BOOK REVIEW: Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant

With a "locked room" suspense theme set in the Alaskan wilderness of the Aleutian Islands... A page-turning "cat and mouse" suspense thriller filled with a deeper insight into environmental & historic lands protection... ✨😎✨

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant
1st book in the Fiona Carver series. Mystery / thriller. Contemporary romantic suspense with very little romance.
Archaeologist Fiona Carver is working in the Aleutian Islands for the government clearing the way for a new base because of the melting polar ice. Between the continual storms and unexpected delays of the hired contractors, her investigation has stalled. The new ornithologist on the team has Paul Newman blue eyes but while Fiona has noticed, she won’t be distracted or get involved with anyone while on site.
Dean Slater has maneuvered his way onto the island in order to find his missing brother. He doesn’t believe the email supposedly from Dylan about going off the grid.

Non stop action. Intense situations and perilous conditions. Text filled with archaeological and geological terms and descriptions that had me glazing over occasionally but it was interesting nonetheless. I learned quite a bit from this thrilling novel.
The romance is situationally light (with deep emotional back story) and clean and frankly a little disappointing in the end. But that’s when I found out this is book 1 for Fiona so there is hope for their future.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased copies to share.

This is going to be a great series if the rest of the books are as good as this one. I could not put it down once I started. There are some really good twists and turns that keep you turning pages. I also really love how real & vivid the story is and you feel like you have been pulled into it. I cannot wait for the next book!

The extremely pleasant feeling from an author whose books you are reading for the first time and it works out so well that you desire to binge read all the published works out there, it is quite indescribable. Rachel Grant’s adventure romance Dangerous Ground was simply all out, should I say adventuresome?

The author’s attention to detail about the culture of the Aleutian people and the description of the volcanic mountains was simply mind-blowing, to say the least. Fiona Carver and the team of contractors have had one problem after another with the project and she’s chomping at the bits to return back to the archaeological site. Forcing his company by impersonating an avian specialist Dean Slater has only one mission, to find out his missing twin brother Dylan.

The thrill ride begins soon enough and Fiona and Dean has to fight all kinds of danger when their camp is deliberately destroyed. Trust issues, gunman out to kill, stuck inside a volcanic cave, the adventure is beyond both of their endurance and it is due to the writing skills of the author that she transports the reader to travel the length and breadth of the narrow caves along with the protagonists. This is more a survival thriller rather than romantic suspense, as the author has kept it real by having Dean and Fiona offer each other compassion and care rather than have sex in the middle of a precarious situation which is so often the case in this genre.

Fiona is an excellent character, calm in a crisis and providing moral support to Dean to face the inevitable and her personal tragedy giving her the fortitude to face the danger at all costs. Dean’s character however takes time to be likable, his attitude is unpleasant in the beginning and his commitment issues after a time begin to grate. On that note, I was more than happy to read about Dylan and his kind-hearted nature, oopsie!

I will be on the lookout for this series as the author’s impressive writing about as yet unheard of culture was beautiful and informative.

Action-packed☂️☂️☂️☂️

Many thanks to Net Galley, Montlake Publications, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so into this story, wondering exactly what would happen next that I ended up reading for hours without a break. Rachel really knows how to weave an amazing story with characters that have such depth to them! Great job! Highly recommended

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I will say I picked this book thinking it was a different author (same last name) but once I realized I figured it was the first in the series so let's give it a try. There are a few things that made me give this book a low rating.

One: it is more suspense than romance. Two: there is no true ending to this story because it is ongoing into the series, which I did not realize. Three: I really did not like Dylan at all. He thinks he is God’s gift to women, he actually thinks Fiona is his brother's girlfriend and still hits on her, and he just doesn’t appeal to me at all. And finally: I have no idea why Fiona was written the way she was. She is so busy stroking Dylan’s ego that she seems like a doormat to me.

