4.5

Ex Marks the Spot is perfect if you are a fan of academic settings and a good tense romance (Sapphic Historians anyone???). Obviously I can't say this is dark academia, there is nothing about this that is dark. But the Oxford setting is so atmospheric, the feeling this book gives is what I associate with dark academia - bundled up cozy in a warm library while its dark and gloomy outside, a hot cup of coffee in a cute cafe with someone you have hidden passionate feelings about, big academic secrets that impact every decision the characters make and how they evolve with one another.
Evie and Nic had a brief but very impactful relationship during their first year of Uni at Oxford that quickly spiralled into a bitter rivalry for their remaining years. We meet them both roughly 10 years later, in very different places in their careers. It's immediately obvious to the reader that there are still feelings on both sides, and the tension between them is delicious from the get-go. Throw in a highly coveted, long lost treasure hunt, intricate puzzles that needed our historians to knuckle down on their academic teamwork, some miscommunication, great side characters and an evil organsiation that wants to find the treasure before our heroins do and you have a great action packed romance novel.

I particularly loved the focus on Evie's growing disillusionment with academia and her struggles with realising the life she might always have envisioned for herself might not be right for her anymore. I feel like this might strike a cord with a lot of readers of a similar age to Evie!

(Oh and I squealed when Lily and Phil from the The Great Orchid Heist turned up - it was fun to spend time with them again!)

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will always read anything written by El, the way they're able to weave together romance, mystery and humour is magical, and this book is no exception. I loved the vivid Oxford setting, and while I'm not usually a fan of ex's to lovers again, the slow reveal of the facts surrounding the main character and love interests break up prior to the beginning of the book, and the way you genuinely believe that they have both changed and grown enough to make sense again now still made this one a winner for me.
I would highly recommend to anyone who likes a cosy mystery with very healthy dashes of romance and the classic El Vendrell wit.

4.75/5
My theme for 2026 seems to be hot nerds, and Ex Marks the Spot delivered! I was hooked from the dedication, and I didn't want to put this book down!
We follow Nic and Evie, two academic rivals who end up having to work together on a treasure hunt. I absolutely loved the tension between these two as they work together to solve the treasure hunt, as well as sort through their feelings from the past. I also really loved how the book approached Evie's struggle with academia, her DPhil, and the impact it had on her mental health - it felt very relatable for anyone with people-pleasing tendencies in higher education!
The treasure hunt was also so much fun, and the author's love for history, and particularly Oxford, really shone through in the story. I will fully admit that I wouldn't have a chance of solving it, even though I tried really hard to put the clues together.
The found family of Evie's house also has my heart. I adored Ash, Bruno and Evelyn and I really want a book about each of them now. I also squealed with excitement at a particular cameo that we got!
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys funny, fast-paced sapphic stories with academic rivals and delicious tension!

Gay historians!!!! Gay historians!!!!! Run don’t walk to preorder this friends because this book is about GAY HISTORIANS!!!!

The minute I started this book and saw it was dedicated to ‘all the hot bisexual nerds’ and quoted both Red, White and Royal Blue and Julian of Norwich I knew this was going to be a fun time. And I was not disappointed.

I love history. I love history so much. I love the work of history as a process, as a discipline, for what it can tell us about the past- for what it can teach us about ourselves. For how it should, when we as historians do our jobs, be for everybody- be for all of us.

This book is a love story between the two wonderful and loveable main characters but to me it also read as a love story to history. A celebration of the stories from the past that touch us, that we want to find out more about and share with others.

Truly this book is a joy. If you love history or even like it a little bit- if you love chaotic queer nerds- this book is for you. Evie and Nic are great- but the diverse cast of supporting characters are wonderful too. I particularly liked Ash- I just felt really happy anytime I was reading about them!

On a slightly more serious note this book also really spoke to me as someone who could be thought of as a ‘failed academic’. Unfortunately Evie’s experiences of lack of support in academia felt way too real to me and mirrored my own a lot. I also really appreciated that this book explored the paranoia that academia sets in to you. How it can make you see people who should be your allies and friends as rivals, because the entire system is set up so you see your cohort as competition. I felt really seen by this book and felt it was very realistic to a lot of people’s experiences.

Overall, this is a fantastic read that I can’t recommend enough. Thank you so much to Mountain Leopard Press and NetGalley for this arc!

Das Setting an einer Universität in Oxford und das Geheimnis rund um einen alten Schatz macht den Roman perfekt für alle Fans von (dark) academia und rivals-to lovers.

'Ex Marks the Spot' by Eleanor Vendrell.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved this book. The main reason I was drawn to it was because it mentioned libraries and I'm a sucker for a library based story. The book didn't disappoint, it was a sapphic Indiana Jones/National Treasure type adventure. I love Evie and Nic's relationship throughout from awkward ex's to friendship and adventurers. If you love a good love story with maps and treasure then give this book a read.

