Her Life in Ruins

by Cynthia W. Gentry

A laugh-out-loud, friends–to–lovers rom com set in Silicon Valley and the Yucatán Peninsula, about a hard–partying archaeologist, her grad school love interest, and a high–stakes heist.

Life as she knew it is ancient history.

Brilliant but a train wreck, Catherine Saunders is this close to getting her PhD in archaeology from Stanford. All she needs to do is finish her dissertation and then everything she’s endured over the past six years—summer digs in sweltering rainforests, comically disastrous hookups, and bloated student loan balances—will be worth it.

Then the subject of her dissertation, a priceless Maya artifact, is stolen. With the help of her enigmatic research partner, Yolandra, and her very attractive, very exasperating fellow grad student, Nick, Catherine traces the stolen vase to a notorious antiquities forger in Mexico. It’s only a matter of time before it disappears forever . . . along with Catherine’s entire academic career.

Unless she steals it back.

On a trip to the Yucatán littered with pampered tourists and greedy collectors, Catherine’s closest ally is Nick, whose sincerity and principles are nearly as unhelpful as her growing attraction to him. Will she risk her integrity to achieve her dreams? Or will her ambitions (and love life) end in a tank of cheap wine and bad decisions?

For fans of The Love Hypothesis and Really Good, Actually, Her Life in Ruins is a wry, propulsive novel of friends-to-lovers tension and all the reckless, overly ambitious, desperately horny glory of womanhood.

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

Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 5, 2027

About the author

Cynthia W. Gentry loves to write about brilliant, slightly messy women navigating ambition and desire. Her debut novel Her Life in Ruins, a friends-to-lovers adventure rom-com about archaeology and very illicit antiquities, will be published January 5, 2027 as the inaugural title of akaSTORY, Abrams’ new adult fiction imprint. It's also a Publishers Weekly Fall 2026 Romance Longlist selection.

Cynthia is also the author of five nonfiction books on sex and relationships. She holds a BA in English from Stanford University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two very needy cats.

Reviews

[Sophia]

No notes. This book was just perfect. I loved the adventure, the romance, the suspense, the side characters. Katherine was such a fun character that had such depth and complexity. Nick was the same, and just such a fun character. Mary stole the show, but wow this book was just so well done. The plot was strong and engaging and these characters all stood on their own. I would read 5000 books about these characters and their adventures at different sites and catching art thieves and putting colonizers in their place. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for my review!

[Ariana Tav]

5 out of 5 stars 🌟 My very first ARC, and how lucky am I that this was such a fun and engaging read! Her Life In Ruins is a winner.

Her Life In Ruins is an adventure novel with a dash of rom com; perfect for fans of Indiana Jones and National Treasure, with a touch of a slow-burn, friends-to-lover romance (really, just a dash). The writing is captivating: there is witty banter, a fast overall pace, memorable characters, all set in the most interesting environmental settings. I loved it.

Catherine Saunders is a PhD candidate completing work on an ancient Maya vase, found during the Tikal Hiatus. (I had to google this, but it’s a cool historical time around 500BCE.) When the vase goes missing, compromising her academic career, Catherine embarks on a series of adventures in Mexico in order to retrieve it. She encounters danger, sightseeing, romance, some blackmail— all the good adventure stuff that makes up a good heist, and perfect for fans of history or archaeology.

I’m not sure if the author is truly a subject matter expert on Mesoamerica and Maya history, but the way this book read, it sure feels like it, and Maya history is effortlessly incorporated in the story. How refreshing! And how unique — I loved how unique this plot and setting was, and how real or accurate it all felt.

The vivid imagery, the detailed descriptions — it felt like I was right there along Catherine and her colleague Nick through their Mexican adventures. The author has a gift of bringing the settings to life in a way that felt like I was right there touring alongside the Stanford group, and it was so descriptive, I repeated multiple times that “This should be a movie!”

Some minor editing issues (missing apostrophes, words missing in some sentences, some contractions felt unnecessary, some formatting errors) — this is my first ARC, so I’m not sure if that’s to be expected or not.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for letting me read this early. HIGHLY recommend overall, and I can’t wait to see Her Life In Ruins make its big debut!

[Kate]

Thank you Abrams for the advanced copy via NetGalley (via NYU SPI)! All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read!! I love a good adventure romance. I thought the action and the adventures were really well thought out and written in this book. I also loved the friends to lovers aspect!! I thought Catherine and Nick had good chemistry. Overall, this was a fun read, perfect for fans of Jo Segura books!

[Lily]

2 ⭐️ thank you netgalley and Cynthia W. Gentry for the e-arc!

“Her Life in Ruins” doesn’t stray too far from the title. Catherine’s life, is indeed, in ruins. Her dissertation is being thrown aside as she parties, has meaningless hook ups and drinks to her hearts content. It’s not that she doesn’t want to write it—she is stuck on the interpretation of Mayan glyphs that could change the archeology world. This sets up an incredibly interesting plot, with meddling side characters and a rich exploration of Maya culture.

However, this book is being advertised as a “friends to lovers rom-com set in Silicon Valley and the Yucatán Peninsula, about a hard–partying archaeologist, her grad school love interest, and a high–stakes heist.” To me, that doesn’t really reflect the plot… at all. In fact, as an avid romance reader, the romantic plot line really hindered most of the other aspects of the book for me.

Catherine is very headstrong and I loved that about her. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, and is incredibly intelligent. But… she also comes off as an asshole in her relationship with Nick. And I’m not a huge fan of Nick (we genuinely do not learn enough about him for me to like him), so that says a lot. She describes him as foul-smelling, unattractive and constantly belittles him in her mind. I was shocked that he was supposed to be the love interest in this story.

This book is also incredibly predictable. I don’t want to go into the spoilers so I won’t say much more on that!

I really enjoyed all aspects of the adventure, of the heist, of the research. Those parts of the book were incredibly strong and well-researched. I could tell the author put a lot of time into them, and it was very intriguing to learn more about this history that I was completely unaware of. I think the third-act ends a little abruptly, but we honestly wouldn’t need it to go on much longer.