This was just not my cup of tea.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Given the number of disappointing romantic suspense reads I’ve experienced lately, it’s no understatement to say that I’ve been very eagerly awaiting the next book from Rachel Grant, someone I know I can rely on to deliver a fast-paced and tightly-plotted story of mystery and suspense alongside a well-developed steamy romance.  Dangerous Ground is a little bit of a departure for her however, in that it’s the first of a series that will feature the same central couple, so I want to make it clear that there’s no HEA –or even HFN – in this book, although I’m sure our hero and heroine will get there eventually.  Actually, I’m pleased to see an author of m/f romantic suspense taking this approach; most of the really good RS I’ve read lately has been m/m in series in which each book features a self-contained suspense plot while the character and relationship development is ongoing.  So I was in no way put off by the lack of a concrete ending for the protagonists in Dangerous Ground and have high hopes for the further progression of their relationship in subsequent books.

Another reason I always look forward to Ms. Grant’s books is the way she so skilfully draws on her  background in history and archaeology to produce stories that are incredibly well-researched and informative about the various aspects of conservation/preservation/exploration that she includes in them, and this is no exception.  Civilian naval archaeologist Fiona Carver is part of the team assigned to produce an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) of the new submarine base the US Navy wants to build in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska.  Five weeks before the story begins, Fiona had made a very significant discovery – that of a prehistoric village on Chiksook Island  – but before she was able to do any further excavation, an emergency evacuation was ordered.  Expecting to be back in a few days, she took as many precautions as she feasibly could with the equipment she had available at the time, but now, five weeks later, she fears the site may have been destroyed.  Dangerous Ground opens as she is returning to Chiksook along with a few members of the original team, and a couple of newcomers she hasn’t met before, one of whom is ornithologist Bill Lowell. Objectively, Fiona can see Bill is gorgeous (she mentally nicknames him “Hot Bird Man”)  – but she can also see he’s one of those men who is well aware he’s attractive, and shuts down his attempts at flirting while trying her best to remain friendly.  She doesn’t do field flings (or any type of fling, really) and isn’t about to change her stance on that, no matter how good-looking or charming the guy is.

Wildlife photographer Dean Slater’s twin brother Dylan, a volcanologist, was one of Fiona’s team-mates on the previous expedition, but Dean hasn’t seen him since his supposed return from Chiksook Island.  The last email Dean received from him stated that he was going off the grid for a few months, but that email came from a generic work email address rather than Dylan’s personal account and Dean is certain Dylan wouldn’t just go off like that without at least talking to him beforehand or leaving him some contact details.  And when he gets stonewalled by both the Navy and their contracted engineering company, he becomes increasingly suspicious.  Worried for his brother’s safety, Dean ‘borrows’ the name of an ornithologist he’d worked for years ago and blags his way onto the team.  It’s risky – if he’s found out he could face going to prison – but there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his brother.

The person Dean is most interested in meeting is Fiona Carver.  Dylan’s emails had been full of her and he’d said she was his girlfriend, so surely she must know something?  Yet she shows no sign of knowing anything, and Dean dislikes what he interprets as a total lack of concern for her boyfriend.  Yet despite that – and the fact that she’s “Dylan’s girl” - he can’t help being drawn to her.  She’s beautiful, sure, but there’s more to it than that; there’s a passion for her work, a competence and assurance and fierce intelligence that impress and captivate him.

The first quarter or so of the book is fairly slow going as we’re introduced to the two leads and the author starts to lay out some of the clues that may – or may not - relate to Dylan’s disappearance. Fiona does have some suspicions about what may have happened to him, although she’s wary of making unfounded accusations and doesn’t at first realise his personal safety is at stake.  There are things about Bill that don’t add up, an uncomfortable feeling about a last-minute replacement on the team, and all this, together with her worries over the fact that she may have unintentionally contributed to the destruction of a hugely important ancient site, contributes to a growing sense of unease she just can’t shake off.  The author does a fabulous job of creating and gradually building an atmosphere full of apprehension and suspicion as Fiona starts to wonder who she can trust.  Then things take a sudden and dangerous turn for the worse, and Fiona and Dean find themselves stranded together with no way off the island and no way to survive the harsh conditions unless they can find a way to work together.  But overcoming their mutual mistrust is the last of their worries when they realise that there may be someone else on the island – someone who wants to make sure they never leave it.

