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

This book was super cute! I loved that Corrie and Ford started as enemies then colleagues and eventually lovers. The trajectory of their relationship was nice and I really enjoyed their back-and-forth arguing and their banter. The dig itself was super cool too, I loved the setting and the idea of uncovering the artifacts. Corrie was such a force! I loved how fierce and independent she was throughout the entire book and even when she was vulnerable, she didn't lose herself. Overall this concept was so fun and I had a good time while reading. Thank you to Berkley for the e-ARC to read and review.

OK, my 80s kid's heart LOVED this movie.

These characters were so fun and vibrant they were irresistible. The infusion of action/adventure mixed with the professional rivals trope was just the perfect amount of tension.

Cute as heck, and I hope this author writes something else in this vein. 100% would recommend.

Raiders of the Lost Heart is an adventure romance akin to Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone, and The Mummy. Two rival archaeologists, Corrie Mejía and Ford Matthews, are on the same expedition in Mexico looking for the burial site of an ancient Aztec warrior named Chimalli. Despite their wildly different approaches, with Corrie being the impulsive daredevil and Ford being the by-the-book academic type, the sexual tension between them could be cut with a knife. Whether it's robberies, landmark discoveries, shady businessmen, or mounting medical bills, these two have a lot to contend with over the course of the novel. Not simply with the dig, either, but with their "I've got a bone to pick with you" hearts.

Let's just say it isn't long before they learn that passion which starts in the jungle doesn't always stay in the jungle.

If I had to describe this book in a few words, I would say it was light escapist fun. The archaeological backdrop added some color without being too heavy-handed with terminology. Also, although Corrie and Ford were tromping through the jungle, the focus was more on their emotional journey from rivals to lovers than it was on the nuances of their expedition, so that made room for things like "only one tent" tropes and the like, which romance lovers will eat right up. It was cute!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

The role reversal of the stereotypical man and woman roles were so enjoyable. A woman embracing her sensuality, not shying away from her needs was so amazing. Corrie's often time blunt responses - I totally lived for them.
Also Ford, named after the much known Harrison Ford and known for his lust for adventure and action, less so compared to Corrie -- just loved it.
Spicy and fun scenes, the tension written so well.
Just an enjoyable rom com - great read!

I was intrigued by the premise of super smart woman forces white man to confront his privilege in a second-chance romance, but unfortunately this did not live up to that premise. Corrie is very smart, but I felt that there was no satisfactory moment where Ford confronted his privilege, as almost all of the conflict resulted from miscommunication. While their romance was cute, the anger I felt at both of them for not communicating overruled my enjoyment of this at about 2/3 through.

Raider’s of the Lost Heart was everything it promised to be, and I had such a fun time!!
It was truly perfect for every adventure romcom loving person 👏 If you grew up in Indiana Jones and then fell in love with The Lost City last year with the rest of us you NEED to read Raiders of the Lost Heart!

The chemistry between Ford and Corrie was so entertaining, and the mystery of what was happening on their dig site, as well as during for them to find what they were looking for, had me turning page after page until I finished, unable to put it down.

I can’t wait to see what comes from Segura next!

I may be a bit harsh in this, but as the year comes to a close and we turn to 2024, I'm learning to be more frugal with my reading time and my attention. I do not have time for mediocre or bad romances! The market is saturated and I need to dedicate my attention to the good ones. So let me save you, dear reader, the time and let you know that just because there's an Ali Hazelwood quote on the cover, this story, unfortunately, is not worth your time.

Raiders of the Lost Heart presents a vibrant cover with two extremely hot archaeologists on the cover tempting you into what seems to be a steamy, adventurous, and romantic romp of a story. We have Drs. Mejia and Matthews, former school rivals (former crushes?) who hate each other now but end up on the same dig to discover a lost tecpatl of Aztec legend. As Corrie and Ford work together to discover the correct dig site, the hate turns into lust and.... allegedly love (side eye). But Ford is keeping secrets and Corrie is jaded from their history.

Here's the real truth of it all: these were some of the least likable characters I have read about in a looooong ass time. And when I say that, I mean that there's a clear sense that you're actually supposed to like them, to root for them, as this is a rom-com. The issues included: Ford actually stealing this job from Corrie, Ford continually acting like a know-it-all macho man who mansplains this dig to Corrie (this dig is literally directly based on her dissertation), Corrie being mean and hating Ford because they liked each other and almost kissed and then he kissed someone else, Corrie hating Ford because he got a job she wanted, Corrie having hairpin trigger sensitivity anytime Ford opened his mouth. It was just a lot of back and forth, a lot of bickering that I was being TOLD was sexual tension. Then some sex. Then after spending zero time showing the reader that Ford and Corrie starting to like each other instead of treating each other like shit, they confess their love for one another.

And then it ACTUALLY had action for the last 20 pages. I just felt the plot was so bland and then bolstered by the absolute fuckery of a relationship it was a really hard read. For how many references this book made to some famous action-adventure archaeology media (Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider), the book was severely lacking any excitement. The only things were a slightly rough raft ride and an almost snakebite.

