Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nina is down on her luck and moves back in with her parents after losing her job and breaking up with her long term boyfriend. She grew up next door to Quentin, the one who got away. They resume a treasure hunt in an old mansion they started as kids.

I liked the sense of adventure but some of the romance tropes were a little stale for me so that's why I gave four stars. I still recommend though, it was a cute read with some nostalgia thrown in.

Nina Hunnicutt’s life is sent into a tailspin when she loses her job and her boyfriend simultaneously. Starting at square one, Nina embarrassingly is forced to move back in with her parents. Just when Nina thinks things can’t get any worse she realizes her former childhood friend, Quentin Bell is back in town too, and once again living right next door.

Although they ended on a sour note, Nina and Quentin can’t help but to fall back into old habits, Quentin’s easiness on the eyes not hurting the matter. But then Quentin digs up the very thing that drew them apart seventeen years prior- the town’s unsolved treasure hunt.

Even though adult Nina can’t help but to think the supposed riches are all a ruse, she also can’t help but to be taken in at the possibility of prosperity. After all, she needs a win, literally. This is how Nina and Quentin find themselves joining forces to find the ultimate prize. Only undiscovered treasure might not be the only thing worth searching for as each finds themselves digging up long buried feelings in the process.

Finders Keepers is like a love letter to The Goonies with literal love thrown in. And while I loved The Goonies, and the banter between Nina and Quentin, I had a hard time investing in the story as a whole. Loving Adler’s Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, I was hoping her latest release would generate similar excitement. Unfortunately for me, Finders Keepers left me on the hunt for something more.

This was absolutely brilliant! I could not put it down and I already added it to my faves of 2025!

I loved everything from the very start. Quinten and Nina reuniting, their past unfolding, fun games and inside jokes. Top tier banter and flirting. There was so much left unsaid and my heart was just in a vice.

Speaking of, this book had so much heart. Him leaving and returning, picking up where they left off.

The treasure aspect was super fun! Reminded me of the movie Fool’s Gold or the episode of Bob’s Burgers where the kids look for treasure in the abandoned taffy. Just intense, cracking codes, getting excited! I totally get this feeling! I did a city wide treasure hunt with my husband once and it was so exhilarating; it also brought us so close!

I loved the development of Quinten and Nina’s relationship! Just so real and so many feels. I loved Nina’s mom too! She’s such a character. Mr Fountain as well, such a character! Even from just his interview transcriptions, you got so much about what a funny guy he was.

The ending was perfect! I was smiling and kicking my feet over it! Ugh I know I will be thinking about this for a long time

Thank you @berkleypub @netgalley @sarahadlerwrites for the opportunity to read Finders Keepers. This is my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

My thoughts:
A treasure hunt started many years ago.
A treasure hunt begins again.
Finders Keepers was an entertaining second chance romance that took awhile to get into….then things picked up in the story and I was hooked.
Major lack of communication between the two main characters, Nina and Quentin!
I did enjoy the banter between Nina and Quentin. As well as Nina’s mom….she is quite the character!
Just the right amount of spice rounded out the story quite nicely.
Overall….a funny and sweet read!

I’m such a fan of Ms. Adler’s writing. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes was one of my favorite reads. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to review an advanced copy of Finder’s Keepers. Nina and Quentin are childhood friends who become estranged. They both find themselves back in their childhood homes after their worlds crumble with difficulties.
There is a treasure hunt that as teenagers they became obsessed with solving and some bad decisions led to not speaking to each other for 17years.

The premise of this story was intriguing. The execution of it was a tad slow and times bogged down by details and of the treasures originating story.

I gave it 4 stars because the parts I loved were really great and I love her writing. I also loved the authors note explaining her inspiration. I’m trying to not judge too harshly the novels that come after her fabulous debut because they aren’t quite at the same level. The bar was raised a little too high with her first book so with that said, this one is good but not as great. Would I recommend it… sure! Just maybe know going into it that the backstory information about the treasure is (in my opinion) not always that interesting. The story about friendship turned into love was the story that pulled me through

Nice second-chance romance with a bit of a treasure hunt. I preferred the male perspective more than the female and found him more interesting.