There are some layers that never get explored (Nick’s “criminal” ex-girlfriend), as well as some layers that felt very thrown in (Catherine’s relationship with her family). I wish we took out the romance and just focused more on these characters as individuals.

I wished I liked this more.

[Isabel]

3.25 stars

I really enjoyed this book's plot and the characters. The story is a mix of contemporary, mid-life crisis type happenings, and a bit of mystery and romance. It's quite fast-paced, making it a quick and easy read. While it's said to be a romance, it is very light on the romance, and I don't love how it came about as their connection was not that well-written in my opinion, but it's cute enough. My favorite thing about this book has got to be Mary. She's hilarious and the absolute best. Overall, I would definitely recommend this!

[Angela]

The banter in Her Life in Ruins by Cynthia W Gentry was absolutely hilarious! I really enjoyed the archeological aspects of this book as well since it broke up the story just enough to add to it. A really well written friends to lovers story with quite the mess to clean up, this was overall such a fun read!
Thank you NetGalley and Abram’s Books for the ARC!

[Jamie S]

Her Life in Ruins by Cynthia Gentry was an engaging read that kept me interested throughout. I enjoyed the mix of mystery and history, though some of the deeper Maya history felt a bit dense and hard to follow at times. A few plot points also felt a little far-fetched. Overall though, a solid and enjoyable read with a unique premise.

Thank you to NetGalley and akaSTORY for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!

[Paige]

3.5 ⭐️

[Clay Morrell]

A fun and sweet story, and a reminder of the strength of women, all bundled up in a fun rom-com set around a setting I knew nothing about.

[Alicia Hendrix]

Okay but wait a minute 😆 this one was honestly so relatable that I laughed entirely too much. I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

[Karen Brooks - TheTxLitChic]

Her Life in Ruins

~Cynthia W. Gentry

Her Life in Ruins by Cynthia W. Gentry is advertised as a friends-to-lovers rom-com, but for me, it landed more as sort of historical fiction with a late-blooming romance sprinkled throughout. Horrible? Absolutely not. Worth the read? If you're into archaeology or the history of the Maya, definitely. If not, it's a bit of a toss-up. Personally, I'm not particularly interested in either subject, and it took some determination to push through at first. But we were on a nine-hour road trip, and honestly, what else was I going to do? Once I got past the terminology that had me completely lost and settled into the story itself, I was golden.

Catherine Saunders has spent the last six years working toward her PhD in archaeology through digs, leading tours for students and alumni about Maya culture, teaching classes, and completing her dissertation. But the thing she treasures most is a priceless Maya artifact she discovered during a dig with Dr. Yolandra Reyes, a prominent Guatemalan archaeologist and Catherine's project director.

To the shock of both Catherine and Yolandra, the artifact is stolen from Yolandra's guarded research lab. Without it, the past six years of stress, anxiety, and crushing student debt could all be for nothing. Fortunately, Yolandra has connections and learns that the artifact has been smuggled into Mexico from Guatemala, only a few hours from where Catherine's next alumni trip will be taking place in less than a week.

So what does any normal, red-blooded college student drowning in debt do when the only thing standing between her and finishing her dissertation is a stolen artifact?

Chase it across Mexico, naturally.

With fellow graduate student Nick at her side, along with Yolandra, the trio follows the trail to a questionable antiquities forger in the Yucatán, where tourists and collectors crowd every corner, convinced they're getting bargains on authentic relics. To save her future, Catherine must get the artifact back. But can she overlook what she knows is right simply to finish her degree? Or will the trio end up becoming their own archaeological site for future digs because of their intrusiveness?

Gentry gives us real, relatable characters who, at times, had me wanting to both shake and choke them. Catherine was relatively easy to root for... most of the time. She's sharp, stubborn, and driven enough to pursue her PhD despite the obstacles thrown her way. However, her storyline seemed to focus far more on her post-divorce sexcapades and slacking off than on her dissertation or the supposed rom-com elements. For a woman pursuing a doctorate in archaeology, I expected her to be more focused on her education and archaeological adventures than sowing her wild oats.

Then we have Nick Green, fellow Mayanist PhD student and Catherine's self-proclaimed best friend, confidant, and one of the genuinely good ones. He's dependable, sincere to a fault, and unfailingly kind, which unfortunately become his greatest weaknesses in this situation because Catherine repeatedly takes advantage of them.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Catherine decides she may feel something more for him. When she finally makes a move, she becomes tangled in her emotions because Nick does what Nick always does: the right thing. He's been pining for her since before her marriage, remained loyally by her side throughout that marriage, and then found himself firmly friend-zoned after her divorce while being forced to witness her various sexcapades firsthand, all because he was too afraid to speak up.

Now for the supporting cast. Professor Randall Humphreys, the head of Catherine's dissertation committee and one of her instructors, seems to be her biggest cheerleader and completely oblivious to her adventures outside academia. Dr. Yolandra Reyes is sassy, knows exactly what she wants, and isn't afraid to use whatever means necessary to get it.

Then there's Mary, who was, by far, my favorite character in the entire book. She's spunky, outspoken, and adventurous enough to travel on her own without hesitation. Honestly, her adventures are worthy of a story all their own.

The pacing was steady, especially for readers already familiar with archaeological terminology. The beginning felt slower to me, but only because I kept wanting to stop and figure out what every term meant. Once the archaeological groundwork had been laid and the story shifted toward the stolen artifact, the adventure, and Catherine's dissertation, it felt like a spark ignited and the story truly took off. I found myself turning pages to see what kind of predicament Catherine, Nick, Yolandra, and even Mary would get themselves into next.

The atmosphere was incredibly cinematic, particularly in its descriptions of the Yucatán and Maya culture. Readers are immersed in a journey where, at times, it feels as though they are standing beside Yolandra and Catherine on a dig site uncovering artifact fragments. The next moment, they're in the heart of Mexico exploring pyramids while vendors peddle souvenirs from every direction, and then suddenly they're chasing bad guys across the countryside in search of a stolen artifact.

