The hunt for fossils—and love—is on in this steamy, STEMinist romance about two paleontologists who join forces to prevent a fraudulent dinosaur discovery, but accidentally dig up feelings for each other along the way.
Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She’s spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery—a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds—it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.
But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley’s dig site, she realizes she’s not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley’s help to prove it. She’d tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers . . . and the fraudster is her ex.
The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they’re going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley’s excavation boots won’t be the only things getting a little dirty. . . .
Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She’s spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery—a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds—it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.
But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley’s dig site, she realizes she’s not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley’s help to prove it. She’d tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers . . . and the fraudster is her ex.
The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they’re going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley’s excavation boots won’t be the only things getting a little dirty. . . .
Title: Fossil Feud
Author: Maggie North
Publisher: Dell
Publication Date: July 28, 2026
Review:
Thank you to Ballentine/Dell and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
A STEM romance about paleontologists? SIGN ME UP! When I read the blurb for this one all I could think of was Indiana Jones meets Jurassic Park and I love me some of those vibes! And this book did not disappoint in that area at all. It was fun and romantic and just the right amount of spicy for me! Plus, throw in a little intrigue and I was hooked.
If you are a trigger person, be aware this book touches on cancer and loss of loved ones.
Ripley Adams is a renegade paleontologist who just wants to find her "bird." I freaking adored her so much. She's sassy and a bit raunchy and a whole lot of fun. She's driven and hard working, and focused on proving she knows what she's doing. Of course she's also a bit closed off and aloof and doesn't really want to open herself up to anyone after being hurt by her former boyfriend Will. But you can see her sparks throughout the book as she struggles with connecting with her friends and also with James Smithson. You also see her grief as she struggles to come to terms with her mother leaving and her father recovering from being sick. She's. strong character with strong morals who is not afraid to go after what she wants.
James Smithson is Ripley's complete opposite. But in his uptightness, Ripley finds a friend who wants to lift her up and see her succeed. Even though they had an encounter years ago that left her with a bit of a bad taste in her mouth, Ripley finds herself growing closer to James and seeing he's more than what's on his surface. He also comes with some baggage that he needs to work through stemming from the loss of his mother.
North has the characters, all the characters, engaging in some pretty great banter throughout the book. I really enjoyed all the side characters who become Ripley's found family. Their dynamics are fantastic. And the pacing of the book was pretty perfect. I will say the first half had some moments of slowness to them where I wasn't sure if the scene really was pushing the plot forward. It made the book just a bit unbalanced since the last 25% of the story really took off.
What dropped my rating here was the fact that James approaches Ripley to help him investigate a fraud but they barely spend time doing this and then it suddenly becomes a huge thing at the end of the book.
Though the book does have some predictability to it, I really had a fun time immersing myself in the world of paleontology. I learned quite a bit about how much work goes into a dig site and what it takes to find something that stands out amongst so many other specimens in the field. Seeing as I have no background here, I'm not sure how scientifically accurate it was but it sure was entertaining,. This book makes me want to go to the Museum and Natural History and browse the entire dinosaur section to see what I can learn!
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
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