Nothing says forced proximity quite like getting stranded on a deserted island with your ex. Crash Landing was a sweet second chance romance. While that’s not my favorite trope, I still enjoyed Piper and Wyatt’s journey. It had a very nice pace that kept me reading. Although, I do feel like the characters lacked a bit in depth and chemistry, everything felt very surface level.

Piper is living her best life and heading to a destination wedding when her flight is cancelled and she runs into her ex, Wyatt. Wyatt is heading to the same wedding but on a different, smaller plane. He offers for Piper to fly with him, and she reluctantly agrees. Piper's bad luck continues when the plane crashes on a remote island and she is stuck with her ex. As Piper and Wyatt figure out how to survive while waiting to be rescued, they discover that they still have feelings for one another. A cute, second chance, close proximity romance.

I loved this book so much! Thank you for the opportunity to ARC read for you! I loved how thrilling the plane crash was and some of the stuff that happened to them. The romance was perfect! The only thing that I would have wanted would be a POV from Wyatt!

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for th ARC!

This book y'all. The way that I was hooked from page one. This is the perfect best friends to lovers romance and I loved every minute. The pining, the yearning, the years of miscommunication. Phew, it was so frustrating but also so satisfying when it was resolved. I became obsessed with Piper and Wyatt's love story. I rooted for them and internally screamed at them when they didn't communicate with each other. But all the miscommunications and years of not seeing each other made it so much more satisfying when they finally figured it out and decided to be together. I would say that I loved the side characters, but we didn't get a lot of time with them, as the majority of this book takes place on a deserted island with only Piper and Wyatt on it. But it was enough for me. I loved the setting and I loved that we got to spend so much time with the main characters. This book was just so good and fun and I loved it.

This was such a sweet & cute book! This was your quintessential second-chance romance with some survivor vibes thrown in and it WORKED!

Piper and Wyatt were childhood best friends-turned-lovers until Wyatt ended their relationship after they graduated high school without explanation. Fast forward 8 years in the future and after a sequence of events, they end up on a private plane together to their mutual friend’s wedding in the Bahamas and they crash on a remote island. Not only do they have to work together to survive until they can get rescued, but they also have to work through their unresolved feelings for each other.

Filled with your typical tropes (second chance romance, miscommunication, friends to lovers) this book was written incredibly well and was a joy to read. I would have loved to get deeper into Wyatt’s character, but I felt like Piper’s growth throughout the book was also nicely showcased.

Overall, I would definitely recommend to folks looking for a sweet romance read!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review after readying.

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Spice: no spice, closed door romance

This is a fun, breezy, and kind of shallow read despite the premise. Piper and Wyatt dated in high school, but Wyatt broke Piper's heart and they haven't spoken since. Now, eight years later, they are both headed to the same wedding. After Piper's flight is cancelled, Wyatt offers to fly them both down in a small plane. But in a random (and unrealistic lmao) turn of events, their plane crashes and they get marooned on an island somewhere in the Caribbean. They have to figure out how to survive until they get rescued, and of course deal with their past.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't totally buy the chemistry between Piper and Wyatt - it felt like the book was just telling us that they had a lifelong connection, rather than showing us what they liked about each other or what their relationship was like. Their relationship never seemed to evolve past their high school selves, and their conflicts felt contrived and yet also way too easily overcame. Piper's "crisis" about not going after she wanted had no depth to it and felt like a story I've read a million times, and Wyatt's PTSD from the army felt like it was just thrown in to add complication; it didn't feel like the narrative did that justice.

Also, this book's treatment of class felt very one-dimensional and pat. The way Piper and Wyatt's worlds are juxtaposed is completely cliche: Piper's mother's character, for example, is reduced to just her disapproval of Wyatt, and what she says about Wyatt feels like it's been recycled from Dirty Dancing or something. The goody two shoes falls for the bad boy trope is very overdone, and this book did not have a good iteration of it. The way Wyatt's mom is depicted also really bothered me. There were lots of throwaway comments about his mom's drug use and "flightiness," and there's one scene set in the high school days involving his mom that is incredibly cringe and made it obvious that the author has no experience with poverty and drug issues and did not bother to do any research or include any nuance. Of course, I don't expect my romances to have perfect politics or treat every issue with care - I know that's not the point, and I don't judge romances on that point. But the romance was also silly and shallow, so the other stuff stood out a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Piper’s on the way to her best friend’s wedding in the Bahamas, when all commercial flights cancel. In walks fellow wedding guest and ex-love of her life, Wyatt, who also happens to have access to a private plane. Piper figures a couple hours of forced proximity is a small price to pay to make it to the wedding, unfortunately, their plane crashes on a deserted island. Piper and Wyatt have to overcome their past and survive long enough to be rescued.

