Fun, quick, drama filled second chance romance.

Third person is really hit or miss, and for the first time in a while I’ve found a romance that it actually pairs well with!

I can relate to Piper in a lot of ways, which was comforting. It kept me going, for the most part. But Piper… was not the most likable in my opinion. She was very dense sometimes, and it was hard to read certain scenes without getting second hand embarrassment.

Wyatt has a heartbreaking background and a lot of complexities to him; it’s impossible not to admire his character for not only his strength but also his heart and the way he loves Piper.

I was getting Sweet Home Alabama vibes, which is one of my favorite romcoms, so safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed this. The second chance Piper and Wyatt were given was emotional and beautifully romantic.

3.3 ★

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

This story follows two exes forced to reunite when a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island. I haven’t read a stranded in the middle of nowhere story in a while and the author did an amazing job with this book. I loved the way the story was written and the conflicts the MCs had to face. It’s not only about be stranded but also about healing, finding love, and knowing what happened in the past. For the most part, the pacing was fine until the end. This book is told from Piper’s pov which also features some past povs.

Piper is the FMC of the story and she was a relatable character. She knows the path she is following is not it. I loved seeing her development but I wish it was better. Then we have Wyatt. I wish we got his pov but he did play a big role. I liked how the author made his character vulnerable. There aren’t many main side characters but there are some who show up like the friends and parents. The romance is second chance and forced proximity. This is also a closed door romance story which was well done.

The ending was rushed and I wish it was a bit better. I think Piper finding out what she wanted to do was a quick decision and I wanted to see more time between the couple. Overall, it was a great story and I had a fun time reading it. I will be reading more of the author’s books.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

i was given an ARC for an honest review.

Sadly, this just wasn't for me. I was given the ebook, but I couldn't get into it, so I opted for the audiobook, and I made it to 3 hours in, and I had to stop. the narrator was just okay but wasn't on my favorites list. The characters are what made me stop reading and listening. I didn't like either one. Didn't feel the connection just because I didn't like this. You might

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid was a wonderful debut novel. It wasn't perfect in my mind but the good outweighed the bad, for sure. I liked the survival aspect on a tropical island with an ex. I think where things went south was in the flashbacks. The story would have been stronger without those. Overall, however, I really enjoyed this one!

DNF at 50%

I was enjoying the storyline, but the excessive descriptive language got to me! The last straw was this description “Tears glittered in his eyelashes like diamonds caught in cobwebs.” Huh? Diamonds in cobwebs?

I’ll still give this three stars because the storyline was interesting - a second chance romance, coupled with a plane crash in being stranded on a tropical island. Kind of a different premise.

Thankful to Harper Collins and neck galley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

***Edited to add*** I went back and finished and enjoyed it a lot. Still cringed at the overuse of similes and metaphors, but since this was an ARC, maybe some of them got edited out.

A Solid Debut.

Piper Adams is a rule following, cautious, and people pleasing FMC. Wyatt has nothing to lose. Did I mention they were high school sweethearts, well that was until Wyatt dumped Piper and she was devastated.
When they end up stranded on a deserted island together while on the way to a close friend's wedding, it is the last place either of them would like to be.
Survival comes first, but maybe a chance to rekindle their love can come second?

While second chance romance is not my favorite trope, it is very well executed in this author debut. I enjoyed the characters and getting to watch them fall in love in the flashbacks as they fell in love again stranded on the island.
Wyatt was a solid well rounded character throughout the whole book for me. His military roots providing good survival skills and his troubled past making him unsure if he can love again, made me fall in love with him. (Basic I know)

Piper on the other hand I found a little annoying. I understood her need for security and sticking to what she knew, but when it came to standing up to her mom and she couldn't do it... I went crazy. (Especially since it led to an unnecessary 3rd act breakup... personally deemed unnecessary because he said he loved her and she loved him and the only thing was her mom trying to control her adult life. You are a grown woman stand your ground. Which eventually she did, but still annoying.)

Epilogues are not really my thing, but this one was perfect. I liked the side characters Annie built and am happy to get to see their happily every after's in the epilogue. I do wish I could have had more of these characters, but with a remote island setting post a plane crash I understand why it wasn't possible. I look forward to more books by her where she is able to dive deeper into more characters.

"Crash Landing" is a force proximity romance featuring childhood sweethearts who were forced apart by meddling parents. It's more than a decade later now, and a mutual friend is getting married. Piper and Wyatt are both enroute to the wedding in the Bahamas when their plane is canceled. Wyatt manages to borrow a friend's plane so he and Piper can still get to the wedding on time, but they crash land on an island along the way.

In a dual-timeline format, we see them as kids and how special their relationship was, and we see them now as they try to navigate regrets and hurt feelings while they are forced to depend on one another for survival.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline, writing and characters, but I did find Wyatt's misguided obstinance to be a bit tiring after a while, especially when he breaks his promise not to ghost Piper ever again. Some of the story was predictable, but I still enjoyed the book anyway.

Thank you to Annie McQuaid, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Gotta set the record straight - I have such a hard time with second-chance romance. Mostly because the reason they "broke up" in the first one is a lame one, or it was a maturity thing. But I enjoyed seeing these two characters fall in love again as adults and taking each other's edges and all. The dual timeline really worked to help solidify the story and make it so genuine, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I cant wait to read more from Annie McQuaid.

