Fun, quick read. Less adventurous than I expected but entertaining nonetheless. The plot lulled a few times and while I agree with the concerns re: ethics of archeology but, frankly, it's a romance and I don't think it's necessarily fair to expect a lighthearted romp to adequately deal with such a nuanced subject. Solid debut novel and one I will likely recommend.

Opposites attract when two rival archaeologists find love in the jungle in Jo Segura’s debut, Raiders of the Lost Heart. Dr. Corrie Mejía is the leading expert on—and supposed descendant of—the Aztec warrior Chimalli, so naturally she would be the person picked to lead an expedition to find his final resting place along with the famed ceremonial knife from his legend, right? Unfortunately for Corrie, the answer to that question is “no”.

When she gets tapped to join the dig, she jumps at the chance, even knowing little to no details. Upon stepping out of the airport in Mexico, though, she discovers the major catch to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: she’ll be working alongside longtime rival Dr. Ford Matthews, and Ford is in charge of the expedition. That’s right: Ford is her boss.

But tempers and temperatures aren’t the only things getting hot in this jungle. There was this missed moment in their past, you see, and despite Corrie’s disdain for Ford and his privilege and machinations, she can’t quite deny the sparks between them.

There’s innuendo, outright discussion, and banter. There are sexy times both inside and outside the tent. Corrie has been cast as a sex symbol in the world of archaeology, but instead of shying away from that characterization, she has chosen to own her sexuality. We love to see a strong female lead.

This book was utterly consumable—I read it in less than two days—but at the same time, it didn’t quite strike the perfect balance for me.

On the one hand, it’s a hot adventure romp. On the other, it covers heavier topics: the patriarchy, privilege, inequality, assumptions based on race and gender, academic politics, complicated grief, taking care of aging parents, artifact smuggling and the ongoing discussion of who has a right to artifacts and where they belong. And, by all means, all of those things can be included in the same book; the execution just wasn’t seamless to me here.

That said, I am glad that I picked this one up, and I look forward to reading what Segura writes next.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley and NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All review opinions are my own.

This is a well written, fun romance with a fascinating setting. I’ve never read a romance set on an archeological dig before!
Dr. Corrie Mejia is an archaeologist who’s done extensive research on the life of Chimalli, an ancient Aztec warrior to whom she might be related, she’s the expert.
Dr. Ford Matthews is the archeologist who managed to get funding to search for Chimalli, but he’s not having any success. He needs to call in Corrie for her help, as much as that galls him for several reasons.

Ford and Corrie have always been attracted to each other and have a little bit of romantic history but out in the Mexican jungle they take their relationship to new levels. Unfortunately, Ford’s expedition financier isn’t who he seems to be and threatens both the dig and Ford and Corrie’s relationship. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I listened to this spicy enemies to lovers rom com with a Latinx main character.

The book is told in two points of view: Dr. Corrie Mejía and Dr. Ford Matthews. These two were rival classmates in their PhD program and it has carried over in their professional career as archeologists.

But Ford needs Corrie find the remains of an Aztec warrior and Corrie can’t give up a chance of being part of a find of this magnitude.

I enjoyed the banter between these two characters. Also, being a HUGE fan of movies like “Romancing the Stone” and “National Treasure” I couldn’t help but love the plot of this book.

I’m hoping that Bad A$$ Mejía and Weaksauce Matthews appears in other adventures!!

🩷 Raiders of the Lost Heart 🩷

Oh my goodness, I am unwell after reading this book! The banter! The dirty jokes! The spice! The adventure! So. Much. Fun.

Corrie is star archeologist adventure woman who dreams of uncovering the final resting place of Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. She is mysteriously swept away to join the dig of her career, only to find she’s been invited by her arch nemesis, Ford. Despite their competitive history, the tension between them overheats the sweltering Mexican jungle. As they put their past aside to work together on their common goal, their chemistry becomes unavoidable and they unearth a partnership of equals.

Y’all this one was just it. So fun, so hilarious, with great mystery and adventure. Don’t sleep on it - you’re going to love it.

Check it out if you’re looking for:
🩷 Adventure romance
🩷 Enemies/rivals to lovers
🩷 Forced proximity
🩷 Dirty jokes

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for this ARC! Raiders of the Lost Heart is on shelves December 5, 2023. My opinions are my own.

Dr. Ford convinces Dr. Corrie to join his team deep in the jungles of Mexico searching for the lost site of Chimalli. Corrie agrees, but brings past feelings along with her archaeological skills. As the dig comes to an end, the truth comes out and Ford must deal with the consequences of his choices. The dig, illegal, the weapon, still sharp, and the romance, spicy. A page turner, Segura created a beautiful story within the pages of this book and allowed readers to join her on a fantastic adventure!

