Whiteout was one of my favorite reads last year so I was excited to pick up Uncharted, but sadly it fell a little flat for me. I think the romance in Whiteout worked for me because Ford and Angel knew each other before being thrown into an extremely dangerous situation so their relationship development made sense. Leo and Elias are literal strangers when they meet and immediately go on the run and I just never really felt any connection between them. Uncharted was still enjoyable as a thriller though and I'll definitely be picking up the next one in the series.

Uncharted is the second in the Survival Instincts series by Adriana Anders. I loved, loved, loved the first one, Whiteout. It felt unique and fresh and was very exciting and also very romantic. Uncharted is exciting and thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat, but, I was left a bit wanting by the romance. I really loved Elias and Leo together, the issue is that I would've liked more time with them together without the threat of impending death hanging over them. This is romantic suspense so of course that threat must loom but I think that this installment is heavier on the suspense than the romance and that just wasn't what I was looking for, and not what I felt we got with Whiteout. For me, this one I think suffers somewhat comparison to it's predecessor. For someone who prefers a bit of romance with their suspense, as opposed to a bit of suspense with their romance, I would highly recommend it though.

CW: (not an exhaustive list, off page) deadly virus, suicide of parent, murdered family, parent with Alzheimer's

This is my second book by Adriana Anders. I like her writing style and characters. I did not read the first book in this series. There is an ongoing storyline and recurring characters, but it can be read as a standalone.

This book follows Leo, a pilot and member of an elite group of mercenary scientists? It's unclear, but they're the Good Guys. (1st book probably covered this) She is in Alaska to find a scientist on the run from and evil corporation who has a deadly virus. She instead finds a mountain man who she believes can lead her to her rouge scientist. They are forced to brave the elements together while being pursued by Evil Corps mercenaries (Bad Guys). Their struggle draws them together, yadda yadda yadda, HEA.

First, I'll say that Romantic suspense is not a genre I've read much. I felt like there was a lot of action/adventure and great descriptions of the setting. I do feel like it was a bit longer than it needed to be. There were interesting and well developed side characters, Amka, wiley old lady extraordinare and Ashwin, part-shifter bad guy? Ok, he wasn't a shifter, but he kinda should have been with how he was smelling rocks and stuff. He also wasn't all that bad... I'm sure he'll turn up in another book.

There is some minor representation of marginalized folks, which I appreciate. I hesitate to criticize, but POC characters from white authors are often a stereotype or have a POC by skin description only. I definitely prefer the latter, which this book approaches. I know we are not a monolith, with rich and varying life experience and backgrounds, so, as I said, this is not critical feedback, but it didn't work for me.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for this ARC. Opinions are my own.

I was bitterly disappointed with this book after absolutely loving the previous in the series. I did read Whiteout last January before the pandemic started and the deadly virus plot of the series definitely didn't affect me the way it did now, now it hit too close to home for me to enjoy the story and the romance.

It was not pleasant but I could have ignored it if the rest worked better for me. I can suspend belief regarding many things in romantic suspense but this book things too far and it felt ridiculous instead of engaging.

The heroine was sick (flu-type thing) throughout the book, on top of being injured and freezing to death for the most of it. It was stressful to read and honestly, felt superfluous, the tension was there even without it. The heroine is Black and she is an ex-military pilot but none of that is presented in much detail. From my position of an outsider, a Southeastern European white woman I expected it to be more central.

There is no romance to speak of in the first 40/50%. There was. no real character development either, just two people trying to survive in the Alaska wilderness while hunted by the bad guys.

I did like the final quarter of the book most of all - the romance was finally happening though I was not too fond of possessive, fated mates aspect in contemporaries, I can see it working here with all the adrenaline and emotions running high because of the extreme situations the MCs are in. At the same the whole danger/survival aspect was too much, we get reminded of her sickness and his injuries every couple of pages and it became boring at some point.

I liked the hero and appreciated the way he cared for the heroine. His backstory and current situation made sense though I was surprised by his abrupt change from a loner to someone who can't imagine life without the heroine. It all felt over the top to me.

There is a side plotline with Amka and the other people in town which didn't add anything to the story for me, I just found distracting.

I am intrigued by one of the villains who is morally grey but I am not sure that even his story will tempt me to continue with the series.

