"Raiders of the Lost Heart" by Jo Segura is an exhilarating adventure of rival archaeologists turned reluctant partners in a quest to uncover the secrets of the Aztec empire. This book was an absolute delight to read, and I couldn't put it down.

As a fan of the Indiana Jones franchise, I knew I was in for a treat, and this story did not disappoint. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Ford and Corrie added an extra layer of excitement to the Aztec expedition. The tension between them was palpable, making every interaction between the two characters bristle with electricity.

The adventure aspect of the story was brilliantly executed, and I was captivated by the hunt for the long-lost remains of Corrie's ancestor, Chimalli. The Mexican jungle setting added an element of mystery and danger that kept me on the edge of my seat. I could vividly picture the lush and treacherous landscapes as the characters embarked on their expedition.

Jo Segura's writing skillfully weaves together romance, adventure, and intrigue. The gradual shift from rivalry to partnership between Ford and Corrie was beautifully portrayed, and their lingering attraction added a layer of complexity to the story. It was impossible not to root for their budding romance amidst the challenges they faced.

The presence of artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the thief lurking around their campsite added an element of suspense and danger that kept me guessing until the very end. The story builds to an explosive climax that had my heart racing.

"Raiders of the Lost Heart" left me craving more adventure romance, and I can't wait to read more from Jo Segura in the future. If you're a fan of thrilling adventures, sizzling romance, and engaging characters, this book is a must-read. It's a captivating and heart-pounding journey through the Aztec jungle that will leave you thoroughly entertained and wanting more.

Dr. Corrie’s professional dream has come true- she’s been invited on an archaeological dig to uncover an Aztec mystery. But there’s one big catch- her longtime rival Dr. Ford is the lead on the expedition. As they become better acquainted, their animosity transforms into an undeniable attraction. That is until the truth behind Ford's motivations comes to light. Will they be able to find their happily ever after? This thrilling and steamy debut will appeal to fans of adventurous romances.

Things I loved about this book- how fast-paced and entertaining it was. It really did feel like an old school Indiana Jones movie, but this time with a bad-ass Latin woman lead. I loved Corrie because she was amazing- tough, smart and caring, but also a nuanced person with insecurities. I loved Ford too because he certainly wasn't perfect but he became a better person and found redemption and love with Corrie.

Also - the cover is fantastic!

I'm excited to read more from Jo Segura.

I love that the author was influenced by 80s movies like Romancing the Stone and Raiders of the Lost Arc because those are both personal faves of mine.
I also like that she focused on the Aztecs and archeology. Who hasn’t dreamt of digging deep and making history by recovering the past?
The jungle heat isn’t the only scorcher as the flames burning between Ford and Corrie, nice nod to Indy Jones by the way.
The read is jammed packed full of action, villains, love, resentment, discovery, and also defeat.
It’s a great way to combine romance, history, and archeology all in one.
Check it out.

This was tons of fun! Corrie and Ford had great enemies-to-lovers chemistry, although they both started out as a bit of a mess (but that's what make the journey worth it). The setting and archeology details also really made for a unique experience, and it was nice to see Segura didn't shy away from the sexism in academia. Looking forward to more adventures!

*Received as a free ARC*
A delightful little romp. As someone with an undergrad degree in archaeology, I absolutely had to check this out. Very enjoyable, if a little steamier than I normally go for. Would absolutely recommend.

This was a really fun one! If you have any love for Indiana Jones, The Mummy and those type of vibes then dive into this one as soon as it releases on December 5th.

Read this for:

- Indiana Jones/Mummy vibes
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Just a hookup
- Only one tent
- Opposites attract
- Workplace
- Some mystery and suspense

Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía finds herself on her dream dig for Chimalli, the only problem is that her sworn enemy Dr. Ford Matthews is the one leading the dig. She can't pass up this offer and is forced to start working with Ford.

Ford is hiding a lot about why he is really wanting to find Chimalli. As he starts to open up to Corrie, she finds herself softening to him and leaning into the attraction that has always been there between the two of them.

The two make progress on the dig and in their relationship as they become closer and start a secret just a hookup relationship. As they continue to spend time with one another, they each start to develop feelings they cannot deny.

Issues start to develop with the dig and who is really behind mysterious artifacts going missing. At the same time, the secrets Ford has been keeping are exposed and Corrie and Ford find themselves fighting for their relationship and their lives.

The adventure and mystery were a fun add on to the relationship and chemistry that developed between Corrie and Ford. I had fun going on the adventure with them and I think you will too!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing the #JoyfulChaosBookClub with ARCs.

This book had the bones of being a great action packed rom com and mucked it up in the execution. The premise was great but gosh, is it so impossible to ask for a contemporary romance these days that doesn't have a parental cancer subplot in there? In this one, both MCs have a parental cancer thing, Corrie's mom died of cancer years ago, before the book begins and Ford's is going through very expensive treatment for cancer currently which plays a large part in the overall plot of the book. I love a competent heroine and perhaps this tried to be an enemies to lovers but really that's not what this is, these two have a complicated history, most of it predicated on Ford inadvertently (and sometimes intentionally) screwing Corrie over professionally. And I hate that cancer storyline is used to make Ford sympathetic despite him professionally undermining Corrie. He really comes off as a "poor misunderstood white man" and I'm sorry but I'm least interested in that particular character archetype. Also, I wish we could have character development that wasn't just about parental cancer trauma. Again, the book had promise, I really liked the premise, but I wish I liked the hero more.

I'm a huge fan of The Mummy and Indiana Jones, and this book gave the same general vibes. Plus who doesn't love a punny title? I really think there should be more adventure romance novels out there, and so I am thankful for this book! It's cute and fun, nothing groundbreaking, in my opinion, and a little cheesy, but an enjoyable read.

This book raided my heart! Stories featuring a search for treasure have always been a favorite of mine (Goonies never say die!) and this book did not disappoint on that, or any of its other tropes. Corrie and Ford have an addictive tension right from their first reintroduction. I loved to see their story unfold, especially amongst the beautiful setting of their dig. The academic/career rivalry yet overwhelming attraction they have to each other is easy to believe and so entertaining to watch play out. I loved the twists in the plot, and found myself audibly gasping, which is rare! I also loved the role that Ethan played as the voice of reason between the two of them. This was such an enjoyable read, it completely transported me.

Dr. Corrie Meija has long considered Ford Matthews to be her rival. She absolutely hates him and thinks the feeling is mutual. Imagine her surprise when she gets invited to a an archeological dig and he’s the boss? As they search for a legendary Aztec and his family they have to learn to work together - and they fall in love in the process. But the world of archeology is cutthroat and dirty, so it won’t be easy.

Overall I liked the concept of the book, but found some of it to be too cheesy. I couldn’t tell if it was on on the joke and mocking itself or if it was completely serious.

Corrie and Ford both bothered me a bit as protagonists. She blames a lot of her failure/reputation on other people but continues to do the things that have garnered her a bad reputation. Ford is well aware of the mistakes he’s made in the past but doesn’t actually make an attempt to resolve them until 3/4 of the way through the book.

By the time we get through their personal problems the book was nearly over. The end felt rushed and the last chapter was predictable but felt like it was just tacked on instead of being included. It could have been an epilogue.

It was a fun and silly romp through the jungle.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

NetGalley sent me info about this book, so I thought, sure, why not. It was such fun. I loved the disdain between the two characters and how they eventually worked through things. It was fun and adventurous, and had plot twists I didn't see coming (which was nice, because I've been able to predict a lot of books lately).

This book really disappointed me. I was so excited for it based off of the synopsis. It sounded just like something I'd love. My main issue was with the writing. I immediately noticed something was off but decided to keep with it. Sadly, from there I just kept finding more issues. It had so much potential but fell flat. Overall, if your able to overlook writing and a romance that doesn't give you all the feels then this might be for you.

