REVIEW: Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler

In Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler, Nina Hunnicutt knows she’s not the first person to ever have a Terrible Week–and she’s sure other people have had way worse things happen to them. But to not only lose her job, but her apartment and her boyfriend all in the span of seven days? Yeah, not great. The trip back to her hometown of Catoctin, Maryland from Boston to stay with her parents gives Nina a bit of perspective. She’s hoping the reprieve in their duplex will be the safe haven she needs right now. But the first thing she encounters is her former next-door neighbor and childhood best friend, Quentin Bell, looking as handsome as ever. Not that she noticed or anything. And considering how badly things ended between them seventeen years ago when they were just fifteen, Quentin is the last person Nina needs in her life right now.

“I don’t want to play with you,” I tell him in an angry whisper that immediately shrinks me into an elementary school version of myself.
He pulls out a worn, folded piece of paper… The map we made that last summer as we set out to find Julius James Fountain’s legendary hidden treasure.
“Well, that’s disappointing, Neen. Because I would really like to play with you.”

Right off the bat, though, Quentin reinserts himself into Nina’s humble, depressing existence, even offering to start up the treasure hunt again that ruined their relationship. While her PhD in US History means she’s just itching to dig into the archives and go sleuthing, Nina isn’t sure her heart can take another blow at the moment. But Quentin is too convincing for his own good. Soon the pair of them are visiting Sprangbur, the sprawling estate business tycoon Julius Fountain created and owned–and where a treasure is supposedly hidden. As Nina and Quentin follow the clues, they also fall back into old patterns. When the truth about that fateful night at Sprangbur comes out, along with some other secrets of omission on both their parts, the duo will have to confront their past and their growing feelings before they can hope to move forward.

‘I understand now that love, when it’s real, doesn’t require you to be someone different. It just makes you even more solidly yourself.’

FINDERS KEEPERS had something for every reader: a sweet but complicated second chance romance, a treasure hunt at a local mansion, wonderful small-town vibes, and a secondary cast that more than held their own.

“Sometimes,” he says, voice soft, “not intending to hurt each other isn’t enough to keep it from happening anyway.”

CW: View Spoiler »Anxiety, depression, cheating (secondary cast, not detailed) « Hide Spoiler

Sarah Adler never disappoints with her charming characters, surprising twists and turns, and unique romances that come straight from the heart. FINDERS KEEPERS had a theme of starting over that was prevalent throughout the story–certainly for heroine Nina who basically lost everything in one disastrous week. Told through her POV, we got to see how devastated Nina was trying to figure out her next steps to get a new job, find a place to live, how to move on from her breakup with her long-time boyfriend. I appreciated how honestly Adler described the ups and downs of Nina’s days–and her emotions. There were definitely some tougher moments where anxiety and even a bit of depression crept in. But it wasn’t overwhelming to read thanks to the threads of humor Adler wove into many scenes.

Nina’s former best friend and teenage crush, Quentin, was starting over too after going through a huge shakeup in his life similar to what she was dealing with. He was a sweetheart of a guy who had been through his fair share of hard times. It was interesting to watch them attempt to push past the bad feelings that still lingered after how things ended between them seventeen years ago. Quentin and Nina both made some blunders back then–they were only fifteen at the time, though–which came to light as they renewed their friendship as well as the local treasure hunt. Their slow burn romance was truly heartfelt and swoony. Well, when they weren’t sabotaging themselves or making missteps.

The hunt for Julius Fountain’s treasure was a whole lot of fun. The snippets of an interview with the eccentric business tycoon that were included every few chapters really painted a picture of him, his topsy turvy world, and had not only some hidden clues about the treasure but also some poignant advice. Quentin and Nina’s relationship took center stage until about the last quarter or so of the book when pieces of Fountain’s riddle started falling into place. The twists were definitely surprising. But the way Adler tied everything together with a sense of nostalgia–and love–was pretty much perfect.

QOTD: Have you ever gone on a treasure hunt?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: June 24th, 2025 | Berkley |

Two estranged best friends find that a long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler.

Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.

Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different.

Except, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.