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Secrets of the Nile #2
Where the Library Hides
The stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!
1885, Egypt
Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.
Marriage to Whitford Hayes.
Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.
1885, Egypt
Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.
Marriage to Whitford Hayes.
Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 5, 2024
About the author
Isabel Ibañez
9 books3,428 followersIsabel Ibañez is a USA Today, Indie, Sunday Times, and #1 New York Times bestseller and the author of the Secrets of the Nile duology, Together We Burn, Written in Starlight, and Woven in Moonlight, which is listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time and was a finalist for the William C. Morris award. She is the proud daughter of Bolivian immigrants and has a profound appreciation for history, traveling, and writing stories where her characters are often running for their lives. She currently lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her family, their adorable golden doodle, and an overwhelming amount of of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
Want to read
February 19, 2024I need answers. I need them. I need to know what the hell the last book’s ending meant or i will throw up.
December 12, 2023
I just know this is going to be a 5 star 😍 can’t wait to read more about my man Whit
Want to read
January 25, 2024I NEED THIS
I NEED THIS
I NEED THIS
I NEED THIS
I NEED THIS
Want to read
February 1, 2024If I die before November someone better bring this book to my grave and read it to me
Read
January 27, 2024THAT COVER?! I NEED IT NOW.
Want to read
January 26, 2024The library is hiding with the fictional guys that I can't have. I'm sure of it.
I'm so excited for this book. 🤭
I'm so excited for this book. 🤭
Want to read
February 13, 2024Tell me why does the first sentence spoil the first book so fast?
June 18, 2024
Thank you Macmillan for sending me an early copy — this was absolutely spectacular. I was obsessed and devoured it in a single day. Filled with adventures, love, and so many wonderful discoveries. I truly enjoyed reading this a lot. The perfect conclusion to the duology and i hope we get more in the future.
December 18, 2023
Genuinely know that this book will be a 6 (yes, 6) star read for me. I can't freaking wait. 😭
July 1, 2024
Absolutely LOVED this one!! There were so many twists and turns throughout the series that there wasn’t a single moment where I was bored.
Inez was just everything. I loved her stubborn attitude and how despite being hurt she continued to love whole heartedly. I love how her strength really comes from her intelligence and willpower. My poor girl went through it in this book and there were so many times where my heart just hurt for her. She truly deserves the world.
I’m not going to lie I kinda hated Whit for like 60% of the book. He made me so angry so many times but as the book went on I really started to understand his character better. Also his love declaration couldn’t have been more perfect. Nothing beats an angry love confession. 🤭 I love how he made it so clear through his actions that he would do anything for Inez. Even though he had messed up, he was willing to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.
Overall, it was such a great ending to this duology. I’m so sad it’s over because I absolutely loved both books.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book!
Inez was just everything. I loved her stubborn attitude and how despite being hurt she continued to love whole heartedly. I love how her strength really comes from her intelligence and willpower. My poor girl went through it in this book and there were so many times where my heart just hurt for her. She truly deserves the world.
I’m not going to lie I kinda hated Whit for like 60% of the book. He made me so angry so many times but as the book went on I really started to understand his character better. Also his love declaration couldn’t have been more perfect. Nothing beats an angry love confession. 🤭 I love how he made it so clear through his actions that he would do anything for Inez. Even though he had messed up, he was willing to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.
Overall, it was such a great ending to this duology. I’m so sad it’s over because I absolutely loved both books.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book!
June 4, 2024
I practically begged to know what came next after the end of WTRK and Wednesday Books said we need to help this poor girl. And I'm so glad they did.
This is weird to explain but basically the book itself isn't actually five stars but the vibes and feelings it gave me are worth ten stars? I don't know, I just know I had a very good time with this. Like the first book, this took a little while to get going. It wasn't as adventure or tomb unearthing-filled (they didn't even leave Cairo until the halfway mark) BUT I could not put this down and read 200 pages in a day. After the events of the first book, especially that ending, it became a lot harder to trust many of the characters and that suspense kept me on my toes all the way through. Never knew what any person would do and I kind of loved that.
WTLH is a worthy finale to such a fun duology and I can't wait to see what else Isabel Ibanez writes next!
This is weird to explain but basically the book itself isn't actually five stars but the vibes and feelings it gave me are worth ten stars? I don't know, I just know I had a very good time with this. Like the first book, this took a little while to get going. It wasn't as adventure or tomb unearthing-filled (they didn't even leave Cairo until the halfway mark) BUT I could not put this down and read 200 pages in a day. After the events of the first book, especially that ending, it became a lot harder to trust many of the characters and that suspense kept me on my toes all the way through. Never knew what any person would do and I kind of loved that.
