Libby Hubscher’s fourth novel, Heart Marks the Spot, emerges as her most ambitious work yet, weaving together adventure romance with profound emotional excavation. Following the success of Meet Me in Paradise, If You Ask Me, and Play for Me, Hubscher ventures into uncharted waters—literally and figuratively—with a treasure hunting romance that manages to be both escapist fantasy and deeply grounded emotional truth.
The story follows Stella Moore, a professional treasure hunter whose life philosophy centers on searching for lost things, and Huck Sullivan, a bestselling adventure novelist suffering from a devastating case of writer’s block. Their paths cross during a magical night in Iceland while hunting for Gunnarsson’s treasure, leading to an unforgettable encounter behind a waterfall that changes both their lives. When Huck disappears without explanation the next morning, Stella’s world shatters in ways that echo her lifelong pattern of abandonment.
Character Development That Sparkles Like Hidden Treasure
Stella Moore: More Than Just Another Treasure Hunter
Hubscher crafts Stella as a refreshingly complex heroine who defies the typical “broken but beautiful” romance archetype. Her profession as a treasure hunter serves as both literal plot device and powerful metaphor for her emotional journey. Stella’s expertise isn’t just window dressing—Hubscher clearly researched maritime archaeology and treasure hunting extensively, giving Stella authentic knowledge about magnetometers, scuba diving protocols, and historical ship manifests.
What makes Stella particularly compelling is how her professional confidence contrasts with her personal vulnerabilities. She can navigate treacherous underwater currents and decode centuries-old clues, yet struggles to trust that she’s worth staying for. Her abandonment issues, stemming from both parents leaving her, create genuine stakes for the romance without falling into trauma-porn territory.
The supporting cast of Stella’s treasure hunting crew—Ted, Zoe, and Gus—feels lived-in and authentic. Ted’s financial backing of their expeditions, Zoe’s legal career, and Gus’s museum connections create a found family dynamic that anchors the story’s emotional core. Particularly noteworthy is how Hubscher handles Ted’s alcoholism and his complicated feelings for Stella, avoiding simple villain characterization in favor of nuanced human flaws.
Huck Sullivan: The Writer Who Lost His Words
Huck presents an interesting take on the tortured artist trope. His writer’s block following his critically panned final Casablanca Chronicles novel creates believable motivation for joining Stella’s crew in Iceland. Hubscher avoids making him too perfect by giving him genuine character flaws—his privileged background has shielded him from the kind of devastating loss Stella knows intimately, making his departure particularly cruel even when his motivations become clear.
The revelation that Huck left to protect Stella from Ted’s ultimatum adds layers to what could have been a simple miscommunication plot. His internal struggle between protecting Stella and fighting for their relationship drives much of the novel’s second half tension.
Plot Structure: Dual Timeline Excellence
Iceland: Where Magic Happens
The Iceland section, comprising roughly the first third of the novel, represents Hubscher at her most lyrical. Her descriptions of waterfalls, black sand beaches, and northern lights create an atmospheric backdrop that feels both exotic and intimate. The treasure hunt for Gunnarsson’s treasure provides exciting adventure elements while allowing for natural relationship development between Stella and Huck.
The behind-the-waterfall scene where Stella and Huck first kiss stands out as particularly well-crafted. Hubscher builds sexual tension through shared intellectual curiosity about the treasure, creating authentic intimacy before physical attraction takes over. Her description of Stella’s intuitive treasure-hunting abilities—feeling vibrations in the rock through her fingertips—adds an almost magical realism element that elevates the mundane mechanics of treasure hunting.
Key West: Confronting the Past
The contemporary timeline, set during the search for the San Miguel shipwreck off Key West, allows Hubscher to explore deeper themes of forgiveness, trust, and found family. The technical aspects of underwater treasure hunting are meticulously researched and convincingly portrayed. From magnetometer readings to diving protocols, Hubscher clearly did her homework.
The pacing occasionally stumbles in the middle section as the crew methodically searches for the wreck. While the diving sequences are exciting, some readers may find the technical explanations a bit dense. However, these sequences serve an important purpose in demonstrating Stella’s expertise and passion for her work.
Thematic Depth: Love, Loss, and Second Chances
Abandonment and Belonging
The novel’s central theme revolves around abandonment and the fear of not being worth staying for. Stella’s parents both left her—her mother when she was a teenager, her father even earlier through emotional absence and eventual physical departure. This pattern repeats with Huck’s initial abandonment, creating believable psychological stakes.
Hubscher handles this theme with particular sensitivity, avoiding both the pitfall of making Stella too damaged to function and the opposite extreme of magical healing through love. Stella’s growth feels earned, particularly her decision to step back from treasure hunting to find her own dreams rather than living out her parents’ obsessions.
