The Lust Crusade

Raiders of the Lost Heart #3

by Jo Segura

A plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run fake an engagement to save their lives, leading them into the labyrinth of their own desires.

Daniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember—until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well.

An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone—the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.

Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger falling in love for real.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Chick Lit, Audiobook

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love, love Jo Segura, and honestly I know it’s because she perfectly combines my love for romance 💕 with adventure and treasure hunting ✨This is already her third book, and aghhhhh I loved every single book so far 💖

This story takes us to Greece 🇬🇷 and follows our girl Daniela Gutierrez, a librarian 📚 who is grieving her forever crush on her brother’s best friend, Dr. Theo Galanis, who went missing a year ago.. so she decides to travel to Greece to reminisce… and then sees THEO ALIVE 😱!!! Little does she know he was actually abducted, and because of her curiosity 👀, she ends up right in the middle of it all.

I really loved the plot because duh!!!!! Someone going missing but actually being abducted by evil men who want a treasure?? Talk about adventure!!! Not only that, but HELLO the tension between these two was INSANE 😮‍💨🔥. They clearly both have feelings for each other, but they’re literally trying to survive, so you get these small moments here and there where you can just feel it 🥹💘

It was such an easy read ✨ That said, I do want to be honest and say that compared to the other two books, this one was my least favorite. The characters and the setting weren’t as intriguing for me as the previous ones, but that’s totally a personal preference!

Either way, if you love romance + adventure + treasure hunting, Jo Segura still delivers everrryyy singlee timeeee

tropes
🏛️ brother's best friend
🏛️ fake engaged
🏛️ slow burn
🏛️ only one bed
🏛️ treasure hunting

thank you Berkley for my eARC!

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅
you gotta understand I LOVE JO SEGURA! the way she makes the perfect balance of adventure and romance in a book, like YES IM READY!

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 3 stars

HUGE thank you to Berkley Romance, Jo Segura, and NetGalley for the free widget to get this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Lust Crusade will be officially published on January 13th, 2026!

"It has always been you. It will always be you. And now that I've had this time with you, there will never be anyone else. I love you. Nothing will ever change that."

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
This was my first-ever adventure romance and my first book by Jo Segura, and I had a lot of fun reading this! The Mediterranean vibes with the setting taking place in Greece, on top of all of the Greek mythology woven throughout the plot, made it seem like it was right up my alley, and I had to send in a request for it right away. I know the other two books in this series have mixed reviews, but I haven't read them yet to have anything to compare this one to, and I wanted to give this a chance.

Daniela Guiterrez is a librarian in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she spends her days between the bookshelves. She's also mourning the loss of her brother's best friend and longtime childhood crush, Theo Galanis, an archeologist who went missing on an excavation trip a year ago and is presumed to be dead. Deciding to take a trip for herself, she travels to Greece in an attempt to connect with Theo's heritage and to feel closer to him after the loss. When she's there and runs into Theo, who is very much NOT dead and was instead kidnapped by artifact smugglers, she gets roped into helping him find the elusive Eye of the Minotaur in six days, or else they both die. Faking a marriage is what's keeping them alive, but will that turn into love?

The one thing I love about this book is the amount of Greek mythology that was woven througout the story. As someone who's a big fan of Greek mythology (and just any and all mythology in general), I loved how the myths of the Minotaur, Theseus, and Ariadne were incorporated into this story about a mysterious jewel that's allegedly not even real. The atmosphere of Greece and the descriptions of the climate, setting, and the FOOD? I was craving some hummus and spanokopita while I was reading this, I'm not going to lie.

There were so many twists and turns throughout the story, and although predictable, I did have a lot of fun reading this and I found myself rooting for Theo and Dani every time they attempted to escape their captors and throw them off their trails. Like, you'd want to beat a grown man too if he said that he "wasn't above hitting a woman" when Theo and Dani got kidnapped. (That's an exact line, by the way.) I know a lot of people have said this gives Indiana Jones vibes with the adventure romances that Jo Segura writes, and I can 100% agree on that statement!

I also loved how we got background information on Dani and Theo and their past together growing up as kids. Their families are super close and spent a lot of time together, and since Dani's brother, Eddie, is best friends with Theo, they all grew up together. I loved how we got to actually read about it vs. hearing about it in passing and having to take their word for it. It's not like they're full-blown flashback chapters or anything, but there are brief callbacks and mentions here and there of it when appropriate. We got to see exactly how deep their relationship and their ties run, and I liked that we got to see their memories together.

There were two things I took two stars off for:

1. Dani's nickname: If I have to hear the word "Juicy" ONE MORE TIME... I'm sorry, I personally couldn't stand her nickname. Granted, it was a childhood nickname, and there is a backstory behind why her nickname is Juicy, but it's literally the most annoying nickname on the planet. I couldn't stand Theo calling Dani that every other time he talks to her. I think he's said Juicy more times than he's said Dani or Daniela.

