“It’s too late. I got here too late.” Uncharted by Adriana Anders

3.5 stars. I’m really enjoying this series. The sad thing is,I have to wait 1 year before the next one is out. I’m thankful I got the arc of this so I’m a bit early. But still…1 year? I needed a refresher on the previous book but then again…. That wouldn’t be an easy reread.

Back story: a deadly virus is developed by a big bad corporation. It can wipe out villages, cities so easily. But it has its benefits too. It can eradicate cancer. Of course, there’s more money if it’s used as a weapon than a cure. So a group of individuals get together to get the samples and keep it safe from the big bad Corp.

This story: Leo is a retired navy pilot stuck in Alaska, following a lead on the person who is believed to have stolen a sample of the virus. Big bad corp is also after that person. Bad luck of Leo is that her team left her while she’s recovering from a stomach flu. And she’s the only one left to get the the man before Chronos (big bad corp) does.

She is sent to Elias, a person who’s been in hiding for the last decade, by his godmother, Amka. Who is someone you want to grow to be like when you’re her age. Hahaha. So enjoyed what Amka did.

Anyway, so Chonos sends men after Leo and Elias and it’s them 2 against the bad men and Alaska.

This series, Survival Instinct, is aptly named. Alaska is brutal and beautiful and both faces of that place is a shown here.

The race to the virus continues with this book and the next one (please not 1 year after!!).

Thoroughly enjoyed how tough Leo is, Elias too. Amka is an idol. Ash, oh I hope to learn more about him soon.

The first book was set in Antarctica. Have no interest visiting that place. This one though, reinforces my bucket list to visit Alaska, in a safe, touristy cocoon though.

Thank you @sourcebookscasa and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

This series is so intense! I love it!

Leo Eddowes is an awesome pilot, and a total boss lady. She and her team flew in to the rescue of our hero and heroine in Whiteout (book 1) and now, she'll be trying to save someone else, though it turns out not to be the someone she's actually looking for.

Elias Thorne is an accused murderer, and has been presumed dead for the last 10 years. When the bad guys finally come calling, Leo *barely* gets there first, and they have to go on the run together. He doesn't know if he can fully trust her, but he feels responsible for her now.

Leo and Elias had WILD chemistry from the start, but they weren't sure they could trust it. They didn't know each other, and each of their motives were unclear. Elias has kept his secrets for so long, it's hard for him to let go. Leo hates depending on anyone for anything, even her beloved team, so leaning on a stranger is not her idea of a good time. Plus, acting on chemistry while running for your life can be a problem, of course! Luckily, we can always count on Adriana for the Danger! Bang!

The suspense plot here is a bit of a continuation of the overarching plot from book 1, though the "villain" we focused on this time around was quite the strange character. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Ash as this series continues. He definitely seems to fit the idea that each villain is the hero of his own story! This plot has so many branches that reach beyond the scope of each book, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Elias and Leo fell fast and hard, and I fell right along with them! I loved how much they cared for each other, and Elias' sweet dog Bo too. I truly believed they would be able to make it, once they got back to the real world. I wish we'd gotten to see a bit more of Leo's team and friends, as I love how they are all a big family. But, Old Amka was a spectacular side character, and seeing her do her thing in her village was so much fun!

If you love romantic suspense like I do, you can't go wrong with this series. It is masterful! So exciting, so fun, so scary, and also sexy! ALL the things! Highly recommended!

Excellent fast-paced/slow-burn romantic suspense. I was carried away but the author's description of the main character's attempt to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. I really felt their fight for survival. And the description of the scenery was captivating.

I liked Elias and Leo, both individually, and as a couple. The danger they were in was palpable and kept me flipping pages until the end. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
And Old Amka was a hoot!

