Fossil Feud

by Maggie North

The hunt for fossils—and love—is on in this steamy, STEMinist romance about two paleontologists who join forces to prevent a fraudulent dinosaur discovery, but accidentally dig up feelings for each other along the way.

Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She’s spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery—a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds—it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.

But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley’s dig site, she realizes she’s not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley’s help to prove it. She’d tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers . . . and the fraudster is her ex.

The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they’re going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley’s excavation boots won’t be the only things getting a little dirty. . . .

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Forced Proximity, Rom Com

385 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2026

About the author

Maggie North writes deeply emotional, strangely hilarious novels about introverts at the end of their [expletive] ropes, STEM, Canada, and other overlooked, underrated things you'd love to discover. She enjoys being autistic a lot more since her diagnosis as an adult. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her spouse, The Kid, and a rotating cast of hypoallergenic aquarium friends.

Reviews

[jenny reads a lot]

RAWWWWRRRRRRRR! THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING!

I’m obsessed with this book. This is a dinosaur-loving romance readers wet dream in book form.

Seriously. Whats better than two idiot (complementary) paleontologists falling in love during a dinosaur bone dig!

This book is sweet and swoony. The characters are perfectly flawed with emotional depth for days. The prose is gorgeous and utterly quotable. The side characters attempt to steal the show (complementary). The character growth is top tier. It is just SO FREAKING GOOD!

He is so down bad and would do anything to help her succeed! Everyone deserves a supportive down bad man like James Smithson!

She is wounded and flawed and watching her character growth was almost as good as watching these idiots fall in love.

DID I MENTION THE DINOSAURS! because… DINOSAURS!!!!!!!!

(brace yourself this is a long list…)

Whats to love…
- STEM romance
- SLUTTTTTTTTTTTYYYYYY MMC
- slutty little glasses
- Slutty thigh tattoo
- Slutty forearms.
- slutty little glasses
- slutty little hands
- slutty little accent
- slutty little bike shorts
- lovable af side characters
- found family
- “just for the summer” agreement
- beautiful prose
- HE TIES HER SHOES
- mommy trauma (complicated family dynamics)
- coming into your own/learning to love yourself so you can love others.

Honestly I could probably keep going and give you a million reasons you should read this but instead I’m just going to say GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🌶️- a few open door scenes. I really loved the way the author did these. They are explicit but not overly so (if that makes sense). I’d let my teen niece read this!

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Dell for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[DianaRose]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!!

wow, i’m really surprised at all of the lukewarm reviews — did some of us read the same book?

the fossil feud is more than just a romance (which is my favorite type of romance); yes, there’s yearning (my GOD THE YEARNING), and some deliciously sexy scenes, but there’s a LOOOOOT of commentary on academia and the hoops non-white men must go through to be taken seriously, and how sometimes they are accused of stealing research, thoughts, experiments etc. there’s a lot of commentary on funding as well, which i appreciated. this book is so nuanced and deserves its flowers (fossilized or not, badum tiss, get it?)

i’ve really enjoyed stem romance novels recently, especially those of the archeologist niche — i particularly enjoyed the geomagician, so i’m really glad to have enjoyed its contemporary counterpart, the fossil feud.

i also listened to the audiobook from libby and the narrator did a fantastic job!

[Brooke 𝜗𝜚]

╰┈➤ 𝟺.𝟻 ✰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ

❝"if ყoυ ᥱvᥱr ᥒᥱᥱd mᥱ— iᥒ ᥲᥒყ ρᥣᥲᥴᥱ, ᥲt ᥲᥒყ timᥱ, from ᥲᥒყ distᥲᥒᥴᥱ— ყoυ ᥒᥱᥱd oᥒᥣყ ᥲsk for mᥱ, ᥲᥒd i wiᥣᥣ fiᥒd ყoυ, riρᥣᥱყ."❞

[Krysta ꕤ]

”If you ever need me— in any place, at any time, from any distance— you need only ask for me, and I will find you, Ripley.”

i love when characters have more unique jobs, it was so refreshing following two paleontologists. James and Ripley were both equally great characters, but for different reasons. Ripley was so easy to root for, she’s someone who had to work harder to get where she is now in a male dominated field. i respect that she didn’t waver from her goals, her struggles to form connections made her eventual bond with James more special.

speaking of James, he’s got to be one of the sweetest mmc’s I’ve read about. that man doesn’t have a single malicious bone in his body, would do anything for Ripley and moves in complete selflessness. he had the opposite conflict to Ripley when it came to his job— being forced into it, when his true passion was actually art. i was so happy to see James assist Ripley on getting revenge on her ex that stole her work / credit.

the actual plot with them searching for the dinosaur bones was so much fun too, i loved reading about the dig site and Ripley’s crew. the engraving that James did on that one rock towards the end too? bye he’s such a cinnamon roll. this was an easy read that i finished basically in one sitting, the romance was everything!

