I wanted more from Temple of Swoon. I had a hard time connecting to Miriam and Rafael's relationship. Individually, I liked their characters. As a couple, I found their relationship lacking. I had a difficult time with their instalust. I felt like Miriam and Rafael's relationship could have been developed better. By the time they were saying their I love you's, I wasn't fully convinced. I also thought the side characters were underdeveloped. They felt a little one-dimensional. Characters from Segura's first book are featured in this book. Readers will want to read Raiders of the Lost Heart before reading this one. I wasn't surprised by the big twist at the end. The climatic scene at the end of the book was fine. I did feel like the final scene with the bad guys could have been cleaned up better. I enjoyed the journal article epilogue. Just like her first book, Segura did a wonderful job creating an immersive and strong setting. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I really like “adventure” romances, I like reading about the archeological digs and finds. The stories about the people who used to live there are fascinating. In this book, Miri (Dr. Miriam Jacobs) is in charge of a group of archaeologists searching for the Lost City of the Moon, a mysterious place with modern day guardians descended from the city’s original inhabitants.

There’s a journalist in the group too, Rafa is going to document the search.
What the group doesn’t know is that Rafa is there to sabotage the dig and make sure they never find the lost city.

Miri and Rafa are attracted to each other and as their relationship deepens, Rafa is torn between protecting the location of the lost city and helping Miri find it so she can make her name as an archaeologist. There’s a giant twist at the end that throws everything into question!

I highly recommend this book, it’s a fun read. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my

Format - Paperback ARC/ EARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Insta attraction, forced proximity, work place romance in the jungle,

Representation-

CW- Violence and attempted murder

Back into the jungle we go! Cue the Indiana Jones theme song! This new adventure takes us to the Amazon Rainforest on the hunt for the lost City of the Moon which I really wish was a real place and that there was a netgeo documentary on it. But I digress.

Dr, Miri Jacobs is suddenly throw into the deep end to lead the expedition when our friends Cori and Ford from the first book have to back out. With the determination of a thousand suns and the reflexes of a cloud leopard she takes charge and quickly discovers nefarious actors are out to stop them. Rafa has one goal, sabotage this expedition to find the City of the Moon and go home to finally live his life his way. A not so chance meeting trying to catch a bus and a tub of Pringles and its lust at first sight.

This book was so much fun from the vine swinging to the snacks to the spicy times this book has something for everyone. Jo has great imaginative story telling with perfect comedic timing and with two such dynamic characters and a truly diabolical baddie this book will keep you turning pages and loosing time, while you laugh and gasp and have your glasses fog up as the storm hits.

I can not wait to read whatever else Jo has in store for us!

Thank you Jo Segura, Berkley and Netgalley for the early copies all opinions are my own!

I loved Raiders of the Lost Heart so I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel! Miri is a great character but not what I expected for this book. She is Corrie's opposite in almost every way but I liked seeing her gain her confidence through this story. I loved that she picked her own path to being successful.

Miri and Rafael have great chemistry. This was a nearly impossible situation for the two of them and I really enjoyed watching them chose each other despite that. I feel like the moral of the story is if someone will share their snacks with you on the way to the amazon you should just keep them. I'm going to be honest, I consider myself a nice person but if my snack supply is going to be limited I may not be that nice.

I think fans of adventure romance will really enjoy this book. I am personally not a huge fan of snakes and humidity so the amazon is not for me but reading about it is really fun. I'm curious to see if this series will continue!

I absolutely loved Temple of Swoon! I was immediately captivated by this book because of its exciting jungle location and the intense tension between Miri and Rafa. Miri was a lot of fun to support because of her tenacity and oddball sense of humor, and I loved her relationship with Rafa. Action, peril, and lots of fun moments were all expertly tempered by their chemistry.

I had the impression that I was traveling with them on the journey since Jo Segura perfectly balanced romance and adventure. I found myself reading pages late into the night because of the suspenseful twists and the detailed descriptions of the Amazon. Definitely would read more by this author.

I liked it, but I just didn’t quite love it. I think what I’m missing is a bit more emotional connection between the characters in Segura’s work. Still fun

Absolutely loved this! Such a different book for me but still loved all the same.

I love reading books about women in male dominated fields so getting into the mind of Miri was fantastic. I loved her tenacity and determination to prove herself and never quitting to go after what she wanted.

Rafa immediately got added to my long list of book boyfriends. The man is so fine and caring. How he tried to sabotage the excursion and still put Miri above that. Her safety and her desire to continue.

Having the added plot twist at the end was super exciting. I really love that underneath it all this story was one of finding ones true self. Rafa discovering the truth about his family and where his mom came from was so worth finding out about his slimy father. Who I hated from the start mind you.

This was my first book by Jo Segura and will definitely not be my last. I truly loved the representation in this book that felt so natural and not forced.

As with Raiders of the Last Heart, this book was a humorous nod to Indiana Jones while revealing that not all archeology excavations are as simple as the movies make them seem. I acknowledge that there are still likely inaccuracies that I won't know about as I'm not an archeologist, but I really appreciate how Jo Segura is able to intertwine a discussion of the issues with archeology with a fantastic love story. The characters are great, the plot is fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Bring on any more that may be written, because I will keep coming back for them!

Short synopsis: Miri is on the hunt for the Lost City of the Moon in the Amazonian Rainforest.

What I liked: I love a strong female character, defeating the odds placed on her and kicking butt (especially in a male dominated career field). Miri was fun and spunky, and I gotta give the girl some credit, I’m also a huge fan of snacks. There is definitely a feeling of Instalove, but I liked the meetcute and the chemistry felt real.

I really liked the atmosphere, I think the author did a great job describing the rainforest I felt transported.

What didn’t work for me: I enjoyed Raiders of the Lost Heart when it came out, but this felt like almost the same book. Even the “Villian” was the same. It was predictable and I saw the “twist” coming from really early in the book.

Overall a cute quick story!

Read if you love:
* Fanny packs and snacks
* Instalove and meet cutes
* Exploring the jungle
* Strong fmc - Archeologist
* Indiana Jones

Thank you NetGalley for this early copy for an honest review!

Temple of Swoon has a unique premise that really drew me to this book. I was excited to read more when I learned that our main character, Miri, was a badass archeologist. Unfortunately, this fell just a bit flat for me. Both of our main characters read much younger to me than they were. I also was hoping for a lot more storyline surrounding the expedition. While I enjoyed Rafa and Miri as characters, I couldn’t really get as invested in this story as I wanted to.

Dr. Miriam Jacobs agreed to join her mentor on a journey into the Amazon rainforest to find the Lost City of the Moon, but then her mentor has to bow out, so now Miri is leading the expedition. She’s been on digs before, but this is her first time taking the reins. After years of being ignored, Miri is ready to take on the Amazon and find its secrets.

Journalist Rafael Monfils is part of the expedition team, to report it for his magazine. But secretly, he’s trying to sabotage the mission. The Lost City of the Moon has stayed hidden in part because there have been protectors keeping explorers away for generations. His mother was one of the protectors, and Rafa wants to live up to her memory. He can’t let Miri and her team find the city.

Miri knows that finding the Lost City of the Moon won’t be easy. Surviving in the Amazon will be difficult enough. Between the rains, the snakes, the spiders, and the lack of communication with the rest of the world, the expedition is dangerous. But add in the fact that there are those trying to keep them away, and the expedition gets more dangerous. There is a notorious explorer who would love nothing more than to beat them to the Lost City and loot it before Miri and her team can find it and preserve it. Known as the Vulture, he’s the reason Miri’s mentor couldn’t make the trip, and he has all of his resources focused on the Lost City.

But as Miri comes up against challenges, she manages to outthink, outrun, and outmaneuver all of them. The one thing she can’t get around is her growing feelings for Rafa. She is drawn to him from the first moment she met him, even going so far as to sharing her snacks with him. And her snacks are sacred. She’s got the M&Ms. She’s got the Pringles. And she’s got the hots for the reporter.

Rafa finds himself drawn to Miri as well. He wants to protect her from the dangers of the Amazon and the jerks who try to hold her back. But he has to protect the Lost City of the Moon too. It’s his family’s legacy, and he has to respect that. He’s walking a very fine line, with his head on one side and his heart on the other.

But when the Vulture swoops in and puts the team and the expedition in jeopardy, Miri and Rafa have to decide just how far they’ll go to find the Lost City. And how far they’ll go to protect the love growing between them.

Jo Segura’s Temple of Swoon is another adventure-filled rom com that blends archeology, strong women, and spicy love scenes in stories that rival The Jewel of the Nile. There are scenes of danger and scenes of lust, and a lot of intelligent dialogue and sweet-natured humor in between.

I had a lot of fun reading Temple of Swoon. I loved these characters together. They were both really interesting, but it felt like they brought the best out in each other, which just made it that much better for me. As someone who is a strong believer in snacks, so I was on board with Miri right away, and I didn’t really have any doubt that she would succeed. She is such a strong woman, and I was rooting for her on every page. And when she found love as well, I was all in with this story. Grab your favorite chips and candy, and settle in for a wild ride with this one!

Egalleys for Temple of Swoon were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

If I ever hear that the main character has “sapphire eyes” one more fucking time.

This is just the first one all over again but worse because only one main character is vaguely interesting and he’s a liar mcliarson soooo.

This was a fun insta love but then normally paced rom com set in the Amazon rainforest. I found the awkwardness of the FMC endearing but also annoying. I enjoy the Indiana Jones vibes it has going for it.

If you’re into Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider you may really love this book! This one had a lot more action and danger than the first, so while it’s firmly a contemporary romance, there’s a ton of adventure and a bit of a thriller aspect.

I thought Miri and Rafa had great chemistry - flirty banter was off the CHARTS - but I wished the book was actually a bit slower paced. The ending felt so rushed and I really wanted to sink into the story and the atmosphere a bit more.

On the plus side, it’s a quick read with plenty of excitement and some solid spice.

If Indiana Jones were a quirky, sharp-witted woman with a penchant for breaking rules and dodging traps in ancient ruins, she'd be Dr. Miriam Jackson—better known as Miri to those brave enough to keep up with her. Jo Segura's Temple of Swoon delivers a thrilling, laugh-out-loud, action-packed adventure. I couldn't help but get swept away by its irresistible charm.

First, let's talk about Miri. She's the kind of protagonist who jumps off the page, all determination and sass, with just enough vulnerability to make her relatable. I was hooked from the moment she pulled out her stash of snacks when stranded in a remote area, earning her the nickname "Pringles." Miri's wit and determination are the driving forces of the story, making her the perfect mix of brains, determination, and sass.

Then there's Rafe, the journalist/saboteur-turned-love-interest. Their romance? Classic instalove gold. It was a delight to watch Miri and Rafe banter and bicker their way through death traps, cryptic puzzles, and ancient curses. The tension between them builds perfectly, and every stolen glance, snarky remark, and begrudging moment of trust pulls me deeper into their relationship. When they moved from adversaries to fighting for each other, I was swooning along with the title.
The story's pacing is as relentless as the obstacles Miri and Rafe face. Segura keeps the stakes high and the action flowing with ancient legends, dangerous expeditions, and plenty of "oh no, how are they getting out of this?" moments. I barely had time to catch my breath before another twist hurtled the characters into more danger (and often, hilarious chaos).

Why four stars instead of five? While I adored romance and action, I wished more depth in the secondary characters and world-building. The supporting cast and mythology surrounding the "Temple of Swoon" were intriguing. Still, they could've been explored just a bit more. That said, it didn't stop me from devouring this book and grinning the whole way through.

Temple of Swoon is a treasure you'll want to uncover if you love fast-paced adventures, banter-filled romance, and a leading lady who's as clever as she is bold. Miri and Rafe's journey will leave you rooting for them long after the final page—and maybe planning your next (fictional) expedition.

Set in the Amazon rainforest and featuring a quirky archaeologist who just wants to prove herself in her field (and maybe attempt to channel her inner Lara Croft along the way), Segura’s latest novel, Temple of Swoon, is another winner!

Dr. Miriam (Miri) Jacobs feels like she has been trying to prove herself forever, but when an accident takes her mentor out of commission, Miri is picked to lead an unmapped expedition into the Brazilian rainforest in search of the Lost City of the Moon. If she can find it, she will finally feel like she has earned the respect of her colleagues.

Journalist Rafa Monfils is also taking part in this expedition on the pretense of documenting, but his real goal is to sabotage the expedition so that the Lost City remains hidden. From the moment they head out on the expedition, there are non stop obstacles and danger, many of which are orchestrated by Rafa, unbeknownst to Miri. Rafa is conflicted though, because he and Miri are definitely attracted to one another another, whether they want to admit it or not.

Miri was such an easy protagonist to love. She is so smart and resilient, and I loved her tenacity and her quirkiness. That said, I also laughed out loud at the silly scenes where she tried to channel her inner Lara Croft. I’m all about a character trying to prove themselves, and I was rooting hard for Miri, especially since she was paired up with another colleague who was such a condescending jerk. This guy was so awful that even Rafa found himself wanting to see Miri succeed!

I also really liked Rafa in spite of his questionable reasons for being on the trip, loved his chemistry with Miri, and was rooting for him to redeem himself since the two of them really did seem to make a pretty great team.

🌟:4.75

The title of this book perfectly captures the wonderful mix of adventure and adorable-ness that you get when you read it.

Also, I need you to know I read this in one sitting. ONE. SITTING.

I was hooked on the story, but why? Because of Miri and Rafa. Their chemistry together was perfect from their first adorably awkward encounters. Their goals are also fundamentally opposed, which made for a lot of entertaining moments to read (though I, like Rafa, did feel bad for Miri struggling as a result of his sabotage). I was simply addicted to their goofy banter, and how they continued to be drawn to each other despite their attempts to stay away.

This book does a great job of weaving the high stakes moments of action in with the romance. You could feel Miri’s urgency to reach the city before anyone else, and I felt totally immersed in her quest to decipher the clues to its location.

Oh, and that twist? I so, totally, called it (I’m amazing).

So yeah, this book is a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend it if you like movies like The Lost City.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the e-arc of this book! These opinions are all my own.

I didn’t really enjoy Jo Segura’s debut novel, Raiders of the Lost Heart, but I wanted to give her another chance with Temple of Swoon. Unfortunately, I liked this one even less. My biggest issue with this novel is the characterization. Everyone in this book feels like a cartoony, mustache twirling villain, or just a single stereotype for a personality. There’s no dimension to any of them. There aren’t strong arcs for either of our main characters, nor for their relationship. I didn’t buy them as a couple, because they weren’t strong as individuals. Also, Miri was not good at her job!
My other big issue with this book is that it does not do a great job at representing the community it’s about. This is not a Latine romance; the main female character is fully white, and our male main character is half-white, half-Brazilian. Rafa knows nothing about his Brazilian side, and it could have been interesting to have Rafa discover more about his heritage but that isn’t delved into nearly enough in my opinion. His motivations were very surface level, which meant we got little to no valuable Brazilian rep in this book.
This book fell very flat for me and I cannot recommend it. Overdone stereotypes, too many tropes crammed in with not enough depth to the characters, and the action/adventure portions of the book were incredibly boring.

In a continuation of what readers can likely guess is a twist on Indiana Jones-meets-romance, this follow-up to Raiders of the Lost Heart follows Dr Miri Jacobs, ready to embark on her first archaeological expedition as a team lead, exploring the Amazon to find the Lost City of the Moon, an existence long rumored but never located. She’s joined by journalist Rafael Monfils who has his own secret reasons for joining this expedition: making sure the team doesn’t find the site through whatever shenanigans he can work in. However, soon the team finds themselves in danger, crossing paths with a criminal known for pillaging rare sites and selling things on the black market. And with danger comes heightened emotions — like a budding romance between Miri & Rafa.
This was a fun story with a unique setting and high stakes. I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the spice as it seemed to make its way into the story at the most random times but liked the sparks and banter between the leads.
Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“The world is our snack bar—we can choose to do whatever we want.”

TLDR: Need a little adventure in your life? A little suspense? This book will do that and also bring the *swoon* much like the title implies. No need to pack your bags to escape to the Amazon rainforest.

I read and loved Jo Segura’s debut novel, RAIDERS OF THE LOST HEART. It was my first romance with action and adventure. I was completely sucked in, especially as someone who grew up watching Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone. I knew I wanted (i.e. needed) more. This ended up being another fun adventure filled with a great mix of suspense and romance. I loved Miri and Rafa’s meet-cute. I quickly fell in love with them, especially Rafa. I’m a sucker for nicknames, and the one he gave Miri from their funny and slightly disastrous first meeting was just adorable. It had me giggling and swooning the whole book.

A few things I love about these books: women discovering and leaning into their inner bad*ss, and their deep respect for the land and the people they are rearching. Add in the sweet and swoon and it’s a fun little escape. So, grab your favorite travel snack (might I suggest M&Ms or Pringles? 😉) and head off to find the Lost City of the Moon.

Tropes + things
archeologist FMC
journalist MMC
workplace romance
forced proximity
dual POV/3rd person