So, I did read this before the controversy and I've been sort of wondering how to fit that into a review. Obviously, there are a lot of people talking about the authenticity of the native representation within this book, and I am not an expert, so I won't comment on that except to draw attention to it potentially being problematic and suggest that people look to more knowledgeable sources than me to get the best information. Ultimately, I don't think this will be available for purchase either way, but it does inform my decisions on whether I'd want to pick up another Colby Wilkens novel.

As far as the book itself goes, I struggled with the first portion of it. To me, miscommunication is a hard trope to write without it just being frustrating, and I didn't find the dialogue or characterization to be particularly strong to make up for a lot of the back and forth. This felt very YA, despite also being excessively about how hot the other character is during internal monologues, and sort of landed around an after-dark version of scooby doo. I think I would have enjoyed it quite a bit more if we actually saw the development of feelings between the two main characters instead of starting at a place where they were already in love/lust with one another and just unable to express it, and then off on their silly goofy adventure.

Overall, I would be cautious about picking up another book by this author in the future, and would probably pass unless a trusted source recommended it.

This book was well written and had engaging characters and plot, despite some characters not following through the entire story. While I read and enjoyed the experience of this book, I cannot in good conscious recommend this book, due to the controversy surrounding the author and their false claims.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book due to the author lying about their native ethnic background.

1 star

Having DNFed the author's previous book, I was wary of this one. I had read the first 3 chapters, and was feeling a similar way, when the controversy surrounding the author came to light. I will be marking this as a DNF because of my initial reading, and will not be supporting this author in the future due to her actions.

Thank you to netgalley and SMP for the Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Treasure hunting? More like bad dialogue and really performative and almost cliche representation of native culture.

The first twenty percent of this book was honestly the main character being upset at the other character for leaving and it was honestly so frustrating. She was just so winy which left a lot to be desired from the book.

Characters went missing halfway through to never be mentioned again (you’d think an editor would’ve caught onto that) and there was more time spent in the characters minds lusting after each other than actually talking or expressing their feelings. It felt childish and not at all how grown adults actually act.
The whole treasure hunting portion of the book could’ve had more done to it, it honestly just felt flat. I feel like there’s always a spark missing in these sort of books nowadays and yes the marketing is great and the blurb is great, but the story itself usually doesn’t live up to what is shown to you and that’s honestly just apart of the game of being a reader.

There were some parts that made me laugh and the scenery was described well. I honestly think if the characters were in a different book that it would’ve been incredible, I just don’t think the treasure hunting aspect was executed as well as it could’ve been.

Thank you for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

I’m very sad to hear that this author was falsely claiming indigenous status, and for that I cannot in good conscience read this book. It’s unfortunate because it sounded right up my alley.

Thank you for the advanced copy but due to the controversy surrounding the author, I am choosing to not read or review this title anymore.

Thank you for the advanced copy but due to the controversy surrounding the author, I am choosing to not read or review this title anymore.

I really really wanted to love this book and I feel like the potential for me to love it was definitely there but instead I found it difficult to get through. I love a sapphic romance and was so excited for this story to have indigenous representation. It was the story itself that failed to catch my attention at all times, it was really slow and tough to get through. The indigenous representation also feels very disingenuous amidst recent allegations of this author not being truthful about her heritage. Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for this ARC.

Thank you for the advanced copy but due to the controversy surrounding the author, I am choosing to not read or review this title anymore.

I had started this book and will admit I was for the most part enjoying it. I did unfortunately have to put it down not long after starting it because I learned the author was a white woman claiming status as a native person. That was disgusting to me and I had to stop reading or supporting from there.

It's cute, it's spicy - I loved it. A sapphic adventure romance I didn't know I was looking for. There's tension, longing, and an intriguing plot line. I didn't want to put this one down.

While I appreciate being given the opportunity to review this work, with it being pulled from production at this time I cannot form and accurate review or rating.

I’ve decided not to review this book because it won’t be published. While I enjoyed reading it, I prefer to focus my reviews on books that are accessible to my audience so they can share in the experience. Thank you for understanding!

I had so much fun reading If I Dig You by Colby Wilkens.
This book really took me on one amazing adventure!

QUEER NATIONAL TREASURE. I repeat: QUEER NATIONAL TREASURE. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for an ARC of If I Dig You! This is Colby Wilken’s second release, and unlike many authors, she did not hit a sophomore slump. The pacing, high stakes setting, and adorable main characters in If I Dig You are immediately captivating and leave you wanting more. This book is perfect for fans of National Treasure and The Mummy!

Characters: 4 ⭐️
Setting: 4.5 ⭐️
Pacing: 5 ⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Overall: 4⭐️

If I Dig You takes places in the remote wilderness of Georgia, where legends speak of a hidden Cherokee treasure that has been lost to time. Isi and Louise are archaeologists by trade, and have been friends since their days in undergrad. The story opens with the presumed death of Isi’s mom, who has gone missing on her own archaeology mission to recover Native artifacts in Georgia. The pacing is quick and grabs the reader immediately from page one. What happened to Isi’s mom?? Is there something to be found out in the remote forests of Georgia?? All of our questions are answered by the end of the book, and the ride is well worth it.

The villain in the story may have been a bit one-dimensional, but Isi and Louise were fully fleshed-out and relatable FMCs. The book is written in third person, which I find can be a challenging POV to connect with, but Wilkens’ wrote this novel with alternating focus on each FMC as the chapter changes (ex: Ch 1 - Isi, Ch 2 - Louise, etc.). This style of third person allows the reader to form a deeper connection with each character and learn more about what motivates them vs. a standard third person POV.

Colby Wilkens books operate on a very simple and non convoluted manner: I am tempted at times to compare the mystery to a Scooby Doo episode with a focus on Velma's romance. It's simplistic and silly; while that appeals to many I do prefer a bit more depth and grounding my my fiction. So although definitely not a terrible book, you definitely want to set expectations properly and not expect reality to intrude too much into the plot. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

While I adore the comp titles and would love to read something with that exact vibe, this book has been pulled from publication and I will not be supporting the author.

Due to the controversy surrounding this author, I will not be reviewing this book. It's a disappointment as the premise was excellent.

Thank you for the opportunity.

I'm so sorry, but due to the controversy about this author and the fact that this book is no longer being published (to my knowledge), I am not going to read an ARC of this book. I do not want this to negatively affect my feedback ratio, as this is not in my control that this ARC is not being published anymore.