Review: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for my copy of Raiders of the Lost Heart! All thoughts are my own.

I have a confession: my go to movie is “National Treasure”. Whenever my husband and I can’t decide what to put on or if we’re sick and need a comfort movie to watch together, we always choose National Treasure. When we were both sick a few years ago, we went from the National Treasure to Indiana Jones, which I had never seen before. So when I learned about this book, I felt like this would be a setting I would enjoy based on those movies!

I read this book on audio and it was definitely a fun read! I didn’t totally love it but I did enjoy the experience.

Synopsis:

“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, by rights 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 his life in shambles, 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 when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair 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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

  1. Action Movie Elements—The ending was especially thrilling to read! I thought the author did a great job making the reader feel like they were a part of the action and could clearly picture what was happening.

  2. Fun Setting—An archaeological dig! How fun!

  3. Unique Premise—I have never read a romance set in this type of environment and it provided a lot of fun tension.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  1. 3rd Person POV—I just prefer !st POV in Romance! Personal preference.

  2. Pacing—Pacing was a little off. The tension faded quickly and then I was dreading when a 3rd act break up would occur.

  3. Lack of Chemistry—I didn’t feel it with the main characters and definitely was more invested in the archaeological aspects!

Character Authenticity: 3.5/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Content Warnings:

cancer, sexism, grief

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