Grant writes great romantic suspense although this is more of a mystery, and her story's are always well researched. This book is set in the remote Aleutian Islands and has multiple sub-plots that come together in a well-crafted story. A bit of a uncertain relationship ending for Fiona and Dean means we may see them again in a future book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set on Chiksook Island, Rachel Vincent’s Dangerous Ground, book 1 in the Fiona Carver series, offers a lot of twists & turns & plenty of near-misses for the intrepid leads. But overall this suspense with romantic elements doesn’t really work for me.

Archaeologist Fiona Carver is on the island to work on an Environmental Impact Statement—the US Navy is in talks to build a new base there but before they can Fiona & the rest of the team have to document possible effects on its cultural sites & environment.

Dean Slater, a wildlife photographer, is on the island illegally to look for his missing volcanologist brother. Dean’s pretending to be ornithologist Bill Lowell, a disguise that comes crashing down once someone blows up their camp, isolates Fiona & himself, & it becomes apparent that they’re in danger.

Who’s trying to attack them & where is his brother? The questions keep coming as Dean & Fiona trek across the island, through freezing water & into a volcano, among other things.

There’s a lot of info—scientific, cultural, etc.—that Vincent weaves into the mystery & the book itself comes across as well-researched.

But the two leads grated on me for different reasons: Dean because he’s very arrogant & keeps assuming that Fiona should be with his brother/will want to be his brother even though she has told him *many* times that isn’t the case. She finally calls Dean out on treating her like property & he still doesn’t get it. His arrogance rubs me the wrong way throughout the book, whether it’s this aforementioned way or in regards to his sexual prowess, his National Geographic specials, etc.

& Fiona’s repeated statements pumping him up, & denigrating herself, just didn’t work me either (probably because I was already not the fondest of the hero).

Also be advised that Dangerous Ground doesn’t end in a HEA or a HFN, although hopefully that’s coming in a later book for big fans of this one.

There are parts of this book I really enjoy—the remote setting, the unique terrain, how far the leads are willing to go to get to his brother & just the details of their survival—but the hero & how he contributes to the romantic dynamic fall flat for me.

3 ⭐️.

Complex mystery set on a remote island with a fascinating history set around meteorites and the local people ,their beliefs and legends. Throw in a bit of romance and a bit of conflict.

An intriguing suspenseful archeological adventure…

This is the first book in the Fiona Carver series.

Climate change has made it feasible for the US Navy to establish a submarine base on Chiksook, a remote Aleutian island near Alaska, but first, an environmental impact study (EIS) must be completed and its results assessed. A team of specialists was sent to begin the process, before their work was completed inclement weather caused them to be evacuated, this part of the world is subject to extremely cold, inhospitable terrains.

Returning to the island after weeks away, the Navy archeologist, Fiona Carver, is anxious to check on the discovery site that contained artifacts of an indigenous people her team made earlier that they did not have the time to protect before the evacuation.

Risking his reputation and possible incarceration the wildlife photographer, Dean Slater, impersonates an ornithologist, the only open position available, the only access to the island is through government-contracted fieldwork. Dean will go to any lengths to locate his missing fraternal twin, the vulcanologist member of the exploration team. His brother hasn’t been in contact for six weeks, behavior abnormal given their relationship, his last email out of character. Having a wildlife biology degree and knowing enough about birds Dean can bluff his way through yet Fiona realizes he’s not who he professes to be.

There’s more going on behind the scenes of the EIS than the main protagonists know, events on the island are being monitored, people manipulated. Retracing the missing vulcanologist’s footsteps places them in grave physical danger, they find themselves unintentionally embroiled in a conspiracy that could involve governmental and business interests.

There was an instant attraction between the two main protagonists which was problematic for Dean since he thinks Fiona is his brother’s girlfriend though she doesn’t act like she’s bothered by his being missing. Did the relationship not mean much to her? Sometimes what you are told is not always truth. Though suspicious of each other and feeling the sexual tension between them the pair find themselves depending on each other just to survive.

Both of the protagonists had reasons to shun relationships so they denied the attraction between them for a while but the more time they spent together they couldn’t deny what was inevitable. Their internal dialogue, where we learned the most about them, was interesting, their banter was entertaining, both are passionate about their careers, they love what they do. This reader found their choice of profession strangely complementary, they each look at the world through different lenses than most.

