This book has an exciting premise and a promising beginning, but I believe it has been pulled from the publication lineup.

I was really excited to start this book, as it had an engaging beginning. However, after the halfway mark, the pace slowed down considerably, and the story began to feel like it was dragging. While I initially enjoyed it, I struggled to maintain interest towards the end. Additionally, I’ve recently learned about some troubling actions from the author, which has left me feeling uncomfortable about promoting this book. I can no longer recommend it.

I unfortunately don’t feel comfortable finishing this book due to the controversy surrounding the author.

I really went in excited for this book, but was disappointed to hear some things about the author. The best friends to lovers, the plot, everything seemed to set up for a good read. I just could get into it without feeling some type of way. Wish things were cleared up.

Thank you to Colby Wilkens, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read! It was giving all the "Indiana Jones" vibes while absolutely crushing the sapphic romance aspect.

The treasure hunt aspect of this book largely focuses on a map and the clues hidden within it, I would have loved if a map was also part of the book so that us, as the readers, could follow along and get a visualization of where the characters were going. Having that would have made the book a more immersive experience.

I look forward to reading more of this authors work in the future!

Unfortunately, I just can’t get behind this with what I’ve learned about the author and it looks like this is being pulled anyways.

I chose not to finish this book when Wilkens' heritage and harmful interactions with other authors came into question.

Colby Wilkens' If I Dig You is tackles one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers.

If I Dig You depicts two queer archeologists that have been best friends for sixteen years and then, Lou makes a life-altering decision to break off her engagement and take a job on a dig site in Turkey, leaving behind Isi. Lou and Isi avoid each other after Lou returns, but then, one day, they are pulled back together after Isi finds her mom's journal filled with legends of lost Cherokee gold. Lou and Isi are forced to confront their feelings for each other, both as friends and something more non-platonic, as they search for the missing gold.

This book definitely has its spicy moments sprinkled throughout what I'd call a mix between National Treasure and Indiana Jones. I do feel like we could have had a little more action and a little less of antagonizing over whether to make the move from friends to lovers. Overall, this book has potential and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a spicy treasure hunting story.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC. I had read this, thought it was okay (some issues with the writing and the characters and their questionable decisions). However, due to this author’s actions, I don’t feel comfortable reviewing or promoting this.

I will not give feedback at this time since it has been pulled from publication. If anything changes, I will come back and provide a review.

DNF (or start) due to the author's false claims about Indigenous heritage as well as problematic elements in the book pointed out by other reviewers.

This book sounded right up my alley, but oh my goodness I really did not like it.

I did not like the masturbating in front of someone else without their consent, that feels very gross to me. The inner monologues drove me crazy, and these characters were just completely insufferable.

Just saw all the things going on with this author so I will not be reading or reviewing due to the lies.

I was told that this was pulled out of publication. Also, I cannot in good conscience read this considering the author lied about her origins.

This book lured me in with promises of National Treasure meets Count Your Lucky Stars, but alas, those were lofty dreams and promises, and it did not deliver.

The story of archaeologists Louise and Isi is marred by repetition and a lack of communication, under delivering on any adventure or excitement. Louise has recently returned home: she once promised to always be there for her best friend Isi, but then ran away after a bad romance, hurting Isi despite her love for her. She's now scared of hurting her again, and being hurt. Isi, meanwhile, has lost her mom, a famous archaeologist. She too can't tell Louise how she feels, and is instead a bit neglected and lost.

Isi discovers a journal tied to her mother's research of Cherokee treasure, but the two are kidnapped by a wealthy woman and her goons who want them to decipher the clues and find the treasure for them, not the Cherokee people. Louise and Isi wander the woods like idiots and lust after each other, but, despite ample time to talk, DO NOT. Don't worry, though, there are about eight million descriptions--all nearly exactly the same--of them ogling each other, as well as the them rehashing their same thoughts and feelings on the situation, OVER. And OVER. And then again.

There's plenty of archaeological talk and very little actual adventure. Oh and did I mention the rehashing of feelings and the same thoughts over and over. (Couldn't resist.) The story gets a tiny bit better at the end with more focus on the actual treasure hunting, but overall, this was just strange. There's a magical element, but even that is repetitive. And how do Isi and Louise cause a lot of damage in their said adventure without any consequences?

Lots of promise here, but it winds up a jumbled, overdone mess.

Due to the claims surrounding this author and her claims to ancestry that have appeared to be unfounded , I cannot read this book.

This has been pulled from publication so I will not be reviewing. This is an unfortunate circumstance.

While I enjoyed aspects of this, there were some things that felt off about the Cherokee. When I looked into some of my doubts, I found out that this author has misrepresented themselves and done so in a willfully ignorant way. I won't be reviewing this book.

This book got pulled from publishing due to claims that the author lied about her indigenous ancestry. I really hope that is not the case.
Regardless, I cannot give a review at this moment.

never got the chance to read which is so unfortunate. i was so sad about i plan to read this soon. such a bummer