2. The miscommunication: Okay, so hear me out here. In 9 books out of 10, I will always say that miscommunication between two characters is entirely unnecessary and avoidable because these characters are fully grown adults. Talk things out, you know? While this book has plenty of that to go around, I do believe, to some extent, that it was warranted....at first. That's the one condition. It was warranted AT FIRST. Obviously, you would be a little concerned and confused if you were in a foreign country just to find that a missing archeologist who's been gone for over a year and had a whole funeral/memorial service for him was actually not six feet under, too. In that, I agree 100% with Dani in that her reaction was completely warranted. HOWEVER, for the amount of bickering and passive aggressivness and the amount of times they went hot and cold throughout the story, there should've been a moment where they just aired everything out at once vs. letting everything come to light as they went along. For two people who got kidnapped, they had plenty of time to talk things out and address things.

Going hand in hand with that, I felt like the ending was extremely rushed. With everything they had going on between them and the fact that they were looking for this giant jewel while trying to keep their abductors off their trail, everything wrapped up way too quickly and too abruptly for me to feel like the book had a definite finish. If the book were maybe one or two more chapters long, I would have a different view on this, but the flip-flop between the last few chapters specifically was almost like night and day.

Overall, this was a fun adventure romance despite its flaws, and if you're a romance reader looking for a little bit of action in your books without it bordering the line of romantic suspense, please check this book out!
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Trigger/content warnings: sexual content (I'd say probably a 1.5-1.75/5 on the spice scale, but this is subjective to everyone's comfort level with spicy scenes in books), swearing, physical assault, kidnapping/abduction

⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ I got a widget for this from Berkley right before Christmas, so I'm taking advantage of that now haha! I think this is my first adventure rom-com, and I can't wait to see what this book is all about. Like, an adventure that takes place in Greece? Sign me up! 🇬🇷🏛️🏺🩷 I actually own the first two books in the series, but I think they're all interconnected standalones, so I'll make my way through the first two books later😂

[Katie Beasley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY wanted to write this one. This series has been on my radar for a while. It has an Indiana Jones vibe which piqued my interest. Overall, this was a good not great read for me. I was engaged in the adventure of the story and of course LOVED the idea of Daniela and Theo having their moment. As some of you know, I LOVE a good best friend's sibling story. And while I enjoyed the adventure, I struggled with the pacing. These two could not get out of their own way until like 75% of the book. This was a true slow burn with some miscommunication thrown in. At points I wanted to shake these two! Come on people. And then when they finally did get together, everything felt rushed. They got together and then the adventure ended within the last 10%. I just wanted more LOL. I liked the pining that these two had. There was great angst. We kept getting glimpses of the fire these two felt for each other only to have to wait longer. I did like how the fire played out. I liked how these two elevated each other and how much they cared about each other.

Daniela has been in mourning for the past year. Ever since her brother's best friend Theo went missing, she has not felt the same. Especially since they spent that night together and then he all but disappeared. She just wishes that she had had the nerve to tell him how she really felt. And now she never will. Which is how she finds herself in Greece- thinking about Theo. But then she sees him. She actually sees him. Even though he is supposed to be dead. How is this possible? How could he have let his family think he was gone? When she sees him, she has more questions than answered. He has been kidnapped by people looking for a mythological object in hopes that it is real. And now she has been kidnapped too. She never thought she would be so happy to see someone while being so enraged at the same time. But how does he still look so handsome? How does he still make her catch her breath? She wants to talk about what happened between them. She wants to explore this feeling. She is starting to sense he cares about her too, but every time she gets close he pulls away. Until finally she realizes they have been misinterpreting everything. And now that they have a window to escape and things have been cleared up, she wants to lay it all out there. She starts to think that maybe they could have a future. They just have to get out of this country alive.

Theo doesn't know how long he has been gone at this point. He knows it has been several months, but he hopes people are still looking for him. All he wants is to see his people again. And then he does. He sees Daniela. His best friend's little sister. The woman he has loved from a far for years is now here in Greece. She is now being kidnapped with him. He has to save her. He couldn't live with himself if something happened to her. How does she still look so beautiful? He thought she felt the same way about him but apparently he was wrong. But then he sees how she is looking at him. He starts to enjoy this time they are spending together. He starts to realize he can no longer go back to them being the way they were before. He wants her in his life. He just has to get them out of here alive. And now that he knows she feels the same way about him, he is more determined than ever to find this rock and get them home safe.

Like I said, I wanted more out of this but overall it was a fun adventure with some yearning and angst thrown in. I liked the history lessons in there too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura is an adventurous, slow burning romantic romp set largely in Greece, where Daniela “Dani” Gutierrez, a spirited librarian who has been in love with her brother’s best friend for years, unexpectedly reunites with Dr. Theo Galanis, an archaeologist long presumed dead, when she finds him alive but held captive by smugglers searching for the mythical Eye of the Minotaur. To stay alive, they pretend to be engaged and embark on a desperate, high stakes treasure hunt through ancient ruins, with less than six days to uncover the artifact while navigating ignited feelings between them. Their forced proximity and shared history give way to a romance that grows amid action, myth and danger.

Opening this book felt like stepping into a sunlit, salt scented world where humor and heat blend with mystery and heart. What truly moved me was how Dani’s fierce loyalty and Theo’s steadfast intelligence are written with such vibrant energy that their chemistry feels electric even when their own walls are still up. There is a joyful rhythm to their banter, and the way Segura injects Greek mythology into the chase made me smile at nearly every turn: it felt playful, rich, and surprisingly touching.

