I will admit that Raiders of the Lost Heart wasn't my favorite, and not because it wasn't bad in any way. That wasn't the case; my biggest qualm was that so much of the action and Indiana Jones-esque action happened off the page, and we, as the reader, spent our time with the characters in the camp. I mention this because "Temple of Swoon" gave me everything I wanted and expected from ROTLH. We're plopped into the action from the get-go. Miri is a great character, and I adore her nickname, Pringles. I wouldn't deem all of the "action" incredibly serious but instead quirky (which fits the story and the characters). I did read a huge spoiler for the big reveal in the story, and I thought I'd be frustrated by it, but I wasn't. The trick with this book was having no expectations and suspending all disbelief, which worked. I liked Rafa and Miri, though, by the end of the story, Rafa's mission felt like a moot point once the villain arrived. The attraction simultaneously felt instant but also slow because it took them almost the entire length of the book before they got intimate (which, again, is understandable because they had many, MANY obstacles to work through). Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I'd recommend it, especially if you wanted more of the archeology/Indiana Jones aspect from the first book.

Perfect for any library collection, the Temple of Swoon is a fantastic addition to the literary world of Jo Segura!

Perfect for patrons who are looking for the quirky banter of India Holton or the academic wit of Ali Hazelwood, Jo Segura offers readers a delightfully madcap adventure through dangerous jungles (academic and Amazonian) and beautifully realized relationships (with snacks and co-adventurers alike). While Temple of Swoon will certainly appeal to fans of the first book (Raiders of the Lost Heart) it can be read on its own, satisfying both the established romance reader and the patron new to the genre. An excellent addition to a library display pairing books with films (with obvious links to The Mummy and the early Indiana Jones films) or a lighthearted display of books linked to culture and career (drawing on the themes of technological innovation and indigenous rights that run through Segura's books). While the fictional artifacts may or may not belong in a museum, this very real book belongs in every public library. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this wonderful arc.

Her mission: find the Lost City of the Moon in the Amazon rainforest. His mission: protect the holy temple...and his heart. While her mentor may be the world’s most badass archaeologist, the only thing bad about Dr. Miriam Jacobs are her corny jokes. But when Miri is charged with leading an unmapped expedition through the Amazon for the fabled Lost City of the Moon, she finally has her chance to prove to Dr. Mejía that she’s capable—and hopefully prove it to herself, too. Journalist Rafael Monfils has joined the archaeological team to chronicle their search for the lost city. Or at least, that’s what they think he’s doing. Rafa’s real goal? Make sure the team does not reach a Cidade Da Lua, stopping the desecration of the holy city and protecting his mother's legacy. All he needs to do is keep them on the wrong path. If only the endearingly quirky Dr. Jacobs wasn't so damn tenacious—each of Rafa's purposeful wrong turns and tricks only seem to fuel Miri's determination. Even worse, he’s charmed by her goofy attempts to channel Lara Croft as they traverse the dangerous Brazilian rainforest. But they’re not the only crew hunting for the Moon City, and soon, the untamed jungle—and their untamed hearts—might be the least of their worries…


This book was a great read. I enjoyed the simplicity of the love story along with the adventure. I have never read "Raider's of the Lost Heart", but it is now on my TBR list. I enjoyed both of the characters and could really relate. The twist with the villain was a nice setup as well. I would definitely read a book from this author again. It has been on of my favorite romance books, I have read within the last year. Some of the book was a little corny, but I did enjoy the content.

Temple of Swoon was just as good as Raiders of the Lost Heart, and I can't wait to swing into the next one! I really enjoyed the character from Montreal. Ostie, but he made made the book for me and I was already a sucker for the adventure/exploration/archaeology/historical artifact recovery & preservation style fun of these books. Can't recommend Temple of Swoon enough!

This was just as fantastic as the first one! I absolutely love Jo's work and I will be reading whatever else they release. This was nothing short of a good time!

A second fun book by the author. It can be read as a stand alone but better together. There were some laugh out loud moments. I love the cheesiness and puns in this book

Miri and Rafa meet randomly at the airport and are instantly attracted to another. As luck would have they are both headed to the same secret mission: an archeological dig searching for the Lost City of the Moon. Navigating the jungle and their own feelings proves to be more difficult than anticipated and truly sends them on an adventure of a lifetime.
This book had the perfect amount of cheese and lots of obstacles to overcome. Fun read that will not disappoint.

