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Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.

Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally.

It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true…and she’s right.

As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, by rights Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with his life in shambles, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.

But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.

Confession: I picked this book because of the cover. I know. It’s burned me a few times, but I still do it.

This was a fun enemies-to-lovers romance, but sometimes the drama felt a little melodramatic. Maybe I’ve just become more forgiving in my old age (or maybe it’s my lack of a life’s pursuit), but I didn’t quite get all of the animosity between the love interests at the end. Did Ford do a shady thing? Sure … but to save his mom’s life. The idea that he could easily come up with ten of thousands of dollars another way left me scratching my head (like, if it was that easy, no one would have medical debt).

Overlooking the melodrama, however, there were a lot of fun parts of the book. There was more sex than I typically prefer, but it did tie in with Corrie’s body issues/problems.

Overall, it was fun. It was steamy. If you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood, you might like this book.

Rated R for sex, swearing, and alcohol.

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For similar academic/professional steamy romance novels, try:

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett