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Series #1
A Woman to Treasure
An ancient scroll isn’t the only treasure Levi Montbard finds as she starts her hunt for the truth—all she has to do is prove to Yasmine Hassani that there’s more to her than an adventurous soul.
Levi Montbard loves history and isn’t afraid to search it out no matter where it takes her. A scroll she acquires to sell in Montbard’s Antiquities in New Orleans leads Levi on an adventure that will take her from London to Morocco, by way of the Sahara Desert. A story of a female Templar Knight should sound like a hoax, but to Levi the new information rings true. Proving the scroll accurate becomes an obsession. She’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
Yasmine Hassani spends her days teaching female studies in Marrakech to women who want to leave a mark on their country. An arrogant Westerner storming into her office is highly unexpected and leaves Yasmine laughing off the absurdity of her claims. No one knows more about the history of the Templar Knights than Yasmine, and reluctantly intrigued, she agrees to help Levi.
But their search turns down one dead end after another, almost as if someone is working hard to keep old secrets buried. They’ll have to fight the Catholic Church, centuries of tradition, and their growing attraction for each other to uncover the mystery of the female Templar Knight.
Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick
Genres: Action & Adventure / Romance
Words: 100,500
Levi Montbard loves history and isn’t afraid to search it out no matter where it takes her. A scroll she acquires to sell in Montbard’s Antiquities in New Orleans leads Levi on an adventure that will take her from London to Morocco, by way of the Sahara Desert. A story of a female Templar Knight should sound like a hoax, but to Levi the new information rings true. Proving the scroll accurate becomes an obsession. She’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
Yasmine Hassani spends her days teaching female studies in Marrakech to women who want to leave a mark on their country. An arrogant Westerner storming into her office is highly unexpected and leaves Yasmine laughing off the absurdity of her claims. No one knows more about the history of the Templar Knights than Yasmine, and reluctantly intrigued, she agrees to help Levi.
But their search turns down one dead end after another, almost as if someone is working hard to keep old secrets buried. They’ll have to fight the Catholic Church, centuries of tradition, and their growing attraction for each other to uncover the mystery of the female Templar Knight.
Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick
Genres: Action & Adventure / Romance
Words: 100,500
266 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2021
33 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Ali Vali
57 books461 followersAli Vali is the author of the long-running Cain Casey "Devil" series and the Genesis Clan "Forces" series, as well as numerous standalone romances including two Lambda Literary Award finalists, Calling the Dead and Love Match, and her 2017 release, Beauty and the Boss. Ali also has a novella in the collection Girls with Guns.
Originally from Cuba, Ali has retained much of her family's traditions and language and uses them frequently in her stories. Having her father read her stories and poetry before bed every night as a child infused her with a love of reading, which she carries till today. Ali currently lives outside New Orleans, Louisiana, and she has discovered that living in Louisiana provides plenty of material to draw from in creating her novels and short stories.
Originally from Cuba, Ali has retained much of her family's traditions and language and uses them frequently in her stories. Having her father read her stories and poetry before bed every night as a child infused her with a love of reading, which she carries till today. Ali currently lives outside New Orleans, Louisiana, and she has discovered that living in Louisiana provides plenty of material to draw from in creating her novels and short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
May 19, 2021
This was a very entertaining read. This is like the sapphic version of The Da Vinci Code. If you enjoyed that book, chances are really high you will enjoy this. Vali was able to do what Brown did and weave fact and fiction together to make a historic tale that the characters, and us readers, could believe really happened. This story was a lot of fun and pretty romantic too.
I always love the setting Vali puts us in. New Orleans, is one of my favorite places in the world and I love how Vali’s books live and breathe that city. What was really nice is in this book is we get whisked off to England, France, and even the Sahara. I felt really immersed in the whole book and it seemed like I was right there with the characters.
I was surprised that this book had a little less action then I expected. There is still some action, but I found the book to be more adventure, than action packed. A big part of the book was very romance focused, and it actually has a main romance and a baby historic romance that was fun to read about too. Vali mentioned, on a webinar, that she is working on putting more feelings and emotions into her books and I noticed it in this romance. I did feel the romance was a little quick to get serious and a bit too insta-lovely for my tastes, but Vali put the work in on this one. Once I tried to ignore that things were happening quickly, I could see how much chemistry was there and what a cute couple they made.
Since this book is pretty heavy on romance, and has less action then expected, I have a feeling that a wide range of WLW fans will enjoy this. It’s less action and more puzzle solving and falling in love. There is enough to keep you turning the pages and some sweet swoon worthy moments too. This would not be a bad first book to try if you are new to Vali or if you are a Vali fan already, this book should be an obvious read. This was fun and I would easily read these characters again if Vali turns this into a series.
A copy was given to me for a review.
I always love the setting Vali puts us in. New Orleans, is one of my favorite places in the world and I love how Vali’s books live and breathe that city. What was really nice is in this book is we get whisked off to England, France, and even the Sahara. I felt really immersed in the whole book and it seemed like I was right there with the characters.
I was surprised that this book had a little less action then I expected. There is still some action, but I found the book to be more adventure, than action packed. A big part of the book was very romance focused, and it actually has a main romance and a baby historic romance that was fun to read about too. Vali mentioned, on a webinar, that she is working on putting more feelings and emotions into her books and I noticed it in this romance. I did feel the romance was a little quick to get serious and a bit too insta-lovely for my tastes, but Vali put the work in on this one. Once I tried to ignore that things were happening quickly, I could see how much chemistry was there and what a cute couple they made.
Since this book is pretty heavy on romance, and has less action then expected, I have a feeling that a wide range of WLW fans will enjoy this. It’s less action and more puzzle solving and falling in love. There is enough to keep you turning the pages and some sweet swoon worthy moments too. This would not be a bad first book to try if you are new to Vali or if you are a Vali fan already, this book should be an obvious read. This was fun and I would easily read these characters again if Vali turns this into a series.
A copy was given to me for a review.
April 28, 2021
This is more of an adventure book with a “Davinci Code” feeling, rather than a romance..
I like Ali Vali’s writing and her storytelling and this one was no different. As I said it’s more of an adventure which was fun to read.
I did find it a bit difficult at the beginning to get into it because I was confused a bit, but then it got a lot better and I did enjoy it.. there’s a lot of fun twists there :)
A big plus for me was the Muslim MC which is very rare to find in lesfic! Well initially it was a plus but as a Muslim myself, I find the character to be very “typical” with a hint of stereotyping for my taste.
Overall an enjoyable read and my rating is a 3.5 rounded up to 4. I just wished that the Muslim character was slightly more non typical :)
“I received an ARC for an honest review.”
I like Ali Vali’s writing and her storytelling and this one was no different. As I said it’s more of an adventure which was fun to read.
I did find it a bit difficult at the beginning to get into it because I was confused a bit, but then it got a lot better and I did enjoy it.. there’s a lot of fun twists there :)
A big plus for me was the Muslim MC which is very rare to find in lesfic! Well initially it was a plus but as a Muslim myself, I find the character to be very “typical” with a hint of stereotyping for my taste.
