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!!!

Annie McQuaid's debut is full of high stakes and even higher swooning. Readers will be rooting for both Piper and Wyatt's love story and survival from page one. This dual-timeline adventure romance is tender, suspenseful, and sensual, all at once

I really wanted to like this one but I struggled to get through it and eventually had to DNF @ 30%. I believe this story is for someone else but not me and that’s okay!

3.5⭐/.5 🌶️

First thank you to Netgalley for this arc! :)

I picked this arc after seeing how beautiful the cover was, and im happy to say the book inside was just as sweet! It starts a little slow. Honestly i was a little annoyed at how many brands got name dropped at first lmao. I started to highlight and count. Like ok i get it, our fmc is wealthy!

But i love a good second chance romance, and our mmc was such a cinnamon roll sweetheart. Im so happy he got this opportunity, even if it was at the cost of a whole play crashing 😰 I know this doesnt come out for a while, but i recommend this for a unique romance read! Not often you see the plan crash situation being used.

Annie McQuaid delivers a compelling blend of second chances, forced proximity, and a hint of enemies-to-lovers, all wrapped in a gripping survival adventure. This heartfelt story follows two childhood sweethearts, separated by time and circumstance, who are forced to confront their unresolved feelings and unfinished love.

The novel follows Piper Adams, a young medical student who feels stuck in her life—unsure about her career, disconnected from her boyfriend, and haunted by memories of someone from her past. That someone is Wyatt, the boy who broke her heart and disappeared from her life without a trace, leaving behind lingering pain and unanswered questions.

Piper’s immediate concern, however, is making it to the Bahamas for her best friend Allie’s wedding. What she doesn't see coming are two major obstacles: her flight is suddenly canceled, and she bumps into Wyatt—Allie’s cousin and the very man who left her devastated—at the airport. Wyatt, now a pilot, offers her a ride in his small plane, and although Piper is hesitant, she agrees for Allie’s sake, all while promising herself she’ll keep her emotional distance.

But fate has other plans. A violent storm forces their plane to crash on a deserted island, leaving Piper no choice but to rely on the man she’s spent years resenting. In this unexpected survival scenario, Piper and Wyatt must put aside their old wounds to work together. As they fight for their lives, Piper discovers that Wyatt, now a man hardened by his military service, is not the same boy who once broke her heart. His desire to make amends becomes clear, and the chemistry between them rekindles. While their chances for survival become more dire, their long-buried feelings start to resurface. Could this crisis offer them a shot at the love they never fully had?

What makes this story shine is the way it jumps between the past and present, showing how Piper and Wyatt have both changed, yet their connection remains undeniable. Piper’s overbearing mother adds another layer of tension, with her character often feeling like the antagonist of Piper’s personal journey. The island scenes are gritty and realistic, full of tension, as the two navigate both the physical dangers of their environment and their emotional scars. I found myself rooting for them to overcome their pride and finally communicate the truths they’ve kept buried for years.

In short, I wholeheartedly recommend this book! It’s an emotional second-chance romance that balances survival elements with genuine, heartfelt connection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun time. I think it is a good start for new readers of the genre as well . I think it was super sweet and precious.

I absolutely adored this book! I'm a sucker for a rom-com set on the beach, and this one had the twist of a plane crash to shake things up and raise the stakes. The author's choice to switch back and forth between the "then" chapters and the "now" chapters built up a nice slow burn and kept me blazing through the pages to find out what happened next in each timeline. Both Piper and Wyatt's story arcs felt fleshed out and real from start to finish, but I couldn't have loved Wyatt's character development more. Swoon! I couldn't stop smiling after this one, and I'll definitely pick up anything and everything by Annie McQuaid in the future.

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(no🌶️)
💭My thoughts: This is one of the sweetest second chance romances I’ve read recently. It jumps back and forth from present time and past time. Wyatt is the thoughtful sweet first love that Piper could never forget. Those flashbacks to the past were absolutely heart wrenching from the beginning of their friendship, to how they fell in love, and how it ended. Their time on the island felt so real I was exhausted thinking about being dehydrated and starving on an island with my ex. Luckily Piper ended up with someone like Wyatt. I don’t know if I could be as civil as she was, but since it was Wyatt, she was lucky. Then ending was satisfying and I wanted to clap for Piper and the way she stood up for herself. This was a great read and I definitely recommend this book!

