I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it.
There are, like with any book, good things and not so good things.
I loved the different little ties to Indiana Jones. The whole idea of the book was wonderful, it was definitely an adventure. I just wish there was more to the adventures, more consequences to their choices.
One thing that I wasn't entirely crazy about was the way William was perceived. This has nothing to do with the William being gay. It has to do with the way it was done, it felt very stereotypical, to me, with the way things are said and actions. That portrayal definitely could have been done better.

More like 2.5 stars.
I enjoyed the Indiana Jones vibes, the treasure hunt clues and action of this, just enough to keep the story going at a good pace and quite believable. The sibling relationship was my favourite and I think William was the best character in this story I was quite invested in his HEA arc. Unfortunately the insta romance between the two main characters fell a bit flat for me.
A bit corny and cheesy at times which sometimes worked. A quick and easy read.
Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

I really need authors and publishers to stop putting as many tropes in books as they possibly can. I understand that in regards to marketing they sell and that's great but its getting boring fast.


tropes in this one book - instalove, enemies to lovers (but not really because they arent enemies! can we retire that trope until we can get it right), forced proximity, fake dating, fish out of water, opposites attract, destination romance, adventure.


while I love the Lara croft vibes...I just couldn't get into the romance aspect!

This reminded me of the Jungle Cruise movie more than it did Indiana Jones tbh.

The meeting of the bracelet being stuck on her wrist was so random but I kinda loved it haha, it led to a lot of forced proximity. The instant attraction was fine, however, once they finally kissed it became all insta-love and spicy scenes. It was too rushed for people that have only known each other for like a week. I didn't feel much connection to the characters unfortunately, which is why other than their first kiss the tension wasn't there.

I did like the sibling dynamic, I thought William could be quite funny and dramatic at times.

The whole book was quite cheesy, which worked sometimes and other times it felt too much. There was a lot of descriptions, but at times that was too much, because there was gigantic paragraph after paragraph. I think in these types of books, dialogue is needed more, especially if this is a rom-com type book. We need banter and funny moments between the two main characters, which personally I think this lacked.

[Thank you Netgalley for the ARC]

3.5 / 5 Stars
A super fun adventure ala National Treasure minus Nicolas Cage and America plus a hot British guy and South America! A bracelet is delivered to Adriana Jones and while she doesn’t know why she got it, she puts it on anyway. Except that the bracelet was meant for Dr. Andrew Jones and he needs it in order to find a lost pirate treasure in Columbia. He convinces her (by saying he will pay her) to come on this adventure with him. Not wanting to be murdered by a stranger, no matter how hot, her brother, William tags along. Rivals appear. Zaniness ensues.

I really enjoyed the adventure part of the book. I loved reading about them deciphering the clues and trying to figure out the next steps and I liked that Adriana contributed to unraveling the mystery. I think because I enjoyed the adventure so much, I needed Adriana and Andrew to live up to that leave of excitement and they just fell a little bit short. They are two perfectly matched hot people (we get descriptions of Andrew’s hot nerd body quite a few times) but I think that it felt a little insta-lovey to me. It makes sense that that is the way it would have to happen because of the short timeline of finding the treasure and because they would potentially have to be in a long distance relationship to make this work but the bar was set pretty high by the plot and I wanted them to match it. I really loved some of the side characters like Adriana’s brother, William, and the museum curator, Brandon. They were fun additions.

I felt like Andrew’s backstory was developed with a little more nuance than Adriana’s. I read the trope of “woman doesn’t feel like she is good enough because of things that happened in her childhood” a lot so it would have been nice to see a different spin on it in some way.

I also feel like a child asking for this but I would have LOVED to see illustrations of some of the clues. It might have been helpful to see some of the maps or drawings instead of reading descriptions just because some of them were kind of complex.

Overall, the plot was gripping and the character’s were perfectly pleasant. I know that Andrew will fulfill many hot, smart, British Indiana Jones fantasies. And every time I started to read, Amy Winehouse's "Me and Mr. Jones" would be on loop in my brain, which honestly made the reading process more enjoyable, so I highly recommend listening to that song as you read.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

DNF at 10%

I don't think I've ever DNFd a book this early and easily.