But I never truly felt the romantic connection between Catherine and Nick. I was rooting for them. I wanted it to work. Their physical chemistry was definitely there, but emotionally, the romance never fully clicked for me.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but something remained buried that I couldn't quite reach. But for those who enjoy archaeology, HEA's, a messy FMC, and travel, this will be an added treasure to their collection.

Her Life in Ruins releases January 5, 2027, from akaStory but can be preordered now on Amazon!

I would like to thank NetGalley, akaStory, and Cynthia W. Gentry for allowing me to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Her Life in Ruins. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition, The Tx Lit Chic. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review of Her Life in Ruins.

[Nicole Lynch]

Thank you to NetGalley, Cynthia W. Gentry, and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Her Life in Ruins in exchange for an honest review. This was my very first NetGalley ARC, and I'm incredibly appreciative of the opportunity!

I really wanted to love this book. The description immediately caught my attention and made me run to request a copy, so I was thrilled when I was approved. Unfortunately, after making it 53% of the way through, I ultimately decided to DNF.

There were absolutely things I appreciated about this story—most notably, the incredible amount of research that clearly went into it. As someone who has studied Spanish and Latin culture for a long time and has traveled close to the areas of Guatemala mentioned in the book, the setting and subject matter were a huge part of what originally drew me to this ARC. The Maya history, culture, archaeology, and references were easily my favorite parts. You can tell that Gentry dedicated a tremendous amount of time and care to getting those details right, and I really appreciated that.
I also loved the idea of combining romance with adventure and archaeology. Give me ruins, history, travel, and a little romance, and I'm there!

I also have to give a special shoutout to Mary, because she was easily one of my favorite characters. She is a wonderfully unfiltered senior citizen in the book, and her complete lack of a filter provided some much-needed comedic relief. I genuinely looked forward to the chapters and scenes she appeared in because I could almost always count on her to make me laugh. She brought such a fun personality to the group dynamic, and I absolutely loved her!

Unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me. My biggest struggle was the pacing. For roughly the first half of the book, I felt like I was primarily following Catherine through her everyday life as a graduate student without enough movement in the larger plot to keep me invested. The adventure element that had initially drawn me to the story didn't really begin to ramp up until around the halfway point, and by then I was already struggling to stay engaged.

I also had a difficult time connecting with Catherine. Her ex-husband's lack of support for her academic dreams and her complicated relationship with her father are both important pieces of her backstory, but I felt they were reiterated more often than necessary. The repeated references to the number of men she had slept with since her divorce also didn't add much to her characterization for me and eventually became repetitive.

The romance was another major sticking point. For a story marketed as friends-to-lovers, I wanted considerably more chemistry and witty banter between Catherine and Nick. Catherine spends so much of the portion I read seemingly irritated by Nick that I struggled to understand why I should be rooting for them romantically.

The recurring miscommunication and romantic tension also began to feel repetitive rather than building their chemistry. At 53%, the romance still felt much more like a subplot than the heart of the story. Readers going into this expecting a traditional rom-com may want to adjust their expectations.
I especially wish their dynamic had included more genuine back-and-forth banter. Catherine's internal commentary and teasing about Nick's "Nick Facts" were amusing initially, but the joke became a little tiresome without enough playful interaction between the two of them to balance it.

The writing style itself also wasn't always a match for me. Some descriptions—such as a tour bus emitting a "great moist sigh" or a "bolus of humans" blocking a path—felt unnecessarily elaborate and occasionally pulled me out of the scene. Likewise, while I genuinely appreciated the author's extensive knowledge of Maya history and culture, there were moments when that research felt inserted into the narrative rather than naturally woven through it. Some of the references became so specific and frequent that I occasionally felt as though I were reading academic information rather than experiencing it alongside the characters.

On a smaller note, I didn't mind the third-person narration, but I found myself wishing the story had been written in first person from Catherine's perspective. I think being more firmly inside her head may have helped me connect with her character.

Finally, the amount and type of profanity became a significant issue for me personally. I don't expect every book I read to be completely clean, but the frequency of certain expletives—particularly repeated uses of God's name in vain and Jesus Christ alongside profanity—became uncomfortable for me as a Christian and increasingly affected my enjoyment of the book. This is, of course, a personal reading preference, but it's something I would have appreciated knowing beforehand and something similarly minded readers may want to be aware of.

Ultimately, Her Life in Ruins had a fascinating premise, an adventurous setting, and an impressive amount of historical and cultural research behind it. Those elements are what kept me reading as long as I did and are ultimately why I'm giving the portion I read two stars. Unfortunately, the slow pacing, difficulty connecting with Catherine, lack of convincing romantic chemistry, repetitive elements, and writing style meant this one wasn't the right fit for me.

Although I didn't finish this one, I'm still very grateful to NetGalley, Cynthia W. Gentry, and the publisher for trusting me with an advance copy—and for giving me the opportunity to read and review my very first NetGalley ARC.

[carley k ♥︎]

This was exactly the kind of book where I think knowing what you are getting into makes all the difference. I went in expecting a cheesy rom-com with emotional depth, a ridiculous heist backdrop, and some genuinely fun archaeology details, and that is pretty much what this delivered. The heist was not exactly subtle, the villain was obvious, and I was never under the impression that I was reading some airtight thriller plot. But as a romance with history, adventure, and a healthy amount of academic chaos? I had a really good time.

The romance worked for me because the friends-to-lovers dynamic actually felt believable. That trope only works if I buy the friendship first, and here I did. I believed in their history, their care for each other, their unresolved feelings, and the way they still knew each other even after time and hurt had complicated everything. There was an emotional familiarity between them that made the romance feel natural instead of forced, which is really the whole point of friends-to-lovers. If I do not believe these people have actually mattered to each other for years, then what are we even doing here besides making eye contact near a plot device?