WTLH is a worthy finale to such a fun duology and I can't wait to see what else Isabel Ibanez writes next!
Want to read
March 9, 2024I already know I’d forgive Whit even if he tore Inez’s heart out and stamped on it. The boy can do no wrong in my eyes 🤭😍
May 27, 2024
Full review closer to release - but in short: I loved this.
I loved that it felt like a “Part II” to the first book, that it kept every thing I loved about book 1 and continued it. So many twists and turns, my jaw was on the floor for 70% of this thing. I would have liked the love story a bit more fleshed out but overall this was a 9/10 for me.
Needless to say: Ibanez is now on my auto-buy author list.
I loved that it felt like a “Part II” to the first book, that it kept every thing I loved about book 1 and continued it. So many twists and turns, my jaw was on the floor for 70% of this thing. I would have liked the love story a bit more fleshed out but overall this was a 9/10 for me.
Needless to say: Ibanez is now on my auto-buy author list.
Want to read
February 3, 2024And im supposed to wait close to 9 MONTHS FOR THIS? im going insane fr
July 8, 2024
At this point I’m pretty sure Isabel Ibañez invented the plot twist, because wow, there was one at every turn. I was utterly enthralled by this book. Inez’s determination is aspiring and Whit’s cunning (and swoony) personality are the stuff that romantasy dreams are made of. The perfect conclusion for a duology that felt just as magical as the artifacts uncovered on this grand Egyptian adventure.
Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!
Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!
June 13, 2024
What an amazing ending to an amazing duology. Everything in this book was so well-done and wrapped up so nicely, I could scarcely put it down. There were plottwists I didn't see coming, and the overall vibes were just immaculate. As with the first book I was really transported to Egypt for a little while. And Whit and Inez are just two of the most amazing characters! I don't often like main characters, but these two were just *chef's kiss*, especially together.
May 18, 2024
The beginning of 'Where the Library Hides' was slower than book one. However, it still kept me riveted to find out the conclusion. And THE END! So many twists and surprises! I couldn't read fast enough to find out what was going to happen. Learning about Egypts geography and history was fascinating. An absolutely engaging read.
April 21, 2024
Thank you to Edelweiss and Wednesday Books for this ARC!
Wow!
This book was everything that I hoped it would be and more!! I judge sequel books harshly because a lot of times they do not add up to the first book. However, this is one of the rare instances when I would say the second book is better! Whit and Inez really become vulnerable in this book and it was really great to see them tackle the hard obstacles. I devoured this book and I cannot wait til more people have the pleasure of reading it!!
Wow!
This book was everything that I hoped it would be and more!! I judge sequel books harshly because a lot of times they do not add up to the first book. However, this is one of the rare instances when I would say the second book is better! Whit and Inez really become vulnerable in this book and it was really great to see them tackle the hard obstacles. I devoured this book and I cannot wait til more people have the pleasure of reading it!!
July 6, 2024
I got to borrow this book from a friend who got sent an advanced readers copy. Truly a well written series very different from anything I’ve read as I normally do not gravitate towards historical fiction however, this series had me hooked from the beginning. Really well written, and a couple of twist to keep the story intriguing! Definitely recommend if you want something out of your element and something that is not a traditional romance book as it hits different points with murder, theft, romance, betrayal and magic!
Want to read
June 19, 2024GUESS WHO JUST GOT AN ARC—
July 20, 2024
This book lived up to my expectations! Everything I adored about What the River Knows continued in this installment, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page.
The setting of the duology sets such a unique scene for the action and adventure. The pacing was engaging, and the characters are complex yet lovable.
Isabel has such a talent for weaving words together into a beautiful and addictive story, and I can't wait to dive into her blacklist while we wait for her next project!
The setting of the duology sets such a unique scene for the action and adventure. The pacing was engaging, and the characters are complex yet lovable.
Isabel has such a talent for weaving words together into a beautiful and addictive story, and I can't wait to dive into her blacklist while we wait for her next project!
August 6, 2024
Oh boy. Where do I even start with this. I wanted to like this book so badly, as its predecessor earned a solid 5/10, but it was just so poorly structured and disappointing.
Let’s kick it off with the fact that the titular library isn’t even introduced as a plot point until like 65% of the way through the book. Plot and storyline were all over the place.
And the characters. We have Whit, who is supposed to be the swoon-worthy, brooding love interest but instead remains a thumb with zero consistent personality traits and even less chemistry with Inez. He is a British man written by someone who has evidently never heard British people talk outside of the Harry Potter movies, because other than the fact that he says “bloody hell” every other sentence, you basically forget he’s British.
