Title: Temple of SwoonAuthor: Jo Segura
Series: Raiders of the Lost Heart #2
Pages: 368
Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Her mission: find the Lost City of the Moon in the Amazon rainforest.
His mission: protect the holy temple . . . and his heart.
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…
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The Temple of Swoon is such a fun story, and I think I liked this one even more than the first book, Raiders of the Lost Heart. It’s a fantastic romantic adventure with a very fitting title! Speaking of titles, I have to mention how much I love them and their Indiana Jones references. I feel like this whole series is the perfect mix of Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, and I couldn’t get enough of it!
The two main characters, Miri and Rafa are both compelling and layered with interesting stories. Miri works in a male-dominated environment and works hard to prove her worth, and Rafa is a journalist with a secret mission that could thwart Mimi’s chance at making a name for herself in the field of archeology. However, he spends more time helping Miri than he does ruining her excursion. It was interesting to learn more about them, their professions, and what led them to these points in their lives. I also enjoyed their growth throughout the story. Miri underestimates herself, and Rafa learns a lot about himself, his family, and his ancestry, which is super intriguing.
I adored Rafa, the sweet-talking cinnamon roll! He’s super swoon-worthy, and I absolutely loved how hard he fell for Miri. Some of the things he says to her, and a lot of what he thinks about her, melted my heart. I just loved them together and the little ways they supported each other without even realizing it. Rafa puts Miri first before he even acknowledges his conflicted feelings, and their close proximity, co-workers-to-lovers romance is even more heightened because of the high-stakes situations they constantly face.
The story also has action and adventure, a bit of a mystery, and a surprising twist, all of which add suspense and tension to the story. The secondary characters are great, too, and I’s so curious to find out who will be the focus of the next book. And the humor! There are several comical scenes that had me laughing out loud, especially when Miri initially tries to pull a Tarzan stunt. So funny!
I would definitely recommend this book to contemporary romance readers, and though it’s the second in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. However, if you did read Raiders of the Lost Heart, you’ll be excited to see a brief cameo from the book. Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
“I’m a distraction?” he repeated. “You look at me with those hungry eyes. Taunt me by biting your lip as you stare at me. Those same lips that you kissed me with, lips I desperately want to kiss again. And now you stand here, challenging me wearing those cutesy, ridiculously thin pajamas that have the nerve to say ‘Sweet Dreams’ when there was nothing sweet about my dreams last night, and you want to call me a distraction? Pringles, you are the very definition of a distraction.”
- forced proximity
- cowowrker romance
- secret mission
- women in STEM
Great review! This sounds so good 😍 I love cinnamon roll MMCs and a good “office” type romance. I haven’t read the first book in this series but for some reason I’m feeling pulled to this one more. I can’t wait to give it a try!
I think you could read this one without reading the first. It focuses on different characters. It’s so fun!
I don’t know why but for some reason I thought this would have the same MC’s as book one! I’m definitely more intrigued now, especially because I love a good cinnamon role love interest. Great review, Julie!
I did too,. but I actually loved the new couple more than the first!