I loved Happy Medium by Sarah Adler, so I was incredibly excited for this ARC! The first 60% was a little slow for me—which might be a “me” problem since I really wanted the romance and treasure hunting. It’s a slowwww burn, but the ex marks the spot. 😉 I adored the end and it was super cute!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Finders Keepers is a fun summer treasure-hunting rom-com!

When Nina has to move back to her childhood home in shame, newly single and unemployed, she doesn't expect to see her ex-best-friend Quentin living on the other side of her family's duplex. She DEFINITELY doesn't expect him to ask her to re-embark on the same treasure hunt that tore their friendship apart back in high school.

It was a delight to read about these ex-friends reconnecting and rehashing their history! I also LOVED the primary source research and archives angle of this book as someone who is studying to become an archivist!

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

sarah is one of my favorite writers of all time for good reason. this was insanely good. heartfelt. beautiful. I loved the plot and the romance.

Another Sarah Adler book that I absolutely adored!! Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review!
Two estranged best friends find that a long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start - for both their futures and their feelings... 
Nina has been one of the most relatable FMCs I've read in a while. All of her inner-monologuing makes you better understand her anxiety disorder and the hesitations and second-guessing that come with it. I love the way her brain works out the best-case, worst-case, most-likely-case scenarios, keeping her anxiety at bay while still being able to make light of stressful situations for herself. And Quentin - we love a man who can admit he was a dumb teenage boy who made dumb decisions and who will make all the effort to try and spend time with you in the ways he knows how while trying to rebuild trust after so many years apart.Their chemistry and banter was off the charts, I loved seeing them get to know each other as adults, but considering how (mostly) honest (at least about the big things) they were being now, it made the teeny 3rd act a teeny bit unbelievable. I believed in the hurt that it dragged up from the past and how hard that was for either of them to let go of, so I can see how Anxious Nina could have won out over Badass Nina in that moment... 
 I really really really enjoyed reading this heartwarming, second-chance romance story with a touch of adventure, nostalgia, and self-discovery. I highly recommend reading it when it comes out on June 24, the perfect summer romcom!

3.5 Stars!
If you are looking for an author that knows how to write a contemporary romance novel, Sarah Adams is your girl!

This is a second-chance romance between Nina and Quentin who pick up right where they left off from their childhood in their hunt for treasure, ultimately leading to the sweetest love story. The ending had me in the ultimate swoon!! I enjoyed the humor by all of the characters, but Nina’s mom continuously made me laugh, reminding me so much of my own!

I was a little exhausted by Nina’s self doubt throughout this book. I am glad she grew through it by the end, but it did drag a little more than I would have liked.

“I lived a life that was more wonderful than I could have ever dreamed. Some of it was luck, yes. Some of it was intelligence and business savvy. But most of it, Louisa, was you.”🥹

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this sending me this ebook/arch for my honest review! I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet little love story so much.

This is my first Adler book and it was cute and lighthearted. My favorite trope is second chance romance so this was super cute to read. Although I did enjoy it, I do feel as though something was missing, I think it was the lack of chemistry. But overall it was cute!

Sarah is one of my favorite authors for a reason. This is fantastic. The blend of second chance/ friends to lovers and the plot was magic.

Overall, 4 stars. What a sweet and funny story about two childhood best friends who were estranged at 15 who find each other again in their 30s. My heart hurt so much for Nina, having her whole life turned upside and needing to run home to heal and rebuild. I absolutely loved the self-discovery aspect of the book and how Nina had to look into the past to figure out what went wrong and learning how to trust herself again. Teenagers are dumb and make mistakes but boy, I can't imagine digging up the hurt 17 years later. I will admit I was confused as to why the J.J. Fountain interviews were sprinkled in, but it made sense at the end, and boy it was so sweet. The humor and banter in this book were great and gave me the giggles.

Format: ebook

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!!

The writing in this book was great to be honest but the story line lacked a bit for me. I am not huge on treasure hunts so the first half of the book took me awhile to get through. The second half on the other end when the characters began to fall in love or realize they were in love is when the book picked up for me. I enjoyed the romance aspect of the story.
I also enjoyed the banter of the characters.

Giggling and kicking my feet … Sarah Adler you have charmed me 😌🥰

<i>Thanks NetGalley for sending the arc in exchange for honest review</i> 🫶🏻

This was a cute second chance romance about 2 childhood best friends that reconnect after some unfortunate events in their lives. I enjoyed this book and love the treasure hunt that it sent you on.

It’s full of adventure and love, what more do you need?!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this arc!

Sarah Adler never fails to suck me into a small town DMV suburb and charm me with her characters. This book was so wonderful with the mystery of the fountain estate and the love story that almost wasn’t. She remains an instant buy and instant read author for me- highly recommend!

Finders Keepers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

If you like a light and beautiful read, then you’re going to want to add this one to your TBR. I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by Sarah Adler, but this one is officially my favorite by her.
Everything about this book felt so charming, from the setting to the characters, this story felt so comforting.
I always adore stories where the characters grew up together, they end up so sweet. The characters, Nina and Quentin were so adorable together. Since they’ve known each other for so long there is a lot of reminiscing and nostalgia. The dynamic between them was perfect!
This book involves hunting for treasure and examining some history in their town! Again, this story was so reflective and beautiful. As they search for treasure, they discover a lot about themselves. There is a mental health rep in this story, which I always enjoy seeing in a story.
I’ve been super busy this year, but this book had me impatiently waiting to read again. This is probably the quickest I’ve read a book in ages. The relationship between these two had me smiling on every page and I really devoured this book.
This is a low stakes, feel good story that you won’t want to miss when it comes out on June 24th! Save this post now so you don’t forget!

Read If You Like:
🗺️slow burns
🗺️second chance romance
🗺️childhood friends
🗺️forced proximity
🗺️treasure hunts

I had a hard time getting into this book but by the time I finished, I couldn't put it down. I loved Sarah Adler's first book, Mrs. Nashes Ashes, and while this didn't top that, I did enjoy it.

I think I would have liked it more if the big blowup between our main characters wasn't kept a secret from the reader for so long. It was kind of odd how they didn't come out and tell you what happened up front and I think I would have enjoyed it more if the author had them be more transparent with the reader.

What did I love? The chemistry between the main characters that develops as you read, the back story, and the realization that their past relationships sucked. 😝

Read this if you like rom coms, second chances, and growth in your characters.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to enjoy.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nina and Quentin were neighbors turned best friends who had a falling out at the age of 15 and are forced back into each others lives by a series of unfortunate events for both parties. After having not spoken for roughly 17 years, the two decide to make the most of their forced proximity and this second chance, and re-hatch their childhood treasure hunt.

I read Mrs. Nash's Ashes almost a year ago and absolutely fell in love with Sarah Adler's writing. I found that here as well. She has such quick wit and a dry sense of humor which I personally resonate with time and time again.

The overall concept of the book really intrigued me--I mean, who doesn't love a treasure hunt, but the miscommunication trope played a heavy hand in this one and at times seemed to maybe be...too much?

The build up of not only what the treasure would be, but also what happened that night when Nina & Quentin's friendship came to an end felt a bit bigger than what actually happened. I will admit I was disappointed by both the big treasure reveal (I mean I wasn't really expecting them to find like....a million dollars or anything), as well as what happened in those final moments of their childhood friendship. The way Nina would reference what happened prior to the reader finding out, I thought they like...I don't know...killed someone (lol jk).

Overall this was a cute fluffy romance with some good bits of humor scattered throughout.

3/5

Two childhood friends reunite years after an incident that destroyed their friendship to reignite the treasure hunt they were once desperate to solve —with just a few months to find the treasure and hopefully set the past to rights. Sarah Adler brings oodles of charm in a second chance romance of discovery and rediscovery fueled by almost two decades apart. Looking to the past as our main characters Nina and Quentin seek a long lost treasure, Adler unburies more than just treasure in her third novel, Finders Keepers. Second chance romance is my favorite trope and this has the added layer of the two protagonists having been childhood friends so I was expecting lots of tension and angst. The shared history aimed at elevating the tension within this romance unfortunately did not bring enough for me. I think this was likely because of the way the narrative was structured between past and present. More flashbacks or even an integrated past and present journey alongside the treasure hunt could have deepened the tension and the intimacy between the two characters. More showing these scenes rather than Nina reflecting on the past scenes if that makes sense. Finders Keepers also had some slow moments that weighed the story down and altogether I never felt entirely sold on the connection here. I really love Sarah Adler continuing to integrate generational stories and history together in her romances and that was probably my favorite part of this one.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for this digital advanced reader copy. My review is honest and unbiased.

This book and cute, fun, and lighthearted! I was looking forward to reading it because Sarah Adler’s other book Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is one of my favs!

This one was still cute with a second chance romance trope and some treasure hunting vibes, but fell short of her other novel. I thought the main character was childish for being in her 30’s. I also felt like she shared many inner thoughts that weren’t needed. I liked the mystery aspect of this book and thought it was cute overall.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

It's a Sarah Adler book, guys. It's funny, sweet, and romantic. That's just how it works. I laughed out loud every time we talked about the seltzer magnate. A FREAKING SELTZER MAGNATE. I want to get drinks at the local bar and hang out with Nina and Quentin. And the mutual masturbation scene? Oh my, Sarah Adler!

However it's less Goonies and more just "the real treasure was rekindling our love for each other", and like..... why can't we have both?

Finders Keepers was a charming, swoony second-chance romance wrapped in a nostalgic, small-town treasure hunt. Nina and Quentin’s dynamic was equal parts banter and unresolved tension, making their reluctant reunion all the more delicious. Who knew digging up the past (literally and emotionally) could be so fun?
The adventure itself was quirky and whimsical—because of course the town eccentric was a seltzer magnate—but the real gold was in Nina and Quentin rediscovering each other. The slow-burn tension? Chef’s kiss. My only minor gripe? I wanted just a bit more angst before the inevitable “aha!” moment.
Overall, this book was a delightful mix of childhood nostalgia, laugh-out-loud banter, and treasure hunting shenanigans—with a side of heartfelt romance. Perfect for anyone who loves a little mystery with their love story!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

a sweet, second chance romance about two childhood best friends and a whimsical treasure hunt that keeps you on your toes! sarah adler's humour shines on every page, bringing to life witty characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and relatable chaos that makes you believe in love, luck, and a lil bit of magic

finders keepers is the perfect mix of adventure and heart—proving that sometimes, the greatest treasure is what [or who] has been in front of you all along

thank you, berkley and netgalley, for the arc!