Many thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Unchartered is the second full length book in Adriana Anders latest series, Survival Instincts. It can be read as a standalone despite the overarching plot since the author deftly incorporated it into the storyline. Like most of her books you cannot deny how great Ms. Anders is in creating characters with complicated and not so clean pasts and great emotional depth without too much drama. There is an intensity to her stories that even a straightforward romance leaves you wrung out in a good way. Unchartered gives is two characters who are trying to escape an unseen enemy while trying to navigate the beautiful but deadly wilds of Alaska. Leo and Elias ( and Bo) battles nature, enemies and even their unexpected attraction to each other in this book. It is thrilling, edge of your seat excitement, unexpected twists and turns and yes intense emotions in a matter of days. It is sexy, sizzling, erotic and poignant. Unchartered is a page turner that will have you saying more please.

This romantic suspense series just hits the spot. Uncharted is the story of Leo and Elias and their adventure to escape in the Alaskan wilderness. After discovering a deadly virus in Whiteout (book 1), Leo and her team are still on the hunt for the man they assume is behind the potential spread of this banana pants virus. When she gets a tip to the location of this man, she immediately takes the info and goes. Twists, turns, and sniper filled helicopters lead her to Elias, who is connected to the virus and this plot in totally unexpected ways. As they work together to escape the bad buys, tension and heat fill the pages.

It's so fast paced. It's adventure and romance and the perfect next story after Whiteout. I love how Anders gives us the whole picture, but leaves us wanting more from the cast of characters. This is definitely going to be on my series to watch for list.

For readers who like dogs, adventure, fast paced reads, lots of wilderness and steam.

The electric suspense of Whiteout set the bar high for Uncharted and Adriana Anders fully delivers. This is fast paced, heart racing, hang on as Leo and Elias climb and slide and crawl and dive and fly their way across the Alaska wilderness. It starts on page one and never stops. And yes there is tons of heat, plenty of sexy times on the page. The chemistry is off the charts and we get both danger bang and the intimacy of just holding someone. As a solid romance, both main characters are recognizing the attraction and questioning the growth of feelings, both in their heads and in conversation, so we fully see them fall in love. It's more than insta-love or lust and I appreciate that. The villains - and there are several- are chasing them for the virus and there are plenty of surprises involved. And Amka, the elderly grandmother we all want, she is the moments of humor that are needed in this intense suspense, while also being involved in her own high stakes action. And it's not over, the next book is set up and we have the jumping off point for more action. I can't wait to see where this story goes next. Highly recommend!

SPOILER: Bo the dog is fine.

CW: High stakes and dangerous situations, suicide by family member in the past, murder of parents in the past, mention of mass death, mention of cancer, shootings

2.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Uncharted was a bit of a letdown in comparison to the previous book. The suspense element remains the focus, so I still enjoyed this a fair amount as a result, but it felt a bit off-balance in comparison to its predecessor, resulting in a more underwhelming romance.

I love how atmospherically Anders writes. She perfectly captures the sense of danger and the darkness of the environs, this time stranding her lead characters in the wilds of Alaska, with both the elements and human foes out to get them.

But the characters and romance were really lackluster, especially in the first half or so. It’s just mostly survival stuff, which I wouldn’t have complained about, had I been given more reason to care about either character. The romance does pick up somewhat in the last bit, but I just wasn’t a huge fan of it, especially with how Elias seemingly does a 180 from gruff and standoffish to being all for being with Leo forever.

I feel this book suffers from being compared to the first book, especially having read it so recently. While that one had flaws in the romance too, I enjoyed that one and felt it was more balanced in getting me invested, while this one tried to do something similar, with having high stakes influence the fall-into-love, but it just didn’t work out as well. I can see why people enjoy it, especially if they are more avid fans of romantic suspense than I am. I haven’t ruled out reading more from Adriana Anders, including any possible future installments in the series, and hope I’ll have better luck with those.

Whiteout blew my mind, and I was ready for that heady rush once again when I picked up Uncharted. Adrenaline pumping, edgy thrills, and slow-build spicy romance are brought together once again for incredible results.

Uncharted is book two in the Survival Instincts series of closely connected books. Read in order to get the best result.

