If you love archaeology and romance, loo no further. Temple of Swoon is, of course swoony, but it’s also a story about figuring out what we want to do. We can too often fall into what would so and so do. What should I want to do. But what do we want to do? Keep reading this book review of Temple of Swoon for my full thoughts.
Summary
While her mentor may be the world’s most badass archaeologist, the only thing bad about Dr. Miriam Jacobs are her corny jokes. But when Miri is charged with leading an unmapped expedition through the Amazon for the fabled Lost City of the Moon, she finally has her chance to prove to her colleagues that she’s capable—and hopefully prove it to herself, too.
Journalist Rafael Monfils has joined the archaeological team to chronicle their search for the lost city. Or at least, that’s what they think he’s doing. Rafa’s real goal? Make sure the team does not reach the Cidade da Lua, stopping the desecration of the holy city and protecting his mother’s legacy. All he needs to do is keep them on the wrong path.
If only the endearingly quirky Dr. Jacobs wasn’t so damn tenacious—each of Rafa’s tricks and purposeful wrong turns only seem to fuel her determination. Even worse, he’s charmed by her goofy attempts to channel Lara Croft as they traverse the dangerous Brazilian rainforest. But they’re not the only crew hunting for the lost city, and soon the untamed jungle—and their untamed hearts—might be the least of their worries…
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I was excited for this enemies to lovers meets archaeology plus a companion novel since I heard about it. I really enjoyed Raiders of the Lost Heart and so I knew I had to read this one. What immediately put me in Miriam’s POV is how desperately she’s trying to live up to this image, this expectation, of what she should do. Who she should be. She’s determined, even when it’s not going her way, but her determination can also have a downside. When she is so determined to live out her dreams, what happens when dreams change?
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The meet cute in this is chef’s kiss. We love a good “I didn’t realize who you were” moment. Not only that, but the sparks are sparking in Temple of Swoon. And they’re very much working at cross purposes. But like many romance books, we have to realize what not everything we know is true. I enjoyed the character development, even if I wanted a bit more attention at some moments. Overall this was super cute and definitely swoony! Find Temple of Swoon on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.