I received this book for free (hey, thanks!) in exchange for an honest review. I promise that this does NOT affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. For real.
The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura Series: Raiders of the Lost Heart #3
Genres: Adult, Contemporary
Published by Penguin on January 13, 2026
Also by this author: Raiders of the Lost Heart, Temple of Swoon
Format: eARC (384 pages) • Source: Blog Tour
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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 danger: falling in love for real.
I’ve been a big fan of Segura’s companion series so far. The concept of a romantic adventure story is just too fun to pass up, and all of them have worked really well for me! This one was slightly different in setup with the same bones: an archaeologist falls in love while looking for something historically groundbreaking.
In this installment, Theo was presumed dead a year ago when his boat was found capsized in Greece. His best friend’s sister, Dani, is one of the many people left devastated; she’s had feelings for him her entire life and now she can never act on them. She decides to book a trip to Greece to finally get out of the country when suddenly she sees a man who looks like Theo. She learns he’s alive and has been kidnapped, forced to look for the Eye of the Minotaur for an evil man (we’re all familiar with at this point in the series. When Dani gets captured too, she’s able to use her research skills as a librarian to help Theo find the Eye.
There were a lot of great tropes in here, like brother’s best friend, fake dating engagement, only one bed… you name it. I love a “second chance romance” as well. Both of the characters had feelings for each other but never acted on them and it was a very believable setup from a romance perspective (maybe not an overall plot perspective… these adventures are always over the top but fun!). Some of the initial conversations between them were riddled with miscommunication and they spent a long time believing incorrect things about each other, but it was a really strong and enjoyable romance once they got by that. I’ll also say that the spicy scenes up front were not my favorite (a little cringey) but again, we definitely got past that and I really enjoyed the remainder of them!
Another fun aspect of a “romantic adventure” book (romantic suspense doesn’t feel right) is that the main/final conflict toward the end of the story can be about the plot itself or the bad guys involvement. There doesn’t need to be a third act breakup to drive the plot forward. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book; I was afraid it was mostly going to be the two of them in captivity but – without spoiling anything – there are a lot more interesting events than that. Dani and Theo made a great team as a librarian and archaeologist.
Overall, this was a really fun (minus the whole kidnapping thing) romp around Greece! Not as much archaeological digging and time spent in the wilderness as the first two books and that made for a very fun switch-up while remaining true to the overarching concept of the series. I will absolutely read another installment if Segura blesses us with one!
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