I always loved Indiana Jones so of course I was excited about the idea of a rom-com based on two archeologists who couldn’t stand each other or their mutual attraction. Overall I think the story moved too slowly for me. In the beginning and then wa y too fast in the end. Rom-coms always have that moment where one party’s mistake catches up and the relationship seems doomed and I thought this couple got through that way too easily and it didn’t really seem realistic or work for me. I liked the side characters although I found both of the main characters to be a bit annoying. Ford and Corrie have history - for a moment while they were in school together they almost kissed but soon after Ford took everything from Corrie. It’s been years now and she is a professor finding the career to not be what she expected when she gets a mysterious offer to join a dig site for a historical figure she has spent her whole career researching. When she arrives she finds the lead archeologist is non-other than her nemesis Ford. Of course attraction and drama and steaminess follows. This book wasn’t bad and it was a fun adventure.

3.5 stars - There's a lot in here that worked for me in terms of tropes (actual hate to love due to a history of professional rivalry) and set up. Lara Croft and Indiana Jones go on an adventure & fall in love? Sold! I did think this was kind of uneven in its execution, which kept me from fully getting into the flow, and I think some of the underlying issues (e.g. the ethics of archaeology by Americans in Mexico, the dynamics of the hero's privilege relative to the heroine by virtue of gender & ethnicity) were kind of brought up but not fully resolved.
Still I love an adventure romance and I want more books like this out there

I picked this one up because of the archaeology angle, but there was very little mentioned about the actual dig (which is a seriously unsexy thing, I once had brown tears from dirt in my tear ducts). The book was fine. The story seemed a bit rushed in some parts and there is no way they wouldn't be heard in the tent. Also, any archaeologist knows who to steer clear of in the field...so it just didn't ring at all true.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

Real talk I was nervous going into this book because I'm not a huge action packed girly. Raiders of the Lost Heart was perfectly balanced between archaeology and romance. I was definitely wrong in thinking this was going to be for me. I loved it.

I love enemies/rivals to lover and the chemistry between these two is amazing. It's clear very early on that even though Corrie "hates" Ford that the line between love/hate is very thin. The banter between the two is so funny and I loved that Corrie is a woman in STEM and is not ashamed to talk about dildos/sex or anything else. She radiates confidence even when she thinks she's not.

This cover just screams ADVENTURE, but yet I struggled to find it in the actual plot. The pacing felt slow and most of the issues between the main characters are due to lack of communication. I also struggled to connect with the characters because I didn't realize that this book was told in third person. I recognize this is Jo Segura's first book so I will still give another one of their books a try in the future.

Has there ever been a more perfect romance for me???? I don't think so! An archaeology romance? Sign me up!

In college, I decided to minor in anthropology, at first, as a means of deepening my language and linguistics studies. Then, I fell in love with every archaeology class I took. And I didn't get to take nearly enough of them. I never got to go on a dig, but it's like a secret dream of mine.

Okay, back to the book - who doesn't want to end up on a dig with the hottie that you wanted to hook up with 8 years ago, but then he ends up with someone else, but you get there and realize you might still have something for him?!?! Well, that's what's in store for Corrie and Ford. This book is steamy, sweet, emotional, and has a little intrigue and drama in there. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC copy, all thoughts are my own.

“If it’s too good to be true, there’s a catch.”

After a couple of hundred books read this year I can say without a doubt I’ve found one of my top two reads with Jo Segura’s debut novel. A bit campy, alot sexy, with more than one unexpected twist thrown in....think what if Indiana Jones and Laura Croft had a Latino bouncing baby girl that grew up totally...you get the idea! The only thing that could make this better would be if we could get the further adventures of Corrie and Ford.

Set in the Mexican jungle on a secret archeological dig, this adventure romance features Dr. Corrie Mejía, a brilliant and spunky archeologist who is thrilled to finally be on a dig searching for the lost remains of her Aztec warrior ancestor Chimalli--but she's less than pleased to find out the lead archeologist is none other than Dr. Ford Matthews, a former grad school rival she can't stand. Ford (named after Harrison Ford of Indiana Jones fame) has his own motivations for being on the dig, and before long, things start to heat up between the two.

Adventure romance isn't what I usually gravitate towards, but this was a fun read that really leaned into the Indiana Jones/Laura Croft references and didn't take itself too seriously. That being said, since Corrie is a woman of Mexican heritage and Ford is a white man who doesn't always recognize his privilege, the book does bring up relevant and realistic themes of power and respect, which added a bit of depth to the story. I felt like the pacing was a bit off--the first half was fine, but things really sped up towards the end and the conclusion felt rushed. There was also a gratuitous amount of sex, especially for being set in the middle of the jungle, with the heat and humidity and limited shower access. I feel like those scenes could have been cut down a bit and a little more focus added on Corrie and Ford's emotional connection, which felt a little underdeveloped to me. Some of the writing and dialogue felt a bit corny at times as well.

