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Survival Instincts #1
Whiteout
Angel Smith is ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her final day, the research station is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and 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 in the middle of a long, frozen winter with a madman at their heels, they must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But the outside world depends on what Ford and Angel know and, as their pursuers close in and their new partnership burns bright and hot, they will stop at nothing to make it out of the cold alive.
Isolated in the middle of a long, frozen winter with a madman at their heels, they must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But the outside world depends on what Ford and Angel know and, as their pursuers close in and their new partnership burns bright and hot, they will stop at nothing to make it out of the cold alive.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 28, 2020
About the author
Adriana Anders
24 books805 followersAdriana Anders is author of the Survival Instincts, Love at Last, and Blank Canvas series. Her debut, Under Her Skin, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017 and double recipient of the HOLT Medallion award, and Loving the Secret Billionaire was a Romance Writers of America 2019 Rita® Award Finalist. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Oprah Mag, Bustle, USA Today Happy Ever After, and Book Riot. Today, she resides with her husband and two small children on the coast of France, where she writes the gritty, emotional love stories of her heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 862 reviews
February 6, 2020
The first half of this book was excellent, an attack on a south pole scientific base, leaving two people stranded and on a survival mission to overland to the next base with the odds stacked against them. It was a gripping rollercoaster ride of adrenalin and I was glued to the pages.
Unfortunately the second half let this book down. The two main characters spent the whole time acting like horny teenagers, the baddies ridiculous and incompetent, the dialogue cheesy, and the whole plot turned out to be thin. It's a shame because the book started with so much promise, and I felt let down, rolling my eyes on more than one occasion.
Overall this book is okay, but it could have been so much better.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately the second half let this book down. The two main characters spent the whole time acting like horny teenagers, the baddies ridiculous and incompetent, the dialogue cheesy, and the whole plot turned out to be thin. It's a shame because the book started with so much promise, and I felt let down, rolling my eyes on more than one occasion.
Overall this book is okay, but it could have been so much better.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2019
UPDATE: I've read the final version of Whiteout now, and it is SO FREAKING FANTASTIC!!! I love, love, love this book! The survival plot is amazing, and the sexual tension is off the charts. I was literally fanning myself at times. The first make-out scene is...OMG. I've already read this book twice now, and I would totally read it again. SO good!
Action-packed, full of twists and turns, danger, adventure, and steamy romance! A hot, reclusive scientist and a plucky, resourceful chef find themselves in harrowing and life-threatening circumstances in Antarctica. I loved every second of it! (Lucky me, I got to read it early, and Whiteout sure made my last transatlantic flight go by fast!).
Action-packed, full of twists and turns, danger, adventure, and steamy romance! A hot, reclusive scientist and a plucky, resourceful chef find themselves in harrowing and life-threatening circumstances in Antarctica. I loved every second of it! (Lucky me, I got to read it early, and Whiteout sure made my last transatlantic flight go by fast!).
April 20, 2021
This. Is. What. Romantic. Suspense. Should. Be. Like!
I loved this book, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I definitely if I think about it too hard probably feel like "there is no way this could have happened" BUT GUESS WHAT I DO NOT CARE. it's was propulsive, I was on the edge of my seat, and there was danger banging in a cabin at the South Pole.
IT IS EVERYTHING.
I loved this book, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I definitely if I think about it too hard probably feel like "there is no way this could have happened" BUT GUESS WHAT I DO NOT CARE. it's was propulsive, I was on the edge of my seat, and there was danger banging in a cabin at the South Pole.
IT IS EVERYTHING.
December 13, 2020
WHITEOUT
by Adriana Anders is the first book in the Survival Instincts romantic suspense and adventure series and is set mainly in Antarctica. The author brought this reader an intense and action-filled adventure story.
Angel Smith has spent the summer as a chef at a remote research station and is ready to leave before winter sets in when the station is attacked. She and glaciologist Ford (Coop) Cooper barely escape, but there are few places to go. They have no power, no way to contact the outside world, and a team of mercenaries chasing them. Can Angel and Coop get to safety? Can they take enough food and essentials to survive the trek? Who attacked the research station and what was the impetus for the attack? Was it successful? What follows is a suspenseful survival story with a romance weaved into the story line.
Angel is a character that you definitely can root for, but Coop is rather reserved and harder to get to know. However, the progression of their relationship made sense as a partnership for survival and some initial attraction was tested by the need to survive.
The author brought a strong sense of place to light in this novel. The subzero temperatures, harshness and inhospitableness of Antarctica was balanced with its beauty, isolation and peacefulness. However, the book was short on dialogue in places. Some of this was necessary due to the circumstances. Instead, there is a lot of introspection by both Angel and Coop which added depth to their characters. Additionally, there is some insight into the villains in this story and we get perspectives from a couple of them which enriches the tale. Running from the past, danger, action, steamy scenes and much more kept this reader entertained and wondering what could happen next.
Overall, this novel kept me engaged and made me grateful that I was not enduring the stark reality of wind, snow, and cold that Angel and Coop faced. I have read other books set in Antarctica, but this one is by far the best. I felt somewhat let down by several loose ends. I know the epilogue set up the next novel, but I would have preferred that the information was put at the beginning of the next book in the series. What a cliffhanger! Despite, this, I am looking forward to reading book two which is currently slated to be published August 31, 2021.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was January 28, 2020. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Angel Smith has spent the summer as a chef at a remote research station and is ready to leave before winter sets in when the station is attacked. She and glaciologist Ford (Coop) Cooper barely escape, but there are few places to go. They have no power, no way to contact the outside world, and a team of mercenaries chasing them. Can Angel and Coop get to safety? Can they take enough food and essentials to survive the trek? Who attacked the research station and what was the impetus for the attack? Was it successful? What follows is a suspenseful survival story with a romance weaved into the story line.