Unfortunately DNF'd at about 25%. I didn't like either main character and honestly, they probably shouldn't end up together! I was hoping for an adventure-y romcom but based on other reviews, that's not really what we get. Also, I'm all for supporting women in their rights and wrongs but packing sex toys and slinky nightwear to an archaeological dig where you are a professional and want to be taken seriously in a field that regularly doesn't was a...choice.

I put this book down and immediately called my best friend to insist we do it for book club. Fun, adventurous, cutting at times, and just lovely all around.

If you like Indiana Jones & wish that it was a rom-com featuring a female lead (NOT a sidekick), then you may enjoy Raiders of the Lost Heart.

It was a fun archaeology rom-com that showed that woman are just as bad ass archaeologists as men can be - if not more.

Enemies to Lovers, but maybe also second chance romance? I loved the interactions between Ford and Corrie & how their relationship developed. It nicely showed that even after two characters get together, they are still going to have bumps along the way that can worked out. I also really loved the side characters - they were fun & memorable and written just as well as the main characters were.

I would love if there was a second book - whether it was following in another adventure for Corrie & Ford or whether it followed Ethan & Sunny. Also, we need more Agnes. She was one of my faves.

Overall, this was a 4 star book for me. One that was a very quick read and once I really got into it, I didn't want to put it down.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARCs for #joyfulchaosbookclub, in exchange for my honest review.

She feels cheated, he feels threatened, they will have to work together to save the artifacts found on their combined dig. Jo Segura's RAIDERS OF THE LOST HEART brings together two adversaries on a project dig to find evidence of Chimalli, an ancient Azrec warrior. Corrie is an expert on Chimalli, she has traced her family tree back many centuries to find he is ancestor. Ford is leading the dig, putting his academic influence to locate the warrior and bring him back to the university to study. Ford and Corrie have history, it did not end well so they are wary of each other. Soon they will have to work together to save the dig from thieves.

An adventure/ romance that has plenty of heat from the main characters and plenty of action as they work together to save Chimalli from ending up sold to the highest bidder. The interactions between these two keep the pace moving quickly and the story entertaining and interesting. The descriptions of the dig and the processes thay must follow to preserve the artifacts added an educational element that left this reader looking for more. This was an easy 5 star from me even though romance is not my typical reading genre.

I loved everything about this book - it was fun, full of adventure, and a good enemies-to-lovers plot. More archeology romances!!

What a fun, adventurous romance! I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers banter and chemistry as well as the Indiana Jones-style adventures along the way. A very fun read!

I was really looking forward to this one, but it just didn't hit for me.

I understood the emotional stakes but the execution didn't make me feel them. Due to this the sex didn't build up an emotional element and fell flat for me.

I loved the concept and really wanted to enjoy this book, but ultimately it just wasn't my type of adventure romance.

This seemed right up my alley but unfortunately I did not like it and I came close to not finishing it. I loved the idea of this, but the execution just wasn't good, imo. The dialogue was cheesy and felt forced, the sex scenes made me cringe (in the middle of the campground in a tent with a ton of other people around - not to mention the fact that Corrie brought a vibrator to this dig and actually used it), and the setting of the Mexican jungle didn't feel atmospheric enough. The archaeology aspect and Lacandon Jungle setting could have been fabulous (who doesn't love Indiana Jones?) but both took a backseat to the extremely horny Ford and Corrie who should have focused more on finding artefacts. Instead there was no chemistry between the two so their sudden realizations of love seemed unnatural. The juvenile writing also made the life-threatening drama at the end come across as hokey. A lot of this was silly and not well-constructed and the enemies to lovers trope wasn't accurate. I could overlook a lot, but the way this was written simply made me cringe and that's not what I should be getting out of a supposed love story. I'm sorry that I'm unable to recommend this one. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this DRC in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully others will enjoy this more than I did.