In Temple of Swoon, Dr. Miriam Jacobs just wants to do a good job, but getting thrown right in front of a very secret mission into the Amazon and having to suddenly lead in a wild goose chase, after a lost city no one is sure even exists, wasn’t what she expected. But inspired by her good friend Dr. Corrie Mejia, she brings on the R in Rad, and along with the help, or so she thinks of the handsome photographer Rafa, she gives it all she’s got.

Miris quirkyness and Rafas endearing love for her it was charming. I loved how she didn’t give up, even when everyone around her kept doubting her preparedness for the mission. She’s smart and sassy and wasn’t afraid to be herself. The twist in the story I wasn’t expecting at all, and the unraveling of the end had me on the edge and I couldn’t put it down until I finished.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this advanced copy.

Just like book one in this series, I thought this was a really enjoyable read even for people who might be more interested in not as kitschy of a romance. Segura does the romcom writing very well., it’s very obvious that she takes time to do a little bit of research into the academic field that’s being represented in the book. From firsthand experience, I can say that she portrays some of the professors very accurately and how they talk down to other professors who they deem not as academically, smart or accomplished as them. What I mostly like about these books is that it really takes the reader out of of the traditional romcom setting, usually a city or a small town, and kind of escalates the stakes a little bit while still keeping the lightheartedness of a romance novel. I will say, I found the main female lead a little bit much, and that she was always kind of falling over herself and being clumsy, which I find to be a trope in a lot of romance books that I don’t necessarily love, but at the same time, I do feel like it added to the character a little bit because it was a motivation to show her depth as professor and and as a researcher. Overall, I think this is a really cute and fun romcom that people should read.

I was not a fan of Raiders of the Lost Heart, but I loooved Temple of Swoon from the very beginning! This had the action I was hoping for in the first book and the MMC was much more likeable. It had good twists that I didn’t see coming, and I was all about the storyline that in ways, reminded me of The Mummy but set in a Brazilian rainforest (and without the supernatural aspects). I think Temple of Swoon was a lot of fun and I am very much here for this new-ish sub genre of adventure romance that we’re seeing more of

(3.5/5 stars)

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura is a contemporary adventure romcom featuring an archaeologist and a journalist.

Though not listed as an actual series anywhere I can find, this installment is set about a year and a half after the previous book, Raiders of the Lost Heart. The MCs from that book have a nice cameo in this one; our new FMC Miri is under the mentorship of the previous FMC, Corrie. You could absolutely read this as a stand-alone!

I had a fun time reading this book, but I did struggle a bit with the overall pacing of the novel and with some transitions, especially transitions into steamy scenes.

The world needs more adventure romance books! This really scratched my itch for something like The Mummy or especially Fool's Gold.

Another fun story that made our Indiana jones love into a rom com! But still filled with adventure! I really missed the banter and humor from the first book but this was still a fun read! I am def a corri and ford fan but Rafael and Miri are so good too!
I would recommend if you love Indiana jones and wish it was a romance. Start with book one and see if you want to read book two.
The big twist I saw coming so that was a bummer but all in all a 3 star read (:

Absolutely loved this adventure romance! I love seeing the reclamation of previously 'exotic' locations, but with more gravity to the location itself. We aren't here just for fun, but there are some real reasons with real characters and people.

The romance sizzled! I almost like it better than the first book! They're so hard to compare.

Definitely a great follow up to a great career started from the author!

Thanks so much to @berkleypub @berkleyromance and @acebookspub for the free book!

In Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura, Dr. Miriam Jacobs wants to be a badass like her archaeologist mentor. And she gets her chance co-running an expedition in search of the Moon City, hidden somewhere in the Amazon. But then her co-lead breaks his hand (he deserved it!), equipment goes missing and weeks go by without any progress. Plus a notorious thief is trying to reach the city first. Oh, and there’s Rafael Monfils, a super hott photojournalist that’s assigned to her team to write a story about her quest.

I liked Miri overall. She has a lot of self-doubt but also gumption to prove herself and take risks. There’s sexism in her academic field and plenty of men on page telling Miri what she’s capable of and dismissing her. But I liked that she didn’t give up, and had Rafa to support her.
I didn’t read the first book in the series but there is some overlap with those MCs popping up and the same villain, and it’s explained enough that I wasn’t lost.
I’m looking forward to what’s next, and if this series is a trilogy, I hope Anissa gets her own book!

- forced proximity
- instant attraction
- moderate steam
- WDTK? Chapter 10

I have been waiting for this book since finishing Raiders of the Lost Heart and I am thrilled to report it did not disappoint! Segura is able to find a delightful balance between adventure and action, and romance and steam. Right from their awkward first meeting, Miri and Rafa stole each others' hearts and mine! I loved that they were both dealing with similar insecurities that manifested in very different ways in their lives. It made their instant connection feel authentic.

I loved watching their journey into Amazon. Miri's spontaneous bravery and Rafa's quiet awe over it was entertaining and so sweet. I was also completely floored by the big twist towards the end of the book. Looking back there were certainly clues that led to it, but I was so entranced by the connection between Miri and Rafa that I couldn't see outside of it. I could say a thousand good things about this book. I can only hope that Segura writes another in this universe because I cannot get enough!

I read Raiders of the Lost Heart when it came out, and while I loved the premise, I didn't love the male love interest or the set-up for their romance. I very much wanted to give this author another chance.

I liked the couple a lot more in this one, despite the fact that Rafa was (similarly to the first book) sabotaging Miri's expedition for half the story. My biggest issue is how it was handled, I wish the truth had come to light sooner than the last 20% of the book and there had been a chance for them work through it, instead of her instantly forgiving and hooking up with him.

I also wish there had been more archeology on page; more description and more of Miri actually figuring out the mystery. There was more fun action in this one, though! I'm still on the hunt for a book that gives me the same feels as The Lost City and The Mummy in 2025, it seems.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the e-arc!

Well this was quite fun! As an energetic, ambitious, but a bit over the top and clumsy person - I completely related to Miriam! I also relate on so many levels to feeling like you have to prove yourself just because some asshat is trying to discredit you, or because of your gender. She is flawed and makes mistakes, but she is also fierce and smart and funny. I love an adventure story and this one plus the romance was easy to fly through! The twists were gasp worthy, the danger and escapes, and the ending had me perfectly content.

Although this was the 2nd in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone (though I will say it made me realllly want to go back and read the first one).

This is how you do insta-love the right way! It's like love at first sight but obviously not everyone trust themselves enough to embrace that

Temple of swoon was the first action/adventure romance novel I’ve read, and it’s a quick read.

It reminded me of the live-action Dora the Explorer movie (but make them adults and add some romance). I also noticed similarities to Indiana Jones! The plot was fun and delivered exactly what I’d expect from an adventure story.

The romance was cute (I just wish it was more of the main focus) & I really loved the ending!!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 364 / Genre: Action Adventure Romance
Release Date: January 7, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Archaeologist Dr. Miriam Jacobs is on a mission to find the Lost City of the Moon hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest. Journalist Rafael Monfils is there to document the journey, but his father has also tasked him with sabotaging the mission to make sure the Lost City of the Moon is never found.

So, there are two big parts to this story. One part is the slow-burn romance between cute-but-nerdy Miri and super-hot-guy Rafi. And then there’s the adventure-mystery part where they’re trying to find the Lost City but bad guys are getting in their way. So if the mystery part of it matters to you most, I would read Raiders of the Lost Heart first because this book will have some spoilers in it. But if you’re more in it for the romcom and overall story part, you can jump right into this one. The two books have some character crossover and both have the same romcom-adventure combo to them. I enjoyed and highly recommend both books.

Thank you, @JoSeguraBooks, @BerkleyPub, @BerkleyRomance, and NetGalley for my free copy.

