I always love Adler's books, and FINDERS KEEPERS is no exception. I loved the second chance romance mixed in with the mystery of finding the town treasure. There was a lot of heart and wit throughout this novel that made it a joy to read.

I love this author! Very cute, unique books and the setting is always cozy and interesting. I loved the main characters and thought it was a quick read.

I just don’t think Sarah Adler’d books are for me, and that’s okay! I DNFed this one at 30% because no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t really get into it. This was my second try with her books. I felt similarly to Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. I think my issue is that the author and I just have very different humor, and so I don’t resonate with the characters when they’re trying to be funny and it creates this wall between me and the story.

After a spectacular life collapse, Nina Hunnicutt finds herself back in her small hometown, newly single, jobless, and living with her parents. The last thing she expects is to run into Quentin Bell, her childhood best friend (and first crush), who ghosted her seventeen years ago after their friendship imploded. When Quentin suggests they pick up where they left off in a treasure hunt for a town legend’s buried fortune, Nina reluctantly agrees. What begins as a nostalgic adventure soon unearths old secrets, unresolved feelings, and a second chance that may just change everything.

Tropes
* Estranged childhood best friends to lovers
* Second chances
* Small-town nostalgia
* Treasure hunt/adventure
* Forced proximity
* Slow-burn romance
* Found vs. lost dreams
* Healing the past

Sarah Adler crafts a beautifully layered rom-com with emotional depth, whimsical charm, and a surprising dose of treasure-hunting fun in Finders Keepers. Nina and Quentin’s reconnection is awkward, sweet, and charged with the weight of everything left unsaid. Their dynamic is grounded in real history, and as the story unfolds, Adler masterfully weaves in both longing and hope. The treasure hunt is a clever narrative device, but the true reward is the emotional unearthing between the characters. Thoughtful, funny, and full of second-chance warmth, this book proves that sometimes, what’s lost isn’t gone, it’s just waiting to be found.

This had Sarah's usual humor and wit, but I was having a really hard time getting invested in the characters or conflict. I'm not sure if it was the overly cheesy dialogue from the FMC, or the seemingly lower stakes, but I was struggling to reach for this.

3.5 rounded up.

Mrs. Nash's Ashes was my fave from this author so I don't think this one can quite live up to that. But I did like it and think it was cute! Loved the second chance romance and the fun treasure hunt aspect. It was an enjoyable read but I just don't think it will be super memorable for me.

4 stars.

"Finders Keepers" by Sarah Adler is a wonderful childhood friends-to-lovers, forced proximity tale with a built-in treasure hunt element. I loved the main characters, Nina and Quentin, and how they resolved the rift in their relationship. I relished in the banter between the two of them. Their reconnection starts out quite rocky, but their spark is undeniable. The miscommunication element did make me side-eye it a little bit, but it's not so bad that it completely ruined the novel for me. This story made me smile and kick my feet A LOT, mainly because I guess I am a fan of second-chance stories this year??? There are seriously some good ones this year. I figured out what was going on early on in the book, but the ride to get there was still all in good fun. All in all, this is a great book and a quick read that I recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Adler, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This was a charming story of a second chance romance between childhood best friends. Throw in a scavenger hunt and a deceased small-town successful business owner and we have a story that kept me fulfilled to the very end. This is the first Sara Adler book I’ve read but certainly won’t be the last.

If you're looking for a solid childhood friends-to-lovers story, this one is perfect.

"Finders Keepers" is charmingly nostalgic, reminding readers of the careless days of childhood spent daydreaming about hidden treasures and unfound glory.

Add in a strong heroine in the STEM field and a hopelessly besotted former best friend, and you have a recipe for the sweetest romance. The treasure hunt was fun, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story has all the perfect ingredients for a heartwarming romance: friends to lovers, childhood bonds, second chances, a charming small town, and even a treasure hunt tied to an old mystery. It’s the kind of cozy, feel-good romance every romance reader should have on standby.

3.5 Stars

This was my second book by Sarah Adler, as I had previously read & loved Mrs. Nash’s Ashes! I didn’t like this quite as much but it was still a good read. It reminded me a lot of Something Wilder by Christina Lauren, so if you liked that one maybe check this one out!

The romance in the story I really did like for the most part aside from the reveal at the end which really put me off. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just leave it at that. There were a few times I was laughing out loud and I loved the friends to lovers aspect. Other than this, I didn’t love the historical/treasure part to the story & I found its tie in pretty anticlimactic…

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of Finder’s Keepers in exchange for an honest review!

This book was cute, but damn. The miscommunication is very much stuck at the forefront of EVERYTHING.

The plot is basically two childhood friends—turned estranged enemies?—who reunite as adults to continue their search for treasure left by an eccentric ‘Willy Wonka’-esq seltzer tycoon.

Some parts I liked:
- the friendship dynamic between Nina and Quentin was cute and quirky, full of inside jokes
- the plot twists
- the librarian was a total G
- the spice (specifically, I thought the mutual masturbation scene was pretty hot…)
- anxiety rep

Some parts I didn’t like:
- a lot of times Nina sounded like she was ‘too good’ to be slumming it in her upper-middle class suburban town bc she was educated *cue eye roll here*
- the flashbacks to Fountain’s interview were a bit weird
- the miscommunication
- Nina came off as very petulant towards Quentin in the beginning which (I get it girl, you’re mad) didn’t really help my opinion of her
- the fact that Nina put herself in competition with literally everyone, including her best friend!

Overall I did enjoy myself. However, this is not something I would recommend to everyone.

What a treasure of a read y'all! (Sorry, I had to.) Nina and Quentin are estranged best friends who both find themselves back in their hometown. They decide to resume their hunt for a secret treasure that was a part of their friendship years ago - and also why they fell apart. This was just such a delight of a read - The banter and late 2000s references are especially fantastic. And I loved how the treasure hunt was woven in, but at the core, it was a wonderful story of Nina and Quentin as they find their way back home and figure out what that means. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this June 2025 release.

This was my first book by Sarah Adler and im looking forward to Happy Medium to read in the fall as a backlist title

Sarah Adler delivered a charming, slow-burn romance wrapped in a nostalgic treasure hunt that had me hooked from the start.
The friends-to-lovers trope between Nina and Quentin was everything I hoped for. Their chemistry simmered beneath the surface for so long that when things finally started to shift, it felt incredibly satisfying. I loved how their shared past added depth to their dynamic—it wasn’t just about romance, but about healing old wounds and rediscovering trust.

The mystery of the hidden treasure added a playful, adventurous layer to the story. It wasn’t just a backdrop—it actually drove the plot and brought out some really sweet and vulnerable moments between the characters. I found myself just as invested in the treasure as I was in their relationship!

It was a fun read, pretty entertaining with how the MFC would spiral with overthinking, and how their relationship stay the same and at the same time evolved after years apart and then reuniting and deciding to finish the search of the treasure from their childhood. I am obsessed with Quentin and how cute he looks in my head, and manly, but mainly cute, his personality is the cherry on top. It was a hard read to get caught up in but I did enjoy the book, laughing in parts, and understanding Nina dilemma. Their banter was astronomical and it showed the foundations of a relationship that used to be there but could still grow because they just understood each other, even after years without communication.

🗺️ friends to lovers
🗺️childhood friends
🗺️ adventure
🗺️so much banter

I absolutely adored this book! Nina and Quentin were both great characters and the yearning!!!! Top tier.
I will never look out my window the same way again.

I loved the premise of this story and how there was more than one thing going on. The adventure was fun! I love a second chance romance and it was super heartfelt and sweet 🥹

Thank you Berkley publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Nina Hunnicutt’s life is turned upside down with a break up, losing her job, and having to move home all at once, things are looking bleak. Then her old best friend who happened to be her neighbor as a kid that she also had a crush on also happens to be back in her hometown and he notices her hiding in her car from him not looking her best. When Nina and Quentin Bell were 15, they decided to look for the town’s eccentric millionaire’s treasure that he hid before he died, a $10,000 reward included if found. When they have a falling because of it and are estranged for the next 17 years when Quentin moves, it causes a bit of tension between the two now that they’re back to being neighbors again. Only Quentin suggests they should once again look for the treasure, ensuring Nina would get the bigger cut of the money, which is her opportunity to get out of her hometown.

They have to learn how to be around each other again, feelings that were shoved down have been dug up and the past is there and they must confront it to move forward. What they don’t expect is for the feelings to surface and it puts a dent in their search, something that both Quentin and Nina are scared to face.

This story had a good plot. I loved the idea of an unresolved treasure hunt that the main characters wanted to come back to when they weren’t able to figure it out as teenagers. I loved the relationship between Nina and Quentin. They had the banter of friends who liked to compete against each other, with the obvious chemistry of people who have been secretly pining for each other. I do feel the storyline moved a little slow, it was a bit of a slow burn if that is your thing! The treasure hunt itself was intriguing but again, I felt like it took a long time for that to be resolved, bouncing between the original story and some interview transcripts from the millionaire’s perspective and it was hard to follow what he was rambling about at times.

Great for those who love friends to lovers, a treasure hunt with a twist, a bit of second chance romance, slow burn, and some forced proximity!

🗺️✨ Finders Keepers - Sarah Adler

A treasure hunt, a lost friendship, and a second chance at love? Yes, please. 💖

When Nina’s life falls apart, she retreats home—only to find Quentin, her childhood best friend (and former crush), living right next door. 😳 One mysterious map, one epic road trip, and years of buried feelings later… they're back on the adventure that once tore them apart.

📦 What to expect:
💘 Childhood friends ➝ lovers
🧭 A literal treasure hunt
🏠 Small-town cozy vibes
😅 Angst, banter, and heart
🧠 Mental health rep that feels real

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you love your romance with humor, healing, and just a little chaos, Finders Keepers delivers all the feels—wrapped in a quirky, charming package.

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