At the same time the story gave me genuine moments of tenderness when Dani and Theo confront the weight of their long past and what it means to finally face what was never said. Some scenes of their emotional conversations felt especially honest and heartfelt to me, giving the adventure real emotional texture beyond the wild treasure hunt. I felt the warmth, the blend of slow burn romance and good pacing, although some elements of the plot felt lighter than expected in places.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving this book four stars because it charmed me with its blend of adventurous plotting, authentic characters, and slow burning romance that felt both satisfying and full of heart.

I would have loved a bit more depth in certain emotional turns, but overall the experience made me laugh, root for Dani and Theo, and appreciate the way Segura plays with genre in a way that feels fresh and warmly engaging.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I haven’t read any of Jo Segura’s books before, but I will definitely be reading the rest of this series now! This was a fun fast-paced read with lots of adventure. Theo and Dani were meant for each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

Theo—or, as the world knows him, Dr. Theo Galanis, archaeologist—has been missing and presumed dead for over a year after disappearing in Greece. Dani, a librarian, is Theo’s best friend’s little sister and has missed him dearly ever since. Right before he vanished, they shared a moment she believed meant something more, but then he left and never came back. Hoping to feel closer to him and maybe find some closure, Dani decides to take a trip to Greece. While visiting Knossos with her tour group, she spots someone sneaking around who looks suspiciously like her supposedly dead friend. One thing leads to another, and the two end up kidnapped together, trying to escape their captors while uncovering a multi-millennia-long cover-up involving an ancient Greek artifact—all while pretending to be fiancés and navigating their very real feelings for each other.

This one was so fun! You’ve got a presumed-dead MMC being held hostage and a spunky FMC who decides she’s going to rescue him. There’s action, drama, tension born from miscommunication, and a long, complicated history between the leads. I loved how Greek mythology was woven into the story, along with the treasure hunting and gallivanting all over Greece.

The dialogue is witty, and the chemistry between Dani and Theo leaps off the page! There’s just enough action to keep things exciting without overshadowing the emotional romance at the heart of the story. The occasional flashbacks to Dani and Theo’s shared past perfectly complement the present-day storyline, cementing their history without slowing the pace. I honestly could have happily read another 100 pages of this! The Greek Island settings and lush descriptions made me want to drop everything and go to Greece!

Overall, this was a fantastic, action-packed romance featuring hints of best friend’s little sister, forbidden romance, and miscommunication tropes, all layered into an overarching plot of treasure hunting and digging through history and time. If you love Greek mythology and Indiana Jones but always wished for a little more romance, then this one is for you!

This was my favorite of the series, and I had an absolute blast reading it!
At this point, I will read anything Jo Segura writes!

This one is out January 13th, 2026!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Brittany Steminist Booknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

STEM MMC: archaeologist. This is a fun action adventure romcom with some drama and suspense! I loved this one so much! Maybe because I’ve been to some of the places this book takes you to, I felt so much more immersed than the other books in the series. The Greek-ness of it (both in setting and in culture) is top tier!
I will say that if you’re not a fan of miscommunication, this book might not be for you, but if you can manage that trope, it’s so good! This is the slowest burn of the three books, and it’s super worth it! Can you say books as a love language?! 👀🔥📚
Jo writes such badass FMCs; I loved Dani’s sass so much, and she’s a bit curvy and Latina. I think she’s my fave FMC of the series.
While you could absolutely get away with reading this book as a stand alone, I highly recommend reading both Raiders of the Lost Heart and Temple of Swoon first. There’s a key player that spans all three books, and I’m not sure you’ll get the full impact in this book if you haven’t read the others yet even though we’ve never met either of the two MCs in this book. Just like the others, it’s well written, has a good plot, and has good spice.

[A Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5/5 And my first 5-star read of 2026 goes to The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura—and its publication day!!

The Lust Crusade is book 3 in Jo’s archeological romance series, Raiders of the Lost Heart. All there can be read as standalones, but I think they’re best read in publication order. And as much as I love the whole series, this one was my favorite! With themes of:

-Missing archeologist and plucky librarian from Michigan
-Childhood friends (brother’s best friend)
-Search for Greek artifacts
-Running from bad guys
-There’s only one bed and they keep getting smaller
-Tattoos with a hidden meaning
-A sexy bathtub scene
-Latina rep
-An amazing side character grandpa named Harold who I now want as my friend

This story had me on the edge of my seat, kicking my feet and giggling, the whole time! Also, I really got pulled into the mythology of it all. Before I found this series, I didn’t know I needed archeology romance stories in my life—but I definitely do! Happy Publication Day, Jo!

The Lust Crusade, the third book in @josegurabooks archeology romance series, is out today! Thanks for the free book @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram

[Bailey Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley! I this was my favorite of the series.

[Laura Gilchrist-March · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you so much to Berkley Publishers for giving me a free e-arc of this book to read and review in advance! I was SO happy that I was able to read this early!

I AM A HUGE FAN OF THIS SERIES. You can still go find my reviews of the first two stellar books in this world of "Raiders of the Lost Heart"! As soon as I found out that Book 3 was being published, I had to see if I could get it in advance because I want to shout my love for these books and this author from the rooftops.

I am completely not surprised that The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura absolutely delivered on the romance, adventure, and banter that I have grown accustomed to by Jo. This book was as charming as her first two and don't get me started on the Latina FMC. As a bookworm Latina, I LOVE IT.