I really like the concept of these books- Indiana Jones, but make it a RomCom with a badass female lead. Unfortunately, what doesn't work for me is what the author keeps doing with love interests- which is having them attempt to sabotage the lead's careers. This one also just felt too much like the first one. And while "Pringles" may have been a cute term of endearment a couple times, by the end of the book, I was over that. I did like her team and wish we had gotten to know them a bit better!

Temple of Swoon is Jo Segura's second novel and sort of follow up to Raiders of the Lost Heart. An adventurous rom-com featuring new main characters and some cross-over characters. The insta- love/lust trope is a hard one for me because a lot of times, it comes across as forced. Temple of Swoon didn't feel that way to me, but I also felt underwhelmed by the love connection. Maybe that was due to the Amazon expedition, where a lot was going on, but nothing really happened. It was just a weird mixed bag for me. The writing was good, and the characters were fine. Just overall an okay read. I enjoyed Raiders of the Lost Heart more, and I do look forward to the next Jo Segura book.
I was provided an advanced copy by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Okay this story was GREAT! I love a book with POC representation and this was an excellent one! I absolutely loved Miri and Rafa and I loved that we got both of their POVs because I think if we didn’t, their relationship wouldn’t have made a ton of sense. But they were both painfully human and that made me love them even more. Their spark was instant but it was fun to see how it grew as time went on. And the spice was spicing! A few word choices that took me out of it but overall, the spice was well placed and well written. The story was also well paced. It’s easy to screw up pacing when a story needs to take place over an extended amount of time but this was really well done. This was by far one of the most FUN books I’ve ever read. Start to finish, it gave me so much joy. It was heartfelt, it was really funny, and at times, hysterically relatable. I cannot wait to read whatever Jo Segura writes next!

I definitely liked this a lot more than Raiders of the Lost Heart. Temple of Swoon has a lot more action and archeology adventure, while also including a great romance. There were several laugh out loud moments and lots of fun chemistry. This was a really fun, quick read and very movie like!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for access to this arc.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free copy! All opinions are my own.

I adored Jo Segura's first action adventure romance last year and was so excited to read book two in her fun series set in the world of archeology!

Dr. Miri Jacobs is surprised to find herself as the co-lead on an expedition through the Amazon rainforest, attempting to find the Lost City of the Moon. Journalist Rafael Monfils is along for the ride, documenting the search while following his own hidden agenda to keep people away from the city and protect his family's legacy.

Miri's need to prove herself leads her to make rash decisions, putting herself and her team in risky situations along their journey. It felt like an action movie in a book, and I fully enjoyed the experience, giggling at Miri's antics and gasping at the dangers lurking in her path. Miri is an endearing main character, a strong female in a male dominated industry who is willing to push herself to the brink to prove she deserves every bit of her success.

The chemistry between Miri and Rafa was obvious from their first embarrassing run-in, and it had the perfect amount of buildup. And can we talk about that cover?! It is absolute rom com perfection, so eye-catching and perfect for the story!

Read for:
Indiana Jones style adventures
Swinging from vines
Talk of danger boning
Non-ironic use of the word 'rad'

My heart wanted to love this, but it was just an ok read. I enjoyed the adventure that Miri and Rafa faced. Their relationship was definitely insta-love which made me cringe multiple times. Overall, I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't read it again.

*Thank you partners @berkleypub @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted e-galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

Temple of Swoon

Get ready to swing from the vines in this sophomore novel from Jo Segura!

On an adventure to find the lost city of the moon, Miri is unexpectedly thrust into a leadership role and struggling to find her footing as lead archeologist. We always stan a badass woman dominating in male dominated fields! Unfortunately, it feels like everything that can go wrong does - in part due to the incredibly handsome photographer on the dig team, who is trying to prevent the team from finding the lost city for family reasons.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
- insta love/lust
- forced proximity / workplace romance
- Amazon rainforest adventure romance
- badass woman in male dominated fields (archeology)
- Literal swinging from vines

Thank you to Berkley for this ARC! Temple of Swoon is on shelves January 7, 2025. My opinions are my own.