Overall an enjoyable read and my rating is a 3.5 rounded up to 4. I just wished that the Muslim character was slightly more non typical :)
“I received an ARC for an honest review.”
May 3, 2021
I’ve read a couple of adventure/treasure hunting books over the last couple of months, but this book was again totally different than the others I read and I found it highly entertaining.
This is an adventure book about treasure hunting, so I expected it to be action packed and this was actually less the case than I expected. That’s not meant as a negative remark, just an observation. There is still plenty of adventure, travels all over the world and some bad guys, but the action is mainly packed into the last part of the book. The largest part of the book I would classify romance, and I know that not everybody will agree with me on that, but compared to the adventure books that I have read in the past, which often have a bit of romance in the background, this book focusses much more on the romance. Therefore, I think that readers that are not hardcore action or adventure fans will also enjoy this book.
The mains in this butch/femme romance are Levi and Yasmine. Levi lives in New Orleans and her passion is treasure hunting and she comes from an influential family. She has a status as a player, but she’s also very honorable and loyal. Her family consists of multiple prominent historians in the academic world and even has connections to the government and secret intelligence. Yes, this is a bit much to be fully believable, but it adds to the fun factor. Yasmine lives in Morocco and teaches women’s studies at the university, but she has also a history in translating old Arabic languages for the government. Her family, especially her mother, is very traditional and makes Yasmine feel suffocated by their expectations to marry and start a family. When she receives an invitation for a guest teaching spot at Tulane University she immediately grabs the chance and travels to New Orleans with her sister Zara.
So, long story short, the player falls in love with the “straight” woman, who in turn figures out she is not so straight. This doesn’t do the story justice though, as I really liked the transitions they go through, it was a delightful slow burn. Levi is not immediately converted from a player to a family woman and Yasmine first has to accept that she likes Levi more than as a friend and then she is faced with some serious choices that will affect the rest of her life. I also liked the fact that Yasmin is a Muslim character, which is something you don’t see too often in wlw. Furthermore, there is sometimes a lot of self-hatred in accepting oneself stemming from religion with can weigh on the reading experience, but I was happy to see that that was not the underlying reason of Yasmine’s hesitance. In fact, the general acceptance was higher than I would have thought, so this was a pretty light read.
The treasure hunt was so much fun, it starts small but ends with a bang and I loved how the story they puzzle together shows some nice parallels to their own story. It’s about a templar and his extraordinary history. They end up in some nasty situations, but I never really worried, it seemed that help was always nearby, so this book is mainly about fun. I enjoyed Zara and Levi’s colorful family members as secondary characters as well.
An easy and fun romantic adventure, I don’t know if this will be a series, but I hope so!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an adventure book about treasure hunting, so I expected it to be action packed and this was actually less the case than I expected. That’s not meant as a negative remark, just an observation. There is still plenty of adventure, travels all over the world and some bad guys, but the action is mainly packed into the last part of the book. The largest part of the book I would classify romance, and I know that not everybody will agree with me on that, but compared to the adventure books that I have read in the past, which often have a bit of romance in the background, this book focusses much more on the romance. Therefore, I think that readers that are not hardcore action or adventure fans will also enjoy this book.
The mains in this butch/femme romance are Levi and Yasmine. Levi lives in New Orleans and her passion is treasure hunting and she comes from an influential family. She has a status as a player, but she’s also very honorable and loyal. Her family consists of multiple prominent historians in the academic world and even has connections to the government and secret intelligence. Yes, this is a bit much to be fully believable, but it adds to the fun factor. Yasmine lives in Morocco and teaches women’s studies at the university, but she has also a history in translating old Arabic languages for the government. Her family, especially her mother, is very traditional and makes Yasmine feel suffocated by their expectations to marry and start a family. When she receives an invitation for a guest teaching spot at Tulane University she immediately grabs the chance and travels to New Orleans with her sister Zara.
So, long story short, the player falls in love with the “straight” woman, who in turn figures out she is not so straight. This doesn’t do the story justice though, as I really liked the transitions they go through, it was a delightful slow burn. Levi is not immediately converted from a player to a family woman and Yasmine first has to accept that she likes Levi more than as a friend and then she is faced with some serious choices that will affect the rest of her life. I also liked the fact that Yasmin is a Muslim character, which is something you don’t see too often in wlw. Furthermore, there is sometimes a lot of self-hatred in accepting oneself stemming from religion with can weigh on the reading experience, but I was happy to see that that was not the underlying reason of Yasmine’s hesitance. In fact, the general acceptance was higher than I would have thought, so this was a pretty light read.
The treasure hunt was so much fun, it starts small but ends with a bang and I loved how the story they puzzle together shows some nice parallels to their own story. It’s about a templar and his extraordinary history. They end up in some nasty situations, but I never really worried, it seemed that help was always nearby, so this book is mainly about fun. I enjoyed Zara and Levi’s colorful family members as secondary characters as well.
An easy and fun romantic adventure, I don’t know if this will be a series, but I hope so!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2021
I have been looking forward to reading A Woman to Treasure by Ali Vali, especially after I heard her mention how much she loved writing the novel.
When you hear an author of Ms. Vali’s caliber loving a story and excited about making it into a series, you know it has to be good.
After reading this book, I can tell you emphatically, that it is better than good. It is a fantastic mystery and adventure story with a beautiful romance to soften the tale. The mystery/adventure part of the novel reminds me a bit of a combination of The Da Vinci Code and ‘Indiana Jones’ series, but with two intelligent women instead of Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford.
Yasmine Hassani, a professor of female studies in Morocco and an expert on the history of the Knights Templar works alongside antiquities dealer, and history lover Levi Montbard to solve a puzzle that intrigues them both; the history of what happened to the Knights Templar and the possible existence of a female knight. Unfortunately, certain members of the Catholic Church do not want this mystery solved and will do anything to stop Levi and Yasmine.
The setting of this story takes you on a wild ride from Paris to New Orleans, London, and Morocco, and even into the Sahara Desert. The characters are perfect for the parts they play, both main and secondary. The romance between Levi and Yasmine is actually very gentle and a joy to read.
A Woman to Treasure is an exceptional novel filled with excitement, danger, intrigue, and love. I enjoyed every word of the story and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
When you hear an author of Ms. Vali’s caliber loving a story and excited about making it into a series, you know it has to be good.
After reading this book, I can tell you emphatically, that it is better than good. It is a fantastic mystery and adventure story with a beautiful romance to soften the tale. The mystery/adventure part of the novel reminds me a bit of a combination of The Da Vinci Code and ‘Indiana Jones’ series, but with two intelligent women instead of Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford.
Yasmine Hassani, a professor of female studies in Morocco and an expert on the history of the Knights Templar works alongside antiquities dealer, and history lover Levi Montbard to solve a puzzle that intrigues them both; the history of what happened to the Knights Templar and the possible existence of a female knight. Unfortunately, certain members of the Catholic Church do not want this mystery solved and will do anything to stop Levi and Yasmine.
The setting of this story takes you on a wild ride from Paris to New Orleans, London, and Morocco, and even into the Sahara Desert. The characters are perfect for the parts they play, both main and secondary. The romance between Levi and Yasmine is actually very gentle and a joy to read.
A Woman to Treasure is an exceptional novel filled with excitement, danger, intrigue, and love. I enjoyed every word of the story and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
June 11, 2021
Very much like The Da Vinci Code, as other reviews have said. Only this time with some FF romance, and a Knight of the Templar that is more than they seem.
I didn't enjoy this as much as others did. I think I'm not as much of a fan of the whole Dan Brown phenomenon. I struggled with the very well lined up mystery plot to solve, while the villainous underhanded people kept looming menacingly. It all seems a bit far fetched.
Which I know seems stupid to say; as someone who has read stories about mermaids and vampires and everything else. I think perhaps it just took itself too seriously? I guess I was thinking more Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, than serious scholarly quests with conspiracy. So my bad!
I probably would have loved this type of book as a teenager or young adult - but I think at this point in my life, my zest for religion at this stage is muted to non-existent.
I also struggled with the romance. Levi is shown as such a capable and highly sought after character, that it became groan worthy. Everyone is throwing themselves (and their knickers) at this perfect woman. (It seem she's got a friend with benefits lover on every continent and none of them expect anymore from her than a good time, because she's somehow that awesome??? Yeah it didn't compute.) She's a complete gentlewoman, don't get me wrong. I appreciated that. It would have been easy to make her a shit-eating swaggering butch that believes her own hype, like so many other books do with these types of characters. It's written in a way where you do not feel she is ever taking advantage of the ladies she spends her time with. (and sometimes it seems they are using her in some ways).
She's literally just shown as that perfect. Everyone respects her, adores her. Says she's special and how when she meets her one special person that lady will be the luckiest woman alive... but I just couldn't believe it... Like yes she's pretty awesome, but I dunno it felt too heavy handed to me.
Her love interest Yasmine was more interesting, being a Muslim woman in academia from Morocco, struggling to hide her sexuality and keep her parents and country happy, while maintaining a very high level of renown over her education prowess and how she teaches and lectures etc. The romance is pretty slow burn. I liked that they waited to get to know each other and didn't jump straight into bed, which was realistic with Yasmine's feelings about things. However her Religion didn't really come into play as much as I thought it would.
Which honestly their whole deal seemed a little, I dunno. It felt almost icky. I know that makes no sense and I'm not wording things very well here, But there was just a constant "off" feeling I got throughout all of their interactions. Like there was this perverse undercurrent of Levi being this hugely experienced lover who was 'redeemed' or 'captured' by this virginal ingenue who of course turns out to be a very enthusiastic "playmate" (which was said in the book) so it all just gave me the creeps.
I know I'm the minority here, and I'm probably not explaining things well - but I'll leave it there.
I didn't enjoy this as much as others did. I think I'm not as much of a fan of the whole Dan Brown phenomenon. I struggled with the very well lined up mystery plot to solve, while the villainous underhanded people kept looming menacingly. It all seems a bit far fetched.
Which I know seems stupid to say; as someone who has read stories about mermaids and vampires and everything else. I think perhaps it just took itself too seriously? I guess I was thinking more Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, than serious scholarly quests with conspiracy. So my bad!
I probably would have loved this type of book as a teenager or young adult - but I think at this point in my life, my zest for religion at this stage is muted to non-existent.
I also struggled with the romance. Levi is shown as such a capable and highly sought after character, that it became groan worthy. Everyone is throwing themselves (and their knickers) at this perfect woman. (It seem she's got a friend with benefits lover on every continent and none of them expect anymore from her than a good time, because she's somehow that awesome??? Yeah it didn't compute.) She's a complete gentlewoman, don't get me wrong. I appreciated that. It would have been easy to make her a shit-eating swaggering butch that believes her own hype, like so many other books do with these types of characters. It's written in a way where you do not feel she is ever taking advantage of the ladies she spends her time with. (and sometimes it seems they are using her in some ways).
She's literally just shown as that perfect. Everyone respects her, adores her. Says she's special and how when she meets her one special person that lady will be the luckiest woman alive... but I just couldn't believe it... Like yes she's pretty awesome, but I dunno it felt too heavy handed to me.
Her love interest Yasmine was more interesting, being a Muslim woman in academia from Morocco, struggling to hide her sexuality and keep her parents and country happy, while maintaining a very high level of renown over her education prowess and how she teaches and lectures etc. The romance is pretty slow burn. I liked that they waited to get to know each other and didn't jump straight into bed, which was realistic with Yasmine's feelings about things. However her Religion didn't really come into play as much as I thought it would.
Which honestly their whole deal seemed a little, I dunno. It felt almost icky. I know that makes no sense and I'm not wording things very well here, But there was just a constant "off" feeling I got throughout all of their interactions. Like there was this perverse undercurrent of Levi being this hugely experienced lover who was 'redeemed' or 'captured' by this virginal ingenue who of course turns out to be a very enthusiastic "playmate" (which was said in the book) so it all just gave me the creeps.
I know I'm the minority here, and I'm probably not explaining things well - but I'll leave it there.
May 27, 2021
This was a fun book! I spend the majority of this with mixed feelings but ultimately I come down on the side of enjoying this.
I have a really mixed bag with Ali Vali's books. I really enjoyed Face the Music but had mixed to negative experiences One More Chance and The Inheritance (Thought I think the latter is an unpopular opinion, sorry). So I try to approach her books with a more open mind and not know what to expect besides obviously a butch/femme pairing and a clear good guys vs bad guys conflict.
And I did really like most of this book! It follows Levi Montbard and Yasmine Hassani. Levi is a historian with many members of her family and specialize in the Knights Templar. and Yasmine is a teacher and linguist visiting New Orleans, where they run into each other. After Levi discovers a old scroll depicting a story that the Catholic church wants silenced, she teams up with Yasmine to find the secrets this scroll's story reveals.
And this book was a lot of fun! I really liked the puzzles and adventure you go on while we try to figure out what happened to this Templar Knight and their love. I was really hooked into that element of the book and it was very exciting.
I also liked the romance (romances?) in this book quite a bit. Everyone that reads Vali knows she specializes in Butch/Femme and honestly butch/femme is a guilty pleasure of mine so I do tend to like that. And I really liked Levi and Yasmine's dynamic together. I felt like they compliment each other really well. This book did waver on instalove but I think it was fine overall.
I really loved a lot of the secondary characters too. Yasmine's sister Zara was wonderful, and all of Levi's family seemed so lovely. I just wish my family was that accepting! I loved seeing them all interact with each other and having everyone bring out the best of everyone. Also I wanted more Pia! Levi's assistant Pia seemed wonderful and deserves the best!
I liked a lot of the religious discussion in this book too. I've talked before about how since I studied religion at the college level for so long I do just enjoy it when it's a prevalient motif in books. Additionally the addition of a Muslim character was very interesting. I have an ex-girlfriend who was Muslim and I saw her wrestle with a lot of the elements Yasmine brought up with in this book, so I appreciated that.
