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The Copper Egg
The ancient Chimú believed their people came from three the rulers from a gold egg, their wives from a silver, and the workers from a copper egg.
Archeologist Claire Adams receives a mysterious package that lures her to Peru in search of a treasure-filled tomb. She must find the tomb before looters do. She’s helped in her quest by old friends and by a strange connection to an ancient copper egg. Claire’s ex, Sochi Castillo, has her own plans for the tomb. She has two jobs—one within the law , one considerably outside it. If Claire finds the treasure first, Sochi is going to steal it. As Claire and Sochi are drawn into a web of intrigue, betrayal, and greed, they discover that love complicates everything.
Archeologist Claire Adams receives a mysterious package that lures her to Peru in search of a treasure-filled tomb. She must find the tomb before looters do. She’s helped in her quest by old friends and by a strange connection to an ancient copper egg. Claire’s ex, Sochi Castillo, has her own plans for the tomb. She has two jobs—one within the law , one considerably outside it. If Claire finds the treasure first, Sochi is going to steal it. As Claire and Sochi are drawn into a web of intrigue, betrayal, and greed, they discover that love complicates everything.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2016
9 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Friend
34 books166 followersCatherine Friend had what she calls a "boring" childhood, but she says that boring was just fine -- because it gave her more time to read. She read so much her parents had to set a "no-reading-at-the dinner-table" rule. She was slightly shy as a child, but enjoyed playing Beauty Parlor with her sister, taking family trips, and watching STAR TREK and TIME TUNNEL.
She studied Economics, but because of her love for books and stories, she eventually found herself drawn to writing. Since then, the author has written six children's books, including THE PERFECT NEST, a hilarious read-aloud illustrated by John Manders; and two books in Candlewick’s Brand New Readers series. She is also the author of the acclaimed adult memoir, HIT BY A FARM: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BARN. When it comes to her writing, Catherine Friend likes to try new things and seek new challenges -- but she always likes to write stories that make her laugh.
Catherine Friend lives on a small farm in southeastern Minnesota -- which inspired both THE PERFECT NEST and HIT BY A FARM. There, she raises sheep, goats, and llamas, and has an energetic border collie named Robin.
She studied Economics, but because of her love for books and stories, she eventually found herself drawn to writing. Since then, the author has written six children's books, including THE PERFECT NEST, a hilarious read-aloud illustrated by John Manders; and two books in Candlewick’s Brand New Readers series. She is also the author of the acclaimed adult memoir, HIT BY A FARM: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BARN. When it comes to her writing, Catherine Friend likes to try new things and seek new challenges -- but she always likes to write stories that make her laugh.
Catherine Friend lives on a small farm in southeastern Minnesota -- which inspired both THE PERFECT NEST and HIT BY A FARM. There, she raises sheep, goats, and llamas, and has an energetic border collie named Robin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 3, 2016
Good old-fashioned lesfic adventures are so rare I want to give them 5 stars just for being published. :) I think I might have actually done that too, lol. This book deserves it though, for the most part.
Let's start with the cover. The book's almost worth picking up just for that alone. It's uncannily spot on and so totally Claire--Indiana Jones in a tank top and cargo shorts--so much so that it feels like the author wrote the whole book around that picture. :) The other reason I snapped this up without a second thought is the author. I loved all her lesfic, which just happen to be all old-fashioned adventures with a heavy dose of romance.
Claire Adams is an archaeologist who dreams of landing a prestigious and well-paid job at the Smithsonian to further her career. But her plans take a mighty tumble in Peru in an incident involving her ex, Sochi and the local Peruvian press. Shame at her 'exposure' makes her hightail it out of Peru and into the safety of a mid-level but completely unexciting job at the Smithsonian overseeing artifact transfers. Three years later she receives a mystery package postmarked Peru containing a gold, a silver and a copper egg... with a note from the anonymous sender enjoining her to use her 'gift' to search for the most fabulous treasure in all of Peru--King Chaco's tomb. And so the adventure begins...
Any time you have an archaeologist main character in an action adventure story, it's hard not to compare it against the most popular archaeologist in pop culture. Our resident Indy, Claire Adams, shares his fearlessness, self-deprecating sense of humor, and even.. his rugged charm :), but thankfully, none of his recklessness and carelessness in treating newly discovered archaeological sites. She's all for preserving the artifacts and leaving the site intact.
Like the Indiana Jones series, this book takes a semi-serious and slightly irreverent tone, with the usual ingredients these kinds of stories favor: a fabulous tomb filled with treasure, an over-the-top megalomaniac villain, evil and/or inept henchmen, and of course, romance. There was a surprising dearth of action though. Instead of her fists, our Indy uses mostly her 'special gift' and some interesting but improbable astronomical trick to try to suss out the location of the treasure.
Note: I re-read through the rest of this review for possible spoilers. There aren't any major ones beyond what is already hinted by the blurb. So it's safe. Fans of the author and lesfic adventure tales (like me) who want to experience everything fresh from the first read-through may prefer not to read further. Suffice it to say there's enough romance and drama to satisfy the typical romance reader, and enough excitement, surprises and twists for the rest of us.
The book features alternating chapters told from Claire and Sochi's point of view. Sochi is quite a bit of an enigma. She's very devoted to her native Peruvian culture, and would do literally anything to see that everything dug out of Peru stays in Peru. For her, the end justifies the means...any means. So she leads a double life. Artifact cop by day. Artifact thief by night. How did that happen, and how does it even work? Just imagine the mental gymnastics Sochi has to go through everyday. And then her old flame Claire shows up with the ultimate quest for the mythical treasure-laden tomb. How does she keep her hands off that?
The plot is at once extremely complex and overly simplistic--if that were possible. Complex because there are a good number of personalities involved, everyone with their own agenda and hidden motives, who are also after the treasure for one reason or another. And too simplistic because even the main character Claire had trouble believing the evil villain's motivation for all his grand plans. Some major suspension of disbelief required for this, as well as for some of the plot developments that ranged from illogical to eye-rolling to comical . Even so, I was thoroughly entertained. The trick is to not overthink it and just let the story take you along for the ride.
The supporting characters are a curious mix--most are well-rounded while a few seem straight out of a comic book.
The romance is... let's just say that romance readers won't be disappointed. Claire and Sochi's relationship start off with the mother of all betrayals. Flashbacks throughout the book show how intense things were and could be again, if only they can get past the hurts, the stubbornness and the mistrust and survive the treasure hunt in one piece.
4.75 stars
ARC from Netgalley and BSB
P.S. If still in doubt, check out some choice excerpts from my status updates. :)
Let's start with the cover. The book's almost worth picking up just for that alone. It's uncannily spot on and so totally Claire--Indiana Jones in a tank top and cargo shorts--so much so that it feels like the author wrote the whole book around that picture. :) The other reason I snapped this up without a second thought is the author. I loved all her lesfic, which just happen to be all old-fashioned adventures with a heavy dose of romance.