Dangerous Ground is a strong start to this new series, boasting a unique setting, smart and interesting characters and fascinating background detail.  Fiona is a terrific heroine; she’s smart, capable and courageous, and I very much liked that she’s not afraid to own up when she’s scared and then pushes herself through it.  Dean is harder to like to start with – he’s pushy and a bit smarmy when he’s pretending to be Bill, although I kind of gave him a pass because the author makes it so very clear just how much he loves Dylan - who is his only family.  He’s basically a decent guy forced to take desperate measures although he does do and say some dumb things, especially in his persistence in believing that Fiona and Dylan are an item when she repeatedly tells him otherwise.  And while I sort of understood the reasons for his playboy lifestyle and aversion to relationships, his ‘love kicked me in the guts and I want nothing more to do with it’ stance is rather stereotypical and it got old fast.

I always come away from a Rachel Grant book having learned something new, but there’s a bit of information overload in this one and I have to admit that some of the technical detail and overly obvious ‘teaching moments’ took me out of the story a few times.

Dangerous Ground is an intriguing, suspenseful mystery with an intricate, well-woven plot, well-written action sequences and an engaging heroine. The romance is clearly going to be a slow burn and I can’t deny that the ending is somewhat abrupt, but I enjoyed it despite my criticisms, and I’ll definitely be back for book two, Crash Site, when it’s released early in 2022.

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An amazing adventure and mystery! Dean’s looking for his missing brother, Dylan, on an island off the coast of Alaska. Because of the secrecy and privacy laws of the village Dean has to go under disguise of an ornithologist. It’s all very hush hush involving the US government trying to secure land for their submarine hub before global warming uncovers a new passage from Russia. But there’s a chance of some unique birds and historical artifacts preventing the government action. All that political stuff aside the excitement these two experienced would have made for a powerful blockbuster movie. The details and facts were incredible and seemingly precise. I found myself turning pages quickly to make sure they survived. Can’t wait for the next book. I received this copy from Netgalley and I’ve written this review voluntarily.

I know this is meant to be romantic suspense but I liked it for the survival story. Fiona Carver is an archeologist for the USG working on one of the Aleutian Islands. Dylan, one of her colleagues, left the island (or did he) several weeks ago but his (fraternal) twin brother Dean hasn't been able to reach him so he uses his credentials as a photographer to pose as someone else in order to get access to look for him. These two miss an emergency evacuation and there's an explosion that leaves them alone- or are they? They set off across the island in the pouring rain to a village where they hope to be able to contact help but the path is not smooth, and it doesn't get any better after they get there. There are some terrific details about Fiona's archeological work and the struggle for the two them to stay alive. The romance part of this is clunky (and mostly in Dean's mind) with some real howlers of lines. And here's the odd thing- we get a better sense of Dean and his personal history and tragedy than we do of Fiona. That said, I found myself swept up in the story, which has some twists, a surprise conspiracy, and great atmospherics. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a hot day.

Dangerous Ground introduces readers to archaeologist Fiona Carver and the start of a new series that's interesting to say the least. As this story is set on the remote Aleutian Islands and mixes the fascinating history of the area, and the indigenous cultures with bags of mystery and a sprinkling of romance.

And it's certainly a story that's rich in detail. But I found it a little slow, especially at first. Yet, it was engaging and enjoyable. And I am looking forward to more adventures with this intriguing archaeologist and of course seeing how her fledgling romance with Dean unfolds.

Would recommend.

Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant is the first book in her Fiona Carver series. his is a suspense story. The setting is Chiksook Island, part of the Aleutian Island group. The US Navy wants to build a submarine base there and Environmental Impact Study is being done. I liked the characters but I just couldn't get into the stoyline. This is a well-written book but I am not a big fan of Ms. Grant's writing style.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

One brother search to find his missing brother in a small island off the coast of Alaska bring readers into the latest series by Rachel Grant.

Romance, action, suspense and history all the key elements that make Rachel Grant stand out from all the other romantic suspense stories on the market.

Rachel Grant is able teacher reader about history weaved between romance, action and mystery. The author bring readers into her world of characters that are flawed and complicated.

