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ashaustrew's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
4/5 stars
2/5 spice
Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Forced proximity
Archeologist MCs
Latina heroine
Opposites attract
Dual POV
A quick fun read with interesting characters. I was expecting a lot more action, but it was still a fun read. There were some moments that I felt lagged a bit, but after a certain point, everything sort of picked up in action and conflict. The character growth worked out well for me in the end, but I was a bit put off by Corrie’s approach to dealing with her hyper sexualized image in her field. I'm not opposed to women owning their sexuality but she perpetrated the image and then complained when she wasn't taken seriously... I think if she was going to do that, then she should really not care about others' opinions and truly own it and her badassery. Because she was truly a smart AND sexy woman who had every right to be taken seriously. And Ford called her out on it, too... like why care about being seen as sexy? Own it and still kick ass! Anyways... that's my only gripe and reason why this wasn't a 5 star for me. Otherwise... I really loved the storyline and found myself rooting for Ford and Corrie to finally make it work. Highly recommend for fans of rivals to lovers and adventurous plots.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Sexual content, misogyny/double standards, blackmail, violence
2/5 spice
Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Forced proximity
Archeologist MCs
Latina heroine
Opposites attract
Dual POV
A quick fun read with interesting characters. I was expecting a lot more action, but it was still a fun read. There were some moments that I felt lagged a bit, but after a certain point, everything sort of picked up in action and conflict. The character growth worked out well for me in the end, but I was a bit put off by Corrie’s approach to dealing with her hyper sexualized image in her field. I'm not opposed to women owning their sexuality but she perpetrated the image and then complained when she wasn't taken seriously... I think if she was going to do that, then she should really not care about others' opinions and truly own it and her badassery. Because she was truly a smart AND sexy woman who had every right to be taken seriously. And Ford called her out on it, too... like why care about being seen as sexy? Own it and still kick ass! Anyways... that's my only gripe and reason why this wasn't a 5 star for me. Otherwise... I really loved the storyline and found myself rooting for Ford and Corrie to finally make it work. Highly recommend for fans of rivals to lovers and adventurous plots.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Sexual content, misogyny/double standards, blackmail, violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Violence, Misogyny, and Alcohol
jaynovara's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Cancer, Violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
saliwali's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Cancer, Cursing, Medical content, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
_thebookishbarista_'s review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was super duper cute!!
The story follows Dr. Socorro "Corrie" Mejía, an archaeologist whose dream has always been to find the remains of an ancient Aztec warrior. However, when her rival, Dr. Ford Matthews, invites her on a dig to do just that, she's hesitant. The history, the one they are trying to find and the one they're trying to forget, lurks around every corner. Ford's life is in shambles, and he doesn't want a reminder of their history, but he needs her.
However, when they realize the true trouble they are in with this dig, it becomes clear that they'll have to work together. And eventually they realize that they are keeping their discoveries, and their feelings for each other, hidden.
Ford Matthews and making his students read Corrie's dissertation🤤😍🥰. And I'm sorry but the self-loathing is so real. The only reason this wasn't a five star is because at times I struggled to want to pick it up and read! but overall so good!!
The story follows Dr. Socorro "Corrie" Mejía, an archaeologist whose dream has always been to find the remains of an ancient Aztec warrior. However, when her rival, Dr. Ford Matthews, invites her on a dig to do just that, she's hesitant. The history, the one they are trying to find and the one they're trying to forget, lurks around every corner. Ford's life is in shambles, and he doesn't want a reminder of their history, but he needs her.
However, when they realize the true trouble they are in with this dig, it becomes clear that they'll have to work together. And eventually they realize that they are keeping their discoveries, and their feelings for each other, hidden.
Ford Matthews and making his students read Corrie's dissertation🤤😍🥰. And I'm sorry but the self-loathing is so real. The only reason this wasn't a five star is because at times I struggled to want to pick it up and read! but overall so good!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
hannahwilliams90's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
Minor: Grief and Misogyny
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Being a massive Indiana Jones fan, I was all too hopeful that this book would scratch my itch for archaeological adventure while also presenting as a fun romcom. I admit that I saw the title and was immediately taken.
However… it was a bust. It had some fun adventure elements and the plot of looking for the final resting place of a fictional Mexican warrior was really promising. I enjoyed some of the parts where the characters actually found the Aztec ruins/remains. But then it just kinda went overboard with stereotype—ridiculous high stakes, multiple potential villains, cliche romance.
Yeah. The romance. It was pretty cringe. And unfortunately, the FMC reads like she was written by a man, the way she is described and even the way she talks sometimes. The MMC’s POV chapters definitely didn’t help when referring to her body and skills etc. The sex scenes seemed way too heavy on the physicality and reputation of the FMC than on the actual passion and relationship between the two. Idk, everything the FMC did seemed over-sexualized, especially considering a major part of her character was trying to escape those stereotypes. It just seemed like the author fed too much into it that it sort-of had the opposite effect that she was going for. Maybe I just found the writing too cheesy and awkward. And the fact that the MMC was THIRTY-EIGHT-YEARS-OLD and acted the way he did and said the things he did really gave me the ick.
It was a quick read overall and I never wanted to DNF it, I just was disappointed with it.
However… it was a bust. It had some fun adventure elements and the plot of looking for the final resting place of a fictional Mexican warrior was really promising. I enjoyed some of the parts where the characters actually found the Aztec ruins/remains. But then it just kinda went overboard with stereotype—ridiculous high stakes, multiple potential villains, cliche romance.
Yeah. The romance. It was pretty cringe. And unfortunately, the FMC reads like she was written by a man, the way she is described and even the way she talks sometimes. The MMC’s POV chapters definitely didn’t help when referring to her body and skills etc. The sex scenes seemed way too heavy on the physicality and reputation of the FMC than on the actual passion and relationship between the two. Idk, everything the FMC did seemed over-sexualized, especially considering a major part of her character was trying to escape those stereotypes. It just seemed like the author fed too much into it that it sort-of had the opposite effect that she was going for. Maybe I just found the writing too cheesy and awkward. And the fact that the MMC was THIRTY-EIGHT-YEARS-OLD and acted the way he did and said the things he did really gave me the ick.
It was a quick read overall and I never wanted to DNF it, I just was disappointed with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual content, Cursing, Stalking, Misogyny, Death, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Terminal illness, Body shaming, Alcohol, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Bullying
Minor: Child death
ajay913's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism, Blood, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Sexism, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Racism
notsobinaryart's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
If I hadn't been reading this book for a book club, I would have DNFed this book so many times.
I wanted to like it so bad. Afterall, a romcom with a badass Latina archaeologist adventuring and researching her passion project into who might have been her ancestor? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, the romance overshadowed any other part of the book, and the romance was my whole problem with the book. Specifically, the male main character, Ford.
Ford is the definition of a privileged mediocre white man. Everywhere he is in his career he steals from her. This is not an exaggeration of general white privilege, he specifically steals her opportunities out from under her.
Unfortunately, the romance overshadowed any other part of the book, and the romance was my whole problem with the book. Specifically, the male main character, Ford.
Ford is the definition of a privileged mediocre white man. Everywhere he is in his career he steals from her. This is not an exaggeration of general white privilege, he specifically steals her opportunities out from under her.
I was hoping, somehow, everything would be explained away, or at least that Ford would undergo a significant change. However, the reasoning and story behind his decisions didn't make me view his character any better, in part because we were explained too late in the story to feel empathy and in part because it seemed like there could have been better options to remedy his situation.
Beyond that, I see no romance between the two characters. They both show no actual romantic feelings, only constant lust and objectification, plus their constant hatred for each other. I'm an avid romance reader, so smut is not new to me; reading a romance that almost seems to center the male gaze, however, is a new one.
If this had been a book focused on only the archaeology, adventures, and the struggles of being a Latina in academia and professional fields, this would be a very different review. So many themes were almost realized, but never truly completed seemingly in favor of the romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
emily_journals's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was expecting to really enjoy this book from the premise, I was a big archaeology fan as a kid/teen, and a romance also centering an archaeological expedition sounds right up my alley. However, I knew from pretty much the first time we're viewing the MMC's (Ford's) inner monologue that I was not going to support the resulting romance. I also found myself really disappointed in the level of archaeology in this book, it really was treated just as the back drop for this romance rather than it's own story element for the majority of this book.