Claire Adams is an archaeologist who dreams of landing a prestigious and well-paid job at the Smithsonian to further her career. But her plans take a mighty tumble in Peru in an incident involving her ex, Sochi and the local Peruvian press. Shame at her 'exposure' makes her hightail it out of Peru and into the safety of a mid-level but completely unexciting job at the Smithsonian overseeing artifact transfers. Three years later she receives a mystery package postmarked Peru containing a gold, a silver and a copper egg... with a note from the anonymous sender enjoining her to use her 'gift' to search for the most fabulous treasure in all of Peru--King Chaco's tomb. And so the adventure begins...
Any time you have an archaeologist main character in an action adventure story, it's hard not to compare it against the most popular archaeologist in pop culture. Our resident Indy, Claire Adams, shares his fearlessness, self-deprecating sense of humor, and even.. his rugged charm :), but thankfully, none of his recklessness and carelessness in treating newly discovered archaeological sites. She's all for preserving the artifacts and leaving the site intact.
Like the Indiana Jones series, this book takes a semi-serious and slightly irreverent tone, with the usual ingredients these kinds of stories favor: a fabulous tomb filled with treasure, an over-the-top megalomaniac villain, evil and/or inept henchmen, and of course, romance. There was a surprising dearth of action though. Instead of her fists, our Indy uses mostly her 'special gift' and some interesting but improbable astronomical trick to try to suss out the location of the treasure.
Note: I re-read through the rest of this review for possible spoilers. There aren't any major ones beyond what is already hinted by the blurb. So it's safe. Fans of the author and lesfic adventure tales (like me) who want to experience everything fresh from the first read-through may prefer not to read further. Suffice it to say there's enough romance and drama to satisfy the typical romance reader, and enough excitement, surprises and twists for the rest of us.
The book features alternating chapters told from Claire and Sochi's point of view. Sochi is quite a bit of an enigma. She's very devoted to her native Peruvian culture, and would do literally anything to see that everything dug out of Peru stays in Peru. For her, the end justifies the means...any means. So she leads a double life. Artifact cop by day. Artifact thief by night. How did that happen, and how does it even work? Just imagine the mental gymnastics Sochi has to go through everyday. And then her old flame Claire shows up with the ultimate quest for the mythical treasure-laden tomb. How does she keep her hands off that?
The plot is at once extremely complex and overly simplistic--if that were possible. Complex because there are a good number of personalities involved, everyone with their own agenda and hidden motives, who are also after the treasure for one reason or another. And too simplistic because even the main character Claire had trouble believing the evil villain's motivation for all his grand plans. Some major suspension of disbelief required for this, as well as for some of the plot developments that ranged from illogical to eye-rolling to comical . Even so, I was thoroughly entertained. The trick is to not overthink it and just let the story take you along for the ride.
The supporting characters are a curious mix--most are well-rounded while a few seem straight out of a comic book.
The romance is... let's just say that romance readers won't be disappointed. Claire and Sochi's relationship start off with the mother of all betrayals. Flashbacks throughout the book show how intense things were and could be again, if only they can get past the hurts, the stubbornness and the mistrust and survive the treasure hunt in one piece.
4.75 stars
ARC from Netgalley and BSB
P.S. If still in doubt, check out some choice excerpts from my status updates. :)
December 18, 2016
'Indiana Jones-esque'; 'archaeologist'; 'investigations in Peru'; - sounds exciting, I'm in. *reads book*
Well . . . a) melodramatic over the top . . . well, everyone. Villains/heroes/random person driving a cab; b) monologues out the door and forming an orderly queue so they can be said - or - every bloody person kept monologuing; c) way way too many flashbacks (not talking about the visions here). Did we really need all of those flashbacks? (this is how we first meet (okay, fine, that's good); this is how I meet this random dude (um . . . oookay? bored); this is how . . . . (arrgh).
There was a story. There was characters who were more than thin slices of pepperoni. But . . . to a certain extent, by the end of the book the only characters I still cared anything for were the two women back in the distant past of Peru (what was it, something like 1000 years or more ago?) - and those two were just 'seen' by the main character, they didn't get to be felt or be their own characters.
*shrugs* I'll read another book by this author - I do own two more books I picked up during that action/adventure sale. I'm just reluctant to dive into those other books now.
December 17 2016
Well . . . a) melodramatic over the top . . . well, everyone. Villains/heroes/random person driving a cab; b) monologues out the door and forming an orderly queue so they can be said - or - every bloody person kept monologuing; c) way way too many flashbacks (not talking about the visions here). Did we really need all of those flashbacks? (this is how we first meet (okay, fine, that's good); this is how I meet this random dude (um . . . oookay? bored); this is how . . . . (arrgh).
There was a story. There was characters who were more than thin slices of pepperoni. But . . . to a certain extent, by the end of the book the only characters I still cared anything for were the two women back in the distant past of Peru (what was it, something like 1000 years or more ago?) - and those two were just 'seen' by the main character, they didn't get to be felt or be their own characters.
*shrugs* I'll read another book by this author - I do own two more books I picked up during that action/adventure sale. I'm just reluctant to dive into those other books now.
December 17 2016
May 18, 2016
The Copper Egg by Catherine Friend is a modern day Indiana Jones style adventure. The cornerstones of this book are two intelligent leading ladies, an evil villain who is hell-bent on destroying everything in his path, and dazzling historical facts. An action packed adventure set in beautiful Peru.
Claire Adams is archeologist that is currently working for a subsidiary of the Smithsonian. Her job is making sure priceless artifacts get properly labeled and protected as they are loaned out to other museums. Claire is bored out of her ever loving mind. This is a far cry from her days working as the sub-director of excavation at Chan Chan in Trujillo, Peru. A crazy turn of events and a bad breakup caused Claire to flee Peru, leaving her life and her heart behind. This all changes when a package of three Peruvian artifacts show up addressed to her.
Sochi Castillo is Claire’s ex. Sochi lives a double life. By day she is a well-respected assistant for Centro Nacional de Tesoros Peruano, CNTP, working to keep Peru’s treasures in Peru. At night Sochi steals the very artifacts she protects at CNTP. Sochi goes by her hides her thievery behind the legendary La Bruja sin Corazon, the witch without a heart. Sochi has been given the job to steal the artifacts before other looters can get their hands on them and funnel them outside the county. Sochi justifies her actions as La Bruja by selling her stolen items to collectors that live in Peru. This is a double edged sword that Sochi lives by, but she struggles with her actions.
The Copper Egg has a bit of everything, adventure, kidnapping, double crossing frenemies and of course a romance. I loved the concept of this book, and I was memorized by the stories and history of Peru. Put Peru down as one of the places I must travel to! The only thing that this book didn’t have going for it, in my opinion, is the romance. Claire and Sochi never really reconnected to me, and I never really felt their anger or angst at their breakup either. Their interactions together are a bit limited and I just couldn't buy into their rekindling.
All in all this is a good book and quite different from a lot of what is out there in this genre. It is well written and an action-packed adventure of fun. I look forward to reading more by this author.
