Thank you so much to @berkleyromance @berkleypub @acebookspub @netgalley and @josegurabooks for a copy of this book.

Dr. Miriam Jacobs (Miri) is on a mission deep in the Amazon to find the Lost City of the Moon. No pressure, but her career as an archeologist depends on this mission being a success. Nothing can stand in her way….except maybe for Rafael Monfils (Rafa). Rafa has been sent to the Amazon on a different mission, to uphold his mother’s legacy as protector of the temple and stop anyone from finding it. This includes sabotaging Miri’s work at every turn. What he didn’t count on was her fiery personality and her persistence…and how well they seemed to understand each other. When they realize they aren’t the only ones looking for the temple, their lives depend on getting there first.

I thought it was absolutely adorable and really enjoyed reading it! Miri’s personality of being dorky and awkward but fierce and determined was the perfect match for Rafa’s cool, world-traveler vibes. Overall I definitely recommend this book!

Temple of Swoon follows Miri on a trek to find The City of the Moon. Many have tried, all have failed, but failure isn't an option for Miri; if she comes back with nothing she also loses her job. Things go awry immediately when she meets handsome journalist, Rafa and sparks fly. She needs to avoid distraction, but Rafa isn't just there for a story. He's there to sabotage the whole mission.

Temple of Swoon was a really fun read. Miri was quirky and relatable. I really felt for Rafa. I loved that there were twists I didn't see coming and I can't wait to read more works from Jo Segura.

Thank you Netgalley, Jo Segura, and Penguin Random House!

Where the first book’s heroine was overconfident, this one is finding her inner sparkle.

Miriam Jacobs is unexpectedly put in charge of an archeological search in Brazil. Part of the team is photojournalist Rafa, and the two are smitten with each other from the first moment they make eye contact.

There’s mythical protectors, sabotage, betrayal, and a pulse-pounding sexy tension between the leads. Once again, a fun adventure exploring cultures and histories and what it means to honor the past.

4.5/5⭐️

thank you so much Berkley for the arc!

yes I did in fact swoon lol
omggg this book was so much fun!
I just LIVED for the chemistry between miri and rafa, they had this instant connection, their silly banter was just too good! their conversations just flowed so well! I had no choice but to giggle and kick my feet!

i loved miri, she was dorky, smart, her energy was just so bright, and she’s such a badass, I became quite obsessed with her just like rafa 🙂‍↕️
miri finding her own voice is truly the best part of the book, taking a stand for herself, gaining that confidence, and knowing what to do with her career in archaeology, she’s just admirable, I LOVE HERRR 💕💕

rafa, rafa was just down bad, he was in awe of our girl, even with his secret mission to stop the team from reaching the lost city, he had weak moments and was rooting for her success lol because all he wants is for her to have everything and I JUST *swoon*

I think they’re my new favs 🥰

it’s fun, there’s tension, there’s adventure and plot twists, it’s just a good easy read!

tropes:
💜 archaeologist fmc
💜 photojournalist mmc (on a secret mission)
💜 forced proximity
💜 insta-chemistry followed by a slow burn

Why I Chose This Book:
Just over a year ago, I enjoyed Jo Segura’s debut novel, Raiders of the Lost Heart. Archaeology, Mexico, and a sweltering romance? Yes please! I was excited for the sequel, Temple of Swoon, which follows two all-new characters deep into the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Full of adventure and a beautiful backdrop for romance to bloom, this was a book I couldn’t pass up on.

What I Liked:
- Brazil setting! The Amazon Rainforest!
- Searching for the long lost Cidade da Lua (City of the Moon)
- Career struggles, sexism, and taking opportunities to finally advance
- Family complications
- She’s plucky, determined, kind of silly, and always ready with snacks
- He’s kind-hearted and family-oriented… with a secret she won’t like
- Learning about archaeology and treating ancient civilizations with care

Final Thoughts
I really loved Temple of Swoon! Possibly even more than the first book, truth be told. It has the best setting, deep in the Amazon Rainforest. It’s adventurous, action-packed, fun, humorous, and sweet, with lovable main characters, questions about how to treat ancient civilizations, and complicated family and career paths. This was a quick read, and a joy from start to finish.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Temple of Swoon is the second book from Jo Segura featuring archaeologists. I recommend reading Raiders of the Lost Heart first. It features Dr. Corrie Mejía, and she and her adventures in the first book are regularly referenced in this one.

In this book, her mentee, Miriam finally gets a chance to lead her own expedition. Rafa joins the team as a photojournalist documenting it. But little does she know, he plans to sabotage her quest to find the lost city, Cidade da Lua.

I enjoyed the adventure. This book had as much archaeology and danger as I expected from the synopsis. And I was kept guessing as to whether they would find the lost city. I also kept thinking about whether I wanted them to. This book really pushes us to question the appropriate treatment of cultures and artifacts and how best to safeguard history.

There's a bit more deception and secrets than I typically prefer, but they worked well here. And it featured one of the greatest epilogues ever. Miriam may have worried about being in Corrie's shadow, but this book surpasses Raiders of the Lost Heart.

I was incredibly impressed by Kyla Garcia's narration. I literally confirmed it was all a single narrator because her voices were so good.

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura 💜
Book 2
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • RomCom Adventure
ARC Review
368 pages
🗓️ January 7

💜Indiana Jones inspired
💚workplace romance
💜close proximity
💚secretly frenemies

📍“You think I’m bad*ss?”
“I think you’re everything.”

📍“All I know is that I don’t want to be without you. The world is our snack bar — we can choose to do whatever we want.”

This was my last read of 2024. And boy, oh boy did the year end on a high note. Temple of Swoon?! I sure was swooning at this temple because this was amazing 👏🏼👏🏼 and I’m not even sure who had me swooning more… Rafa? Miri? Anissa? Logan and Felix? All. All of them. What a cast 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 not you Dr. Quinn. Definitely not you.

I loved every insecurity and every strength of Miriam. I loved every self doubt and tenderness of Rafa. I loved them apart. I loved them together. And I sure did love looking for the lost city of the moon 🌙

Thank you so much @josegurabooks @berkleyromance @berkleypub and @netgalley for this gifted ARC. 2024 couldn’t have ended in better company 🫶🏼

GIMME MORE!!! 😍

This book was like Indiana Jones but make it girly with an archaeology packed adventure that was SO much fun to read! Dr. Miriam Jacobs is on a mission to find the Lost City of the Moon, and her expedition is all set with a great crew which obviously it includes a hansome journalist/photographer Rafael Monfils, whose real purpose is to sabotage her work 👀 to protect the city.

The way the author brought these two together, the storyline, and how Rafa tried to "sabotage" the expedition was freaking awesome. I loved how this book took the action packed vibe we usually see in movies and how Miriam’s personality with her determination to prove herself in a male-dominated field as an archaeologist. And let me tell you, she is a TOTAL BADASS!!!

The woman empowerment throughout this book? IMMACULATE 🙌 Miri swinging on vines, fighting off hunters, and telling the sexy man to step back HECK YES!!! The vibes were EVERYTHING.

Rafa & Miri 4EVER. Their romance was such a strangers-to-lovers situation with a dash of insta-love, but honestly, I treated this book like a fun action movie and ATE IT UP. And when the tension finally broke? HELLO spicy spice 🌶️ This book was EVERYTHING I didn’t know I needed.

tropes
💜 strangers-to-lovers
💜 forced proximity
💜 archeologist fmc x journalist/photographer mmc
💜 workplace romance
💜 slow burn
💜 insta love

I adore these adventure rom-coms Jo Segura is writing. Raiders of the Lost Heart was so fun and enjoyable and so is Temple of Swoon.

Temple of Swoon follows Miri on an expedition to find the lost city of the moon. She's awkward, overlooked, and underestimated. But she's out to prove herself, and she does so in awkward glory. I don't want to spoil any particular moments but I loved Miri's spirit. She just charges in and sometimes it's calamitous, sometimes it's hilarious, and sometimes it's a success. How could you not love her?

Rafa is sent on the expedition as a journalist, but he has a secret mission too. And I normally don't love when the guy is hiding something. It's just a red flag and I always have a hard with the resolution later. But Rafa struggles with his lies and genuinely tries to keep his distance from Miri because he knows pursuing her while lying to her is obviously wrong. I loved how tortured he was trying to stay away when he was so down bad for Miri.

I had a great time reading Temple of Swoon and look forward to whatever Jo Segura writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

JO!!! I am really enjoying this series. While I did not love this as much as her previous work, I love being back in the archeologist world.
I did not really see the big reveal coming, so it was a fun surprise, and I really enjoyed how it all wrapped up. Overall, a really enjoyable series!!

For Dr. Miriam Jacobs, this expedition to find the Lost City of the Moon is her last shot at keeping her job. Miriam knows she has worked hard, but she still sees herself as an amateur in comparison to Dr. Corrie Mejia, someone she looks up to and is excited to work beside on this expedition. Unexpected circumstances arise and Miri suddenly finds herself thrust into the role of leader. Which is fine - totally fine - until everything that can go wrong does.

Enter Rafael Monfils. Rafa is on the team as a journalist, photographer….and saboteur. Rafa has a personal connection to the Lost City of the Moon and his family wants to make sure it stays hidden through any means necessary. Then it appears that actual bad guys might be hot on their tails, and Rafa must decide what means more to him: fulfilling the role he’s been given or his new feelings for Miri?

I had a fun time while reading this book and liked how different it was from most contemporary romances out there. I loved spending time with our main characters and despite being at odds, it was easy to feel their connection. They just made sense, and I actually giggled aloud a few times at just how dorky Miri and Rafa were together. I’m also a sucker for a cute nickname and I swooned a little every time Rafa called her Pringles.

Before reading Segura’s debut novel last year I don’t think I had ever read an adventure romance. However, I did feel like Temple of Swoon didn’t really offer anything that Raiders of the Lost Heart didn’t. The expedition may be different, but the romance (including the twists) was very similar and I think RotLH did it a bit better. We also know Miri is an accomplished archeologist, but it seems like most of the discoveries she makes are found by pure luck or on accident. This is probably just a random me thing, but I feel like it downplayed her accomplishments for the sake of making her more quirky.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. I look forward to reading from this author again and hope Anissa’s story is next!

For an action adventure book, this fell a little flat and at times was a little bit boring. I really don't like to say that because I loved the first book but this one just did not quite hit the same.

In this book you have Miriam who is an archaeologist out to prove herself and is tasked with leading an expedition to search for the Lost City of the Moon. On this expedition there is Rafa who is tasked by his father to sabotage this mission in order to prevent this lost city from being found.

There were a lot of points in this book where it fell very flat and leaning towards predictable. And ultimately neither one of the main characters you really find yourself rooting for Rafa is an awful liar. I mean he is tasked with lying to her and everybody the entirety of the time.

And Miriam is so lacking in self-confidence that she's really just a self-deprecating individual the entire time to the point where you get kind of annoyed with her.

Ultimately for me this fell under the sophomore book thing where the first book is great and the second one doesn't quite live up to it, but I can see myself reading more from her in the future.

An action adventure romance with some Indiana Jones vibes? Sign me up!
I think this will be a huge hit for many readers. It was fun and adventurous. I loved the beginning with the awkward meet cute!

I did feel like the book was lacking something, but I don’t think most people will feel that way. It seemed very YA to me, like this was a class trip and Miri was just along for the ride instead of being the leading archaeologist, because she was so insecure and inexperienced. That also made the romance almost feel out of place. The cartoonish villain vibes definitely added to YA feeling as well. It seems like most people really enjoyed this and didn’t have the same criticisms, so perhaps it was just me and my mood. I really love Indiana Jones and I’m wondering if my expectations for the adventure portion were too high.

Overall, I would recommend this and thought it was fun to read!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book not having read the first book in this series but thankfully this book can be read as a standalone so I didn't get confused.
The premise of this book was interesting! Trying to find a lost city? Sign me up! I'm also a huge fan of Dual POV. Unfortuntely the book fell flat for me in the romance and relationship aspect.
The instant attraction wasn't very believable and I was wanting more with their banter.

