{"product_id":"the-lust-crusade-isbn-9780593953280","title":"The Lust Crusade","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn INSTANT \u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003eBestseller!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run fake an engagement to save their lives, leading them into the labyrinth of their own desires.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDaniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember—until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is \u003ci\u003enot\u003c\/i\u003e doing well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone—the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani \u003ci\u003eout\u003c\/i\u003e of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real.\u003cb\u003ePraise for Jo Segura\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nail-biting adventure and steamy chemistry”—\u003ci\u003ePeople Magazine \u003c\/i\u003eon \u003ci\u003eTemple of Swoon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRomancing the Stone\u003c\/i\u003e meets \u003ci\u003eIndiana Jones\u003c\/i\u003e in this thrilling adventure romance.”—\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e on \u003ci\u003eRaiders of the Lost Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Heartbreak, redemption, and steamy narrative drive a true enemies-to-lovers tale.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Seattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e on\u003ci\u003e Raiders of the Lost Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A thrilling, page-turning story that will take readers for a wild ride.... Jo Segura delivered the ultimate enemies-to-lovers adventure rom-com!”—#1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Ali Hazelwood on \u003ci\u003eRaiders of the Lost Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It was everything I wanted: riotous fun, heart-clenching romance, and pitch-perfect characters!”—\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Christina Lauren on \u003ci\u003eTemple of Swoon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jo Segura has blessed us with another action-packed, super steamy adventure romance...Packed with some of my favorite tropes, \u003ci\u003eThe Lust Crusade\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read and Segura secures her spot on my auto-buy authors list!\"—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e Bestselling author Falon Ballard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Lust Crusade\u003c\/i\u003e is an adventure rom-com for the ages! From holding my breath in anticipation of the next twist to swooning over Dani and Theo’s sparkling chemistry, I couldn’t put it down. Pack your bags, Jo Segura has delivered another perfect adventure.”— \u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author Denise Williams\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Temple of Swoon\u003c\/i\u003e is a true adventure rom-com—filled with snappy banter, heart-pounding twists and turns.... No one in romance is doing exactly what she is—no one!”—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Alicia Thompson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jo Segura has a gift for the snappy banter and sizzling tension in an enemies-to-lovers romance.\"—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Adriana Herrera\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jo Segura has done it again! \u003ci\u003eTemple of Swoon\u003c\/i\u003e is everything I'm looking for in an adventure romance. It's full of humor and heart-pounding action, and is steamier than the Amazon itself.\"—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author Jenna Levine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Adventure, intrigue, and steamy romance! Jo Segura skillfully weaves all three—\u0026amp; more—in this delightful debut!\"—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras on \u003ci\u003eRaiders of the Lost Heart \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Readers who love a good adventure romance combined with Greek mythology will not be able to put this one down.”—Booklist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Segura’s well-written, action-packed contemporary romance is loaded with twists, turns, and incredibly entertaining characters.”—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author \u003cb\u003eJo Segura\u003c\/b\u003e lives in the Pacific Northwest with her doggo, who vies for her attention with his sweet puppy dog eyes whenever she’s trying to write. Her stories feature strong, passionate heroines and draw upon aspects of her life, such as her Mexican heritage and her fascination with archaeology. When she’s not writing you can find her practicing law, perusing the aisles of Trader Joe’s, or sitting outside doing Buzzfeed quizzes (though she doesn’t care what the chicken nugget quiz said–her favorite fruit is \u003ci\u003enot \u003c\/i\u003ebanana).Chapter\u003cbr\u003eOne\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGreece: Birthplace of many of Daniela Guiterrez's favorite things. Libraries. Gyros. Democracy. Cheesecake. And Dr. Theo Galanis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis name had played on repeat in her head ever since she'd landed in Crete three days ago. Theo. Theo. Theo. This trip wasn't supposed to be about him. This was supposed to be her opportunity to finally see the world. Meet new people. Maybe meet a guy. Someone who might allow her to forget about Theo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani laughed to herself at the idea as she stared out the window of the tour bus on its way to the palace of Knossos. The sparkling, crystal-blue water as they pulled away from the harbor reminded her of his eyes. A moment later, they passed a stand selling dolmades, tangy stuffed grape leaves-Theo's favorite food. And then, a local bar with a poster-size advertisement for raki, a celebratory drink at every one of Theo's family gatherings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForget about Theo? Who was she kidding?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe'd come to Greece, of all places. If there was anyplace in the world that could remind her of Theo, this was it. Place of his birth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd of his death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAre you gonna get busy living or keep busying yourself with dying? Her dad's question, butchering his favorite movie quote, echoed in her ears. As did her mom's follow-up: What he's saying, mija, is it's time for you to get a life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOuch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was some thanks after dedicating the last sixteen years of her life-ever since her dad's work accident-helping them out by taking her dad to his doctor's appointments, doing their grocery shopping, and picking up their prescriptions only for them to tell her a month ago that they were packing their bags and finally moving to Florida like they'd threatened to do so many times. Forgive Dani for thinking they'd never go through with it, seeing as they'd lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the entirety of their lives. Yet there they were, kicking her out of her childhood home so they could sell it to some young family looking to put down roots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOkay, so maybe they did offer to sell it to Dani first, but the price they needed to be able to put down the deposit on their new place in Florida was not in her librarian's-salary budget and she wasn't going to ask them for a deal. Especially not after they'd apparently considered the last sixteen years as their favor to her, when she'd been over there naively thinking it had been the other way around. They didn't even seem to remember that her brother, Eddie, hadn't offered to lift a finger when her dad first got in the accident whereas she was packed and moved out of her dorm at the University of Michigan the minute her mom muttered the words, I don't know how I'll be able to take care of your papa alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOkay, okay! So maybe Eddie offered, but come on. Not only did he not have a single nurturing bone in his body, but he and Theo, his BFF since the second grade, had just left for a nonrefundable study-abroad program in Spain. Dani, on the other hand, was only a little over a hundred miles away and one (miserable) semester into her undergrad at Michigan. It made sense for Dani to be the one to help.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRight? She furrowed her brow as she watched Heraklion passing by out the bus window, thinking back to that pivotal time in her life all those years ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe'd always planned to return to U of M. Helping out her parents was supposed to be temporary. At least, that's what she'd been telling herself for the last decade and a half. It was better than admitting that Daniela Guiterrez, former high school daredevil and talker of big dreams, was too scared to go out on her own and eventually got comfortable living above her parents' garage and gave up on all those things she'd said she was going to do. She got comfortable never having ventured from Grand Rapids other than that short stint in Ann Arbor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut now what? Her parents were moving a thousand miles away, Eddie was in Chicago living the bachelor life, and Theo's family, who'd been like an extension of her own, had all left the area. There was no one left to call Grand Rapids home. Her parents' suggestion that maybe it was time for her to start her own family, to settle down and find a husband, begged the question: With whom?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGod, I need a date.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Well, I'll go out on a date with you tonight, little missy. Happy to oblige,\" a voice said to her left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani spun her head around to her tour bus seatmate, Harold, and blinked. Had she really said that out loud? The old man smiled, cheery as always, and she actually pondered his invitation for a moment. As she'd come to discover over the last couple of days, Harold was pretty funny. But ignoring for a moment that he was old enough to be her abuelo, in no universe did the term of endearment little missy ever result in someone agreeing to go on a date, and it certainly wouldn't be starting today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut as her actual abuelo had always said: Respect your elders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I don't know why I said that,\" she responded. \"I was thinking about something else. Besides I think we'll be too tired after today's excursion, don't you think?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Bah!\" Harold said, waving his hand dismissively. \"Ain't nothing but a bit of walking around at Knossos. Wait 'til we get to the Acropolis. Glad I got that knee replacement surgery taken care of last year.\" He made a fist and knocked on his knee, clearly proud of his mobility.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But I get it,\" he resumed. \"If I were a beautiful young lady like you, I wouldn't want to hang out with an old fogey like me, either.\" He winked and smiled, and Dani couldn't help but smile in return.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe was used to old men hitting on her-or really, men of all ages hitting on her, especially whenever she came out from behind the counter at her job at the Grand Rapids Public Library and they got one look at her . . . generous hips and ass-but she didn't get that sort of vibe from Harold. After only three days with him, he gave off more You're the only person I can stand on this group tour than Hubba-hubba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But,\" Harold continued, \"if you want to check out the nightlife and need a wingman, I'm your guy. I'm the only one in this crew who can stay up past five p.m., after all.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHarold gave her another wink, and she snickered. At thirty-five, Dani was the youngest person on the tour bus by at least thirty years, and, in most cases, more like forty. On the first day when Harold had joked he must have been twice her age, it had turned out he wasn't wrong. But how was Dani supposed to have known that Silver Sunset Singles Tours, LLC, catered to the sixty-plus crowd?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOkay, so maybe silver should have been a hint. And sure, there were a lot of photos on Silver Sunset's website of happy retirement-age individuals. But it was the only Greek singles tour with last-minute availability she could find within her budget. It wasn't her fault that some sort of internet form snafu didn't catch that she was \"underage,\" something she hadn't been in quite some time. So when she'd arrived in Crete for the start of the tour and the guide, Cosmo, had gone to check her in, they decided to honor the reservation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat were they going to do? Cancel it and leave her stranded, alone, in Greece? She was just glad there was someone on this bus who was interested in talking with her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThough becoming besties with a septuagenarian wasn't exactly what she'd envisioned for the trip when she'd booked it a few weeks ago. Right after her parents told her they were selling the house two days after . . . Theo's memorial service.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSeriously, could they have picked a worse time to break the news?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer entire world had been turned upside down in a matter of forty-eight hours, her parents' announcement being the final nail in the proverbial (and in Theo's case, nonexistent) coffin. Seemed like as good a time as any to take a last-minute midlife crisis vacation to a foreign country.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Penny for your thoughts?\" Harold asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh, I was thinking about a friend.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A friend?\" Harold raised his brow. \"What sort of friend?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Not that kind of friend,\" she said with a bit of a laugh and then waved her arms around their surroundings. \"I mean, look at me. I'm by myself. On a seniors' singles tour.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Why is that, exactly?\" he asked, folding his hands in his lap and turning in his seat to face her. \"What brings a gal like you on a tour like this?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani sighed and leaned back against the headrest. \"I didn't know it was a sixty-plus tour, if that's what you're wondering.