3.5 stars
Claire Adams is archeologist that is currently working for a subsidiary of the Smithsonian. Her job is making sure priceless artifacts get properly labeled and protected as they are loaned out to other museums. Claire is bored out of her ever loving mind. This is a far cry from her days working as the sub-director of excavation at Chan Chan in Trujillo, Peru. A crazy turn of events and a bad breakup caused Claire to flee Peru, leaving her life and her heart behind. This all changes when a package of three Peruvian artifacts show up addressed to her.
Sochi Castillo is Claire’s ex. Sochi lives a double life. By day she is a well-respected assistant for Centro Nacional de Tesoros Peruano, CNTP, working to keep Peru’s treasures in Peru. At night Sochi steals the very artifacts she protects at CNTP. Sochi goes by her hides her thievery behind the legendary La Bruja sin Corazon, the witch without a heart. Sochi has been given the job to steal the artifacts before other looters can get their hands on them and funnel them outside the county. Sochi justifies her actions as La Bruja by selling her stolen items to collectors that live in Peru. This is a double edged sword that Sochi lives by, but she struggles with her actions.
The Copper Egg has a bit of everything, adventure, kidnapping, double crossing frenemies and of course a romance. I loved the concept of this book, and I was memorized by the stories and history of Peru. Put Peru down as one of the places I must travel to! The only thing that this book didn’t have going for it, in my opinion, is the romance. Claire and Sochi never really reconnected to me, and I never really felt their anger or angst at their breakup either. Their interactions together are a bit limited and I just couldn't buy into their rekindling.
All in all this is a good book and quite different from a lot of what is out there in this genre. It is well written and an action-packed adventure of fun. I look forward to reading more by this author.
3.5 stars
June 13, 2016
Hmmmm...
A book that I both enjoyed and frustrated the hell out of me. Loved the setting and the crash course in Peruvian archeology - wanted to punch most of the characters for being completely stupid and pigheaded.
The whole subplot with the Peruvian Japanese felt like complete BS and what the hell happened to the complete meltdown of Peruvian economy?
Every baddie felt the need to monologue about their evil plot, I felt flashbacks to the Incredibles :).
However, I did like the writing style and this author knows how to run both present and historical timelines to great effect.
Reasonable but not this author's best book.
A book that I both enjoyed and frustrated the hell out of me. Loved the setting and the crash course in Peruvian archeology - wanted to punch most of the characters for being completely stupid and pigheaded.
The whole subplot with the Peruvian Japanese felt like complete BS and what the hell happened to the complete meltdown of Peruvian economy?
Every baddie felt the need to monologue about their evil plot, I felt flashbacks to the Incredibles :).
However, I did like the writing style and this author knows how to run both present and historical timelines to great effect.
Reasonable but not this author's best book.
May 7, 2016
After receiving a package containing three eggs Claire Adams returns to Peru to hunt down the tomb of an ancient King. Her ex Sochi is also on the hunt for ancient treasures. Having not ended their relationship on the best of terms both women are reluctant to see each other again.
This book has a lot of adventure as Claire hunts for this hidden tomb, attempting to find it before the looters and those who are betraying her. The romance element of it is a bit different as the two main characters dated previously. The chemistry between the two is clear but I think I would have liked to see more of them together, outside of hunting for the treasure.
Overall I enjoyed it. Solid 4 stars.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
This book has a lot of adventure as Claire hunts for this hidden tomb, attempting to find it before the looters and those who are betraying her. The romance element of it is a bit different as the two main characters dated previously. The chemistry between the two is clear but I think I would have liked to see more of them together, outside of hunting for the treasure.
Overall I enjoyed it. Solid 4 stars.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
May 11, 2016
Thank you Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
"Worry tells you what parts of your life needs attention ."
"If you feel like life is falling apart, it probably is. Stop and fix it."
I like the idea of the story that is about searching of a king's tomb that hid a valuable treasure. The adventure is really interesting. Unfortunately there are some parts that are rushing and seems forced.
I like the main character Claire Adams, she's smart and brave. Unfortunately I don't feel anything fot the other MC, Sochi. For the romance part I also don't feel anything. I feel like they don't have any chemistry.
Three stars for this book.
"Worry tells you what parts of your life needs attention ."
"If you feel like life is falling apart, it probably is. Stop and fix it."
I like the idea of the story that is about searching of a king's tomb that hid a valuable treasure. The adventure is really interesting. Unfortunately there are some parts that are rushing and seems forced.
I like the main character Claire Adams, she's smart and brave. Unfortunately I don't feel anything fot the other MC, Sochi. For the romance part I also don't feel anything. I feel like they don't have any chemistry.
Three stars for this book.
May 25, 2016
How do I describe this book? Well, uh, it's very informative. I feel like the more I read, the more it feeds me knowledge.
Here's my favorite quote of this book: "Oh, my loves, I know the heart seems the most vulnerable part of our bodies, the most easily broken, but the heart really is the strongest part of each of us. The heart always recovers. It's built that way---It's the mind that stores the hurt and anger and betrayal. When the mind lets go, the heart heals" (58% of book). Wise word indeed, I will remember this.
The progress of the book is very slow, at times, it really makes me want to skip those pages, but the storyline is one hell of an anticipation. It's the anticipation of future events that keep reader excited to turn the next page.
Unfortunately, I feel like the romance kinda fell short after all the events that going on around our two main characters. The fate of the villains is very satisfying, the romance at the end is solid and concluded, but the ending itself is a different story. There are too many loopholes that needed to be fill.
I'm pretty sure if the story could continue on for longer, there are still a lot of leftover stuffs for Claire and Sochi to deal with.
However, this four stars is reserved for a very original concept storyline as well as the author's informative way of writing.
Here's my favorite quote of this book: "Oh, my loves, I know the heart seems the most vulnerable part of our bodies, the most easily broken, but the heart really is the strongest part of each of us. The heart always recovers. It's built that way---It's the mind that stores the hurt and anger and betrayal. When the mind lets go, the heart heals" (58% of book). Wise word indeed, I will remember this.
The progress of the book is very slow, at times, it really makes me want to skip those pages, but the storyline is one hell of an anticipation. It's the anticipation of future events that keep reader excited to turn the next page.
Unfortunately, I feel like the romance kinda fell short after all the events that going on around our two main characters. The fate of the villains is very satisfying, the romance at the end is solid and concluded, but the ending itself is a different story. There are too many loopholes that needed to be fill.
I'm pretty sure if the story could continue on for longer, there are still a lot of leftover stuffs for Claire and Sochi to deal with.
However, this four stars is reserved for a very original concept storyline as well as the author's informative way of writing.
May 5, 2016
I'm a big fan of Catherine Friend's other titles and was desperately looking forward to devouring this latest one. However, I was left just confused. From the get-go the story is a bit shaky--a disgraced archeologist decides to return to the country she was laughed out of after receiving a mysterious package beckoning her to resume her "treasure hunt". Somehow she makes this decision lightning fast, even after thinking about consulting with characters who never show up or have practically no interaction or point to the story, then it's back to Peru! In Peru is also her ex-girlfriend, who she believes betrayed her and turned her into a laughing stock. Although naturally both women are obsessed with each other and spend large chunks of their chapters thinking about not thinking of the other. That gets old quickly. The problem with this relationship is that there is precious little actual interaction between these two for most of the book and thus absolutely no chemistry between them. I don't particularly care for either main characters; they're both pretty basic and despite chapters taking place from their point of view, everything about them is fairly surface level. The story then throws in ridiculous plot lines, obvious red herrings, the typical evil men trope of lesbian fiction, pointless rival love interests, in fact pointless characters and scenes overall, all centered around rather "meh" characters and a snoozer of a "romance". Not what I was expecting in this author's novel. Even the treasure hunt, if we're even going to call it that, just wasn't fun or exciting. I was hoping for Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider, but what this story ended up being was a massive letdown.