Segura clearly tries to tackle some really important details (the sexualization of Latinx women and the perception that women in male-dominated fields are less intelligent), but actually fails to engage with these topics with any real nuance. In fact! She even goes so far as to have Ford acknowledge a joke sexualizing Corrie by saying "That one's actually pretty good." HUH? And then in the 3rd act breakup/fight, Corrie SLAPS FORD when she's offended by what he says. And I'm supposed to just let that be okay? To make matters worse, the dialogue was so supremely stilted and unnatural. In addition to lots of gen z/millennial slang thrown in that was just awkward and dissonant with the rest of the book's style.

There's so much here that was entirely offputting to me. I try my best to give debut authors a little bit of grace, but between the awful male lead, the insufferable female lead, the bland plot, the lack of action, the stilted dialogue, and the FMC slapping the MMC, I couldn't find it in me to enjoy much if any of this.

What a wild ride! If you are fans of Indiana Jones this one’s for you! Dr. Matthews and Dr. Meija have been rivals since grad school. Corrie Meija is invited with Ford on an architectural dig but she feels like she should be leading this dig. They start off on this rival path that has been all too familiar but when a thief is compromising their campsite they know they need to work together. Artifact smugglers, authorities and attraction make this book read straight like an action movie!
.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This book started with a question in twitter, the author said in her author’s note. In answer to the question, which profession would you want see in romance genre, someone said archeologists. This plot and book chat started there, took off!! It is Indiana jones, romancing stone, Lara Croft with good dose of spice! This was a fast read that grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go.

I guess I should have guessed by the title that this book would turn out to be a cheesy rom-com. I was expecting a much better story but this was just a light spicy romance. If that’s your thing you will definitely enjoy this book. I found it all rather boring

Raiders of the Lost Heart is a new romance novel by Jo Segura. Archaeologist Dr. Socorro Mejia aka Corrie is a renowned expert on the Chimalli, an Aztec warrior, who also is claimed to be one of Corrie’s ancestors. When a expedition is planned for the Mexican Jungle to find Aztec artifacts from Chimalli, she jumps at the chance even if the organizer is shrouded in mystery. When she discovers the expedition is being lead by Dr. Ford Matthews, a rival since her grad school days, she thinks her big break, might instead be a big mistake. Despite the feud between the two, there is simmering heat from the novel’s start and for readers who are drawn to friend to lovers romantic storylines this will be a funny, spicy treat. Also as a fan of the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider series I enjoyed the exciting adventure aspect of the story (Ford Matthews gets his name from Harrison Ford). The fact that Corrie has ties to the culture that she is exploring and the author herself is of Mexican descent, helped with the negative cultural associations that can arise from this type of archeology adventures feeling exploitative.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I DEVOURED this book! It was exactly what I wanted - fun, sexy, fast paced - a delightful escape from the harsh reality of the real world. I loved the Mummy, Indiana Jones, the Lost City, all of those adventurous archaeological films with a splash of romance, and this book fit right in.

As someone who longs to get in touch with my own Mexican heritage, this book hit that spot at well.

There was so much I enjoyed about this book. And a few things that I really didn’t.

What I loved:
- the adventure is so fun. Adventure romance needs to be more common because it’s exciting and sexy and different. I loved their work to find Chimalli! And the overall mystery of who was sabotaging them was super fun.
- Corrie was absolutely awesome. She is funny and badass and strong. Her vulnerabilities and sensitivity are real - battling against misogyny and beauty bias in a serious industry. I wanted her to win and get everything she wanted.
-the secondary cast of characters were fab and fun. Sunny especially.
- the sex was awesome and hot. Segura built great tension.

What I didn’t love
- Ford and the decisions he made. He lied to Corrie almost the entire book! Yea he was hot and the enemies to lovers tension was so fun but I hated that he literally took so much from her. I also dont feel like he actually appreciated how badass she is and really just was obsessed with how hot she is. He goes from being all the men she is angry at (folks who focus on her body, don’t think she’s good enough, etc) to her absolute love without actually any reflection on his part. His whole “I heard people call her shit names and didn’t say anything” never felt redeemed to me. And the redemption didn’t feel enough - yes it was fun and action-packed but I wanted to Corrie make him sweat more. Like Corrie 100% deserves more.
- the lack of people realizing that being bi is a thing. There’s an entire paragraph of “I thought you were into Corrie how can you be fucking a dude” like ummmm it can be both?????
- the ending wrapped up too quickly. I did love the actual end (I wonder if she’d write more in this series) but the action ended too soon

Drs. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía and Ford Matthews have been rivals in the world of archelogy since college with Ford always coming out ahead. Although Corrie does seem to have had more adventurous. Both, thanks to Ford, end up on an archelogy dig in Mexico looking to discover the Aztec warrior, Chimalli. Arguments and adventure ensue in this frenemies romance.

I really wanted to like this book. The story sounded fun with a great title and an attractive cover, but it just wasn’t a hit for me. I get that Corrie is smoking hot with a very positive veiw on her sexuallality and that her body has made people see that instead of her intelligence, but how many times do we need to hear it? The rest of the story was okay, but I really did not feel it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the ebook.