I liked the plot description of second chance stuck on an island when the plane crashes. It's not often used so it's got a fresh feel to it. The part where they're stuck at the airport, manage to rent a small plane & then crash was, to me, the best part of the story and I expected more from it.. There was potential for provocative talk, looks, a little hands touching moments but I didn't get enough of them. Piper and Wyatt were stranded for 7 days and there could have been more feisty enemies to friends to enemies again. Back home things were awkward with misunderstandings, expectations, emotions kept in check until they blew up - which was a good thing. Getting home and being overwhelmed by everyone's idea of what happened was a good way to carry out the confusion which led to a nice ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions express in this review are completely my own.

#CrashLanding #AnnieMcQuaid #Avon #NetGalley #bookreview #secondchance #romance #contemporary

Thank you Avon Books and Annie McQuaid for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

This took me a little bit to really get into it and also some suspended belief, but then I enjoyed it.

Piper and Wyatt are headed to his cousin and her best friend’s wedding when their flight gets cancelled. Since he has a pilot’s license, Wyatt is able to borrow a small plane to fly to the destination wedding. Unfortunately something happens and their plane crashes. some of the suspended belief included how many things survived their crash. They both survive with minimal injuries and must figure out how to survive and try to be rescued.

I think my favorite part is this was the flashbacks to their friendship back in high school. They bad so much in common and such a sweet friends to more story. I like how they had to work together and rebuild their relationship. I enjoyed McQuaid’s writing and will look forward to future books from her!

What would you do if you were stranded on an island with your ex who broke your heart?

Crash Landing was a fun summer beach read. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re going on a plane anytime soon and have anxiety lol but I loved it. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to when the main characters were falling for each other as kids to when they re-fell for each other as adults. The story has some sad moments, but I laughed a lot out loud too. Good light-hearted read.

Thank you to @Netgalley for the ARC of Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid and thank you to @AvonBooks for letting the #TalkingToMyBooks crew, including me, enjoy this book as a traveling ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wyatt and Piper have a past. In the present they find themselves having survived a plane crash on the way to a wedding in the Bahamas. This book is a quick, easy read with short chapters, and you will find yourself flying through it. If you want an escape and a heavy dose of fiction with your fiction, this is the book for you! It is pretty much the best-case scenario of a plane crash, and as I recall there wasn’t a bug, rat, snake or animal to be seen or heard, which frankly is just how I like it. We have past and present, with questions answered and feelings revealed.

Reading this book reminded me that when I heard JFK Jr had crashed in the ocean and they were searching for him, I was positive he was living off the land with a palm frond hut already erected on a deserted island. We are also reminded of this helpful reminder: humans can live for 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 minutes without air. May none of us need that information!

3.5/5 stars
Off page love scenes, no play-by-plays (don’t quote me on that though, I may be wrong)
Locations: Georgia I think? Cedar Falls and Mason, North Carolina and a deserted island!

Annie McQuaid’s debut novel is a 21st-century twist on The Notebook, featuring high-school sweethearts who reconnect eight years later. The big twist is that their reunion comes courtesy of a plane crash, leaving Piper and Wyatt stranded on a deserted island. The dual-timeline structure helps fill in their backstory and gives the characters more depth. Overall, this was a fun and fast read!

I love a good second chance romance. And this one? This was it. I loved the meshing of past and present and the palpable longing Piper felt. Add in a crash landing and you’ve got something really unique.

3.5 stars
Overall, I liked Piper and Wyatt's story. I liked their trapped on an island forced proximity, second chance romance. Second chance romance is not one of my favorite tropes but it worked with this couple. I enjoyed the low angst and the past and present timelines.

4.25⭐

I have to preface this review by saying that I am not typically a fan of second-chance romance. There's usually a pretty good reason for the breakup that I normally can’t get past when the couple gets back together. HOWEVER, Crash Landing was done so well!

Crash Landing follows Piper, who is totally over Wyatt (no, she isn’t), and Wyatt, who really wants Piper back and is prepared to do anything he can to accomplish that. The pair reunites after years of no contact while traveling to a destination wedding. But when both of their flights are canceled, Wyatt offers to fly the two of them over on a tiny plane, and Piper is just desperate enough to take him up on his offer. Queue the worst thing to happen on a flight… their plane crashes on a deserted island in the middle of the Caribbean.

Stuck on this island for a week pushes the pair to confront their issues and what caused their fallout during their senior year of high school. I enjoyed the before chapters that showed the start of their friendship as middle schoolers, and how they became best friends to lovers throughout their childhood and early adulthood. Annie McQuaid did a great job of adding emotional depth to her characters, especially Wyatt.

Annie McQuaid really knocked it out of the park with this debut novel, and I can’t wait to pick up whatever she releases next!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a copy!

I hate to say it, but this one would have been better as a movie. Heck the plot and premise has been done as a move before.

I really enjoyed this. The switching from "Then" to "Now" really helped paint the picture of the love between Piper and Wyatt and how even after 8 years with no contact, that love never faded. Sure they were kind of dumb when they broke up the summer before college for Piper and bootcamp for Wyatt, but the plane crashing while VERY TRAUMATIC kind of was a blessing in disguise. It brought them back together and gave them an opportunity to talk through some of the hurt from their initial break up.

I sadly dnfed this book, I found Piper a bit cringy sadly, thank you for the arc either way & hopefully I’ll be able to read it some day

I’m such a sucker for a second chance romance and forced proximity so Crash Landing is right up my alley. Annie McQuaid is such a shining star and I can’t wait to read more of her books!