3.5⭐️
This was a fun and adventurous read! The book started off strong, humorous and sexy and I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately the love story itself got a bit unrealistic and over the top for me towards the ending, but nevertheless it was a nice read.

Digging Dr. Jones by Olivia Jackson is an absolute gem of a debut! It was equal parts adventurous romp and sizzling romance. I couldn’t put it down! It’s the kind of book that sweeps you up and doesn’t let go until the final page.

The story follows Adriana, a struggling business owner trying to unwind on a vacation in Costa Rica with her brother. But her relaxing getaway takes a wild turn when a misdelivered package thrusts her into a thrilling journey to Colombia, alongside the enigmatic and utterly charming Dr. Andrew Jones. Yes, the Indiana Jones vibes are strong, but this isn’t a copycat story. It’s original, clever, and full of heart.

I was a little nervous it might lean too heavily on the classic adventure trope, but it completely held its own. The plot is fresh, the stakes feel real, and the romance is on point. Think slow-burn tension with just the right amount of heat! Warning: this is an open-door romance (HOT!) and it’s done incredibly well.

What really stood out to me was the dynamic between Adriana and Andrew. She’s thrown into this high-stakes situation but never sidelined. Andrew respects her, listens to her, and genuinely appreciates her presence. Their banter, chemistry, and growing connection had me grinning, swooning, and occasionally yelling at the page.

The pacing was fast and fun, with laugh-out-loud moments and just enough emotional depth to balance out the action. Adriana and Andrew both have compelling backstories that add layers to the chaos and chemistry.

If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced romantic adventure with tropical danger, sizzling tension, and a whole lot of heart, this book is for you. Olivia Jackson has kicked off her author career with style, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to like this book! I love the blend of adventure and romance - what a natural pairing - but it fell flat for me in a couple of ways.

First, the whole title has "Dr. Jones" right in it and there were significantly fewer references to Indiana Jones that I would have expected (and wanted!) Even when the book skirted close to famous references, like the hat, it didn't commit in the way I would have liked.

I also just want more growth out of characters than I feel like I got from Andrew or Adriana. Or even her brother. For how avoidant Adriana was with dealing with the problems waiting for her at home, that was a MAJOR red flag and I wanted Andrew to call her on it more.

It's not to say I didn't like the book at all - I was along for the ride! And I'll keep my eye out for future offerings from the author.

Thank you, Olivia Jackson and HarperCollinsUK, for this ARC of 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘳 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.

I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook. The narrator - Amelia March - did a great job of bringing these funny characters to life.

This book was absolutely hilarious! From the misunderstanding at the beginning - to the funny and sarcastic banter throughout the entire story. Adriana’s brother, William, cracked me up a lot 😄

The romance between Adriana and Andrew is a very slow burn, but I loved all of their adventures along the way.

Favorite Quote:

“I was trying to get to know you.” I rushed after him. “We’re stuck together for a few days, so we might as well learn some things about each other. Is there anything you would like to know about me?” -Adriana

“Where is your mute button?” -Andrew

𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘳 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 is available on Audible, Amazon, and Kindle.

I love a good adventure romance, and this one absolutely delivered! Just look at that cover—the chemistry between the leads is dripping off the page, and it only gets better once you dive in. I adored the sibling dynamic between Adriana Jones and her brother William—their banter is hilarious, and their bond, forged through a shared difficult childhood felt authentic.

Then enters Dr. Andrew Jones (yes, same last name—no relation), and thanks to a mishap with an ancient bracelet, you're swept into a wild adventure through the jungles of Colombia. Think Indiana Jones but with a rom-com twist—I laughed, I swooned, and I couldn’t get enough. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the tension is so worth it. There’s mystery, intrigue, and through it all, Andrew is constantly lifting Adriana up, helping her see her own strength and worth—and I loved that for her.

TROPES
🗺️Adventure Rom-Com
🗣️Witty Banter
🛩️Forced Proximity
💎Treasure Hunting
🚪Only One Closet
🧭Indian Jones Vibes

This was an enjoyable read, with delicious spice, and one heck of an adventure!

One mistaken gift leads Adriana on a trip of a lifetime across South America on a hunt for centuries-old treasure after the irresistible Dr Andrew Jones makes her an offer she can't refuse. Accompany him on his quest and he'll make it possible for her to follow her dream.

As they journey across countries and through jungles, the pull of the sexy historian becomes harder to resist. Will they succeed together, or will other forces make it impossible?

There were many things to love about this, with its Indiana Jones reminiscent plot, and the fabulous steam between the the two. I particularly loved the little dictionary inserts. My only reason for dropping the star was because the language felt a little stilted to me, and the timescale of the entire book made the relationship feel a little too instant for me.