There is nothing here that interests me unfortunately, the writing is incredibly poor, the dialogue comes across like something plucked from TikTok, and I can already tell I won't like any of the characters. Everything just feels so juvenile and shallow, and I've already lost count of the number of times it's made me cringe.

Thank you to the publisher, but I really didn't like this.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Adrianna finds herself on a spontaneous journey with an archeologists, Andrew Jones, after she accidently puts on a bracelet that was meant for him... and it's not coming off. Andrew needs that bracelet to unlock a mystery chest, so if it's not coming off her arm, then she's coming with him. Thus leads them on a wild journey throughout the wild for treasure.

I loved this synopsis and I love reading anything action related. But this fell a bit short for me, while there was a focus on the whole treasure hunting and adventure it felt a bit out of touch for me. The random definitions threw me off in the book, they were entertaining but they were so random and I couldn't figure out why they were there. It would've made sense if Adrianna read dictionaries as a hobby or was a librarian or a teacher but it didn't really tie in with her character.

The second issue I had was Adrianna had two personality traits: being horny and being insecure with her background (which is valid and I enjoyed that aspect). But she constantly was thirsting over Andrew, like how attracted she was to him was mentioned every other paragraph and it got old quickly. Other readers might like that there was so much attraction, but for me it felt like it took away from the storyline. There were also some points in which I was confused about how the plot was developing, but that was only a couple times throughout reading.

You might like this if you like: forced proximity, banter, adventure, and national treasure vibes

I found this was a fun read. It was exactly what I expected. We went on an adventure with Dr Jones through different settings that were painted into my imagination. Highly recommend.

Reviews to socials to come

Digging Dr Jones by Olivia Jackson

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Digging Dr Jones is a super fun, spicy, and adventurous read. With an exciting plot, excellently written characters, incredible chemistry, and a high stakes treasure hunt that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is an absolutely awesome read. Fast-paced, fun, and reminiscent of a classic romcom/adventure movie in the best way!

Adriana needs to improve her vacation quickly and a beautiful bracelet will certainly do. Except she discovers that the bracelet is actually meant for Andrew, a renowned archaeologist, and it will not come off. Andrew needs the bracelet if he wants to find an ancient lost treasure deep in Colombia. So, Adriana now must accompany him on his quest.

This book is full of adventure as the MCs go on a treasure hunt throughout Columbian towns and forests. A contemporary romcom take on the classic Indiana Jones. The plot was exciting, entertaining, and full of action. Also, all the humor made this such a fun and lighthearted read, while also having some depth in the storylines of the characters.

The history surrounding the treasure and mysteriousness of it was a lot of fun to read. Andrew and Adriana's journey searching for the treasure lasts a couple of weeks, but their romance is definitely more of a slow burn, which was so great! Their banter and chemistry was awesome.

Overall, a super enjoyable read perfect for fans of romcoms with adventure!

Tropes:
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- Opposites attract
- Destination romance

You want a fun and adventurous romance book where the FMC has a crazy ( but o so caring) gay brother that says the most inappropriate things all times? Look no further!

Honestly this book was such a fun read. The characters has depth to them and are easy to love. There’s tension, a quest and there is no third act breakup!

Romcom at it’s best 💖

I was actually ready to DNF this book in chapter 1 because it was quite boring, but I persevered as I wanted to give the book a chance, ultimately I was not a fan. The fmc was an incredibly annoying and such an unrealistic character to the point that she could only exist in a fictional book, the side characters where simply a combination of stereotypes, and the mmc was just boring. One thing I also noticed was the way the fmc speaks about other women which really rubbed me the wrong way, and the jealousy towards any woman around the mmc (before they even got together) was just downright childish. Honestly I just regret not DNFing it :(

Digging Dr. Jones is a romp of a romance with fish out of water scenarios a plenty while our FMC tries to find her place in the world after reeling from a break up. We meet Adriana Jones, who, while on a vacation with her brother, is mistakenly sent a bracelet addressed to A. Jones - thinking this is a present eagerly puts it on...only to find out she can't get it back off. Cue the meeting with the hot archeologist, Andrew Jones, who entices Andriana to join him on his quest while dodging his rivals.