➛ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House / Ballantine for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Jessica]

4.5 stars

Give me alllll the hate to love science romances! The heroine is excavating a fossil and needs funding to complete her project of a potential new species of a flying dinosaur. But her reputation was tarnished when someone tried to claim she stole their work, when she very much did not, so our hero comes in and promises he'll find funding. They were adorable together and I really loved how brooding and damaged our hero was!

The ending gave me movie vibes with how the characters had to overcome the final villain and I thought it was so fun! Definitely check this one out if you want a hero who has been pining for years and a fossil loving cast of characters!

[Hannah 🌺 (semi ia - grad school)]

I am so so excited for this one!! 🔍🦖💚 I always love a STEM romance and have heard such good things. Thank you sm to author Maggie North, NetGalley, and publisher Random House/Dell for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Rebecca]

This showed up at my doorstep today, I must have won it?

Looks cute. Thanks Goodreads <3

[Berry ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚]

Thank you to Maggie North, Dell, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5 / 5 ⭐️
2 / 5 🌶️

I looooved this book. It was such a refreshing take on a STEMinist type of romance! If you enjoy Ali Hazelwood's work, fossils, and/or academic rivals to lovers romance, then I highly recommend this one!

Ripley Adams is our FMC, who is just trying to make a name for herself in the paleontology world! I felt that she was such an intelligent, strong-hearted FMC. She was wronged by another paleontologist (who happens to also be her ex!), and she is very determined to make everything right. I loved her character so much!

And don't even get me started on the MMC.... Holy.
James. Smithson.
World renowned paleontologist. Just comes waltzing up to her dig site. On a horse.
What an entry!

I LOVED James. He was witty, charismatic, and so very swoon-worthy. Dear God. That man was one of the highlights of this book for me!
I also loved the side characters! Cara is a sweetheart and must be protected at all costs.

The tension between them was impeccable. I ate it all up. Left no crumbs.

In all, this book felt like such a breath of fresh air. Highly recommend!

♡ pre-read ♡

y'all. i wanted to be a paleontologist when i was a kid. this book called to me. SOOOO excited to start this one!

[ilana]

3.5 🌟

This was cute! We have two paleontologists who end up working on the same dig (he joins her), and their prickly behavior at the start mellows out to a comfortable courtship. Ripley is finding a bird dinosaur but she loses funding due to her ex-boyfriend who stole her paper and essentially ruined her phd candidacy claiming he’s found one first. Smithson shows up at her dig and says “hey, Will is lying and committing fraud and I need you to help me prove it”, so they start working together on finding proof but also getting her Dino ‘Beauty’ out of the ground. Slowly, they realize the other has feelings but neither will admit to it, so there’s some push and pull, but all’s well that ends well, and they make it out on the other end side by side. I really liked the conversations about their personal/home lives and struggles; I had the most fun when they were working on the dinosaur excavation and finding proof of Will’s lies; and I thought they were cute together, if not a bit awkward, but in a nerdy way. Such a fun time! 🦕

Thank you to Terrace PR for the eARC!!

[lana]

i am this book's number one fan and i can't wait until people fall in love with the badass that is ripley adams and her beloved mr. darcy-esque mmc, james smithson. with found family shenanigans and a scene in the rain that i will forever be thinking about, this book is a delight.

early copy was accessible to me as i work at PRH. all opinions expressed are my own.

[Wendy Darling]

HOW IS THERE A PALEONTOLOGISTS IN LOVE BOOK BUT NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT IT.

[Azanta (azantareads)]

had a grand ole time reading this. perfect for my Ali Hazelwood fans; loved how sweet the MMC is, fantastic banter, and my first paleontology romance hehe

[hailee]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.

move aside everyone, there’s a new yearner in the house and his name is james smithson.

guys. YOU GUYS. oh my god?!?! this book was truly perfection and i was genuinely not expecting it. i was expecting this to be good, but this was amazing and is now one of my favorite romance books of all time.

like how could you not love james? he’s a tall british scientist who looks like clark kent, wears glasses, is also an artist, AND has a thigh tattoo?!?!???? (also he calls ripley “my darling” and now i genuinely understand why people swoon).

i LOVED ripley so much and i loved her character growth throughout the story. she was hurt and (understandably) has a lot of baggage but she was also determined and capable and so smart and caring. I simultaneously want to BE her but also be her best friend.

the romance was, to me, quite literally perfect. the banter was well written, the tension built up perfectly, the yearning (from both sides might i add!!) was incredibly well done, the spicy scenes were so authentic and tender. AH it was just so so good!!!!!!

i absolutely eat up when the MMC is down horrendously bad for the FMC and james was literally pathetic so i obviously devoured this. he would go anything for ripley and he was so TENDER and SWEET and i was kicking my feet giggling the entire time.

the paleontology elements of the story were so so interesting to me and i greatly enjoyed that aspect of the plot. i cried real tears when certain things (no spoilers) happened regarding their fossils and it felt like i was part of their crew.

overall, this was a fantastic STEM romance perfect for summer (and fans of jurassic park hehe) that was filled with yearning!!

[Zath]

Conceptually Fossil Feud should have everything it needs at its core to create a compelling, romantic, and fun narrative. The marketing for this book was well-done, and I was taken in by the cute title, clever summary, and interesting premise.

The problems begin from the root of the plot itself. The FMCs original issue stems from her ex-boyfriend stealing her work, however she doesn’t exactly do anything to fight those allegations. She just accepts it and lets herself be run off. I’m not saying this doesn’t happen, but she's supposed to be this courageous and strong, independent woman who ‘doesn't need a man’, but she doesn’t stand up for herself either. This weak foundation that was supposed to establish this big redemption arc for the characters fell flat.

There are no real stakes to this book. At one point Smithson bends to tie Ripley’s shoe and says he's keeping her alive. From what? There is no real danger to Ripley besides the risk of someone saying something mean to her. The main bad guy is nothing more than a mustache twirling villain who Pink Panthers his way into stealing bones from six different museums with no one being the wiser. Does she need to be afraid of him? No. Mr. Pink Panther doesn’t even threaten violence once throughout the story. He literally does nothing but stay offscreen for 90% of the book.

The main love interest is two dimensional at best. He serves the plot by being there, but not hovering, being supportive, but not taking over the dig, helping the FMC, but not doing her job for her. Smithson walks some invisible tightrope that only the author could see. Again, at the core the attractive British love interest could have been interesting, but he ended up being a jumble of other movie characters and not really being his own distinct one.

This story is a complete and utter let down in the romance department. There is a flimsy fabrication of a ‘we can’t be together’ plot despite the two characters having feelings for each other and no logical reason to keep them separated. So what are the “reasons” the book gives for why they can’t be together? Well, she's worried about what her peers would think about her if she's in a relationship with Smithson. Smithson’s reason for not wanting to be with Ripley is some unresolved daddy issues and not wanting to upset Ripley.

This whole ‘they kiss one moment, then pull back the next’ merry-go-round is so annoying. The moments they get together don’t fare much better. Despite there being intimate scenes, they feel clunky and vague, as though the reader is trying to see what's happening through a fogged window. We have some concept as to what's going on, we can see shapes and hear questionable dialogue ‘in the throes of passion’, but we can’t really tell what specific game of Twister is taking place. These scenes caused me to be completely pulled out of the book. It almost felt like the author was uncomfortable writing these scenes but needed to check a box and went about it in the most nondescript way they could do it. As a result, the chemistry between the two characters feels undercooked besides them each finding the other hot. No real depth.

Fossil Feud spends so much of its time trying to reference popular movies that it forgets to be its own book. The heavy handed use of movie quotes, titles, and actor names pushes past the level of a good chuckle. It became annoying and, more importantly, distracting.

I am frustrated and upset because I wanted to love this book. I am devastated that I had to give this book a lower rating. From the cover to the summary, I felt for sure this would be the perfect book, but in the end, it was just a mirage.

Read my full review at nostalgiadepartment.com

A copy of this book was provided for an ARC Reader Review. I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

[M]

What do you do when your former colleague, (a hot british professor of paleontology,) shows up at your dig site & needs your help investigating your (super shitty) ex who ruined your career?
You spend the summer doing everything you can to take him down, of course. For science. And maybe you uncover something more along the way...

I had so much fun with this academic rivals-to-lovers workplace rom-com!! Watching two nerds fall for each other in their shared element is everything to me, I loved the dinosaur jokes and the Jurassic Park references, as well as learning the actual history shared (please look up Mary Anning if you don't already know about her!!) and the real-life "fossil feuds" this was based on.
Ripley and James had me laughing out loud with their banter and tearing up with their tenderness.

read this if you love:

🦴 women in STEM
🦴 forced proximity
🦴 a man who YEARNS
🦴 anxiety rep
🦴 slutty forearms, slutty glasses, slutty thigh tattoo

CWS: parent living with cancer, on-page anxiety attacks, misogyny, gaslighting, toxic ex & parent relationships

thank you so much to dell for the digital review copy of this book!

[Tessa]

refreshingly well written! flirting with five stars

safety:
h: her ex is the main antagonist, but there’s no residual feelings. some vague details on other partners.
H: his ex shows up pretty far in which was a surprise, but it ended up being brief and not dramatic. it’s revealed that he broke up with her when he met h (3 years before the story starts) and presumably has had no other partners since then.

[thebookish.dragon]

Format: 📱
Spice: 🌶️
Series: Standalone


I am OBSESSED with this book. Jurassic Park has been my favorite movie since I was 4 years old, and combining my love of paleontology and contemporary romance? Ugh, perfection!

Add Maggie North to my auto-read list!


I received this eARC from Ballantine | Dell as an opportunity to read and give my honest review.

[Jill (readinginpjs)]

low-key obsessed with Ripley & James 🥹

this very much had Ali Hazelwood vibes and I was very much here for it 🙌🏼

full RTC 💜

thank you Ballantine and PRH Audio for the ARC & ALC, all opinions are my own.

[Alexandra Morales]

****Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine and Random House for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****

When I tell you I needed James POV I really NEEDED James POV.

A solid 3 star book. I do love learning about certain fields through books and Paleontology is one of those really interesting reads. I almost really wish we had more moments out in the field, it is one of the things that lost traction as the romance came into play.

The first 30% had me HOOKED. Then I found myself losing interest until about 70%, and then it picks back up until the end.

Ripley was okay? I didn't fully hate her but I didn't fully like her. She felt a little cardboard cutout. I wish she would have been more geeky about her bird theory. I would have enjoyed learning more about the niche she was in, maybe get some flashbacks to why she wanted to go into Paleontology besides just a sentence in two different sections of the book where she mentioned it's because of her dad. She already has the mother issues, let her pick her career like the big girl she is and not have it reliant upon her dad's "missed" opportunity.

James was also a cardboard cutout, just in the British variety. Handsome, tall, rich, good at drawing etc. I think its downright CRIMINAL we did not get this man's POV. I will never forgive Maggie for that. With it he would have become a more living breathing character, I NEEDED to know what this man saw in Ripley. I wanted to read about their supposedly 90 second first encounter, what was going on inside his head, what things he liked and eventually loved about Ripley, how he saw her, his urge for him to help her get the funding for the dig and protection against Will.

I truly wish that Ripley and James had been true enemies to lovers. I would have loved to seen their arguments morph into bantering, into laughing into love. I think that would have helped with the pacing of the book immensely. Because for about 40% it's just Ripley's POV of lusting after James, BORING.

It could have been worse but it definitely could have WAY better! It deserves the 3 stars for the buried (pun intended) opportunities.

[fromthestudyof]

Really cute STEM romance between two paleontologists

Montana in the summer. Searching for dinosaurs. A hot British professor begging her to help him take down her ex. What’s not to love?

[kaila | kd.reads]

this is who ross geller wishes he was tbh

[alex]

Thank you to PRH for the arc! Dare I say we may have a new STEM romance icon in the making? Maggie North did an absolutely wonderful job at making something I personally don’t care about seem fascinating. Dinosaurs have never been my thing and even then, she made the idea easy to digest, and super high stakes. Like there genuinely is a whole other world out there…

Anyways! Wonderful romance. Another great book boyfriend for the booktok community to sink their teeth into, another swoon-worthy love confession to make even the darkest nights bright as well. Just an overall, well-paced, will they/won’t they, romance that I think anyone could find something to like about it.

