is no match for the steam between Ford and Corry. But their romance may need to be put on hold while they work through some unresolved issues.

I adored how the ending stayed true to every adventure flick out there…..Will there be a sequel ?

I enjoyed the narrator. No issues with voice quality while listening at 2x speed.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura was so fun! Perfect for lovers of The Mummy, National Treasure, and Indiana Jones. It's got career rivals with a long history of tension 🥵, only one tent, tons of banter, sneaking around, lush jungle vibes, and a mystery subplot! Low on spice but full of tension and chemistry.

This was so much fun! It was so entertaining to follow Corrie and Ford on their Indiana Jones-esque adventure in Mexico. And their romance blossomed so naturally. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

I received a copy of this book from Berkley Publishing.

Perhaps the title makes it pretty evident, but Raiders of the Lost Heart takes a healthy amount of inspiration from the likes of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, The Mummy, and similar action-packed, archaeological franchises. If you’re familiar with any of those, this book is a must-read. While I’ve seen at least one Indiana Jones movie and the first of The Mummy series, I’m not an expert on this realm, but I enjoyed it here all the same!

Raiders of the Lost Heart whisks readers away to the Lacandon Jungle of Mexico, where Dr. Corrie Mejía, Dr. Ford Matthews, and their team of archaeologists are searching for Chimalli, the ancient Aztec warrior who may have lived and died in this area. I love the setting, with its tropical climate, lush green vegetation, and proximity to rivers and waterfalls, not to mention the many animals who make their home there. Not enough of the books I read are set in jungles! I also love that the characters are archaeologists, dedicated to better understanding and preserving our past. Here, we get to see them thrown into some adventurous scenarios, complete with unexpected rapids, snakes, and some man-made danger towards the end of the book.

Both of the leading characters are captivating, especially Corrie. Frequently compared to Lara Croft, Corrie is a woman known for her daring, bravery, and thorough outdoor skills. She can steal back priceless necklaces, outrun jaguarundis, and uncover treasures that have been lost for centuries. She’s incredible, with a wicked sense of humor, too. However, I also appreciated the extra depth in her experiencing sexism within the industry. Despite all of her accomplishments, why do her peers so often reduce her to her looks and perceived sexuality? She’s extremely smart and deserves far more respect than she gets. Ford, on the other hand, has had life pretty easy, at least until the last couple of years. He might come off as cocky at first, but underneath some lies and pettiness, he’s actually sweet and deeply caring, especially for his sick mother. Ford grew much more likable the more I got to know him here.

Corrie and Ford are a great pair of enemies to lovers, and it’s grounded in their shared history and the “what if” they never got to explore. During this dig, what starts off as harsh remarks and jokes soon turns into something more. They have physical chemistry for sure, but I also liked the more tender moments between them, the heart-to-hearts that make for true emotional connection. Ford has some bad secrets, and Corrie has her reservations, but will their time in the jungle be enough for them to see a future together after the dig is over?

The book ends with some exciting action and danger that I wasn’t expecting. The whole ending sequence is thrilling and a quick read! I also loved the clues left in the epilogue… is there going to be a sequel? In the Amazon? Yes please, sign me up!

Raiders of the Lost Heart is an exhilarating romance, full of details about Mexico and the Aztecs, a healthy dose of adventure, and a love story that feels well earned. What a stunning debut this is, and if it’s the start of a series, I already can’t wait to read the next installment.

This book was SUCH a delight! I love a good academic rivals romance, and add an action/adventure twist and I'm sold. Side note: I'm very glad that we're getting more action/adventure romcoms in general, it's a subgenre I never thought I'd be into, turns out I'm VERY into it!

Corrie and Ford have butt heads since college, but now he needs her help because he's stalled on his dig. I loved the tension between these two and how immediate it was because of their history. Their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet almost the entire time, which is so rare for me these days. When he found her vibrator while trying to help her unpack--PLEASE. This is why you don't go through other people's stuff, but oh my god was I dying hysterically through that entire exchange.

Also, I felt so much for Ford's reasoning for taking a job he knew Corrie was more qualified for and ultimately getting duped because of how much he needed money for his mom's treatment. I also loved that even through their differences, Corrie and Ford could also open up to each other and be vulnerable about the hard stuff they've gone through in their lives and careers.

