A fantastic sequel to Isabel Ibañez's What the River Knows! This duology is great for fans of Divine Rivals (and the authors are besties, which is adorable), and I anticipate this one making a big splash at our store as well! The writing is great, the characters and romance so much fun, and the attention to historical detail really well done.

While I enjoyed this book and its prequel (adventure! romance! magic! Egypt!), the duology ultimately left me disappointed. The plot felt rushed at the end and I couldn’t get on board with (SPOILER AHEAD) both of Inez’s parents being villains. It was too forced and Inez’s perceptions of them were so drastically different (no clues at all in her childhood really) so it annoyed me. Cayo’s reveal in particular made me roll my eyes. It was so out of the blue and bizarre. I was hoping for more of a redemption arc for her mother, but we at least see now the morally grayness of her character. I wanted to love Whit as the romantic interest, but I don’t know, he lacked something I can’t quite put my finger on. I think his betrayal is what really put me off about his character, regardless of his motives for it. The romance felt superficial and I don’t think Inez could or would have forgiven him for such a major betrayal of trust so quickly (if at all). All in all, I whipped through this story and will be purchasing it for our high school library as I can imagine students enjoying it, but I think it needed some work.

3.5/5

I actually enjoyed this sequel and felt it was a good way to end this duology!

The pros:
- That darned cliff hanger from the last book was actually handled quite nicely and far quicker than I anticipated! I loved Whit in this book and he was just as charming and quick footed as ever. I loved the dynamic between Whit and Inez this book and it’s really the biggest strength of this series.
- Some of my issues with Inez last book was her impulsiveness and how naive she is. Maybe I’m getting used to her or her trauma has wizened her up but I felt that her impulsiveness (while still present) was also accompanied by a strong sense of self-awareness that made it easier to swallow. She’s still the intelligent, strong, and vibrant person she was in WTRK but she’s been exposed to a harsher reality that has shaped her (not all positively) but it certainly changes her perspectives.
- I thought the magic system was actually far more present this book and I really enjoyed diving more into the mythical elements of Ancient Egypt.


The cons:
- There was a lot (and I mean a lot) of reiteration of what happened last book and the trauma Inez is facing. But we as readers were really repeatedly “told” Inez was traumatized rather than “shown” and it got old really fast. I really should have counted cause I’m sure the same scene was reiterated at least 5-6 times throughout the book and it really didn’t feel necessary to the plot at that point.
- In that same regard, there was a lot of recapping stuff that happened just a few chapters before. Characters repeating the same information to new characters or reviewing information presented just earlier in the book in far too much detail. It felt unnecessary and I found myself skipping scenes to avoid it.
- Some of the “answers” we got to the questions presented in WTRK were really far fetched. And I love a good twist but this wasn’t it. It felt like a let down and wasn’t foreshadowed enough for me to feel like this was the plan from the start.
-Without giving anything away there were also some characters involved that were interesting enough for me to like or even dislike so they’re plot points felt like misses to me.

Im happy enough to have read this sequel but I don’t see myself re-reading it for pleasure any time soon. The art as always is an awesome piece of this book and I highly recommend finishing this series because despite my concerns with it, it was still super enjoyable!

At this point I’m pretty sure Isabel Ibañez invented the plot twist, because wow, there was one at every turn. I was utterly enthralled by this book. Inez’s determination is aspiring and Whit’s cunning (and swoony) personality are the stuff that romantasy dreams are made of. The perfect conclusion for a duology that felt just as magical as the artifacts uncovered on this grand Egyptian adventure.

Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

Isabel Ibañez has this beautiful quality to her writing where her stories stick with you long after reading. The words almost jump right off the page and pull you into the book with them allowing you to visualize every scene and feel the emotion along with the characters.

All of this remains true for ‘Where the Library Hides’. You are thrust back into this heart pounding angsty adventure alongside Inez and Whit as the story converges with some of the most jaw dropping twists that you won’t see coming. Ibañez wraps up this ‘Secrets of the Nile’ story in a beautifully satisfying way, but it still leaves you desperate for more Whit and Inez.

If you’re looking for an adventure akin to ‘The Mummy’, then you will be swept away by this fantastic duet of stories in ‘What the River Knows’ and ‘Where the Library Hides’.

I liked the first one more, but I still really enjoyed this one. Lots of twists and turns and you don't know where you're going to end up. This sequel did not dissapoint!

This book was an incredible sequel to What the River Knows. The mystery was captivating and I definitely did not expect the twist at the end. Isabel Ibanez's writing is captivating and her love for the story she is writing and the history she's capturing is palpable in every page. I loved seeing the way Inez and Whit's relationship unfolded. The depth of the characters and the plot shone through and made this such a fun read. An incredible ending to the duology, I'll miss these characters and the world so much.

3.5ish rounded up to 4 stars.

I did enjoy this title, though not quite as much as the first one.
I still enjoyed the characters, but the plot for me wasn't quite as strong as the first one, and the reveals at the end felt a bit too similar to the first book for me. Plus, with Inez making a very similar mistakes in book two as in book one, it did make me wish that we had seen some growth or hesitation from her experiences in the first book.

Inez and Whit were still such fun to read about, I did love reading about their relationship, although the tension was not quite the same as it was in book one, which made that extra little bit better.

Overall, a solid sequal that I found enjoyable to read, and I will be picking up more of Ibanez's books in the future!

Thanks for the eARC.

Absolutely LOVED this one!! There were so many twists and turns throughout the series that there wasn’t a single moment where I was bored.

Inez was just everything. I loved her stubborn attitude and how despite being hurt she continued to love whole heartedly. I love how her strength really comes from her intelligence and willpower. My poor girl went through it in this book and there were so many times where my heart just hurt for her. She truly deserves the world.

I’m not going to lie I kinda hated Whit for like 60% of the book. He made me so angry so many times but as the book went on I really started to understand his character better. Also his love declaration couldn’t have been more perfect. Nothing beats an angry love confession. 🤭 I love how he made it so clear through his actions that he would do anything for Inez. Even though he had messed up, he was willing to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.

Overall, it was such a great ending to this duology. I’m so sad it’s over because I absolutely loved both books.

This is the YA-ish continuation of "What the River Knows," in which Inez, Whit and the other characters introduced in the first part of the duology follow up on clues on who ransacked the tomb of Cleopatra found in the first book.

The series might be enjoyed by slightly older teens who are interested in archeology or ancient Egypt and won't mind some very very light fantasy elements - I do emphasize older teens because there are mentions of graphic deaths and clear hints of sex, but the writing doesn't quite read like it's meant for adults either.

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Personally this book just wasn't my cup of tea, though I did like the first one a fair bit. I found it meandering (the first book's plot felt tighter) and the characters infuriating (I felt they lost some of the slight nuance they had initially in "River"). Though I read it through, in large part because it's rare for fantasy-adjacent books to have a main character who is Latin American, let alone Bolivian. So that aspect is great and could perhaps capture readers who maybe aren't as interested in the fantasy elements.

Thank you very much to the publisher and author for sharing the ARC

One of my most anticipated reads for 2024 - it was still really fun and entertaining, but it didn't quite grab me like What the River Knows.

Wow. Secrets of the Nile is officially one of my favorite duologies.

First of all, this has got to be one of the most beautiful covers of all time. I don't even care that I got an ARC from Netgalley—I will be buying a hardcover copy once it's actually released.

Inez and Whit CARRIED this book. I can't remember the last time I was this invested in two fictional characters—in fact, I was so engrossed that I read the book in one day. From a character (and rivals-to-lovers) aspect, Where the Library Hides is incredible.

Whenever I read about Whitford, I could only picture Brendan Fraser in The Mummy. I'm pretty sure they are the same person.

If I'm being honest, the plot didn't quite deliver in several ways. The magical elements took a major back seat. Other than a few magical items sprinkled in here and there, magic added almost nothing to the story.

For most of the novel, I completely forgot that the characters were in Egypt. The setting was not emphasized nearly as much in the second installment, and I missed the vibrant, lush descriptions of Cairo. Also, even though Inez and Whit had a specific goal (I won't spoil what it is), nothing much happened to actually move them toward that goal until the last half of the novel.

Ultimately, if you're like me and happy to read books for character tension and vibes only, you'll love this. If your sole goal is to be immersed in a magical, exciting adventure story set in Egypt, you may be slightly disappointed.

See my Goodreads review pasted below my suggested grammar corrections.

I have 3 grammar related things I caught maybe before it is mass printed?
- page 193 of ebook: “The only thing that could is us getting escorted out of the bank…” need to change to “could do is”.
- page 225 of ebook: “… I could do nothing. that wasn’t quite true.” Felt jagged and the T in that isn’t capitalized.
- page 272 of ebook: “I remembered the night we had.” Was a vague enough sentence that it took me out of the story for a second. I immediately was wondering what night he was referencing and if that was an incomplete sentence. Better maybe would be something like: “I remembered how she was last night.”

Okay now my Goodreads review:

I read the whole book in one day. I had been DYING to find out what happened after the first book’s ending.


