If you’re into Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider you may really love this book! This one had a lot more action and danger than the first, so while it’s firmly a contemporary romance, there’s a ton of adventure and a bit of a thriller aspect.

I thought Miri and Rafa had great chemistry - flirty banter was off the CHARTS - but I wished the book was actually a bit slower paced. The ending felt so rushed and I really wanted to sink into the story and the atmosphere a bit more.

On the plus side, it’s a quick read with plenty of excitement and some solid spice.

If Indiana Jones were a quirky, sharp-witted woman with a penchant for breaking rules and dodging traps in ancient ruins, she'd be Dr. Miriam Jackson—better known as Miri to those brave enough to keep up with her. Jo Segura's Temple of Swoon delivers a thrilling, laugh-out-loud, action-packed adventure. I couldn't help but get swept away by its irresistible charm.

First, let's talk about Miri. She's the kind of protagonist who jumps off the page, all determination and sass, with just enough vulnerability to make her relatable. I was hooked from the moment she pulled out her stash of snacks when stranded in a remote area, earning her the nickname "Pringles." Miri's wit and determination are the driving forces of the story, making her the perfect mix of brains, determination, and sass.

Then there's Rafe, the journalist/saboteur-turned-love-interest. Their romance? Classic instalove gold. It was a delight to watch Miri and Rafe banter and bicker their way through death traps, cryptic puzzles, and ancient curses. The tension between them builds perfectly, and every stolen glance, snarky remark, and begrudging moment of trust pulls me deeper into their relationship. When they moved from adversaries to fighting for each other, I was swooning along with the title.
The story's pacing is as relentless as the obstacles Miri and Rafe face. Segura keeps the stakes high and the action flowing with ancient legends, dangerous expeditions, and plenty of "oh no, how are they getting out of this?" moments. I barely had time to catch my breath before another twist hurtled the characters into more danger (and often, hilarious chaos).

Why four stars instead of five? While I adored romance and action, I wished more depth in the secondary characters and world-building. The supporting cast and mythology surrounding the "Temple of Swoon" were intriguing. Still, they could've been explored just a bit more. That said, it didn't stop me from devouring this book and grinning the whole way through.

Temple of Swoon is a treasure you'll want to uncover if you love fast-paced adventures, banter-filled romance, and a leading lady who's as clever as she is bold. Miri and Rafe's journey will leave you rooting for them long after the final page—and maybe planning your next (fictional) expedition.

Set in the Amazon rainforest and featuring a quirky archaeologist who just wants to prove herself in her field (and maybe attempt to channel her inner Lara Croft along the way), Segura’s latest novel, Temple of Swoon, is another winner!

Dr. Miriam (Miri) Jacobs feels like she has been trying to prove herself forever, but when an accident takes her mentor out of commission, Miri is picked to lead an unmapped expedition into the Brazilian rainforest in search of the Lost City of the Moon. If she can find it, she will finally feel like she has earned the respect of her colleagues.

Journalist Rafa Monfils is also taking part in this expedition on the pretense of documenting, but his real goal is to sabotage the expedition so that the Lost City remains hidden. From the moment they head out on the expedition, there are non stop obstacles and danger, many of which are orchestrated by Rafa, unbeknownst to Miri. Rafa is conflicted though, because he and Miri are definitely attracted to one another another, whether they want to admit it or not.

Miri was such an easy protagonist to love. She is so smart and resilient, and I loved her tenacity and her quirkiness. That said, I also laughed out loud at the silly scenes where she tried to channel her inner Lara Croft. I’m all about a character trying to prove themselves, and I was rooting hard for Miri, especially since she was paired up with another colleague who was such a condescending jerk. This guy was so awful that even Rafa found himself wanting to see Miri succeed!

I also really liked Rafa in spite of his questionable reasons for being on the trip, loved his chemistry with Miri, and was rooting for him to redeem himself since the two of them really did seem to make a pretty great team.