The male lead is charming and searching for the truth while pretending to be someone else. In hopes of finding his missing brother he fears might be dead.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Rachel Grant Dangerous Ground.

This is a well written book but I just couldn't connect with the characters. I struggled to finish it and was hit with a major cliffhanger. This is the first book I've read from this author so I don't know if that is just her style of writing or not. Don't let my opinion stop you from giving this book chance, you might love it. I received a complimentary copy from Montlake via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

Like the other Ms Grant books I loved it . I am always looking for an HEA in every book but same as some of Kennedy Ryan books I was fine not having the story end in 1 book. The mystery, the details of the location, the chemistry between the characters was great .
The relationship between the brothers described so well.

this was my first time reading this author and I really enjoyed reading this thrilling mystery. it kept me on the edge of my seat.

This was a very good romantic suspense read and I am looking forward to more in the series. Well done Rachel.

Dangerous Ground promised to be high-octane and it delivered! I was thoroughly impressed with this romantic thriller. The suspense was as intense as the romance. I was captivated from page one and the plot held my interest until the last page. Yes, it has an abrupt ending, BUT it’s the first installment in a new series. Cliff-hangers need to be expected.

This adventure is set in the remote Aleutian Islands and features a naval archaeologist, Fiona Carver, whose documentation of a prehistoric village is cut short. She’s just discovered that Dean Slater has bluffed his way onto the team posing as a wildlife photographer with the claim of finding his twin brother, Dylan, who went missing from the site 5 weeks ago. Fiona can’t help but wonder what else he’s hiding. Suddenly, what began as a recovery mission, quickly turns into a fight for survival as the two discover that they’re being hunted. They need to trust each other to survive. What really happened to the volcanologist? Can Fiona and Dean get off the island safely?

A new author to me, Rachel Grant quickly became one of my favourites. Her research and ability to pen a gripping adventure appealed to me. I love her sensitivity in discussing and her accurate representation of the indigenous cultures of the islands. Her heroine is fascinating and smart. Her hunky hero, although initially was gratingly chauvinistic, grew on me and her plot was intelligent and well-researched. I’d say this series is geared towards an intelligent reader. Grant’s setting is unique and she is able to use the environment as a source of the conflict. Her characters are authentic and bring baggage which adds to the depth of the story.

My only critique: The attraction between the two main characters was great but the crude words sprinkled throughout were out of place. I felt a story with this high level of writing was brought down a peg as a result. I made the decision to overlook it because the storyline was so fantastic. I don’t know why authors feel the need to include crude language. I don’t feel it adds to the story. Perhaps this is common in this author’s writing and I was shocked because she’s a new author to me.

I am already looking forward to the sequel, Crash Site, where we’ll meet up again with Fiona and Dean when they are trapped in a dangerous paradise. I’ll be looking for it in January 2022 with fingers crossed that the crude language is toned down.

Publishes August 17, 2021

I was gifted this advance copy by Rachel Grant, Montlake, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a fascinating story. Dean is wildlife photographer, but pretending to be someone else to get to the Aleutians Islands, which is the last place he knew his twin brother Dylan was before he went missing. Fiona is an archeologist and the girl his brother told him was his girlfriend. Will Dean be able to find his brother? Will Dean trust Fiona and tell her who he really is? Fiona knows that two of the people that are part of the team are not who they say they are. Will she be able to trust the Hot Bird Man even when she knows he is not telling her the truth?

Enjoyed this story so much.
Thank you to Netgalley for complimentary copy.
Highly recommended read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Montlake and the author for an advanced copy of Dangerous Ground in exchange for my honest review.

Content warning: described blood, loss of a loved one, on-page death, panic attacks, terminal illness, violence (gunshots, physical assault)

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I was intrigued that Rachel Grant was called the “queen of romantic thrillers” by many reviewers on Goodreads and she had this vast array of political and military romances. I don’t usually read this subgenre, but it’s always nice to switch it up a little, like trying out different cuisines so that I don’t get of always eating rice and curry! Haha! It also helps that this is the first of a new series by Grant, so I felt comfortable to dive into a series that seemed as new to me as it did to everyone else. I have also got maybe three of her other books on my Kindle shelves, so I was very excited to see how this worked out!