Once again we go on an absolute adventure and to be honest, I wasn't sure where this one was going to go considering we open up on the fact that Daniela (aka Dani) is only traveling to Greece because she's sort of lost in life after her parents decide to sell their home (and effectively hers too) and move to Florida. Not only that, but she's still pining over the loss of her great love, Theo Galanis, her older brother's best friend that she's been head over heels for... for forever when he has been pronounced dead after having been missing for A YEAR. After reading that intro... I was like "well who the heck is she gonna fall in love with now?!"

WELL LITTLE DID I KNOW. OF COURSE, Theo is alive but he's been KIDNAPPED?! By none other than Pierre Vautour our overarching big bad of the Raiders of the Lost Heart. (Don't ask me why but every time I think of Pierre I find myself saying Dora the Explorer's line "swiper no swiping!" because he is always trying to steal priceless historic artifacts. Like dude, give it a rest.) So of course, Dani goes and gets herself kidnapped too because she's too mad at Theo for just disappearing (Dani, you're not grasping the severity of the situation!)

Then they are running all over the place in Knossos, Athens, Crete, etc. just to track down this supposedly non-existent eye of the minotaur. Which, by the way, Theo hasn't been searching for the eye for the past year because Pierre's goonies that have been working with him before revealing they work for Pierre have had him looking for the Minotaur?!

When they finally get free of the goonies and under Pierre's thumb, they start to explore their feelings for each other. And it's not just the fact that Theo has a sexy little nickname for Dani (JUICY?! Yeah, she's a Latina alright) but because the man literally tattooed the last thing Dani said to him on the side of his body in greek. SWOON.

I loved Dani's fiery personality. As she said, she's often called a "muchacha mala" by her parents because she used to be a bit more reckless and all over the place getting into trouble with Eddie and Theo. She's fun and she doesn't beat around the bush, which is interesting considering this whole thing is a miscommunication trope about their feelings for one another!

Theo is just like the other MMCs of the Raiders of the Lost Heart. A BIG FREAKING NERD. But for Ancient Greece.. and I LOVE IT. I could just imaging his little greek nerdy heart freaking out over everything in Greece. And when he loves being called Dr. Galanis... lol SOLD.

Overall, this story was such a fun ride. Again, I expected nothing else from Jo Segura and this series. We go on a daring adventure that feels like an Indiana Jones movie mixed in with a RomCom and it is exactly what the Romance world needs. A little history nerd, a little banter, a big adventure, and lots of smooching (and other stuff.. yes, there is spice). I am obsessed. Cannot wait for the book to release to get my physical copy.

Highly recommend if you like romance, Ancient Greece, archeology, mythology, Latinx characters, banter, miscommunication trope, and spice.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Berkley, Netgalley, and PRH Audio, for the gifted e-ARC and ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

3.5 stars

Yes, I read this out of order. I didn't seem to find a problem with it. I thought this sounded so fun, and I loved the Greek mythology! This made me want to visit Greece. I loved the romance and adventure aspect. I was excited about the fact that they grew up together through her brother and then kind of did their own thing.

I listened to this in a day. I thought it was fun, and the romance was so sweet. With that being said, I struggled with Daniela. She was so stubborn and wouldn't listen! I am pretty sure if someone I thought was dead appeared and begged me to get to the US consulate, I would be a bit more concerned with what he's saying. Now, this is where I come to my biggest issue with this book. I get that there's a lot of miscommunication in romance books. It's really what makes for all the drama, but it's so bad in this book. It goes way beyond what it needed to be. It became so frustrating and annoying. There's the miscommunication from their past, which is fine, and that makes total sense. The whole entire time they are in close quarters with the kidnappers and later. Did they not think that they should take a minute to set things straight?!

The romance between Daniela and Theo was sweet and a slow burn. There is some good tension as they fight their attraction to each other. I wish they had talked about things earlier, but oh well. There are some decent spicy scenes in this book!! I mean.. the library!! One thing that irked me was the nickname that Theo has for Daniela. I understand that it's a throwback to when they were younger, and she's had it since then. It was really annoying how he said, "Juicy," one hundred thousand times. He used it more than her actual name, and it was not endearing.

I enjoyed the audio, and Kyla Garcia did a great job bringing these characters to life. She did a really good job differentiating between characters. I never got lost or confused. She was really able to get Daniela's tone down. She has me so entranced that I listened to this book in one day!

Overall, I had fun with this one, and the romance was cute. I found a few things a little irksome, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the overall story. I do think the ending was very rushed with all the revelations. I wish we had a few more chapters or that some of the plot twists happened sooner in the book.

[callistoscalling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy; all thoughts are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 Disclaimer: I absolutely adore anything Jo Segura writes. Educated women off to exotic places with danger looming Indiana Jones style…yes please. Daniela has carried a secret torch for her older brother’s best friend Theo since they met. It’s been thirteen months since his boat went missing on an archeological expedition in Greece. Even though they all but declared him dead, Dani travels halfway across the world hoping to find some sort of answer to what happened.

The good news…Theo is alive and the spark is still there. The bad news…he has been kidnapped and now Dani has been too. Will a fake engagement combined with their archeology and librarian degrees provide enough quick thinking to get them out of this mess? They just need to find the Eye of the Minotaur and their way to each other…

Seriously, Jo Segura could have her villains kidnap someone in my own hometown and I would devour that book but Greece is one hundred percent a better setting. The Lust Crusade is a fast-paced adventure that drops the reader right into the action without any of the danger. And Dani and Theo can tackle the ancient world of temples and myths (and the only one bed trope), then Aristotle’s words speak as true as ever that "Love consists of one soul that is living within two bodies.”

[Charlene (pageandplace) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniela has been in love with her brothers best friend, Theo, for as long as she can remember but last year he went missing on an archaeological expedition. While on a sight seeing trip to Greece, Daniela discovers Theo being held hostage by artifact smugglers.

Adventure, chaos, research and a fake engagement will have these two busy as they search for a priceless gemstone- the Eye of the Minotaur and try to outsmart their captors!

Book three of the Raiders of the Lost Heart series, another fun and spunky archeological based adventure! You never know what you are getting or where you are going but you know there will be romance, maybe a little danger, banter and a whole lot of fun when it comes to the characters and storyline. This book was no different- Daniela and Theo bring the brothers best friend trope to light as they realize their fake engagement may not be so fake. The ending had me laughing out loud.

And I loved the background of Greece and incorporated back story of Crete and the Minotaur. Traveling and learning while reading on my couch is only second best to doing it in person.
I can’t wait to see what the next book brings!

Thank you to the author, Jo Segura, Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Thanks for the free book @BerkleyRomance and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Jo Segura and Berkley for the E-ARC!

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

I've spent the last few days binging Jo Segura's "Raiders of the Lost Heart" series, and it's no understatement to say that I'm obsessed! This third book is a great addition to the series, adding new characters, a lustful romance, an adventure of a lifetime, and bringing back a villain we're all much too familiar with.

I sped through this book (like all of Segura's other ones)! The mystery of the Eye of the Minotaur was intriguing, I kept going back and forth on whether it was real or not, and if our main characters would be able to find it before Pierre Vautour. Dani and Theo were such good MCs, their romance very believable and engaging. They're definitely my second favourite couple from this series (which, considering I like them all, should be saying something)! The sprinkle of backstory we got of their lives before Greece helped build their connection in my mind, making me want them to just talk and get together already! Segura keeps a good pace with their romance though, letting it simmer without overdoing it.

I hope more books in this series will be released, but until then, I highly recommend if you're looking for a romance filled with adventure and mystery to pick this up!

[Megan Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, adventurous book! I loved the author's previous books, so I had a feeling this one would be just as exciting, and I was right!

Jo manages to create stories that are both heart-pounding adventures and sweet love stories while also being educational. I learned so much about Greek mythology from this one!

Archeology specialist Dr. Theo Galanis has been presumed dead in Greece for over a year. His best friend's sister, Dani, has been in love with him forever, so she takes a trip to Greece to finally put the idea of him to rest. But not only does she find him very much alive, but she gets kidnapped alongside him, by men who insist Theo find a priceless gemstone.

I loved watching Theo and Dani try to stay alive, escape their captors, solve the mystery of The Eye Of The Minotaur AND fight their feelings for each other while pretending to be engaged. This truly was such a fun, action-packed story. Dani's character was sassy and bold, and I loved how she never backed down from a challenge. Seeing the two of them mutually pine for each other was equally sweet and frustrating. I wanted them to just talk to each other instead of skirt around their feelings! One thing that irritated me was the nickname Theo had for her...for some reason it just didn't work well for me, even after finding out why he calls her Juicy. But that irritant definitely didn't take away from my enjoyment of this story.

If you like romances that are filled with adventurous fun, I definitely recommend this one!

✨️Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy of this book!

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dani travels to Greece because it makes her feel closer to Theo, the man she has secretly loved for years, who has been gone for over a year.
I loved Harold because he was a card and added some lightness to the story.
I also loved all the stories about Greek mythology and the vivid descriptions of the Greek landscape.
The romance is a very slow burn and doesn’t happen until the book is well advanced.
I did like how Theo has something very significant affixed to his body. That is a sigh worthy event.
This book is more like Romancing the Stone rather than an Indy movie.
Thanks NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advance copy.

[Megan Roo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find Theo and Dani to be so wholesome! They were honestly a breath of fresh air because I love the banter between them!! The plot was compelling and took me on an adventure that was captivating as well as easy to follow!! I also just loved the dynamic of them and how they work together so well!!!
I also just love Greece, with its history, myths, and beautiful architecture so I might be a little biased on that front!

Thank you so much Berkley for letting me read and review this book before it releases!!

[Melli Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for an adventure filled romance that’s has action, suspense, spice, laughs, and a brother’s best friend romance. You’ve come to the right place. 🤣

This was a super fun read and the Kyla Garcia does an amazing job narrating. It’s a huge task taking on a book solo and it was absolutely fantastic.

This one was thrilling and had me dying to find out how everything was going to unfold. It was a little Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft meets my big fat Greek wedding imo in the best way!

[Spencer Perreault · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for access to this ARC! The biggest thanks to Jo Segura for writing what has become my favorite in a series near and dear to me. As a forever Indiana Jones fan who wished to be an archaeologist as I grew up, the joy and fun and adventure (and of course romance) that is packed in these pages is every little nerdy girls dream. Hands down my favorite in the series!