I also liked that he was supportive without turning into a romance doormat. He cared about her, but he still had his own beliefs, boundaries, and sense of what was right, even when that caused conflict or put him at odds with what she wanted. Yes, he is obviously more perfect than the average man, but that is literally why we read romance. Let us have one thing. What mattered to me was that he did not feel empty. He had enough of his own perspective to make the relationship feel like two people with history and friction, not just one messy woman and one endlessly patient man waiting to fix her.

And I really liked that she was messy. We need more romance heroines who are allowed to be older, complicated, and not handling life with perfect little inspirational poise. She is going through a divorce, struggling with her dissertation, drinking too much, sleeping around, and very clearly making some questionable choices. But that made her feel more real to me, not less. The divorce storyline added depth without taking over the whole book. It made her feel like an adult woman dealing with the fallout of a life that did not go the way she thought it would, while also trying to figure out what she actually wants next.

The archaeology details were also a huge part of why this worked for me. I never felt like the history was dumped in just to prove the author had done research. It felt woven into the adventure, and I was genuinely interested in the Maya glyphs, the Maya Hiatus, and the gaps in dynastic history being discussed. I ended up looking more into Maya ceramics, glyphic texts, and how much of that history is still being reconstructed from damaged, partial, or newly interpreted records, which is always a good sign. I love when a book makes me want to go learn more without feeling like I was trapped in a lecture.

The heist side of the plot was definitely cheesy, and honestly kind of ridiculous, but I do think that was part of the deal. This is a rom-com with a historical heist background, not a serious heist thriller, and I think it works best when approached that way. The villain was obvious pretty early, and some of the adventure pieces required me to just go along with the nonsense, but the romance and archaeology were strong enough that I did not mind. The heist gave the story movement, stakes, and a fun backdrop without being the thing I was most emotionally invested in.

The ending was predictable, but cute, and I liked that it tied back to her dissertation instead of only focusing on the romance. Her defending her dissertation gave the ending a nice sense of personal closure, which I appreciated. The romantic resolution was satisfying, but I liked that the book still let her academic and professional arc matter too.

Overall, this was fun, cheesy, and much more emotionally grounded than I expected from the premise. The heist plot is not the reason I would recommend it, but the friends-to-lovers romance, messy adult heroine, archaeology details, and Maya history were enough to make this a really enjoyable read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, akaSTORY, and Cynthia W. Gentry for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Nichole]

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams | akaSTORY for the opportunity to read Her Life in Ruins by Cynthia W. Gentry in exchange for my honest review.

Catherine’s life is, indeed, in ruins. 😂 She’s brilliant, headstrong, and this close to finishing her archaeology PhD, but instead she’s drinking, partying, hooking up, and avoiding the dissertation that could make her career.

The premise had SO much potential. A stolen Maya artifact, archaeology, Mexico, antiquities trafficking, a possible heist, and a complicated relationship? Sign me up.

And honestly, the archaeology and Maya culture were some of my favorite parts. You can tell Gentry did a lot of research, especially once the story moves to Mexico. The setting was detailed and immersive, and I really enjoyed the pieces dealing with the preservation of antiquities.

But I kept wanting more. Are we going to an actual dig site? What about Catherine’s work translating the glyphs? What does that look like? A lot of what I expected from the premise either happened much later than I wanted or never really came together in the way I hoped. The twists were also pretty predictable, and by the end, I felt underwhelmed.

I had mixed feelings about Catherine. She’s smart and ambitious, but WOW does she make some questionable decisions. And the way she treats Nick for most of the book really bothered me.

Nick, on the other hand? Golden retriever energy. 🥹 He’s honorable, sincere, patient, very smart, and honestly deserved better. I found it strange that Catherine always described him as a know-it-all mansplaner, but we didn't really see that from him. I liked him much more than I expected to. I wish we had gotten more of him. So much of his character is filtered through Catherine’s perspective, including her constant insistence that he’s unattractive and that she absolutely isn't attracted to him... while simultaneously being very aware that he's attractive. 😂 I think I would have enjoyed the romance much more if we had gotten to see their friendship outside of the timeframe this book focused on.

There were also several things I wish had been explored more, including Nick’s “criminal” ex-girlfriend and Catherine’s relationship with her family. Instead, we spent a lot of time inside Catherine’s head while she overthought everything and made increasingly questionable decisions.

And then there’s Mary. ❤️ Mary was easily my favorite. She was hilarious and brought so much personality to the story. Honestly, I would happily read a whole book about her.

I think this book has the bones of a really fun archaeological adventure, and I appreciated the research and the setting. For me, though, the adventure never quite lived up to the premise, and the romance sometimes felt like it was being pushed for the sake of making the story more genre friendly.

I really wanted to love this one, but ultimately it fell a little flat for me. Give me more Mary, more Nick, more archaeology, and a little less Catherine spiraling, and I think I would have been much happier. 😂

[Sabrina]

✨REVIEW OF ARC FROM NETGALLEY. ALL THOUGHTS/OPINIONS ARE MY OWN✨

This book was not for me. I would rate this book 2 stars out of 5 and those stars are mainly because I like the cover art and the academic subject matter was interesting.

I really did enjoy the fact that our main characters were PhD students in a field I have yet to see in romance novels. It’s tiring seeing the same old STEM romances come out so this was a much more interesting field for me. The amount of research the author did for this book is astounding. It’s clear the author took their time to make sure the academic references were accurate.

That being said, the research was a little too “info-dumpy” for me. The research, while detail oriented and interesting, did not bleed naturally into the narrative. Sometimes I felt like I was just bombarded with academic information while I was reading. I was sometimes left wondering am I reading a romance or a textbook?

It’s rather unfortunate because I also felt like the author’s commitment to the research was at the expense of the development of the characters and overall plot of the book. The plot is extremely predictable, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It leaves the reader able to actually enjoy the book and have fun with the characters. But that’s the issue-I didn’t have fun with the characters.

I did not like Catherine’s character. Point blank. Maybe it was the author’s intention to have a strong female protagonist but Catherine is….not that. Instead, she’s judgmental and extremely pretentious. She doesn’t treat those around her (especially Nick) the best and has this…unappealing superiority complex. Quite frankly, she’s sort of a b**** and not in a good way. She comes off as very insecure and not strong and seems to tear others down (again, especially Nick) a lot.