Read this if you like:
•childhood friends
•second chance
•scavenger hunts

This was a really fun concept. A bit more of a show burn than I usually like. I didn’t love the third act breakup reasoning but a cute read

🤍 Book Review – Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler 🤍

Very grateful to the publisher @berkleyromance for my #gifted copy through @netgalley , opinions are my own

Finders Keepers is a sweet, slow burn second chance romance with a fun little adventure at its heart. I really enjoyed the premise of two childhood friends reuniting to complete an abandoned treasure hunt, it felt nostalgic and cozy. Nina is a relatable main character dealing with a lot of life changes, and I liked how the story focused on her growth as much as her romance with Quentin. Their chemistry was subtle but meaningful, and I appreciated how they slowly opened up to each other again.
The treasure hunt wasn’t super exciting, but it added a charming twist to the story. Some parts felt a little slow, and the miscommunication trope was a bit frustrating, but overall I enjoyed watching their relationship rebuild. If you like small town settings, childhood friends to lovers, and stories with heart, humor, and healing, this one is a book for you.

This was a cute read. Second chance romance meets treasure hunt with some childhood nostalgia thrown in.
My favorite parts were the scenes at the library. I enjoyed this one, however it did feel slow and I found myself struggling to connect to the characters. Overall an enjoyable read.

I really wanted to like this book— I was a huge fan of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, but Happy Medium was a miss for me. I figured I’d try again with Finder’s Keepers. The idea of childhood friend’s reconnecting via an adult treasure hunt sounded so fun.

The treasure hunt itself was a bit of a bore and involved mostly digging through documents. The interviews between chapters didn’t really add anything interesting to the story. The hunt also had no twist or anything noteworthy that brought the story to life. I just couldn’t connect to the MC’s— and I felt like the writing tried to be witty but wasn’t landing. I was just never excited to pick this one up.

I think in the end this type of cheesy/unrealistic rom com is not quite the right fit for me/hard to execute in a way that I enjoy— but I do think if you love this type of romance, it will be for you!

Don't you love a treasure hunt? This is a childhood friends to lovers story that includes a fun search for treasure hidden by an eccentric wealthy woman- a treasure that people have been looking for for years. Nina's life just fell apart and she's back living with her parents (this part is trope-y) but so is Quentin, the boy next door who she hasn't spoken with in years (yep, the trope-y misunderstanding). They that aside and turn into bantering pair. This is told from Nina's perspective and it leave Quentin a bit slim as a character for a long time. That said, it's a fun read that kept me turning the pages because I liked both characters and well, treasure. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a lazy day.

Thank you @berkleyromance #Berkleypartner @netgalley for the free book and @prhaudio for the free alc 💖.

🗓️Out 6/24/25

✨What it is about:
Two estranged childhood best friends reunite to finish a long-abandoned treasure hunt that once broke their bond. Now adults with messy lives and unresolved feelings, Nina and Quentin must dig through old secrets, and their shared past, if they hope to uncover both the hidden fortune and a future together.✨

💭My thoughts:
I love second chance romance in books (not so much in real life), so I naturally gravitate toward these kinds of stories. The “estranged childhood friends or sweethearts reuniting” trope is one of my favorites, and I always enjoy uncovering what led to the rift in the first place and deciding for myself whether it’s truly forgivable (or not!) by the end.
This story was sweet, with a fun touch of adventure. While I did find it a bit difficult to fully connect with the main characters at times, and the miscommunication trope definitely tested my patience, I still found myself invested in their journey and rooting for them to work things out.
🎧 The audiobook was narrated by Mara Wilson, who brought a witty, heartfelt tone that fit the story perfectly. Her narration added warmth and personality to the characters, and she did a fantastic job overall.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Read if you like:
🗺️Childhood friends/sweethearts
🗺️Second chance
🗺️Treasure hunts
🗺️Small town
🗺️Slow burn

⚠️ CW: Generalized anxiety, depression, sexual content.