For a debut novel it was a cute quick read!
However, even though it had its moments I still had some issues with the book

This book takes place in two timelines so to speak. The “Now” which of course is after the plane crash. And the “Then” which spans Wyatt & Piper’s past high school years. I’ll admit I was not a fan in the “Then” chapters and often found myself either being really bored by them or really confused. Mainly because they skipped all over the place. Like for example one chapter we were in senior year and then the next chapter it was junior year. And overall I think the “Then” could’ve been cut out of the story entirely I honestly don’t think the book needed them.

Now of course the parts I did enjoy all fall in the “Now” chapters. Watching two ex best friends/lovers working together to stay alive after a plane crash was a fresh and new take on that trope. I enjoyed watching Piper & Wyatt rediscover and rekindle their relationship. And in the end I love seeing that they got their HEA.

Overall, I liked the book and I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick summer read. Also big Thank you Avon and NetGalley for an advanced eARC for an honest review.

i loved this. i love a romance with a unique, intriguing premise— and the fact that the characters have actual chemistry? AN INCREDIBLE BONUS. this was just so fun, and such a good way to get the forced proximity trope in there. wyatt… 🧎‍♀️

Forced proximity AND second chances?! So good! I loved the flashback timeline with present day. It gave so much context and perspective to what Piper and Wyatt went through all those years ago. Their lack of communication or miscommunications was irritating at times, but definitely helped build their story to what it was.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced eARC for an honest review.

Overall, I liked the book. It was a quick read and I love the connection to North Carolina. Thought Wyatt and Piper’s story was engaging for the most part. I do wonder how this would have read if there was a dual point of view. I resonated with Wyatt, mostly because of his tough background, so I think I liked his character a little more than Piper. I found Piper to be a little annoying and at times, she lacked taking accountability for her actions and miscommunication when handling her relationship with Wyatt.

In the end, this was a cute HEA and If recommend to anyone wanting a cute romance to read.

Also, while reading, picture Liam Helmsworth as Wyatt. It helps!

This was a four star for me I was definitely the intended reader for a book like this. it is funny, spicy and the banter is next level. I wish it was just a little bit longer and that some of the scenes were a tad bit more. Overall its a great solid read for sire.

I really enjoyed this book! I don't read a lot of second chance romance books and this one held my attention from start to finish. I liked the past and present timelines.

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover art and the synopsis, which was different from the typical second chance romance story. I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of the book, coming together and finding a way to work as a team while reigniting attraction, but the ending fell flat for me. I also enjoyed the dual timelines and seeing how the relationship had progressed from childhood.

Piper's flight to the Bahamas for her best friend's wedding gets canceled, so she reluctantly takes a private plane with her high school sweetheart, who broke her heart years ago. What will happen when the plane crashes on a deserted island? This book is a coming-of-age, second-chance survivalist romance and was so much fun to read. I am not a big romance reader and I do not love the 'pining over high school love' trope, but I could not put this one down.

There are two timelines, and I found myself invested equally in both. I also loved that the two main characters met and bonded over reading books. I did have to suspend disbelief on a few things, and the dialogue didn't always match their age, but overall, I think this was a good debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it - cozy romance with a brilliant premise and a reminder why second chance romance is my favorite trope.

Did I get bored with this book? Yes... Did I still read it all and end up loving and kicking my butt over the happy ending? Also yes.
The book is about Piper & Wyatt, ex-lovers, who haven't talked in 8 years but run into each other at the airport on the way to their best friend's wedding. Their flight gets canceled and Wyatt offers to fly them, jump to the main part... the plane crashes and they get stuck together on the island, with minimal food or water. The time jump scenes seemed messy to me and were hard to follow but I enjoyed the scenes of Piper and Wyatt on the island together. Also - Piper's mom gave me major "the notebook" vibes like Allie's parents, IYKYK.
The book seemed to drag on for me, I couldn't get into it as much as I hoped but of course, I was happy everything worked out. I'm a sucker for multiple POV's and I think that's what this book needed. Overall, solid 3.5/5.
If second-chance romances are your thing, check it out when it comes out on April 1, 2025.
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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This romance was an adorable romantic getaway. I personally love books, especially romances that help readers escape the mutiny of everyday trials, and allow the reader a respite into the characters world, and romance. A standout romance that had me kicking my feet with glee and swooning. Piper and Wyatt were next tier couple goals. I loved the forced proximity meets second chance romance Tropes, they were chefs kiss. Perfect for lovers of the Film Six Days and Seven Nights.