Unfortunately, Nick doesn’t do much for me either. He’s just…there. The reader finds out next to no details about him and his entire personality just seems to be “tee hee here’s another tidbit no one asked for I’m so quirky”.

The underdeveloped characters led to an underdeveloped romance. I did not think these characters had chemistry at all. In fact, I found it really really weird that Catherine just decided to “seduce” him one drunken night after repeatedly stressing she didn’t have any attraction to him.

Then there’s the heist. There’s not much to say about this other than it’s absolutely ridiculous.

I wanted to like this book because I truly wish there were more romance novels with an academic setting that’s NOT STEM. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me.

[Mary Wernig]

Song This Book Reminds Me Of:
“You Don’t Own Me,” by Lesley Gore

I REALLY enjoyed this book, so buckle up for a long review!

Disclaimer: ARC Review

I consider myself more well-versed in Maya history than the average lay-person due to my education growing up in Texas (I remember entire units dedicated to the native peoples of the Americas throughout elementary and middle school), but I learned A LOT about the Yucatán region just by reading this book! It was so interesting to read a romance with all of the anthropologic insights thrown in! This area was a 10/10!

I’m usually not a huge fan of a friends-to-lovers trope, but the way this one is set up was fantastic. Usually, I’m frustrated with why the characters didn’t just get together sooner, but considering Catherine’s previous relationship status and their positions as colleagues, I understood. The romance was great, no complaints there! It’s also very refreshing to read a romance novel where the romance itself is just part of a greater narrative, which this one definitely is!

‼️Possible Spoilers Ahead (related to overarching themes; specific actions not outlined), So Read With Caution:‼️

The storyline related to Randall and the heist really spoke to me as well. Catherine is such a well-written character, and her unfortunate relationship with Randall left me feeling powerless throughout the duration of the book. Her thoughts and feelings about her career, romantic relationships, happiness, self-esteem, and identity all seemed to be tied to male validation. I was so excited she was able to reclaim her power in the end (in a multitude of ways, might I add), and how this related to the findings of her dissertation. This was also a 10/10 for me.

Randall left me with slimy feelings from the beginning, but Mary’s character arch/reveal really surprised me in the end. I had totally forgotten the details of her previous career by the end, so that was a fun surprise for me. I’m kind of disappointed that we never learned what Nick’s baggage with his possible criminal ex-girlfriend is, but quite frankly, the story wasn’t about him, so I’m okay with this.

The ONLY reason this wasn’t a 5 star read for me was the fact that things got kind of slow in the middle. With the main plot point of the heist element taking place about 50% through the book, the second half got slow for me, in addition to the fact that I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Basically, I was STRESSED from the second half on. Other than that, stellar read!

[Taylor]

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of Her Life in Ruins.

Catherine is a driven, post divorce fun era, and rightfully stressed PHD candidate focusing on Maya and mesoamerican history. When a vase she unearthed at a dig site is stolen - the same vase that is the centerpeice of her dissertation, she desperately tries to hunt it down, balancing academic ethics and the need to do the right thing along the way.

While she is distrustful of men, I was so mad that she was so blinded by Randall! He had so many red flags. I didn’t call his motives, but I did see his involvement coming. The story of her father helping but not there for her shows that she doesn’t take men’s opinions seriously until she went for her PHD under Randall’s tutaledge shows how she cares for his opinion more than she notices how many red flags Randall has. I like that there is a good amount of showing how she is driven based off of passion, not out of spite, but there’s still spite that underlies her motives.

Nick is such a golden retriever, honorable man! I really liked him. If it had been centered around him or duel pov, I think I would have liked it more.

I wish that we got to see their friendship more first before the idea of attraction was brought on. She is constantly commenting on how she's impressed with herself for not being attracted to him but she knows that he is attractive. Then it turns into denial that he truly cares about her even though it’s clear she knows it. I did like that there’s wasn’t a long drawn out conversation - instead, he understood her focus is on the vase, and her including him was a sign that she was just as in, even if she wasn’t admitting it.
He made a mistake in doubting her, and while that hurts when people do it, I liked that he regretted it. He is human, she didn’t keep him well informed and his lively hood is to question everything.

The pacing is well done, there's always something going on and it never felt like it stalled, however I found myself asking, when is the actual heist going to start? Are they ever going to a dig site? What about her process for translating the glyphs? In the end what was promised fell flat. The romance is cute, but a backburner, the history is underexplained (I love history and wanted more Maya historical facts than the blurbs and tiny amounts we got), and the heist was not as heisty as I wanted - it was basically her flying by the seeds of her pants. Cute and fun read, but it was a good dinner that lacked a dash of spices (and not just romance spice).

[Ashley Gillan]

Catherine is struggling to finish her PhD dissertation - translating the glyphs on a newly discovered Maya vessel - when the most devastating things possible happen: the vase is stolen from the Guatemalan museum where it’s being held and someone breaks into her apartment and deletes all of her photos and notes. She’s screwed unless she can somehow an illustrious art forger in Mexico, who is rumored to be behind the heist, to give her back the original piece in time to finish her paper and save her career. With an upcoming alumni tour of the Yucatán peninsula coming up over spring break, she may have the slimmest of chances. Accompanied by her fellow grad student, Nick, who she’s also falling fast for, she races across the lush landscape of Mexico to save herself and possibly lose her heart.

Phew, there’s a lot going on in this book, from the light mystery, which I think is pretty obvious as far as who the bad guys are, but still has some interesting twists and turns in it, at least enough to vaguely hold my interest, to the love story, which let’s be real, is the true reason we’re reading. But I think everything is written well enough and simple enough that it is easy to keep track of, which was great! I was never lost in the storyline, and there were few enough characters (even with the alumni) that I could keep everyone straight. Big plus!

I really enjoyed the story and how it took us all on this journey through the Yucatán and really immersed us in Maya culture while not bogging everything down in minute details. It was enough to be a fun getaway and backdrop for the main story, but didn’t distract from the romance, which was white-hot and just enough to keep me satiated, not overdone. Another big plus for the book!

