I binged Annie McQuaid’s CRASH LANDING in less than 48 hours, and it was as wild, hot, and heartfelt as I expected!

A funny and heartwarming debut romance about two exes forced to reunite when a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island.

Watching Piper and Wyatt’s journey back to each other (and back to society 🫠) was amazing! CRASH LANDING perfectly melds romance and adventure. In the past timeline, they’re the perfect combination of bashful and teasing, so clearly perfectly paired as they move from best friends to more. In the current timeline, the tension is FIRE, both pushed to the edge by how overwhelming their situation is and how closely they’re forced together. I loved seeing them work through the issues from their past, and the way the (objectively terrible) situation pushes Piper to reevaluate what she wants in life. Their HEA is hard won, and so deserved!

CRASH LANDING comes out in just over 2 weeks, so make sure to get that pre-order in! Can’t wait for what Annie comes up with next!

This was a super cutie pie read. It gave very hallmark from the dialogue and story line and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. In this story we have a second chance romance with a then and now time line and though i found the now time line of Piper and Wyatt post plane crash so fun and engaging i found the past time line to be quite boring. Overall a middle of the road read but im excited to see what else this author comes out with!!

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK OMG. I cannot wait to get a physical copy. I love the stranded trope, in a romance or thriller, and this was so cute and I loved every word!

ARC REVIEW:
Enjoyed this book a lot! This debut is great and I absolutely loved the premise! If there’s one thing I enjoy it’s a second chance with forced proximity. Add in a survival on a deserted island AND a dual timeline…take my money now!

I loved how we got to see Piper and Wyatt’s relationship development from friends to lovers in both the past and the present. Dual timeline can be so hard to execute and Annie did so well! I wish we would’ve gotten a bit more with the rest of the Lonely Onlys but I know time was limited with the plane crash.

This book is so fun and I can’t wait for more from this author!

A story about Piper and Wyatt. Two exes who get stranded on an island after crash landing their plane on the way to their friend’s wedding. This was a very cute and heart wrenching story with a second chance romance. One of my top anticipated releases of the year and a perfect summer read.

I loved the characters in this one! Piper and Wyatt have such great chemistry and so much potential—I was rooting for them the whole time. Their interactions felt natural, and the tension between them kept me engaged. I only wished the story had leaned even further into their relationship, giving us more of their individual thoughts and feelings as they navigated their connection.

Piper's journey toward independence was another highlight. It was so satisfying to watch her finally stand up to her mother, take control of her own choices, and define her career path. She starts off struggling under the weight of expectations, but seeing her push back and carve out her own future made her character arc feel rewarding. I love it when a protagonist gains confidence and a backbone, and Piper's growth delivered on that front.

The story's structure lost me a bit. The dual timeline didn't quite work for me—I would have preferred the past to be woven into the present narrative rather than splitting the focus. That way, the story could have dived deeper into the characters, their complexities, and the emotional weight of their experiences. Some critical themes were touched on but never fully explored, leaving me wanting more.

Crash Landing has a strong foundation with likable characters and a compelling romance. Still, I wished it had gone further in unpacking the depth it hinted at. If you love a character-driven story with slow-burn potential, this one might be worth the read!

I liked the IDEA of this book. Second chance romance. Forced proximity. An exotic desert island. But the book really just didn’t work for me.

What I liked. The setting WAS exotic. I loved the Robinson Caruso-like survival aspect as Piper and Wyatt scavenged and built a shelter and made tools from their luggage. The plot was told in dual timeline with flashbacks to their blossoming high school relationship. I thought the flashbacks were sweet. The dramatic rescue was pretty exciting too!

What didn’t work for me. The miscommunication. I’m not one that hates miscommunication. It can be a great plot device. But there was just so much of it here. It felt like they kept having the same conversation over and over. Which granted, is probably realistic. But in a book it’s kind of frustrating. The spicy scenes seemed out of place to me when they were dehydrated, malnourished, sunburned, injured, and surrounded by sand. The part after the rescue dragged on with even more miscommunication. I also felt like Piper was really immature and emotionally stunted.

Overall this book just wasn’t for me. But I’ve seen good reviews from others. So it’s probably just me!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @avonbooks for the chance to review this ARC.

💙Can I give 10 stars? This book was everything! There were so many emotions I felt while reading this book, I felt everything and could not get enough of it. It was filled with adventure, drama, love, family and that cannot put it down, need to know what happens next suspense.

✈️ Piper is traveling to her best friend’s wedding when her flight is canceled. She runs into her former high school boyfriend, who broke her heart 8 years ago. He offers to charter a plane to get them both to the wedding when the plane crashes and they are stranded on a deserted island.

