Temple of Swoon is the second book I've read by Jo Segura and it's unfortunately as disappointing as the first. The quality of the writing isn't poor but the characters are not well drawn. The heroine especially comes across as a bumbling fool. It's one thing to be clumsy and quirky but she is genuinely horrible at her job an makes one poor decision after another. Her behavior is so bizarre that at one point I found myself thinking one of the antagonists was right about his criticism of her. The hero lies to the heroine for the entire book and endangers her life and her career at multiple points. Don't even get me started on how poor the representation of the archaeology field is either. It's frustrating because I want to love these books but they fall flat each time.

I read the first book in the series and thought it was just ok, and I feel similarly about this one. I like the idea and love the setting, but it just fell flat for me. Both characters seem less like real people and more just like various quirks put together.

The second in a series follows Miri, a clumsy archeologist trying to prove herself as she leads a mission to find the lost City of the Moon in the Amazon. All of her attempts are thwarted by Rafa, the sexy journalist trying to protect the city as part of his mother's life's work. Invariably they fall for each other and other hijinks ensue, especially as a bad guy is trying to find the same city to loot it.

There are a lot of references to the first book, so a reader may want to read that one first, but unnecessary. The chemistry between the main characters doesn't have to be great, however, the reader is left confused about how their lust and some limited group interactions led to love that quickly.

While there is a good amount of adventure within the story, the pacing leaves some to be desired. There are frequent lulls where it is easy to put down the book and get distracted.

Overall, a decent romance that some will love.

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley for the DRC! All opinions are my own!

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura. This just might be my favorite romance novel of 2024. The romance was SOOO sweet and I adored these two characters. Plus the adventure is so fun!

While very cute, it didn’t quite catch the spark of the first in the series. Lots of jungle vine swinging, almost insta-love/lust, and the same big bad as book one (though the surprise there was fun). That said, I’m still looking forward to more from author Jo Segura. Thanks to Berkley for the ARC.

I feel like the first half of this book dragged on, then everything was crammed into the last 25%. I struggled with the believability of Miri and Rafa’s relationship as it progressed.

This book reminded me of an adult version of Jungle Cruise mixed with the live action movie of Dora the Explorer. It was quirky and fun with plenty of references to Indiana Jones and Lara Croft.

The book follows a photographer who only wants his last assignment to end and an archaeologist who has been waiting for her big break.

If you enjoyed Jo Segura’s first novel or love a good archaeologist rom-com adventure, you will love this book.

Well, this book reads like an adventure novel with romance in the background. Perhaps sorta "Romancing the Stone" without much romance. There was alot, and I mean ALOT of archaeological happenings going on. The book was cute and it kinda kept my attention. Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I think I love adventure romances! There's something so enchanting about falling in love when it's set against a beautiful background. The Amazon rainforest? Absolutely gorgeous choice.

While we're following another archeological dig, Temple of Swoon feels wholly distinct from Raiders of the Lost Heart despite having a few character cameos. Miriam Jacobs is a goofy goober coming into her own, while Rafael Monfils is doing everything in his power to make sure that Miri doesn't find the mysterious Cidade da Lua. It made for such an interesting dynamic as Rafa wants Miri to succeed and gain confidence, but is torn up by familial duty. They have fabulous chemistry and Pringles is the cutest nickname known to man.

I cannot WAIT for The Lust Crusade and all of the future adventures I'll go on with Jo Segura.

Temple of Swoon is a fun, action-packed romance! Two archaeologists on an expedition through the Amazon fall in love even though they each have a lot at stake on the mission. This book is a fun adventure and I could envision this becoming a movie! It made me want to travel the Amazon.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy.

hopefully net galley doesn't hate me for this eek but this read like a cheesy action movie. thank you so much for this book, it was a highly anticipated read, I really loved the last book this one just felt like an unneccessary sequel. I'd still love to read more of their stuff, the atmosphere, setting, whole concept is really neat and im always in the mood for an adventure romance however the romance wasn't doing it for me as much this time around.

good things:
the setting
the idea of it: the looking for ancient civilizations in the amazon is such a cool concept it just fell flat for me. I felt that it had a lot of cliches which some people love but because of that I didn't really get into the characters or invested in their love story. a lot of really dramatic puffed out your chest lines that just felt like, yeah, a cheesy action movie. but maybe that's just me.

I am obsessed with Jo Segura's adventure romance novels. There's something so fresh and fun about this genre.

Picking up right where she left off with Raiders of the Lost Heart, Temple of Swoon is an action-packed romp. Dr. Miriam "Miri" Jacobs is finally getting the chance to prove herself as a field archeaologist but not if Rafael (Rafa) has his way. Posing as a journalist to follow Miri's mission, Rafa is actually there to thwart the team's attempts to find the Lost City of the Moon.

I think Segura improved on some things in Temple of Swoon. The action felt more propulsive and the pacing a stitch better. The chemistry between Rafa and Miri was off the charts and I eagerly read this in the span of a day.

Highly recommend for fans of contemporary romance who enjoy a little something extra in their storylines.

I'd never read a book by Jo Segura before. This one FLEW by. It was inventive, fun, and yet somehow still...thought provoking? Full of humor and sure to satisfy many readers. Now to get to this author's backlist!

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura is a lush, evocative exploration of desire, identity, and spiritual awakening. Set in a world where the boundaries between the physical and the metaphysical blur, the novel weaves together elements of romance, mysticism, and sensuality. Segura's prose is both poetic and unflinchingly raw, inviting readers into a labyrinth of emotion and experience that challenges conventional perceptions of love and longing. The characters are richly developed, each navigating their own personal journey of self-discovery and connection, while the narrative's dreamlike quality keeps the reader on the edge of reality. Temple of Swoon is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that will resonate with anyone interested in the intersection of intimacy and the soul.

For a story based on an adventure movie franchise, this was so lacking in fun.
It felt like the author was trying to recapture what she did with the first book and just rewrote the same story.

Yay for adventure romance! I need to see more of these!

I enjoyed Temple of Swoon even more than Segura's first book. It felt like there was more adventure and maybe a little more at stake. I loved seeing Miri overcome her insecurites and just throw herself fearlessly (and maybe foolishly) into situations. Overall, Temple of Swoon, is a fun, archaelogical adventure, perfect for fans of Indiana Jones and National Treasure.

This bored me.

For a story based on an adventure movie franchise, this was so lacking in fun.
It felt like the author was trying to recapture what she did with the first book and just rewrote the same story. Even the villain was the same.
I did like that the hero was French Canadian/Brazilian and on the golden retriever side, I love a supportive hero, but he was a liar so points off for that. I’m not really into romances when one of the main characters is tricking or lying to the other from the jump.
Anyway this book was ok but nothing great. Lacked comedy and romance, and veered too much into horny monologues instead of action-adventure or swoon, despite the title.
They did swing around on vines a lot, which I question the physics of, and there was some decent lore around the city they were trying to find. Overall this needed a boost of pretty much everything to make it any more than three stars. A good idea, blandly executed.

I really enjoyed this book, although as not as much as the first one. Once again, the author had a unique plot, but I thought the pacing was a little bit off. I appreciated how the conflict between the characters was resolved through communication and understanding of the situation. Also just loved the chemistry the characters had upon their first meeting.

Oh my, oh my!

Jo Segura has done it again. Being stuck in the Amazonian jungle has never sounded so good before. Engaging, incredibly funny and fast-paced, this book will definitely warm your heart.

I absolutely loved the main characters, they felt very real with their own flaws and emotions. It was a refreshing read for me in a sense of its simplicity. It was very easy to understand without knowing the ins and outs of archeological world. The story itself was pretty simple, but it's a romance novel first and foremost, so don't expect any heart breaking discoveries.

The twist at the end leaves a very real possibility for book three and I'm here for it.

I loved this book and read the whole thing in one sitting. The characters were interesting and I loved the plot twist. I also loved the description on the Amazon and the Moon City.