I did have a criticism in this book and it was how the old relationship depicted in the scrolls was spoken about by the contemporary characters. I don't think it's a spoiler to reveal that the Templar Knight they are referring too was actually a "woman" as that is literally in the blurb of the book. But what confused me was the messaging. The overwhelming majority of the scrolls gender Andre as male, and use masculine pronouns throughout the book- yet when Levi and Yasmine find out that Andre was born a woman, they instantly only refer Andre as she or a woman despite evidence towards a different identity. I know gender is very complicated, especially for gender non-conforming people before the 20th century, and I don't want to be the 21st century trans person who criticizes every little imperfection. But this rubbed me the wrong way many times. It would seem to me that queer historians in the 21st century might discuss Andre's identity in the book with a little more detail and nuance, but that just doesn't happen at all in the book. This whole issue did turn from a major gripe to just a minor one when several discovered scrolls towards the end of the book started mixing Andre's pronouns and referring to Andre as a woman often too, so it didn't feel like constant misgendering. I just feel like this was a missed opportunity for a really interesting discussion towards gender and didn't always handle it the best.
Overall, I did have some squabbles but I did enjoy this book. It's exciting, hot, and made me want to watch National Treasure! 3.75/5
I have a really mixed bag with Ali Vali's books. I really enjoyed Face the Music but had mixed to negative experiences One More Chance and The Inheritance (Thought I think the latter is an unpopular opinion, sorry). So I try to approach her books with a more open mind and not know what to expect besides obviously a butch/femme pairing and a clear good guys vs bad guys conflict.
And I did really like most of this book! It follows Levi Montbard and Yasmine Hassani. Levi is a historian with many members of her family and specialize in the Knights Templar. and Yasmine is a teacher and linguist visiting New Orleans, where they run into each other. After Levi discovers a old scroll depicting a story that the Catholic church wants silenced, she teams up with Yasmine to find the secrets this scroll's story reveals.
And this book was a lot of fun! I really liked the puzzles and adventure you go on while we try to figure out what happened to this Templar Knight and their love. I was really hooked into that element of the book and it was very exciting.
I also liked the romance (romances?) in this book quite a bit. Everyone that reads Vali knows she specializes in Butch/Femme and honestly butch/femme is a guilty pleasure of mine so I do tend to like that. And I really liked Levi and Yasmine's dynamic together. I felt like they compliment each other really well. This book did waver on instalove but I think it was fine overall.
I really loved a lot of the secondary characters too. Yasmine's sister Zara was wonderful, and all of Levi's family seemed so lovely. I just wish my family was that accepting! I loved seeing them all interact with each other and having everyone bring out the best of everyone. Also I wanted more Pia! Levi's assistant Pia seemed wonderful and deserves the best!
I liked a lot of the religious discussion in this book too. I've talked before about how since I studied religion at the college level for so long I do just enjoy it when it's a prevalient motif in books. Additionally the addition of a Muslim character was very interesting. I have an ex-girlfriend who was Muslim and I saw her wrestle with a lot of the elements Yasmine brought up with in this book, so I appreciated that.
I did have a criticism in this book and it was how the old relationship depicted in the scrolls was spoken about by the contemporary characters. I don't think it's a spoiler to reveal that the Templar Knight they are referring too was actually a "woman" as that is literally in the blurb of the book. But what confused me was the messaging. The overwhelming majority of the scrolls gender Andre as male, and use masculine pronouns throughout the book- yet when Levi and Yasmine find out that Andre was born a woman, they instantly only refer Andre as she or a woman despite evidence towards a different identity. I know gender is very complicated, especially for gender non-conforming people before the 20th century, and I don't want to be the 21st century trans person who criticizes every little imperfection. But this rubbed me the wrong way many times. It would seem to me that queer historians in the 21st century might discuss Andre's identity in the book with a little more detail and nuance, but that just doesn't happen at all in the book. This whole issue did turn from a major gripe to just a minor one when several discovered scrolls towards the end of the book started mixing Andre's pronouns and referring to Andre as a woman often too, so it didn't feel like constant misgendering. I just feel like this was a missed opportunity for a really interesting discussion towards gender and didn't always handle it the best.
Overall, I did have some squabbles but I did enjoy this book. It's exciting, hot, and made me want to watch National Treasure! 3.75/5
May 23, 2021
This was exciting to read... whether it's real or not, I love when things are connected to the history in our world. It's even better when the leading characters are two exceptional women.
On another note, I was hoping something would start with the assistant and the sister hehe.
On another note, I was hoping something would start with the assistant and the sister hehe.
August 1, 2021
Neat to see a lead character: 1) from a country that I do not normally see a lead character from (in this case, never read a lead character from); 2) from a religion I do not normally see a lead character being a participate of.
Multiple POV book. For those leads who are female: One is a super-womanizer (if you picture a woman who humps anything female she encounters, you wouldn't be wrong); other doesn't want to marry but assumes/fears she will eventually have to cave in to the demands of her culture and her mother (and, of course, she'd marry a man).
The super-womanizer is an educated woman with a deep long history connected to the Templars, and to a career in history. Think: female Indiana Jones (or Lara Croft, there are elements; it's the deep connection to teaching and universities that pull more in the Indy direction; though the vast wealth of family, pulls in the Lara Croft direction) - that'd be Levi Montbard. Levi spends her life wandering around places like the jungles of Peru, or the auction houses of Paris to find treasures. Treasures that could be gold, but is more likely to be etchings on rock, or writing on skin/paper/etc. Her religious leanings were not exactly examined or expressed. Her ancestors were Templars, and a lot of what she does, and what her family does, can rub up against those in the Christian world who would rather they didn't dig so deeply in those things that are buried (or, more coherently: the family tends to dig up things that the Catholic Church, or members in it, would rather not see the light of day).
The other lead female character, Yasmine Hassani, is a native of Morocco. A professor, she's been invited to spend a few weeks in New Orleans to give a few lectures at Tulane. Yasmine brings along her sister, who basically begged to come along (or, more accurately, begged her sister to take up the offer to visit New Orleans, and also bring her along). The two Hassani sisters end up running into Levi in New Orleans. It was bound to happen - it was Levi's grandfather who invited Yasmine over to give the lectures, and the two sisters are staying in a family owned place a few steps away from the main family home.
Right, so. Levi is investigating Templar mysteries, which, weirdly, involves going on an expedition in . . . . Louisiana. And Yasmine joins Levi - while a professor of history and other things, Yasmine hasn't spent much time in the field and is curious.
The two women, along with the sister, and other members of the two women's families, investigate stuff while evil Catholic people do things like rob, steal, and try to murder them.
Good, fun, entertaining book.
Rating: 4.33
August 1 2021
Multiple POV book. For those leads who are female: One is a super-womanizer (if you picture a woman who humps anything female she encounters, you wouldn't be wrong); other doesn't want to marry but assumes/fears she will eventually have to cave in to the demands of her culture and her mother (and, of course, she'd marry a man).
The super-womanizer is an educated woman with a deep long history connected to the Templars, and to a career in history. Think: female Indiana Jones (or Lara Croft, there are elements; it's the deep connection to teaching and universities that pull more in the Indy direction; though the vast wealth of family, pulls in the Lara Croft direction) - that'd be Levi Montbard. Levi spends her life wandering around places like the jungles of Peru, or the auction houses of Paris to find treasures. Treasures that could be gold, but is more likely to be etchings on rock, or writing on skin/paper/etc. Her religious leanings were not exactly examined or expressed. Her ancestors were Templars, and a lot of what she does, and what her family does, can rub up against those in the Christian world who would rather they didn't dig so deeply in those things that are buried (or, more coherently: the family tends to dig up things that the Catholic Church, or members in it, would rather not see the light of day).