CW: an MC with flu-like symptoms, life-threatening injuries, violence, blood, dog in danger (survives)

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

✈️ Q: how comfortable are you with flying on a scale of 1 (not) to 5 (extremely)?

I can’t think of another romance author who writes really physical books like Adriana Anders does—the intensity of how the characters in the Survival Instincts series constantly combat extreme environments is relentless, the things they push their bodies to do is extraordinary, & the fact that she makes these setting-rich books feel compelling & beautiful & raw & at times, otherworldly, is really admirable.

In Uncharted Leo is a pilot tasked with searching for Campbell Turner, who stole the same virus her team prevented a corp. named Chronos from stealing in the previous book Whiteout. Her team wants to find Campbell so they can keep the virus out of Chronos’s hands again.

So when a local of Schink’s Station, Alaska says she knows where the man is, Leo takes off on a solo daring mission that leads to her in one dangerous situation after another with a man who is not Campbell. Who is fact Elias & who is a giant resourceful, mysterious stud.

There’s steam in this book but also such an incredible sense of teamwork as Leo & Elias try to survive people trying to hunt them & cause them harm. Leo’s injuries give her a stunning vulnerability coupled with the emotional intimacy she & Elias share on the race of their lives.

The hero is brawny & huge & bearded & sometimes likes to speak in grunts; he’s also been alone so long & the yearning that builds between them—as Leo processes her own loneliness—is so soft & so good.

There’s a real sweetness to this book. It’s another 5 ⭐️ for me & I am so excited about where the series will go next.

Release date: 08/31

[ID: A kindle tablet featuring cover is on a multi-striped hammock. Trees & river view in background.]

CW: Leo’s mother killed herself & his parents were killed, both before book starts.

Well if Whiteout took readers to Antarctica then clearly the author wants us to continue feeling chilled to the bone as with this book we travel to Alaska ! Ex Navy pilot Leo has become separated from her team as they hunt for the man who supposedly has a vial of a missing deadly virus. She's not exactly feeling her best but when tipped off about his whereabouts doesn't hesitate.
Elias was wrongfully accused of mass murder and as America's most wanted has been living off the grid in the wild and very inhospitable area near Schinks Station. When a plane is brought down nearby by a helicopter he knows it's time to leave because ten to a penny it's him they are looking for. Too bad the pilot is as stubborn as she's confused because Elias knows neither of them are safe from the deadly force tracking them . As the couple go on the run they face not just danger from their pursuers but the deadly force of nature itself !
Another excellent story from this author who just keeps excelling when it comes to romantic suspense. This was without doubt a thrill filled ride as time and time again this couple struggle simply to survive. There's a plethora of dangerous situations with some serious action here. Plus the couple might try to fight their mutual attraction but like tectonic plates colliding its an inevitable force of nature. I loved the occasional flashes of humour and just sighed at the love and devotion Elias showed for his adorable dog Bo. Oo and the author got sneaky and introduced a very intriguing character who I'm pretty sure she has future plans for ! This was exciting and had characters I could cheer for so definitely recommended by me.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

3.5⭐

Uncharted is the second book in the Survival Instincts series by Andriana Anders. I'll be real honest, besides remembering that I enjoyed book one I could not remember what happened in it, so I was nervous to read this one without having reread the first. Thankfully this stands just fine on its own, while there is an umbrella arc to the series, each seem to be fine if read as a standalone.

Leo is in search of a man in possession of a deadly virus. She has to find him before the corporation who want to release the virus finds him. She's given his location but when she crash lands, literally, she finds a mountain man who looks nothing like the man she's after. He might not have what she's after, but he ends up giving her something she wasn't expecting. They have to stay alive while being hunted and traverse the deadly Alaskan terrain to find safety.

This story is non-stop from the moment Elias pulls Leo out of the crashed plan. The two of them encounter deadly situation after deadly situation. No worries though this is definitely a romance, bleeding wounds and all, our heroes get to a point where they can't keep their hands off each other. I guess I had trouble getting my head around this insta love pairing, it would have worked better without it in my opinion. Either way, both Elias and Leo were strong likeable characters. The alternating between their point of views flowed well, and I was invested in their survival.