[Shelby ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so much fun to read! an adventurous rom-com full of swoony banter, heists, and characters that you will fall in love with. I’ve enjoyed all of Jo Segura’s previous books and this one falls in line with the rest. the queen of fun adventure rom-com strikes again!

[Veronica (Honey Roselea Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars on Goodreads.

There's a reason why I absolutely love a friends to lovers but also brothers best friend romance. Chef's Kiss and the chemistry was off the charts. 10/10 amazing. 10/10 audiobook

[josiegracereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

EASILY my favorite in this interconnected series. i love adventure rom coms

[Yani · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I have to read the word “juicy” again. It’d be too soon.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book might be a fun little escape for anyone who isn’t a librarian or archeologist and is able to suspend disbelief. However, I’m a librarian (and engineer) who lives in Michigan and has been learning Greek (kind of) via Duolingo. My sense of practicality greatly impacted my enjoyment of this story. I primarily kept reading it past the first three chapters because I was gifted early access via NetGalley by Berkley Publishing Group.

Tldr - The romance is the “big misunderstanding” trope, and the adventure story includes inept kidnappers, escapes, and searching for the “Minotaur’s eye,” which may or may not exist, in an Indiana Jones kind of way, or really, more like Sandra Bullock in The Lost City movie. It was a relatively quick and light read. If you like the author’s work, you’ll likely enjoy this one too, but there were too many things that annoyed me about it to really recommend it.

In the first 3 chapters, our heroine, Dani, whines repeatedly about how she’s amounted to nothing and did nothing with her life in the 16 years since she dropped out of college so she could take care of her parents, who she was still living with until they sold the house. She also says she’s a librarian. So, that’s a bit of an insult to librarians, implying our career is a failure of a life, but also to be a librarian requires a bachelor’s and master’s degree. It turns out that on page 182, the hero, Theo, praises Dani’s intelligence by noting how she earned her master’s degree in a year while working full-time. Until this point, I kept cringing whenever she pointed out that she was a librarian since I thought she hadn’t gone back to college nor had a degree. Once I believed she had the MLS, I had to wonder about her self-loathing during the beginning of the book.

Other things as a librarian that I found fault with that the average person probably wouldn’t be bothered by… Theo tore a page out of a book that he didn't own, and Dani climbed a bookcase in a library, which came crashing down. Apparently, it was so tall that Theo had to give her a boost by holding her butt. If there were a bookcase that tall, there would also have been a ladder or a step stool for safety’s sake. As a librarian, she should have known better. Plus, Theo is much taller, and she should have had him get the book. Third thing, while visiting the library, the author sets up a sex scene by having Dani share her fantasy of having sex in a library. I work at a college library. The students occasionally try to do this. It’s nasty. No one else wants a couple to have sex in the library, especially the library employees. Finally, the author uses the term “TBR” - I know it stands for “to be read,” but will most people?

I’m not a fan of the romance trope of a “big misunderstanding.” When they kind of talked about things, but the conversation actually perpetuated their misunderstanding, my eyes would roll, and I would get annoyed. Just be honest and talk about it! After the story ends, the author has discussion questions, including a set on this trope. She rightly points out that the whole adventure likely wouldn’t have taken place if Theo had simply discussed things with Dani back in Grand Rapids, MI.

Now for the adventure plot… parts of this were fun for me. There are Greek words in the book, and I was actively trying to use my limited Greek from Duolingo to translate semi-successfully. The author does a fine job of translating for us a few sentences afterward, so don’t let this be a deterrent to reading the book. I also want to visit Greece, so I liked reading about the place.

I found it hard to believe a trained and professional archaeologist would violate so many of what I would assume to be the proper protocols for investigating a location as a respectful archaeological dig. He’s losing all provenance. This is more of a treasure hunt than a respectful search for an ancient artifact. Admittedly, there is the kidnapping to factor into it, with bad guys who are willing to hurt people, but they escape from them fairly quickly once Dani is there. She also seems to mystically intuit just the right clue to get them moving in the right direction. I also kept questioning their escape as to why they didn’t buy a phone, reach out to family or reporters, or secure greater safety for themselves. Did they have passports? Access to money? I’m thinking, probably not, based on a few things.

The final thing that bothered me was that Dani and Theo “fell in love” when she was in high school. They’ve not spoken of their affections for each other for approximately 18 years. That seems too long. Her being at her folks for 16 years seems too long. I’m not sure what the right duration is, but it feels off. On the other hand, I do appreciate that Theo wasn’t a director of a museum while in his mid-20s.

Oh, final thing, I hated Theo's nickname for Dani. It's Juicy. She likes it. I can't fathom a woman liking people calling her "Juicy." Too big an ick factor for me.

[Kirsten | Bookish.kir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Raiders of the Lost Heart series, but can be read as a complete standalone.

The Lust Crusade was such a fun, chaotic adventure. I really enjoyed it. The banter between Theo and Dani was great, loved the setting, found the historical sides intriguing, and the suspenseful elements entertaining. I will say there is a lot of miscommunication trope is this one, but if that doesn’t bother you I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the eARC, this is my honest opinion.