Leo and the rest of her team have separated to track down the one other source of the virus code. She has followed a lead to a remote Alaskan resort village and the other two will check out leads and return for her. Struggling with a stomach virus, she is in no great shape to begin with and then the Chronos Group shows up on the same trail she is following. A wizened old woman gives her cryptic directions and an antique small sea plane to go get a man out in the wilderness. With a powerful Sikorsky helicopter on her tail full of a team of mercs, she doesn’t argue and gets plunged into a death-defying struggle for survival with a man she isn’t sure she can trust at first and the hits just keep coming.

Elias has lived off grid to keep the past from catching up, but it all comes rushing back when he saves a woman’s life from some pretty serious fire power, realizes he is their target, and that he must keep what he knows from those on his trail at all costs. Leo is a sassy, gutsy, and courageous woman that he feels both attraction and distrust for and knows the feeling is reciprocal. He’s not sure where that leaves them, but they’re stuck with each other on the race of their lives and there just might be time along the way for friendship and more to develop.

Like Whiteout, Uncharted takes the reader into survival-mode right alongside her characters. Elias has wilderness survival down to a science and Leo is a former Navy pilot who can hack a tough mission. They get a lot thrown at them between the well-heeled mercs and the Alaskan wilderness. It was breath-taking each time they fell into and barely scrambled out of situations. I loved their animal sidekick, Elias’ pet malamute- husky Bo and Bo didn’t miss the danger either. Plus, there is fab side-story for Elias’ godmother and her village as they don’t let the mercs have it all their own way.

The romance is just how I prefer them when it comes to a romance paired with a thrilling suspense plot. It came on slowly and I liked that trust had to happen through shared experience before they even considered anything but fantasizing and staying alive. They were a great team, and I loved them together. Leo really brought Elias back to life after he thought his life was taken from him when he was framed, and Elias respected and accepted Leo for the skilled, amazing woman warrior she was.

Things got pretty drastic, and I was flipping pages madly at times. I am oh so curious about a certain character and really hope he gets his book next. Neat seeing how things finished and getting more of the team. I am antsy for more from this series and can definitely recommend it to those who love lusty, raw off-grid survival adventure-style romances that just happen to include a formidable big bad.

From Antarctica to Alaska. From dead of winter to the middle of summer…at least for me. I read Whiteout in January and felt the cold of the Antarctic landscape. The Alaskan spring thaw of this story was a bit easier to take when reading it in the August. What was hardest for me to handle was the tight spaces. In the beginning, believe it or not, Leo and Elias find themselves in many tight and dark spaces. And cold, cold, (did I mention cold?) water. As someone who has an intense fear of drowning and has quite an issue with claustrophobia, this story was a tough go at first. That is definitely a compliment to the author’s writing.

Leo is such an amazingly strong and determined woman. She is loyal to a fault and doesn’t know the word quit. Elias has not interacted with anyone but his dog for years. He feels like he cursed and will bring danger to any who he even thinks to care about, so Leo landing on his doorstep to “save” him puts him in the position of feeling he now has to “save” her. They don’t know each other, don’t even know if they can trust each other, but they work together to do what needs doing.

There’s a beautiful connection between these two. The “first kiss” scene is out of this world and had me on the edge of my seat. This story was wonderful all around, but even better once Elias and Leo decided to fully trust each other. They work together magnificently, two bodies with one mind. And you know with all that cold water there are times they have to do what needs to be done to warm up!

This series keeps things intense, and it’s oh so good. With this story it was no different. And the goings on back in town while Leo and Elias were fight for their lives was just as interesting as the main story.

I loved WHITEOUT and it was a favorite read from last year, so I was eager to get my hands on this book which continues the series. UNCHARTED lived up to my expectations and I can heartily recommend it for fans of romantic suspense or anyone who likes some action/adventure alongside their romance.