This was such a fun, flirty, and adventurous book from start to finish.

I love The Mummy, Tomb Raider, Uncharted, etc, and Digging Dr Jones had the same vibes, minus the supernatural elements. I found this really refreshing as I enjoyed reading a book with similar vibes, but with a realistic twist on it.

After unwrapping and wearing a bracelet that was accidentally sent to her room, Adriana finds herself on an adventure with Dr. Andrew Jones, as the bracelet, is the key he's been waiting for to unlock a long-lost treasure. Why does she have to go with him? It turns out the bracelet won't open until it's been used to unlock the treasure.

Following Adriana, Andrew, and William on this archealogical adventure was so much fun, and it was set at such a nice pace that I actually found it relaxing to read. The mix between romance and adventure was perfect. I loved watching Adriana and Andrews relationship develop throughout this book. The tension was building from the beginning, and once they gave in, it was explosive. There was an instant attraction there, and I guess some would say it was insta love, but in this case, I didn't mind it. The little trip to the island for a special picnic was my favourite part!
William, bless his soul, was the side character I needed. He came with Adriana to help keep an eye on her, turned into her wing man and just brought the wild 'f*ck it' energy we needed throughout the book.

If you're looking to unwind and read a romance book with a dash of adventure and treasure hunting, then this book is for you!

- adventure romance
- strangers to lovers
- forced proximity
- treasure hunting
- one closet to hide in

⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️

Digging Dr Jones is an archaeological romance novel in which Adriana and Andrew (Dr Jones) are thrown together in a disaster of a meet cute and now have to go on an adventure together to do some Indiana Jones type shit. The premise really got me excited for this book, and also the really cute cover! However the only thing I dug up on this excursion was that I am not in fact a fan of super quirky dialogue and seemingly insta love.

I cannot speak for the archaeological accuracy of this book as my only knowledge on this subject comes from Scooby Doo Where’s My Mummy?, however it seemed somewhat plausible so i can’t really fault that aspect. Also who doesn’t love a treasure hunt?! The relationship between Adriana and her brother was refreshing though since you don’t always seem to get that brother/sister relationship in books, so that was an interesting aspect. Another note is I will always love a playlist at the start of a book, and this one doesn’t disappoint - some absolute bangers.

Overall, I would say if you’re in the mood for Indiana Jones as a romance novel, I wouldn’t say this one is for you. However if you’re just looking for a fun, silly adventure story? Then yeah sure why not pick this one up.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This review was left honestly and voluntarily.

I have noticed there has been a recent influx in archaeo-themed romance books. Those that grew up crushing on Indiana Jones have clearly grown up (and graduated to writing glorified fan fiction). As an archaeologist, I am the target audience for this book. I hated it.

First, there is no archaeology in this book. There is some analysis (glancing) of historical documents, but that is pretty much it. Even Jo Segura seemed to have a better understanding of what archaeologists do - and that is saying something. So, just know going into this book that the field of archaeology is highly inaccurate and borderline problematic. Many archaeologists (including myself) end up working with human remains, so I was particularly horrified by this "Like a cat in an empty tight box, I twisted to the site, accidentally pushing on the skull. It made a crunching sound. 'Oops.'" Wow, nice basic human empathy. From that point on, I hated Adriana.

And not only that, but she managed to betray me on another level when she said her shorts "fitted me like a glove" (shouldn't it be fit) "and were the right length, long enough to not be too sexy but also not to make me look like a middle-aged, tired, suburban mom." LOL shots fired. Who do you think is reading this book?

Other issues, which I am not interested in providing in depth critique on: overall cringe dialog, lots of telling not showing (a la, when a character said something like "It's a bridge. About six feet long." like, just describe it out of the dialog.), weird relationship between Adrianna and her brother, and insta-love (characters get engaged after two months), and a lack of BIPOC rep when the majority of the book is set in Columbia.

This book is not particularly special. I truly drug myself through it, and hated every second. I would not recommend this book. And don't think that Jo Segura's books are good either. It seems that there are limited published romance books with archaeologist characters, but there has been a recent influx. Hold out for something better.

For years I've been looking for women's fiction books that successfully explore the adventure romance genre. I wanted female-led stories that had the feel of Indiana Jones, King Solomon's Mines, and The Mummy, but there was nothing to be found! Finally these stories are getting the attention they deserve - because who doesn't want to read about two hot strangers embarking on a centuries-old treasure hunt and having some spicy sex along the way?!? 'Digging Dr Jones' is loads of fun. Definitely recommended :)

I was really drawn into the premise of this story - it was giving strong Romancing The Stone vibes. It was a lot of fun and there was enough tension to feel invested in the outcome of the treasure hunt, whilst maintaining the light tone of the book.

