Adriana Jones is on vacation and unexpectedly receives a bracelet that was meant for Andrew Jones, who is on an expedition to find a lost treasure. Of course, he needs the bracelet so Adriana is "forced" to tag along for the adventure. What could go wrong?

Well, a lot, actually... If you were looking for a spicy romantic adventure, Digging Dr. Jones definitely elevated the spice level, but for me, it was a bit too much. I get there being romance and steaminess, but this was not very romantic, almost as if the lead characters' encounters seemed forced. The sex scenes were way over illustrated, and I found myself skipping over them. Adriana has family issues, specifically with her father, and most of the book centered on her lamenting about said issues.. Other supporting characters felt forced, as well, as if they were there just to fill a quota.

I love adventure books and movies, but I could not picture this unfolding on a big screen. It would not be something I would pay to see.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Digging Dr. Jones by Olivia Jackson is a fun and spicy romcom with a classic adventure twist. Adriana Jones accidentally gets her hands on a magical bracelet meant for archaeologist Andrew Jones, leading them on a wild journey through jungles in search of lost treasure. The chemistry between the leads is playful and flirty, and the humorous banter adds to the charm. The adventure vibe reminded me of The Mummy and Indiana Jones, with a mix of romance and lighthearted action. Though the characters, especially Adriana and Andrew, felt a bit underdeveloped at times, the story is still enjoyable and full of fun moments. Adriana’s brother, William, plays a key role in keeping the plot moving and adds some extra humor. Overall, it's an entertaining, escapist read—perfect for anyone looking for adventure, romance, and a little bit of cheesy fun.

Digging Dr Jones follows a classic adventure premise - a priceless artifact that's the key to a massive secret treasure ends up in the hands of a beautiful woman (Adriana) instead of the handsome archeologist (Andrew). As a result, the two must work together to find the treasure before the other evil archeologist beats them there. Along for the ride is Adriana's brother and his 12 step skincare routine. The story felt very reminiscent of The Mummy Returns, which is one of my favorite movies for romance adventure, but beyond that it felt a bit flat. I think the writing style wasn't for me. I didn't care for Adriana as a person, and Andrew's personality felt a bit forced. I think one of the things that bothered me were the references to Atlanta. Adriana lives in Roswell, a suburb outside of Atlanta, and when she tells Andrew about coming to visit her she says she wants to take him to her favorite places - Savannah (4 hours south of Atlanta) and the Biltmore Estates (4 hours north of Atlanta in another state). I know Atlanta doesn't exactly have archeological finds that Andrew might find interesting, but we can't even go to Sweetwater Creek or Panola?
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, 2.5 stars

3.5 Stars

Digging Dr. Jones is a fun, easy adventure romance with big Indiana Jones / National Treasure vibes — but way spicier and funnier. It follows Adriana Jones, who accidentally opens a package meant for the very attractive (and mildly grumpy) archaeologist Dr. Andrew Jones. Inside? A mysterious bracelet. Naturally, she tries it on (because honestly, who wouldn’t?), and naturally, it won’t come off. Turns out it’s a key to a long-lost treasure, and now she’s stuck — with the bracelet and the hot professor — on a treasure hunt through the Colombian jungle.

The setting was great: hot weather, tropical plants, and just enough shady caves to make you wonder if you should have stayed home. I loved the sense of adventure, even though treasure-hunting stories aren’t usually my thing. This one leaned pretty hard into the romance (with plenty of spice), but honestly, the sibling dynamic between Adriana and her brother William ended up being my favourite part.

The plot’s easy to follow, and even though the bad guys were a little flat, it didn’t really bother me. This book just delivers on the vibes it promises: fun, steamy, adventurous.

Thank you to Olivia Jackson, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was such a fun, chaotic adventure! Told through a wildly entertaining first-person perspective, it’s full of hilarious moments (one standout line: “the dildo of consequences rarely arrived lubed”) that had me laughing out loud. I absolutely loved Andrew, he’s a giant walking green flag who says the sweetest things. Their chemistry, especially with the forced proximity trope (hello cozy hotel room clue-hunting scenes!), was adorable and kept me hooked.

Is it archeologically accurate? Not really. Is it packed with clichés and a bit cheesy? Definitely. But honestly, I didn’t mind. I came for the vibes, the laughs, and the romance, and it delivered exactly that.

I’d recommend this book to romance lovers who aren’t bothered by historical or archeological accuracy and are looking for a swoony, green-flag MMC, chaotic energy, and a good time.

A fun and adventurous romance full of jungles, tombs and priceless artefacts. I enjoyed the treasure hunt element in this, with clues hidden in different places which had the characters testing their mettle once or twice! The relationship between Adriana and Andrew doesn't begin smoothly, and though I wouldn't say they're enemies, there's certainly some tension there. It was great to see how their relationship changed through the story as the pair get to know one another. It's a bit of a slow burn, but just the right amount.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

After a name mixup, an ancient bracelet is delivered to Adriana Jones instead of Dr. Andrew Jones when they’re staying at the same resort. Adriana puts on the bracelet, and when the name mixup is revealed and she tries to give it back, she finds that she can’t remove it. Andrew convinces Adriana (by way of paying her) to come with him to Colombia where the bracelet will serve as a key to finding a lost treasure that Andrew hopes to secure for a museum. Naturally, their trip is not as simple as they’d hoped, and the two end up spending far more time together than planned. They, of course, fall for each other in this forced proximity, adventure romance.

While I really enjoyed parts of this book, there were others that I didn’t quite love. The insertion of fake dictionary entries, which seemed kind of random since they were not frequent enough or consistently placed enough to feel like a real part of the writing style, did not really work for me. I also found Adriana to be a bit shallow, seeming to fall for Andrew mostly because he’s hot. I did have fun reading Digging Dr. Jones, and is great for fans of romance that involves adventure and a bit of mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the ARC!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me, I had to dnf around the 20% mark. The fmc's personality was unbearable for me and I knew that if tried to keep going it would've turned into hate reading.

The premise sounded like this could be a great adventurous rom-com but the characters were all pretty annoying. As I said, my main problem was the fmc. She sounded childish, and she seemed always ready to blame her poor choices on someone else. The whole bracelet debacle could have been a funny meet cute, but I hated the way she reacted to the whole situation. The constant it was my name, no it was mine!! should've been resolved immediately but no, she kept bringing it back. Like, girl, you already admitted that the name on that damn package wasn't yours so why are you bringing this back up???

This could still be the adventurous rom-com I thought it would be, but I couldn't bring myself to find out. I didn't want to risk a reading slump by reading something I wasn't enjoying.

This was good. The romance was almost completely swoon worthy and I enjoyed the banter. The Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone vibes were there, making for a strong forced proximity situation imo.
Not enough tension and too much instalove for me. But if you enjoy cheesy reads with a decent enough setup then this is for you.

2.5/5 stars

This was good, but definitely could have been fleshed out some more. I enjoyed the concept and was entertained enough to keep reading, but I think the characters in particular could have had a little more work. They didn't read like adults to me, and felt incredibly one-dimensional. But, that could also be a me thing, and nothing to worry about! If you like Indiana Jones, The Mummy and movies like that, you might love this for a quick, easy read.

I really wanted to love this book - but unfortunately it fell short for me and I ended up DNF'ing it.

I read the synopsis and thought the premise of this story was great - but I'm not sure exactly where it went wrong for me - I didn't especially love the characters, and felt the writing style wasn't for me - it felt a little immature for me as an almost 37 year old.

Thank you for the chance to read though.

Digging Dr Jones - Olivia Jackson

This was such a fun read!
Perfect if you’re looking for a fun and exciting romance adventure, which gives off Indiana Jones vibes.
It was low stakes but still kept me interested the whole time. I also really loved the relationship between Adriana and Andrew.
Overall this book was good vibes and I really enjoyed it!

ARC Review for *Digging Dr Jones* by Olivia Jackson**

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)

This book was *an absolute blast*! *Digging Dr Jones* delivers exactly what it promises — a hilarious, spicy, high-energy adventure romance that's impossible to put down.

Adriana is a relatable, delightfully chaotic heroine who stumbles (literally) into the wildest vacation of her life when she gets stuck with a cursed bracelet meant for the grumpy, gorgeous archaeologist Andrew Jones. What follows is a whirlwind journey full of *forced proximity* (hello, tension!), *opposites attract* dynamics, *fish out of water* hilarity, and *destination romcom* magic, all sprinkled with just the right amount of *spice*.