🏝️ Struggling to survive, they are both tested in ways that they never imagined. Piper, having lived a privileged life, learns she is stronger than she believes and Wyatt, who always relied on himself, realizes he needs Piper in order to survive and get off this island.

🧡I loved the flashbacks to high school to see how their relationship grew and how their feelings for one another evolved. It showed how deep their connection really was. It gave more clarity to their feelings in the present and how hard it was to face the reality of their situation.

This story was amazing. I cried and laughed and just fell in love with Wyatt and Piper. I was not ready to let the Lonely Only’s go. I do hope we get more from this group because it was perfection.

3.5 rounded up. A fun, cute second chance love story with a twist! This was a nice, easy read. Love a second chance love story, add in a survivor element and it was just a good time. Nothing revolutionary but a perfect palate cleanser. I don’t know how realistic any of it was but that’s totally okay with me. It was fun & I enjoyed it for what it was.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

I read this second-chance romance, and it was pretty decent, like a solid 3.5 for me. It was definitely cute, but it didn't totally blow my socks off. I gotta say, they handled the second-chance trope pretty well; it wasn't cringey at all, which is always a plus.

Usually, I'm not a big fan of the dual timeline thing, it feels like a total detour, but this one? They actually nailed it. The pacing was on point, bouncing between past and present at just the right moments, keeping things interesting. When the present got intense, boom, flashback to a tense past moment, and vice versa. It was actually pretty slick.

Now, here's where it got a bit wonky. The connection between Wyatt and Piper? It was like they were stuck in this loop of 'we wanna try again,' then boom, zero trust, total miscommunication.

They kept saying they loved each other, but their actions? Not so much. It made me roll my eyes a little.

But, I gotta say, the back-and-forth between their past and present was a lifesaver. It kept the slower moments from dragging too much, and it was cool seeing how their initial romance sparked and how it still lingered. It did feel a tad slow at times, especially since they were stranded, but I'd rather have that than some random, pointless scenes. The author did a good job of avoiding that.

My biggest gripe is that they needed to hash out their history way sooner. Piper was falling for Wyatt again without even knowing the full story of why he ghosted her for eight years! And, honestly, they didn't really feel like they were in their mid-twenties. Piper's mom was way too controlling, it felt more like a teen drama. I'd have gotten answers before catching feelings again, but hey, that's just me.

Overall, it was a cute read with a solid plot. Not gonna lie, it was a fine way to spend some time!

Big shoutout to @Netgalley and @avonbooks for the ARC. 💗

First off, thank you to Net Galley, Annie McQuaid, and Avon and Harper Voyager for an early copy of this book.
I loved the premise of Crash Landing. Old flames get stuck together on an island after a plane crash? Sign me up!
The story was told in both past and present chapters which I enjoyed. It was great to get their history as we navigated their current situation.
I wish we would have seen growth from both characters. Piper took surviving as a second chance to find her happiness in life. And while Wyatt finally admitted what happened back in high school and confessed his feelings, I wasn’t a fan of how he continued to shut down every time there was a problem, always making Piper feel like she did something wrong.
I enjoyed the writing but the story didn’t hit the mark for me; However I would try another book from this author in the future.

Fun Rom-Com read! Perfect for Spring Break, Beach Time, Anytime!

Reunited by a destination wedding for a bestie, former high school sweethearts, Piper and Wyatt, are stranded together by a crash landing. Will survival instincts rekindle the romance and cure the heartbreak resentment? Time and rescue will tell!

The well-written characters are entertaining and relatable. Insecure, Angst filled, Driven, Oblivious, Obedient, all of the qualities needed to qualify for a great read. Annie McQuaid’s debut novel has me eagerly waiting for her next.

I loved Crash Landing and highly recommend for your ROM-COM enjoyment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid is a second chance romcom and the story of Piper and Wyatt.
 
Piper and Wyatt were neighbors when they grew up and they more than liked each other. But it ended badly and Wyatt broke Piper’s heart. I really liked how they got a second chance, and you get past and present chapters to make you feel everything. While Piper follows in her dad’s footsteps and she goes to medical school, Wyatt joins the military. I really liked seeing what happened after that and often books gloss over what happened after you’re discharged, and Wyatt did so well, and I loved the app he created and his dog. I only wish we would have gotten his pov as well.
 
They meet again on the way to a friend’s wedding when they’re both stuck at the airport and must find a way to get to the Bahamas quickly. This creates the perfect forced proximity situation, and it gets even better when they crash land and must survive together. This was so different and such an extreme situation and I really liked seeing how the characters mastered that. They work so well as a team and Piper and Wyatt just feel natural together. I really like romcoms that are a bit more adventurous and that’s totally what this story was.
 