Adriana is on vacation with her brother, feeling sorry for herself after a business deal collapsed, leaving her with mounting bills she can’t pay. When a bracelet is delivered to her room and she puts it on, not realising it was delivered to the wrong person, she couldn’t anticipate the series of events that would unfurl. Starting with meeting the intended recipient of the bracelet, Dr Andrew Jones, a sexy British archaeologist. Before she knows it, Adriana is on the adventure of a lifetime, hunting down the treasure of a notorious pirate.

I enjoyed the hijinks that came with the treasure hunt - and especially enjoyed William’s (Adriana’s brother) influence in pushing Adriana to embrace the experience, and Andrew!

Andrew and Adriana had great chemistry and I enjoyed that they had a slow burn that felt entirely inevitable. I enjoyed the way their HEA played out at the end, considering their lives were in such different places at the start of the book.

It did take me a little while to decide on a rating for this book. I enjoyed lots of aspects, but there were also some bits that niggled at me. I found Adriana a bit grating at times, she was very influenced by her insecurities which felt realistic, but also repetitive as the entire book is from her POV and there wasn’t much growth from her.
Some of the dialogue felt pretty cheesy (coming from someone who doesn’t mind a bit of cheese). There were lines from Andrew, in particular, that I just couldn’t buy - they were clearly meant to be romantic moments but left me feeling unmoved.

Overall, I had fun reading this and considering this was the author’s debut, I feel like she has potential and I’d try another book from her in the future. It wasn’t 100% for me, but it could absolutely be more to other people’s tastes.

*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this advanced reader copy.
DNF @20%
Digging Dr. Jones wasted no time getting into the plot. Within the first chapter we had already met the MMC and the FMC agreed to go on a trip to Columbia with a complete stranger. In most books I would have had a problem with this but this one isn’t hiding its outlandishness, so I didn’t hold it against it. It really set the tone that it would be a fast paced book and things aren’t really based on what logical people would do in real life.
However, when going into a fun, adventure romcom I don’t enjoy reading from a FMC that lacks any positive internal dialogue. I was looking for sexy treasure hunting but got lots of self-doubt and daddy issues instead. I also would not have picked up the book if I had known that it would heavily revolve around financial issues (in this climate it hits a little to close).
There was also one weird line said the FMC “had a mouth that was often compared to Julia Roberts. Or a horse”. I found this to be quite off-putting because it is by association saying that Robert’s mouth looks like that of a horse.
Overall, this book wasn’t what I thought it would be when going into it and it ended up negatively impacting my enjoyment.

Had to DNF this book as the ethnocentrism and cultural biases were really obvious, even for someone like me who usually gets lost in even mediocre stories easily. The FMC’s inner monologue just gave me the ick.

I enjoyed the premise of this story and the mystic around the bracelet. But found the FMC incredibly unlikeable, I get that she was going through a tough time but she seemed so miserable and anti anything fun. I much more enjoyed the MMC and the FMCs brother as characters.
I loved the descriptions of the environment, it really helped imagine the scene and the treasure hunt made this story quite unique. The MMC really was a British Indiana Jones.

Thank you Harper Collins UK and Olivia Jackson for the ARC of Digging Dr Jones!

I'm kind of stuck on how to rate this. It took me a while to get into it; I started on April 21 but didn't finish until May 6th. I read the first chapter and then stopped for a few weeks, and then when I realized this released on May 2 and not June 2, I bumped it back up my TBR to finish on time and post this.

For what it was; a cheesy forced proximity insta-love romcom with Indiana Jones vibes, I think it hit the mark. If you were expecting an accurate depiction of archeology, you'll probably be disappointed. Also, if you dislike insta-love, like me, just keep that in mind.

I also felt myself annoyed with the FMC, Adriana. She consistently brought up her childhood in a trailer park as to why she would never find love or be successful, yet her brother, William, who was raised in the same circumstances owned his own plastic surgery clinic. Also, from the premise I wasn't expecting William to tag along for the entire adventure, and at many points his inclusion felt forced and his character felt incredibly stereotypical.

The book may have benefited from a dual POV because Andrew, the MMC, seemed really flat. He's obviously a smart man, given his jobs (he's also a professor at Cambridge), but a lot of the a-ha moments came from Adriana, the self proclaimed college dropout. He also seemed to be reduced to his hotness a lot of the time, especially by Adriana and William.

The evil villain/rival colleague/girlfriend stealer plotline also felt somewhat unnecessary.

I think in the end, my rating for this hovers between 2..5 and 3 stars.