Nina Hunnicutt was back in her childhood home after losing her job, boyfriend, and home only to find her long-lost childhood best friend and boy next door Quentin Bell navigating similar circumstances. After unfortunate circumstances left them not speaking for years, they decided to revisit a treasure hunt from their childhood and get reacquianted.
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Nina was a loveable and relatable fmc, and I thoroughly enjoyed that she was a history professor and loved archival research (emphasis on the relatability for me 🤭). I dont know about you, but I just like the way Quentin Bell rolls off my tongue? He is also a wonderful mmc that praises Nina for her intelligence and props her up - brownie points for me, Quentin Bell. Overall, I appreciated how Sarah Adler wrote these two characters reuniting after years apart and learning about each other again... and how an old childhood crush can come racing back all the same.
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You are going to love this book if you enjoy best friends to lovers, the girl/guy next door, a little bit of a slow burn, great banter... and frankly, just a really great plot and storyline: you can't go wrong with romance and a treasure hunt, in my opinion. Sarah Adler has a way with words. This is the second book I've read, and I can't wait to pick up Happy Medium as soon as I can. 🤍
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Page & Pour Rating: 4✨️
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Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group @berkleypub for giving me the opportunity to enjoy and share my thoughts on this. It's available June 24, 2025, and will make for a great summer read on your tbr!
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#sarahadler #romance #finderskeepers #bookreview #bookbooksbooks

This was extremely enjoyable. Nina is having a really bad time: the university she's worked at for years has just laid her off, and her boyfriend of six years has just dumped her - and kicked her out of their shared apartment. Nina moves home in what she views as disgrace, but is surprised to discover her childhood next-door-neighbor, Quentin, is also home. Nina and Quentin were best friends that might have been more, until the summer they searched for treasure that was supposedly hidden in an eccentric billionaire's eccentric mansion. They haven't spoken in over a decade, but Quentin wants to reignite the treasure hunt. Nina is resistant at first, but she's a history PhD and too intrigued by both the treasure and Quentin to say no.

If you loved Mrs. Nash's Ashes but Happy Medium didn't quite hit the mark for you, you will love this (obviously if you loved both, you'll love this one). This book is pure joy from start to finish. Nina is a complete mess, and Adler writes her so well: riddled with anxiety, questioning everything she knows after realizing her relationship may not have been what she thought it was, and feeling pressure to get it together and be "successful" instead of going after what she really wants (or at least figuring out what she really wants). Nina has so many emotions she doesn't know what to do with, and I loved the way Adler writes her figuring out her worth and finding her safe space with her family and with Quentin. The chemistry between Nina and Quentin is immediate and feels lived-in, and their push-and-pull was very interesting. The sexual tension is heavy and sultry, and I appreciated that their growth as a partnership paralleled Nina's growth towards her real self.

The treasure plot is also just fun. It's nothing too crazy - just a kooky billionaire doing kooky billionaire things - but I loved the lore behind it all. How it all unfolds is extremely satisfying! I loved this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this book! Very nostalgic of young love and funny banter. The premise of a treasure hunt was cute and unique. Big fan!

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group.

Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she is single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.

Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different.

Except, Quentin is also older and wiser not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there is any hope of finding what they are looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.

For starters, I loved Mrs. Nash's Ashes so I was so excited that Adler came out with a new book, but Finders Keepers was so slow. Every time I stopped reading, I had the hard time of picking it back up. I also never felt truly invested in Nina or Quentin, so it was hard to root for them. The way the interviews broke up and was in between chapters, it did mess up the flow/story a bit for me. The treasure hunt was an intriguing addition, but it was also sometimes just too cheesy. There were some cute parts but other times it felt forced. I did wish the treasure hunt had more spark or a twist but sadly it did not. It did have potential but it ended up being flat, underdeveloped and was a little underwhelming. Overall, it was still a pretty fun storyline and I think many will enjoy it. Not a bad read, just not a favorite, but I will still be recommending everyone to read Mrs. Nash's Ashes and I cannot wait to see what Adler's next book will be.

