Second-chance romance, forced proximity, and childhood friends to lovers combine when Piper and Wyatt, who broke up after high school, crash land an airplane on a Caribbean island en route to a friend's wedding. This was fairly low heat, with a large portion of the book taking place in the past timeline of a younger Wyatt and Piper coming together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Okay I’m OBSESSED with this book. Second-chance romances always have a special place in my heart, but add in action, survival, and a dual timeline, and I’m hooked! The "stranded on an island with your ex" premise was so fun and unique while still having the classic rom-com feel. I can’t wait until it’s summer again and I can enjoy it on a beach.

I LOVED Piper and Wyatt’s relationship both in the present and the past. Wyper forever!! Wyatt is the perfect book boyfriend, and I was swooning over the parts where they read books aloud to each other. My heart couldn't take it! The relationship Piper had with her mom felt so real and was heartbreaking. I was cheering for her to finally stand up for herself at the end.

Plus, the prose was gorgeous! 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS!! I would highly recommend this book!!

Themes and Tropes:
💕 Second chance romance
🏝️ Adventure/Survival
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Friends to lovers
🫂 Friendship and Family

Similar
🎥 The Notebook (Piper and Wyatt gave me major Allie and Noah vibes)
📚 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Ehh. This one I was really excited for but it was missing so much. I did like the dual timelines but most of the rest of the story fell flat. I didn't connect with the characters at all. Piper was such a pushover by her parents. And for being a medical student she didn't handle any of their injuries very well on the island.

Wyatt wasn't very likeable either. Or Allie. Or Ethan -- who was mentioned several times as one of their best friends but you basically know nothing about him.

I can assure you, we have another promising romance author on the horizon. Annie McQuaid masterfully combines second chances, forced proximity, and a touch of enemies-to-lovers with a survival adventure, creating a heartwarming novel about two childhood sweethearts who were separated in the past, leaving behind unsaid words, unresolved issues, and an unfinished love story.

The story centers around young med student Piper Adams, who feels stuck in life—pursuing a career she's unsure about and in a relationship lacking intimacy, all while comparing her boyfriend to someone from her past she doesn’t want to name. She’s still missing Wyatt—the boy who broke her heart and vanished from their friend group, leaving her without a word for years.

But now, Piper’s focus is on catching her flight to the Bahamas for the dream wedding of her best friend Allie. What she doesn’t expect is two major surprises: first, all flights are canceled, and second, Allie’s cousin, who also happens to be Wyatt—the very man who shattered her heart—is at the airport too. Wyatt offers her a solution: he’ll fly her to the wedding in a small plane he’ll be piloting. Reluctantly, Piper agrees because of her promise to Allie, assuring herself she’ll set boundaries with her ex-lover once they land in the Bahamas.

However, what she didn’t account for is an unexpected storm that causes their plane to crash on a deserted tropical island. Now, Piper realizes that in order to survive and find their way home, she must learn to trust the very man she’s spent years cursing. Together, they must push past their unresolved issues and focus on survival. But Piper also discovers that the boy she once loved has grown into a capable man, scarred by his deployment, yet striving to make amends for his past mistakes. The sparks between them are undeniable, and their buried feelings begin to resurface. Could they find a second chance at love amid their unfinished story? First, though, they must survive the island, especially as the situation grows more dire and their lives are put in even greater danger.

Overall, I loved Piper and Wyatt’s story—the way it switches between their past and present, revealing how they’ve both grown and evolved, yet their feelings remain unchanged. Piper’s overbearing mother, who could easily be seen as the villain of the story, had me frustrated at every turn. The survival elements and their traumatic but ultimately unifying journey on the island are written with gritty realism. I was rooting for them the whole way, screaming at them to drop their pride and communicate honestly. Do I recommend this love story? Absolutely! This heartfelt, second-chance survival romance is a must-read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this emotional romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

2.5 stars!

There’s no forced proximity like a couple being stranded together on a desert island! When bad weather delays the flight to Piper’s best friend Allie’s destination wedding, of course, only their mutual childhood friend Wyatt—the one who broke Piper’s teenage heart, now a chiseled army veteran who conveniently knows how to fly—has access to a small plane and offers Piper a ride. Putting their past history and all spite aside, she agrees; the plane goes down in the storm.

By some miracle, the battery-operated radio still sort of works, and they’re able to intermittently keep in touch with civilization as they nurse their injuries, create shelter, and procure food and water. Piper, a second-year medical student from a wealthy family, pivots to acclimate to the rustic setting. The survival details are very well researched and written, and it’s wonderful coincidence Wyatt has soldier training and Piper first aid skills – except she hates medical school and the sight of blood makes her faint and queasy.

Luckily, there are papaya to be harvested and fish to be caught as they recuperate from the crash; incongruously, Piper’s injuries do not prevent her from lusting after Wyatt, who was her first, best and most memorable lover (the book opens with her comparing his kiss to that of the well-matched but boring doctor-to-be that her physician parents wholeheartedly approve of, and finding the kiss lacking.

Given the period over which the story evolves, the antagonism with which Piper views Wyatt, and the seriousness of the situation, the survival narrative is quite interrupted by the distraction of her chemical /hormonal / lust-filled reaction to him. Yet, they make amends, make love, and may be planning to make a future together (she still hasn’t confided about suitor Tag) but just like in a horror movie where sex is the harbinger of doom, it’s post-coitus that a rescue vehicle finally happens to do a fly-by of their remote location, and they miss it due to their distraction.

They have a fight, decide the whole thing was clearly a mistake, and Wyatt goes back to his brooding “it’s all my fault, I don’t deserve anything good in my life” demeanor. Piper regrets becoming intimate with him again. The time is, at least, good for reflection and review of the past sequence of events.

Though the plot is farfetched, the writing from debut author McQuaid is decent, with a robustly detailed narrative that moves back and forth from Piper and Wyatt (and Allie and friend Evan’s) teenaged past to present day. The reason Piper and Wyatt broke up is concealed, serving as a second point of dramatic tension, a third point is what Piper wants versus what her controlling parents want. I found it difficult to connect to the characters, and didn’t particularly like or root for them. Alongside the many dramatic tensions is some humor, some banter, pop culture and fashion references, and safer sex (Wyatt brought condoms JUST IN CASE he and Piper reconnected at the wedding). McQuaid gets a gold star for use of clear, not clean, to refer to STI status. The story propels itself along at a good clip, a result of careful plotting and pacing. I’m sure many readers will enjoy this enemies-to-lovers tale.

Ultimately, I couldn’t reconcile the almost-immediate romance against the traumatic crash and injuries sustained. For a better read on a forced-proximity romance with a desert island survival plot, try On The Island by Tracy Garvis Graves.

I received a free advance readers review copy of #CrashLanding via #NetGalley courtesy of Avon and Harper Voyager. This will post to HLBB on 4/1/2025.

What a stellar debut! The island setting, combined with their playful and emotional journey, made this read absolutely irresistible. I would highly recommend it to people who’re looking for a charming, funny, and feel-good love story with a perfect mix of tension and tenderness, this book is a must-read.