ARC provided by NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley
February 4, 2017
This was just a fun read. Think Indiana Jones crossed with Tomb Raider. Sexy characters. Evil villains. An unusual setting. Just a kick back, suspend your disbelief, hang on tight and enjoy the ride adventure. A fast paced page turner. Definitely looking forward to reading more from Catherine Friend.
Net Galley ARC received for an honest review.
Net Galley ARC received for an honest review.
July 2, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No outside considerations went into this review.
I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, and not just because, as a queer woman, I feel bad on principle for knocking a lesbian romance story. The thing is, I also wanted to enjoy it because the synopsis promised an exciting, tension-filled adventure and that... just isn't what I got.
The history between Claire and Sochi should be the heart of it all. The synopsis certainly promises something dynamic between them - a cat-and-mouse game, or a race to the treasure, or bitterness slowly becoming reconciliation. In actuality, though, they don't even see each other for over half the book, and it takes them several more chapters to exchange words; when they do, despite each woman being bitter about the break-up for her own reasons, there's hardly any recrimination. After half a book of build-up, the way they rebuild their relationship is laughably easy.
I understand the desire to write about relationships between women that aren't angsty, truly. But the danger there for an author is that the relationship ends up falling flat instead. Claire and Sochi have no major ideological disagreements, or really arguments of any kind; the one time one of them gets angry at the other, it's illogical, manufactured to delay their relationship within the book. They are not, as the synopsis, suggests, on different sides of the conflict over looting Peruvian artifacts; everything is misunderstandings, easily resolved and forgiven. There's no negotiation, no tension, no battle of head over heart.
The non-romantic plot is much the same: slow in pace, without much draw or a sense of stakes. The antagonist is almost cartoonish - he literally refers to his machinations as his "Plan of Ultimate Retribution". The treasure hunt relies almost entirely on Claire's supernatural visions, not her actual skill - I'm not an archaeologist, but I was left with the feeling that she hadn't really displayed the skills of her profession at all in the book. Everything she needs is (eventually) handed to her.
Overall - perhaps the problem here is the misleading blurb, which promises a far more exciting story than what's actually inside. A resounding disappointment.
I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, and not just because, as a queer woman, I feel bad on principle for knocking a lesbian romance story. The thing is, I also wanted to enjoy it because the synopsis promised an exciting, tension-filled adventure and that... just isn't what I got.
The history between Claire and Sochi should be the heart of it all. The synopsis certainly promises something dynamic between them - a cat-and-mouse game, or a race to the treasure, or bitterness slowly becoming reconciliation. In actuality, though, they don't even see each other for over half the book, and it takes them several more chapters to exchange words; when they do, despite each woman being bitter about the break-up for her own reasons, there's hardly any recrimination. After half a book of build-up, the way they rebuild their relationship is laughably easy.
I understand the desire to write about relationships between women that aren't angsty, truly. But the danger there for an author is that the relationship ends up falling flat instead. Claire and Sochi have no major ideological disagreements, or really arguments of any kind; the one time one of them gets angry at the other, it's illogical, manufactured to delay their relationship within the book. They are not, as the synopsis, suggests, on different sides of the conflict over looting Peruvian artifacts; everything is misunderstandings, easily resolved and forgiven. There's no negotiation, no tension, no battle of head over heart.
The non-romantic plot is much the same: slow in pace, without much draw or a sense of stakes. The antagonist is almost cartoonish - he literally refers to his machinations as his "Plan of Ultimate Retribution". The treasure hunt relies almost entirely on Claire's supernatural visions, not her actual skill - I'm not an archaeologist, but I was left with the feeling that she hadn't really displayed the skills of her profession at all in the book. Everything she needs is (eventually) handed to her.
Overall - perhaps the problem here is the misleading blurb, which promises a far more exciting story than what's actually inside. A resounding disappointment.
May 10, 2016
3.5 stars. If you don't mind a little willing suspension of disbelief this is a highly entertaining book. It's terribly far-fetched, but the characters and story line are a fun escape from reality. I rounded up because it was well written and included geocaching!
March 6, 2018
Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
Find the following review posted on my blog - FarNerdy.
~~~
It seems that there are a good number of authors in the Les Fic genre that you can always count on for a good read. In my arsenal, these include Melissa Brayden, Gerri Hill, Jae, Lisa Moreau, and...the one and only Catherine Friend.
With The Copper Egg, Friend has once again delivered a rip-roaring adventure tale set against an amazing backdrop with that beautiful touch of lesbianism to boot. Escaping to Peru to follow looters, historians, archaeologists, government officials, and dangerous mad men, The Copper Egg is a great ride, and just as enjoyable as Friend's other adventure tales. With main character Claire Adams coming off as a cross between Indiana Jones and a lesbian Lara Croft, and her counterpart, ex Sochi Castillo, reminding me of a female version of Brendan Frasier's character in "The Mummy," each page turn brought about a new and exciting spin to the adventure unfolding.
Tomb raiding and dig diving, Claire has loved archaeology, tombs, culture, and history as she lives the life as a director of a preserver of Peru's antiquities. She fulfills every aspect of her calling serving as the operator for such endeavors, made most especially wonderful with the love of her life by her side throughout it all. But when a horrible unveiling in the news flies across Peru, Claire is left jobless, ridiculed, and heartbroken. She retreats to the United States, alone and unmotivated, for three years. When Claire receives a mysterious package from Peru at her current settled (and rather boring) life in the United States, she is whisked back to the land where her archaeologist heart never left. What she discovers, both in the dirt - and in her heart - is nothing short of a fantastic venture.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I have read other reviews, and have heard the complaints surrounding some pieces of this novel, especially compared to others written by the author. And I respect and, admittedly, see and experienced what those reviews were discussing. But the book was still so enjoyable. I had a fun time reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each and every character (because even the minor characters played major roles and were fascinating to get to know), and I looked forward to getting a chance to sit down with the book every day that I was reading it. It was well written, it was a great adventure, it was touching and sweet and mysterious all at the same time - overall, it was a great story, and a novel in which I will come back to in my life.
Bravo, Catherine Friend - you've done it again :).
Find the following review posted on my blog - FarNerdy.
~~~
It seems that there are a good number of authors in the Les Fic genre that you can always count on for a good read. In my arsenal, these include Melissa Brayden, Gerri Hill, Jae, Lisa Moreau, and...the one and only Catherine Friend.