First, the pros:
- I’m overall happy with where the story went. It was interesting from start to finish. It had me laugh out loud on multiple occasions.
- I actually GASPED at one of the plot twists. Did not see it coming at all.
- I enjoyed Whit’s POV. Wasn’t sure if I would, but it 100% made the book.
- the length of the book was great. A lot of the time authors drag out books in a series and it decreases my enjoyment of the book. This one was exactly as long as it needed to be.
- I’m struggling putting into words what I love so much about Whit and Eniz, because they frustrated me almost as often as they made me like kick my feet and giggle. Maybe it’s because their feelings are so realistic for their circumstances and previous experiences.


The cons:
- this book didn’t have the same magic of historical Egyptian culture like the first book did. Not sure if it was possible to top the last book though so, I can’t be mad at a different setting.
- sometimes the miscommunication trope between Whit and Eniz made me want to throw something, but it was rectified well enough that it didn’t ruin the storyline or romance for me.


Catch me buying the physical copy of this book as soon as it is released later this year. (The covers are literally so pretty?)

Anyways, the second book is definitely worth the read. I am so excited to see what the author develops next and how her writing develops overtime. She’s definitely earned a fan, and I will be reading any future books she releases.

4.5 stars

This was a great conclusion to the duology! This book has tension, mystery, romance, bad guys… all the vibes of movies like The Mummy and Indiana Jones. There weren’t many twists and turns in this book I felt like I was constantly trying guess what would happen. You get a lot more of Whit’s perspective in this book which is a lot of fun because you get to learn more about him and get in his head. All the characters in this book were so interesting and complex and really contributed to an exciting story where you can’t figure out anyone’s true intentions and who the good guys and bad guys are.
This was a really fun historical fantasy and I highly recommend checking it out!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

I'm so grateful I got an ARC of "Where the Library Hides." I'd been trying to get my hands on it, and luckily NetGalley and Wednesday Books granted my wish. Let me tell you, I read the sequel to "What the River Knows" in one day because I was so excited. From the beginning, I knew I was going to love it. The romance between Whit and Inez had me hooked, and the mystery and adventure kept me intrigued. Even though the book was set only in Egypt, which was different from the first book, I still loved it. There were unexpected twists and betrayals that made the story even better. I loved this book so much that when I got to the end, I wished there were more pages. Isabel Ibañez's writing is truly amazing, and this book is the perfect conclusion to the duology. I hope we get more adventures in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for the ARC of "Where the Library Hides"!

If you read What the River Knows, then you need to continue with Where the Library Hides. And if you haven't read the first one, then do it now. Isabel Ibañez takes us on an adventurous mystery through these two stories with twists, turns and some unexpected situations.

thank you netgalley for an arc of Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

Ibañez has quickly become a favorite author after the conclusion to this dulogy. I read this in a fevered rush, desperate to finish the story and unwilling to put it down. The mysteries and tension continues from the first book, the chemistry between the two leads sizzling and gut=wrenching at turns. I love how this book explores the idea of family and family relationships. This book closes out what I might consider a perfect duology, up there with Rebecca Ross.

I am struggling to write a review for a book that was so suspenseful and had twists and turns…I don’t want to ruin any spoilers?! All I can say right now is that I loved this duology. Inez and Whit have my heart. And at this point, I would read Isabel Ibañez’s grocery list.
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Whatever you do, please read What the River Knows and be ready for Where the Library Hides this November!!!!
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Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC of Where the Library Hides!
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A delightful sequel! This book gives everything that it promises, and more. The vibes are immaculate.

Content warning: kidnapping, drugging, gun violence, child endangerment

While I did spend about 70% of <I>Where the Library Hides</I> internally screaming at one character to just voice their feelings out loud, Ibañez does make up for the shocking cliffhanger from <I>What the River Knows</I> by not making us wait too long to find out what the epilogue meant.

There are a lot of secrets exposed and double crossing happening all while further mysteries about Cleopatra's life are discovered (I want to explore an ancient secret library!). After the discoveries in an office I had an inkling about one of the villains but I didn't fully guess what was happening making that reveal even more brutal.

I love that Inez really came into her own in this book and that we FINALLY learned more about Whit. This is a bit more of a heist/spy thriller than the first book which kept the pace of the plot steamrolling on. I did miss the archeological aspects of the first book but appreciated that this sequel wasn't just the same plot rehashed.

While there is more story to tell, the Secrets of the Nile duology is nicely wrapped up. Most loose ends are tied up and the ending is satisfying. I wouldn't say no to more Inez and Whit adventures though.

I will say that the drawing of Whit at the end was so NOT what I thought he looked like, that sketch does not match his personality or behavior in this series at all. So that was a bit odd.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.