Whiteout by Adriana Anders, 352 pages. Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2020. $8.
Language: R (426 swears, 44 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Finding blood out on the ice is unusual enough to set Coop on edge, and the nagging feeling that something is wrong won’t leave, even as the summer crew parties and packs to leave the next morning. Meanwhile, Angel isn’t excited to leave Antarctica and the people she’s been around cooking for all summer, but maybe Angel would have changed her mind if she knew witnessing a murder is the reason she gets to extend her stay. Not understanding what’s happening, Coop and Angel are forced to work together or else freeze to death.
While the sciencey stuff goes over my head when I try to reason out how possible the situation really is, Anders effectively continues the story in an engaging manner without losing readers in confusing explanations. If it wasn’t for the several chapters in the middle I skimmed over because of the sexual content, I would have really enjoyed reading this thriller because of the unique circumstances and solutions. Anders ends the book with a cliffhanger, but I won’t be reading the sequel. The mature content rating is for illegal activity, sexually suggestive comments, mention for pornography, masturbation, dry humping, orgasm, and oral and vaginal sex. The violence rating is for assault, blood and gore, gun use, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I read the prequel to this story in an anthology. It focused on Ford's brother but was nice to have that sort of preview when reading this story. Ford and Angel work at a research station in Antarctica. Ford isn't very friendly but then the two are forced together to fight against the bad guys. I liked the book but wasn't as enthralled with it as other people. I found it to be a little too long and I was bored with the descriptions of the weather. I get why there were included, I just wanted more smexy times and less weather reports I think. Overall it was a fun story and I would read more from this author but it just solidifies that romantic suspense is not my jam as much as contemporary is.

WHITEOUT is amazing. It's action-packed with a spinetingling enemies-to-lovers romance and is totally one of its kind. I love this book mainly for 2 reasons:

1. The grumpy hero. I love grumpy heroes; can't read enough about them. Ford is right up there as one of my favorite heroes. While he's a grouch, it's because his social skills aren't well-developed. But underneath, he's a man worth knowing and having as a friend/lover. He's patient, has top survival skills, and sexy to boot.

2. Their journey across the ice are some of the most exciting scenes I've read. Ms. Anders really knows how to capture readers' attention and keep it from the first page to the last.

I love that there's a bigger storyline/series arc. I can't wait to see what all that's about! Needless to say, I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series! If you haven't picked this up yet, now's a good time.

ear Adriana Anders,

I had a bit of trouble getting into Whiteout. I kept stumbling on little things which didn’t quite ring true and which made it hard for me to relax into the story. However, once past the setup I enjoyed the romance. The sections where the protagonists are on the run for their lives in Antarctica were great and were the highlights of the book for me. The landing didn’t quite stick for me either but there was a lot to enjoy nonetheless.

Angel Smith is a cook for the NSF at the Burke-Ruhe Research Station at the South Pole. She is only to be there over the summer and is due to return home to Pittsburgh imminently. There is clearly a story as to how she came to be there but happily it was doled out over the course of the book and not all at once. Angel can’t wait to leave. She hates the cold and is scared of the vastness of the ice. In her nearly 3 months at the station, she has had a crush on “the Ice Man”, Dr. Ford Cooper, a glaciologist who spends almost all of his time in Antarctica. He’s very closed off and taciturn however and she’s convinced he doesn’t like her.

The day she is due to leave Antarctica, for reasons which are clearly necessary for the plot but which didn’t really make sense to me, instead of being ready to board the plane home, Angel is in the ice tunnels under the station gathering supplies for the “winter-overs”. While there, she witnesses the new operations manager kill a scientist in order to find the location of some ice cores and she is suddenly thrust into deadly danger.