The other lead female character, Yasmine Hassani, is a native of Morocco. A professor, she's been invited to spend a few weeks in New Orleans to give a few lectures at Tulane. Yasmine brings along her sister, who basically begged to come along (or, more accurately, begged her sister to take up the offer to visit New Orleans, and also bring her along). The two Hassani sisters end up running into Levi in New Orleans. It was bound to happen - it was Levi's grandfather who invited Yasmine over to give the lectures, and the two sisters are staying in a family owned place a few steps away from the main family home.
Right, so. Levi is investigating Templar mysteries, which, weirdly, involves going on an expedition in . . . . Louisiana. And Yasmine joins Levi - while a professor of history and other things, Yasmine hasn't spent much time in the field and is curious.
The two women, along with the sister, and other members of the two women's families, investigate stuff while evil Catholic people do things like rob, steal, and try to murder them.
Good, fun, entertaining book.
Rating: 4.33
August 1 2021
April 19, 2021
This is a fun adventure/romance/mystery. Levi Montbard has a doctorate in history and is a modern day Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones. Her family sells antiquities in New Orleans and her grandfather was dean of history at Tulane University. When Levi purchases some old scrolls at an auction in Paris a new adventure begins. In New Orleans she meets up with visiting guest lecturer Dr. Yasmine Hassani and her sister Zara. With Yasmine’s knowledge of ancient languages she learns the scrolls relate to her quest to learn more about a certain Templar Knight. Other people will stop at nothing to keep the scrolls and the Templar story hidden away.
The adventure goes to London, France and Morocco. Along the way Yasmine must deal with her feeling towards Levi. If she pursues her attraction she will be unwelcome in her faith and home country. Levi is wonderful as a lead character. She lives as a rake but is a true romantic. In fact she speak with such supportive words and romantic flow I had to remind myself this is a contemporary romance. There is a some unevenness in the plot. It goes from slowly building the romance and doing translation work to full scale action about half way through the book. But I couldn’t put it and enjoyed the exciting ride.
I really enjoyed the adventure aspect of the book and love Levi’s supporting loving family. This seems to be a stand alone book but I would love to return to this world again with maybe a romance for Zara. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. (4.5 stars)
The adventure goes to London, France and Morocco. Along the way Yasmine must deal with her feeling towards Levi. If she pursues her attraction she will be unwelcome in her faith and home country. Levi is wonderful as a lead character. She lives as a rake but is a true romantic. In fact she speak with such supportive words and romantic flow I had to remind myself this is a contemporary romance. There is a some unevenness in the plot. It goes from slowly building the romance and doing translation work to full scale action about half way through the book. But I couldn’t put it and enjoyed the exciting ride.
I really enjoyed the adventure aspect of the book and love Levi’s supporting loving family. This seems to be a stand alone book but I would love to return to this world again with maybe a romance for Zara. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. (4.5 stars)
April 30, 2021
Another hit out of the park for Ali Vali!!
While I could see shades of Cain Casey in Levi, Dr. Montbard certainly carved her own space out in this reader's mind. She is the kind of person...ahem...character...that I would be proud to number among my friends. Honorable, dedicated, driven, respectful and caring. She has a big heart and it shows.
The author has once again crafted memorable characters that live on long after the book is finished. Ali Vali's gift is not only transporting us to her world(s) but also populating those places with people that almost seem to breathe and stumble as we do.
This story had everything I hoped for - adventure, love, danger and a mysterious quest.
I hope Levi and Yasmine (and her sister) have even more adventures, because I cannot wait to see what's next for them.
Please, tell me there will be more!
While I could see shades of Cain Casey in Levi, Dr. Montbard certainly carved her own space out in this reader's mind. She is the kind of person...ahem...character...that I would be proud to number among my friends. Honorable, dedicated, driven, respectful and caring. She has a big heart and it shows.
The author has once again crafted memorable characters that live on long after the book is finished. Ali Vali's gift is not only transporting us to her world(s) but also populating those places with people that almost seem to breathe and stumble as we do.
This story had everything I hoped for - adventure, love, danger and a mysterious quest.
I hope Levi and Yasmine (and her sister) have even more adventures, because I cannot wait to see what's next for them.
Please, tell me there will be more!
April 23, 2021
It’s a fun treasure hunt from the beginning to end. As always, Vali sucks you in and you find yourself entangled with her mysteries. In this case the two MCs are searching for treasure across New Orleans, England and Morocco. In the midst of danger and mystery, they fall in love, which neither was expecting. Yasmine is a Muslim professor, and Levi is an adventurous playboy, but they seem to fit together perfectly.
Some of the writing might have been a little convoluted and confusing, but then again, it may just have been over my head. As with most of Vali’s books, everything seems to fall into place a little too perfectly. But setting aside my inner cynic, the book was just 100% a good time.
Some of the writing might have been a little convoluted and confusing, but then again, it may just have been over my head. As with most of Vali’s books, everything seems to fall into place a little too perfectly. But setting aside my inner cynic, the book was just 100% a good time.
April 27, 2021
Ali Vali is a great writer, but my recent encounters with adventure stories aren’t too great. So when I set out to read this one I had very low expectations, and let me tell you they could have been much higher and I still would have thoroughly enjoyed this story.
Levi is comes from a family of historians and treasure hunters of some kind. She is exceptionally talented in finding long lost stories and treasure. And in every town/ country she visits she has some other lady to share her bed with. This is something that always annoys me in a character, the fast and loose ways they play. So the first few chapters were a bit annoying for me. But in come Yasmine and her sister Zara. I especially like Zara, very strong and opinionated character who serves as some sort of conscience for her sister, as well as pushes her out of her shell.
Together they set out to find what they hope is the history of Templars, but what they find along the way are a lot of problems and so many clues that only the best can decipher.
The mystery and the clues that lead to the treasure and the people who are trying to keep it buried really add the type of adventure and action I like to read in a story. For me this is a great example of what and adventure romance should be. Strong characters, good adventure and even twists on the treasure they find (really unexpected, loved it!). I do have a few remarks, Levi seems like some sort of a player, but her changing her ways so easily for Yasmine and Yasmine being so ok with it is a bit off. As is Yasmine’s journey of self discovery, it’s a bit too easy. But the adventure does make up for it in my opinion. And there is something in the treasure they find, I can’t say too much about it in detail, but the way it is referenced afterwards is consistent, in both the scrolls of the treasure and in how the characters discuss it.
I really enjoyed this read and I like that Vali gave us some Muslim characters, not something we find often in lesfic. And all strong female characters with their own story that you just get a glimpse of, but makes for a fun read.
4.5 stars for this great adventure!
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
Levi is comes from a family of historians and treasure hunters of some kind. She is exceptionally talented in finding long lost stories and treasure. And in every town/ country she visits she has some other lady to share her bed with. This is something that always annoys me in a character, the fast and loose ways they play. So the first few chapters were a bit annoying for me. But in come Yasmine and her sister Zara. I especially like Zara, very strong and opinionated character who serves as some sort of conscience for her sister, as well as pushes her out of her shell.