Our female MC, Inez, is supposed to be a strong, courageous, and slightly headstrong young woman who values her independence. She is in actuality a complete airhead with no impulse control who makes ill-informed decision after decision to the point where I was barely rooting for her by the end of the book. She also spends most of the book switching between diving headfirst into plans without telling anyone and daydreaming about Whit, the love of her life, who she has known for like two months. Any remaining respect I had for her vanished immediately when she immediately forgave Whit no-questions-asked for the frankly egregious act he committed earlier in the book regarding her finances.
This aforementioned plot point, which only existed to create tension between Whit and Inez, was WHOLLY unnecessary to the storyline and could have been solved in an instant had these two chosen to sit down and be honest with each other for literally fifteen seconds. For two people supposedly in love with each other, they really need to work on healthy relationship choices.
All in all, this was pretty predictable, and where it wasn’t predictable it was really stupid. I feel like that sounds mean, but I have high standards and I just wanted to like this so badly - it could have been so much better. I feel like if you REALLY liked the first book, you’ll still enjoy this?? But it left a lot to be desired.
Let’s kick it off with the fact that the titular library isn’t even introduced as a plot point until like 65% of the way through the book. Plot and storyline were all over the place.
And the characters. We have Whit, who is supposed to be the swoon-worthy, brooding love interest but instead remains a thumb with zero consistent personality traits and even less chemistry with Inez. He is a British man written by someone who has evidently never heard British people talk outside of the Harry Potter movies, because other than the fact that he says “bloody hell” every other sentence, you basically forget he’s British.
Our female MC, Inez, is supposed to be a strong, courageous, and slightly headstrong young woman who values her independence. She is in actuality a complete airhead with no impulse control who makes ill-informed decision after decision to the point where I was barely rooting for her by the end of the book. She also spends most of the book switching between diving headfirst into plans without telling anyone and daydreaming about Whit, the love of her life, who she has known for like two months. Any remaining respect I had for her vanished immediately when she immediately forgave Whit no-questions-asked for the frankly egregious act he committed earlier in the book regarding her finances.
This aforementioned plot point, which only existed to create tension between Whit and Inez, was WHOLLY unnecessary to the storyline and could have been solved in an instant had these two chosen to sit down and be honest with each other for literally fifteen seconds. For two people supposedly in love with each other, they really need to work on healthy relationship choices.
All in all, this was pretty predictable, and where it wasn’t predictable it was really stupid. I feel like that sounds mean, but I have high standards and I just wanted to like this so badly - it could have been so much better. I feel like if you REALLY liked the first book, you’ll still enjoy this?? But it left a lot to be desired.
June 30, 2024
Wow. Secrets of the Nile is officially one of my favorite duologies.
First of all, this has got to be one of the most beautiful covers of all time. I don't even care that I got an ARC from Netgalley—I will be buying a hardcover copy once it's actually released.
Inez and Whit CARRIED this book. I can't remember the last time I was this invested in two fictional characters—in fact, I was so engrossed that I read the book in one day. From a character (and rivals-to-lovers) aspect, Where the Library Hides is incredible.
Whenever I read about Whitford, I could only picture Brendan Fraser in The Mummy . I'm pretty sure they are the same person.
If I'm being honest, the plot didn't quite deliver in several ways. The magical elements took a major back seat. Other than a few magical items sprinkled in here and there, magic added almost nothing to the story.
For most of the novel, I completely forgot that the characters were in Egypt. The setting was not emphasized nearly as much in the second installment, and I missed the vibrant, lush descriptions of Cairo. Also, even though Inez and Whit had a specific goal (I won't spoil what it is), nothing much happened to actually move them toward that goal until the last half of the novel.
Ultimately, if you're like me and happy to read books for character tension and vibes only, you'll love this. If your sole goal is to be immersed in a magical, exciting adventure story set in Egypt, you may be slightly disappointed.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, this has got to be one of the most beautiful covers of all time. I don't even care that I got an ARC from Netgalley—I will be buying a hardcover copy once it's actually released.
Inez and Whit CARRIED this book. I can't remember the last time I was this invested in two fictional characters—in fact, I was so engrossed that I read the book in one day. From a character (and rivals-to-lovers) aspect, Where the Library Hides is incredible.
Whenever I read about Whitford, I could only picture Brendan Fraser in The Mummy . I'm pretty sure they are the same person.
If I'm being honest, the plot didn't quite deliver in several ways. The magical elements took a major back seat. Other than a few magical items sprinkled in here and there, magic added almost nothing to the story.