With The Copper Egg, Friend has once again delivered a rip-roaring adventure tale set against an amazing backdrop with that beautiful touch of lesbianism to boot. Escaping to Peru to follow looters, historians, archaeologists, government officials, and dangerous mad men, The Copper Egg is a great ride, and just as enjoyable as Friend's other adventure tales. With main character Claire Adams coming off as a cross between Indiana Jones and a lesbian Lara Croft, and her counterpart, ex Sochi Castillo, reminding me of a female version of Brendan Frasier's character in "The Mummy," each page turn brought about a new and exciting spin to the adventure unfolding.
Tomb raiding and dig diving, Claire has loved archaeology, tombs, culture, and history as she lives the life as a director of a preserver of Peru's antiquities. She fulfills every aspect of her calling serving as the operator for such endeavors, made most especially wonderful with the love of her life by her side throughout it all. But when a horrible unveiling in the news flies across Peru, Claire is left jobless, ridiculed, and heartbroken. She retreats to the United States, alone and unmotivated, for three years. When Claire receives a mysterious package from Peru at her current settled (and rather boring) life in the United States, she is whisked back to the land where her archaeologist heart never left. What she discovers, both in the dirt - and in her heart - is nothing short of a fantastic venture.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I have read other reviews, and have heard the complaints surrounding some pieces of this novel, especially compared to others written by the author. And I respect and, admittedly, see and experienced what those reviews were discussing. But the book was still so enjoyable. I had a fun time reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each and every character (because even the minor characters played major roles and were fascinating to get to know), and I looked forward to getting a chance to sit down with the book every day that I was reading it. It was well written, it was a great adventure, it was touching and sweet and mysterious all at the same time - overall, it was a great story, and a novel in which I will come back to in my life.
Bravo, Catherine Friend - you've done it again :).
August 9, 2018
This book was a whole lot of fun. I enjoyed the adventure and treasure hunt portion of the book and it had just the right amount of baddies to still make this a fun read without it being gruesome and there was enough angst and romance for it to still be a romance.
June 6, 2016
Archaeologist Claire Adams receives a package from Peru containing 3 eggs (copper, silver, and gold) and a note about where the eggs came from. This causes memories to come back from a time in her life she is trying to forget. Claire has a new job with the Smithsonian making sure exhibits get to and from the museum safely. She finds the work she does now boring and the package brings back her love of treasure hunting. She decides to take time off to find the Tomb the eggs came from in Peru.
Sochi Castillo is Claire's ex girlfriend. She works for the Peruvian government in preserving tombs and other ancient sites. Looting is so prevalent and the government can't prevent the looters from taking Peru's treasures out of the country. Sochi has to take on another job by night stealing the artifacts before the looters to keep them in Peru.
I really enjoyed this book. The information on the history of Peru involving the Moche and Chimu was interesting. I also liked all glimpses into how things work on a dig especially about the tools and how they use them.
I loved the descriptions of all the places Claire and Sochi went in Peru.
The action definitely kept me interested in what was going to happen next. It was fun seeing how Claire reacted to all the things that was happening to her while she was trying to find the Tomb. The only thing I was annoyed with was how long it took for Claire and Sochi to finally speak to each other.
Overall this is a good book with action, adventure and romance. I definitely recommend it.
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
Sochi Castillo is Claire's ex girlfriend. She works for the Peruvian government in preserving tombs and other ancient sites. Looting is so prevalent and the government can't prevent the looters from taking Peru's treasures out of the country. Sochi has to take on another job by night stealing the artifacts before the looters to keep them in Peru.
I really enjoyed this book. The information on the history of Peru involving the Moche and Chimu was interesting. I also liked all glimpses into how things work on a dig especially about the tools and how they use them.
I loved the descriptions of all the places Claire and Sochi went in Peru.
The action definitely kept me interested in what was going to happen next. It was fun seeing how Claire reacted to all the things that was happening to her while she was trying to find the Tomb. The only thing I was annoyed with was how long it took for Claire and Sochi to finally speak to each other.
Overall this is a good book with action, adventure and romance. I definitely recommend it.
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
February 8, 2017
Claire Adams, an archaeologist, receives something that brings her back to Peru. She receives help from old friends and eventually runs into her ex, Sochi Castillo. Sochi has two jobs, one which abides by the law and the other one doesn't.
Both Claire and Sochi are interesting characters as individuals but the rekindling of their romance was lacking. Their reunion felt a bit forced.
Perhaps the best part of the book was reading about the stories and history about Peru. I liked the story behind the copper egg and how it all turned out.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-uc
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Both Claire and Sochi are interesting characters as individuals but the rekindling of their romance was lacking. Their reunion felt a bit forced.
Perhaps the best part of the book was reading about the stories and history about Peru. I liked the story behind the copper egg and how it all turned out.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-uc
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2022
Although it certainly has its flaws, The Copper Egg was still an exciting diversion that played into my love for archaeological treasure hunts. There's a great novella at its heart, which would have been a lot more satisfying if Catherine Friend hadn't so obviously tried to pad it out.
What works about it? Well, for one, the Peruvian history, the archaeological details, and the treasure hunt itself are rock-solid. Not only did this introduce me to a new culture, but it added a new destination to my bucket list of places to visit. Second, Claire and Sochi were fantastic leading ladies, more than capable of shepherding the adventure along, and their romance added some much-needed tension. Finally, the narrative itself was strong (even if it did need one more editorial pass), allowing the humor, the adventure, and the romance to shine through.
What didn't work? Like I said, it really needed one more editorial pass to catch the continuity errors (including a key one early one that really confused me), and to wrap up loose ends (including a prominent gap in the climax). As for that padding issue, Friend really does try to do too much here, adding some unnecessary betrayals and double-crosses into the mix, and incorporating a megalomaniac villain who seems like he fell out of a bad James Bond story. Finally, and this is a general complaint about the genre, but far too many discoveries either happen by accident or for supernatural means, all but negating the archaeological skills involved.
All complaints aside, this was a fun read that kept me engaged, and which had me sitting on a rock by the water for a few hours this weekend, anxious to see how it all ended. What's more, The Copper Egg itself made for a nice MacGuffin that helped hold the plot together, but which never overwhelmed the human element of Claire and Sochi.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
What works about it? Well, for one, the Peruvian history, the archaeological details, and the treasure hunt itself are rock-solid. Not only did this introduce me to a new culture, but it added a new destination to my bucket list of places to visit. Second, Claire and Sochi were fantastic leading ladies, more than capable of shepherding the adventure along, and their romance added some much-needed tension. Finally, the narrative itself was strong (even if it did need one more editorial pass), allowing the humor, the adventure, and the romance to shine through.
What didn't work? Like I said, it really needed one more editorial pass to catch the continuity errors (including a key one early one that really confused me), and to wrap up loose ends (including a prominent gap in the climax). As for that padding issue, Friend really does try to do too much here, adding some unnecessary betrayals and double-crosses into the mix, and incorporating a megalomaniac villain who seems like he fell out of a bad James Bond story. Finally, and this is a general complaint about the genre, but far too many discoveries either happen by accident or for supernatural means, all but negating the archaeological skills involved.