This was a really sweet second chance, childhood friends to lovers romance I really loved the premise of a treasure hunt started as kids and continued into adulthood. It made the book fun and exciting to see what would happen next.

As somebody with pretty crippling anxiety like Nina, I found her thought process of worst case/best case scenario to be so fun and honestly, most of the time hilarious! I thought Nina was an extremely relatable character with real life struggles just trying to make it through each day.

I adored Quentin! He was all things cute and quirky and I loved his charming side when with Nina!

Aside from their bond from being childhood friends, both Nina and Quentin had been through so much recently, I feel like that brought them closer together on a deeper level.

I part listened to this book while also reading and I have to say the narrator really hit it out of the park. Nina’s inner monologue was perfection and exactly how I would have imagined she sounded during her anxieties and overcoming them.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all my book besties who love a little adventure mixed in with their romance!

This was my first Sarah Adler book, and it certainly won't be my last! I absolutely adored this beautiful, hilarious love story. Both characters were incredibly endearing, and I will always have such a soft spot in my heart for them.

Nina is back in her hometown to move in with her parents because she is job-less, homeless and boyfriend-less. It turns out Quentin, who shared the other half of her duplex as a child is also back. He was her best friend, until that last summer 17 years ago when their hunt for treasure resulted in the loss of their friendship forever. Now, in their early 30s, Quentin convinces Nina to re-ignite the hunt. And of course this also re-ignites long buried feelings.

So much of this book took place inside Nina's head. We get all her inner thoughts, including her many anxieties, coping strategies and emotions. I loved getting to know her on such a deep level, and I found myself relating to her so much! Quentin was harder to get to know, since this wasnt a dual POV story, but as their past unfolds via flashback memories and in conversation, he became clearer, and it was quite obvious that his feelings for Nina were strong and true.

Watching these two re-discover each other and learn who they are as adults was so much fun. They had me smiling constantly, with their banter, their embarrassing moments, and their desperate hunt for treasure. There was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all, but the result led to the kind of conclusion that makes me close a book and hug it close to my heart because it made all the angst and longing worth it.

4.5 Stars rounded up. I've adored Sarah Adler's previous work (especially Mrs. Nash's Ashes), so was excited to see this new release from her. I mean, slow-burn second chance romance involving a treasure hunt and Adler's signature banter; who would say no? I feel like the pacing may have been a little off in the beginning of this one, just with so much history between Nina, Quentin, Julius Fountain, and his Estate. But I feel the story eventually found its footing and was a fun, steamy summer read. Can't wait for this one to release so I can start recommending it to patrons!

Nina thought her life was in order, but then she loses her professorship, her boyfriend and her apartment in a 48 hour period and has to move back to her parents’ house and her childhood town. She’s shocked to find her neighbor and childhood crush Quentin living in his parent’s house as well. They spent a teenage summer looking for a treasure rumored to be left behind by the town’s eccentric millionaire, but then something happens and the two best friends (and possibly more) don’t talk for ten years. Now both are somewhat in the same boat personally (newly single and unemployed) so they decide to resume the search for the summer. Spending so much time together with the older, wiser and more handsome Quentin allows Nina to re-explore her feelings for him - maybe they will find more than treasure.

I was so excited to read this one, Sarah Adler is a favorite author - I loved her last two books. It pains me to say that this one did not meet my (admittedly very high) expectations. I really liked the characters but I just couldn’t buy into the story. The treasure hunt just seemed a little silly to me so it was hard to really get into the book. Adler’s humor, banter and sparks were still there (and they are great), it was the underlying story that kept me from loving this one. It’s still a cute book, and maybe if I hadn’t adored her first two, I would have enjoyed it more.

3.75 stars