Crash Landing is such a heartfelt and great second chance romance and I really enjoyed it. Also, this story has total summer vibes, and it would be a perfect vacation read. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

I’m a bit conflicted on this one.

There’s the past history between Piper and Wyatt, plus the forced proximity on a deserted island via a plane crash, that created the perfect recipe for what could be a really great love story.

But, the back and forth between the past and the present provided insight into the characters that made them unlikable and difficult to connect with. It could have been helpful if it provided evidence of growth of both of them, but I just saw the only change was that these were two people who finally thought they were “adult” enough to make some of their own decisions. Piper still let her mom get away with being a toxic narcissist, even if she decided to no longer blindly follow her mom’s decisions on path in life. And Wyatt barely addressed being hurtful and lashing out at Piper (still) as an adult. If they made some sort of character growth rather than some surface level life choices to spend together, maybe I could believe this “happy ever after”?

As an aside, and very nit-picky but, as someone who grew up in Raleigh and lives in a suburb of Raleigh now, it rarely ever snows here. So, “first snow in the South” of the season? Not a thing…

Exes get into a plane crash on the way to a wedding and have to survive on a deserted island.

I had a really hard time suspending belief for this story. I enjoyed the dual timeline for the most part but felt that they were disjointed at times. I didn’t find the second chance romance to be super believable or fleshed out which contributed to just liking the story instead of loving it. ALSO - these people are on an island, trying to survive…have sand who knows where and haven’t showered and they’re going to have sex with a condom?! Yeah I don’t think so lol

Read if you like:
- Second chance romance
- Dual timeline

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

Crash Landing is a second chance, force proximity romance. When her flight gets cancelled, Piper doesn’t find any other way to attend her best friend’s destination wedding but to accept her high school ex-boyfriend, Wyatt’s offer to fly there in a small plane. Of course, as the title and cover both reveal, there is a crash, and we get to know the characters’ past and present through an alternating narration style. I was more interested in the present and survival aspects of the story, the past narrative effectively provided background on the characters, their relationship, and what went wrong. This is a wonderful debut novel with heart and humor. The characters are lovable and complex, and I feel many readers can relate to them, and their occasional poor decision making.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the an e-arc of this book.

The title and the book description is very convincing and very perfect when considering if/when to read this book.

Second chance is one trope that I will read over and over again without ever getting bored. This book is the perfect example of a soft second chance romance. It felt like spending a chill day at the beach. Simple. Relaxing. Enjoying. Like a soft breeze on a sunny day. Refreshing.

This book covers two timelines, the past and then the present. Handling two parallel plot lines within the same story is not very easy, but Annie McQuaid did it so well that I was just waiting for the switch in the stories of the past and the present.

Piper and Wyatt: These two had such a sweet relationship. Basically, they were friends first and that was the sweetest thing to read about. Every single moment between them in the past was something special and I lived for every single second of it. The heartbreak and the romance were both done well.

If you're expecting a book with a smooth, simple, cute plot that makes you feel good, then this is the perfect book for you. The only thing I might add was that I would have liked a little bit more angst. I was looking for the push-and-pull which would have made the reconnection a little more electric, however, I think the storyline was still good as it is given the current flow of the book!

Overall, I really liked it. I'm so glad I read it. Piper and Wyatt are definitely a dream couple!!

Thank you to Annie McQuaid, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for this arc!! 💕

Okay I really really love this book.

It had all the elements you’d want out of a high school sweethearts turned exes trapped on a literal desert island second chance romance with none of the cheesy/corny elements you might expect.

It was clever and subtle and as realistic I could imagine a book like this being. Loved the flashbacks to their friendship and growing up together. Loved Piper’s growth and character arc.

I enjoyed every minute.

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I thought this was an adorable romance! I loved the concept of this story as well. And the chemistry was fantastic. I can imagine that this book will. become very popular on Booktok and Bookstagram! I am looking forward to Annie McQuaid's next book!

✨Book Review✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)

Annie McQuaid’s debut romance, Crash Landing, is a perfect wholesome spring and summer read! ☀️🏝️ The vivid descriptions make it easy to feel like you’re right there on the island with Piper and Wyatt. This book is packed with tropes that work so well together—forced proximity, survival, and second chance romance.

While I loved their journey, I wish we had seen a little more of Piper and Wyatt’s relationship after they worked through the miscommunication and fully committed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy! Crash Landing hits shelves on April 1, 2025—mark your calendars! 📚✨

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