Get ready for the charm and humor of Romancing Miss Stone by M.C. Vaughan, where Indiana Jones and Hallmark meet.

You deserve better. Someone who sees you, loves you for all your quirks, and allows you to be the one to take chances. 

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

Nothing kills romance faster than words like – she flourished her hands like a magician – ‘plans’ and ‘solid’. 

I requested an ARC of Romancing Miss Stone by M.C. Vaughan after looking at the cover and doing a quick once over of the synopsis, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a read in one sitting romance where the adventure of Indiana Jones meets the humor and heart of a Hallmark movie, and I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The fact that the female main character, Alex was the adventurous one and the male lead, Bo, was the straight-laced, ‘have a plan for everything’ type was just the icing on the cake. 

Bo and Alex have both had shitty encounters with love in the past. Bo was freshly dumped by his ex-fiance over text, and has traveled all the way to Belize in an attempt to get closure. Alex, on the other hand, was still recovering from grief over her father’s death when a former flame ran off with her company’s money and has struggled to keep her head above water since. When they encounter each other after Bo requests that Alex guide him to his ex-fiance’s archaeological dig site, sparks fly from the get go. 

I’d love to be that confident about anything I do…Oh, I’m sure there are things a handsome man like you is very good at.

The character development in this book was great. Both of the main romantic leads show a lot of growth over the course of the story. For example, Bo has to learn how to take adventures and go with the flow instead of having a plan for everything. After the hurt caused by her former flame, Alex built her walls up high around her heart, and Bo slowly chips away at them during their journey. There’s not a lot of worldbuilding (given that it’s a contemporary romance), but I think the setting and the natural beauty of Belize more than make up for that. The romance was great, and the book is full of tropes (there’s only one tent, then there’s only bed, and the entire trip is essentially forced proximity). There’s no major villain to be defeated or treasure to be found (making for a low stakes plot), which normally I would be upset about but I appreciated in this instance as it allowed the romance to shine and be the main focus of the story. 

Overall, this was an excellent book. While it’s the first I’ve read by M.C. Vaughan, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by them in the future. It’s unclear at the end of reading this book whether or not it’s designed to be a series (it is listed under ‘Belize Dreams’ on retail websites), but I’d really love to see more of Alex and Bo in the future. It would be super cool to see other characters like Rodrigo or Delilah (Bo’s sister) get their happily ever after as well. I would recommend this book to adult romance readers who like stories with a bit of spice, adventure, and loads of humor in them. 

I can’t promise you forever…All I’m asking for is now.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Anxiety Attacks, Gambling Addiction, References to Deceased Parent

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