This has been a romance with more or less historical adventure, more than once I have had to ask my wife, who is a historian, if the facts that were told were real or imaginary. And it turns out that they were accurate enough, although the specific story that leads to the discoveries and adventure of the protagonists did not really happen that way, or else the history of humanity would have been very different, the real one, much better for sure.

Dissecting the romance, there is a butch woman, Levi, who is part of a family of historians with many connections to the secret services of many governments in the Western world and perhaps Eastern and Arabic as well, she is a kind of Indiana Jones, looking for treasures to offer to humanity, without a desire to profit herself. Not emotionally engaged and getting casual relationships whenever she feels like it.

Yasmine is a Moroccan woman, a university professor expert in decoding ancient writings with the different Arabic dialects, she also works for the government of her country. She is feminine and beautiful, men woo her, but she does not know why but does not want to enter into any relationship and has never done so until the day she meets Levi during a collaboration with the University of New Orleans, organized by Levi's grandfather.

The adventure they both embark on from the moment they meet is a mixture of their own relationship with that of the historical characters, pretty similar as it is. It is a passionate, exciting, reckless, risky adventure and it may not be comfortable for some to admit the role of some institutions in this story.

For me it has been an excellent romance and an interesting and engaging adventure from start to finish.

Another hit out of the park for Ali Vali!!

While I could see shades of Cain Casey in Levi, Dr. Montbard certainly carved her own space out in this reader's mind. She is the kind of person...ahem...character...that I would be proud to number among my friends. Honorable, dedicated, driven, respectful and caring. She has a big heart and it shows.

The author has once again crafted memorable characters that live on long after the book is finished. Ali Vali's gift is not only transporting us to her world(s) but also populating those places with people that almost seem to breathe and stumble as we do.

This story had everything I hoped for - adventure, love, danger and a mysterious quest.
I hope Levi and Yasmine (and her sister) have even more adventures, because I cannot wait to see what's next for them.

Please, tell me there will be more!

This is more of an adventure book with a “Davinci Code” feeling, rather than a romance..

I like Ali Vali’s writing and her storytelling and this one was no different. As I said it’s more of an adventure which was fun to read.

I did find it a bit difficult at the beginning to get into it because I was confused a bit, but then it got a lot better and I did enjoy it.. there’s a lot of fun twists there :)

A big plus for me was the Muslim MC which is very rare to find in lesfic! Well initially it was a plus but as a Muslim myself, I find the character to be very “typical” with a hint of stereotyping for my taste.

Overall an enjoyable read and my rating is a 3.5 rounded up to 4. I just wished that the Muslim character was slightly more non typical :)

“I received an ARC for an honest review.”

Ali Vali is a great writer, but my recent encounters with adventure stories aren’t too great. So when I set out to read this one I had very low expectations, and let me tell you they could have been much higher and I still would have thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Levi is comes from a family of historians and treasure hunters of some kind. She is exceptionally talented in finding long lost stories and treasure. And in every town/ country she visits she has some other lady to share her bed with. This is something that always annoys me in a character, the fast and loose ways they play. So the first few chapters were a bit annoying for me. But in come Yasmine and her sister Zara. I especially like Zara, very strong and opinionated character who serves as some sort of conscience for her sister, as well as pushes her out of her shell.
Together they set out to find what they hope is the history of Templars, but what they find along the way are a lot of problems and so many clues that only the best can decipher.

The mystery and the clues that lead to the treasure and the people who are trying to keep it buried really add the type of adventure and action I like to read in a story. For me this is a great example of what and adventure romance should be. Strong characters, good adventure and even twists on the treasure they find (really unexpected, loved it!).

I really enjoyed this read and I like that Vali gave us some Muslim characters, not something we find often in lesfic. And all strong female characters with their own story that you just get a glimpse of, but makes for a fun read.
4.5 stars for this great adventure!

This is how Indiana Jones would have been had the adventurer been a lesbian and I loved it. Ofcourse, I also devoured the movies a couple of times each in my youth and imagine how many times that would have multiplied if it had Levi and Yasmine in the lead. Ali Vali is great when it comes to writing sweet romances, strong family ties, action and a bit of mystery. In this book she combines it with extensive research into the Templars and the different locations Levi and Yasmine visit in their chase.
Maybe the romance went a little bit fast, especially with Yasmine's background and her views ingrained by her mother, it all resolved rather easily and perfect but I am reading a romance to have some hours of simple, uncomplicated fun and you can always count on Ali Vali to deliver!

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

I have to give 5 stars for the research, for the story line, and for the interesting characters! This story had passion, adventure, romance, thrilling suspense, and of corse the strong familial bond that all of her books have. One of her best in a while and I would love to see more of Levi.

It’s a fun treasure hunt from the beginning to end. As always, Vali sucks you in and you find yourself entangled with her mysteries. In this case the two MCs are searching for treasure across New Orleans, England and Morocco. In the midst of danger and mystery, they fall in love, which neither was expecting. Yasmine is a Muslim professor, and Levi is an adventurous playboy, but they seem to fit together perfectly.

