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!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥 ((0-5) fade-to-black and closed-door scenes

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Look at this cover—I’m sure it’s why I wanted to love it!
🤩 The narrator, Emma Love, is a great story-teller, and one narrator works fine with 3rd person POV. I think I might have DNFed if I hadn’t purchased the audiobook with one of my libro.fm credits—audiobook for the save!
🤩 I like the then and now timelines.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Second chance romance—I’m really hard on them and not many win my heart.
💫 I was curious about their past, but I didn’t actually feel the chemistry between them until about 50% which might have been too long for me.
💫 I’m not sure I loved either of the MCs. I didn’t like many of their actions and reactions. They seem very wounded and would probably need lots of therapy to have any sort of HEA.
💫 The feels just weren’t feelin’ for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon books for the gifted ebook & paperback reviewer copy.

If you want a book that gives you Blue Lagoon vibes, THIS IS IT! And as someone who loved that movie, this romance book filled the void that I needed. Them crashing on a desert island is probably not the way they thought they were going to spend their friend's wedding, but the way it gave them the change to reconnect after not talking in 8 years was great! I loved seeing how they had to rely on each other for their survival. This book also features a dual timeline which goes back and forth between past and present so you really get the full scope of their relationship.

Piper is a 2nd year med school student who is ambivalent at best about becoming a doctor….it’s more her parent’s dream than hers and she’s always allowed them to control her life…even as a 24 year old woman. Her only real push back came when she graduated from high school and fell in love with Wyatt…someone who her parent thought was a bad influence on Piper and the life path that they had laid out for her. Wyatt has had a tough life with his single, alcoholic Mom. He spent his senior year of high school living with his Aunt Molly and cousin Allie…Piper’s long time best friend. Never a great student, Wyatt is going into the Navy the summer after high school. Wyatt loves Piper but doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her, especially after overhearing Piper’s parent say so. He decides that he needs to break off their relationship and does it in a way that breaks Piper’s heart. Then, on the way to Allie’s destination wedding, Piper and Wyatt meet at the airport when their flight to the Bahamas is cancelled. Wyatt has his pilot’s license so he borrow a plane from a friend and offers Piper to accompany him. She’s very wary of him but doesn’t have any options. As the book title suggests, they crash on a remote island and they need to work together to survive. Can they move beyond the hurt and anger that built up over the years? Is this their second chance at happy ever after? This book has a lot of emotion and heart.

This was a very cute escapist read! I am usually not into second chance trope stories, especially those about high school sweethearts, but the plane crash added just the right element to keep this story fresh and exciting! It was sweet throughout and I couldn't help but root for the MCs to figure it out and find love!

Thanks, Avon, for the arc!

Oh, this book... Even after reading the premise of CRASH LANDING by Annie McQuaid, I knew I would have to suspend disbelief with this romance novel like I do when I read fantasy books. But I did not think it would require so much effort!

Annie McQuaid came up with a cute idea along with likable characters and with a good friend group. I'm not sure they are good survival trips, but I liked seeing how they survived on the island. (Maybe we should all pack a bra with underwire just in case?) I even liked how the chapters went back and forth in time to show Piper and Wyatt's relationship before when they were younger and their current state after the plane crash. But...

(It's never good when there's a but.)

But I felt like I couldn't connect with the characters. This might have been a romcom, but they were going through it. And not just because they survived a plane crash on a deserted island; I mean, life-altering stuff they were figuring out. I had no feels, dry eyes, and just kept reading along.

I'm bummed as this book wasn't what I hoped it would be. I enjoyed the premise, characters, and pacing, but couldn't get emotionally attached. Given that it's a debut, I would try another book by Annie McQuaid.

For a debut, Crash Landing delivered. The story starts with two exes getting stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash, talking about a wild setup, and from there, it’s this perfect mix of adventure, banter, and all the second-chance romance tension I love. If you're into enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and emotional slow burns, this one is definitely for you. The chemistry, the backstory, the survival stakes, it all just worked. Annie McQuaid really nailed the whole “what if life throws you back together with the one who got away” vibe. I couldn’t stop reading.

4⭐️
2🔥

Quick Breakdown

Second Chance
Stranded Together
Past / Present Timelines
Childhood Friends to Lovers
Single POV
Open Door - Mild

Things are not going Piper’s way. First her flight to her best friends wedding in the Bahamas is canceled. Then, while scrambling for another flight, she runs into Wyatt - the boy who broke her heart years ago. Wyatt, now a pilot, has a tempting offer. He’s chartered a plane and can get Piper to the wedding on time as planned - if only she can stand to be momentarily stuck in close quarters with him. En route, though, their plane crashes on a tiny tropical island in the middle of nowhere. Now these two ex’s are stuck with only each other fighting for survival.

If you can allow yourself to suspend disbelief and enjoy the escape, Crash Landing is a fun & uniquely adventurous romance you’re sure to enjoy. Not always one for the second chance trope & past x present timelines, I loved how the time jumps broke up the MC’s quest for island survival. The gradual slow burn from childhood friends to lovers in the past really worked for me & only added to the overall HEA. I also loved how Wyatt made it very clear that he regretted his past actions and wanted a fresh start with Piper. And Piper finally sticking it to her parents was the cherry on top!

Today, I put my earbuds away, pulled out the ol Kindle, and savored every second of this book! Crash Landing is a second chance romance that is equally sweet, swoony, and adventurous - an incredible debut novel by Annie McQuaid! I love a well-written dual timeline that lets me experience characters falling in love twice, and Piper and Wyatt's story took me back to all the feelings I remember from my first love and heartbreak. It was magical!

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice🌶️
Tropes
✈️ Childhood friends to lovers
🥭 Second Chance
✈️ Best friends cousin
🥭 Forced proximity
✈️ Traumatic events
🥭 Groveling MMC

“I feel like I haven’t been able to breathe until right now. Now that you’re here.”

“The shock of his hot lips on hers jolted every fiber of her being. Brought her back to life.”

“I’ve spent the last eight years doing everything I can to become someone worthy of you. To prove I’m good enough to call you my girl. All I ever wanted was to be the kind of man that you’re proud to be with.”

What a fantastic debut!!! I loved this storyline! I have t read a book with this trope yet and I really enjoyed it! I was engaged the whole time and wanted to keep turning the pages. The growth of our FMC was great! I love that she fought for what she wanted. I was routing for Wyatt the entire time and he is just a sweetheart!! Total book boyfriend material! Second chance and childhood friends to lovers is such a favorite of mine and this just felt so original! I can’t wait to see what else comes from this author!

This was such a cute read! I love second chance romance & this was done so well. There was tension, there was angst, funny moments & some really darn cute moments as well. I thought Piper & Wyatt had great chemistry & they were easy to love characters! I liked the “we’re stuck on this island so now we have no choice but to talk everything out & resolve our issues” scenario of the story. I also liked that we got a dual timeline to help us understand their history. Overall, I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend!