Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura has Dr. Miriam Jacobs setting off on an adventure in the Amazon rainforest.

Will Dr. Miriam Jacobs, against all odds, find the Lost City of the Moon?

Dr. Miriam Jacobs
Dr. Miriam Jacobs is an archaeologist but doesn't have much of anything underneath her belt. Until her mentor, Dr. Corrie Mejía, can't leave Dr. Ford Matthews home alone with a broken arm, she puts Miri and another archaeologist as co-leaders of the expedition. The only things that Miri has any confidence in are her ability to keep talking and having snacks.

I like how, through this expedition, Miri gains the confidence that she needs to believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to and that maybe she needs to be her own self.

Rafael Monfils
Rafael Monfils is a journalist tasked with this expedition to document the whole thing and take pictures. It definitely isn't to throw the archaeological team off the track to find the lost city. Or is it? Rafe has a lot of things to unbury about himself throughout this adventure, and he finds comfort in Miri while finding out more about himself.

I have to say that I love these two, as they both complement each other in the weirdest ways. This is mainly because one wouldn't think of a nerdy person like Dr. Miriam Jacobs to be with a hunk like Rafael Monfils. Rafa and Miri, together, will be unstoppable together.

Four Stars
My rating for Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura is four stars. I do recommend it for the adult romance readers who love a little bit of adventure mixed in with a romantic comedy. Ms. Segura brought me to the Amazon rainforest, and on this exciting adventure helping out Rafa and Miri find the Lost City of the Moon.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Thank you for the free Book/ARC Forever!

Another amazing story from Lauren! I absolutely loved Lunar Love and Red String Theory, so I was thrilled to dive into this one. Yin Yang Love Song feels different from the others but in the best way possible. The mix of humor and raw emotion had me hooked from the start. I loved how Lauren wrote about baking, teas, flowers and family (there’s even some curse breaking)! I learned so much about Traditional Chinese Medicine, the healing power of flowers and herbs, and the art of making tea!

Chryssy and Vin are absolutely adorable together. I loved their fake dating and how they helped each other grow in ways they never expected. Chryssy is such a strong, compassionate character, and Vin’s vulnerability was so cute. I love a great fake relationship that turns real!

I love this series so so much and cannot wait for more. Jo is out here writing adventure rom-com in such a wonderful, enjoyable, sexy way. I love love love it.

I adored this follow-up to Raiders of
the Lost Heart! There were some great adventure and mystery aspects that were so much fun. The story was fantastic and had
some funny moments. It's quite definitely an Indiana Jones romcom.

Miri is an archaeologist, but unfortunately
she hasn't had the opportunity to prove herself yet. Now she's been invited to participate in the search for a city
in the Amazon rainforest. After the original leaders are unable to make it, Miri is asked to be the expedition lead. This gives her the opportunity she needs to prove herself.

Rafa is a magazine journalist and photographer with secrets. The two of them have an adorable meet cute, and there's an instant attraction. Their adventure is filled with lots of swinging from vines, getting dirty, fighting off bad guys, and plenty and close proximity shenanigans.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read what Jo Segura writes next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sadly I enjoyed this book less than I did the first one. There's something about the romance in this book that gave me the ick and it wasn't just her "slippery folds". I've never been a fan of the instalove trope or when an author hyper fixates on a character's features. Also for an action romance I was kinda bored by it.

Temple of Swoom is a fun romance with action, mystery, lost cities, and quirky and hilarious characters. It's a standalone, but there are some cameos, so it's convenient to read them in order.

Miri is an archaeologist, but so far she hasn't had the opportunity to do much; she is invited to participate in the search for a city in the Amazon rainforest, many have tried to find it and so far no one has been successful, it seems that it’s a cursed search, because something always happens and this time is no exception, even before starting, disaster after disaster occurs. Now Miri is the expedition lead. This is her chance to prove that she is capable and smart. 

I appreciate Miri’s journeys. She starts off insecure, and her field of work is dominated by men, so she is underestimated. She knows that she is intelligent, and one of the goals of this expedition is not only to prove that she is capable but also that she is a badass. In the process, she will learn that there are different ways to be a badass and that you must be true to yourself.

Rafa is the journalist and photographs of the expedition, but in reality, he has a secret mission: to sabotage. At first, he believes he is doing it to protect the secrets of the natives and the City of the Moon, but the more time he spends with Miri and their attraction grows, the more internal conflict he has, he wants Miri and he does not want to lie to her.

The romance is fun and kind of cheesy, they make a good team, they click from the beginning, there is a lot of banter and tension, they have similar goals, and they both want to show what they are capable of.

It's fast pacing, there's a lot of action and there's always something going on, bandits are chasing them and accidents happen. The setting is the Amazon, they'll get lost in the jungle, and they'll have to navigate rivers, and fly on vines, it's dangerous and chaotic, and more and more members quit, but for Miri, it will all be worth it, if they manage to find the City of the Moon. The last chapters are plot twists and action after action, without a doubt, it's a fun adventure. I would have liked it to be a little longer so that the conclusion would not have been so quick, many things happened at the same time.

Thanks to Berkeley Romance for the copy, I enjoy the ride.

Read it if you like:
Indiana Jones vibes
Adventure, Action and Mystery
Fun, Silly and Cute Romance
Lighthearted story

This was such a fun romp and really played kind of like your old-school classic adventure movie. I loved being in Miri's head and seeing her work through the imposter syndrome, and similarly seeing Rafa come to grips with needing to make drastic changes in his life.

I did find the twist pretty predictable but all in all an entertaining read with just enough humor, twists and steam to keep me going.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing, and Jo Segura for an e-arc of Temple of Swoon in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to this one, but it fell a little short for me. I loved the setting, and that we are getting to learn more about the main conflict, but the book as a whole lacked the same spark that Raiders of the Lost Heart had. I think I would have liked it a little more if all of the major discoveries weren’t made because the main character is clumsy, or she wasn’t spilling something on herself every other page. Her whole thing is she wants to be taken seriously, but she did very little to actually prove that throughout the book. The romance was also a little insta-lovey and I usually prefer a little bit more of a slower burn.

I still enjoyed it and will still continue on with the series if there are any more books with these characters because I love that archaeology has become prominent in romances, but this was not quite what I was hoping it would be.

Ate down real bad. I love the depth the characters have. They communicate well and have a strong sense of themselves and each other.

This is the second book in the Raiders of the Lost Heart series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. It follows Miri and Rafa as they travel to Brazil in search of La Cidade da Lua—the City of the Moon. At least, that’s Miri’s goal. Rafa, however, has been sent to ensure the team doesn’t uncover the lost city, putting them at direct odds from the very beginning.

This book is an absolute delight—fun, adventurous, and brimming with romance. Miri is such a charming and dorky FMC, full of enthusiasm and curiosity, and Rafa is completely, hopelessly smitten with her. Their dynamic is wonderful, balancing tension, humor, and swoon-worthy moments. While I don’t have much experience with the “insta-love” trope and wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it, this story completely won me over. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and their relationship is so wholesome and heartwarming.

Of course, there’s a fair amount of deception at play—Rafa’s secret mission puts him in a tricky position—but trust me, it all works perfectly in the story. The way their relationship unfolds is engaging and sweet, making for an incredibly fun read. If you love adventure, romance, and a touch of intrigue, Temple of Swoon is definitely worth picking up!

Thank you @NetGalley and @Berkley for the ARC. This was a cute rom-com and I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. Dr. Miriam Jacobs is looking for the Lost City of the Moon and writer Rafa is along to photograph the find. Unfortunately Rafa also has plans for the Lost City not to ever be found and will go to many lengths to have the Dr. quiet the trip. Yet, they both are not expecting to find love.

I want to tell you about Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura. I loved the “Raiders of the Lost Ark”vibes I got from this story. It is set in the Amazon on an archeological quest to find a lost city that is rumored to be fiercely guarded by its protectors.
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This quest is undertaken by Dr. Miriam Jacob’s, a very ambitious young archeologist, determined to make a name for herself, definitely aiming to be the female Indiana Jones. I thought she was great and I wanted it all for her.
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She is accompanied on this quest with a full team, including a journalist who has his own secret reasons for joining this adventure. A adventure that gets more and more curious and dangerous as it goes deeper into the jungle.
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Adventure and love just seem to go together often, especially well in this book. The chemistry between the two main characters and the situations they are thrown into are lots of fun.
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Thanks @BerkleyPub for another fun book, this was a great romp through the wild Amazon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced readers copy of this book.