Perhaps I have enough knowledge about Antarctic to be dangerous. I had the privilege of hearing a talk by Rachel Robinson about her experiences leading an Australian Antarctic expedition (she’s a fabulous speaker). In any event, I found it very difficult to believe that the cook for the station would be one of the summer staff and not one of the staff who stay for a year. I found it difficult to believe that the winter-overs had to fend for themselves cooking-wise. Especially after hearing about the “bacon wars” from Ms. Robertson I thought it very unlikely that it would be in any way a good idea to leave a small group of people for 9 months without an experienced cook. I also found it difficult to believe that Angel could so easily get a berth as a cook and have so little preparation for the Antarctic environment. She clearly is not very knowledgeable about what goes on at the station (she doesn’t know what an ice core is for example) and this is used to assist with exposition within the story and also to further the “fish out of water” trope but I couldn’t help giving it the side-eye. The timeline of Angel’s sudden need to leave Pittsburgh and start her life again felt implausible for her to end up at the South Pole. Were I able to accept all of those things, it was beyond belief to me that a summer staff member could unilaterally decide to stay for the rest of the year with the winter-overs and nobody would batt an eye. But that is the story Sampson gives to the staff on the waiting plane when Angel is not on board on time and the plane takes off without her. Taken individually these things may not have caused me all that much discomfort but all together it had the effect of making me doubt the worldbuilding. In a romantic suspense it is not uncommon for reality to be extremely heightened and what makes me, for the most part, able to accept it, is the foundation of reality the author has set. Here, I felt (pardon the pun) on thin ice from the start.

Anyway, back to the story. Ford (known as “Coop” to most of his acquaintances – he doesn’t really have friends) was out on the ice checking on his drills at the time Angel was hiding from Sampson and when everything went to hell at Burke-Ruhe. All of his drills have been destroyed and he’s very concerned about a fellow scientist who was “unwell” the night before. Ford is suspicious and thinks something is very not right. When he gets back to the station, everyone is gone except for Angel. The summer staff have left and all of the winter-overs are missing too. The station has basically been destroyed and then he finds Angel, hiding and terrified.

As it happens, the ice cores that the bad guys wanted were ones drilled by Ford and, when all the drama was going on at the station, Angel cleverly switched the cores the villains wanted with more innocuous ones. So. Ford and Angel cannot stay at the station because there is no power for longer than a day or two and no way to communicate with the outside world. Nobody will be coming back for 9 months except the bad guys – who want the ice cores. The only option the pair have then, is to make their way to a “close” research station operated by the Russians and beg for aid. They have to travel 300 miles and most of it will be via ski, towing 300lbs of gear on a sled.

I admit to some confusion about exactly why they took the ice cores with them as opposed to hiding them or destroying them. The cores contain something bad. I won’t say here what it is because I’m not sure how much of a spoiler it would be. In any event, it is clear that there is a through story about what is in the ice cores which will continue to the next book in the series (at least) and it may be my question will be answered then.

The bad guys mostly came across at Bond-villain caricatures and I was confused at various times about exactly what they were doing and why. Perhaps some of these issues will be resolved in future books as well.

Where the story came into it’s own however was from the point that Angel and Ford have to battle the elements and outrun the bad guys. The description of life on the ice, the risk and the danger were so well done. Days of battling a headwind, in below-freezing temperatures, battling snow and ice and constant cold, the risk of frostbite, chafing and blisters were eloquently shown on the page in enough detail that I started to feel the cold and the hopeless despair that the pair were feeling as they strove to a likely impossible goal. They were in the position of having to move forward or die, knowing they would likely die anyway. It was very tense. I suppose it could have become boring – day after day on the ice – but you cleverly avoided that, giving just enough detail to paint the picture and ramping up the danger and risk just when I was feeling a little complacent.

It is through this part of the story also that Ford and Angel, having to rely on one another, begin to open up and share about themselves. The simmering and long-denied attraction comes to the fore but (hooray and huzzah!) there is no ridiculous sex which could risk phallic frostbite. The pair make sensible decisions about what they do and how they remain as safe as possible, even as the romance develops most satisfyingly.

“Avoided you for months so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself.” Another kiss, this one just lips, punctuating the secrets he unveiled to her. “Guess I’m making a fool of myself.”

“You’re not alone.”

“No.” He smiled against her lips. Every breath he took pressed into her body, uncomfortable in theory, but in reality perfect. Close, warm, comforting. “But we are.” He sighed, pulling slightly away. “Alone.” Another kiss, sweet and almost chaste. “And we need sleep.”

