Heart Marks the Spot
By: Libby Hubscher
Publication: July 22, 2025 by Berkley
384 pages
Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
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Goodreads description--A treasure hunter and the bestselling adventure novelist who broke her heart after one successful expedition reunite for a summer to search for lost riches.Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all—wealth, love, and a flourishing career—but knows she’ll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.
After his last book bombed, Huck hasn’t written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he’s found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella’s undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.
After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her—but that’s easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it’s time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance.
Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along.
Stella has abandonment issues. Her parents were treasure hunters, and she grew up following them on various hunts all over the world. Yet, treasure seeking tore her family apart. If I remember correctly, her mother left first. And then her father, shortly after, ended up abandoning Stella. Stella was a teenager at this point, and she was kind of adopted by a group of friends on a beach one day. Since then, she's worked hard to find a treasure that her mother was searching for. The exact treasure that broke her family apart. She thinks that if she locates it, her parents will realize that she is worth sticking around for. Her friends have been hunting with her every summer, but they do it for Stella and for fun, not the borderline fanatic way she searches.
Huck is an author. His father has always talked down to him, basically telling him that he will amount to nothing, no matter how well he did. Turns out that Stella and Huck have a friend in common, Teddy. Teddy was friends with Huck in school...best friends in fact. Yet Teddy is the one who first adopted Stella into their friend group. Teddy spies Huck in Iceland on their treasure hunting adventure at a bar one night. They reconnect, and Huck is invited to tag along on some of the adventures. Huck has had writer's block for a while now. He had a successful book series, but the last book kind of tanked, and he hasn't been able to write a single word since. His dad's voice is playing on loop in his head, so having an adventure and meeting a beautiful woman that he connects with immediately sounds right up his alley.
The side characters were easy to love. Teddy is a fun character, yet he annoyed me. And I know if I knew him in person, I wouldn't really want to hang out with him. The excessive drinking and sleeping around aren't things I can be supportive of. Zoe and Gus make up the last of their quad. Zoe is a lawyer and Stella's best friend. She and Gus have slowly turned into more, and Stella isn't quite sure how their changed relationship will affect their friend group and their adventures. I enjoyed seeing this aspect, as no matter how much we might want to freeze time in place and our friends in certain roles and physical proximity to us, life is always moving, always changing.
As the book description says (too much information if you ask me, but since it's out there, I'll discuss it), Huck leaves Stella after they've had a night together on the beach. There is so on-page action, but at this point, it isn't described in too much detail. Stella wakes up the next morning alone, abandoned again--triggering all of her previous childhood trauma. She does her best to move on, but that's not easy at all. Huck went on to write an adventure novel about treasure hunters, and he and Stella are the main characters. Stella would know that, but she can't bring herself to read his book.
Around a year later, the group is meeting up for another hunting session, and Teddy springs it on Stella that he's invited Huck. Stella is livid and determined to ignore Huck as much as possible. But their attraction is too strong. And they have to face the reason why Huck left in the first place. Heart Marks the Spot was entirely predictable to me. I wasn't surprised by anything that happened. At all. But that doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable story or journey to go on. Even though the group didn't spend a large amount of time in Iceland compared to the entire story, I could picture the country and landmarks very well from the description. And even Key West--a little easier since I've actually been to Key West before. This book triggered a desire to travel in me.
***A spoiler I am dying to discuss: (highlight for spoiler) Teddy tells Stella that he's been in love with her and that's why he told Huck to leave. I LOVE that Stella told him that he doesn't actually love her, because you don't treat someone you love like that. So often, especially in literature, we see characters or people doing things they claim to be spurred on by love, but really it's selfishness, a desire to be with someone. But when those actions are done to the detriment of the other party, that cannot be considered love. At all. I love that Stella called Teddy on this. And I appreciate the author not letting it fly. End spoiler****
Favorite quote:
-It's something precious and rare to be chosen.
Heart Marks the Spot was a fun read. I doubt I'll ever scuba dive or go to Iceland, so it was fun to live vicariously through the characters on these adventures. Nothing surprised me, but I did enjoy the journey. I'd recommend this one. Heart Marks the Spot gets 4 Stars. Have you read Heart Marks the Spot? What did you think? Let me know!
PS I will note coarse language and physical scenes are present. I skim these, but if that bothers you, now you know.
