What a lovely debut novel! Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid is a sweet second chance romance read. Our main characters, Piper and Wyatt go from childhood friends to high school sweethearts to virtual strangers that haven’t seen each other in years.

Piper’s best friend is getting married in the Bahamas, who also happens to be Wyatt’s cousin. When flights are canceled, Wyatt invites Piper to take a charter plane with him down to the wedding. Chaos ensues with a crash landing on a deserted island. The former flames have to work together to survive. The forced proximity on the island leads them to confront the memories of their break up and navigate their feelings towards each other. It is easy to see through their actions and easy banter that the main characters still have chemistry with each other. These two were always meant to be. I enjoyed the main characters journey back to each other.

I also found that the then and now storytelling enhanced the story. It was nice to have an understanding of what their relationship in the past was and how that has shaped them in the present.

This is a quick and easy read. This book has a second chance romance any reader will adore, a story of survival on a deserted island, and perfectly balanced humor and heart to heart conversations. A truly wonderful debut book.

Looking forward to reading more Annie McQuaid books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I think this book was super cute!! First time reading this author and I’m excited to read more. The characters were truly great and the concept of the book was really interesting!!

2.5 ⭐️

Cute and a very quick read. Fun premise for this debut novel.

Piper and Wyatt have known each other for years. As the story flips between then and now, you get to see how the relationship between these 2 started. They fell in love over a summer and Wyatt broke it off.

As the story flips between then and now, we watch these 2 fall get stranded together and rekindle some old flames. They want to right the wrongs of their past.

Cute and fast paced debut novel. Premise was good but there were some parts that could have been stronger. I felt like both characters acted younger than they were. I thought living on the island translated to for a good story.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my own thoughts and opinions.

3.5 ⭐️ Crash Landing is a super cute second chance romance between childhood friends who were in love with each other. They broke up right before he went into the military and she went off to college. Now 8 years later they are forced to work out their issues while stranded on a deserted island, the timeline goes back and forth between the past and present. I was rooting for Piper and Wyatt to work this out! Quick and easy read if you need a romantic escape.

🏝️Forced proximity
💕Second chance
🏝️Childhood sweethearts
💕Dual timelines
🏝️Miscommunication
💕Friends to lovers
🏝️Spice 🌶️

This is a wonderful second chance romance with a plane crash and survival on a deserted island thrown in. Wyatt and Piper are meant to be together but their relationship and friendship suddenly ends their summer after their senior year of high school. Piper is resistant to take a private plane with Wyatt to her best friend's wedding but sees it as her only option. Even though they express their true feelings and have a passionate night together, Wyatt puts some distance between them again. All is resolved though by the end and there is a very satisfying HEA. I look forward to seeing what this debut author writes next! Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me a chance to read this early on NetGalley.

Thank you so much to Annie and @netgalley @avonbooks @harpervoyagerus for an advance reader’s copy of this book! 🫶🏼 it feels so special to be able to read an authors debut novel early and I am so so grateful!

This book follows Piper Adams on her way to her best friend, Allie’s destination wedding. When her flight goes from delayed to canceled, panic sets in. There’s no way for Piper to make it on time for the wedding festivities. Not until she runs into someone at the airport who might be able to save the day….. Wyatt, her beautiful, charming ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend.

Unexpectedly running into Wyatt at the airport was one thing, but him offering to fly them both on his friend’s private plane to Allie’s wedding was another.

For the sake of making it to the wedding on time, Piper says yes and joins Wyatt on the plane. Things take a turn for the worse due a storm and there’s a ✨crash landing✨….

Will Piper survive being stranded on an island with the last person she’d ever want to be with? Or will this be the perfect opportunity for Piper to put on her big girl pants and get the closure she finally needs from her past, in order to move on toward a better future.. with or without Wyatt?

Let me tell you, when I said I loved the cover, I really did. But my eyes failed to register the literal plane crash in the background. My eyes said: wow they’re beautiful, and so is the sunset. *request* So imagine how surprised I was when they literally went crashing down less than 5 chapters in? Even though the book is called CRASH LANDING. My brain was not working lmao. I was caught so off guard and that was literally my bad. Sometimes I like to go into books blindly and pick them based off of their cover. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anyways!