Found Family vs. Blood Family
The treasure hunting crew serves as Stella’s chosen family, and Hubscher explores how found families can be more supportive and lasting than biological ones. Ted’s betrayal near the end hits harder because he’s been Stella’s anchor since her father left. The resolution of this conflict feels authentic rather than artificially neat.
Ambition and Identity
Both main characters struggle with questions of identity tied to their careers. Stella questions whether she’s pursuing treasure hunting because she loves it or because it’s her only connection to her disappeared parents. Huck faces the author’s eternal fear—that his best work is behind him. Their shared decision to purchase a sheep ranch in Iceland represents choosing love and peace over professional ambition, though some readers may find this resolution a bit too convenient.
Writing Style: Adventure Meets Intimacy
Hubscher’s prose shines brightest in intimate moments and scenic descriptions. Her ability to convey Stella’s emotional state through physical sensations—the tingling in her fingertips when she’s close to finding treasure, the way Huck’s presence affects her breathing—creates visceral reading experiences.
The dialogue feels natural and character-specific. Stella’s technical expertise comes through in her speech patterns without feeling forced, while Huck’s literary background shows in his more flowery observations. The banter between crew members has an easy familiarity that sells their long friendship.
Where the writing occasionally falters is in exposition-heavy sections explaining treasure hunting history and techniques. While clearly well-researched, some passages read more like documentary narration than novel prose. A few instances of head-hopping between Stella and Huck’s perspectives within scenes create minor confusion.
Critical Analysis: What Works and What Doesn’t
Strengths That Shine
- Authentic Setting and Research: Hubscher clearly invested significant time researching both Iceland’s geography and treasure hunting techniques. The technical aspects feel authentic without overwhelming the romance.
- Emotional Complexity: The novel avoids simple conflicts in favor of layered emotional problems that don’t have easy solutions. Ted’s betrayal, Stella’s abandonment issues, and Huck’s privilege all create realistic relationship obstacles.
- Strong Supporting Characters: The treasure hunting crew feels like real people with their own motivations and problems. Zoe’s legal career, Gus’s museum work, and Ted’s complicated feelings create a rich ensemble cast.
- Satisfying Romance Arc: Despite the obstacles, Stella and Huck’s relationship development feels earned. Their intellectual connection provides a strong foundation for physical attraction.
Areas for Improvement
- Pacing Issues: The middle section drags during extensive diving sequences. While technically accurate, some readers may find the treasure hunting procedures repetitive.
- Convenient Resolution: The discovery of both Gunnarsson’s treasure and the Elephant’s Heart, plus the characters’ financial windfall enabling their sheep ranch purchase, feels almost too neat. Some additional obstacles might have created more satisfying dramatic tension.
- Secondary Character Development: While the supporting cast is strong, Zoe and Gus could have used more individual development beyond their roles in Stella’s story.
Comparison to Hubscher’s Previous Works and Similar Authors
Evolution from Previous Novels
Heart Marks the Spot represents a notable evolution from Hubscher’s earlier works. While Meet Me in Paradise dealt with grief and self-discovery, and If You Ask Me explored second chances, this novel combines the emotional depth of both with higher adventure stakes. The treasure hunting framework allows Hubscher to explore themes of searching and finding on both literal and metaphorical levels.
The writing feels more confident and ambitious than her debut, though it occasionally lacks the tight focus of Play for Me. Hubscher seems to be finding her voice as an author who can blend emotional romance with compelling external plots.
Similar Reading Recommendations
Readers who enjoy Heart Marks the Spot might appreciate:
- Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer – Fish-out-of-water romance with small-town found family elements
- Sarah Adams’s The Cheat Sheet – Best friends to lovers with sports backdrop, similar emotional vulnerability
- Emily Henry’s Beach Read – Writers finding inspiration through love, comparable character-driven romance
- Emily Henry’s Book Lovers – Publishing industry backdrop with complex emotional layers
For adventure romance specifically, fans might enjoy Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files series or James Rollins’s Sigma Force novels, though these lack the emotional intimacy of Hubscher’s work.
Final Verdict: A Treasure Worth the Hunt
Heart Marks the Spot succeeds as both adventure romance and emotional journey. While it occasionally gets bogged down in technical treasure hunting details, the strong character development and authentic emotional stakes carry the story through any pacing issues. Hubscher has created a romance that respects both the intelligence of its characters and its readers.
The novel works particularly well for readers who enjoy romantic suspense with historical elements, though the focus remains firmly on character relationships rather than action sequences. Stella and Huck’s journey from magical one-night encounter to lasting partnership feels both fantastical and grounded in emotional truth.
At its heart, this is a story about finding what you’re truly searching for—and discovering that sometimes the greatest treasure isn’t gold or diamonds, but the courage to trust someone with your heart. Hubscher delivers a romance that satisfies on multiple levels, confirming her place among contemporary romance’s most thoughtful voices.
For readers seeking escapist romance with emotional depth, Heart Marks the Spot marks a definitive treasure worth adding to your collection.