Isn't It Romantic?

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Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
Published by Berkley on January 7, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Adventure, Romance

Goodreads

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...

I never considered myself a big action/adventure fan, but I am LOVE with Jo Segura's books. Following a series of unfortunate events, Miri found herself in charge of the search for the Lost City of the Moon. This was her chance to prove herself, but those unfortunate events continued to plague the expedition. The only thing working in her favor was the growing attraction between her and Rafa, a journalist documenting the journey, but he seemed to have some ulterior motives. 

 This book really called to the nerdy, Indiana Jones lover in me. Here is a short list of things that made this book a big hit for me:

• The characters - Both Miri and Rafa were easy to love. Miri was quirky and amused me right from the start, but I also cared about her. She struggled with being taken seriously in the realm of her career. This made me root harder for her to succeed as I wanted her to prove all the naysayers wrong. Rafa was charming, but some of his actions frustrated me. In the end, I was #TeamRafa after learning more about him.
• The romance - These two were precious together. Their interactions were fun and flirty, and it was so sweet the way Rafa really "saw" Miri and appreciated all the parts of her.
• The setting - It's wonderful to be whisked away to places I have never been, and the Brazilian Amazon definitely qualifies. Segura did a fantastic job transporting me to the jungle and depicting all its danger and beauty.
• The story - This is a fairly plot driven book, so I don't want to give too much away, but I can say that Segura blended romance, action, and humor to produce a story that captivated me from beginning to end. With some interesting lore and a few unexpected twists and turns, I had an amazing adventure with Rafa and Miri.

Overall, Temple of Swoon delivered both swoons and thrills, and I hope Segura has many more adventures to share.

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The Lodge by Kayla Olson
Published by Atria Books on January 7, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

From the author of The Reunion, a cozy rom-com about a writer who decamps to a Vermont lodge for work but finds herself distracted by the charming ski instructor next door.

Alix Morgan just got her big break as the ghostwriter of a memoir by Sebastian Green, a former member of the boy band True North. And when he offers her a penthouse at a luxurious resort in Vermont, she jumps at the chance to work far away from her noisy, cramped apartment.

Her career as an entertainment journalist has been building toward this dream job—after all, she used to cover True North and was one of the last people to interview former front man Jett Beckett before he disappeared. As she combs through her client’s voice memos, the specter of the missing lead singer remains, and fans are desperate to know the full story.

But Alix also has time for some fun at this glamorous resort, where she begins ski lessons with a handsome instructor named Tyler. As Alix and Tyler fall in love on the slopes, Alix’s work takes a complicated turn—and the mystery of True North’s downfall may be hers to solve.

This was Alix's big break! She was ghostwriting a memoire for a former member of the hugely popular boy band, True North. While in seclusion to focus on her writing, Alix fell hard for her ski instructor while also finding herself sinking further into the mystery surrounding True North.

I had enjoyed Olson's previous book, The Reunion, but I LOVED The Lodge. From the very first chapter, I found myself invested in so many facets of this story. I wanted this ghostwriting gig to be a success for Alix, so she could prove to everyone that her career was worthwhile. I wanted this spark between her and Tyler to ignite into flames in order to help her forget her disastrous romantic past and know that she was deserving of love. I wanted the truth about True North's breakup and the Jett Beckett's disappearance to be revealed. I was simply all in on this tale.

As I read The Lodge, there were so many times I smiled and laughed. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed myself tremendously. I also loved that this was not just a rom-com. The way the True North story was intertwined gave this book a little something above and beyond my expectations. I am going to date myself here, but early on, I was getting some serious Eddie and Cruisers type vibes, and this delighted me. I am not going to act like this was on the level of a mystery/thriller, but it was great to have that extra layer to the story.

The setting was stellar. I vacationed in Stowe back in 2022. It was spring when I was there, but its beauty still shined. It was fun getting to "be there" during the ski season to admire all its mountain splendor. The inclusion of fun outdoor and winter activities really immersed me in the joy of it all and was a great way for the characters to bond.

I know there are going to be a lot of insta-love haters coming for this book, but I don't know, it seemed more like attraction that was allowed to grow and breathe a bit. Maybe it was a bit fast, but I still enjoyed all the moments they shared and how Tyler and Alix connected and opened up to one another. Even Tyler's inner circle was onboard, and that was important, as they were the only "family" he had.

Overall, I had a delightful time at The Lodge. With great banter, characters I cared for, a beautiful setting, and well place mixed media entries, this romance with a touch of mystery was full of warmth and humor with a solid story that drew me in and kept me fully captivated until the end.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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