Just like the first book, Raiders of the Lost Heart, this book is funny, adventure-packed, steamy, with a perfect amount of cheesy. Lovers of forced-proximity and insta-love tropes will enjoy this title. I found the lore of the Lost City of the Moon to be really interesting, but felt it could've used more detail to add to the mystery of it. The twists and turns of the story kept me really engaged, and the MC's had a lot of chemistry. While there were some plot holes, I had a fun time reading it. I'd recommend it to fans of Christina Lauren's Something Wilder and also fans of the show Outer Banks.

This was adorable and dare I say a bit cheesy.. but it worked for me! I haven’t read the first book in this series, but because I enjoyed this I will definitely give that one a shot too!

It was exactly the cheesy enemies to lover w Indiana Jones vibes you would imagine. Still a great, cute, quick read.

Jo Segura hits it out of the park again, blending romance, adventure, and respect for what we can learn and preserve through archaeology rather than stealing artifacts. I'm obsessed with Miri, even if others may get annoyed with "not like other girls" story. I like everything about her and her plunge forward, even when she is reckless and unthinking. Watching her and Rafa bond through banter and dreaming... Perfection! I did not see some of the twists coming in this story, and I look forward to more of this series!

Jo Segura has found my niche. I loooove her adventure romance novels. This one was just as fun as the first book, and both characters were very likeable. And oh man - the TWIST!! I DID NOT see that coming!

This was as fun as the authors first book. There were some laugh out loud moments. I love the cheesiness and puns in this book. And the cover is chef’s kiss!

Raiders of the Lost Heart was one of my top reads of 2023, so when I saw Jo Segura’s sophomore novel was available for ARC requests, I jumped at the chance. Sadly, Temple of Swoon does not live up to ROTLH. While the cover rivals ROTLH and Segura returns with a delightful adventure and fun puns, Temple of Swoon suffers from too many plotlines.

Insta-love is hard for me to get behind most of the time. It’s hard to figure out where the lust starts and affection begins, particularly when the two characters are thrust together in forced proximity for weeks to months. Miri and Rafa were both interesting characters on their own, but I found their quick love hard to believe, especially since they’re in an environment where it’s easy to attach yourself to the people surrounding you.

Miri is Corrie’s mentee, but has never led a dig or written a published journal article. It seems odd given that Corrie is well-published and well-known in the archeological community and has not helped give Miri that opportunity until now when it is thrust upon her to everyone’s surprise. Miri also makes decisions based on what Corrie would do throughout the book (WWCMD?), but she never really develops her own voice and thoughts in respect to how she should handle and lead this expedition. It would have been nice to have more time to delve into her claiming her own identity in the archeological world.

The lore of the Lost City of the Moon and its protectors was fascinating, but got lost in the midst of other plotlines (mainly Vauter). The story would have moved along much better and been more fascinating had the main conflict been Rafa being a protector of the Moon City while Miri is leading the expedition to find it. I would have loved to know more about the protectors and the city. Why did they leave? Why did they leave the riches? Why did they never come back? Why is it so important to continue to hide it? How did the protectors begin?

When I found out that the villain in the first book is the same villain in this book, I questioned how and why. The story already borders on fantastical that having the same cartoonish-like villain back again makes it more hard to believe. When you find out that Vauter is actually Rafa’s dad, I was so confused. While you get little hints that Rafa’s dad might not be as supportive as you think, Rafa definitely felt his love throughout his life and deeply cared for him. It seemed to be a plotline to give the story a more emotional punch, but ended up feeling overwhelming and confusing.

The article Rafa wrote in the epilogue was also super confusing. Why is he writing a FAQ when he hasn’t even published an article yet? How do people know all about this dig and that they found the Lost City? I would have loved to have spent more time on Rafa discovering his Brazilian heritage and his responsibilities as a protector of the Moon City.

While Segura’s sophomore novel brings a fresh perspective in romance and adventure, it fails to be as captivating as her debut.

I really enjoyed the story and the writing. The characters were sweet and I really liked the couple. Although, as much as I liked the story, I cannot stand the insta-love trope, it makes the couple getting together feel very unrealistic and somewhat boring. There was still tension between them because of the will they won’t they back and forth, and ultimately they are very cute together, but the trope that got them together is just something that I don’t personally like.

Wow this one kept hooked from beginning to end. The characters’ dynamic is intense and the plot is full of suspense. A gripping and an unforgettable story. I would definitely be recommending it.

This book was a very fun and engaging read! I loved getting to go along for the ride and had plenty of twists along the way! It was easy to get swept up in the love story, and I often found myself forgetting to put the book down. Would definitely recommend to fans of the first and those who are first time readers!

A sweet and spicy romance! I've been a long-time fan of the author and was so delighted with this story. A must-read for romance fans!