The author gave us intelligent, courageous protagonists, their capacity for quick thinking allowed them to survive even after finding themselves abandoned following another evacuation, other team members departed unaware of the situation Fiona and Dean uncovered. How they will get off the island becomes of serious concern.

This book was an intriguing suspenseful archeological adventure/mystery, romantic suspense with more suspense than romance which was a slow burn. The storyline easily captures the attention, the book is well-written, the action fast-paced, the plot was intricate, multi-layered, and tightly woven.

This was my first time reading this author and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. The ending is not a cliff-hanger per se but there is unfinished business between the two main protagonists that this reader would very much like to see them work through. The rich descriptions and area history brought the island to life for this reader, the level of research the author had to have done shows.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book was better than I thought it was going given the premise and it sounded like a thriller/suspense that has been told before. This was full of twists and surprises, and I did like the big cliffhanger and ending. I thought it was going to be predictable but it was not, thank heavens! The reason I did not rate this as high was because there was some lulls in the story and I found myself bored a few times. It picks up though!

Still recommended and I would read from this author again.

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Grant and Montlake for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 8/17/21

I enjoyed this romantic suspense novel, which follows Dean Slater, a wildlife photographer with photos published by Nat Geo, as he poses as an ornithologist studying certain migratory birds working on an environmental assessment for a Navy submarine base site in the Aleutian Islands. The US Navy is looking for a site to base their submarine operations as a new Northwest Passage opens up due to climate change before other countries stake claims. The volcanic island of Chiksook is one site that is under consideration and the team assessors, both government and private contractors, are under pressure to approve the site while working with the local tribe and wildlife. Dean is looking for his twin brother Dylan, a volcanologist, who disappeared while working on the project. Dean immediately encounters the woman that his brother emailed him about being involved with, Fiona Carver. Fiona is the makeshift leader of the team on site and had just discovered the ruins of an indigenous village when they were suddenly evacuated from the island at the time Dylan went MIA under mysterious circumstances. Strange things are happening on this island and not everyone is who they claim to be. I enjoyed the descriptions of the island, the ruins and the elaborate cave system created by the volcano. The characters in the book are diligent with respect to their craft, whether science or photography and it showed. They were innovative and intelligent in their actions which I greatly appreciate in this genre. Recommended for romantic suspense lovers with an interest in science.

I love when I find new authors and their books. And this is the case of Rachel Grant and Dangerous Ground. 

I loved the description and settings of a beautiful island along with all the archeological themes and interesting inside stories from her job. 

After starting on the wrong foot, the interaction between Fiona and Dean was all I could read about and this book is packed with suspenseful moments that held me glued on my kindle until the last page. 

The door was left wide open in the end and I can’t wait to see what adventures is the author laying out for us in the next instalments.

Great thriller/romance book. There was definitely more thrill than romance but I love that you got both in one book. Both are two of my favorite genres and the author did a great job intertwining them and making a great story!

We meet Fiona and Dean, both going to the Aleutian Islands for different reasons. Fiona to finish a prior mission which had been cut short and Dean to find his brother Dylan (which no one knows is the reason, he’s posing as photographer). Throughout the story Fiona and Dean become closer and Fiona eventually finds out Deans real reason for being there. They both work together to search for Dylan. Their is a lot we find out throughout the book when it comes to Dylan, and why he went missing. Fiona and Dean also become romantically involved but they have past hurts, mistakes and other things they are dealing with.
I absolutely did not like the ending but I know it ended in the way the author intended due to it being the first book in the new series. I cannot wait for the next book. This was a great start to a new series!

3*

I’m a big fan of Rachel Grant and have read all her work— I love how all her heroines are brainy scientists of some sort with plenty of smarts and who can hold their own. As a female with an advanced degree in science, it’s awesome to feel represented (even if I’m not an archaeologist). That said, I have to admit to mixed feelings about DANGEROUS GROUND. I get that this is the start of a new series and we are going to undoubtedly see much more from Dean and Fiona, but DANGEROUS GROUND felt unsatisfyingly… unfinished. The plot itself was fine: taut and full of intrigue and capable of keeping my interest even when I had guessed the identity of the villain. And Ms. Grant does an excellent job weaving her own experience as an archaeologist into the plot to teach us something about the field and the peoples it studies— I never put down a Rachel Grant book without having learnt something new! Where I ran into issues, however, was with the characters and their development, particularly with Dean. Fiona was cool, and I’d love to go have a figurative beer with her; sure, she has some baggage she’s carrying that will undoubtedly provide plenty of drama throughout the series, but she seemed to at least come to terms with some of her issues and demonstrate some emotional growth throughout the story. Dean, on the other hand, was really a bit of a wanker. I conceptually understand the source of his shallow playboy lifestyle, but it honestly didn’t feel that genuine and got old pretty quick. It was like having a thirtysomething man behaving like a 15-year-old boy… not attractive or the stuff of romantic fantasies for me, at all. I found it hard to root for him ending up with Fiona and honestly spent the majority of the book wanting to smack him upside the head so he’d pull his head out of his arse and cease being such a “woe is me” twat. Zero emotional growth throughout the story: he’s as emotionally shallow at the end of DANGEROUS GROUND and he was at the beginning; I expect that will change in subsequent books, but it honestly left me thinking “Fiona, girl, don’t waste your time on him; you deserve much better!”. But I’ll definitely read the next book :).

**ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The mystery/romance is a awesome added touch here! The story will grab your attention and not let go!
Grant knows how to write. She takes us on Ana amazing journey. This is the first book in a new series by Rachel Grant..... So I'm looking forward to more!
The only thing is its a slow burn read!

A new author to me and what a great find she is!
Set in the Aleutian islands, the plot follows a photographer searching for his missing twin, a volcanlogist who had been carrying out surveys on the island when he disappeared. Posing as an ornithologist he arrives on the island with a team hired to carry out investigations prior to the building of a military base. His search puts him in danger and he soon finds himself stranded with a woman he doesn't trust in the race to find out what happened to his brother.
Well written, gripping, and with a few unexpected twists, this novel kept me riveted from beginning to end.
I was also very pleased to find no spelling errors, no appalling grammar and no misuse of words.
A great read and I will definitely read more by this author.

This book is a thrilling adventure from the start and blends together elements of mystery and intrigue to create a marvellous story.

This is the first book in Rachel Grant's Fiona Carver series. Fiona Carver is the female protagonist whose passion lies in archaeology. The Navy has given her a mission to document a village in the Aleutian Islands for its possibility of being a submarine base. But the island might not just have nature as a hazard as a man, Dylan has gone missing under suspicious circumstances. Fiona comes into contact with Dylan's twin, Dean Slater when he lies to get involved in Fiona's team in order to go looking for his brother. Later on, Fiona joins him on the search for his brother.

However, Fiona and Dean are not safe on the island. Dangerous enemies lurk behind the scenes watching their every move. Soon, what started as a harmless mission becomes a perilous threat where Fiona and Dean need to keep their wits about them to survive.

I really liked this book but it was too full of descriptions. It took more away from the story rather than add any depth to it sometimes. This is why it gets frustrating but the story is still enjoyable so I definitely want to read the next book in this series.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Great idea, but the conversation was stilted and the internal dialogue was underwhelming.

Found this a gripping read from the start. The two key characters were both clever and passionate about their careers - and their appetite for their work in their respective fields felt convincing. I also liked the mix of technical and professional expertise mixed with emotional vulnerability and complexity presented by both. The developing relationship felt understandable and both characters were really mutually supportive in a way that felt quite rare for such an action focused type narrative.
I liked the way that quite technical and scientific information was used to build up the background in a way that that was both accessible but detailed enough to be really engaging. The sense of place and culture was strong and the location of the book was a character in its own right. It was very pacy and the sense of urgency and tension made it nearly unputdownable towards the climax of the book. I'd love to see another book with these protagonists.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the Evidence series by Rachel Grant., I looked forward to this book with great anticipation. I wasn’t disappointed. It was an excellent read, in the style and genre that you would expect.

However, I don’t feel I engaged with or cared about the characters as much as those in the Evidence series, and also feel that the book contained a lot more technical jargon which I found a little detracting.

I know it was stated as Fiona Carver book one, but I think I would prefer another book with Dean and Dylan rather than Fiona. Personal preference.

Nonetheless an excellent read

I'm glad I read some early reviews before getting too invested in this storyline. I go into romance/romantic suspense expecting a HEA/HFN, I'm so glad I saw there wasn't one before I finished the book! I will try this one again once the second book is released. DNF for now.

Loved this book! Fiona is an archeologist employed by the Navy researching a remote Alaskan island. Dean travels to the island under a false ID to search for his brother who went missing on the island. Their relationship is fraught with distrust and tension, even as they must move forward forced to rely on each other.

This is the first book in a new series and I loved Fiona's character and I'm really looking forward to what her character tackles next Additionally, I loved the remote Alaskan setting and how the island itself played such a significant role it was almost a character itself.

Fans of the genre will love this book and want to put it at the top of their TBR list. I'm giving this one 4.5 stars, deducting a half star due to the abrupt ending. While all the significant elements were resolved, I wish some of the other elements felt more finished.

The author is on my must read authors' list, and, if you appreciate an intelligent and strong female protagonist in a complex and tightly woven tale, should probably be on your must read list too.

This book pulled me in immediately. The sexual tension between Fiona and Dean was great. From the first sexual thoughts I couldn't wait for more. It was described the way people actually think not like most romance in books where they use anatomically correct terms and it sounds like a fairy tale. However I hate how it ended. I was so excited and it felt like I fell off a cliff at the end. Please tell me there is a sequel to this book! I need to know what happens between them!

This one started out slow for me and I found my self really disliking the characters. I wasn't ready to quit on it yet so I struggled through the first couple of chapters. I'm glad I did. The middle of the book was really good. The pace picked up, the characters were evolving and I was invested in the outcome. Then came the ending. Wow. It was like the author just ran out of words. Just stopped. I'm all for a cliffhanger in a series but this was like just hitting a rock wall.

This is the first I've read by this author so not sure if that is just her writing style. I am willing to give book 2 a chance, as I'm curious to see what happens with these characters.

Thank you #netgalley and #montlake for the eARC.

I’m at a bit of a loss as to how to rate this book. How do you rate a romance novel by one of your favorite authors that was a 5 star read up until an incredibly frustrating ending (read: no HEA/HFN)?

Dangerous Ground is the first book in a new series that follows Fiona, a navy archaeologist, and Dean, a wildlife photographer posing as an ornithologist (bird expert) who are working on an environmental impact statement for a proposed U.S military base in the Aleutian Islands. Fiona has been working on the EIS since the beginning and is desperate to get back to the project site after a forced evacuation several weeks before. Dean on the other hand forged his way into the team and onto the island in hopes of finding his brother Dylan, the team’s volcanologist, who never showed up after the team was evacuated off the island.

Dean is under the impression that Fiona is Dylan’s girlfriend (based on Dylan’s emails) and figures that spending most of his time on the island with her is the best course of action to find out what happened to his missing brother. But he quickly realizes that Fiona isn’t acting like someone who lost a loved one, and it doesn’t take long for Fiona to realize that Dean isn’t who he claims to be. However, circumstances force them to work together to survive after things go very, very wrong, and later to retrace Dylan’s steps in hopes of finding him.

This book has everything I've learned to expect from Rachel Grant: a smart, multilayered, and fast-paced plot and competent MCs who have chemistry in spades. It was also more thriller/mystery than romance but I didn’t mind because Fiona and Dean spent almost the entirety of the book together. I loved the slow developments in their relationship, the mutual pining, and how they fought off their mutual attraction (due to a number of personal reasons). I love a slow burn, and it makes the moment the MCs finally get together all the more special. However, little did I know that this slow progression is because their relationship was going to be explored over several books. It’s definitely my bad for not realizing that this was the first book in a series that will follow the same characters across multiple books, but even if I’d known, I would’ve still expected a HFN at least. It pains me to give this book anything less than 4 stars, because it really was brilliant up until 90% or so, but romance novel endings should melt your heart and leave you feeling happy, not incredibly frustrated.