🌟:4.75

The title of this book perfectly captures the wonderful mix of adventure and adorable-ness that you get when you read it.

Also, I need you to know I read this in one sitting. ONE. SITTING.

I was hooked on the story, but why? Because of Miri and Rafa. Their chemistry together was perfect from their first adorably awkward encounters. Their goals are also fundamentally opposed, which made for a lot of entertaining moments to read (though I, like Rafa, did feel bad for Miri struggling as a result of his sabotage). I was simply addicted to their goofy banter, and how they continued to be drawn to each other despite their attempts to stay away.

This book does a great job of weaving the high stakes moments of action in with the romance. You could feel Miri’s urgency to reach the city before anyone else, and I felt totally immersed in her quest to decipher the clues to its location.

Oh, and that twist? I so, totally, called it (I’m amazing).

So yeah, this book is a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend it if you like movies like The Lost City.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the e-arc of this book! These opinions are all my own.

I didn’t really enjoy Jo Segura’s debut novel, Raiders of the Lost Heart, but I wanted to give her another chance with Temple of Swoon. Unfortunately, I liked this one even less. My biggest issue with this novel is the characterization. Everyone in this book feels like a cartoony, mustache twirling villain, or just a single stereotype for a personality. There’s no dimension to any of them. There aren’t strong arcs for either of our main characters, nor for their relationship. I didn’t buy them as a couple, because they weren’t strong as individuals. Also, Miri was not good at her job!
My other big issue with this book is that it does not do a great job at representing the community it’s about. This is not a Latine romance; the main female character is fully white, and our male main character is half-white, half-Brazilian. Rafa knows nothing about his Brazilian side, and it could have been interesting to have Rafa discover more about his heritage but that isn’t delved into nearly enough in my opinion. His motivations were very surface level, which meant we got little to no valuable Brazilian rep in this book.
This book fell very flat for me and I cannot recommend it. Overdone stereotypes, too many tropes crammed in with not enough depth to the characters, and the action/adventure portions of the book were incredibly boring.

In a continuation of what readers can likely guess is a twist on Indiana Jones-meets-romance, this follow-up to Raiders of the Lost Heart follows Dr Miri Jacobs, ready to embark on her first archaeological expedition as a team lead, exploring the Amazon to find the Lost City of the Moon, an existence long rumored but never located. She’s joined by journalist Rafael Monfils who has his own secret reasons for joining this expedition: making sure the team doesn’t find the site through whatever shenanigans he can work in. However, soon the team finds themselves in danger, crossing paths with a criminal known for pillaging rare sites and selling things on the black market. And with danger comes heightened emotions — like a budding romance between Miri & Rafa.
This was a fun story with a unique setting and high stakes. I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the spice as it seemed to make its way into the story at the most random times but liked the sparks and banter between the leads.
Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“The world is our snack bar—we can choose to do whatever we want.”

TLDR: Need a little adventure in your life? A little suspense? This book will do that and also bring the *swoon* much like the title implies. No need to pack your bags to escape to the Amazon rainforest.

I read and loved Jo Segura’s debut novel, RAIDERS OF THE LOST HEART. It was my first romance with action and adventure. I was completely sucked in, especially as someone who grew up watching Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone. I knew I wanted (i.e. needed) more. This ended up being another fun adventure filled with a great mix of suspense and romance. I loved Miri and Rafa’s meet-cute. I quickly fell in love with them, especially Rafa. I’m a sucker for nicknames, and the one he gave Miri from their funny and slightly disastrous first meeting was just adorable. It had me giggling and swooning the whole book.

A few things I love about these books: women discovering and leaning into their inner bad*ss, and their deep respect for the land and the people they are rearching. Add in the sweet and swoon and it’s a fun little escape. So, grab your favorite travel snack (might I suggest M&Ms or Pringles? 😉) and head off to find the Lost City of the Moon.