She nodded, which prompted another of those long, slow inhales against her cheek.

“But, damn, if I didn’t have enough reason to get us to a warm bed before, this…” He kissed her again, but the damage was done.

“Right.” She gave another nod. Survival before making out. It made complete sense.

Toward the end of the book some new characters are introduced which kind of changed the tenor of everything and the bad guys start behaving even more strangely. I had some questions about how it all worked out but I did love how much of a badass Angel turned out to be.

There was a point where I wondered if I was invested enough in the story to keep reading but I’m glad I persisted. The middle section, which is mostly Ford and Angel alone on the ice, was really strong but some early issues with the setup and things that didn’t gel for me near the end to do with the suspense plot made the overall experience fairly uneven. I loved the unusual setting and the battle against the elements and I have a soft spot for grumpy taciturn heroes like Ford so in the end I called it good.

Grade: C+

Regards,
Kaetrin

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This is exactly what a romantic suspense novel should be like. Great characters, threatening villains, a race to survive, and some intense chemistry.

Oh mannnnnn I should have known that this would’ve ended on a cliffhanger!

I think this is my first romantic suspense novel, and it definitely won’t be the last. I was hooked from the first few pages, and was on the edge of my seat til the very end. I enjoyed Angel and Ford’s characters as well as their romance. It struck a really great balance with the main plot.

I am DEFINITELY going to read the next book in this series ASAP! Highly recommend if you’re a fan of romantic suspense and stories set in Antarctica or the extreme cold (plus forced close proximity romances 🔥)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Warning this book involves a virus people want for testing!!

This was a delightful listen! It’s got artic adventure, danger banging and a plot that keeps you riveted to the page
I can not wait for more in this series! It' was such a blast. .

Whiteout (Survival Instincts #1). By Adriana Anders. 2020. Sourcebooks Casablanca (ARC eBook).

As summer at the South Pole is coming to an end, Angel Smith heads out to the supply arch the morning of her planned departure with plans to leave the winter-over crew of Burke-Ruhe a well-stocked kitchen. But in the dark tunnels among preserved food and ice cores, she witnesses a violent scene and barely escapes the attackers.

Suspicious of a series of events that began after he collected some ice cores, glaciologist, Ford Cooper, returns back from the ice fields only to find the station has been abandoned and all communications and power sources sabotaged. When he finds Angel and learns that the attackers did not retrieve what they were looking for, the two have no choice but to set out for another station, as they will soon become the hunted. In the most inhospitable place on earth, Angel and Ford push their strength and resilience to the limits in order to save themselves and thwart the plans of the mysterious Chronos Corporation.

From the first chapter I didn’t want to put this story down. With twists and turns along the way, Anders masterfully layers the tension generated not only by ruthless acts of people, but the very elements that surround Angel and Ford. Snow, ice, wind, frostbite, hypothermia, deep crevasses and the disorienting whiteness the vast Antarctic landscape presents, all works to elevate the world-building and the deepening relationship between two people forced into survival mode. Definitely a must for those who want an edge of your seat suspense with chemistry that burns.

WHITEOUT by Adriana Anders. This story blurb intrigued me when I first read it, hence requesting an ARC from NetGalley. However, throughout the tale, I found some things to be unbelievable and, others, just too drawn out. I sort of liked the main characters, the plot had promise and the connection between the two mains did grow on me. That was the highlight for me - Angel and Ford, while it took a while, their love became believable for me and that part I enjoyed a lot. I will read this author again and the follow up to this book, because, I invested all this time already I have to see what else happens. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this one but still found some parts of the story likable. (received NetGalley ARC for honest review)

Simply brilliant-- a compelling romantic suspense thriller about scientist and a chef on the run of their lives tryng to traverse the punishing frozen expanse of Antarctica. Whiteout manages to be both shocking and believable.

Whiteout is prenseted as the first volume in the Survival Instincts series, but I discovered during my reading that some characters, who arrive in the last quarter, appear in a novella in the Turn The Tide anthology. That doesn’t really disturb the reading from this moment on, but we can feel we’re missing information.
Here we follow Angel and Ford who must flee a research station in Antarctica when armed men attack it.

Angel is very open, full of life, while Ford is totally closed off and uses his job on the ice to hide from feelings and human relations. Both are interesting characters who evolve a lot during the story, but there are details about their pasts, especially Ford’s, that are just mentioned when they seem important for their present situation, and I found that frustrating. Their attraction is present before the beginning of the novel, but Ford refuses to yield because he likes his control and his solitude and he distrusts the feelings she awakens in him. Little by little he lets himself go and accepts for a while to get closer before withdrawing again… He’ll need to grovel a little to get her back.

But I admit that what I enjoyed the most was the context of the adventure. We don’t read every day a novel where the characters run away from the bad guys on skis in the middle of the south Pole’s vastness, and I was captured by the situation. Adding layers to try as much as possible not to freeze on-site, sleeping almost fully clothed and still freezing your butt off in spite of the tent, the sleeping bags and the camping stove, eating butter ( yes, you read it right) to counterbalance the energetic loss due to the cold, only seeing white as far as the eye can see in every direction, that was grabbing and disconcerting at the same time (and chilling for me as I’m very sensitive to cold lol). The dangerous situations seem amplified by the conditions, but hey made me lose my concentration whenever the romance would get the upper hand. Example the first time they admit their attraction and begin foreplay when they are under the tent in the middle of an ice storm, I was only wondering of fast his come would freeze… I won’t know lol.

We alternate from time to time with chapters centered on the bad guys, being the team on site or the head woman in the USA, which allows to understand part of what’s happening, but only partially. It seems someone stole a virus somewhere, and for an unknown reason this virus is also present in the drilling done by the hero in Antarctica. The bad guys want to retrieve these samples to find a vaccine – after releasing the virus on the world or it wouldn’t be as funny. We also see that the head woman, leader of a big pharmaceutic group, loses her mind and some physical abilities, but not enough to be stopped.

On the negative side, first there’s this careless mistake that I hope was corrected in the final version: at the beginning the hero understands it wasn’t his friend he talked to through a door because this one used the word “sick” instead of “ill”. But in fact he used neither, I read the conversation three time to be sure. That doesn’t seem much, but the hero’s distrusting behavior is amplified by this detail… that doesn’t exist.
And there’s the arrival I talked about at the beginning of my review. In the last quarter of the novel, the hero’s brother and his team arrive to save them at the last minute, and there’s almost no presentation of the characters, as if we already knew them (that’s the case for those who knew there was an introducing novella). They take charge of everything, the story goes on in a flat and skimmed way without resolution for the virus story but with a satisfying end for the romance. And then in the epilogue the author delivers a cliffhanger for one of the brother’s team member, just to be sure we’ll read the next volume. Too bad.

I still had a good reading time with this novel, and if I don’t know if I’ll read the sequel, I recommend it to those who want a complete change of scenery.

Whiteout is gripping, suspenseful, hot and a whole lot of adrenaline rush! Set in the isolated background of Antartica, our main leads find themselves literally running for their lives in the vast icy surroundings, facing dangers from the bad guys as well as the unrelenting harshness of the land. This is while they’re trying to avoid the big white elephant of their unrealized attraction to each other. Both Angel and Ford will amaze readers with their strength of will ( in fact its a crash course in survival) and their determination to outwit the unseen enemy at all turns. The romance aspect might seem rushed but both the beginning and ending address this in my opinion quite well. There is an overarching plot which started in the prequel to the book and it continues as implied in the epilogue to this one. Suffice to say Ms. Anders has managed to craft a great romantic suspense series all the while maintaining her signature dark and intense style of writing.

A skillfully crafted thriller that steals the readers’ breath! This is Romantic Suspense at its finest.

The first few chapters lost me. Talked too much about science stuff that was over my head and I was bored.
Almost tossed it.
Then that first part where Angel goes to collect food. Everything starts getting crazy. Then they’re thrown from insane situation to other insane situation.
I wish there would be a sequel to see the next half.

