Ex Marks the Spot: A hot and hilarious new academic-rivals-to-lovers romcom for fans of Casey McQuiston and Ali Hazelwood

Paperback Published on: 07/05/2026
Price: £12.99
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Synopsis

Two rival historians reluctantly team up to decipher an ancient treasure hunt, in this delightfully bookish enemies-to-lovers romcom with an action-adventure twist.

'Packed full of hijinks, history and the kind of simmering tension that grabs your heart' Catherine Walsh
'Fun, sexy hijinks' Lex Croucher
'A total joy' Laura Kay

*

Librarian Evie has hit rock bottom: stuck on an endless mental-health break from her studies, she spends her days shelving books and giving tours of the university where she no longer truly belongs.

To make matters worse, she's just been assigned to help Oxford's insufferable new honorary professor: charming and chaotic social-media historian, Nic Morelli, who happens to be Evie's former rival - and ex.

So when Evie stumbles across something extraordinary in the stacks - an ancient manuscript with clues to a long-lost medieval treasure hunt - Nic is the last person Evie wants to tell.

But some would kill to find the treasure first, and as a shadowy group of treasure hunters close in, reuniting with Nic might be the only way to decipher the book's clues first.

As long as they can keep old feelings safely buried . . .

Escape to the libraries of Oxford for a totally addictive second-chance sapphic romance, perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Jo Segura and Casey McQuiston.

'Smart, sexy and propulsive, Ex Marks the Spot is a treasure of its own' Hannah Brohm
'Sizzling, warm-hearted and nuanced, it's the perfect romantic read' Sophie Loxton

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9781035423484
  • Number of pages: 368
  • Dimensions: 198 x 128 x 28 mm
  • Weight: 260g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Ex Marks the Spot
Four stars!
Ex Marks the Spot is such a fun, fast paced sapphic adventure with just the right mix of romance, academia and danger. I flew through this book and found m... READ MORE
The Secret Book Review
Ex Marks the Spot
Hot bisexual nerds
4.75/5My theme for 2026 seems to be hot nerds, and Ex Marks the Spot delivered! I was hooked from the dedication, and I didn't want to put this book down!W... READ MORE
Vicky | @BlossomsLeafyLibrary
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Enthralling, exploring mediaeval history
Obviously written by someone who loves Oxford and the buildings and history of the university. A feel good story of 2 historians, past lovers who have also... READ MORE
susan prosser
Ex Marks the Spot
Charming sapphic romcom
Ex Marks the Spot is an academic rivals (and exes!) to lovers sapphic romcom, with a clever mystery twist as the protagonists work together to solve a puzz... READ MORE
Janine
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Challenge Accepted!
Take an over-achieving but burnt out Doctoral candidate and a social media savvy history influencer. Mix together with forced proximity, a treasure hunt an... READ MORE
nicola brooks
Ex Marks the Spot
A fun Oxford treasure hunt
3.75/5 ⭐️ A vast improvement on the uneven pace and the pretty crazy plot of The Great Orchid Heist. You can definitely see Eleanor growing as an author wi... READ MORE
Edyta Niecko
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Oxford romance and mystery ...
Gorgeous sapphic second-chance mystery romance. Evie and Nic had a thing a few years ago and while Nic has gone onto better things, Evie is stuck in Oxford... READ MORE
Laura Black Reads
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Super academic-rivals-to-lovers rom-com with a fun high-stakes medieval treasure hunt
Eleanor Vendrell’s Ex Marks the Spot is an assured follow-up to her brilliant debut (I think it was) The Great Orchid Heist. I found myself quite charmed b... READ MORE
Tierney Moore
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Witty, sizzling and propulsive -- this rom com is a treasure of its own!
Friends, there's a new hot & nerdy rivals to lovers romcom in town!! Kept me up reading way past my bedtime. This one is stuffed with history: the yearnin... READ MORE
Hannah
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Sapphic Oxford romance
I saw 'gay historians' on the author's Instagram and as a gay historian (or a gay who studied history over a decade ago anyway ?) I jumped over to Netgalle... READ MORE
Sarah Bell
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
A really fun read!
This was a super fun treasure hunt/sapphic romance. Having just visited Oxford for the first time recently, it was the perfect time to read this book. ... READ MORE
Abby Weinreich
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Ex Marks the Spot
Fun and full of heart
Obsessed. At the beginning of this book I was hesitant — Evie, our main character, starts out very conscious of being in what we could call her ‘flop era’,... READ MORE
Eleanor M
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.