I appreciate the chance to have read this early, so thank you again to Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

Digging Dr. Jones is a thrilling adventure that mixes excitement, romance, and humor, making it an absolute page-turner. The story kicks off when Adriana accidentally locks a mysterious bracelet onto her wrist, sending her on an unexpected journey. What starts as a simple vacation quickly turns into a high-stakes treasure hunt deep in the Colombian jungle, full of dangerous terrain, ancient ruins, and cryptic puzzles. The action is fast-paced, and the vivid descriptions of the jungle make it feel like you're right there with Adriana and Andrew as they face one obstacle after another (whether it's the wild dangers of nature or rival treasure hunters determined to beat them to the prize). But it’s not all about the adventure; the chemistry between Adriana and Andrew adds a fun twist. Their witty banter and contrasting personalities—her carefree attitude versus his serious, focused nature—create some great tension and a slow-burn romance that keeps you hooked. If you’re into fast-paced action, a bit of romance, and lots of laughs, Digging Dr. Jones is a super fun read.

I’m so glad I took a chance on this book. I used to love the Indiana jones movies, and I loved that this book had those vibes. I was expecting that they’d spend a bit more time in the jungle than they actually did. This book is a bit insta-lovey but because of a miscommunication (which I normally completely hate) at the start, their relationship also is a bit of a slow burn. But once the spice starts there is a lot of it. This book is definitely not perfect but sometimes you need the junk-food romcom and this book was perfect for me to enjoy like that. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future.

Tropes: forced proximity, opposites attract, destination romcom, disastrous meet-cute
Thank you so much to the author, netgalley, and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

4.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this before release.

I had soooo much fun with this book! I am a sucker for archeological mysteries (think Indiana Jones, the Mummy, National Treasure) and this was right up my alley. I like the characters and the intimate scenes were well done in my opinion. It did feel a little bit insta-love to me, but it was cute nonetheless. Would definitely read more romance adventure books by this author.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

Run and read this one now! Omg it is a smoldering adventure that I want to go on again. Such a fun, fun read literally it’s a trip to the jungle with sizzling chemistry, lol moments, mystery, treasure hunting and the best character dynamics. For all the ladies who wanted to date Indiana Jones this book is for you! (Plus this cover is 😍✨🙌)

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Adriana Jones is on vacay with her brother at a resort in Costa Rica for the next 2 weeks. A cuff bracelet was just delivered to her room, she thought it was a gift so she put it on. Then a random stranger showed up at the Trident Bar stating it was his. Ok this man may be gorgeous but this is hers, but money could convince her otherwise.

Dr Andrew Jones was expecting the key to be delivered to his room but the hotel told him there was a mixup. So he tracked it down and found a gorgeous women wearing it, he offered to pay her to get it back. The only problem is they couldn’t get the cuff bracelet to open. It was stuck on the arm of Andrea.

Now that’s going to be a problem as that bracelet is the key. So Andrew convinces Andrea to go with him to Columbia for the next few days to try and get it off and help him unlock the cheat that holds the map to the treasure he’s hunting. But we all know treasure hunts never go as plan and this one is just getting started.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“And oh, my heart. We might not have found lost treasure, but I may have found the sole reason for global warming. Dr. Andrew Jones was hot.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Strangers to Lovers
* “Mistaken Gift” Bracelet Leads to Adventure
* She’s the Map
* He’s Director of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge
* Opposites Attract
* She’s a Fish Out of Water
* Amazing Sibling Dynamics - Their Besties
* Jungles of Columbia
* Single POV - Slow Burn & Spice

🌿💕🌺🗺️🌿💕🌺🗺️ 🌿💕🌺🗺️🌿

These cartoon-style covers keep luring me in, and I’m not mad about it 😂

Adriana Jones accidentally opens a package meant for the very attractive (and mildly grumpy) archaeologist Dr Andrew Jones. Inside is a mysterious bracelet. Naturally, she tries it on (as one does when they receive a package that's not meant for them). Naturally, it won’t come off. Turns out it’s an artifact meant to unlock a long-lost treasure, and now Adriana’s stuck with it - and on a treasure hunt in the Colombian jungle.

The setting was great - hot weather, tropical plants, questionable caves. I liked the sense of adventure, even if I’m not usually into treasure-hunting stories. This one leaned heavily into the romance (with plenty of spice), but the sibling dynamic between Adriana and her brother William was my favourite.

The plot was easy to follow, and while the antagonists were a bit flat, I still had a good time with the story.

I would recommend this book if you always thought you'd have liked "Indiana Jones" better if it was a steamy romantic comedy. Or if you ever wanted to go on a jungle trek, with a side of cave adventure.

3.25/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.