I loved both Romancing the Stone and Raiders of the Lost Arc countless times back in the 1980s so I’m drawn to books that are of a similar genre.
I thought Miri was an interesting character but I never really warmed up to Rafa. I thought he was a bit vacuous and gullible since he never bothered to check out who his mother was, just taking his father’s version of the story.
The book is action packed and the very end is the best part, in my opinion.
In a day and age where every little thing seems exposed and non private I like to think the city remains hidden and protected from the outside snoopy world.

What a fun read! I really enjoyed this story. It was fun to be back in the archaeological world with romance and adventure.

I love adventure romances and so glad to see this second installment from Jo Segura! I hope there is a third because we deserve to see what the author does with a Crusade title 😉.

Temple was really fun and cozy. A perfect lighthearted read for the end of the holiday season. Just sit back, suspend that disbelief, and go along for the ride. As a former archaeologist, it’s fun seeing see archaeology in romance, even if only in name. Miri and Rafa were both cute and it was fun to follow their story.

✨ Review ✨ Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I had super high hopes for this because I loved the first book in the series, but this one fell a little flat for me. It seemed to follow the same arc as the first book, and was both fast-moving and not enough adventure somehow. The pacing was a bit off for me -- everything in the last 50 pages felt a little rushed.

With that said, it was still a fun adventure-filled read, and I love that Segura is bringing in badass brown archaeologists (and the struggles they face in a male-dominated field) to our view.

I loved that Miri was super silly, loving her snacks and swinging on vines, and as a fellow silly PhD, I loved seeing this. I liked the chemistry between the characters. I don't really love lying / miscommunication as a trope and so this also I think impacted my enjoyment of this.

I'll definitely pick up whatever Segura writes next, but this kind of fell in the second book slump for me. :(

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: f/m contemporary romance
Setting: Brazilian rainforest
Reminds me of: Indiana Jones meets badass female archaeologist
Pub Date: January 7, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ adventure romances
⭕️ badass female PhDs (like Ali Hazelwood's books)
⭕️ the Brazilian rainforest

Miri was so relatable, especially in the way she puts pressure on herself to succeed. Her tenacity and drive had me cheering her on the entire book and I loved her cheesy jokes.

She and Rafa were perfect for each other. I loved the awkward meet cute and instant attraction between them. They have great chemistry and the banter is so much fun! I loved that this was dual POV because seeing Miri through Rafa's eyes was so sweet. There's lots of sexual tension and spicy moments throughout, with several open door scenes.

I absolutely love the Indiana Jones vibes of this book. The expedition to find the lost city had it all: high stakes, action, adventure, and even some capybaras. As Miri might say, this book was rad!

Thank you Berkeley Romance for the free copy of this book!!

Temple of Swoon is the second book in Jo Segura's rom-com archaeology series. It's super cute, a tad cheesy (in a good way), with adventure and spice thrown in.

Where Raiders of the Lost Heart was more romcom then adventure, Temple of Swoon had more adventure thrown in. Which I enjoyed. I just wish with Miri's badassery and knowledge, that she had discovered more using them then by accidentally finding everything. It wasn't until the very end that she truly shined and showed what she could do.

I did love Miri and Rafa together. Their meet cute was adorable and I love the tension between them and the banter throughout the story. I also loved the nickname Pringles.

Read if you like:
Adventure Romance
Forced Proximity
Sabatoge
Spice


Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the eArc in exchange for my honest review

I love adventure romance books and this is a solid contribution to the genre.

The book has the humor and fun adventure vibes that I was craving and I appreciated that each of the main characters were nuanced and the expedition and backstory was well thought out and I loved the front and center focus of the rights of indigenous people in Western archaeology.

Unfortunately I felt that the book was a bit uneventful in terms of the archaeology plot - they barely make an progress and then within the last 10% solved the whole thing. I also had a hard time liking the FMC, Miri. I'm sure many will find her quirky and charming, but I just found her annoying. I understand the character growth of overcoming her imposter syndrome, but to me it made her seem extremely younger than her 25 years and got really grating.

Overall a fun read with some interesting twists and a strong angle for indigenous rights for cultural sites in archaeology.

Jo Segura's adventurous rom-com is so much fun, and readers who enjoyed Raiders of the Lost Heart will find a lot of the same energy and sense of humor balanced with high stakes in this one. Charming, funny, swoony, and atmospheric.

THIS. This is the kind of fun romcom I will just devour. With adventure, action, sizzling chemistry and spicy romance, banter, classic villains, kissing in the rain, vine swinging lessons 🤣. Oh and no third act break up! But it might leave you craving Pringles 👀.

Miri is a smart and witty, Fanny pack wearing, snack loving FMC who I adored. And she handled Rafa’s revelations so maturely. Rafa might have been deceitful in the beginning but his heart was always in the right place. Their meet cute was hilarious and though there was immediate attraction circumstances led to a slow burn romance with plenty of tantalizing moments.

I also appreciated the focus on preserving archeological sites and respecting the history of the people who lived there.

Thanks to the publisher and author for the ARC, thoughts are my own.

"Temple of Swoon" is the newest addition to the exciting "Raiders of the Lost Heart" series by Jo Segura.

I am a huge fan of female characters dominating in a "male's world" and Dr. Miri Jacobs is no exception. She's cute, spunky, and a little unsure of herself at times, but in a good way.

I had high expectations for this one after really loving "Raiders of the Lost Heart" and I think that set me up for some slight disappointment. "Temple of Swoon" is an adorable rom-com but I think I was expecting a little more on the adventure front given the Indiana Jones inspiration.

I still enjoyed this one nonetheless and can't wait to see the hype it deserves in January.

Thank you to Berkley for selecting me through the Underrepresented Voices program and to NetGalley for providing the e-arc.

This book was fun and entertaining, but I do think it was a bit disappointing. I liked Rafa as a character and his storyline, and I also liked the romance between him and Miri; I think their chemistry came across well and the sort of sunshine x sunshine energy was cute!!

What I didn’t like so much was that this book felt very anticlimactic for me. I was expecting a lot more action and adventure and details on the exploration itself, as well as the backstory on what they were exploring, while a lot of the time that plot line felt like an afterthought. The last few chapters were rushed, especially when considering their importance to the story, and I wish that the actual dig had a bigger role in this book!

⭐️ 3/5
🌶️ 3/5

Regrettably, I think the cover is what I liked most about this book… 😬

I have loved the Indiana Jones movies since I was young, so I was on board with the premise right from the jump, but this was overall just really lackluster.

For me, the action was uneventful and the stakes felt pretty low. I feel that the author wanted to replicate the vibes from book one, but didn’t quite hit the mark. There was so much repetition in this storyline that I found myself truly bored.

I feel like there is so much more that could have been explored, but all we focused on was the horniness of our two MCs. These two were so hot and bothered over one another after less than 48 hours. Not to mention, the MMC’s sole purpose for being on this expedition is to sabotage our heroine’s attempt to find the fabled lost city. Lying and sabotage just aren’t fun for me.

What I did love was the lore behind this expedition and the various clues they found along the way. I wish we were able to delve deeper into this and the mysterious guardians of the lost city.

After enjoying Raiders of the Lost Heart, I really wanted to love this story, but I just felt let down. I still have hope for the author’s next in this series, The Lust Crusade. I can’t get enough of these titles!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced copy!

Read This Book If…you love a quirky FMC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

Genre: romance
Series: Raiders of the Lost Heart # 2
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: jungle in Brazil
POV: dual, 3rd person, past tense
Tropes: workplace, hurt/comfort

My Thoughts:
This was better than the first book in the series! Besides getting some background information on characters that are briefly mentioned in this book, you can skip Raiders of the Lost Heart.

The lore surrounding the lost city was interesting and I loved all of the plot twists and turns. There’s plenty of adventure and action happening, which kept the story moving at a good pace.

What fell flat for me (again) was the romance and relationship between these two.

After this book, I can say that this author just isn’t for me. All of the MMCs sabotage the FMC’s careers and nothing happens but they’re still somehow in love at the end.

Again, I enjoyed this one more than the first book, but still isn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

Much like the first this was full of fun and adventure! And I loved getting to know Miri and Rafa. They were VERY sweet trying to focus on work and not their feelings!! It’s one of the best things about a workplace romance!

I also loved seeing Miri being in charge and working so hard at her job! She’s so good at what she does but she never gets the opportunity to really show it because the world is an unfair place!

My biggest gripe with this and the other one really…is how hard the MMC working AGAINST the FMC for so long. This one did feel a little different?? I don’t really know why?? But I feel like Ford was more irritating than Rafa??

Thank you so much to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I really enjoyed Jo Segura's first book and was eager to read another adventure romance from her. Temple of Swoon feels different enough from Raiders of the Lost Heart, but still keeps the same adventurous tone. I enjoyed Miri and Rafa's romance and all the twists and turns near the end.

*Received as a free ARC*
Wow, a sequel! As an archaeology person, I'm always down for (well written) archaeology fiction. I know exactly who I'm recommending this to! The romance did feel a little fast, but I am ace so. Maybe it's totally normal! Also there was a bunch of time we didn't see. All in all, a solid read and just in time to break of January dullness.

I recommend this one for fans of goofy romcoms and “adorkable” women. I loved the narration, especially the MMC, but wanted the plot to move a bit faster.

What a fun continuation of the Raiders of the Lost Heart series!

This picks up after the incidents of the first book with new yet connected characters.

Miri is tasked with co-leading an excursion into the Amazon in search of the Lost City of the Moon. Rafa is on the excursion to stop her from finding it because of a family obligation.

It's dramatic enough on its own, but then there's the sabotage, spies, and the irresistible chemistry between the two that sparks on their meet-cute at the airport.

The rest is full of banter, adventure, and Miri's journey to finding her confidence and Rafa finding his purpose. It is a truly fun and spicy journey to go on with them.

I enjoy books with a spunky heroine, in this case an archaeologist, who is determined to make a name for herself in her field and sets off to do so a la Indiana Jones. This dig had some interesting clues that she had to follow to find the lost city and it was fascinating following along as traveled through Brazil. The romance was a great addition to the story, and I felt the chemistry between Miri and Rafa. I look forward to more books like this and from this author.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The characters were strong and their adventure was fast-paced but, for me, it didn't stand out from other similar books.