Author: Adriana Anders
Series: Survival Instincts #1
Audience: Over 18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: January 28th 2020
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: NetGalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Angel Smith is finally ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her last day, the remote research station she's been calling home is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and irritatingly gorgeous glaciologist Ford Cooper barely make it out with their lives...only to realize that in a place this remote, there's nowhere left to run.
Isolated with no power, no way to contact the outside world, and a madman at their heels, Angel and Ford must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But what starts as a partnership born of necessity quickly turns into an urgent connection that burns bright and hot. They both know there is little chance of making it out alive, and yet they are determined to survive against the odds—and possibly, the world.
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of his book from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.
I believe the first person to bring this book on my radar was Teresa @ Romance Reader and reads_romance on IG. She mentioned how this book was romantic suspense set in Antarctica and I knew I wanted to read this book right then. I am very proud to say that I also convincedbegged Sam and Haley to come along for the ride, and it was the best of times, guys!
This book is adrenaline from start to finish. If there's one thing I want you guys to know from the start is that this book is full of suspense from the very first page. It starts with a man dying, alone, in a storage unit, writing a message in his own blood. If that's not the start of an epic adventure, I don't know what is!
Ford is such a cinnamon roll, wrapped in another cinnamon roll. He has no idea how to interact with others, from his brother, to his work colleagues. He's even painfully awkward with the woman he's kind of crushing on, so much so that their first interaction was rather painful to read about. They were both awkward, to be fair, so it's not all on Ford's shoulders. Throughout the book you get to peel away Ford's tough exterior and you get to see who he truly is and what makes him tick, why he finds it easier to be on the ice, away from other people. He's awkward for a reason, and I was heartbroken when I found out why. He was also such a good guy! I honestly liked him, I loved how he took care of Angel, how he taught her how to survive in the harsh weather conditions of the Antarctica, how he cared for her when she was vulnerable, when they could have died because of her not being able to keep up due to her knee injury. But he also didn't lie to her, he didn't try to make things seem easier for her, which I also appreciated greatly.
Angel was another cinnamon roll. There's a trend in this book, guys. I swear I wanted to protect each of these characters. Angel has such strength in her. She refuses to give up fighting until she physically can't do it anymore, and when she thinks she can't go on anymore, she finds another reason to fight for. She was very brave throughout this book, and I can honestly say that she surprised me because of it. It's not that I didn't believe in her, but she didn't seem the warrior type, and I am so glad I was wrong about that. She continued to surprise me towards the end, and I am so happy that she got to show the bad guys how tough she really is.
For the first time in a lot of time the romance aspect of the story wasn't what something I was fully focused on. It's there, and it's important, but my attention was more on their fight to survive. There were also scenes told from the bad guys' point of view (there are more than one bad guy, as well as a bad lady) and that also kept me on my toes. There were a lot of twists and turns, but I have to say that the last major twist was something I didn't see coming. At all. I was hoping for it, I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would get something similar, but I didn't expect it would happen. Basically my cold heart's wish came true and I was very happy.
The book kept me on my toes and although I tried really hard not to binge read this book, I eventually couldn't keep myself from reading until I reached the end fast. The end contains hints to the future of the series, and I have high hopes for the sequel. I have no idea when it will be out, but I'm hoping for sooner rather than later.
All in all, a great story full of suspense, romance, cold weather, and awesome dramatic scenes that had me gasping out loud. A book that basically everyone needs to read.
I believe the first person to bring this book on my radar was Teresa @ Romance Reader and reads_romance on IG. She mentioned how this book was romantic suspense set in Antarctica and I knew I wanted to read this book right then. I am very proud to say that I also convinced
This book is adrenaline from start to finish. If there's one thing I want you guys to know from the start is that this book is full of suspense from the very first page. It starts with a man dying, alone, in a storage unit, writing a message in his own blood. If that's not the start of an epic adventure, I don't know what is!
Ford is such a cinnamon roll, wrapped in another cinnamon roll. He has no idea how to interact with others, from his brother, to his work colleagues. He's even painfully awkward with the woman he's kind of crushing on, so much so that their first interaction was rather painful to read about. They were both awkward, to be fair, so it's not all on Ford's shoulders. Throughout the book you get to peel away Ford's tough exterior and you get to see who he truly is and what makes him tick, why he finds it easier to be on the ice, away from other people. He's awkward for a reason, and I was heartbroken when I found out why. He was also such a good guy! I honestly liked him, I loved how he took care of Angel, how he taught her how to survive in the harsh weather conditions of the Antarctica, how he cared for her when she was vulnerable, when they could have died because of her not being able to keep up due to her knee injury. But he also didn't lie to her, he didn't try to make things seem easier for her, which I also appreciated greatly.
Angel was another cinnamon roll. There's a trend in this book, guys. I swear I wanted to protect each of these characters. Angel has such strength in her. She refuses to give up fighting until she physically can't do it anymore, and when she thinks she can't go on anymore, she finds another reason to fight for. She was very brave throughout this book, and I can honestly say that she surprised me because of it. It's not that I didn't believe in her, but she didn't seem the warrior type, and I am so glad I was wrong about that. She continued to surprise me towards the end, and I am so happy that she got to show the bad guys how tough she really is.
For the first time in a lot of time the romance aspect of the story wasn't what something I was fully focused on. It's there, and it's important, but my attention was more on their fight to survive. There were also scenes told from the bad guys' point of view (there are more than one bad guy, as well as a bad lady) and that also kept me on my toes. There were a lot of twists and turns, but I have to say that the last major twist was something I didn't see coming. At all. I was hoping for it, I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would get something similar, but I didn't expect it would happen. Basically my cold heart's wish came true and I was very happy.
The book kept me on my toes and although I tried really hard not to binge read this book, I eventually couldn't keep myself from reading until I reached the end fast. The end contains hints to the future of the series, and I have high hopes for the sequel. I have no idea when it will be out, but I'm hoping for sooner rather than later.
All in all, a great story full of suspense, romance, cold weather, and awesome dramatic scenes that had me gasping out loud. A book that basically everyone needs to read.