Together they set out to find what they hope is the history of Templars, but what they find along the way are a lot of problems and so many clues that only the best can decipher.
The mystery and the clues that lead to the treasure and the people who are trying to keep it buried really add the type of adventure and action I like to read in a story. For me this is a great example of what and adventure romance should be. Strong characters, good adventure and even twists on the treasure they find (really unexpected, loved it!). I do have a few remarks, Levi seems like some sort of a player, but her changing her ways so easily for Yasmine and Yasmine being so ok with it is a bit off. As is Yasmine’s journey of self discovery, it’s a bit too easy. But the adventure does make up for it in my opinion. And there is something in the treasure they find, I can’t say too much about it in detail, but the way it is referenced afterwards is consistent, in both the scrolls of the treasure and in how the characters discuss it.
I really enjoyed this read and I like that Vali gave us some Muslim characters, not something we find often in lesfic. And all strong female characters with their own story that you just get a glimpse of, but makes for a fun read.
4.5 stars for this great adventure!
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
June 11, 2021
3,5
This was good, I enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit too much of Dan Brown sometimes, but otherwise good.
I read it as a mystery novel and mostly ignored the romance between the MC's because I was more interested in knights and conspiracies, so I can't comment on the romance part
This was good, I enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit too much of Dan Brown sometimes, but otherwise good.
I read it as a mystery novel and mostly ignored the romance between the MC's because I was more interested in knights and conspiracies, so I can't comment on the romance part
March 27, 2023
She didn’t fit anywhere but in Levi’s arms.
3.5 stars. I can't say that I was very interested in the plot of this book and there were a couple glaring plot holes that I couldn't stop thinking about the entire way through. However, I still ended up enjoying it so much, because the romance, as quickly as it moved, was so endearing and so charming and I really quickly fell for both of these women in equal measure.
Levi is part of a famous archaeological/treasure hunting family, sort of in the vein of Indiana Jones, and she's on a Dan Brown-esque quest to find information about an obscure Templar. (I make these comparisons with absolutely no authority, as I've never seen either of those two movies/franchises.) Her search puts her in the path of the beautiful Moroccan professor, Yasmine, and soon they're on an adventure together that spans languages and countries. Levi is a bit of a Lothario, but after a slightly rocky start, she starts falling head over heels for Yasmine. It's really charming. I wasn't really sold on all the elements of the plot and how some things came together, but their courtship had me hooked. I'll always love a plotline about first times and coming out, and I loved Yasmine's internal struggles about going against the grain of what her mother and most people in her society would expect from her. I wasn't always sold on the writing (this author doesn't do many descriptions, and I felt the lack) but the chemistry was off the charts. Levi is so suave and debonair, and it never felt irritating, not with Yasmine or any of her one night stands early in the book.
As with most other books that involve giving us a look at the villain's POV, I did not like that aspect of it. It definitely wasn't as intrusive as it usually feels in other books, though. One thing that kind of bugged me was that
But I still had so much fun with this. Lots of great side characters, and although the fact that every single member of Levi's family was famous and connected in some way was a bit silly, it just made it feel a bit more like a movie, which was all to the good in this case. And again, I really liked the main characters.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Paige McKinney. It was my first listen from her and I liked it a lot. This was also my first book by Vali, and I'll be happy to read more from her if/whenever I'm in the mood for action and adventure that features a lot of romance.
April 17, 2021
I really enjoy this read. It had adventure mystery and romance.
Levi loves anything that deals with history and doesn’t mind going anywhere where it takes her. Her family deals with antiques. When she purchases scrolls from auction she realize these scrolls maybe link to Templar Knights. When she meets guest lecturer Dr. Yasmine and her sister Zara they help describe the language that’s on the scrolls and learn this is about Templar Knights and learns that some doesn’t want this information reveal and stops at nothing to destroy the knowledge.
As they travel Levi and Yasmine grow closer but Yasmine doesn’t know if she should act on her attraction because this could cause her unwelcome in her faith and her home. I wouldn’t mind having a sequel.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Levi loves anything that deals with history and doesn’t mind going anywhere where it takes her. Her family deals with antiques. When she purchases scrolls from auction she realize these scrolls maybe link to Templar Knights. When she meets guest lecturer Dr. Yasmine and her sister Zara they help describe the language that’s on the scrolls and learn this is about Templar Knights and learns that some doesn’t want this information reveal and stops at nothing to destroy the knowledge.
As they travel Levi and Yasmine grow closer but Yasmine doesn’t know if she should act on her attraction because this could cause her unwelcome in her faith and her home. I wouldn’t mind having a sequel.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
November 16, 2021
this is the sapphic da vinci code.
and like its heterosexual predecesor, the romance was the least interesting part of this book. there was a great plot twist that caught me off guard around 60-70% through and it raised this to 3.5 stars for me.
narration was excellent
and like its heterosexual predecesor, the romance was the least interesting part of this book. there was a great plot twist that caught me off guard around 60-70% through and it raised this to 3.5 stars for me.
narration was excellent
January 28, 2022
This was a pleasurable adventure story. Some Indiana Jones and suave Bond persona makes the Stud MC good for fantasy.
I do have to say this is also the very first Vali book in a long while I didn't read in one sitting. I just kept reading a bit and closing the book often .... Not sure if it was me trying to prolong the story or perhaps not as enthralled as I normally would be.
All the same, an enjoyable read mostly for the journey the book took me through countries and most enjoyably the people; the value and joy the book shows in relationship especially family.
I do have to say this is also the very first Vali book in a long while I didn't read in one sitting. I just kept reading a bit and closing the book often .... Not sure if it was me trying to prolong the story or perhaps not as enthralled as I normally would be.
All the same, an enjoyable read mostly for the journey the book took me through countries and most enjoyably the people; the value and joy the book shows in relationship especially family.
May 3, 2021
Dr. Yasmine Hassani, professor and Knights Templar expert. She also has other talents related to antiquities and language. Dr. Levi Montbard, historian with an adventurous spirit. Zara Hassani, sister of Yasmine also a lover of history and interested in growing into her own person. It took me awhile to get into the read as various good and not so good guys were introduced. I understand this might be the start of an adventure/intrigue/romance series which invites the need for diversity of plot and characters.
My oh my is the stage set. Female Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones, and the Da Vinci Code all wrapped up in one. The settings are described beautifully and the involvement of family and friends is fantastic. It is a wild ride with plenty of intrigue and mystery. I hope it is a series because Yasmine, Levi, Zara and family members are so very interesting and deserving.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
My oh my is the stage set. Female Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones, and the Da Vinci Code all wrapped up in one. The settings are described beautifully and the involvement of family and friends is fantastic. It is a wild ride with plenty of intrigue and mystery. I hope it is a series because Yasmine, Levi, Zara and family members are so very interesting and deserving.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
June 10, 2021
Ali Vali wlw Indiana Jones!! Loved it!!!
April 20, 2021
What a fun adventure story!! Action, intrigue, secret societies, adventure archeology... and throw in finding your true love. Excellent!
Dr. Yasmine Hassani is a Moroccan historian - and sometime Moroccan govt code-breaker - whose summer guest lecture trip to the United States opens her to a whole new world. That new world is driven by Dr. Levi Montbard, an in-the-field archeologist whose family business is history and collecting. The two move quickly from antagonism to intrigue to love, swirled up in uncovering a historical mystery with extensive modern implications.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Dr. Yasmine Hassani is a Moroccan historian - and sometime Moroccan govt code-breaker - whose summer guest lecture trip to the United States opens her to a whole new world. That new world is driven by Dr. Levi Montbard, an in-the-field archeologist whose family business is history and collecting. The two move quickly from antagonism to intrigue to love, swirled up in uncovering a historical mystery with extensive modern implications.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
April 26, 2021
This is how Indiana Jones would have been had the adventurer been a lesbian and I loved it. Ofcourse, I also devoured the movies a couple of times each in my youth and imagine how many times that would have multiplied if it had Levi and Yasmine in the lead. Ali Vali is great when it comes to writing sweet romances, strong family ties, action and a bit of mystery. In this book she combines it with extensive research into the Templars and the different locations Levi and Yasmine visit in their chase.
Maybe the romance went a little bit fast, especially with Yasmine's background and her views ingrained by her mother, it all resolved rather easily and perfect but I am reading a romance to have some hours of simple, uncomplicated fun and you can always count on Ali Vali to deliver!
***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***
Maybe the romance went a little bit fast, especially with Yasmine's background and her views ingrained by her mother, it all resolved rather easily and perfect but I am reading a romance to have some hours of simple, uncomplicated fun and you can always count on Ali Vali to deliver!
***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***
August 30, 2023
This had a touch of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ with a bit of a twist and an interesting romance. In some ways the ‘history’ is a bit far-fetched and contorted at times, but this didn’t bother me and I was happy to just go with the flow.
I got a little confused at the start of the book as I struggled with some of the characters and relationships, it took a while to work out who they all were. The story also felt a bit disjointed and there were several occasions when I thought I had skipped a page by mistake.
Once I really got into the story everything improved and it was turning into a very good read. However by halfway I began to feel irritated and this grew as the story progressed. The number of times they were threatened and even nearly killed, but they just carried on as if nothing had happened. They took absolutely no precautions, this made no sense at all. Then there were the inconsistencies e.g.
Overall this was a decent read, but even though the author purposefully introduced a touch of fantasy about the investigation, I felt it got away from her a little. However if possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
I got a little confused at the start of the book as I struggled with some of the characters and relationships, it took a while to work out who they all were. The story also felt a bit disjointed and there were several occasions when I thought I had skipped a page by mistake.
Once I really got into the story everything improved and it was turning into a very good read. However by halfway I began to feel irritated and this grew as the story progressed. The number of times they were threatened and even nearly killed, but they just carried on as if nothing had happened. They took absolutely no precautions, this made no sense at all. Then there were the inconsistencies e.g.
Overall this was a decent read, but even though the author purposefully introduced a touch of fantasy about the investigation, I felt it got away from her a little. However if possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
May 16, 2021
Ali Vali is in a class by herself when it comes to writing a strong, sensitive, smart, family-oriented butch. Levi Montbard is the latest in a long line of characters we all wish we knew. And she's definitely met her match in Yasmine Hassani, a 31-year-old virgin who just didn't want the life her parents tried to set her up with. This is a romantic intrigue/suspense story, and I was riveted the entire time by the chase for the treasure. It's the kind of book that demands a re-read, in order to pick up what I'm sure are many things I missed or didn't understand the first time around. It's a little longer than most books, but there's not a wasted or unnecessary word. The stunning imagery just adds to the mystery.
March 30, 2022
Read via Audible. A really good story. Action, adventure and romance all in one. I really liked the characters cute and tough all at the same time. There was no wilting lilies at all in the story. Defiantly a story that I will re-read in the future.
May 13, 2021
The more I read Ali Vali the more I put her in my top 20 list of authors who always have solid books. A Woman to Treasure did not disappoint me. It was a very intriguing Story with lots of twists and turns that keep you reading and keep you at the edge of your seat.
The mains here are Levi Montbard and Yasmine Hassani, Both women are educated, smart and attractive. They come from different parts of the world but both have a love of history. Levi is on a quest to put together the pieces of the Templars Knights and acquires anything she can dealing with that lost society. Yasmine is a professor in Morocco who enjoys teaching women's studies but dreads the fact she will have to marry a man. When Yasmine comes to America to teach a summer course her and Levi have a difficult first encounter but quickly begin to spend time together and begin a journey to figure out the secret of the Templar Knights.
The entire time I read this book, I couldn't take myself away from it. The book does focus on one character romancing the other. Yasmine is Muslim and is to marry a man one day even though she desires to remain single. Yasmine hasn't allowed herself to accept she is a lesbian, so there is no courting of characters. Instead they focus on the adventure and in the meantime the mains get to know one another and eventually fall in love. It was a great approach. There is still chemistry so you will not miss that and there is the angst that I like - mystery/suspense. It was just a good read and I recommend.
4.5 stars
This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
The mains here are Levi Montbard and Yasmine Hassani, Both women are educated, smart and attractive. They come from different parts of the world but both have a love of history. Levi is on a quest to put together the pieces of the Templars Knights and acquires anything she can dealing with that lost society. Yasmine is a professor in Morocco who enjoys teaching women's studies but dreads the fact she will have to marry a man. When Yasmine comes to America to teach a summer course her and Levi have a difficult first encounter but quickly begin to spend time together and begin a journey to figure out the secret of the Templar Knights.
The entire time I read this book, I couldn't take myself away from it. The book does focus on one character romancing the other. Yasmine is Muslim and is to marry a man one day even though she desires to remain single. Yasmine hasn't allowed herself to accept she is a lesbian, so there is no courting of characters. Instead they focus on the adventure and in the meantime the mains get to know one another and eventually fall in love. It was a great approach. There is still chemistry so you will not miss that and there is the angst that I like - mystery/suspense. It was just a good read and I recommend.
4.5 stars
This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
March 28, 2025
I absolutely loved the themes of this book and the way an ancient story and a contemporary one were woven into each other throughout the chapters. However, I found the pace of the book a little off as action parts, discoveries and also important conversations with family members were often way too fast and implicit whereas romantic parts were stretched out a lot. So yeah, it's definitely an entertaining read, but it would've been even better if the author had taken some more pages to tell the complete story.
June 20, 2022
Awesome adventure! Heart racing moments, great romance, loved it!
November 29, 2022
Another great book from Ali Vali. Can't wait to read the follow on...
May 27, 2021
7/10*
Gay lara croft yES
Or so I thought. **
But -
Two powerful women with doctorates made for each other teaming up to crack a code f*CK YES
I had a problem with Vali’s other book (The Inheritance) which just bored and tired me so I stopped reading it at about 50% and even though I tried to skim through it till the end I just couldn’t finish that book. Because of that one I was very cautious with this book, too, but I really ended up enjoying the adventure.