Overall, though, it was a fun romp and the epilogue sets this up to be a series, so I'll be interested to see what's next from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited about this book! The cover and premise seemed so fun and different than other romance novels. Solid 3 stars. I wasn't blown away by the writing but I enjoyed myself!

What a story!!! Raiders of the Lost Heart is a rom-com, and an archaeological adventure rolled into one hot story. I loved the action-adventure plot of the archeological dig. It's fun, mysterious, and had me on the edge of my seat. Plus, it had all of the push-pull of an enemies-to-lovers romcom.

Ideally, and only because I'm not a big fan of more spice than story, I would have loved to see the archaeological plot developed a bit more in the first half of the story. However, I did enjoy the balance in the second half. And I would have preferred to be out of both of the narrators' heads - Corrie and Ford - because I didn't enjoy their thoughts - they just were redundant and not at all romantic.

Besides those two minor aspects, this story entertained and enthralled me, and I absolutely adored that about it. Corrie is such a strong and independent woman in a field full of men, which I will root for all day. I love her spunk and vivre. She is a strong lead and made the story that much more enjoyable.

Perfect for readers who enjoyed National Treasure, Fools Gold, Indiana Jones, and Lara Croft!

**Many thanks to Catherine Barra at Berkley and Jo Segura for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Corrie Mejía has always had to fight just a LITTLE bit harder to be taken seriously in the archeological space...but then again, she's never backed down from a fight. As a real-life Lara Croft of sorts, those around her tend to be gobsmacked by her curves and don't often give her the credit she deserves for her sharp mind and eagle-eyed prowess as an archeologist. When Corrie is presented with an opportunity to lead a dig deep in Aztec territory and uncover not only relics, but remains of her Aztec warrior ancestor Chimalli, Corrie is nothing short of ELATED. This is the dig that will finally take her career to new heights, and to cap it off, this is an all-expenses paid trip: who could ask for more!?

But Corrie quickly learns she's going to have to share the spotlight with the WORST possible person she could dream up: her irritatingly handsome former grad school rival, Dr. Ford Matthews. The two have been steadily avoiding each other in their post-grad lives...ever since a night in the library and a near kiss that somehow still haunts them both. Now forced to co-lead the dig, they grit their teeth and put their heads down, hunting for the remains of Chimalli, each with their own motivations...and more than a LITTLE sexual frustration. But as the days pass, these two discover more than just treasures from the past: there's a thief at their camp who is aiming to claim the remains of Chimalli for their very own...but who? Can these current rivals and former friends put their heads together, suss out the villain, AND make the discovery before the camp erupts into chaos? And more importantly...can they manage to stay OUT of each other's hot, steamy tents late at night? Or will the wild jungle and old feelings stoke a fire that never TRULY stopped burning?

Going in, I had no idea how I'd feel about a romance like this one: while I'm always game for a story sent in a fun location (especially one like this that feels so at home with Tomb Raider, The Mummy, and of course, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark), I had my reservations about this sliding into silly and unbelievable territory, where the resulting story felt less like a fun adventure and more like a mere backdrop for just another enemies-lovers tale.

Well in this case...Segura took the best elements of ALL of these sources of inspiration, tossed in fun and lovable characters, sprinkled in some mystery and heart, and added a HEFTY dose of spice to taste...and the result was a zesty and flavorful dish that would best even the most TALENTED chef's jambalaya!

First off, Corrie and Ford's dynamic was INSTANTLY believable. Their sniping was never malicious but felt truly rooted in their past and their competitiveness. At the same time, Segura made the PERFECT choice to let us dive into the situation fully from both perspectives: she made FORD the second narrator in this book. This might seem like such a small point, but I honestly almost breathed a sigh of relief when I saw we were going to hear directly from Ford throughout the entire journey, rather than just learning about him through Corrie's lens and POV. Not only did this help to flesh out his character, but we got to hear HIS innermost worries and his tortured inner battles, and this also helped to ramp up the tension as we heard BOTH perspectives while also exploring the different facets of each lead.

And then there's the spice... Let's just say I tend to be more of the mind that any open door can be closed at SOME point during the proceedings and I usually don't read anything I'd describe as incredibly racy OR raunchy. Raiders manages to toe this line VERY carefully, getting a bit R+ rated in parts, but never getting too intrusive, gross, or graphic. Plenty of spice, but luckily it's all presented in context and rather than coming across as gratuitous, serves to demonstrate just HOW hot these two get for one another...and how those long lonely nights in the jungle might have you missing the contents of the Nightstand (or some of them anyway!)

The emotional pay off and the wrap of the 'whodunit' were probably the weaker points of the novel, in that there was a bit of Scooby Doo-esque villainy going on and also a soap-opera worthy dramatic fake out towards the end BUT with all that being said, this was still a fun romp, and the ending set the scene nicely for the next expedition, if Segura feels like taking our mighty adventurers out for another expedition (as it were).

And if I have anything to say about it?

I'd definitely order my next 'meal' from Segura with one vital spice...a heaping spoonful of "Corrie"-ander!

😉

4 stars

Debut author Jo Segura’s “Raiders of the Lost Heart” was a delight to listen to! Those who love bad ass heroines and jungles will want to pick this one up.

Archaeologist Dr. Corrie Mejia has always wanted to find the remains of her ancestor, Chimalli. When invited to get on an airplane to a destination she cannot know, things sound wonky. But who is she to back down from a challenge when arch-nemesis Dr. Ford Matthews is the lead archaeologist?

Corrie should be the one leading the investigation, something Dr. Matthews knows all too well. He’s not thrilled that she’s now in the jungle ready to help the team find the remains. She’s the best he’s got though and he just will have to avoid their past history.

As soon as they start digging though, both soon realize they HAVE to work together to solve the mystery. Not only the mystery of the location of the remains but also who is now sneaking into camp. Working together as enemies? Not possible when they start developing not so forgotten feelings for one another.

I enjoyed listening to “Raiders of the Lost Heart” written by Jo Segura and narrated by Frankie Corzo. Corzo’s accent allows me to picture each character in my head and dive into that jungle setting. I admired Corrie’s character throughout and knew she was the bad ass heroine I wanted her to be from page one. Ford, on the other hand, I had wishy washy feelings towards while listening. I wanted MORE from him action wise and less “woe is me” dialogue. However; Raiders of the Lost Heart is definitely I may re listen to when I want to travel back to the jungle. I cannot wait to read/listen to what Jo publishes next…. She definitely ends Book one with a potential for more Corrie and Ford adventures.

Thank you Berkley Romance and Penguin Random House audio for my earc and alc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
Narrator: Frankie Corzo
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub date: 12/5

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for my free book and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook. #berkleypartner #berkleyig

Dr. Socorro "Corrie" Mejía is not your average archaeologist—she's on a quest to uncover her ancestor's secrets, and she's not taking any prisoners. When she's thrust into an expedition alongside the oh-so-handsome Dr. Ford Matthews, it's a recipe for academic chaos and sizzling chemistry.

If Indiana Jones and The Mummy had a baby, it would be this book. Adventure drips from every page, transporting you into a world of artifact smugglers, ancient mysteries, and a simmering romance. Segura skillfully weaves together heart-pounding moments with tender scenes, creating a read so engaging you'll finish it in record time.

The rivalry between archaeologists Corrie and Ford has the perfect enemies-to-lovers vibes. Their competitive banter and unresolved feelings created a tension that kept me turning pages, waiting for the moment when they finally gave in to their attraction. And when they do, sparks fly, and things get super steamy.

Corrie's confidence and determination in her professional and personal pursuits make her a standout character. She’s a total badass and doesn’t let anything stand in the way of her goals. Ford is sensitive but tough, and I love how he comes to Corrie’s rescue, even when she doesn’t need him to.

The perfect balance of emotions, romance, and adventure makes this debut a brilliant start for Jo Segura! Raiders of the Lost Heart is a fast-paced, feminist-infused, enemies-to-lovers tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. I listened to this mostly on audio and loved Frankie Corzo’s narration! You can grab this one on 12/5.

Read if you like:
*adventure romance
*only one tent
*enemies to lovers
*The Mummy
*women in STEM
*open door spice

This was a super fun dual POV, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, adventure romance that sees Corrie and Ford, two rival archaeologists forced to work together on an expedition to track down priceless ancient Aztec artefacts.

The sexual tension and chemistry between the leads was off the charts. They couldn't stand one another but also couldn't keep their hands off each other either. This was a perfect mash up of Romancing the Stone, Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider and I loved that the FMC was a bad-ass, sex positive, no-strings attached kind of girl while the MMC was a sensitive guy trying to help find money to pay for his sick mother's care and wasn't afraid to cry in front of Corrie.

Definitely a standout debut for me this year that was also great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Frankie Corzo. Highly recommended if you want a fun, sexy romp in the jungle and don't mind suspending disbelief for a few hours. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: open door, very spicy