What to expect:
Librarian x Archaeologist
Friends to Lovers
Fake Engagement
Brother’s Best Friend
Slow Burn
Search for Greek Artifacts

[Jacquelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my free copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book. The history, the intrigue, the mythical elements really grabbed my attention. And of course the spice! I thought the characters were fun and diverse. I don’t know much about Greek history or mythology but I thought it being about the Minotaur was a fun element I don’t usually see with Greek mythology books. I think what I could have used more of was the mythology elements. I don’t know exactly why but the other two books felt more steeped in it than this one. But I still enjoyed it!



Overall, if you want a fun adventure with romance check out this series!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a fan of Jo Segura and her adventure romances. I think The Lust Crusade is my new favorite and her best yet. We get a Greek setting full of mythology and mystery, a brother’s best friend love interest who has been missing for over a year and presumed dead and is most certainly *not* dead, tension and unspoken lust (obviously), and a last love over ten years in the making. Oh, and a septuagenarian sidekick for part of Dani’s trip. So many of my favorite things.

I love Dani. Jo always writes such great female characters and Dani is another one to add to the list. She is smart and spunky, full of attitude and fire, but also vulnerable and feeling a little adrift in her life. She is admirable and relatable. She is searching for something for herself when she unexpectedly finds Theo, whose family just finally held a memorial service for after he’s been missing in Greece for over a year. What follows demonstrates Dani’s entire character in her loyalty, her intelligence, her determination, and her fighting spirit, especially for and alongside someone she loves.

Theo is hot. Nerdy hot. There is a lot more to him, but it must be said. He’s also a smart man who has been isolated from his own life as he’s been held captive and forced to search for something that is little more than a myth. He is stubborn and becomes far more concerned for Dani than he has been for himself when she gets tangled up in the mess that has become the norm for him. He wants her out and safe, and the tension between the two of them as she resists and insists on remaining by his side builds so much on the chemistry they already have from their years of circling each other. The stakes are high at every turn.

There is a lot to Dani and Theo’s backstory that is woven into their present in a great way that doesn’t take away from their current situation. There aren’t flashbacks to past moments or interactions between them, but their inner thoughts and memories provide their history so it’s clear that despite their avoidance and resistance to it, it has always been them for each other. Their one real opportunity to be honest with each other was derailed by some epic miscommunication that leads to Theo’s current predicament. It creates a real full-circle setup for Dani to be the one who finds him on her trip to feel closer to him after she and their families have let him go. The fast-paced journey they are set on from the time they reunite is full of banter and fire, and when things finally ignite between them it is the epitome of “it’s been a long time coming”.

I had such a fun time reading this book from chapter one to the end. Thank you to Berkley via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[everly · Rating 2 out of 5]

(ARC provided through NetGalley)

2.5/5

ok buckle up. I have a lot to say. I try to be vague but be aware of potential spoilers.

let me start by saying that i have always been intrigued by Jo's books. I think her covers and titles are very eye catching and they've been on my mental tbr for quite awhile. so when i saw the latest one on NG i thought this was the perfect opportunity to try her out!

I was...disappointed. Lets dig in to why.

PLOT - the plot of this book had so. much. potential. lifelong friends to lovers, archeologist MMC is missing and presumed dead, librarian FMC goes on a trip and ends up finding him and is brought into the hunt of trying to find a missing artifact the the MMC (Theo) had been held hostage trying to find. I was in. Seated. SO ready. However, the execution left me feeling underwhelmed. My main problem with this book lies mainly in its repetitiveness and the fact that it could be the poster child for the miscommunication troupe. i am not necessarily a miscommunication hater, but when it is done to this level and in this context, it starts to get frustrating. These people are supposed to be lifelong childhood friends who know each other better than anyone else, but they cant just SPEAK to each other plainly. They CONSTANTLY tiptoe around what they really want to say. Even Theo, who had been kidnapped for OVER A YEAR and was now given the chance to talk to the love of his life again??? I'm sorry but id be spilling everything at that point. And the REPETITIVENESS!!!! If i ever hear the phrase "triple G" again it will be too soon. Too much of the beginning of this book revolves around FMC (Dani) talking about how much she loved Theo, but she just couldn't be with him because she wasn't a "triple G" (good greek girl). This is mentioned so. many. times. I felt like the first couple chapters of this book was just Dani talking in circles around herself. I considered DNFing at as early as 10% through because I had yet to be fully intrigued. I did force myself to finish though. As the story progresses and we get into the meet of the treasure hunt, the story does pick up and get less repetitive. BUT, everything about the hunt feels very surface level and like it is simultaneously moving too fast AND too slow. Some clues and people seemed to come out of relatively nowhere and things seemed to happen a little too easily. It also didnt make sense to me that Dani was the one who seemed to be solving everything. I dont know if this was just supposed to be like a 'go women' thing, but i was very whatever about it. I don't wanna give too many overt spoilers, but this is wrapped up way too clean with way too many strings left to pull. Overall i think underwhelmed is how I would describe my feelings through most of the book.