The novel follows pilot Leo Eddowes and Elias Thorne, who meet under dramatic circumstances and aren’t entirely sure if they can trust one another. The book begins at a lightning fast pace and that action is continued throughout the book as the two characters try to survive both the unforgiving wilderness and the team of villains who are pursuing them. I really enjoyed this read—the action and tension were nonstop and it worked well for me. I also felt like the romance was genuine and you could really feel the chemistry between the two leads.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic series of suspense romances by Adriana Anders. Survival Instincts keep getting better and better, can't wait for the next book.

Uncharted was a fun read from the start but a bit challenging to understand at first, the story was engaging, and the characters were easy to follow around in this wild journey of theirs. It was an action-jampacked story, full of situations that put our main characters in threatening scenes. We have a tough woman pilot who means no business and understands dangers and a great dude who joins her to have such a harsh time together.

Chasing happens.
Rescuing a town.
Trying to defeat the villain.

What else could possibly go wrong?

Uncharted for sure was the most panic-inducing action story with little to no romance. That's okay for me because in what situation these two characters are the most important thing it's their survival.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/08/17/uncharted-by-adriana-anders/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I discovered this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/257326-survival-instincts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong> Survival Instincts</strong></em></a> series, by reading an anthology of romantic suspense novellas, <strong>Turn the Tide</strong>. I have enjoyed everything I've read from this author.   Survival is an appropriate word for this series.   The prequel novella was about Eric Cooper, and the first book was about his brother Ford Cooper.

In <strong>Uncharted</strong>, we get one of their team, Leo who is a pilot and Navy veteran.  The team is trying to track down another sample of the virus. The lead takes them to Alaska.   But unfortunately the Chronos mercenaries show up and it's a race of life and death.   Leo finds a guy who is obviously not the one they are looking to find.  He's too young and tall.  His name is Elias.  Leo and Elias start out, not exactly enemies, but they sure do not trust each other.

Quickly, they get over their distrust to work as a team to live.  They also end up being quite attracted to each other.  This couple is exceedingly competent.  They go nearly 100 miles during storms while being injured, across a lake with the ice breaking up.  As they go along, they get to know each other and save each other more than once.  Eventually, they have dispensed with most of the mercenaries so they can get back and protect the people in the small Alaska town.

But the mercenaries in the small town didn't expect to contend with Elias' godmother, Amka.  She is the one who sent Leo to warn him. Amka is a hoot!   She also managed to call Leo's team to come help.   While most of the mercenaries were dead or contained,  one of them slipped away.  I wonder if we will learn more about him.  I can't wait for more.  This was outstanding. It was a heart stopper, start to finish.

Uncharted is a great novel. I've read some of Adriana Anders books and they always deliver, and this one is no different. I think it might be my favorite of hers. It's fast-paced and the action is non-stop, but the romance does not suffer from it at all. I loved it. Time is given to the development of the characters' relationship and for them to really get to know each other, even if time is short and they recognize it.
4.5 stars


(Ok, so... when is the next book in this series being released?)

This was a fun, fast-paced romantic suspense novel in which Leo and Elias have to work together to survive a frozen wilderness and the men who are stalking them. I enjoyed the romance between them, but found that they were regularly upstaged by two secondary characters - Elias's godmother, who takes on a nest of mercenaries on her own when they come for her village, and one of Elias's pursuers, an interestingly ambiguous and extraordinarily competent villain who is clearly sequel bait of the highest quality.
On reflection, I'm not sure that the romance itself had much chance to develop within the novel, but I enjoyed the adrenaline rush of the plot, the descriptions of the wilderness, and the sheer competence porn. A fun read.

I have been dying to read Uncharted by Adriana Anders and was so excited when my wish was granted on netgalley! I absolutely loved her first book in the series and couldn't wait to dive into this one. On the search for a potential bioweapon, Leo crashes her plane in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Elias, who is questionably more yeti than man, pulls her out and together, they must survive the near impassable tundra. However, they aren't alone and others are searching for the virus too. This was an action-packed, fast paced, read that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat! I do think it could have been a little shorter but I loved watching Leo and Elias grow together and fight for survival. This is perfect is you love a romantic thriller and a good forced proximity book. If you haven't picked up this series yet, I highly recommend it! Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for my advance copy!