On the heels of Raiders of the Lost Heart, Temple of Swoon is a delightful slow burn between a lovable, nerdy, FMC and the roguish and handsome, heart-of-gold MMC. All with typical "he falls first" fashion, our MMC is undermining our FMC at every turn, while secretly (and eventually not-so-secretly) being her #1 supporter.

The burn was *slow* in the first half, but when it started to pick up mid-way and had me hanging on. There is a HUGE twist in the second half, which I am legitimately mad at myself for not seeing from a mile away. I would have liked a little more spice, but what we got was good.

Overall, it's a fun romp through the Amazon packed with adventure and romance. You get and epic quest, good guy/bad guy fights, a journey of self-discovery (from both MCs!), fun nicknames, and all with the flair of Indiana Jones. (I did feel that it was lacking in the "punching Nazis" detail. Maybe next time, Jo.)

📚Trope(s): He falls first, Dark Secret, Coworkers (sorta), Slow burn
What you get: 🇧🇷🏞️🛖📸🔦🗺️🧭💎💰
⭐️Plot: 4/5
🔥Chemistry: 4/5
🌶️Spice: 3/5
Warnings: Parental Death (in the past), Deception, Misogyny

Loved the premise and had a fun start but I didn't stay engaged and struggled to finish. Rafael's sabotaging just felt so silly, every time it happened again I got annoyed. Didn't mind the chemistry though.

2.5 stars - I was sadly a bit disappointed with this book. I was ready and excited for a fun wacky adventure rom-com and this ended up falling a bit flat for me. The insta-love/insta-lust wasn't believable between Rafael and Miri and the overall plot felt lackluster. There was somehow too many and not enough things happening at the same time. I also was so uncomfortable with the fact that one of the spicy scenes happened almost immediately after one of the characters got a concussion - that was a step too far.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC - all opinions are my own.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

I love adventure romances and the book before this one was so much fun! I did love Miri and Rafa’s instant connection and cute and witty banter, as well as the twist that I didn’t really see coming! However, it did feel a little slow when I was expecting more fast paced, but it was still overall an enjoyable read.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Jo Segura for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Miriam Jacobs STILL cannot believe that her mentor is none other than THE Corrie Mejia, the boss babe archaeologist who made a name for herself on a trip searching for the Aztec Empire not too long ago. Although she secretly yearns to reach that level of indescribable and effortless 'cool', Miriam is a unpolished at best and a bit of a newbie, one who is more at home cracking dad jokes than anything else. So when she gets the opportunity to lead an expedition through the Amazonian jungle, it's MORE than just overwhelming: it's seemingly IMPOSSIBLE. After all, with no map leading the way and only sparse clues pointing to its whereabouts, how on EARTH is Miriam going to be the one to lead her team to the City of the Lost Moon?

Well, Rafael 'Rafa' Monfils is going to make SURE she doesn't get there...but he can't say a word about his intentions. Posing as a journalist who will be documenting the trip, he is charged with making sure the crew doesn't actually stumble on the right path to lead them to the lost city (Ciadade de Lua, or "Moon City") while maintaining an air of innocence. There's only a few problems with this plan: first off, from the minute these two lock eyes in a taxi, there is HEAT for days...and secondly, the more obstacles Rafa tosses in her path, the more determined Miriam becomes to not only lead her team to victory, but to prove that Corrie put her trust in just the right mentee. But as it turns out, there is more than one group set on finding the ancient city and claiming its spoils...one who will stop at nothing to keep Rafa AND Miriam at bay. But can these two fight the urge to bond (in more ways than one) and can Rafa keep his eye on the prize? Or will his desire for Miriam overtake his mission and put BOTH of them square in the path of the enemy...with NO escape from the lost city in sight?

After feeling pleasantly surprised by Segura's first book in this series, I was EAGER to grab this next installment. In the previous book, Segura managed to toe the line between scintillating and silly, adding just enough of a "female Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft" vibe to make the book feel fun, fresh, and different...and to oddly keep me hooked, despite some areas for improvement.

But when it came to this second attempt at a jungle exploring, adventure rom-com with rivals (albeit secret ones?) to lovers, I found myself longing for the simple silliness I found in the first installment...and missing the BEJEEZUS out of one Corrie Mejia.

