If you love Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and wish it stared a teenager, than this book is perfect for you! I was so excited to see something set in Pompeii, but it does require the reader to suspend disbelief and go along for the vibes, not necessarily the facts. Being a teen book, it means that a lot of improbable teen like things are going on. But, it is cute and has it's moments. I still wanted to know the ending, but fully recognize that age wise, I was not the target audience. I just couldn't say no to anything inspired by the Mummy!

I found this book on NetGalley and really didn’t know anything about it before diving in head first. I think I read the first line of the synopsis and decided to go for it.

I was very pleasantly surprised. This book is perfect for fans of WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS and Indiana Jones. There’s action and adventure, romance, and high stakes to keep you on your toes. I also loved that it is a standalone story. Would I love more of Margot and Van’s adventures? Yes I would! But the story left me feeling like it’s complete and I loved that.

The romance is a little insta love and rushed but the synopsis is pretty transparent that this has romcom vibes. I’ve questioned the timeline of the love story in MANY a romcom movie so why would I expect anything different here? It’s quick but it didn’t distract from my enjoyment.

Lastly, I listened to a digitally rendered voice galley here so I can’t really comment on the narration. I will say that the computer generated voice has improved tremendously since the last time I listened to one of these but it still lacks emotion and inflection. I loved the way the story read though and would definitely enjoy listening to the final product with a real voice actor.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️