I loved this one, can't wait to see what Jo Segura comes out with next!

4.25 stars

Raiders of the Lost Heart is a delightful adventure romance filled with action and whole lot of romantic tension. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s subtle nods to other adventure stories in popular culture (primarily the Indiana Jones franchise) and liked the rivals-to-lovers elements as well.

Without providing any spoilers, I will say I was slightly put off by a specific element in the epilogue; it’s just not my favorite narrative choice. I also think that Ford could have groveled a bit more. But then, again, I always like my heroes to suffer a bit… and that probably doesn’t fit the tone of this book.

Regardless, it was an enjoyable read that definitely takes readers on an adventure. And I wouldn’t mind seeing more stories in this vein in the future!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this Romancing the Stone/Indiana Jones adventure of a love story. The jungle setting was the perfect backdrop for the steamy scenes between Ford and Corrie that turned their search for a lost ancestor into a found romance. I enjoyed the action and suspense of a possible thief in their midst and the descriptions of the protocol involved in an archeological dig. This is the unique read I was looking for and I happily lost myself in the Mexican jungle for a bit. I listened to the audiobook and Frankie Corzo did an excellent job with the narration.

I loved the concept of this and the thrill of it. I just didn’t really grow to love Ford. This is a rare case where I almost wish that it had just been single POV. Ford’s inner monologue just felt so “woe is me” when this white man took away opportunities for a Latinx woman. I just couldn’t get behind him being like “it wasn’t my fault” and I just didn’t buy it. Corrie deserved so much better honestly

Are you a fan of archeology and characters like Indiana Jones or Laura Croft? Well then dig in for a fun rom com in the form of an action adventure as this is surely the entertaining treat that you have been looking for. I love how strong, intelligent and brave Corrie, the female lead is, while also being a total bombshell. I also felt the book realistically portrayed how an intelligent woman who is also attractive has to fight even harder to be taken seriously. Ford, the male lead, of course has everything easy since he is both intelligent and attractive, but he has some serious groveling to do to make up for his past actions. Unfortunately for Corrie, or maybe fortunately....you'll have to read and decide for yourself, they have to team up to complete the work on Ford's latest dig site. The banter is witty and entertaining, the spicey tension level is off the charts hot and the mystery wrapped in adventure is beyond fun and entertaining. I could totally see this becoming a series where we follow Corrie and Ford on adventures in the future!

This was such a cute rivals-to-lovers! It didn’t go at all the way I expected it to, which was a nice surprise. It was cute, touched on real, relatable emotions, and overall was just a really fun read.

What a fun book with a clever title!

What I liked:
*the steamy scenes
*unique characters (archeologists)
*Enemies to lovers

Recommended people who enjoy:
*Steamy romcoms
*Indiana Jones
*Romancing the Store
*any adventure/romance movie

✨ Review ✨ Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Want to warm up in the middle of the cold winter ahead -- check this book out!

✅ Nerdy archaeologists
✅ Steamy jungle + a one tent moment
✅ Adventures in the field

This book delivered a whole bunch of fun as Corrie ends up on a dig with her grad school nemesis Ford Matthews (yes, named after Harrison Ford), searching for the ruins of her ancestor, an Aztec Warrior. Set in the remote jungle outside Oaxaca, Ford and Corrie both need to swallow their pride to work toward their goals.

I was a little worried about how the book would handle ethical issues around archaelogy, especially with a white man and archaeology for profit, and ultimately, I think the book grappled with these issues well enough for a light romance. I also appreciated the ways that the book considered issues in academia around gender and race and power. With all that said, it definitely took a bit of suspending disbelief around archaeological processes (as the author notes at the end -- to avoid the tedium of the process) and in academia itself, but overall, I found this to be a fun, nerdy romance/adventure.

I've been OBSESSED with this incredible cover since I first saw it, and I'm delighted that Berkley shared a copy of it with me (thanks Berkley!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)
Genre: F/M contemporary romance
Setting: Mexican jungle archaeology dig
Reminds me of: Ali Hazelwood's books
Pub Date: December 5, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ archaeology & nerdy adventures
⭕️ grad school rivalries
⭕️ enemies(ish) to lovers with all the accompanying sassiness