Friends, this book STRESSED me out. It's not that I wasn't prepared for how stressed I would be reading this book. I mean, it is literally a story of two people on the run from some evil men in the middle of Antarctica! Still, though, Whiteout is the kind of book that has you flipping through the pages, but also pausing constantly so you can catch a breath. As you can imagine, reading this book was an exhilarating experience for me. I thought Adrianna Anders did a great job at making me feel like I was on the run with Ford and Angel, trying not to die from the brutal cold and the harsh terrain of Antarctica. The descriptions of the ice-cold sceneries, the sense of doom as their food supply diminished, and the constant danger that Ford and Angel faced were so vivid! Yes, I was fearful all throughout the book, but it's the kind of fear that gave me an adrenaline rush!

You must be thinking, how on earth does a romance flourish in such a setting? I was a bit nervous going into the book that perhaps the romance would be side-lined. I was (thankfully) very wrong. The setting was actually quite perfect at bringing together two characters who could not have been more different from each other. Guys, this book has the sunshine heroine meets grumpy hero trope and it was delicious! Ford was not a man of many words and had this quiet scowly intensity to him that could only mean that he had a ton of pent-up passion. Angel, on the other hand, was all bright and lovely. They were both physically attracted to each other but refused to act on it because Angel thought that Ford could not stand her and Ford was afraid to do anything about his growing feelings for her. Their chemistry was hot and the stormy journey they go through in Whiteout slowly brings them together emotionally and physically. Oooh and the steam-level? Nearly melted all the ice in Antarctica!

If you're looking for a dangerous and sexy love story with a unique setting, I would most certainly give Whiteout a try!

Whiteout by Adriana Anders is an exciting, fast paced romantic thriller and the first in the author’s Survival Instincts series.

The Burke-Ruhe research station at the South Pole isn’t the location Angel Smith ever thought she’d end up as a cook, but it’s as good a place as any to have a brand new start. The few months she’s spent in the coldest place on earth has taught her about human resilience, including her own. With plans to depart the next day with the summer crew, she’ll miss the people, even the grumpy Dr. Ford Cooper, or ‘Ice Man’, who prefers the cold outside rather than the human warmth inside. She can’t deny that she finds him attractive despite his cold and impersonal attitude but she’s not foolish enough to think that he returns those feelings when even getting a ‘thank you’ out of him is a stretch.

With plans to leave the over-winter crew with a stocked kitchen, Angel heads into the supply arch underground and stumbles across more than she bargained for and the horrifying realization that some of her crewmates are involved in something so secret they’re willing to kill to protect their plans. At the same time, Ford is suspicious of a series of events that don’t have a logical explanation and is doing his own investigating, leading him to a fleeing Angel and the confirmation of his suspicions. With no choice but to abandon the station if they want to survive, Angel and Ford are in a race against time, the elements, and their pursuers as they make their way across the frozen land towards another scientific base. Along the way, Angel discovers that her attraction to Ford isn’t so one sided after all. But will they survive long enough to have a chance at a happy ending?

Once I started this story I could not put it down! In fact, I read it all in one go, as there was no point in the story where I felt I could leave it without knowing what would happen next. The setting of Antarctica adds a layer of tension that you don’t find in other romantic suspense stories because the cold itself is a nemesis to survive and the author writes that extra layer in a truly nail-biting fashion. Wind, snow, frostbite, hypothermia, glaciers, crevasses, underground caves and tunnels – it all adds up to some excellent worldbuilding.

Angel’s resilience and strength are a huge factor in the story. From discovering the duplicity and murderous tendencies of some of the people she’d worked alongside, to the knowledge that her only chance of survival is to follow Ford out into the elements and keep up with him, it’s an hour by hour struggle. But her life is worth the effort and she gives it her all. Ford sees this and respects her for it, though he balks at her insistence that if there comes a time where he has to leave her behind, he should save himself. There’s no way he’ll leave behind a teammate and that’s what they are.

Now that they are forced into survival mode, he can also admit to himself that he is attracted to her, a scary proposition for someone who was trying to avoid any kind of commitment to anyone to the point of moving to Antarctica to do it. But Angel is under his skin and in his thoughts and soon enough they succumb to the most human of tendencies – to turn to each other for warmth, comfort and some good old fashioned sex. As they journey together, he opens up to her and she sees the real Ford who isn’t an ‘ice man’ after all. And their burgeoning relationship gives them another reason to survive.

There are plenty of twists and turns along the way to their happy ending. Near the end we meet some other characters who will feature in more stories in the series. The ending is a bit long as it introduces these other characters and expands on some of the mysteries of what was really going on at the Antarctica research stations but it sets things up nicely for the next in the series. If you like suspenseful, sexy romances that keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this one and I’m definitely looking forward to reading what comes next!

I really enjoyed this. I received it as an ARC from netgalley. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I read it in one sitting. The author does a great job describing the setting and you feel like you are on the ice with coop and angel. Will definitely read this author again.

Suspense is not my to-go romance subgenre but I was interested in this one being set in the Antarctica. It’s a new-to-me setting and not very common one. I have read this author before and her books have been hit or miss to me and I am very glad to say this one was definitely of the hit variety.

I liked both the suspense plot and the romance, they were in perfect balance and none overshadowed the other. It’s a kind of sunshine / grumpy romance and I found it to be well done and relatable. Hero is a loner scientist who is hiding from himself and the world in Antarctica. Heroine is a journey of self-discovery of her own. They get stuck together and by themselves being chased by criminals amidst the cold of the winter season on Antarctica.

I liked how the romance happened between them, the strong chemistry which he tried to resist, lots of cuddling together for warmth. And I was happy to see the physical intimacy happening only after they managed to secure a real shelter from the elements and unlike often in rom suspense, they were not in imminent danger.

I liked how their relationship progressed and how their views of each the changed as they got to know the other preson better. He no longer saw her as this bubbly, caring young woman, but also as someone who is strong and determined and loyal and he was in literal awe of her. She got to see more of him too, he really opened up to her, sharing painful stories from his past and being slightly hopeful for the future.

The setting was very atmospheric, the harshness of the elements at the pole really stood out for me. I have never been to Antarctica or a similarly cold place and after reading this story, I don' want too.

Ooverall, this is an action-packed story with engaging suspense plot (it did go a bit over board towards the end, but I can let that slide) and a solid romance. I am definitely there for more of this series.

The first book in Survival Instinct, Whiteout was an ok read for me. I liked the premise of the story and it started well but I struggled to connect with the characters and found the story laced in the second half. I will read the next book and hope you will give it a go as this is only my view.

After I received the ARC for “Whiteout” by Adriana Anders, I rediscovered her in Audible Escape! Call it serendipity or kismet, because even before I started reading “Whiteout” I downloaded a copy of one of her books.

Listening to the book (I’ve read it before, even wrote a review for it), I remembered how good Anders was in world building. So, when I finally picked up the ARC for Whiteout, I was not surprised on being floored on her description of Antarctica and how “Poleys” live there.

First, we have Dr. Ford Cooper, a glaciologist who thinks of Antarctica as home. He is what you call a “Poley,” someone who stays in this icy continent the whole year round.

Enter Angel Smith, a cook who took the job at this remote research station to rebuild her life and her business. Angel is one of the “summer people,” those who only stay during the 6-month long of sunshine.

On the last day of Angel’s assignment, the day when she was supposed to fly back to civilization, the research station was attacked. Ford and Angel found themselves running for their lives. The nearest safe place was 300 miles away and they had to get there on foot!

In short, Angel and Ford had to cross country ski on the most inhospitable place on earth. With the sun setting, very little food and the killers at their heels, their odds of survival are slim to none.

Though there were no car chases or mind-numbing explosions, there is no shortage of adrenaline rush in “White Out.” Aptly titled, the snowstorms were total white outs and there were no landmarks. Ford and Angel had to rely on a compass, which you should know is not always reliable at the poles because the magnetic poles move!

Once you start reading and get caught in the web of ice, you cannot turn the page fast enough to know what happened next. You would fall in love with Angel and Ford. But, most of all, you would fall in love with humankind’s survival instinct as our heroes’ triumph even the most insurmountable tasks.

“White Out” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is strongly advised due to violence and some sexual content which are not graphic.