The only thing I didn’t love was the FMC. She was a bit of a “pick me,” which made me cringe at points. She was constantly rolling her eyes at things people said or judging others for being pretentious and judgy, when she was the one being, you know, judgy. Very “I think I’m too good for this” energy. But she’s in her mid-20s, so I think she’ll probably learn and look back and cringe along with us.

Overall, I really liked this book! It had a good plot and setting, just a bit of a frustrating heroine. But aren’t we all at that age, lol?

[Annie]

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one is difficult for me and I soft DNF-ed twice before finally giving up at 66%.

The good:
History and archaeology- the author very clearly did her research on Mesoamerica and the Maya to develop this story to feel authentic and the archaeology and history was very impressive. Descriptions of ruins and the places they were visiting were beautifully written. And the desperation of a PhD student was well-done. As well as Catherine’s general love of the field.

The not so good:
The romance and culprit- I won’t spoil the culprit but it was quite obvious. That being said, perhaps there is even more of a twist later on that I didn’t get to that includes more people.

The romance really did not work for me. This was supposed to be a friends-to-lovers situation and not once did I ever feel like Catherine actually liked Nick as a friend (and especially not as anything more than that). She seemed to, at best, tolerate him. It was a lot more telling than showing, she would think in her head “he’s one of my best friends” and then there was zero showing that, she always seemed annoyed by him. And he was introduced the first time as smelling terrible which was an interesting choice? Catherine regularly thought of how she has never once been attracted to him and then suddenly takes all her clothes off. Every time anything happened between them, it was completely random and sudden which was very jarring. Something else I was not expecting from this book that talks about sex (Catherine is recently divorced and spends A LOT of time thinking about all of her sexual exploits since then, even referring to it as her Post-Divorce Period of Harlotry) was that it was closed-door. The first time they have sex, the chapter ends at kissing/getting undressed and then the next chapter is a full flashback of some other guy she went out with and slept with (but there actually IS penetration in that scene?), and then next chapter is the next day after they apparently did it all night. That just didn’t fit the vibes of this book for me. Nick is clearly in love with her and she seems to barely like him and is often not particularly nice to him either.

[Amanda Hess]

The delicious double entendre of the title sets this book up perfectly. Catherine Saunders’ life is in ruins…she’s freshly divorced, partying a bit too hard, and struggling to complete her PhD dissertation on time…she’s also an archeologist. The female main character might currently be a mess, but she’s also incredibly intelligent, empowered, and independent, which sets this book up as a modern romantic comedy where the woman isn’t looking for love to rescue her or complete her life. Catherine is going to do that herself, and love- if she finds it- is a wonderful bonus. This fast-paced book is exceptionally smart and focused on the struggles of academia in the humanities fields. The characters’ motivations feel very true to life, and the descriptions of Catherine’s thirst to complete her academic work with integrity were powerful. I was cheering her on as she confronted looting, smuggling, and antiquities fraud! Similarly, Catherine’s ownership of her sexuality and determination to move through the world and her relationships without shame was so refreshing! The book had just a dash of spice to keep things interesting!

Her Life in Ruins is the debut novel from Cynthia W. Gentry, who is best known for her nonfiction works on sex and relationships. Her previous work clearly influenced her development of Catherine into a strong, intelligent, and sex-positive character and created a socially progressive story. That enlightened mentality is also apparent in the author’s treatment of the Maya cultural heritage featured in the book and the nuanced corrections made by the main characters to outdated, incorrect, or prejudiced language and beliefs. This book was very culturally aware and provided incredibly interesting information about a commonly misunderstood people. I not only enjoyed the story, but I also learned a lot as well! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves archeology, adventure stories, and romance!

Thank you to the publisher, Cynthia W. Gentry, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #HerLifeinRuins #NetGalley

[Elizabeth]

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this text in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Catherine, a PhD student in archaeology, who is oh so close to finishing her dissertation when the vase she's doing her dissertation on is stolen. Various high jinks ensue when she decides the only way to move forward is to try to steal it back, with the help of her friend, Nick, and her research partner, Yolandra.

This book did slowly grow on me. I was an anthropology major who did look into getting into archaeology, so the premise grabbed me right away. I enjoyed learning more about the field and some of the ethical challenges that come along with it. I enjoyed the side characters, particularly Yolandra and Mary, and there were a few moments that made me actually laugh out loud. For people who like some adventure in addition to their romance, the adventure piece is definitely there, though not as much as I expected from the book blurb.

The main thing that grated on me was Catherine herself. She improved toward the end of the book, but the first 50% or so I really couldn't stand her. For someone who goes on and on about how important getting a PhD is to her, how smart she is, how she was told to act dumber as a child to get mens' attention, etc, she certainly talks A LOT about all of the men around her and how much she is or is not into them. It felt like every time she mentioned Nick, Catherine had to think about how he was "just a friend", even before any feelings were there at all. And the number of times it was mentioned that she had a post-divorce "harlot" period was strange. I just found her very unlikeable and hard to cheer for. By the end of the book, I was cheering for her, but more for the sake of the side characters that I actually liked, rather than for Catherine.

I enjoyed the book on the whole, I really enjoyed learning about the type of archaeology Catherine was doing, and I enjoyed the side characters. If only I liked Catherine a bit more, I probably would have loved this book. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance with a bit of adventure. Happy reading everyone!

[Charlotte]

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Maya glyphs and archaeology are so cool

Catherine was a bit too judgmental for my tastes-- the sarcasm and witty responses towards Nick veered too sharply towards just being mean. I can see why he waited to confess his love for you girl!

The opening scene of being a TA was too real-- sitting in the back of the room talking under your breath with the other TA while mildly hungover (not that I would ever do that!), good times

The research and archaeology-related parts of the book were super interesting-- clearly well-researched and had a lot of time put into them-- but the romance fell flat. Nick, outside of being a nerd (which I always appreciate) and very smiley, isn't developed, especially once he confesses his love for Catherine. His super secret criminal ex-girlfriend situation is hinted at, but never fully mentioned, and Catherine's always talking about how he smells bad and mansplains. Why do you like him then?