Tropes + things
archeologist FMC
journalist MMC
workplace romance
forced proximity
dual POV/3rd person

3.5 stars

This book is connected to Jo Segura’s novel Raiders of the Lost Heart (but can be read as a standalone). I’m obsessed with the covers and titles of these books! However, I had a really hard time rating this book.

There were so many good things about this book. The FMC is a quirky archaeologist on an expedition to discover the fabled Lost City of the Moon. Miri is endearing from chapter one. She is a bumbling hot mess with an amazing sense of humor that made me laugh out loud. She has no experience leading a mission, but it was fun to watch her grow from an inexperienced archaeologist endangering her team to a pure badass. I also loved the adventure aspect of the book, the setting, and all the clues Miri has to solve.

My problem with the book came with the MMC, who is a journalist/photographer hired to document the search for the lost city. Except that Rafa does not actually want the team to succeed, and sabotages them the whole time. I had a really hard time with the lying and deceit while Miri was starting to fall for him. The romance between Miri and Rafa was insta-lust, and then took a loooong time to build to anything more. The slow burn actually worked for me, but I didn’t want Miri to end up with him in the end, so it was hard for me to be excited about it. I thought that Rafa did sort of redeem himself, but it was hard for me to forgive him.

Thank you to Jo Segura, Berkley, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
💕 Quirky FMC in male-dominated fields
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Cheesy action movies
💕 Pringles

currently mad at whoever gatekept raiders of the lost heart from me because I could have jumped on these sooner.
i had so much fun reading this, swooning did occur on both my part and miriam's. miriam was so deeply relatable with wanting to prove yourself and having a bit of imposter syndrome. she was headstrong in the best way and I really loved how she found her confidence throughout the book. these books truly read like an action adventure movie that's heavy on the romance, and it's just perfect. no notes, I love it!

I absolutely lover Raiders of The Lost Heart by Jo Segura so Temple of Swoon was a very highly anticipated read for me. Unfortunately it was a big let down. I kinda felt like I was reading almost the exact same story as the first one but with less sparkle of adventure. There were a few points that felt fresh and new but the over arc of the storyline felt bland and recycled.

I really really wanted to love this book so much and it was just ok to me, good but not great.

This cozy adventure romance was a fun ride. The characters are lovable and relatable. The author's writing is humorous while still being swoon-worthy. The story gave me "Romancing the Stone" vibes in the best way.

I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read this book early, and as someone who loved the Raiders of the Lost Heart, I am a bit disappointed in this book. I struggled to make it to the 148 pages, the point I decided this book was not for me. There was just so much going on that I couldn't keep up, while I felt the heat of the characters' passion for each other, I couldn't help but think about how this adventure would lead them into their lives together in the future. And I simply felt as though they barely connected. The entire concept of the adventure and purpose of the male main character, Rafa, was to sabotage Miri's search of the Lost City of the Moon. This level of purposeful miscommunication did not sit right with me, and I could not bear to see how it would play out. I am a fan of the miscommunication trope to a certain extent, and this level of deceitfulness on behalf of Rafa and his father put me off completely.

I enjoyed the quirkiness of the FMC and her drive for this archeological adventure but I felt like the book was centered around the FMC internal monologue and the romance aspect fell short.

Likes: STEM FMC, rom com vibes, forced proximity in workplace
Dislikes: conclusion felt forced, lack of connection between characters, felt like I was reading fmc thoughts only which I think makes me feel like there was a lack of connection

I've been eagerly awaiting this book since reading Segura's Raiders of the Lost Heart, and it was so much fun! I love an adventure romance and Temple of Swoon delivers. Archaeologist Miri and journalist Rafa are adorable together and I loved the dual POV just to see how much they swooned over each other.