The banter between Adriana and Andrew is quick, sharp, and addictive — I laughed, swooned, and even teared up a little during some of their more vulnerable moments. Their chemistry *absolutely sizzles*, and the jungle setting makes every scene feel larger than life (and a little dangerous — in the best way!).

If you loved *The Lost City* or anything by Christina Lauren, you will *devour* this. Olivia Jackson has nailed the perfect balance between steamy romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and heart-tugging character growth.

**Tropes featured:**
- Forced Proximity
- Opposites Attract
- Fish out of Water
- Destination Romcom
- Spicy Adventure Romance

*Digging Dr Jones* is pure escapist joy — equal parts laugh, swoon, and adventure. Highly recommend!

I really tried with this one because the premise sounded so up by street but I ended up DNFing at 40%

The FMC spends so much time complaining about her past it’s exhausting. The MMC doesn’t seem remotely interested in her. She’ll be awfully flirting and he will be waxing lyrical about an archeological discovery. It’s genuinely uncomfortable to read.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

DNF @ 10%.

Most unfortunately, I could tell the writing and story of this one wasn't for me right from the start. I hated every decision the FMC made or talked about making in the past, and all the words said by her, her brother and the MMC. I didn't read much but I could tell I wasn't going to enjoy myself, so I chose self-love and stopped.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! It hit all the marks for me! It was a mix of The Mummy meets Romancing the Stone meets Indiana Jones. It was such a fun and silly ride!

ndiana Jones meets the Hallmark Channel in this adorably sweet adventure romcom.

Originally I gave this four stars but when I really thought about how I felt about it....I changed it to 5 stars. At times, this book was over the top cheesy and unrealistic...but I don't read romcoms for realism. This was a fun read and I had a really good time. In real life would we jump into an adventure with a hot archeologist we've only known for hours just because he's going to pay us ridiculous amounts of money to do so?......actually....in this economy? In a heartbeat 😂 If you like adventure, instalove/instalust and a little cheese with your romance, this will be right up your alley. Also- Dr. Jones has sexy forearms and says things like "I never ignore people who are important to me." "You look ethereal tonight." and my personal favorite "You touch her again, and I'll break every bone in your body, starting with your skull."

Tropes/Things to expect
*Adventure
*Forced Proximity
*Opposites Attract
*Instalove/instalust
*MMC and FMC over 30

I really dug Digging Dr. Jones (sorry, love too puns too much to pass it up). The story had the chance to get too silly but the writing and how grounded the characters were kept the balance of everything going, though there a ew spots here and there where the story started to get a bit silly. However, the book was so fun it was hard to be bothered or too long.

First book by this author and i did enjoy it. felt different from any other romance books i read, I've never read an adventure rom com but I liked it. It was fast paced and entertaining. I love a cute meet cute with good banter!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This adventure romcom centers on a woman who accidentally binds herself to a magical bracelet intended for a renowned archaeologist, drawing her into a treasure hunt in the jungles of Colombia. With *The Lost City* vibes, I was excited by the premise, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat.

The writing style was the primary issue. It felt clunky and juvenile, reminiscent of YA rather than adult fiction. Both the protagonist, Adriana, and the male lead, Andrew, lacked personality and meaningful character development. They felt one-dimensional and it was difficult to engage with them. The dialogue often felt forced and unrealistic, and the story didn’t evolve fluidly, with many actions and reactions feeling contrived. Additionally, the frequent references to the FMC's “mommy” and “daddy” issues were overdone and detracted from the narrative.

When it came to the romance, I wasn’t convinced. The supposed chemistry between the characters felt unnatural, and the attempts at “sexy” moments were more cringeworthy than enticing. It was clear the author was trying to build tension, but it came off as forced and lacked any real spark.

The portrayal of Adriana's brother felt stereotypical, especially with the overdone cliché of the gay character packing way too many suitcases. It just felt outdated.

**What didn’t work:**
- Immature, clunky writing style
- Underdeveloped characters with no personality (Adriana and Andrew)
- Forced romantic moments
- Overused emotional backstory about “family issues”
- Stereotypical character portrayal

While the book had potential, it ultimately didn’t deliver for me. I’m sure it will appeal to readers who enjoy this style, but it fell short in terms of character depth and authenticity.