All complaints aside, this was a fun read that kept me engaged, and which had me sitting on a rock by the water for a few hours this weekend, anxious to see how it all ended. What's more, The Copper Egg itself made for a nice MacGuffin that helped hold the plot together, but which never overwhelmed the human element of Claire and Sochi.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
February 23, 2020
Genuinely can't say enough good things about this book.
If you ever thought Tomb Raider could use a more realistic slant and feature a lesbian lead this is your poison.
The story centers in Peru and features three perspectives: Claire who returns to confront her past treasure hunting infamy, Sochi who tried to pick up the pieces after Claire had left and a native girl fleeing a sinister plot.
They all share a love for their land, a woman they care for and the bloody legacy of a lost King's tomb. The alternating points of view gel well and keep the excitement going.
Romance isn't the focal point here, mostly it's about Claire and Sochi trying to deal with past hurt and rediscovering what they appreciated in each other. It's more of a tepid involvement that blooms into something strong and endearing.
Unlike real archeology there's quite a bit of action here and less scouring through research journals, a healthy balance for the casual reader. Peruvian culture and history take the focus at times which was interesting to get immersed in without it being overbearing.
My favorite part is the villain. Calm, collected and utterly ruthless made for a gut-wrenching threat. He wouldn't hurt a fly without reason but if it allows him to get revenge at the country that hurt his family he won't hestitate to kill without a second thought.
The ending gives a rush of catharsis and managed to tie many plot threads together without feeling forced.
Ultimately a book I remember fondly and I would recommend to anyone.
If you ever thought Tomb Raider could use a more realistic slant and feature a lesbian lead this is your poison.
The story centers in Peru and features three perspectives: Claire who returns to confront her past treasure hunting infamy, Sochi who tried to pick up the pieces after Claire had left and a native girl fleeing a sinister plot.
They all share a love for their land, a woman they care for and the bloody legacy of a lost King's tomb. The alternating points of view gel well and keep the excitement going.
Romance isn't the focal point here, mostly it's about Claire and Sochi trying to deal with past hurt and rediscovering what they appreciated in each other. It's more of a tepid involvement that blooms into something strong and endearing.
Unlike real archeology there's quite a bit of action here and less scouring through research journals, a healthy balance for the casual reader. Peruvian culture and history take the focus at times which was interesting to get immersed in without it being overbearing.
My favorite part is the villain. Calm, collected and utterly ruthless made for a gut-wrenching threat. He wouldn't hurt a fly without reason but if it allows him to get revenge at the country that hurt his family he won't hestitate to kill without a second thought.
The ending gives a rush of catharsis and managed to tie many plot threads together without feeling forced.
Ultimately a book I remember fondly and I would recommend to anyone.
April 24, 2022
Treasure hunters get a second chance at love
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: not a romance, out of your comfort zone, non-US/UK setting, unusual job, possibly other categories
The primary MC was asked to return to Peru to find the lost treasure of a king from a previously studied region. The best way for her to attempt to find the treasure was to work with her ex, even though they hadn't spoken to each other in three years. As would be expected, the search had drawn the attention of some crooked hunters. There was a paranormal element to guide the quest, as well as to solve the mystery of the past of the king.
I've been a longtime fan of this author for many years, and for some reason, I didn't enjoy this story as much as her others.
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: not a romance, out of your comfort zone, non-US/UK setting, unusual job, possibly other categories
The primary MC was asked to return to Peru to find the lost treasure of a king from a previously studied region. The best way for her to attempt to find the treasure was to work with her ex, even though they hadn't spoken to each other in three years. As would be expected, the search had drawn the attention of some crooked hunters. There was a paranormal element to guide the quest, as well as to solve the mystery of the past of the king.
I've been a longtime fan of this author for many years, and for some reason, I didn't enjoy this story as much as her others.
November 20, 2017
Eh. Points for a book that is basically a mainstream adventure, but with lesbians. other than that, it wasn't really get interesting for me
April 19, 2018
It took a while for this story to grab me but it did and what a thrilling finish.
May 9, 2016
The Copper Egg The Copper Egg is the latest novel by Catherine Friend. This book is what happens when you take Indiana Jones and put him in a blender with lesbian romance novels. And it works brilliantly!
Claire Adams is a disgraced archeologist, run out of Peru for a highly unusual way of finding tombs. She's stuck in Washington D.C. now, working at a middling level job transferring antiquities instead of recovering them. Until she receives a package from Peru, containing three small eggs. One gold, to represent the rulers of the Chimú, one silver to represent their wives, and one copper to represent all the workers that made the ancient civilization possible. And the enigmatic note, saying that Claire is the only one who can find the lost tomb of a Chimú king, Chaco. A tomb that is reported to hold the most incredible treasure in all of Peru.
Claire takes a leave of absence, and returns to Peru, where her ex, Sochi Castillo is still working for the Peruvian government to keep Chimú artifacts in Peru. Their breakup was heavily acrimonious. Filled with betrayal and nursed with hate over the last three years.
Sochi has also found herself in a predicament. She is a tomb preservationist by day, and a tomb raider by night. She believes that this contradiction is helping to preserve the heritage of Peru, but is all the danger she is in worth it?
The Copper Egg has a bit of everything, romance, double dealing, intrepid adventuring, kidnapping. Even the wise grandmother who knows everything, and is trying to lead Sochi and Claire to follow their hearts, instead of feeding their hate. The book goes back and forth in POV from Claire to Sochi, and details their relationship in flashbacks. We learn why both Claire and Sochi refused to contact each other, and why they are reluctant to work together to find the tomb that has brought Claire back to Peru.
I really enjoyed The Copper Egg, I liked the swashbuckling that Claire embodies, and the love of Peru's history that Sochi holds. Their relationship was beautiful, until that last day, where a disagreement exploded into the end of their love. The book is well written, the characters well developed, and I was left wondering what was going to happen next, both between Claire & Sochi, and with King Chaco's tomb.
I give it a solid 4 stars, and a recommendation to read it for yourself. So that you can see the beauty of Peru, see some of the destruction that looters are having on Peruvian history, and scratch your head a bit at the final few chapters.
Claire Adams is a disgraced archeologist, run out of Peru for a highly unusual way of finding tombs. She's stuck in Washington D.C. now, working at a middling level job transferring antiquities instead of recovering them. Until she receives a package from Peru, containing three small eggs. One gold, to represent the rulers of the Chimú, one silver to represent their wives, and one copper to represent all the workers that made the ancient civilization possible. And the enigmatic note, saying that Claire is the only one who can find the lost tomb of a Chimú king, Chaco. A tomb that is reported to hold the most incredible treasure in all of Peru.
Claire takes a leave of absence, and returns to Peru, where her ex, Sochi Castillo is still working for the Peruvian government to keep Chimú artifacts in Peru. Their breakup was heavily acrimonious. Filled with betrayal and nursed with hate over the last three years.
Sochi has also found herself in a predicament. She is a tomb preservationist by day, and a tomb raider by night. She believes that this contradiction is helping to preserve the heritage of Peru, but is all the danger she is in worth it?