This was super cute - it was fun seeing Adriana deal with her insecurities and I appreciated Andrew as a MMC. Having Adriana's brother as a back up character was great and helped keep things fresh amid the betrayals from Andrew's rivals. I found the pacing to be a bit slower than I typically go for, but all the same enjoyed the journey. If you enjoy fish out of water, close sibling relationships, and adventuring give this romance a shot!

Thanks very much to NetGalley and to One More Chapter for the advanced copy.

Firstly thank you to net galley and the publishers for letting me read an advanced copy of this book!

I loved the sound of this book from the blurb and the cover art is absolutely beautiful.
The book was definitely entertaining and I enjoyed most of the humour. That said sometimes it was overly cheesy/ cringe and I felt like that could’ve been avoided.
I just felt that it was overly wordy at points and found myself wanting to jump ahead and get situations over with.
I absolutely loved the setting of the book and Colombia it was described beautifully. I did enjoy this book and I am glad I had a chance to read it. I loved the action vibe, as I don’t see that very often 🥰

✨ 3.5 ✨

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book ~ it felt quite different from other “fluffy romance books” (my own words) that I really enjoy reading - the low stakes easy to consume kind!

Adriana Jones is on holiday in Costa Rica with her brother when she gets a packaged delivered and it’s a gorgeous bracelet - then she can’t get it off - and she realises it was for Dr Andrew Jones. Is this bracelet the key to some long lost pirate treasure? They then embark on a quest through Columbia to find out!

I just loved the whole National Treasure adventurous vibes and I thought their romance was sweet. I did find the romance quite “insta-love” but I still enjoyed it and I found sometimes Adriana and her brother a little immature for their 30+ age which felt quite unrealistic.

I would highly recommend if you like reading quick, low stakes, holiday vibes romance novels with good smutty scenes and hunky men (with nerdy jobs).

I knew “Digging Dr Jones” by Olivia Jackson was going to be good when I read the description, I just didn’t realize how good. The story line, writing, characters and chemistry between the two MC’s made this book unputdownable. It has been a long time since I binged a book but this book was done in 1 day and a half. Every spare moment I had I was reading this novel. The plot was fast paced and interesting. I loved the different locales they went to in Colombia to search for the pirate treasure. I enjoyed reading about the culture and the food woven into the storyline. The chemistry between Andrew and Adriana was steamy and their banter as well as the relationship development was really enjoyable to read. I loved Andrew as an MC, he is the ultimate golden retriever who reassures Adriana and stands up for her every step of the way even when they disagree. Adriana is dealing with some self esteem issues after a bad relationship but even she is able to see past her own struggles to realize what she has right in front of her in this new relationship.

The adventure she gets dragged on because she accidentally put on a bracelet meant for Andrew and can’t get it off unleashes a series of events that unfold in fast and furious manner, with lots of fun along the way. The writing was easy to read and hooked me from start to finish. I could not stop smiling the entire book, it was such a fun read!

Digging Dr. Jones was a cute, adventure rom-com with the perfect amount of tension for someone like me that gets stressed out reading too much angst. It moved fast and was overall well-paced in the adventure, and while it’s hard to believe they love each other after two weeks, they went through a lot in that time so I let it slide. I wish we got more into each of the main characters histories because it felt a lot like tell-not-show personality wise, and they didn’t feel entirely fleshed out at times. Overall, this was a delightful read and I’d totally recommend to anyone that loves action/adventure with heart.

This was full of adventure, treasure hunting, and archaeology with a side of cute romance! The book was fast paced and kept me guessing at every chapter. I loved that the romance was low stakes but still held depth for each of the main characters. I loved when a romance has no third act breakup and this gave me everything I wanted for Andrew and Adriana. The antagonist was predictable but I enjoyed what they brought to the story.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK & One More Chapter for this ARC.

Girl’s holiday is rudely interrupted by the delivery of a priceless bracelet from her ex-boyfriend. In a twist of fate, the bracelet actually belongs to Dr Indiana Jones himself, wait… Andrew Jones? Close enough.
Que a world wind adventure to Colombia in the search for buried pirate treasure; crawling through crypts, exploring waterfalls and setting off traps in a labyrinth. With a dusting of brotherly whit, an obscene number of condoms and one large breasted ex-girlfriend, this is going to be a good adventure.

Plot
The plot is simple. There’s some pirate treasure hidden at the end of a romantic jungle adventure. There’s some seriously cool clues that I enjoyed following with the characters and I really liked the race against the other archaeology team.

Characters
FMC
The FMC is fine. She’s a redheaded beauty who has risen from the bottom to try and start on own business, only to be screwed over by her ex. She shows plenty of grit and determination, despite being swamped with thousands of dollars of debt, and seems to really enjoy going on this journey.
She did feel a bit flat at times however, as even though she had a gut wrenching backstory, I found it difficult to care about it at times.

MMC
Our MMC is equally tall dark and handsome, with an illustrious academic record and lots of money to spend. I don’t know if this career really exists (I suspect unfortunately it doesn’t), but it is beyond cool. Working for a mysterious company to hunt down hidden treasure is entirely badass and such an amazing premise for a story.
I like Andrew. He’s honest and persistent in a good way, wanting not only to complete his mission, but always wanting the best for the FMC and her brother.

The Rest
The only real one of note is William, the fun loving and hilarious brother. He adds an element of humour that really makes the story.

The Chemistry
The chemistry was okay. There was definitely some attraction between the two of them, but I found myself caring about it less than the main plot.

The Good
The plot. I love this premise.

The Bad
The writing is a tad clunky at times. There’s some painful similes scattered throughout the book and a few sentences that would benefit from a rewrite, but its not terrible. The use of American English for some of Andrew’s dialogue was off putting at times.
The only really part that lost me was when they reached their final destination. I found some of this hard to follow and the author didn’t do as good at job painting a picture of this building as I needed. Lots happened, but I didn’t really know what was going on.

The Ugly
No uglies.

The Wrap Up
If you want a treasure finding adventure with a good amount of romance smattered through, this is absolutely the book for you. If you can overlook a little bit of bad writing, this story has an excellent plot

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ebook ARC of Digging Dr. Jones by Olivia Jackson!

This book was so much fun! It took me a minute to fully get into the story, but by the 20% mark, I was hooked. I loved the treasure-hunting, Indiana Jones vibe, it made the whole thing feel like an adventure.

Adriana and Andrew were adorable together. Watching them solve the clues as a team was such a treat, and their chemistry? Perfection. The slow burn was paced really well, and it made their connection feel earned.

Also, Adriana’s brother William was hilarious! His supportive energy and the nicknames he gave Andrew had me cracking up.

If I had one small critique, it’d be the pacing in a few spots, it dragged just a bit here and there. But overall, this was such a great read, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, romantic adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins/One More Chapter for the opportunity to advance read Digging Dr. Jones, it was quite the adventure! A great debut novel, so well-deserved kudos to Olivia Jackson.

One thing about me is that I’m a HUGE sucker for any kind of adventure story. The Mummy, Sahara, Indiana Jones - you name it, I’ll be sat and watching it. That’s why I was so exciting to read this story, it’s everything I love.

This was a fun read, and it had a lot of genuine laugh out loud moments, which I find is rare in a book. I loved the way that the meet-cute was set up, the dynamic between Andrew and Adriana, and the situations they found themselves in.

What didn’t quite work for me was 3 main things:
1) William, Adriana’s brother, got on my nerves. Why are you being so moody on a FREE trip? Lighten up buddy.
2) It was a bit too insta-love for my taste. One second Andrew and Adriana were strangers, the next she had a bunch of feelings for him. It felt like it went from 0 to 100 too quickly.
3) Some sentences were worded oddly. At times, Adriana’s choice of words during her narration was distinctly British, to the point where I had to confirm it wasn’t our resident Brit, Andrew, narrating or speaking. The flow could have been improved, but considering this is a debut novel and the author has dyslexia, it’s understandable that her writing isn’t refined yet. It didn’t detract from the story at all.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book that captured my attention from the start. I found Digging Dr. Jones to be a perfect blend of fun, flirty, and adventurous elements that kept me hooked from start to finish. The thrill of the treasure hunt and chemistry between the characters made it a delightful read that I would recommend to anyone craving a light-hearted adventure with a touch of romance. Kudos again to Olivia Jackson for crafting such an entertaining debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what she will bring us next!