What a wild ride! I requested an ARC of this book because I couldn't wait for it to come out. I'm such a fan of this author. Anders writes emotion and angst so well. And action! I was swept along with Leo and Elias through heart-stopping danger as well as falling in love. Even they wonder at the speed with which they become so emotionally attached, but in extreme circumstances, they were able to experience the truth of who they each were. When they hug... I mean, a kiss might have been sexier, but the hug was so emotional. This is the perfect sequel to Whiteout. Fans of adrenaline (sexy as well as gritty) and high emotion will love this book! And there's a dog.

I loved the last book I read by this author so was excited for Uncharted! A great action, suspense romance. Fun to read!

Adriana Anders’s ‘Uncharted’ is a suspenseful, riveting romp through the Alaskan wilderness. An interconnected standalone, this novel follows last year’s ‘Whiteout’ and continues with two new protagonists, Leo and Elias.

Leo Eddowes lives her life one thrill to the next. Part of an elite force that is seeking to prevent a highly contagious virus from landing into the wrong hands, Leo finds herself thrown together with Elias, a man as mysterious as he is massive. Elias Thorne possesses information that could be vital to Leo’s mission, but everyone else who knew what he knows has been killed. Can they work together to fight a common foe? And can they trust in the intense connection they feel toward one another as they traverse the punishing Alaskan climate?

I, for one, enjoyed ‘Uncharted’ more than its predecessor, if only because ‘Whiteout’ had to establish a lot more of the background and universe of the narrative. I’d recommend reading ‘Whiteout’ first for context, and because it’s also very intense. Fans of suspense will definitely love the pacing and action in this story. The romance takes a bit of a back seat, which didn’t bother me as much as I would have thought. Leo and Elias are great foils for one another, and the mysterious Ash is also someone I’m itching to know more about.

If you like a fast-paced, gripping story that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, ‘Uncharted’ is definitely for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After reading Whiteout, the first book in the series, and Deep Blue, a previous novella, I got engaged with the series and I was so excited to read the story of each of the members of the team that the Cooper brothers lead.

Uncharted follows the story of Leo Eddowes, a character that was previously presented as a brave and excellent pilot that is stranded in Alaska searching for a key person in the team's investigation.
Elias Thorne is a hermit living in Alaska with his dog Bo that can be a crucial piece in Leo's mission.

After founding out that they are on the same side, Leo and Elias team up and try to flee from the enemies surviving Alaska's extreme and wild landscape/ conditions while finding a connection between them that they hadn't found before.

First of all, this book was AMAZING, it had me on the edge of my seat ALL THE TIME, it is really interesting and captivating since page one.
What I loved the most about this book was how badass Leo is and all the survival aspect that it was just as impressive as in Whiteout.
I don't know about you, but I love how the survival aspect brings out so many emotional conversations and situations.
Also, it contains one of my fave tropes ever: Forced Proximity

Adriana Anders is one of my Go-to authors and I deeply enjoy her writing style and pacing, can't wait to read the next book in the series that I guess it will be about Ans (I know is still to early talk about it but I'm really excited about it)
I recommend reading Whiteout and Deep blue first, however, it can be read as a standalone without any problem.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC

Uncharted is the second book in the Survival Instincts Series. I loved the first story and reread it before starting this one. You do not need to read the first one to enjoy this book, but I recommend reading them both together because you’ll get more of the backstory. Uncharted starts off where the first book ended but with different characters. I don’t want to give too much of the book away, but we see our main characters trying to run from an enemy who is trying to capture them while fighting the elements and trying to survive. I loved seeing Elias and Leo’s bond grow as the story progressed and there were many high-tension parts of their journey that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened. Bo was a great addition to the story and right away showed a softer side to Elias. I will definitely be rereading this series in the future and if you love survival or forced proximity romance books you’ll love this one.