Yep, that's right...the characters you spent ALL of the last book getting to know intimately? All but gone here. Corrie is MENTIONED as a mere link to this current story...but that's where the similarities and the ties to the first story come to a stop. There's nothing WRONG with Miriam, per se, but I just found her a less interesting, less confident, and less street smart version of Corrie...so much for female empowerment. There's also nothing necessarily WRONG with Rafa; he's a perfectly serviceable counterpoint to Miriam, although their big 'connection' is basically driven 10000% by lust and not by much else, which can be a bit boring to read after a while. (I mean, we get it, they're both good looking...but with this much ELSE in common, could they not have built MORE of a substantive relationship to go along with it?) I can't say I was ever rooting for OR against them per se...they seemed more like just people destined to hook up and date for a few months before going their separate ways.

Unfortunately, the other problem with this particular series is rather than growing and expanding, I felt as though I was retreading the SAME well-worn grooves on the jungle path. Although the plot is certainly different (less work rivals to lovers and more strangers to lovers) this also sort of removed the stakes AND the emotional impact to an extent. Without commenting on the plot itself this is hard to discuss, but by the time you figure out who the 'real' enemy is, your emotional balloon will all have but deflated...and things get pretty boring from there on out. If the book were a TV movie (because let's face it, feature film it is not), this is the part when you'd pick up your cell phone and start idly scrolling, glancing up every so often. I think it's only introduced to introduce some empathy for Rafa's character...but at the end of the day, he had NO problem sabotaging Miriam from the beginning which was just sort of vindictive. He certainly ends up having a LOT in common with the eventual villain...that's all I'll say.

The word "swoon" can have many meanings, from "to faint from extreme emotion" or even "to become enraptured." But when it came to THIS Temple of Swoon, the definition I related to most?

"A state of bewilderment."

3 stars

Badass archaeologist Dr. Miriam Jacobs is leading an expedition through the Amazon Rainforest to find the Cidade Perdida da Lua, the Lost City of the Moon. She falls hopelessly in love with the journalist and photographer on their adventure... but Rafael is a descendant of os protetores da lua, the protectors of the ancient Moon City, and he's determined to throw Dr. Jacobs off the trail.

I mean... could it get any more fun than this?! This book was an absolute blast and I loved it. The characters were so a-dork-able I couldn't help but root for them. And I have to admit, it's rare that I find a plot, stakes, or conflict that I care about in romance books, but man did Temple of Swoon deliver! I was lamenting to my partner 70% of the way through that I just couldn't see a way for the book to get resolved. On the one hand, we want Rafael to protect his heritage, but on the other, we want Miri's career to take off! And of course, I stood corrected. I loved the ending. It swept me up in the whimsy and wonder any Indiana Jones movie could offer - complete with comical jewel thieves, hidden treasure, and vine bridges that snap once you're halfway across. And who doesn't love a good The-Notebook-style rain-soaked kiss scene?

My only criticism would be that I wanted more. I wanted to dig into this setting and conflict just a little more than the book did. But, it did a fabulous job at keeping the tone light, unserious, and funny. Can I really be mad about a romance book being mostly about the romance (lol)? Nah. Temple of Swoon was fantastic.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC.

I had a blast with Raiders of the Lost Heart, and this follow-up did not disappoint! First of all, Rafa and Miri’s relationship was chef's kiss. No miscommunications, no "I secretly hate you but actually love you" nonsense—just two people clearly into each other from the get-go. The tension between them? Spicy. It had me hooked like I was reaching for a can of Pringles I definitely didn’t need but couldn’t stop eating it up (wink wink haha).

And then there’s Rafa, dealing with some seriously heavy family stuff that had my heart doing some acrobatics. It was emotional, raw, and just... wow. Between the romance, the drama, and the snacks I inhaled, this book hit all the sweet spots. Can't wait to see what Jo Segura releases next!

Thank you to Berkeley Publishers for the free ebook! After reading and enjoying Jo Segura's previous romance in the jungle book, Raiders of the Lost Heart I knew I wanted to read the follow up book. I was so pleased after reading it, I wound up preordering a physical copy to keep on my shelf. If you want an entertaining time along with a diverse romance highly recommend this one!

Dr. Miriam Jacobs is the most awkwardly lovable archeologist tasked with a search in the Amazon for the Lost City of the Moon. I adored her and her vine swinging, inner monologuing ways. Rafe Monfils is a journalist with a secret mission to sabotage the search, but finds himself thinking how cute Miriam is. I loved the banter, the themes about self confidence and yes the steam. This book is like watching a throwback movie full of charm, action and a plot that was a refreshing change for today's romance reader.