Yes, this is an adventurous story with some mystery elements first (pretty dominantly), so, if you’re looking for a breezy light romance with a bit of mystery - this ain’t it. I liked it, though.
This is a bit random, to be honest, but personality wise Levi very frequently used to remind me of Anne Lister (from her diaries and the BBC/HBO show) so I somehow ended up imagining Levi as Suranne Jones’ Anne with all her quirks and gesticulation.***
Not really a big fan of Ali Vali’s writing flow because when I read it, I somehow always have a feeling like the book’s written wayyy before 2020. Especially since the characters act and talk that way, too.**** Tiring and forced if I dare say. It felt unnatural to me and it always has some weird aura of unbelieveableness because of it and it makes me sad/mad since it's stopping me from fully getting into the story.
I don't know if that's a recurring thing but this is a second book by Vali I read and also the second one that has the butch/femme pairing. So, if you're into that I'd recommend checking out her books.
The adventurous and mysterious part of this story is A1, honestly. But, if we're talking grades, the romantic aspect of this story barely gets a D.
I expected way more action so I was a bit disappointed with only these puzzle solving moments BUT it's such an interesting kind of historic story about Andre and the Templars that you have to read it. I ended up reading the book only because of that, honestly. I'm not the one for an instantaneous love - it's just not believable. It's not real. It happens too fast and I liked the book better until that moment. The MCs know each other for only a bit but EVERYONE talks about Levi being the one for Yasmine***** so surely??
I always almost v*mit when someone says “You’re different”. I just think of all the guys always saying that same thing to all the girls they want. And, on the other hand, it's also very pick me, choose me. Levi, I'm disappointed - you could've done better. Lol
So, yes, I feel as if the book would've been SO MUCH BETTER only if they got together a lot closer to the end.
You can then watch, well, read, as their chemistry grows throughout the book and all the code breaking and adventures they have and not them actually miraculously ending up together in the beginning of the book and saying they love one another so frequantly to the point it gets annoying and I have to roll my eyes.
Definitely a book I'd recommend but I can't help but feel disappointed, as well, since this story had so much more potential. It was in Vali's grasp and I feel as if she could've easily done it but she let it go, instead.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
* Honestly, it's way more of a 6/10 (3 stars) because the romance part is so bad but the story itself was interesting and good so it just barely jumped to 4 stars. And I felt bad because I was giving so many ARCs bad reviews recently.
** Maybe I was finding so many similarities because I'd just finished Rise of the Tomb Raider. It definitely reminded me of this Lara Croft game. Though, it ended up not being as adventurous and high on action as I thought it'd be.
*** I love Anne. Can't wait for the Season 2. sksdkskjdsa
Should read all the Anne Lister books I bought first, though. I'm just scared I'll spoil it for
myself. Lol
**** Anne Lister vibes, again. Because of the setting this time - like they're living in the age of Industrial Revolution, as well.
***** And vice versa.
Gay lara croft yES
Or so I thought. **
But -
Two powerful women with doctorates made for each other teaming up to crack a code f*CK YES
I had a problem with Vali’s other book (The Inheritance) which just bored and tired me so I stopped reading it at about 50% and even though I tried to skim through it till the end I just couldn’t finish that book. Because of that one I was very cautious with this book, too, but I really ended up enjoying the adventure.
Yes, this is an adventurous story with some mystery elements first (pretty dominantly), so, if you’re looking for a breezy light romance with a bit of mystery - this ain’t it. I liked it, though.
This is a bit random, to be honest, but personality wise Levi very frequently used to remind me of Anne Lister (from her diaries and the BBC/HBO show) so I somehow ended up imagining Levi as Suranne Jones’ Anne with all her quirks and gesticulation.***
Not really a big fan of Ali Vali’s writing flow because when I read it, I somehow always have a feeling like the book’s written wayyy before 2020. Especially since the characters act and talk that way, too.**** Tiring and forced if I dare say. It felt unnatural to me and it always has some weird aura of unbelieveableness because of it and it makes me sad/mad since it's stopping me from fully getting into the story.
I don't know if that's a recurring thing but this is a second book by Vali I read and also the second one that has the butch/femme pairing. So, if you're into that I'd recommend checking out her books.
The adventurous and mysterious part of this story is A1, honestly. But, if we're talking grades, the romantic aspect of this story barely gets a D.
I expected way more action so I was a bit disappointed with only these puzzle solving moments BUT it's such an interesting kind of historic story about Andre and the Templars that you have to read it. I ended up reading the book only because of that, honestly. I'm not the one for an instantaneous love - it's just not believable. It's not real. It happens too fast and I liked the book better until that moment. The MCs know each other for only a bit but EVERYONE talks about Levi being the one for Yasmine***** so surely??
I always almost v*mit when someone says “You’re different”. I just think of all the guys always saying that same thing to all the girls they want. And, on the other hand, it's also very pick me, choose me. Levi, I'm disappointed - you could've done better. Lol
So, yes, I feel as if the book would've been SO MUCH BETTER only if they got together a lot closer to the end.
You can then watch, well, read, as their chemistry grows throughout the book and all the code breaking and adventures they have and not them actually miraculously ending up together in the beginning of the book and saying they love one another so frequantly to the point it gets annoying and I have to roll my eyes.
Definitely a book I'd recommend but I can't help but feel disappointed, as well, since this story had so much more potential. It was in Vali's grasp and I feel as if she could've easily done it but she let it go, instead.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
* Honestly, it's way more of a 6/10 (3 stars) because the romance part is so bad but the story itself was interesting and good so it just barely jumped to 4 stars. And I felt bad because I was giving so many ARCs bad reviews recently.
** Maybe I was finding so many similarities because I'd just finished Rise of the Tomb Raider. It definitely reminded me of this Lara Croft game. Though, it ended up not being as adventurous and high on action as I thought it'd be.
*** I love Anne. Can't wait for the Season 2. sksdkskjdsa
Should read all the Anne Lister books I bought first, though. I'm just scared I'll spoil it for
myself. Lol
**** Anne Lister vibes, again. Because of the setting this time - like they're living in the age of Industrial Revolution, as well.
***** And vice versa.
June 9, 2021
Dan Brown meets Jan Guillou meets Emma Nichols in this epic mystery/adventure/romance novel.
Ali Vali mixes historical knowledge and fiction with code hidden in riddles and the slowly growing sexual tension between two most unlikely candidates for a lasting romance. The mystery exchanges place with the building sexual tension between Eli and Yasmine and the growing threat to their treasure hunt in the background to keep you glued to the pages.
This novel has easily jumped into my top favourites list. I thank the amazing cover for drawing my attention, when I was rather looking for another lesbian romance in French.
If I had not started it so late into the night I would have finished it in a day.
Ali Vali mixes historical knowledge and fiction with code hidden in riddles and the slowly growing sexual tension between two most unlikely candidates for a lasting romance. The mystery exchanges place with the building sexual tension between Eli and Yasmine and the growing threat to their treasure hunt in the background to keep you glued to the pages.
This novel has easily jumped into my top favourites list. I thank the amazing cover for drawing my attention, when I was rather looking for another lesbian romance in French.
If I had not started it so late into the night I would have finished it in a day.
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