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I figured as much. Been meaning to ask you, but I didn't want to be rude by asking what in the golly heck brought you here. Thought maybe you were Cosmo's girlfriend at first.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani scrunched her face at the idea. Cosmo may have been a young whippersnapper when compared to Harold, but he was still at least twenty years her senior.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"So maybe Cosmo's not your type,\" Harold said with a chuckle. \"But alone? Don't you have someone special-or maybe even that friend of yours you're thinking about-who could have gone on a trip with you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOof.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Well, when you put it that way . . .\" Dani said, and let her voice trail off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause what was she supposed to say? That, no, she didn't have someone special because for the last decade she'd dated only casually so she could be available if and when her parents needed her? Or perhaps that her only real friend nowadays, her coworker Beau, preferred sand and mojitos over crumbling ruins and ouzo. In his words, he wouldn't be caught dead in hideous hiking boots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePoor word choice, Beau. Too soon. Much too soon.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOf course, there was always Eddie, but she'd be caught dead before taking a trip like this with him. Nothing was worse than when people asked if they were dating. Gross. Besides, they got along fine-she might even consider them \"friends\" given how much time they hung out together with Theo-but things were different now that Theo was gone. It was almost as if his absence was an elephant in the room whenever they got together and they didn't know how to act around each other without him there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost of Dani's other friends had left Grand Rapids straight after high school, and those who hadn't, well, there was nothing like showing her face again after moving back home only a few weeks into college. Sure, Dani, the dutiful daughter that she was, could point to her dad's accident as the justification for her return to Grand Rapids. But she'd heard the rumors:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDid you hear Daniela Guiterrez couldn't hack it at the University of Michigan?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI heard she flunked out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI knew she was nothing but talk.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe thought she was so much better than us, and look at her now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAh yes, look at her now. Single. Midthirties. And working in the library, of all places. Served her right for that stunt she pulled in tenth grade, reshelving all the books in their high school library by \"vibes\" rather than author name and genre. Back then, she'd never been one to turn down a dare.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut that was then.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce voted \"most likely to bungie jump off the Eiffel Tower,\" now Dani would probably be more accurately described as \"most likely to die of actual boredom.\" The only times she felt like her old self were the times when Theo visited.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe figured you needed us, her parents had explained, sitting her down at the dinner table to break the news about their impending move. You seemed so unhappy and sad all the time. We thought you wanted to come home. It was difficult to recall the discussion surrounding her return home all these years later. She remembered saying she'd come home without hesitation when her mom first told her about her dad falling down a manhole working for the city's public works department during a storm event and how he'd be out of work for at least a few months. She'd volunteered because they'd asked. Hadn't they?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe conversation was a little hazy now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer return had nothing to do with the fact that she was homesick. Or that she didn't get into all the classes she'd wanted. Or that she and her new roommate weren't getting along. Or that she missed her old friends and family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHome made sense. At least it did back then.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCould she even call it that anymore, though, when her home was literally being taken from her?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I'm sorry. There I go, being nosy again,\" Harold said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani smiled and put her hand on his arm. \"It's fine. Really. My life right now . . . it's . . . it's complicated.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat was one way to put it. Definitely too complicated to get into in the last ten minutes of their bus ride to the palace of Knossos where soon they'd be crawling around ten square kilometers of sprawling ruins, learning about the lives of the Minoan civilization with thousands of other tourists. At least they were going in the latter half of the day after the crowds had hopefully thinned out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Well, then, you can tell me all about it over dinner tonight,\" Harold said with a wink. \"Only as friends. I promise.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDani smiled. \"Okay. Friends.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I was only teasing about the date thing earlier, you know. I know I'm here on this whole single seniors' thing, but ever since my Patricia passed away five years ago, I haven't been able to imagine life with someone else.\" There was a crack in his voice, and suddenly he stopped talking, pulling his lip in to keep it from trembling. \"I'm sorry. I don't mean to get morose. You probably came here to enjoy an adventure, not think about dead people.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe word thumped in her chest. Suddenly the words that she still refused to accept flashed through her mind:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGreek American Archaeologist Presumed Dead\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy the time the newspapers printed that headline, the story of Dr. Theo Galanis's disappearance had already been blasted all over the news and social media. When Dani had first learned that he'd gone missing, his last known whereabouts being a marina where he'd chartered a boat for a journey off the coast of Neapoli, she hadn't been able to breathe. Theo had arrived in Greece one week earlier. He was supposed to have been there for only a couple of months, six tops, having been contacted by his old friend on behalf of some archaeological society to assist with a dig on the Peloponnesian peninsula given his expertise in ancient Greek archaeology. The details were a little fuzzy, as was any paper trail with the specifics.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233706946789,"sku":"NP9780593953280","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593953280.jpg?v=1767740351","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-lust-crusade-isbn-9780593953280","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}