Hearts in Ruin

ADVENTURE/SUSPENSE:  Andrea Hollister’s plans to finish off her PhD work with a final dig are fumbled when her adviser takes the summer off and hands his dig over to Dr. Daniel Fuchs.  A prodigy in the field with “crackpot” theories, Daniel asks Andrea to lead his dig, knowing it’s a long shot to finish the work his own university would not support. Andrea decides to write a dissertation debunking Daniel’s work and agrees to the job. However, the time she spends with Daniel causes her respect for him to grow, even though she feels like his scientific methods lack stringency.  Andrea’s cynicism fades as she realizes that Daniel is a true believer and onto something big, and she wants to believe in him and a future together.

“Hearts in Ruin” is a unique contemporary romance, with its theme focused on archaeology.  The insights and tidbits into the science are well done, and it’s a nice change to have two main characters who are scientists.  Andrea is hard to like at times, with her abrasive personality and judgmental view of Daniel. Over time, as she sees Daniel in a different light, she mellows in a way that increases her appeal. Daniel has an unworldly sweetness and a scholarly demeanor that would appeal to fans of geeky heroes. They have good chemistry which drives the story along. While some readers might be turned off at times by the highly in-depth look at archaeology, other readers will appreciate the distinctive feel of this short novel.

Danielle Hill