THE STORY:

Dangerous Ground starts with little hassle, dropping the reader straight into the scene with wildlife photographer Dean Slater having used the fake identity of an ornithologist, Bill, to gain access to an expedition to the remote island of Chiksook. Six weeks back, his twin brother Dylan, a volcanologist, had been on assignment under a company named Pollux there before he mysteriously disappeared after an emergency evacuation of the island, and Dean is determined to find his twin brother.

Fiona Carver was probably the last person who might have seen Dylan Slater. She is an archaeologist with the navy who is working on the Chiksook project, and who is now excited to return since she had left her dig site vulnerable to the elements after the unexpected evacuation the last time this group was here. Fiona suspects early on that something isn’t quite right about Bill the ornithologist, but soon things take a more ominous turn as mysterious new members join the expedition and some serious sabotage events start taking place.

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS:

1. The fantastic blend of thriller, romance and archaeology!
First of all, I feel like every romance reader should indulge in at least a little bit of the romantic thriller subgenre. The urgency and fast pace of these novels give the romance a way different dimension that will leave your heart pounding! I love it! Also, the author does such a fantastic job of fleshing out her characters’ archaeology and wildlife photography backgrounds. Lots of research has obviously been invested and it shows in her wonderful characterisation.

2. Characters who will intrigue you from the first chapter.
Dangerous Ground is told from two perspectives: that of Dean and Fiona. It is so fun because they both possess only fragments of the real story and that just kept me guessing throughout. Also, these two are such solid characters that I mourn this book has to end and I have to wait till Book Two to see them again! There are also more characters that I am really hoping I will see more of!

3. Very fast-paced thrills and action.
The whole story takes place over a few days, a week at most. But there is a lot that happens, from traipsing through dangerous terrains, running away from bad guys and much more. I really liked this pace because it kept me reading this book and I finished it off in two sittings. That is crazy fast for me!

4. The mix of Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone vibes!
Since Dangerous Ground is set on a remote island that is rich in history, culture, dangerous terrain and bad guys, I think it is inevitable that this kept reminding me of Indiana Jones but with a more restrained and realistic air to it. I also enjoyed the light-hearted references that Dean and Fiona made to these classical archaeological hits. Also, who can resist the couple fighting for their survival trope?

5. The really slow-burn romance.
Dean and Fiona develop this searing connection as soon as they board the plane to Chiksook, but I really like that they still fell in love with each other throughout the course of the story. I hate it when insta-love arcs take over a story because I find those wholly unrealistic. It was such a treat watching Dean and Fiona fall in love while fighting for their lives. But at the same time, it is incredibly slow burn! Okay, so they were in survival mode for 95% of the story but the author really makes us wait for Book Two with the cliffhanger she leaves us on.

FINAL VERDICT:

Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant is a sexy romantic thriller that gave me all the Indiana Jones vibes with more romance and ‘fight for survival’ vibes! The author weaved a suspenseful fast-paced story with these great characters and I can not wait for more when Crash Site comes out in January 2022!

Rachel Grant has outdone herself.

I was thrilled to get a copy of this from Netgalley and get a sneak peek at the next book by Grant with her new series.

If you're a Rachel Grant fan -- or really a suspense fan -- you're going to want to grab this one.

The stakes in Dangerous Ground feel more personally high, leaning on the people's internal motivation in a way that has always been there in the author's books, but come to the foreground here as the action is high, but feels more as if we could have fallen into this story ourselves (Don't get me wrong, I love her high impact stories, but I'm also really glad I've never stood in front of a firing squad.)

Without giving away too much, the thing that will pull you along hours after you should have gone to bed isn't just the superb questions that arise in the mystery, but the inter-play of emotional connections not just between the hero & heroine, but the complexity of both communities they interact with and even those off-screen characters who motivate the story from the start.

I'm so excited to see "Fiona Carver #1" bc I'm all about "when is Fiona Carver #2."

Basically, pick this book up as soon as you can and treat yourself to a great ride.