I really enjoyed this book! Not only a second chance romance, but a little survivor thrown in there. It was interesting to see how a relationship could heal and also develop when you have to worry about survival on top of it, but to also do it in a rom-com way. The flashbacks were done really well too. I don’t usually enjoy a high school age romance, but the flashbacks supported what was happening in the current storyline just right.

This was a great debut romance and I loved it throughout. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from Annie McQuaid.

Thank you to NetGalley along with Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crash Landing is a laugh out loud romance book following two exes who get stranded on an island together after a plane crash. Wyatt broke Piper’s heart when they were in high school and she vowed to never speak to him again. But after a desperate plea to make it to their mutual friend’s wedding in time, she agrees to join him on a flight. What she did not anticipate was the crash that leaves them stranded on the island for days.

I AM SCREAMING FROM THE ROOFTOPS ABOUT HOW CUTE THIS BOOK IS! I read it in one sitting and was so completely engrossed in this book that I did not even realize the time had passed. From the very beginning, Piper and Wyatt had this firecracker energy about them and I knew the banter was going to be off the charts. The plot moved at the absolute perfect pace. Every day they spent on the island, I got more and more hooked on their story. I could never tell where the story was going and it kept me on my toes. I was rooting for them to get together the entire time and I was giggling and kicking my feet at every interaction. Forced proximity with a bit of enemies to lovers sprinkled in?? SIGN ME UP! This is a stellar debut novel and I will be immediately purchasing anything that Annie writes in the future.

I will round this up to 3 stars

This really could have benefited from two povs. Piper in the present and Wyatt in the past. I think the storyline would have meshed better going two different directions and meeting in the middle.

On another note I don't think I have ever read so much crying, tears being shed and introspective thinking all in one book before. It reminds me of Bedazzled with Brendan Frasier crying on the beach looking at the sunset.. it was cringe.

The parts I did like was when Wyatt and Piper were stuck on the island which thankfully was most of the book. They had some funny and some heart warming moments.

Crash Landing is a fun debut that combines romance and and a bit of survival drama. Perfect for fans of survival shows! It’s a second-chance, friends-to-lovers story that follow's Piper and Wyatt's relationship from its beginning as kids, to the end of their friendship, to meeting again as adults. They haven’t seen each other in years—until their plane crashes on the way to a wedding, and they end up stranded together on a remote island. If you like stories with a bit of adventure, emotional depth, and a satisfying slow-burn romance, I recommend this book!

Debut novel. I enjoyed this one! Kept my attention. About friends to lovers with a messy break up in the middle and a scary plane crash. Nothing like being stranded on a desert island together to deal with the past. Contains a short steamy scene.

Such a wonderful debut novel! I had such a great time reading this and feel so lucky that I was given the opportunity to read and review the ARC~ McQuaid created such fun characters who were full of depth and emotion, and I truly could not put this book down. I have never read an adventure romance, and this really just showed how great of a genre it is!

✨ Stars: 4.5/5
✨ Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adventure Romance
✨ Spice: 0/5 - while there are intimate scenes, they are not explicit but leave the reader knowing what is going on, without going into detail

This was a unique, second chance romance. There are very few plane crash landing on a remote island books and it definitely keeps your attention. Chapters alternate between past and present. You are able to piece together exactly what happened to them years ago. I actually enjoyed the past more. You definitely need to suspend your disbelief for the remote island stuff. I will say I think there was something missing from the story. Character development felt a little thin as well as their chemistry. I'm in the minority but it didn't completely work for me.

Oh Wyatt how i adored thee.....sigh.

To be honest this book was so much better than i had even anticipated it would be and even though i was a little bit mad at Wyatt for how he had treated Piper i will admit i softened to him very quickly as the story unraveled and understood he was just a really good guy trying to do the right thing

Great characters and a great setting of them stranded together on a deserted island, i mean if ever there was a setting that forces you to face up to everything then this is it!

Cannot wait to read more from the author

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy.! You can pick up Crash Landing now.

I'm a sucker for a good second chance romance, and I honestly think Annie McQuaid nailed it with this one. In Crash Landing, we meet perfectionist Piper Adams, burnt out med student and maid of honor DETERMINED to make it to her best friend's destination wedding. Enter Wyatt Brooks, veteran and former love of her life who broke her heart. When Wyatt offers to help Piper make it to the wedding on time, she's able to put the past behind her and accept, right? Right?

