Us in Ruins

By: Rachel Moore

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya

Margot is on the quest to uncover and reassemble an ancient—and cursed—vase, with the help of a boy who went missing in 1932, because it's the only way to put back together her broken heart in this standa-lone adventure rom-com, perfect for fans of What the River Knows and The Lost City.

The mythical Vase of Venus Aurelia hasn’t been seen since 1932, but Margot Rhodes is determined to change that.

Drawn by the vase’s supposed magical properties, Margot embarks on her school’s archaeological trip to Pompeii. Sure, it’s her first time holding a shovel, but she’s got something no one else does: lost teenage explorer Van Keane’s journal.

Poring over the poetic entries that serve as a map to the vase’s missing shards, Margot finds herself falling in love with the boy who wrote it a century ago. She’s shocked when her search leads her to a statue that looks exactly like Van, and then the statue comes to life.

Catapulted into the present, Van is nothing like the wordsmith Margot imagined. He’s all sharp edges, intent on retrieving the relic for all the wrong reasons. But it takes two to survive Venus’s death-defying challenges, and, together, Margot and Van must excavate the treasure—and their buried pasts—before their story ends in ruins.

With a blend of humor, magic, and love, Rachel Moore crafts another stand-alone adventure rom-com full of double- and triple-crosses, hilarious shenanigans, and frustration-fueled banter, where the best treasure is true love.

©2024 Rachel Moore (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Smart funny & relatable main character

I enjoyed the adventures. but mostly I enjoyed how relatable the MFC was for me. Overall, cute, fun and adventurous.

fun and cute

I really enjoyed listening to this, I finished it in one sitting. it was a fun and cute story. definitely recommend. it got me out of my reading funk 👍🏼

Fun and cute story!

This book was such a fun little adventure! All the Indiana Jones vibes and the narrator was great!

Such A Good Story

I loved Us in Ruins SO much!! The story was a cute, fun jaunt full of adventure and learning to love and accept oneself! I can't wait to read more books by Rachel Moore!

Felt like an early 2000’s rom-com 🏺

“Venus may have cursed my heart to stone only so that you can chisel it out and make it beat again.”

***

I’m not usually into Teen/YA books, but I loved this!!! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It also made me laugh quite a bit. A very easy and light read/listen!

📖 Story: 4/5
I enjoyed Rachel Moore’s writing. It was lighthearted (and more in line with how I perceive a teen should/would act and think), but impactful and serious when it needed to be. The story was easy to follow, well paced, the over arching theme was clear and the adventure was fun!

🗣️ Performance 5/5:
The narrator’s performance particularly deserves praise — each character felt like their own. I was engaged the whole time. She made me really feel for Margot, the FMC.

THE PLUSES:
✔️ grumpy x sunshine
✔️ slow burn
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ banter
✔️ felt like an early 2000s rom-com*
✔️ adventures in Italy
✔️ archeology / treasure hunt
✔️ mythology / magical realism
✔️ deadly trials
✔️ pop culture references*
✔️ relatable FMC (soft and emotional girly…teenage me would have related a lot to her.)
✔️ character growth
✔️ third person POV

* These may be a minus for some, but for me it was a plus! I found the references added to the lightheartedness and charm of the story.

THE MINUSES:
➖nobody questions an approx. 100yr old 18yr old boy with no identification joining a high school archeology expedition
➖no repercussions for breaking and entering (emphasis on breaking) into history museums
➖HEA felt a little too unrealistic given the circumstances

QUEUE UP:
🎵 “Turn to Stone” by Ingrid Michaelson
🍿 The Lizzie McGuire Movie
🍿 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
🍿 Indiana Jones

A unique love story!

It took me about half way thru to really get into the story. The beginning was a bit slow paced but once I was half way in, I loved the characters and the story. A nice cozy read!
I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!

The Overall Idea Is Fun

Story has potential and holds interest generally as a fun idea, but I wish it was more for adults. I didn’t realize it was a teen romance drama, and it felt a bit facile.