This book goes back and forth between Piper and Wyatt presently stuck on a remote island, trying to survive and co-exist, and Piper and Wyatt’s friendship, leading to their romantic relationship developing back in high school. Typically these time skips are not my favorite to read, but I feel like Annie wrote them fairly well. Piper and Wyatt’s relationship in both past/present progressed equally in a way that kept me at bay and did not leave me wanting to read one time period more than the other. I enjoyed seeing Piper open up and become vulnerable with the only person she’s ever felt comfortable doing that with. I’m so proud of her for being able to ask questions and get the answers she was looking for in order to understand the past. Not only does this help her understand her past, but it shapes her future and allows her to finally make decisions for herself and not for the happiness of others.

Wyatt felt like a very stereotypical army MMC - and I don’t mean this in a bad way. I mean that, often times they always have that same mentality where they break the girls heart before they leave to “protect” the girl without giving her the option lol like dude?? c’mon. Granted this situation was very different and there were a lot of other elements which contributed to their initial break up (which I think was absolutely perfect, and SUPER super relatable). It literally hurt lol. I felt like I was being broken up with and it made me so so sad. Not just for Piper. Honestly, maybe even more so for Wyatt. This man spent his entire adulthood loving someone he had to push away, because he truly thought it would be better for her. This hurts lol I really loved his gentle and sweet personality, but I hated how he never viewed himself as valuable or worth it due to his upbringing and what other people had to say about him. 😞

There was one technical aspect, where in the past chapters it flopped between senior year, 9th grade, and then back to senior year. I think that should have been linear. And it did feel a bit slow at the start for me.. (granted they were deserted on an island and Piper had major trust issues) but I was waiting for it to pick up and it did eventually! Other than that this was a fun read and a lovely debut novel. You should check it out! I’m looking forward to reading more of Annie’s books and seeing her growth as an author.

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: second-chance romance, forced proximity, minimal spice 🌶️

Annie’s debut is incredible! I shipped this couple so much! Such an escapist romance that sent me to a desert island with them!

This was a quick and sweet second chance romance with a unique premise. I loved the dual timeline and getting to read how Piper and Wyatt's relationship progressed in both timelines.. Definitely would make for a great beach read... just maybe not a trip you take on an airplane! ;-) Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

✈️🏝️💔💥

This entertaining debut romance takes readers on a hilarious and heartfelt journey as exes Piper and Wyatt are stranded together on a deserted island after an unexpected plane crash. Piper, who has meticulously rebuilt her life after heartbreak, is forced to confront old wounds and her lingering feelings for Wyatt. The chemistry between them is electric, their banter sharp, and the forced proximity pushes them to rediscover both each other and themselves. As Piper wrestles with letting go of her perfectly controlled life, Wyatt proves he's more than just a past love—he's a shot at a future she never expected. This story is a magnetic blend of second chances, survival, and sizzling romance that will leave you rooting for their happily-ever-after. Congrats on the debut, Annie!

I always want to love a romance, especially one with such a great premise, but unfortunately CRASH LANDING kinda....crashed. If you're after a paint-by-numbers romance, Crash Landing would probably do, but don't expect what it offers on the label...there was nothing funny, or humourous about this book, and it definitely read more like a contemporary romance than a rom-com. The characters were extremely 2D, and you'd always find out information about them three chapters too late. Wyatt spent 5 years in the army and couldn't get an emergency radio to work. No stress though, our heroine, Piper, had a random obsession with 1940s wirelesses back in college and is able to connect to the coast guard first try. Honestly, it felt like this book was originally written as a YA book and the author got told they'd only be able to sell it as an adult fiction romance. The time jumping meant the character voices were the same regardless of age, which when you've got two characters four years off from thirty acting as if they've never made an adult decision in their life....yeah.

Two stars for the premise and cute cover, wish I had loved this more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book, this is my objective review. Piper, a med student and people pleaser, is dating a blandly appropriate man. She's on her way to a destination wedding in the Bahamas for her best friend. Her childhood friend and high school ex-boyfriend Wyatt is also trying to get to the wedding. Their flight is canceled but Wyatt's friend lends him a plane so he can fly them both to the wedding. These two young and attractive people with a fraught romantic history crash-land on a tropical island and are forced to get reacquainted. Can they revive their romantic feelings for one another and renew their friendship at the same time?

The story is told via 3rd-person POV from Piper's perspective, with the high school events told via flashback. The premise is fine but predictably executed, there's nothing all that new here. Childhood-friends-to-lovers is usually my kryptonite, so I'm a bit disappointed I didn't enjoy this book more. Piper on the island was getting on my nerves, she's kind of spoiled and dramatic. They both seemed very young and immature, but that could be my own age talking. This is a quick read, great if you're looking for a light, new adult open-door romance book with an HEA.

This is like a delicious mash-up of Jo Segura and Carley Fortune, which is to say, a fast-paced adventure romance with dual timeline, high-tension goodness! What I loved is that there’s tension coming from multiple angles--there’s a ton of past baggage Wyatt and Piper have to unpack together but also in the current timeline, they have to go against Nature and somehow survive, with only each other, on an island, with no end in sight and limited resources. It’s so compelling and page-turning, and Annie’s writing particularly shines when it comes to describing setting - you can see the island, feel the island, taste it, hear it. I was stressed out in the best way. Only one bed? Nah man, I’m taking ONLY ONE ISLAND from now on! Can't wait to see what Annie writes next.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

the way i shipped wyatt and piper from the gecko. the plane crash story line is slightly wild but it works

Loved this book! This was definitely a page turner! The story was well written. I was able to sink into the story and experience the emotions of the characters. Main character and supporting characters were interesting and felt to be fully developed. I will absolutely recommend this book!

This book is a treasure that deserves to be known by all lovers of pink romances. Not only the cover is cute, but the whole story.

A while ago I read a book that was written in two different timelines and traveled from their childhood love to the current adult time, however, I didn't like it, and since then I avoided reading books written in two tenses, but I loved this book. It was cute to me, at times a little slow, but nothing that was hopeless or not tolerable.

I loved the trope from childhood friends to enemies to lovers, and second chances.

I totally recommend this book, and please Annie continue to work with the person who designed your cover because it turned out amazing.

Childhood lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, stranded on a deserted island, and a sizzling second chance at romance? This book was everything I wanted! Piper and Wyatt’s chemistry is absolutely electric—their connection leaps off the page with every lingering look, sharp retort, and unspoken memory. Their banter is perfectly snarky, adding a delicious edge to their unresolved feelings and undeniable attraction. If you love this trope, you’re in for a treat because it’s executed here on nearly every level.

The alternating timeline takes us from Piper and Wyatt’s childhood friendship to the messy teenage breakup that pulled them apart, and it’s heart-wrenchingly believable. Their initial split may have been rooted in something silly—teen boys can be such idiots!—but it feels real, and it adds to the depth and maturity of their reconnection as adults. They’re both still a little immature in some ways, especially Piper, who can be a bit much at times (hence the half-star deduction), but that’s part of what makes this journey feel authentic and messy in the best way.

The island scenes are pure magic. Stranded in the Caribbean, they’re forced to drop their defenses, and the chemistry simmering between them quickly boils over. Wyatt is a perfect book boyfriend—adventurous, caring, and just cocky enough. Watching Piper slowly realize he’s grown into a man she could fall for again was so satisfying, and the way they rediscover each other is sweet, raw, and full of perfect tension. By the end, I was grinning like crazy.

If childhood lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers is your thing, this book nails it. The angst, the chemistry, the beautifully drawn-out reunion—all of it kept me glued to the page. The ending was worth every page of build-up, leaving me with a full heart and a big smile. Highly recommend!

4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a an e-book for review!

I can't resist a cute pink book with second-chance romance and forced proximity. It always means that the story is gonna be fantastic.

This story did not take long at all to hook you in with what makes this book have the forced proximity trope. With the two characters stranded on the island, they have no choice but to suffer through each other's company in order to survive, and it's a constant reminder to both characters about their complicated past with each other.

This book was such a cute and quick read and had such an interesting plot as well. Also for any over-achieving eldest daughters who have high-pressure parents, I am sure you'll make some connections. Overall I just had a great time with this book and the ending truly had me hooked to my seat with anticipation.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book! Ex-lovers crash on an island together. Will they survive alone on the island? I liked how it was written in 2 difference timelines: "now" and "then". I loved reading about their budding romance in high school, but it got a little confusing jumping around the high school timeline. I loved their slow reconnection on the island. I loved their banter, but wanted more of it! There was very little spice, but I wouldn't call this a closed door romance.

I would recommend this for someone getting into romance books! I look forward to more books from this author.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have become more open minded towards second chance romances lately, and this one was a fun one! I like the forced proximity trope where the plane crashed too.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!