I love that this story takes place in the Amazon (I've always wanted to go!) with Miri leading a team to search for the fabled Lost City of the Moon and Rafa documenting their journey...and perhaps taking part in a little sabotage. There is plenty of intrigue, sexy moments, a twist I did not see coming, plus some cameos from Raiders of the Lost Heart! Beyond their journey through the Amazon, both Miri and Rafa also go through internal journeys. Miri is trying to discover her innate badassery and confidence as a leader, while Rafa is trying to balance what he really wants from life and his father's expectations.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Temple of Swoon. There were some areas where the pacing felt a little rushed, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of these lovely characters!

If you enjoy adventure romance with charming characters and exciting action scenes, definitely pick this one up!

In Temple of Swoon, Dr. Miriam Jacobs just wants to do a good job, but getting thrown right in front of a very secret mission into the Amazon and having to suddenly lead in a wild goose chase, after a lost city no one is sure even exists, wasn’t what she expected. But inspired by her good friend Dr. Corrie Mejia, she brings on the R in Rad, and along with the help, or so she thinks of the handsome photographer Rafa, she gives it all she’s got.

Miris quirkyness and Rafas endearing love for her it was charming. I loved how she didn’t give up, even when everyone around her kept doubting her preparedness for the mission. She’s smart and sassy and wasn’t afraid to be herself. The twist in the story I wasn’t expecting at all, and the unraveling of the end had me on the edge and I couldn’t put it down until I finished.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this advanced copy.

Just like book one in this series, I thought this was a really enjoyable read even for people who might be more interested in not as kitschy of a romance. Segura does the romcom writing very well., it’s very obvious that she takes time to do a little bit of research into the academic field that’s being represented in the book. From firsthand experience, I can say that she portrays some of the professors very accurately and how they talk down to other professors who they deem not as academically, smart or accomplished as them. What I mostly like about these books is that it really takes the reader out of of the traditional romcom setting, usually a city or a small town, and kind of escalates the stakes a little bit while still keeping the lightheartedness of a romance novel. I will say, I found the main female lead a little bit much, and that she was always kind of falling over herself and being clumsy, which I find to be a trope in a lot of romance books that I don’t necessarily love, but at the same time, I do feel like it added to the character a little bit because it was a motivation to show her depth as professor and and as a researcher. Overall, I think this is a really cute and fun romcom that people should read.

I was not a fan of Raiders of the Lost Heart, but I loooved Temple of Swoon from the very beginning! This had the action I was hoping for in the first book and the MMC was much more likeable. It had good twists that I didn’t see coming, and I was all about the storyline that in ways, reminded me of The Mummy but set in a Brazilian rainforest (and without the supernatural aspects). I think Temple of Swoon was a lot of fun and I am very much here for this new-ish sub genre of adventure romance that we’re seeing more of

(3.5/5 stars)

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura is a contemporary adventure romcom featuring an archaeologist and a journalist.

Though not listed as an actual series anywhere I can find, this installment is set about a year and a half after the previous book, Raiders of the Lost Heart. The MCs from that book have a nice cameo in this one; our new FMC Miri is under the mentorship of the previous FMC, Corrie. You could absolutely read this as a stand-alone!

I had a fun time reading this book, but I did struggle a bit with the overall pacing of the novel and with some transitions, especially transitions into steamy scenes.

The world needs more adventure romance books! This really scratched my itch for something like The Mummy or especially Fool's Gold.

Another fun story that made our Indiana jones love into a rom com! But still filled with adventure! I really missed the banter and humor from the first book but this was still a fun read! I am def a corri and ford fan but Rafael and Miri are so good too!
I would recommend if you love Indiana jones and wish it was a romance. Start with book one and see if you want to read book two.
The big twist I saw coming so that was a bummer but all in all a 3 star read (:

Absolutely loved this adventure romance! I love seeing the reclamation of previously 'exotic' locations, but with more gravity to the location itself. We aren't here just for fun, but there are some real reasons with real characters and people.

The romance sizzled! I almost like it better than the first book! They're so hard to compare.

Definitely a great follow up to a great career started from the author!