★Segura, Jo. Raiders of the Lost Heart. Berkley. Dec. 2023. 368p. ISBN 9780593547465. pap. $17. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

DEBUT This sexy, engaging romance leads readers through the wilds of academia and sets them down in a realistic archaeological dig. Dr. Corrie Mejía is a badass archaeologist, outrunning a jaguar (okay, jaguarundi), and recovering stolen artifacts and returning them to their owners, but none of that has brought her funding for the dig she really wants to do. Eight years ago, she and Ford Matthews had a moment, but the next day, Ford broke Corrie’s heart. Since then, he’s also stolen a fellowship that should have been hers, and now he’s scored a fully funded dig for the remains of Chimalli, an Aztec warrior and Corrie’s possible ancestor, as well as the subject of her dissertation. However, Ford’s dig is going nowhere, so he tricks Corrie into helping him. Finding out that she’s only assisting Ford and that her nemesis is in fact the dig’s lead researcher infuriates Corrie, but she can’t say no to this once-in-a-career opportunity. As she works closely with Ford, they both realize that their attraction is still sizzling; the hot Mexican jungle is about to get even steamier. VERDICT With its well-crafted, interesting characters and intriguing storyline, this debut novel will fly off shelves.