Of course, things go terribly wrong and their plane crashes, stranding them on an island together. I loved the forced proximity in this book and how Wyatt and Piper butt heads as they tried to survive (and hide their hurt/growing feelings about one another). Plus, including flashbacks to their earlier relationship was a phenomenal way to show both characters' growth from high school sweethearts (and dumb kids) to wizened adults. Piper has such a hard time trusting Wyatt because of his past actions, but she can't ignore how much he's changed since they last saw each other.

And the chemistry? It had me BLUSHING. 10/10 tension.

All in all, if you love second chance romances and forced proximity, this is your book!

Crash Landing is the kind of book that pulls you in with a wild “what could possibly go wrong?” setup—and then delivers in the best way possible. Piper and Wyatt’s story is equal parts heartfelt, frustrating, and swoon-worthy. I loved the way the story alternates between their past and present, showing just how much they’ve grown while their connection has never really faded. The survival aspect had me fully hooked (and stressed), and I was constantly yelling at them to just talk already! Piper’s mom? Certified villain energy. But what really got me was the emotional depth—this isn’t just about surviving an island, it’s about finding the courage to trust again. Highly recommend for anyone who loves second-chance romance with a dash of grit and a whole lot of heart.

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid
Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe.
Piper Adams is on her way to the Caribbean for her best friend’s destination wedding when her flight gets cancelled. With no other choice, she accepts an invitation from the former love of her life, Wyatt Brooks. He’s borrowed a small plane from a friend and is going to the same wedding. Piper figures she’ll only have to be put up Wyatt for a few hours. But then the tiny plane crashes on a deserted island, and those few hours turns to days while they wait for rescue. Then need to work together for survival. Food, shelter, and water are just the basics they have to figure out. Surviving 24 hours a day together requires letting go of the anger and antagonism and finding a way to either ignore the sizzling chemistry still there or doing something about it.

Lost on a deserted island requires a lot of work. I don’t think I’d make it. I’m used to days of sitting at my desk for work, and moving to a comfy chair afterwards to read for a few hours. Nowhere in my day is there time for catching fish (ewww), or figuring out how to catch the rain water (wringing it out of their clothes?) and just forget about sleeping on the ground! This adventure did make me think of packing a few more emergency items for my next book travel. Better prepared than looking for a store IMO.

This couple is up for the adventure of the island even if it wasn’t part of the plan. They clearly still have feelings for each other and being by themselves required them to work together and depend on each other. And isn’t that what a relationship is?
HEA guaranteed.
Delightful.

I was gifted a copy of this from NetGalley.

This second chance romance was a fun and delightful read. It was heartwarming and exhilarating in parts.

It is the story of exes Piper and Wyatt who were stranded on an island after a plane crash. They are forced to rely on each other for survival and confront their past.

Told in alternating timelines of the past and the present, we are treated to how their love started and how they got to the present.

I enjoyed the survivalist theme and was rooting for both characters all the way. If you love second chance romance, forced proximity then you will enjoy

3.5 stars for me. This book was good for the most part. I loved the premise and the setting. The writing was solid. I loved the idea of two ex lovers ending up on a deserted island together, and they are forced to depend on each other to survive. That's a unique story line. The storyline was good. The plot was a bit predictable and it was just a bit too long. There was barely enough conflict to keep me reading. I'm not sure what it was about this book. The characters were developed with good back story. I enjoyed the flashbacks although sometimes I wasn't sure some of them added anything to the story. The characters as adults still might have been a bit too juvenile for me. All and all, not a decent read. I would definitely try the author again. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

just finished reading Crash Landing which came out this week! Huge thanks to Avon Books for sending me a copy!

This was such a cute and fun debut! I was so glad the weather was decent enough to sit on the deck. I needed it today, even if it was overcast and a little chilly.

What would you do if you survived a plane crash with your ex and were stranded on an island?

I enjoyed this second-chance romance stranded on an island with your high school sweetheart ex who broke your heart. The flashbacks to when they were younger helped paint the picture and share more about Piper and Wyatt.

While maybe not the most realistic the stranded on the island was fun to read. I like forced proximity romances and this helped the two of them discuss their past while talking about the now. I was so glad to see Piper stand up for what she wanted with her mom too!

If you're looking for a fun quick romance check it out! Crash Landing came out on April 1st!