Librarian Evie has hit rock bottom: stuck on an endless mental-health break from her studies, she spends her days shelving books and giving tours of the university where she no longer truly belongs.
To make matters worse, she's just been assigned to help Oxford's insufferable new honorary professor: charming and chaotic social-media historian, Nic Morelli, who happens to be Evie's former rival - and ex.
So when Evie stumbles across something extraordinary in the stacks - an ancient manuscript with clues to a long-lost medieval treasure hunt - Nic is the last person Evie wants to tell.
But some would kill to find the treasure first, and as a shadowy group of treasure hunters close in, reuniting with Nic might be the only way to decipher the book's clues first.
As long as they can keep old feelings safely buried . . .
Thanks so much to Netgallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read this in return for an honest review.

Obsessed. At the beginning of this book I was hesitant — Evie, our main character, starts out very conscious of being in what we could call her ‘flop era’, which is a trait that I hate in romances. But the plot picked up quickly, and the characters with it.

Ex Marks the Spot follows ex-girlfriend historians Evie and Nic as they reconnect in Oxford to solve the mystery of a centuries-old treasure hunt. Important context for my review: I’m a historian, and I post historical content online like Nic does (although I’ve never studied at Oxford…) so I was hooked. It was all done so well — I could see myself in the characters, and as they started to tease out the clues of the treasure hunt I felt like I was researching right alongside them.

The romance was gorgeous and engaging throughout the whole book, but the book is also not just a romance. Evie and Nic’s personal journeys and the treasure hunt itself have their own merits, and the story felt truly well-rounded.

So much fun, but full of heart. I loved it.

In this second chance book, you not only go on a treasure hunt, but you also get to watch Evie and Nic fall in love again. Or were they ever not in love? I liked the mix of sweet and tingly moments between the two, the funny banter, and the treasure hunt. I was on the edge of my seat until the end, hoping that they would make it: get back together and, of course, find the treasure.

It was very slow burn, so you need to be patient with the two of them. I liked that you gradually learned about their past and took little trips back to their college days together. I often found myself wondering what had actually happened between them that made them hate each other so much and want to avoid each other.

I rooted for them until the very end! Lots of heart-pounding moments, tingles, sweet touches, laughter, but also heartbreak. A great couple with a lot of humor, whose story many people should read. Highly recommended!

Ex Marks the Spot completely swept me away. I absolutely loved the setting. The Oxford atmosphere felt rich, immersive, and full of character, giving the whole story a bookish, slightly magical charm.

The slow‑burn romance was beautifully done, layered with tension, history, and just the right amount of emotional pull.

What really stood out to me was how unique and different the story felt. The blend of academic rivals, adventure, and heartfelt moments made this book refreshing compared to typical romcoms.

This was my first book by Eleanor Vendrell, and I’m officially hooked. I’ve already pre‑ordered the audiobook and ordered her other novel I can’t wait to read more from her.
A wonderful, cozy, clever read with characters you can’t help rooting for. Highly recommend!

Friends, there's a new hot & nerdy rivals to lovers romcom in town!!
Kept me up reading way past my bedtime. This one is stuffed with history: the yearning second chance kind and the literal medieval history for a treasure hunt kind. Loved all the questions of who history belongs to, the Oxford setting, nuanced depiction of academia, and the second chance tension which was top tier.

Obviously written by someone who loves Oxford and the buildings and history of the university. A feel good story of 2 historians, past lovers who have also been very competitive in the past . Nic a well-known social media celebrity and Evie who stayed in Oxford to chase her dreams. Joined in a quest to find lost treasure. A really enthralling book exploring mediaeval history

I absolutely loved this book!
Evie is a burnt out DPhil (PhD) student at Oxford University, who is working in the college library as she attempts to come up with a new research subject. Just when she thinks her life couldn't get any worse, she's assigned to help a visiting historian and social media influencer, Nic Morelli with her latest research project. Unfortunately for Evie, Nic is also her biggest rival, and she hasn't seen her since their undergraduate years, where they left on not so friendly terms.
While cleaning out the library, Evie finds a book that has been missing for centuries, and could be the perfect opportunity for her to get her studies back on track, except she'll need Nic's help if she wants to decipher the messages before anyone else can.
Their chemistry was so good, I was definitely rooting for them the whole read! I thought that their rivalry/ arguments didn't feel forced or over the top, and it felt very natural. The plot was lighthearted and cute, but also had some tension which meant I was never bored. The side characters were also entertaining and helped break up the book, so you didn't get bored with the main characters lol.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend!!