THEO + DANI - oh Theo and Dani. What I will say, is that I do believe them as a couple. They had pretty decent chemistry and their romance didnt feel forced. What i will ALSO say is this is another element of this book that seemed to drag and then all of a sudden figure itself out in a way that did not make sense given what we had seen of the characters so far. **beware of mild spoilers ahead, I mean you know they are gonna get together but I am gonna go into a little detail so skip ahead if you dont want to see that** After spending a solid 60-70 percent of the book in their own inner monologues and speaking out loud to each other about how they couldn't be together, they kiss one time, seem to be immediately uncomfortable about what to say to each other about it bc they are both still denying their feelings for each other, then wake up and make out SO HARD!! this came so out of left field for me that i was CONVINCED it was a dream sequence. there was argubly NO resolution between the two of them when it came to what was keeping them apart but suddenly they were making out and openly flirting?? I dont get it. I felt almost to me like the author knew people would want the smut so she rushed through resolving their problems (and arguably not resolving them at all), just so they could make out. I will reiterate though that I do think Dani and Theo have decent chemistry as a couple and I think they would stay together by the end of the book.

DANI - yes. miss girl gets a whole section. Dani as a character was So Confusing to me. I feel like the author couldn't commit to a path for her so she just kinda ended up with a little of everything which was very unsatisfying. First, her personality. Dani just felt so flat to me. I LOVE a librarian FMC (because duh and also im a bookseller so i like to project) but i feel like it only got brought up in super cheesy ways. Like i would completely forget that she was a librarian until she brought it up again. Not that a characters career has to be their entire personality, but miss girl was giving us Nothing. Dani also described herself as a bit of a teen rebel, never really one to follow the rules or be quiet and that just didn't match up with other things we would be told about her. Her whole character felt like one big contradiction. It wasn't till about 3/4 of the way through that i even realized she apparently LIKED her job. the way it was talked about I thought she hated being a librarian. Dani also had a ton of inner problems that she talked about at the beginning of the book (mostly revolving around feeling unfulfilled and like she has wasted her time/made a lot of mistakes) and I dont think ANY of these were really solved by the end of the book. Like she got together with Theo so she didnt really have any problems anymore. Not a fan of that.

To wrap up, do I think this is the worst book ive ever read? No, of course not. I think there are plenty of people who would read this and really like it.
Did it have a lot of elements that Really annoyed me? YES.

I think this book is a very surface level adventure romcom. we dont really get into anything (the treasure hunt or the romance) too deeply. I would have liked a lot cut from the beginning so we could have more pages dedicated to the hunt and developing Theo and Dani as a couple.

I would be interested in potentially trying out one of her other books, but don't know that i will anytime soon.

thank you for reading probably my longest review ever.

[kiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Berkley Romance & Netgalley for the eARC!!

4 stars!

Another cute & fun read from Jo Segura! I absolutely loved the first 2 books & The Lust Crusade was such a perfect addition to the Raiders of the Lost Heart series!

The book takes place in Greece and I thought the author did such an amazing job at describing the setting, it felt like I was really there! This book features the brother's best friend trope which I loooved!! Dani & Theo chemistry is so good & I loved their banter!! I loved reading about their adventure they had to go on to find the Eye of the Minotaur. I definitely recommend this book and think this whole series is perfect, especially for adventure/STEM rom com lovers!

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, what a bittersweet moment!

I have loved reading the Raiders of the Lost Heart series by Jo Segura. I picked up Raiders of the Lost Heart on a whim when it first came out, but it ended up sitting on my shelf for a while (my TBR is longer than my life expectancy). Then, back in August, I was pitched the third one for Reading Arizona, so I got to reading. And what a journey it’s been! It’ll be tough to say goodbye, but I have loved every minute of it, and for that, I am grateful.

The Lust Crusade follows Daniela Gutierrez, a librarian in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who once was voted most likely to bungee jump off the Eiffel Tower, and now was just “voted” out of her house—literally, because she lives at her parents’ home and they’ve decided to move to sunny Florida. What started as a sacrifice she made to drop out of school and help her parents after her father’s accident turned into years going by, and Dani wondering if she truly was staying out for her parents, or because she was afraid of what was next.

And to make matters worse, her brother’s best friend and the man she’s loved for as long as she can remember went missing on an archaeological dig in Greece, presumed dead.

In an effort to get over Theo Galanis once and for all, Dani heads to Greece. To get over the Greek man she’s was in love with. Yup, that’s sure to work!

But instead of getting over him (didn’t we all see that one coming), Dani comes face to face with him: Dr. Theo Galanis, definitely not dead but very much alive and well. And… hijinks ensue.

Will the pair make it back home alive? What happened to Theo? And is all fair in love and olives?

I love love love the friends to lovers trope. That is all I want in life. I want all of the friends to lovers stories. Give them all to me. And this one? Oh, perfection. They love to read together? He gives her books as gifts? He tucks her cold feet under his thighs and she watches him relax into stories? That’s what dreams are made of right there.

I also really loved that this story is more standalone than the second one. Don’t get me wrong, Temple of Swoon is great, but I loved that if you read this one first, you wouldn’t be too confused. I am not sure you could say the same with Temple of Swoon.

The other part that I really loved was that this love story allowed the reader to watch two characters grow and truly learn one another. Theo has trauma from being kidnapped, Dani has a lot of self-doubt and low confidence after not—in her eyes—living up to her high school dreams. They have to contend with their own history, their shared family dynamics, their parents’ expectations for their lives, etc. And rather than doing all of that growing behind the scenes, I love that we as readers got to see it play out.

Truly, this series is what would happen if Indiana Jones was written by a woman. Perfection and a wonderful romp. Highly recommend!

And keep an eye out for my article with Jo: I have to say, our interview is one of my favorites I’ve done! I’m excited to share it with the world here in a few weeks.