 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Imagine having to film an intimacy scene for a romcom with the person you’ve disliked with fervor since you were teens—when he publicly stomped your heart. The former is actually my fave part of Right on Cue by Falon Ballard, when the two leads—who have had less than stellar interactions throughout the book—suddenly have to film an intimate scene. Before they even begin, the jerk-ish Grayson makes a speech promising to respect screenwriter-turned-actor Emmy, & what follows is respectful & also unexpectedly hot, for the leads & this reader. That middle section of the book is where it really shines for me, after a beginning where both leads come across as a bit immature & before the 3rd-act conflict, which had me agitated. There are aspects of this contemporary that I really, really like: the steam totally works for me, the Nora-Ephron-like heroine, the aforementioned middle, where everything makes sense & gels for me…but unfortunately, the totality of the story—from beginning to end—isn’t there for me. 3.5⭐️. Out 02/27. CWs: previous loss of beloved dad; parental estrangement.
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 Hi and welcome to my blog tour stop for Jo Segura's Raiders of the Lost Heart! I was so intrigued by this book immediately after reading the synopsis and check out that cover. Summary.Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally. It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true...and she’s right. As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with everything going on in his life right now, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past. But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together after learning that a thief is lurking around their campsite. Now they are forced to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.  [ID: Jess’s white hand holds the ebook in front of a Christmas tree decorated in pink & gold.]My review.I’m not the type to get into races with jaguarundi or go on unguided tours of caves, for example, but I *do* love an adventure story & the thrill of the hunt in my local antique or thrift store so Jo Segura’s Raiders of the Lost Heart was right up my alley. This book is really fun. Featuring two professors who have a missed romantic opportunity & betrayal in their background, ROTLH takes the reader on an intriguing ride through the jungles of Mexico & a dislike-to-lovers relationship arc. Corrie Mejía is the badass archaeologist type who’s been compared to Lara Croft & isn’t afraid of a bit of danger with her quest. She’s also trying to make it onto the archaeological map amongst her colleagues, who don’t entirely give her the respect she’s due. An opportunity to search for Chimalli brings her face to face with an old nemesis, Ford Matthews, a hottie who she believes betrayed her. Ford is self-aware, self-critical when necessary, and secretly consumed with worry. In the jungles of Mexico the two have a chance to confront their past & figure out if they have a future. This opposites attract works really well together, both of them tempering the other/encouraging the other when necessary. I liked how wrong they could both be about their work/research methodologies—it’s nice to see talented, really smart people not be perfect sometimes . For me, some of the external drama gets to be a bit much, & I didn’t love the pacing of how certain strings are tied at the end, but by & large this is an entertaining, adventurous, passionate story by an author I’d definitely like to read again. 4⭐️. Out now!CWs: blackmail, previous slut-shaming, mother currently has cancer, loss of parents, former betrayal of parents. Are you in the mood for an adventure romance? Have you read any recent romances featuring an archaeologist lead? |
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