Uncharted by Adriana Anders has glacier hideouts, injuries, Alaskan storms, a dependable canine, and copious amounts of sharing body heat. I am giving this romantic suspense adventure thriller a 3.5 rounded up to a 4. I don't think I was necessarily in the mood for the story, but it entertained me regardless, and I will be keeping an eye out for more books in this series.

If there is an animal in a suspense book, I spend the whole book worrying. So first off, the dog is fine.

Adriana Anders’ Whiteout was one of my most unexpected favorite reads of last year. The second book in the Survival Instincts series, Uncharted, continues the overarching story of thwarting Chronos’ quest for genocide and profit. This time, pilot Leo Eddowes and her team are trying to find a scientist hiding in the mountains of Alaska before Chronos finds him. Only a half step ahead of a hostile extraction team, Leo races to find her target. When she is shot down, Ethan Thorne, a reclusive mountain man with a big secret, rescues her.

Though the basic situation is the same, two people racing for their lives through a dangerous wilderness, Uncharted is its own story. Leo loves speed and she loves to fly. She’s been in the military, but now she’s in the private good guy rescue business. Leo is competent and has survival training. But, she also has a headwound and doesn’t know this particular terrain. Ethan Thorne has been in hiding in the Alaskan wilderness for a decade. He knows exactly how bad Chronos is and has been prepared to flee with his dog, Bo, at a moment’s notice. He’s even prepared to haul a woman with a head injury that he doesn’t know if he can trust on the run with him. Leo and Ethan are tremendously competent, but they are injured and on foot in a dangerous wilderness beset by bad weather.

Adriana Anders is walking a tightrope with Leo and Ethan’s romance – they don’t know each other and they don’t trust each other at first. So how do they believably fall in love? Pushed to their physical and emotional limits, Ethan and Leo fall for each other’s sheer competence. They see and appreciate each other in a way that civilians would never understand. The bond they form is deeply emotional and balances out the physical danger they are in.

I can’t wait for the next book.

I received this book as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay. Leo and Elias were a bit of a hot mess, all things considered. First off, they're both running from things. Elias's things might have been slightly more physical than Leo's things, but they were both closed off and kind of one-man (or one-woman, in Leo's case) wrecking crews when it came to getting things done. No wait. That makes it sound like they just barreled into situations all willy-nilly and they didn't. Well, they sometimes did. But that was mostly under extreme circumstances.

MOST of the time, these two are frighteningly committed to making horrifying situations work for them. The wrecking crew part comes in when one of them gets put in danger. Then they go off the rails. Elias especially. The guy did not do well when Leo's life was endangered.

But that's only part of the story. The tip of the iceberg, if you will. Because they're on the run from some very bad people and staying alive in an environment that keeps throwing more and more dangerous roadblocks at them has them utilizing every darn one of their survival skills. Knowing that if they get caught those very bad people will do very bad things with the information they're carrying can be very motivating.

Throw in a boatload of sexual tension (I'm not kidding! Elias getting ramped up over otherwise innocent touches was WOW), a new (possibly even more compelling) reason for the virus Leo and her crew are after to be found, and an old lady who almost single-handedly takes out a bunch of bad guys ('never underestimate the elderly' is going to be my new motto) and there's a whole lot going on here. I mean that in a good way. Elias and Leo were steamin' and I am SO here for whatever danger the crew gets thrown into next!

Adriana Anders is one of the rare romantic suspense novelists who can excel at plot and character development with plenty of steamy heat. Her Blank Canvas series was incredible. Uncharted, the second in her Survival Instincts series, did not quite live up to my expectations. I loved the action packed plot, even as one overcome obstacle after another stretched credibility. But what was the point? The sketchy background info from book one wasn’t really enough to get me up to speed on the reason for all the treachery. The romance was hot, though besides instant chemistry, it wasn’t clear how Leo and Elias became soulmates so quickly. In spite of all that, Uncharted was an engaging read. It ended with a romantic HEA but the plot is To Be Continued.

3.5 stars

‘Uncharted’ was the book I was chomping at the bits to read ever since I finished ‘Whiteout’—a brilliant run-for-your-life-and survive (in the extreme cold) type of story. Much like its predecessor, ‘Uncharted’ is written in the same vein where survival at all costs while dodging a shadowy enemy is pretty much what the whole book is about.

It’s breathless action the whole way, from start to finish, obscuring perhaps, even the finer details of why Elias and Leo were where they were in the first place. There was quite some time spent in confusion as you’re only given bits and pieces of their histories and motivations, but even those are put aside with Anders’s relentless focus on overcoming obstacle after obstacle as they outrun a mysterious helicopter and a corporation nipping at their heels.

While I could appreciate both Leo’s and Elias’s tenacity in constantly staying a step ahead, I couldn’t quite get their attraction at first—which seemed to pop out as a result of dangerous head injuries—as it felt too much like a adrenaline-fuelled reaction to danger rather than actual emotional development. If they were exhausted by the sheer number of obstacles they had to conquer, so was I as well just reading about them…more so when over half the book rolled around and they’d made little forward progress in both plot and action.

But I really like Ander’s writing and that really, was the main thing that propelled me forward to the book’s somewhat rushed conclusion. That said, I wasn’t sure by the end of it all, where the larger narrative arc was heading and did wish that this aspect of the story was less opaque and piecemeal.

Great addition to the survival instincts series! I thought this packed more of an emotional punch than our first book Whiteout and once again there was certainly no lack of action. But, I think the action was more plot driven in Whiteout where as here it's to enhance the couple's attachment. I really enjoyed this and buddy read it with a couple of friends who also adored Whiteout. Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest review!! Will post the review on media closer to publication date.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this title.*

Having just read Whiteout, I was very hyped up to read Leo's story and to get to know more about this tough pilot chick. I was also intrigued to meet Elias and find out what his secrets were.

Even more so than Whiteout, this book jumped right into the action. Leo is thrown right into the deep end and she is very quickly thrust into danger and ends up in the company of Elias.

Elias Thorne has been living in exile for 10 years. Just him and his dog and the wilderness. When Leo comes barging into his life, he is stunned and in awe. At first not sure if he can trust her, survival and escape become their goal and force them to become a team. Their attraction soon rears its head and with their forced proximity it is ready to explode at any moment.

I loved our stoic hero and our sassy, strong heroine. I loved the danger and the headlong rush to safety. I loved that this one had a bit more chance to breathe, and a bit more romance than we were able to get in Whiteout.

The danger of Chronos keeps building and I am very interested in where things go next. We are slowly forming a plan, but I'm sure the way to the end will have a few more hiccoughs and survival situations along the way.

5/5 stars.

Loved this series, and this book was the best one yet!
Still on the hunt for the missing virus, Leo heads to Alaska, where the virus is supposed to be. While her team is off doing other things, one of the town members begs Leo to go and save her godson, Elias. Not sure who she can trust, Leo finds Elias, and the bad guys find them. They are on a race against time, Mother Nature, and those who want them dead to get back and save the town his family is in.
This book has it all, adventure, action, and even romance. Can't wait for the next book!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I started the book trying to figure out what was going on from page one. I found out this was book 2 in a series but the author didn't give readers any idea that it was part of a series other than being very confused as to what was happening during the first hand of the book.
The story is told though many different point of views which can be a little confusing at times who is the bad guy vs the good guys.
The story is fast pace and really doesn't give reader a chance to figure out what is happening and why until almost the end of the book.
The story is action packed with crashing planes and freezing cold weather. The author paints Alaska in a beautiful and deadly location.
There are many characters and many who are introduced only to be waste of name. Let the Henchmen be henchmen and do not try and create a characters only to kill them for no reason.
Tha

Best book I've read all year! Uncharted will leave you breathless and on the edge of your seat, white knuckling your e reader! Adriana Anders is gifted storyteller and I am obsessed with the characters she has created in this series. Their stories leap of the page with heart pounding scenes that test the human spirit. Leo and Elias are my favorite characters to date. I can not wait to see what is in store for Ans and Von in future books.

I didnt get as far with this one as I would have liked. The author is one I've read before a few times with hit and miss results. I'd call this a miss since I lost interest in it pretty quickly. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leo “Leontyne” Eddowes has felt the need for speed throughout her whole life. As a pilot supreme, Leo fed that desire in the military then as part of an elite force working with a private group who are trying to protect the world from the deadly virus which an evil corporate entity wants to find and most likely deploy. Leo is sent to rescue a man she believes is key to unearthing the virus’s location. It is imperative she reach this man hidden in the Alaskan wilderness before the bad guys find him. The last thing she expects is to be flying an ancient Piper owned by a strange old woman who has a lot of tricks up her sleeve to save her town after it is taken over by a hostile enemy looking for the same man. The person Leo finds turns out to be very different from the one she thought she was rescuing.

Elias Thorne’s life imploded ten years before when he was implicated in a mass murder making him one of America’s Most Wanted, ruining his professional reputation and personal life. This mountain of a man is surprised when Leo shows up in his territory wounded following a crash. Once they do a complicated dance of “who do you trust,” Leo and Elias set out on a desperate trek to get away from the team of hunters following them and back to the town where Elias’ godmother, who sent Leo to find him, lives. Elias knows the dangerous perils ahead that they face; however, finding himself strongly attracted to Leo after living alone for so many years will make everything more difficult. Leo is quite prickly when it comes to relationships while Elias’s emotions have been frozen along with the brutal landscape he was forced to hide in to survive.

Just about every step of Elias and Leo’s journey is a hazardous, extremely difficult fight against the forces of ice juxtaposed with a spring thaw leaving the potential for every wrong foot placed to be their last one. Everything is complicated by the brutal hunters tracking them while Leo has to deal with several injuries along the way making their fight for survival even more difficult. This book has non-stop intense action with Elias and Leo struggling to overcome their enemies and survive the extremely harsh conditions Alaska sets in before them in this very intense romantic suspense wild ride of a tale. In this pandemic world, deadly viruses have taken on a whole new meaning outside of fiction, but the reality lends an element of veracity to the serious threat of a virus unleashed on the world. Second in the Survival Instincts series, UNCHARTED can be read as a standalone.

I read Whiteout last year and it was one of the first romantic suspense books I'd picked up. I remember really enjoying it, but then, as the year went on, it was one of those books that I kept thinking about. You know those books - the ones that you didn't think much of straight after reading but then it just won't leave you alone (in the best possible way)? 

To say I've been eagerly anticipating the follow up book is an understatement, and I may have done a bit of a happy dance around my apartment the day I was approved for a review copy. I was planning on holding off reading this until closer to the release date but the perfect opportunity came up to read it and I took it, and it didn't disappoint.

Leo Eddowes is in Alaska looking for a man who has an additional sample of the virus discovered in Whiteout when she's asked to evacuate a man from the wilderness. When her plane goes down and the two of them have to go on the run, Leo finds herself needing to trust Elias Thorne - one of America's Most Wanted - in order to survive in the harsh, frozen landscape.

I loved this. It always makes me happy to read a romance book where the couple are equally matched and have a strong, complimentary dynamic. Both Leo and Elias a highly skilled, formidable characters and both are used to working on their own, and have to learn how to work with one another. 

It had the perfect blend of action-suspense and romance to make this a compelling read. I could easily see this being turned into a movie (and I wouldn't turn that down), it was that vividly described. The unforgiving nature of the landscape and weather enhanced the feeling that these two characters are in it for survival and it raised the stakes even further.

And then of course, you have Elias' dog, who is the perfect companion/foil for the burgeoning relationship between Leo and Elias. (For my friends concerned about animals in books - the dog is fine!)

Overall this was a compulsive page turned, and I'm definitely eager to dive into Adriana Anders' back catalogue now.

Sometimes you really need a heart pounding, nail biting, action book. This is the type of book that I'd call "I would have died in chapter 2." This book is the second book in a series - and I think it would have helped to orient me as to why the bad guys were after Leo and Elias - but I hadn't read it before I started this one and was totally fine. This book definitely challenges what you could survive - and reinforces the need for LOTS of socks. Lesson number one in wilderness survival - dry socks are key!!

Leo is a seriously B.A. pilot - she can fly anything and lives for the adrenaline high. She is in Alaska searching for information on a deadly virus when she is put on a collision course with danger. She and Elias definitely connect under extremely intense circumstances. They both have a lot of baggage with them - and that doesn't even include the danger they are on the run from.

Overall - even though this is a love at first sight book, the intensity of the situation makes it work in a way it might not otherwise. And even in the face of the intensity - you can't see Elias and Leo ever being apart again.

I couldn't put this one down...

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.