The Copper Egg has a bit of everything, romance, double dealing, intrepid adventuring, kidnapping. Even the wise grandmother who knows everything, and is trying to lead Sochi and Claire to follow their hearts, instead of feeding their hate. The book goes back and forth in POV from Claire to Sochi, and details their relationship in flashbacks. We learn why both Claire and Sochi refused to contact each other, and why they are reluctant to work together to find the tomb that has brought Claire back to Peru.
I really enjoyed The Copper Egg, I liked the swashbuckling that Claire embodies, and the love of Peru's history that Sochi holds. Their relationship was beautiful, until that last day, where a disagreement exploded into the end of their love. The book is well written, the characters well developed, and I was left wondering what was going to happen next, both between Claire & Sochi, and with King Chaco's tomb.
I give it a solid 4 stars, and a recommendation to read it for yourself. So that you can see the beauty of Peru, see some of the destruction that looters are having on Peruvian history, and scratch your head a bit at the final few chapters.
June 20, 2016
4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in return for an honest review.
This book was a thrill ride, almost Indiana Jones style. How are we supposed to believe archaeology is a lot of boring digging and messy field work, when authors like Friend take us on eventful journeys like this? Claire Adams left Peru in disgrace, nicknamed The Tomb Whisperer because she heard voices of the dead that led her to discovering tombs. She blamed the press's discovery of her ability on her ex, Sochi Castillo. Theirs was not an amiable break up. Now, three years later, Claire receives a package containing ancient Chimù artifacts, and an invitation to find a legendary tomb. Unable to resist the allure, Claire heads back to Peru. She quickly finds out that quite a few people already know about her mission, and everybody wants a piece of the action. She meets up with looters, drug kingpins, ministry agents, friends, and one ex-lover, and along the way starts to find out that the treasure she came back looking for may not be a mythical tomb at all. When people she cares about are threatened or hurt because of her, it opens up a can of worms that point to betrayals and miscommunications that may be the reason behind her loss of job and relationship. Now Claire has to figure out not only what's going on now, but what happened three years ago, and even farther back, when she begins to have visions of a young girl who may just know where the tomb is located. The question is, can she figure everything out before she loses her life, or the life of the only woman she's ever loved? This was a fun read; I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who like a little suspense and action with their romance.
I received a copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in return for an honest review.
This book was a thrill ride, almost Indiana Jones style. How are we supposed to believe archaeology is a lot of boring digging and messy field work, when authors like Friend take us on eventful journeys like this? Claire Adams left Peru in disgrace, nicknamed The Tomb Whisperer because she heard voices of the dead that led her to discovering tombs. She blamed the press's discovery of her ability on her ex, Sochi Castillo. Theirs was not an amiable break up. Now, three years later, Claire receives a package containing ancient Chimù artifacts, and an invitation to find a legendary tomb. Unable to resist the allure, Claire heads back to Peru. She quickly finds out that quite a few people already know about her mission, and everybody wants a piece of the action. She meets up with looters, drug kingpins, ministry agents, friends, and one ex-lover, and along the way starts to find out that the treasure she came back looking for may not be a mythical tomb at all. When people she cares about are threatened or hurt because of her, it opens up a can of worms that point to betrayals and miscommunications that may be the reason behind her loss of job and relationship. Now Claire has to figure out not only what's going on now, but what happened three years ago, and even farther back, when she begins to have visions of a young girl who may just know where the tomb is located. The question is, can she figure everything out before she loses her life, or the life of the only woman she's ever loved? This was a fun read; I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who like a little suspense and action with their romance.
January 28, 2017
I really am sad I can't give this a better review. I've read all of Friend's other fiction and LOVED them. The other books' characters just seemed more fully drawn and even thugh there were some fantastical elements (time travel) she got all the other details right, so it worked. I was so looking forward to reading this.
Here, the characters seemed fairly flat to me. There is a lot of anguish about how much they hate each other, but in every scene, there is the thought bubble "But I can't stop thinking about her!" I think this could have been better written, as it got repetitive and of course it was toatlly predictable that they got back together. I did appreciate the plot twist of how they were set apart by one of their colleagues.
Another significant quiblle I have is that Sochi was assigned to take on a dangerous drug lord/antiquities smuggler on her own. There is a plot in which she sets him up to steal valuables, and she alone is supposed to bring him in. She doesn't have anylaw enforcementexperience, so notsure how she was supposed towrangel the bad guys to the ground.. I would think this would be a major sting operation with lots ofcops with guns to bring in the bad guys.
In light of these issues, the idea of Claire hearing voices/visions to guide her to tombs and other answers seemed silly. I found it especially disturbing that there is a sexual/love itnerest between two 13-year-olds in the distant Chimu past. They seemd really young to have such a sophisticated relationship.
The best part of the book was near the end, when Claire and Sochi escape via a mechanism put in place by the builder of the sacrficial alter. He'd originally built it to save his niece, of whom Claire has visions and thus figures out the mechanism.
Here, the characters seemed fairly flat to me. There is a lot of anguish about how much they hate each other, but in every scene, there is the thought bubble "But I can't stop thinking about her!" I think this could have been better written, as it got repetitive and of course it was toatlly predictable that they got back together. I did appreciate the plot twist of how they were set apart by one of their colleagues.
Another significant quiblle I have is that Sochi was assigned to take on a dangerous drug lord/antiquities smuggler on her own. There is a plot in which she sets him up to steal valuables, and she alone is supposed to bring him in. She doesn't have anylaw enforcementexperience, so notsure how she was supposed towrangel the bad guys to the ground.. I would think this would be a major sting operation with lots ofcops with guns to bring in the bad guys.
In light of these issues, the idea of Claire hearing voices/visions to guide her to tombs and other answers seemed silly. I found it especially disturbing that there is a sexual/love itnerest between two 13-year-olds in the distant Chimu past. They seemd really young to have such a sophisticated relationship.
The best part of the book was near the end, when Claire and Sochi escape via a mechanism put in place by the builder of the sacrficial alter. He'd originally built it to save his niece, of whom Claire has visions and thus figures out the mechanism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2017
The story opens with a scene that draws the reader in: Claire Adams receives a package from an anonymous sender. The box contains a mysterious copper egg, which draws her back to Peru where she left a career in ruins and ridicule and a shattered romance. When she returned to the States, she resolved never to return.
Sochi Castillo seems to be constantly working against competitive coworkers and her boss to get things done. However, Sochi leads a double life, one that steps over the line of legal operation in the digging fields of Peru's archeological sites. No one knows that about her--and it's important to keep her secret identity just that--secret.
Both women are on a collision course that could either heal their wounds and bring them together or bring danger and evil to their doorstep threatening their very survival. Throughout the tale, the story could go either way.
Friend doesn't disappoint when dealing with lesbian romance couched in historical and, in this case, archeological. The characters walk a fine line trying to balance their strengths with their flaws. And it's their flaws that get them into trouble. Searching for King Chaco's tomb deep in the Peruvian countryside, these two women must reconcile their differences and mend their broken relationship while trying to save Peru's treasures by unearthing artifacts faster than the looters do. Read this well written adventure romance to find out if the main characters can mend their broken hearts, reconcile and survive the danger that surrounds them.
Sochi Castillo seems to be constantly working against competitive coworkers and her boss to get things done. However, Sochi leads a double life, one that steps over the line of legal operation in the digging fields of Peru's archeological sites. No one knows that about her--and it's important to keep her secret identity just that--secret.
Both women are on a collision course that could either heal their wounds and bring them together or bring danger and evil to their doorstep threatening their very survival. Throughout the tale, the story could go either way.
Friend doesn't disappoint when dealing with lesbian romance couched in historical and, in this case, archeological. The characters walk a fine line trying to balance their strengths with their flaws. And it's their flaws that get them into trouble. Searching for King Chaco's tomb deep in the Peruvian countryside, these two women must reconcile their differences and mend their broken relationship while trying to save Peru's treasures by unearthing artifacts faster than the looters do. Read this well written adventure romance to find out if the main characters can mend their broken hearts, reconcile and survive the danger that surrounds them.
May 7, 2016
A big thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.
I have never read this author and to honest I only grabbed this book as the main character is an archaeologist. I am an archaeologist so just wanted to check it out. As an archaeologist I was offended with some of the things that Claire did-the use of drugs hoping that it will lead her to a new site?? Who does that?? Lets just say there were big gaps in the way the archaeology was handled.
I can see the attraction for this book-as the cover was fantastic. The story could have been better-it was a little predictable-tomb looters (bad guys). There didn't really seem to be much romance between Claire and Sochi in the present-mostly flashbacks. This seemed to be a minimal part of the story. I found the book to be so so. If you like reading about archaeology and artifacts and the problem of looting that still occurs throughout the world-then maybe you will enjoy this book. It is an adventure type story.
I have never read this author and to honest I only grabbed this book as the main character is an archaeologist. I am an archaeologist so just wanted to check it out. As an archaeologist I was offended with some of the things that Claire did-the use of drugs hoping that it will lead her to a new site?? Who does that?? Lets just say there were big gaps in the way the archaeology was handled.
I can see the attraction for this book-as the cover was fantastic. The story could have been better-it was a little predictable-tomb looters (bad guys). There didn't really seem to be much romance between Claire and Sochi in the present-mostly flashbacks. This seemed to be a minimal part of the story. I found the book to be so so. If you like reading about archaeology and artifacts and the problem of looting that still occurs throughout the world-then maybe you will enjoy this book. It is an adventure type story.
June 5, 2016
ree Stars: f/f romance
I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
After reading the synopsis I was really excited and looking forward to devouring this book. Unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed. The way the novel went from Claire to Sochi I found really frustrating. It made, for me, it impossible to get into the story line. I was also frustrated that the two women didn't even come into contact with each other until I was at least a third of the way through.
The story did pick up once the two women were in contact. I also appreciated the obvious research the author had done regarding the looting of stolen antiquities. The ending was satisfying and positive. I also enjoyed the theme of smelling a dogs foot that ran throughout the whole novel, this did make me smile.
On the whole it was a book that was pleasant enough to read but had the potential to be amazing.
I was sent this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
After reading the synopsis I was really excited and looking forward to devouring this book. Unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed. The way the novel went from Claire to Sochi I found really frustrating. It made, for me, it impossible to get into the story line. I was also frustrated that the two women didn't even come into contact with each other until I was at least a third of the way through.
The story did pick up once the two women were in contact. I also appreciated the obvious research the author had done regarding the looting of stolen antiquities. The ending was satisfying and positive. I also enjoyed the theme of smelling a dogs foot that ran throughout the whole novel, this did make me smile.
On the whole it was a book that was pleasant enough to read but had the potential to be amazing.
June 10, 2016
I liked the interesting premise of the story and the historical background put in by the author. However, it was slightly jarring in the way the perspectives switched between Claire, Sochi, the visions, and the current vs past timelines. For more than half of the book, it was more about getting through the pages and trying to remember the various characters and factions instead of being immersed in the story - and it's likely due to the lull in character development and motivations/conflicts. The last 100 or so pages were a gem reminiscent of Friend's previous works (The Spanish Pearl & The Crown of Valencia) of good quality action, which somewhat redeemed the story. Personally, I would have loved to see more of Friend's humorous lines.
May 8, 2016
Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I didn't mind this book but there was a couple of issues that bothered me.
First was the fact that a major plot point was miscommunication, which is a major pet hate of mine.
Then it was how a main character was completely disregarded. What happened to 'them'? They were such a pivotal plot twist that kind of pittered out to nothing....
Finally I think the setting, while inspirational, was off-putting. I couldn't relate to any of the area and didn't really feel involved in enjoying the atmosphere.
BUT for my first f/f book it was a good balance of story and romance without it being over the top, in your face, all about sex. lol.
I didn't mind this book but there was a couple of issues that bothered me.
First was the fact that a major plot point was miscommunication, which is a major pet hate of mine.
Then it was how a main character was completely disregarded. What happened to 'them'? They were such a pivotal plot twist that kind of pittered out to nothing....
Finally I think the setting, while inspirational, was off-putting. I couldn't relate to any of the area and didn't really feel involved in enjoying the atmosphere.
BUT for my first f/f book it was a good balance of story and romance without it being over the top, in your face, all about sex. lol.
November 25, 2017
"Dazed and confused, but trying to continue" is a pretty accurate description of my state of mind during this reading experience.
I must admit that I may have approached the book with expectations, having previously read -and liked- another book of Friend's.
The setting and historical background were intriguing, and the adventure made for a pleasant light read despite an over the top supervillain.
Unfortunately I did not connect with the two main characters at all, finding them childish and often irritating.
Their constant melodrama and unwillingness to communicate were too much for me, and made me want to throw the in towel (and out the book).
I will definitely read other books by this author, but it's highly unlikely that I'll revisit this one.
I must admit that I may have approached the book with expectations, having previously read -and liked- another book of Friend's.
The setting and historical background were intriguing, and the adventure made for a pleasant light read despite an over the top supervillain.
Unfortunately I did not connect with the two main characters at all, finding them childish and often irritating.
Their constant melodrama and unwillingness to communicate were too much for me, and made me want to throw the in towel (and out the book).
I will definitely read other books by this author, but it's highly unlikely that I'll revisit this one.
May 31, 2016
What to say about this book? If you love girls doing Lara Croft stuff (minus the shooting) this is the book for you. And if you thought that Lara and Sam were more than just friends, but were left needing more... yes, pick this up. Gay archeologists! YAY!
On top of that, I've learned a lot about a culture I hadn't heard of before, which is always a plus, considering it happened without feeling forced. It wasn't like "here, read these facts about Chimú culture", nope. It came naturally.
(Got this book thanks to Netgalley! And I'm happy I chose it - it was the cover that did it, really. I mean, good job there)
On top of that, I've learned a lot about a culture I hadn't heard of before, which is always a plus, considering it happened without feeling forced. It wasn't like "here, read these facts about Chimú culture", nope. It came naturally.
(Got this book thanks to Netgalley! And I'm happy I chose it - it was the cover that did it, really. I mean, good job there)
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