Only reason it’s not 5 stars is more of a me thing and less of a book thing. I wasn’t in the mood for a contemporary romance but guess what? This book doesn’t care if you want to read one or not. It’s so good that you will have an enjoyable time that doesn’t feel painful even if you’re not down for a contemporary romance. Mood readers I found your kryptonite!

[Mindy]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

A paleontologist love story? Sign me up immediately.

Ripley was pushed out of the paleontology world after her ex stole her work and flipped the narrative to make it look like she stole from him. Since then, she’s been out in Montana, digging for a breakthrough discovery that could connect dinosaurs and birds. The last person she expects to run into is James, the man who didn’t stand up for her when she needed it most… and unfortunately, a man she finds very attractive. James shows up needing her help to prove her ex is a fraud, which of course leads to forced proximity, a road trip, shared sleeping arrangements, and all the tension that comes with it.

This was exactly what I wanted it to be. Not groundbreaking, but genuinely fun and easy to get lost in. I do think Ripley could have used a bit more on-page character development, but she still worked for me overall. I also found myself wishing there was more actual fossil digging happening on page, and a little more time with the side characters, who added a lot of charm but felt underutilized.

The spice level was just right, and while some might find the Jurassic Park references a bit much, I thought both the references and spice were well placed and added to the vibe without feeling overdone.

This gave me strong Jo Segura energy with a badass woman in STEM at the center, and I was fully locked in from the start. Definitely a great pick if you’re in the mood for something smart, adventurous, and fun.

[kailesbooks]

4.25 🌟 thank you Dell and Maggie for the e-arc via NetGalley! All thoughts are my own.

I will always eat up a rivals-to-lovers romance ESPECIALLY if the FMC is a woman in STEM! I thought this book was so fun and I loved that it was in the dino world.

Ripley was such a powerhouse of a woman and I loved that she knew what she wanted and went for it despite her trash ex-boyfriend causing problems for her. And James, this nerdy, wonderful man! He was so sweet and supportive towards Ripley, and I couldn't get enough of them together. I think they both had enough flaws in them to have great character growth and make their journey that much more realistic.

I think my only reason for it not being a full 5 stars was that the beginning starts pretty slow and the pacing felt off at times. Otherwise, I did find myself invested and thought Fossil Feud was a super easy and fun read.

[Mae (bookishpremed)]

4⭐️

thank you dell romance and maggie north for an e-arc of this book 💗

MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, WE GOT A YEARNER COMING THROUGH 🥵 man is there anything better than a down bad man? like fr guys, holy toledo. thank you dr. james smithson for getting your phD in yearnology, you’re doing us all a favor 🤭 this book was SUCH a fun time and you bet your ass i was giggling and kicking my feet through out most of it! also i love dinosaurs like crazy so hallefreakinglujah, i never knew i needed a book like this in my life

another aspect i enjoyed about this book was the STEM romance was in full force. i’ve never read a book regarding paleontology but did i learn and educate myself through the power of google? you bet your ass i did! ripley was also a great mmc, i loved her passion towards her field and her friends. she had so much tenacity towards a field that did her dirty and she is better than i bc i would’ve left that shit high and dry!

the side characters rounded out the story as well. matteo’s arc?? CRAZY. okay mr. college student, who would’ve expected that esp from his intro? but will however, i hope every steps he takes has a lego embedded in his shoe. <3

[Lexi]

4.5⭐️

[LILLY ࿔*:･˙ᵕ˙]

“LOVE KNOWS NO TIME MY BONES WILL FIND YOURS”

What a beautiful swoon worthy book!!!!

[Anna Heald]

4.5 for the dinosaurs! If you love Jurassic Park, this will make your heart RAWR. 🦖💚

[Hannah]

This is such a fun STEM romance! The characters are complex and are easy to love! This book has the most unique book setting! I’ve never read any romance with paleontologists before but now I’m gonna be on the lookout!

I loved James and Ripley as characters! They were so well thought out and were interesting characters outside of their relationship! I thought James was such a sweetie and I loved how down he was for Ripley!

I highly recommend picking this book up once it’s released!

Read if you like!
🦖 Women in STEM
🦕 Rivals to Lovers
🦖 Paleontology
🦕 Found family

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Tara]

4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up) I LOVED THIS!!! I haven’t read a good STEM romance since Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist novels and this filled the void 😭 I loved the characters and the yearninggggg omg. The yearning was so good and I appreciated that we got to know the characters on a deeper level before things started to escalate. This was perfect 🦕✨