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.

I devoured this book in twenty-four hours and was mad at myself for reading so quickly when I reached the last page and there was no more! Jo Segura’s sophomore novel, TEMPLE OF SWOON (the BEST title 😂), is just as wild, addictive, and sexy as her first!

Dr. Miriam Jacobs has one last chance to prove she’s as badass of an archeologist as her mentor. If she can’t find the Lost City of the Moon, she’s done for. When journalist Rafael Monfils shows up on her job site, the two can’t deny their immediate attraction. But Miri doesn’t know Rafa’s real intentions, to keep the expedition from ever reaching the city. As the two grow closer, even while everything goes wrong around them, Miri and Rafa will have to decide what’s worth protecting, and what they’re willing to sacrifice to ensure they achieve their goals.

This story was as hilarious as it was sweet! Miri and Rafa were adorable from the jump, and I loved how clear their connection was, even as their circumstances (and wonderfully bonkers situations!) kept them apart. I related so much to Miri and her desire to prove herself, and her arc was beautifully done! Rafa is a top tier romance hero, sexy and complex. The way these two challenged each other to grow over the course of the novel was so much fun to watch!

TEMPLE OF SWOON releases January 7th, so don’t forget to preorder!

This was such a fun follow-up to Segura's first book! It's a perfect blend of romance, adventure, and mystery in a lush and interesting setting. I was a little wary of Miri at first because overly quirky characters annoy me, but she never reached that point. Instead, I found her and Rafa completely charming. These books would make amazing rom-com films and someone should get on that.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I absolutely adored the first book. The adventure was great, the characters were engaging, the spicy stuff was <em>spicy</em>. This one is more like the beige, forgettable friend of that book. Miri kept comparing herself to Corrie, the main character in the first book. Segura wrote such an amazing character with Corrie, but not with Miri, so by having Miri compare herself to Corrie, it just reminded me that Miri isn't that great. She talks about being badass and doing great things, and then she does a tiny little thing and gets all proud about something insignificant. I found myself rolling my eyes more times than I can count. I don't think this is a bad book, but it's nowhere near as great as the first one, and that's a shame.

Also, I hate the title. It's so cheesy, but not in the good way. I didn't even want to put it on my currently-reading shelf because I dislike the title so much.

Dr. Miriam Jacobs is trying to make a name for herself in the archaeology world. When her mentor drops out of the current expedition, she is named to co-lead the project. Miri must stay focused on the goal of finding the lost city that nobody has come close to finding. Her immediate attraction to Rafael Monfils, the journalist assigned to cover the expedition, is proving to be a distraction. The more she tries to pull away from him, the more they get entangled with one another. Miri doesn't know the real reason why Rafa is there - to thwart her attempts to find the lost city. But even he begins to question his mission as they fall for one another.

Just like Jo Segura's first book, this book was immensely entertaining! I loved the Indiana Jones vibes. The book was a nice mixture of romance, mystery, adventure, and suspense. Jo Segura is a talented writer, finding the perfect balance in her books that integrates all kinds of elements to produce a seamless story.

Miri and Rafa have a fun and fiery romance. Their meet cute is adorable and I couldn't wait to see how their romance would play out. They wanted each other but realized it wouldn't be a good idea and that created a lot of yummy tension. Rafa wrestled with his underlying mission, not wanting to hurt Miri but also trying to get the job done. In the end, he was her biggest champion, helping give her the confidence she needed to become the badass renowned archeologist that she came to be.

Pick this one up for a fun and adventurous romance!

Steam level: 🔥🔥¾

ok so overall: i liked the concept. i wanted to enjoy the story more but i just didn’t feel the connection with the main characters. i was hoping for a little bit more romance and less adventure

Temple of Swoon was a fun little read. I love how quirky Miri’s character was and her love of snacks. Rafa’s nickname for her was the best! So cute! The little twist was great and I honestly didn’t see it coming. I think the ending went by a little fast though. The first 70% was paced pretty well but once it got to Miri and Rafa searching on their own it was extremely fast paced. Too fast I would say. But all in all it was a great pallet cleanser book.

This was a great sequel to Segura's Raiders of the Lost Heart (which I really enjoyed). I love contemporary adventure romances and I wish there were more! Corrie and Ford from the first book aren't actually in this one, but they are part of the framing - they're supposed to lead an archaeological expedition in the Amazon to find the legendary Lost City of the Moon, but when a minor accident at home sidelines them, Corrie appoints her colleague and mentee, Dr. Miriam Jacobs, to take over as co-leader with the very pompous Dr. Bradley Quinn. Miriam, who goes by Miri, knows that this expedition is her last chance to prove her worth as an untenured archeology faculty member, and she's shocked to learn that she's now supposed to *lead* the whole thing. Especially after her blowhard co-leader hurts himself and she ends up leading the expedition solo. There also happen to be a lot of other complicating factors - namely that there are henchmen after her and her crew, that infamous artifact thief Pierre Vautour (the villain from the first book) is also hot on her trail and trying to beat her to the lost city, and that she's super into the photojournalist Rafael Monfils (Rafa) who is accompanying the team (and secretly trying to sabotage the expedition at the behest of his father, because his late mother was one of the protectors of the Lost City). It's all kind of a lot, and Miri is about ready to give up entirely when she finds a huge clue and decides to keep going. If you liked Segura's Raiders of the Lost Heart or Kerry Rea's recent Jewel of the Isle, you'll like this one. I hope Jo Segura keeps this series going, and that more contemporary romance authors follow suit!

Temple of Soon is a romcom set in the jungles of the Amazon. The insta-lust thoughts was incredibly "strange" for the love interests. Whether in the throws of the jungle or on the run, their inner thoughts were about each other rather than the danger at hand. This slow-burn lacked chemistry. It was as if they were teenagers on an adventure rather than professionals trying to find treasure.

Rating 2.5

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

Temple of Swoon is 100% accurate. Definitely had me swooning with this fun romantic adventure story sprinkled with some good humour

I like a story with substance in addition to the spice. I love a heroine with spunk. Then there was the plot twist at the end of chapter 16, the one that had me going back at 11 pm to finish the book. Jo Seguro has written another book where smart is sexy.

I actually gave this a 3.5 rating, but Net Galley doesn’t offer half stars.

#templeofswoon
#JoSeguro
#NetGalley
#Pringles
#SmartIsSexy

I really enjoyed the first book in the series but I liked this one more. I loved all the characters and I love the sense of adventure intertwined into the plot. I also like a story with woman trying to prove themselves because it feels extremely realistic.

This was a highly anticipated release for me, since I LOVED the first book in the series. Unfortunately, I just wasn't as hooked when I got to this one. I might try a reread when I'm in a different mood, but for now I kind of just feel meh about it.

This book was included in a set of books i won from an independent website so special thanks to the author for that.
I enjoyed the book. I liked the cover as did my girlfriend who was my original planned reader for this novel. She enjoyed the cast of characters although i enjoyed the wit of Pringles more than the others. I do wish there were a bit more adventure but despite that i think many others will enjoy the book as we did.