For most of the novel, I completely forgot that the characters were in Egypt. The setting was not emphasized nearly as much in the second installment, and I missed the vibrant, lush descriptions of Cairo. Also, even though Inez and Whit had a specific goal (I won't spoil what it is), nothing much happened to actually move them toward that goal until the last half of the novel.
Ultimately, if you're like me and happy to read books for character tension and vibes only, you'll love this. If your sole goal is to be immersed in a magical, exciting adventure story set in Egypt, you may be slightly disappointed.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2024
4.5 stars
This was a great conclusion to the duology! This book has tension, mystery, romance, bad guys… all the vibes of movies like The Mummy and Indiana Jones. There weren’t many twists and turns in this book I felt like I was constantly trying guess what would happen. You get a lot more of Whit’s perspective in this book which is a lot of fun because you get to learn more about him and get in his head. All the characters in this book were so interesting and complex and really contributed to an exciting story where you can’t figure out anyone’s true intentions and who the good guys and bad guys are.
This was a really fun historical fantasy and I highly recommend checking it out!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!!
This was a great conclusion to the duology! This book has tension, mystery, romance, bad guys… all the vibes of movies like The Mummy and Indiana Jones. There weren’t many twists and turns in this book I felt like I was constantly trying guess what would happen. You get a lot more of Whit’s perspective in this book which is a lot of fun because you get to learn more about him and get in his head. All the characters in this book were so interesting and complex and really contributed to an exciting story where you can’t figure out anyone’s true intentions and who the good guys and bad guys are.
This was a really fun historical fantasy and I highly recommend checking it out!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!!
July 1, 2024
3.5ish rounded up to 4 stars.
I did enjoy this title, though not quite as much as the first one.
I still enjoyed the characters, but the plot for me wasn't quite as strong as the first one, and the reveals at the end felt a bit too similar to the first book for me. Plus, with Inez making a very similar mistakes in book two as in book one, it did make me wish that we had seen some growth or hesitation from her experiences in the first book.
Inez and Whit were still such fun to read about, I did love reading about their relationship, although the tension was not quite the same as it was in book one, which made that extra little bit better.
Overall, a solid sequal that I found enjoyable to read, and I will be picking up more of Ibanez's books in the future!
Thanks for the eARC.
I did enjoy this title, though not quite as much as the first one.
I still enjoyed the characters, but the plot for me wasn't quite as strong as the first one, and the reveals at the end felt a bit too similar to the first book for me. Plus, with Inez making a very similar mistakes in book two as in book one, it did make me wish that we had seen some growth or hesitation from her experiences in the first book.
Inez and Whit were still such fun to read about, I did love reading about their relationship, although the tension was not quite the same as it was in book one, which made that extra little bit better.
Overall, a solid sequal that I found enjoyable to read, and I will be picking up more of Ibanez's books in the future!
Thanks for the eARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2024
May I just say that the amount of reveals had me screaming every single time. I read the previous book a year ago, and was terrified I would have to wait until November to find out what happens. I appreciate you Edelweiss team, may your pillows always be cold. Now, I went into this book with so many questions, and it picks up right where the previous one left off. This one keeps you reeled in until the very end, and if you think you're safe in the last 25% of the book well think again. A stunning conclusion to this series.
June 17, 2024
I am struggling to write a review for a book that was so suspenseful and had twists and turns…I don’t want to ruin any spoilers?! All I can say right now is that I loved this duology. Inez and Whit have my heart. And at this point, I would read Isabel Ibañez’s grocery list.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Whatever you do, please read What the River Knows and be ready for Where the Library Hides this November!!!!
Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC of Where the Library Hides!
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Whatever you do, please read What the River Knows and be ready for Where the Library Hides this November!!!!
Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC of Where the Library Hides!
June 4, 2024
This book is perfection! It’s everything I could have wished for and more. I was absolutely hooked from the get go, there were so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat! And the romance.. ugh! I cannot recommend this book enough!
Thank you so much to Isabel Ibañez for the ARC! I am so excited for everyone to read it!
Thank you so much to Isabel Ibañez for the ARC! I am so excited for everyone to read it!
Want to read
January 30, 2024tHE SECOND BOOK OF THIS SERIES IS RELEASED BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY?!?!? directly adds to tbr🤭
Want to read
February 9, 2024Non vedo l'ora di leggere il primo libro (prossima lettura, che oltre tutto uscirà in italiano a fine anno) per poter leggere anche questo. Le cover sono STUPENDE. So già che non mi deluderà.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews