Thank you NetGallery for the eARC!

The premise of this novel was very promising! Two archeologists who are secretly in love with each other on the hunt for long lost treasure—what could go wrong?

Well, unfortunately many things. What was most disappointing in this book was how fast the romance actually occurred. Or perhaps it was the way they finally revealed it to each other that’s bugging me? Either way, “pleasing” yourself in front of another person without consent is just so icky. That is something you can do once you’ve established some kind of consent, not before that. And oh my god, there were so many mentions of Louise’s’ boobs that I felt like I was losing it. We can be more creative right? There are definitely other features on her body. On top of all this, I hate when romance books go from pining to only sex. What happened to all of the flirting and romantic gestures? I guess that’s harder to establish when they are literally fighting to survive, but they still had time to have sex so whatever ig.

Okay! I feel that is my biggest issue. There are other things, such as how they were just walking through the woods having the same conversation over and over in multiple chapters, or the way they killed a whole bunch of people and there were no implications??? Also unanswered questions about the magical compass, Louise’s brother, etc.

Good things now!

I really enjoyed all of the real life encounters they had in the woods. The spiders, snake, the cold, are things that usually don’t get mentioned in these kinds of adventure stories. I also loved getting Native history mentioned; it’s always nice to get more diversified characters and plots. There was also some good action; Sophie’s fingers getting blown off, trying to escape zip ties, Louise being cursed! Very interesting things.

Overall, this book was promising, but the execution just wasn’t it. It was hard to be interested in continuing on most of the time.

Ok this was a nice adventure that grips you from the start. Its blend of action and budding romance, this story is sure to resonate with fans of the treasure-hunting genre. The Lara Croft vibes are unmistakable, and Wilkens does a fantastic job of bringing that exhilarating sense of adventure to life. The plot follows our fiercely determined protagonist as she embarks on a quest filled with danger and discovery of finding what happened to her mother. The pacing is spot-on, keeping you engaged as each twist unfolds. Wilkens skillfully balances high-stakes action with the charming dynamics of the characters’ relationships, creating a rich tapestry that’s both exciting and heartfelt.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the best friend-to-lovers trope, which is executed beautifully. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and their journey from friendship to something more feels authentic and organic. I loved watching their bond deepen, and their interactions brought a delightful mix of humor and warmth to the story. It’s the kind of romance that makes you root for them every step of the way. While the book shines in many areas, I found myself wanting a bit more depth in some of the supporting characters and their motivations. However, this minor quibble didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. I couldn’t help but wish for more adventures featuring these two characters. I would love to see Wilkens expand on their journey and explore the depths of their relationship further in future installments.

This isn't going to make much sense, but it feels like I'm just reading a story rather than feeling like I'm in it and a part of it. It's hard to get lost and sucked into the experience and forget you're reading at a lot of points. But there are a lot of times where it's a funny and adventurous story. I am all here for the slow burn and the native representation!

I have no complaints- well I have one complaint but it’s a spoiler so it can wait. This book was delightful and cute. I took a lot fewer notes than I usually do because I was enraptured in the adventure and excited to get to the end of the mystery.
It’s often that a book feels dull because the author doesn’t want to do the crazy shit, but there’s a good amount of crazy shit in this book and that’s what I’m all about. It’s a sweet and passionate story about two friends who come to term with their feeling for each other.
Friends to lovers isn’t my favorite trope, I like a little more angst in my romance than we got here, but it was a sweet story.
I love the queer indigenous lead and I’m excited for this book to fall into the hands of someone who will love it fervently.
I don’t really have any complaints besides this isn’t the kind of book I’d normally gravitate to. I was overjoyed when the stakes got higher than just romance. I’m so glad the author built a fascinating world and series of events around the main characters and thought I’m not the biggest fan of romance, I wasn’t bored for a second.
The last many books I’ve reviewed were three stars but I really can’t think of much I’d do differently or want more of so I think it has to be at least four stars. Very entertaining read and I loved so many parts of it.

First queer romance book I've read and it gave me little heart palpitations.
I love an archaeological theme- Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones were also my favorite growing up.
I love a dual POV and it thrust a ton of dark humor into the nerve-wracking situations.
I liked this one !

Fourteen years ago, Isi's mother disappeared. Isi's never had closure, and after her best friend Louise left on a dig, she hasn't had closure there—not with their friendship and not with her unresolved feelings. Lou is back, but things have never been the same.

It looks as though they'll both keep struggling along—until a surprise visit catapults them into the woods and into an unasked-for adventure that tests the strength of their friendship—and forces them both to ask if the risk of upsetting the status quo might be worth the reward.

I picked this up partly for the archeology theme (both characters are archeologists, and they end up searching for lost Cherokee treasure) and partly for the queer romance and partly because, you know, into the woods. I love me a good into-the-woods story. The Cherokee material is super interesting—I hadn't heard of this lost treasure before, and I've been curious about archeology fiction since reading Kate Myers' "Excavations". Wilkens is part Choctaw-Cherokee, Isi is part Cherokee, and though I'm not usually one for supernatural material (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers) I actually really enjoyed the way that heritage plays into the story.

Now. I'm bad at suspending disbelief. This is a theme in my reviews. Normally the supernatural element here might have given me trouble, but again, in this case I didn't mind. However...I struggled with quite a lot of things in the rest of the book. There's the way characters jump to conclusions: Isi's mother is "declared deceased" (loc. 28) six weeks after going missing, and I'm not an expert but that is a *wildly* fast timeline to decide that someone is dead (missing, presumed dead...maybe? *Maybe.* But not definitively deceased, not with the limited information they had). There's an assumption that a daughter searching for her missing mother must be doing so because the daughter knows Major Secrets rather than because...she misses her mother. There's an assumption that if someone rings your doorbell when you aren't expecting them, you should burn it all down. (You think I am exaggerating. I am not.) I'm also a little puzzled by the timeline—why have fourteen years passed, and not, say, four? Seems sort of odd that the baddies would hang out and do nothing for so long, or that Isi wouldn't have noticed oddities in her mother's home sooner; seems very, very, very odd that Isi's mother somehow still has a desk at the university where she taught (she wouldn't after four years of disappearance either, mind, but still).

Even getting past all that, I don't understand how Isi and Lou don't end up dead. I just don't. They head into the woods woefully unprepared—plastic ballet flats and rations totalling half a protein bar per person per day. (Again: you think I am exaggerating. I am not. The author has clearly never tried hiking on insufficient food, because I can tell you that it doesn't work in real life the way it works out for Isi and Louise.) They're fleeing from danger, but they never make it far before heading back into danger's camp, or stopping to have a heart-to-heart, or turning on a flashlight or building a fire that would immediately alert anyone around them to their location. We're told that it can get down to thirty at night (that's below freezing!), but they never hesitate to wade into whatever water they come across, often fully clothed—thus sending their chances of hypothermia sky-high. At one point there's a fall, and Louise spends a few moments wondering whether Isi is dead or critically injured before getting distracted by...glowworms. Because priorities. Neither of them is particularly troubled by one woman ending up barefoot, or making out when neither of them has seen a toothbrush in days (romance novel logic)...okay, the latter isn't really a survival thing, but it stretched the bounds of my imagination. (How do their libidos continue to rage unchecked when they should be tired and hungry and cold and in pain and scared?) At one point Louise *insists* that the only way they will survive is if Isi *immediately* destroys one of her few pieces of clothing and uses the last of their matches to make a torch, *now*, there's no time to waste, because it's...crucial that that happen before Louise joins Isi in a space that might not have an exit? I don't know. I read that section three times to try to figure out the thought process, and I still couldn't don't understand. There's a situation that puts everyone but Isi in extreme danger, for reasons, and when reinforcements arrive...Isi and Louise do exactly nothing to warn said reinforcements about that danger. (Oh boy.)

This feels like a great draft that still needs a couple of big rounds of edits. I was thrilled that it was an into-the-woods book (I'm always thrilled when it's an into-the-woods book), but I would have found it so much more believable if Isi and Louise had taken the time to go home, dig out their outdoors gear, pack their bags full of rations, and *then* go into the woods to race against time to beat the baddies at their own game. (And—at one point a snake is described as "wet and slimy" (loc. 2339), which is not how snakes work—they're quite smooth and dry. I don't think either the author or the editor is an outdoorsy person? Which is fine, obviously, but Isi's wet and slimy rattlesnake highlights the importance of books that take place in the woods getting a read by an outdoorsy person during the editing process.)

It's still a cute romance, and if you like your relationships high on angst and aren't really an into-the-woods person yourself, you'll probably struggle with this less than I did. I might pick up another of the author's books in the future—I just won't take Isi or Louise's lead in planning for my next backpacking trip.

Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.

First of all, this cover! It is probably one of my favorite covers ever.
I loved so much about this book - the friends to lovers trope, the sapphic Indiana Jones-ness of it all, and the through-line of archeology and giving back to the natives what colonizers stole. Beautifully done.

They're archeologists, damn it! They can't be in love!

Which is an idea that seems to be repeated like every other page for the first ~half of the book. That refrain of being above human necessity, like companionship or romance, is a sentiment that is heavily pushed by both character POVs, so maybe it's just a commonly held belief by archeologists? IDK, but boy do you hear about it. I do think that bit became a little bit tiring, and also implausible as it's never really explained why either of them feel that way. But truly, that's about my only gripe with this book.

It's a standalone set in the same world as the authors last book, so people going into this without understanding the supernatural elements of the first book might be taken for a bit of a shock when they appear towards the end of the book. Well, it's through out a lot of the book, but it's written in a way that could be explained by intuition or ancestorial knowledge, until it isn't and you are wondering why there is seemingly sentient gold. It makes sense, but it's a bit hand wavy, with a reference to the author's first book set in this world and the hauntings those characters face.

But that's mostly ancillary to the majority of the book, which is an adventure romance between two archeologists. There seems to have been a bit of a boom for this type of adventure/romance, so heavily inspired by the likes of The Mummy and Indiana Jones. I think this book does the actual adventure part a lot better than most of the other similar books. It does the romance better too, with a fleshed out relationship between two people with a complicated (and dare I say, slightly codependent? I'm not complaining, I'm sucker for romances where they are each others everything) history. It's not big, tall guy with muscles and a sad backstory, and tiny, mousey girl who likes books as a replacement for personality, which seems to be the formula for this type of stories. It's two women who read as actual adults, learning to overcome these invisible obstacles they made for themselves, with a heavy dose of friends-to-lovers angst. Which I love to see. There is a tipping point where they both realize that the other does have feelings for them too, but they still hesitate on that edge, and those moments are for the girlies who love longing.

Now as a romance book, I am not reading this for accuracy or believability. I don't care about the logistics, but doing it in the mountains, where you are stranded and being hunted down, lost to the world around you?? Falling asleep together at the same time, when there is clear and present danger, instead of taking shifts? I--was at loss for words. At least the scenes were hot. It makes up for the terrible decision making by two people we are led to believe are accustomed to being out in the wilderness.

The part of the book I liked most was the indigenous representation. I really resonated with Isi's struggles with half-remembered histories and guilt for not being more connected to her indigenous ancestry. How it was made even more difficult for her with the loss of her mother, and not really having anyone left to pass that knowledge on to her. I like how the story made a point of establishing that even if you don't feel like you know it, there is still some there, and that its not too late to learn more. To seek it out. I also liked the emphasis on letting the indigenous community decide on what should be done with the treasure the main leads set out to find. I liked how, at the end, it shows them working with the tribe to showcase the find. Over all, I think it's great to see positive depictions of indigenous communities right to self-determination in media. It helps to combat an 0ld and vicious narrative, which is also directly addressed in the narrative, albeit a single comment from the main villain who eventually gets their comeuppance.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Colby Wilkens for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I originally requested this one because of the gorgeous cover, but I found it to be a fun and romantic read.

This book follows our two main characters, Isadora Ross and Louise Morgenstern. They’re both archaeologists and have been best friends for a long time, but have been struggling lately because of Louise’s move to Turkey. They are forced to work together though after being kidnapped after Isi found her mom’s old journal that seems to lead to lost Cherokee gold.

This one reminded me a lot of some of my favorites, like The Mummy and Indiana Jones. I loved the mystery and seeing our two characters trying to figure out their map to find the lost treasure. Their blossoming romance was also really sweet, but sometimes it seemed like bad timing for them haha (kissing while being chased? Maybe not a super good idea...)

My only real complaint about this one is that the pacing seemed weird sometimes. I got bored a few times in the middle because it seemed like things were going slowly and not a lot was happening. The end speed things up a lot though and I loved the ending.

If you like mysteries, hidden treasure, and/or Sapphic romances, you should pick this one up when it releases! I’m glad I was able to read it and I recommend it.

Spice Rating: 2.5/5 Somewhere between open-door and explicit open door.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for my truthful review.

TW: Closed spaces (claustrophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), moments of extreme darkness, creepy crawlies like spiders and snakes, and creepy crawlies crawling on a character while in the dark. One scene that really got me was when a spider crawled across Lou's hand in a dark cave. That scene creeped me out because I hate the dark and I hate spiders and those two combined.... ew.