I did appreciate how the "fight" between the two of them wasn't easily resolved-- Catherine couldn't call the cops on Randall at the airport in order to protect herself, Yolanda, and Nick; Nick didn't know this and thought she was selling herself out. This was another point against Nick-- you're doubting her ethics and her morals while still professing that she's the most brilliant epigrapher you've ever met...like pick a side. He was too black-and-white in regards to Catherine's problems-- like, no, she can't just call up the FBI to get Randall arrested, because he'll drag her, you, Yolanda, and every single possible person he can latch onto down! Catherine realizing this and trying to assess her options doesn't make her a criminal sellout, it makes her human. Actually the more that I think about Nick the angrier I get

I did appreciate how Catherine took no shit and was a very active protagonist. She was very funny (mostly), especially when referring to the Mormons and dealing with Mary

[Julianna Gartner]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley

With my second ARC also being an archeological romance, I’m really putting the ARC in archaeology - am I right? *cricket noises*

Catherine Saunders is almost done with her PhD when the subject of her dissertation, an ancient Maya vase she uncovered, is stolen. She makes a plan to sneak off and steal it back on an upcoming university-sponsored trip with the reluctant help of her research partner, Yolandra, and fellow grad student, Nick.

I liked the setting and premise of this and getting to learn more about the ancient Maya people. I learned Mayan refers not to the people, but the language, and the Maya were prone to termination rituals where they would destroy inanimate objects. Not Catherine’s special vase, though! I found the first half of this to be rather slow and repetitive. I was getting exhausted of hearing how much Catherine parties and hooks up, how her marriage was a mistake, and her parents don’t support her dreams. She also mainly refers to her parents by their first names which didn’t help my character name confusion (a lot of alumni and undergrads on the Mexico trip to keep track of). Everything also kept going so wrong for poor Catherine to the point that I was like damn, has this woman ever been happy?? I thought the book could have been a little shorter since the random backstories peppered in didn’t do much for me. I would have enjoyed more info on Yolandra, and didn’t like how our literal first introduction to the male love interest, we are told he reeks of BO and cigarettes. Wow, I’m swooning! Mary, the octogenarian, was my favorite character and honestly saved this from a lower rating from me.

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

[Ryan Mary]

Thank you to the publisher (Abrams/akaSTORY), @netgalley, and Cynthia W. Gentry for the ARC of Her Life In Ruins. I wavered on my rating but, because it’s an ARC, u need to give it a star rating. I’m landing on 3.5. It was a pleasant read and helped break-up a darker read I was working through at the same time.

Catherine is a PhD candidate in archeology. She’s spent the last several years researching and deciphering the Maya glyphs on a rare, intact vase that she uncovered at a dig site in Guatemala. Her entire dissertation begins to unravel when her research partner informs her that the case as been stolen from the lab. She thinks it’s been taken by a well known antiquities copier. Trying not to panic, she devises a plan. While taking alumni on a tour of archeological structures in Central America, she will find the vase. No one will need to know that it ever went missing. When she finds herself in the center of an antiquities smuggling ring, only then does she realize that she might be over her head.

Things I liked:
🪏 Lots of interesting facts about archeology
📖 Academia
🪏 A little bit of romance
📖 Adventure and a little danger
🪏 Culturally sensitive
📖 Take charge main character
🪏 Friends to lovers

Things I didn’t care for:
🪏 Highly improbable
📖 Thought it would end a few chapters before it did
🪏 Miscommunication between characters
📖 “Tech bros” (these just felt like caricatures)

Having spent some time in academia, I struggled with Catherine taking matters into her own hands. I feel like, while PhD candidates may be desperate at times, I don’t feel like they’re really going to find themselves in the situations that Catherine found herself. But, it’s fiction, it doesn’t have to be realistic.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I’d recommend it for a light and fun adventure.

Anticipated Pub Date: January 5, 2027

[Melissa]

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Books for the ARC Of Her Life in Ruins.

I was very excited to start this book. Based off the description and cover, I really enjoyed the premise of a mystery combined with adventure and romance.

The basis of the story is Catherine, the FMC, is a trying to finish her PhD be writing a dissertation about glyphs on a piece of pottery that she found in Guatemala on a dig. The vase is stolen and all of her notes/photos have disappeared as well. With a little guidance, she discovers a lead to where the missing vase has gone and attempts to get it back. This all occurs while she is helping host an alumni archaeological trip with her PhD advisor and her (eventual love interest) colleague.

This book took me too long to get through. It took me about 2 weeks to get halfway through the book, which is when Catherine actually started to try to get the case back. I ended up just skimming to rest of the book, because I had no desire to finish reading the story. I didn’t have any connection to the characters. The only character I truly enjoyed was Mary, one of the alumni on the trip. Thankfully, she was in the book for more than a couple of pages.

I feel like this book should have focused on either the mystery/adventure or the romance. In the end, I didn’t get enough of any of those things. There was too much focus on the random day to day interactions instead of the story.

The antagonist(s) in the book are pretty easy to figure out, which make the story predictable. As villain(s), they aren’t that awful, so the suspense falls flat.

If you want a light beach read, this would be fine. If you want a romance or a mystery/adventure, pick a different novel, because it is light on both of those genres.

[Bekah]

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams for the ARC!

This was a lot of fun! I don't know enough about Maya archeological sites to critique Gentry's use of the history here, but as somebody who was born and raised in Utah her depiction of the Mormon tour group was spot on lol. It seems clear to me that she went on at least one excursion to Tikal as part of her research, which makes that part of the book so much fun.

There were some choices I didn't fully understand. The sequence with Arturo in particular; writing it off as him being "unhinged" didn't make it not make sense in retrospect. Not even the twist with Randall really makes it make sense. Even unhinged characters have their own internal logic, you know? But given that this is supposed to be a fun Indiana Jones -adjacent adventure I would have appreciated it if Gentry had made even bigger and wilder choices, because at least then the madcap escalation would have been consistent, and made internal sense if not external. Let them go on the run from men with guns and have to camp out in the Mexican jungle.

Perhaps my biggest issue is that this was marketed to me as a romcom; it is not one, and I don't think it was initially meant to be one. The book has the makings of a great adventure novel, Gentry seems to have done a lot of research into Mayan archeology and the factors influencing the trafficking of artefacts. The romance is a subplot, which is fine, but it does also feel like there are parts where the romance was inflated in an attempt to make this a true romcom, something I suspect happened in the course of the editing process to try and make the book more marketable to romance readers. I wasn't particularly convinced. Tone it back down to a true subplot and let Nick be a boy toy. It's ok, he's where he wants to be.

[Jenny Schofield]

I’m a sucker for anything involving “treasure hunting,” so as soon as I saw the archaeology angle in this book, I couldn’t wait to *dig* in….........

Overall, this was a really fun, easy read. There’s witty banter, mystery, drama, unique cultures, and what one Goodreads reviewer perfectly called a “haphazard quest (thanks, Rachel Dunn!).”

That said, there was a lot going on, and at times it felt a bit disjointed or hard to keep everything straight. Between Catherine's dissertation and all of the academic pieces, the missing vase (and its many, many various adventures...not to mention, is it real? Is it fake??), Catherine’s self-destructive tendencies, a friends-to-lovers romance, multiple timelines, and a whole cast of side characters… it was a lot to juggle and didn't always have a smooth flow.

Speaking of side characters—can we please get more Mary? Yes, she’s completely predictable as the chaotic, quirky, “what is she going to do next?” lovable older lady sidekick… but I’m absolutely here for it. #moreMary

The villain was also pretty predictable—and a little too obviously villainous at times.

As for Catherine, she was strong, confident, and relatable in some ways… but also frustrating. Her flaws felt very real, which I appreciated, but there were definitely moments where I wanted to shake her and say, “Fix yo' life, woman! And please make better choices...”

3.5 stars, but rounding up because even so, I was fully invested and flying through the pages to see what would happen next. And honestly, now I’m half tempted to go book an adventure and dig around in the dirt myself… 😉

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC copy!

[Kelsie Gilkey]

Her Life in Ruins
Cynthia W. Gentry
Publication date: January 5, 2027

Her Life in Ruins follows a recently divorced PhD student, her discovery of a Mayan artifact, her dissertation work deciphering the glyphs on this artifact and the subsequent journey retrieving this relic when it’s stolen from the research lab.

Catherine, the PhD student is working as a TA at Stanford for an archaeology class. She finds out right before an important class trip to Mexico that the vase she has been working to decipher has been stolen from the research facility. Her research partner Yolandra tells her she expects the vase to be in the hands of a notorious fraudulent antiquities dealer.

Once arriving in Mexico, Catherine devises a plan to retrieve the vase. She goes to the antiquities dealer to get it back, this plan is quite flawed and they run into many obstacles along the way. Upon recovering this artifact, she learns that this theft was more thought out and planned than it seemed on the surface.

More antics ensue and as several parties race to claim this relic, Catherine continues to fight for history’s sake as well as the PhD she’s worked so hard for.

I would give this book 3 stars. I enjoyed the ending a lot! I found the beginning and middle to be a bit slow. I thought the whole concept and plot of the book was very new and unique which I loved. I enjoyed the hint of a love story as well. I really enjoyed Catherine as a character and felt connected to her. I will say there were moments that were a bit hard to believe but overall a great read!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC!!!

[Jennifer]

This is one of those stories that feels heavy in a quiet, lingering way—the kind that isn’t trying to shock you, but instead slowly unravels a life piece by piece.

Her Life in Ruins leans deeply into emotional fallout—grief, regret, the weight of past decisions—and how those things don’t just disappear with time. They settle. They reshape you. And this book really sits in that space.

What stood out most to me was how introspective it is. It’s very character-driven, very internal. You’re not flying through plot twists here—you’re walking through someone’s life as it cracks and shifts, and that pacing won’t be for everyone. At times, it can feel slow, but I don’t think it’s meant to be rushed. It’s more about reflection than momentum.

The writing itself is thoughtful and intentional. There’s a quiet sadness woven throughout, and if you’ve ever gone through loss, big life changes, or that feeling of “how did I end up here,” it’s going to hit a little deeper.

That said, I did find myself wanting a bit more pull in certain moments—something to fully anchor me emotionally or push the story forward just a little more. It kept me engaged, but not completely consumed.

I’d recommend this if you like slower, introspective reads that focus on emotional healing, identity, and starting over after everything falls apart. If you’re looking for something fast-paced or plot-heavy, this probably won’t be your book—but if you’re in a reflective mood, it might land exactly how it’s supposed to.

[Lori]

For Cynthia W. Gentry's first fiction novel I overall had a good time with it, even if it didn’t fully hit for me.

I really liked the friends-to-lovers slow build. It felt natural and believable, and I enjoyed watching that relationship develop over time. The archaeology elements were also a big highlight. You can tell the author really did her research, and that added a lot of depth and authenticity to the story. I also appreciated the Mexico setting, though I do wish we had gotten a bit more detail and immersion in those locations.

That said, it took me a while to get into this one. The first 60% felt pretty slow for me and was a bit harder to push through. I also ended up guessing the twist fairly early on, which made some of the later reveals feel less impactful. I would’ve loved a little more buildup and higher stakes, especially in some of the bigger moments.

The writing style didn’t fully land for me either. While I could see what the author was going for, it just didn’t completely click with me. Overall, a lot of the story felt a bit predictable, which is ultimately why I’m rounding my rating down.

Romance-wise, this leans mostly closed door, with one short flashback scene that felt a little out of place compared to the rest of the scenes.

Overall I really enjoyed the premise and the academic/adventure elements, even if the pacing and predictability held it back a bit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Cynthia for allowing me to have an ARC.

⭐️ 3.5 stars (rounded down to 3)