Temple of Swoon is a fun adventurous romcom. It definitely gave off Indiana Jones vibes. Unfortunately, I never really bought into them as a couple and I found it hard to connect to the story as a result

A delightful adventure romp filled with funny banter, mild suspense and lots of heartwarming and also steamy romance! Love it

When I first saw RAIDERS OF THE LOST HEART, it immediately became one of my most anticipated books of the year. There’s something about a romance with a super unique, adventure-filled premise that intrigues me. I enjoyed the general concept of SOMETHING WILDER by Christina Lauren for example – yes that one got a little far-fetched at times but this kind of ~adventure~ story mixed with rom-com elements has me written all over it for some reason.

I ended up enjoying RAIDERS quite a bit, and seeing TEMPLE OF SWOON announced soonafter was a dream come true. Another rom-com with archeologists and Indiana Jones vibes? Yes, keep them coming, Jo Segura!

TEMPLE OF SWOON follows Miri (mentee of the MC from the first book) and Rafael (a journalist with an overbearing father who forced him on this mission even though he tried to quit). Miri is looking for the lost City of the Moon and leading her first expedition without any help. Rafael’s mother and her ancestors had been protecting the lost city for years; his real reason for being there is to sabotage the mission on her behalf (and his father’s) to ensure its legacy remains intact. He didn’t expect to start falling for Miri and her tenacity though!

This book was even better than Segura’s debut – the same Indiana Jones adventure vibes were prevalent without being too unrealistic. The romance was excellent. Yes, the two had a little bit of instalove, but I enjoyed it a lot. Miri was kind of a weirdo in an endearing way, which was nice to read!

Despite the big secrets Rafael was keeping from Miri, there wasn’t a lot of miscommunication or frustration while reading this book. There was a certain character that I HATED early in the book – I won’t say who for spoiler reasons – who luckily left the story and eliminated some annoyance.

There was some twists that I genuinely did not see coming – it was really unexpected to be surprised by certain characters and plot points in a romance! I really hope that Segura keeps writing books like this, and other romance authors implement some fun adventure elements in their books!

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
Narrator: Kyla Garcia
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 1/7

Thank you so much Berkley Romance for my free book! #berkleypartner #berkley And thank you to PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook.
This book is a lot of fun! It’s a perfect mix of action, romance, and laugh-out-loud moments, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Brazilian jungle. Whether you’re new to Segura’s books or a returning fan, this one’s got something for everyone.

Dr. Miriam Jacobs, or Miri, is such a great character. She’s smart, determined, and just the right amount of awkward, with her cheesy jokes making her super relatable. Her adventure through the jungle to find the Lost City of the Moon is packed with challenges, but her perseverance and quirky charm steal the show.

And then there’s Rafael Monfils, the journalist who’s definitely not just there to write a story. Rafa’s secret mission to derail the team’s expedition adds a juicy layer of tension, especially as he starts falling for Miri. Their chemistry is top-notch—sweet, fiery, and full of heart. Watching Rafa struggle between his goals and his growing feelings for Miri is so satisfying, especially since he’s clearly her biggest fan, even when he’s working against her. There’s an insta-love vibe that I usually don’t love, but I enjoyed it here.

The jungle setting is intense and beautifully described, with just the right amount of danger to keep things exciting. There’s even a fun tie-in to Segura’s first book that fans will appreciate, though you can totally read this as a standalone.

I followed along with this on audio and I thought the narrator did an amazing job voicing all of the characters.

If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced adventure with a lovable heroine, a bit of romance, and tons of excitement, Temple of Swoon is definitely worth picking up!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and Temple of Swoon was such a fun (and yes, swoony) read as an adult!

Dr. Miri Jacobs needs to prove herself on the archaeological mission of a lifetime in the Amazon. She didn’t count on handsome journalist/photographer Rafa DeMonfils being part of the mission. But Rafa has secrets that he’s keeping. And neither of them could have imagined what the Amazon had in store for them - broken down trucks, knife fights, vine-swinging, and an unexpected villain trying to beat them to the site.

This book was full of ups and downs, and it was a fast-paced, delightful read. I highly recommend it for romance readers who love a little adventure!

I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I really enjoyed Raiders of the Lost Heart and so I was looking forward to reading this one but I just could not get into it. I didn't really understand her motivation for lying to him about why she was travelling which made it hard to get invested in the characters