Alright, so my biggest issue with this book is I personally think from Ford's inner monologue that he does not respect women in general and only respects very specific women after they've proven themselves to him, which is not a man that should end this story in a relationship. In the first quarter-ish of this book, Ford questions literally everything Corrie says to him even though he manipulated her into coming to this dig because HE KNOWS she's the most renowned expert on this particular artifact and it's story in the whole world. Also, I find the disrespect he has for the way Corrie does her job and practices archaeology as a woman of color unforgivable, and he does nothing to redeem himself and does not change his mind or say anything good about it by the end of the book. I think this book would have been infinitely more tolerable/better for me if we stayed only focused on Corrie and her inner monologue for the whole book and cut all of Ford's focused chapters because from Corrie's POV and inner monologue, Ford is a fine MMC who isn't full of internalized misogyny and bigotry.Also, why are all the sex scene's from Ford's POV??? Confusing.
My big issue with this book is the writing and plot outline. The writing is pretty cheesy through the whole thing (and I'm fine with a good amount of cheesy writing in my romance books, but this is over the top cheesy and always veering into straight up cringe worthy). There were so many times that I highlighted a passage in my e-book just because I couldn't believe that actually got written. And then the plot of the story was kind of a complete mess at the end; there were so many plot points that just got thrown straight into the reader's face out of no where instead of being integrated into the story and woven in until the reveals happened.ALSO, there was literally no resolution to third act breakup? Like Ford is still an awful person who did awful shit to Corrie, didn't ever respond to her questions of being like you wouldn't have done this to me if I was a man, but he gets injured SAVING THE ARTIFACT (and Corrie on the side) and fade to black, a year later, all is forgiven. I'm seriously so confused why the author decided to completely cut out any resolution or emotional growth these characters could have gone through at the end of the book in favor of a cheap pseudo cliff hanger that lasted for half a chapter.
I did really like the archaeological aspects of this, I just wish there was more of that as it felt more like a plot device to get the characters together than its own story element. I also like the FMC most of the time although there were times that there seemed like a little internalized misogyny creeping through and some of the stuff she thought in her inner monologue was really cringe.
Alright, so my biggest issue with this book is I personally think from Ford's inner monologue that he does not respect women in general and only respects very specific women after they've proven themselves to him, which is not a man that should end this story in a relationship. In the first quarter-ish of this book, Ford questions literally everything Corrie says to him even though he manipulated her into coming to this dig because HE KNOWS she's the most renowned expert on this particular artifact and it's story in the whole world. Also, I find the disrespect he has for the way Corrie does her job and practices archaeology as a woman of color unforgivable, and he does nothing to redeem himself and does not change his mind or say anything good about it by the end of the book. I think this book would have been infinitely more tolerable/better for me if we stayed only focused on Corrie and her inner monologue for the whole book and cut all of Ford's focused chapters because from Corrie's POV and inner monologue, Ford is a fine MMC who isn't full of internalized misogyny and bigotry.
My big issue with this book is the writing and plot outline. The writing is pretty cheesy through the whole thing (and I'm fine with a good amount of cheesy writing in my romance books, but this is over the top cheesy and always veering into straight up cringe worthy). There were so many times that I highlighted a passage in my e-book just because I couldn't believe that actually got written. And then the plot of the story was kind of a complete mess at the end; there were so many plot points that just got thrown straight into the reader's face out of no where instead of being integrated into the story and woven in until the reveals happened.
I did really like the archaeological aspects of this, I just wish there was more of that as it felt more like a plot device to get the characters together than its own story element. I also like the FMC most of the time although there were times that there seemed like a little internalized misogyny creeping through and some of the stuff she thought in her inner monologue was really cringe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Blood, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Cancer
Minor: Bullying, Body shaming, and Kidnapping