Some of the writing might have been a little convoluted and confusing, but then again, it may just have been over my head. As with most of Vali’s books, everything seems to fall into place a little too perfectly. But setting aside my inner cynic, the book was just 100% a good time.

A woman to treasure is a beautiful crafted well written adventure, mystery. romance story with great characters. Both main characters are beautiful , intelligent and had amazing chemistry. The story flowed smoothly and I strongly recommend getting a copy.


I received this ARC copy from the Publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This incredible story features Levi Montbard and antiquities dealer and Yasmin Hassani a professor of history with the ability to decoded the impossible. They meet through chance as Yasmine has come to New Orleans as a visiting professor.
Levi is on the trail of something big she is trying to decipher and knows the code in front of her will take time to unlock.
As they work together to find the answers there are forces at work to keep them from doing so. The danger that follows them as they travel to along this scavenger hunt for additional clues is unraveling at record speed.
Even in the midst of this they discover love and hope for their future they can't be torn apart.
If you've ever read any Ali Vali books you know how engulfing her ability to draw you in is, if you haven't then you certainly need to read this.
I highly recommend this book as well as Ali's her Cain Casey series.

I have been looking forward to reading A Woman to Treasure by Ali Vali, especially after I heard her mention how much she loved writing the novel. When you hear an author of Ms. Vali’s caliber loving a story and excited about making it into a series, you know it has to be good.

After reading this book, I can tell you emphatically, that it is better than good. It is a fantastic mystery and adventure story with a beautiful romance to soften the tale. The mystery/adventure part of the novel reminds me a bit of a combination of The Da Vinci Code and ‘Indiana Jones’ series, but with two intelligent women instead of Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford.

Yasmine Hassani, a professor of female studies in Morocco and an expert on the history of the Knights Templar Antiquities dealer, and history lover Levi Montbard work together to solve a puzzle that intrigues them both. The history of what happened to the Knights Templar, and the possible existence of a female knight. Unfortunately, certain members of the Catholic Church do not want this mystery solved and will do anything to stop Levi and Yasmine.

The setting of this story takes you on a wild ride from Paris to New Orleans, London, and Morocco, and even into the Sahara Desert. The characters are perfect for the parts they play, both main and secondary. The romance between Levi and Yasmine is actually very gentle and a joy to read.
A Woman to Treasure is an exceptional novel filled with excitement, danger, intrigue, and love. I enjoyed every word of the story and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

What a fun adventure story!! Action, intrigue, secret societies, adventure archeology... and throw in finding your true love. Excellent!

Dr. Yasmine Hassani is a Moroccan historian - and sometime Moroccan govt code-breaker - whose summer guest lecture trip to the United States opens her to a whole new world. That new world is driven by Dr. Levi Montbard, an in-the-field archeologist whose family business is history and collecting. The two move quickly from antagonism to intrigue to love, swirled up in uncovering a historical mystery with extensive modern implications.

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I really enjoy this read. It had adventure mystery and romance.

Levi loves anything that deals with history and doesn’t mind going anywhere where it takes her. Her family deals with antiques. When she purchases scrolls from auction she realize these scrolls maybe link to Templar Knights. When she meets guest lecturer Dr. Yasmine and her sister Zara they help describe the language that’s on the scrolls and learn this is about Templar Knights and learns that some doesn’t want this information reveal and stops at nothing to destroy the knowledge.

As they travel Levi and Yasmine grow closer but Yasmine doesn’t know if she should act on her attraction because this could cause her unwelcome in her faith and her home. I wouldn’t mind having a sequel.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Good story. Nice romance. Interesting storyline about the Knights Templar and hunting for antiquities. Would have liked a bit more about the codes involved and interpreting them, but maybe that's just me! Perhaps a sequel would be in the future? (Not necessarily about the Knights Templar).

This is a fun adventure/romance/mystery. Levi Montbard has a doctorate in history and is a modern day Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones. Her family sells antiquities in New Orleans and her grandfather was dean of history at Tulane University. When Levi purchases some old scrolls at an auction in Paris a new adventure begins. In New Orleans she meets up with visiting guest lecturer Dr. Yasmine Hassani and her sister Zara. With Yasmine’s knowledge of ancient languages she learns the scrolls relate to her quest to learn more about a certain Templar Knight. Other people will stop at nothing to keep the scrolls and the Templar story hidden away.

The adventure goes to London, France and Morocco. Along the way Yasmine must deal with her feeling towards Levi. If she pursues her attraction she will be unwelcome in her faith and home country. Levi is wonderful as a lead character. She lives as a rake but is a true romantic. In fact she speak with such supportive words and romantic flow I had to remind myself this is a contemporary romance. There is a some unevenness in the plot. It goes from slowly building the romance and doing translation work to full scale action about half way through the book. But I couldn’t put it and enjoyed the exciting ride.

I really enjoyed the adventure aspect of the book and love Levi’s supporting loving family. This seems to be a stand alone book but I would love to return to this world again with maybe a romance for Zara. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. (4.5 stars)