This was a good fast paced debut! Adriana and Andrew had good chemistry and I enjoyed their banter but I wish there was a bit more tension. The adventure aspect kept me intrigued throughout the book. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing an arc for my honest review! Digging Dr. Jones will be released May 2nd, 2025!

I received a free copy of, Digging Dr. Jones, by Olivia Jackson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Adriana Jones, puts on a bracelet that is not hers, and can not get it off. Andrew Jones is actually the owner of the bracelet. Andrew is an archaeologist and needs the bracelet to solve a clue, to find the treasure. I found this book to be a little silly at times.

I absolutely loved this! It gave very cosy romance vibes for me which I loved. It was funny, loveable characters, character development was brilliant!

Digging Dr Jones by Olivia Jackson Publishing on May 02 2025 with HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

It gives Rom-com Indiana Jones vibes. If that's your thing I'm sure you'll like this book. It does have some spicy scenes as a warning if you like or to keep in mind incase you don't. I was really hopeful but it felt dragging me along and more being told things. I also wasn't a fan of the amount Adriana was down on herself and other parts I personally wasn't a fan of the character. I did like Andrew [he's a good guy] and Adriana's brother William was entertaining to some comedy relief. It's hard when you like only one of the lead characters. The bad people weren't that great and some silly drama and pointless bits. The idea had potential but was a miss for me so I wouldn't be recommending it to others.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest opinion.

Thank you Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for an arc copy to complete this review.

LIGHT Spoilers Ahead.

Whoops. For a destination adventure romcom based on archaeology, a lot of the book sure takes place within a hotel room.

I was so excited for this story as I love Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, the Mummy, and all the tropes listed as selling points for this book, but…

I dnf’d at 76% as I found myself unable to actually care about the adventure as there are very little consequences for Adriana and Andrew to actually follow up on the quest. I feel like this could have been explored more deeply, and handled more carefully, though as someone with an archaeology degree I feel I may be biased in its portrayal and use of the profession. I suppose it was interesting enough for a while there, to get me to read 76%.

While the characters have interesting backstories, it felt Iike there was too much telling and not enough showing. The story takes place over a couple days, but Adriana is so heavily focused on one aspect of her past, that she repeats soooo many times throughout the book, that she felt like a one dimensional character with no growth or other aspects to care about.

All in all, the book was alright, but I can’t see myself finishing, at least not in the immediate future. I will, however, still be suggesting it to people who want something cheesy romantic with a ~sprinkle~ of archaeology, but not to expect something adventurous and exciting.

Digging Dr. Jones was such a fun book to spend my day getting lost in. The plot was fun and unique. I don't typically read quest or adventure themed books, but loved the Indiana Jones vibes and couldn't help but be instantly captivated by Andrew and Adriana.

Andrew and Adriana had instant chemistry and I loved their banter. The burn between them was slow, yet intense. I loved all the will they/won't they moments. These two kept me on my toes and certainly steamed up the pages.

If you're looking for an entertaining read filled with great characters, adventure, and lots of steam, you won't want to miss Digging Dr. Jones. This book was just the escape I was looking for and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I was looking for a fun rom-com with a unique plot, and when I started reading this book I knew it was the one! It felt like Indiana Jones meets spicy fun romantic comedy, and the two "genres" balanced perfectly. The writing was amazing and it kept me HOOKED from the first page. It's honesly such a perfect read for summer, fun and intriguing at the same time!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4-4.5/5 🌶️🌶️ 2.5/5

💎 Forced Proximity
💎 Opposites Attract
💎 He falls first
💎 Treasure Hunting

This book for me was giving nostalgic romcom X Indiana Jones ( big uncharted vibes) and I ate it up (the 3am finish was 100% worth it).

The chemistry between Adriana and Andrew was enjoyable despite it feeling a little rushed, but paired with the fast paced treasure hunting, i found myself invested.

“Your brilliance is limitless” (Andrew was so down bad)

The second half of the book felt a lot stronger and changed my opinion/rating to a 4-4.5/5 due to really enjoying the character development and the interactions between the main characters and side characters, especially during the final treasure hunting endeavour (so hard not to reveal spoilers but it’s great).

For Olivia Jackson’s debut novel this was phenomenal and really established her as a romance author to follow/ look out for, I for one will be reading her next book. I really enjoyed the treasure hunting aspect and the development of the research explored during the quests and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

A big thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter & NetGalley for the ARC I will be buying a physical copy because that cover art? Beautiful. absolutely no notes.

National Treasure + The Lost City makes a romance novel great for fans of Meghan Quinn and Christina Lauren!

This book would be a great beach/pool read this summer for any fan of light hearted rom coms and adventure. If you're looking for an easy read that'll give you a good time, this one is for you! The treasure hunt & adventure scenes were entertaining. The romance fell a little flat for me, and the dialogue was a bit too cheesy for my taste, but it was still an enjoyable read. Overall, I just didn't really connect with the characters, and felt it to be a little too hallmark movie-esque for me to love it.

I was in the mood for a good romance rom com but I was a little disappointed. The plot sounded amazing and fun but it went slow. The FMC was very much a woe is me, I was poor so no one can love me type. While also being a I’m so not pretty but actually is. I hate those people in real life, so in fiction I don’t like it either.
The biggest problem I had was at the beginning of the book was she thought the MMC was married, while she told herself that he was married she continued to flirt with him and think how attractive he was, and think about him in a sexual way. As a married woman this isn’t something I enjoy. I’ve read books about infidelity but this wasn’t the right way to do it.
There were a lot of cliches. Like a lot.

The good news is it has a cute plot and is a decent romance. It’s not super funny but it has great Temple of the lost heart vibes.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the arc.
This was an arc and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I tend to really enjoy adventure romances, and while there wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with this (I liked the story and the couple well enough), two things brought my rating down. The first being the MFC’s attitude about not falling in love because she felt she wasn’t good enough was a bit overdone and frustrating, and the second being it felt like there was a lot of bouncing around/disconnectedness in the events that progressed the story forward.

Overall, a middle of the road title

I adored this book. It was so so cute! It had adventure, romance and some spice. What's there not to love. Would definitely recommend as a cute beach read this year!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this!

First off, thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

HOLY COW! Okay, I loved every second of this book from the first page to the last. The banter between Adriana and William is so fun, the romance with Andriana and Andrew (NOT ANDY) is swoon worthy.

Now, I might be a bit bias because my soon to be husband is an Archeologist, but I love these classic romance books with a hint of adventure and history. Also, can we just appreciate that there is no miscommunication troupe in this?!?!?!?! Like they actually talk to each other like adults! Also, no third act break up?!?!

I adore this book, and Olivia's writing, I cannot wait for more <3

If you like your romcoms with adventure, sizzling chemistry, and just a tiny bit of life-threatening danger, Digging Dr. Jones is the perfect read for you. It’s The Lost City meets Romancing the Stone with a sprinkle of National Treasure—and trust me, you’ll want to book a vacation (or maybe an archaeology degree) after reading it.

Adriana Jones planned on a relaxing getaway, but instead, she accidentally handcuffs herself (well, sort of) to a grumpy, ridiculously attractive archaeologist named Andrew Jones. One cursed bracelet and one very urgent treasure hunt later, she’s trudging through the jungles of Colombia, dodging danger, and falling hard for the man who definitely did not sign up for this level of chaos.

The tropes? Chef’s kiss. Forced proximity, opposites attract, and a fish-out-of-water heroine who somehow thrives under pressure (and looks great doing it). Andrew is peak “reluctant hero with a heart of gold,” and their banter? Top-tier. Also, we need to talk about Adriana’s brother, William—scene-stealer, comedic gold, and quite possibly my new favorite fictional sibling.

This book is fast-paced, fun, and full of spice (both the romantic and near-death-experience variety). Whether you’re lounging on a beach or just dreaming of one, Digging Dr. Jones is the perfect escape.

Think National Treasure meets Indiana Jones, make it spicy and add more humour. This was a fun time, definitely an easy-going reading experience and I enjoyed the banter between characters.

Personally the romance was a little too insta-love for my liking and there was a lot of Apple product references which felt strange to me. But this was fun & would make a good holiday read.

*Thank you HarperCollins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love The Mummy or Indiana Jones then this book is calling your name! It was totally reminding me The Mummy Returns regarding the bracelet that keeps our main couple in close proximity.

At times I found the brother and sister annoying but overall it was a fun read. It’s more plot focused than character focused so I wished we had more development.

3.5/5

*Spoilers*

I did truly enjoy the unique storyline and nods to Indiana Jones and the like. This was a cute and easy read which was much harder to put down once the story truly gained momentum. I will say, I felt there was a bit too much quirky-ness and "like, duh" to Adriana's character, which made the beginning a little cringe, but again, once things got moving and the tension began to build between her and Andrew she seemed to become much more bearable.
I absolutely loved William and I would love to read a novel about him or his POV.
Giving the antagonist the name Richard Head was fucking hilarious and I laughed out loud every time he popped up.

Overall didn't hate this one, but probably won't be buying it.

It's cute and it had it's moments, but it is definitely longer than it should be.

I love the sense of adventure but there was so many steps to the journey that it was starting to drag and I felt like skimming through each discovery to get to the romance. The pace is slower than I would've anticipated, especially considering how Adriana is attracted to him and has that push-and-pull from the get-go.

I did enjoy Andrew plenty, he was a total cinnamon roll/Rick O'Connell type of lead that I adored from the beginning. Adrianna kept repeating the same internal monologue over and over again about her traumas and at this point, I know where she's coming from, but after about 60% in, she's still repeating the same things and doesn't show much semblance of growth. Especially after that heart to heart with her brother just pages before where he tells her to let go of what's been dragging her for ten years. Girl.

If you're looking for an adventure with a splash for romance, this will be good enough for it. Just prepare for how slow then burn actually is.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Fun book but the author seemed to prioritize plot development over character development. Still fun read though

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Indiana Jones vibe and storyline were really fun. But saying that, the majority of the book was plot-focused, and thus the characters were very 1- and 2-dimensional. Plus, the romance was just very childish and boring as well.
3