This story follows the characters Isadora (Isi) Ross and Louise (Lou) Morgenstern who are archeologists who are trying to mend their friendship after a separation caused some distance between them. Isi's mother, Dr. Tamora Ross, disappeared 14-years prior to when this story takes place and Isi has been trying to find some sort of clue that could lead to her whereabouts or what happened to her. One night after things almost get a little heated between Isi and Lou, Lou heads for her mother's cabin to clear her head. Of all the times she has gone to the cabin and spent time there, she realizes her mother left a puzzle for her to solve. This puzzle leads to a map and the map supposedly leads to Cherokee gold that her mother told her stories of. A treasure hunter by the name of Clarice Walker wants this map and the treasure. Lou goes to warn Isi of her and they have to flee because Clarice and her goons are after them. Captured, but not defeated, Isi and Lou escape to search for the treasure. The search for treasure also leads to the search for their feelings for each other. Do they find the gold? You'll have to read and find out. Do Isi and Lou end up together? Maybe.

The blending of fact and fiction made this story enjoyable for me. It definitely gave me a feel of "National Treasure" with more spice. Some of the author's descriptions of Cherokee lore got me interested and I went and Googled some of the sayings and stories. It added to the enjoyment of the book and helped me understand Isi more as a character. I also enjoyed some humor mixed into some tense situations. Without giving too much away, Isi and Lou are trying to escape a situation and a couple guards believe the woods are haunted and Isi starts whispering obscure Cherokee sayings that creep them out and they end up running off. Isi then explains what the words meant to Lou and it gave me a good laugh during a tense situation.

It would be fun to see these characters in future stories/series. Kind of like Indiana Jones.

I don't think there is much I would say I disliked about this story. It flowed very well. There may have been a couple scenes/chapters that might could have been bypassed as they didn't really move the plot forward.

This book is basically lesbian Indiana Jones and I’m so glad Netgalley let me read it early!!!

Best friends and archeologists Isi and Louise are racing against a treasure hunter to find lost Cherokee treasure in the mountains of Georgia. They’ve been kidnapped and taken into the wilderness with nothing but sexual frustration and friendship, what could go wrong? Literally everything! Someone loses fingers, there a curse, spider bites and trap doors. This is one of those books you see the ending coming from the beginning, but eat it up anyway. This comes out March 25 and I can’t wait to add it to my shelf! 4🌟

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were lovely and I loved their storylines. The book was well-written and interesting. I really enjoy this author’s writing and I loved this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

If I dig you is a sapphic adventure story, with lots of thrills and steamy romance. I enjoyed the journey that Isi and Louise went on, and all of the twist and turns.

I do feel like they spent a long time circling back to the same argument, and it felt like sometimes I was re-reading the same passage from a few chapters earlier.

If you like friends to lovers, forced proximity, and slow burn romance with lots of spice and adventure, then you will probably enjoy this book!

A fast and fun sapphic adventure, I was entertained once I got past the slow start. It's a fun read for those who are Indiana Jones fans. Personally I didn't like a few parts in the middle- felt redundant to the story but overall it was a decent read.

This was a fun sapphic adventure romance! I’m a sucker for treasure hunting stories, and when you add in indigenous elements and a bit of curse driven retribution, I’m all in. However, the beginning felt a little slow, and I wish there had been more action scenes to really make it pop. One thing I loved about the author’s previous book was the balance of paranormal activity, romance, and plot building. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short on the adventure/action front and I just wanted more excitement!

That said, it was still an enjoyable read, even if it didn’t grab me like the first book. I’ll definitely check out more from this author because I love her storytelling overall, and I see lots of promise in her future work. This one’s a 3.5⭐️ for me, but I’m rounding up because I’d still recommend it to anyone looking for a fun adventure or a sapphic romance!

Such a good moment in history pop quiz and friends to lovers i needed to keep reading! I loved these woman's stories and needed more!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Friends to lovers really just hits that much harder when they're queer! This book was such a fun adventure from start to finish. They have to focus not only love, but survival and I truly love books with more than just a romance plot, but something more adventurous and this totally fits the bill. It was a bit slow in places, but had all the elements that I really love. The cover is also BEAUTIFUL, which is what drew me in. The banter and tension was really good, and I felt the chemistry. I really enjoyed this! It was a wild ride with a great romance and a fun adventure.

This book was so horny and adventurous and I loved it. 😂 I am a huge fan of Indiana Jones and archaeology type books and movies so this was a big hit for me! Love love love. The cover is gorgeous too!

Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I really really wanted to like this book because the concept sounded so fun but it was just too horny, dirty (not the good kind) and bloody for me. I feel like it would have been better if they were friends to lovers instead of friends but not really friends to lovers. I needed to see them acting as just friends, in order for it to be believable that they where so afraid to lose their friendship that they kept quite for so long and it would have also been kind of nice to see them being a couple for longer than we got. I did love the clues and stories of the Cherokee people and how that related to the treasure and I wish we had more time with that.