Angel is a character that you definitely can root for, but Coop is rather reserved and harder to get to know. However, the progression of their relationship made sense as a partnership for survival and some initial attraction was tested by the need to survive.
The author brought a strong sense of place to light in this novel. The subzero temperatures, harshness and inhospitableness of Antarctica was balanced with its beauty, isolation and peacefulness. However, the book was short on dialogue in places. Some of this was necessary due to the circumstances. Instead, there is a lot of introspection by both Angel and Coop which added depth to their characters. Additionally, there is some insight into the villains in this story and we get perspectives from a couple of them which enriches the tale. Running from the past, danger, action, steamy scenes and much more kept this reader entertained and wondering what could happen next.
Overall, this novel kept me engaged and made me grateful that I was not enduring the stark reality of wind, snow, and cold that Angel and Coop faced. I have read other books set in Antarctica, but this one is by far the best. I felt somewhat let down by several loose ends. I know the epilogue set up the next novel, but I would have preferred that the information was put at the beginning of the next book in the series. What a cliffhanger! Despite, this, I am looking forward to reading book two which is currently slated to be published August 31, 2021.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was January 28, 2020. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
November 2, 2021
This was AMAZING!! It's everything the science geek in me desires but the thing is one book though pretty long and detailed did not do justice to the plot. The author has created this awesome plot with potential to have many books under it but failed to wrap this one up cleanly. I get the ending was meant as an opening for the next book but it left me dissatisfied instead of being excited. After going through such a long journey, at the end I expected atleast a happy for now state instead of being worried for the next one. The ending of this one could have been made as the beginning of the next book. I also felt like somewhere along the way the author messed up the balance between romance and survival and rushed up the romance part of the ending. Overall as I mentioned earlier there is so much potential for this series mainly because the world built in here paves the way for so many subplots.
September 1, 2022
Whiteout by Adriana Anders
Survival Instincts #1. Contemporary romantic suspense.
Angel is a chef on temporary assignment in Antarctica. She’s wrapped up her final day when she inadvertently witnesses a murder. Ford Cooper and Angel pair up and end on the run from killers across the frozen whiteness of Ice and snow.
Gripping, intense, and chilling as their adrenaline helps power the romance. An unfeeling villain, and a secret organization to the rescue.
I can’t imagine such a cold temperature that would require 5 layers or more of clothing just to get out of bed. Grateful the U.S. Midwest doesn’t have those extremes!
An exciting adventure. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Survival Instincts #1. Contemporary romantic suspense.
Angel is a chef on temporary assignment in Antarctica. She’s wrapped up her final day when she inadvertently witnesses a murder. Ford Cooper and Angel pair up and end on the run from killers across the frozen whiteness of Ice and snow.
Gripping, intense, and chilling as their adrenaline helps power the romance. An unfeeling villain, and a secret organization to the rescue.
I can’t imagine such a cold temperature that would require 5 layers or more of clothing just to get out of bed. Grateful the U.S. Midwest doesn’t have those extremes!
An exciting adventure. I look forward to reading more by this author.
June 7, 2020
Not my usual setting for Romantic Suspense... Antartica! An enjoyable read but it really seemed to drag towards the end... at one stage my kindle told me there was over an hour and a half left and I said to myself "no way can there be that much left in the book ... what's going to happen?" - it turned out that there is an excerpt from another book/novella that fills the end of the book.
I know, recently, I have been in a bit of a book funk and cannot seem to find a FIVE STAR read... here's hoping that June 9th will bring one with a favourite author's new release.
It was so desolate there that there was no animal life form at all ... I am just posting this cute penguin because he is cute ... and to remind myself what I am going to look like when this Lockdown is all over and done with ... who am I kidding? I am already looking like this little pudgy bundle (except not as cute)!!
I believe the next book in the series is due out in 2021 but not sure exactly what month!
I know, recently, I have been in a bit of a book funk and cannot seem to find a FIVE STAR read... here's hoping that June 9th will bring one with a favourite author's new release.
It was so desolate there that there was no animal life form at all ... I am just posting this cute penguin because he is cute ... and to remind myself what I am going to look like when this Lockdown is all over and done with ... who am I kidding? I am already looking like this little pudgy bundle (except not as cute)!!
I believe the next book in the series is due out in 2021 but not sure exactly what month!
September 12, 2019
Picture The Thing where the alien is actually a diabolical elderly woman and there’s lots of sexual tension and hot make out sessions. You’ve got it? Perfect. That’s Whiteout by Adriana Anders.
Ford Cooper is a raspy-voiced grump (yes, please). He’s the perfect hero for those romance readers who like their men challenging to work with because it’s all the more satisfying when the heroine finally convinces him to indulge his desires. I wanted to wrap Ford in a hug and tell him, “It’s okay to feel emotion!” A hot loner who prefers well-below freezing temperatures and nothing but snow over being forced to talk to someone he doesn’t want to talk to—can’t we all relate? Angel Smith, Ford’s complete opposite, was an ‘every woman’ sort of heroine. The woman we all are AND the woman we all want to be. Kind, witty, smart, brave, and, most importantly, understanding of her man’s quirks. The two of them shouldn’t have worked together, but they ended up being such a brilliant match for one another.
The best part was watching them fight their attraction for one another (I mean, running away from murderers and trying to survive a landscape bent on killing you is not the ideal time for some nooky), but eventually succumbing to their desires. Whiteout isn’t going to give you sex every three pages, if that’s your thing. It’s more about bringing you to the edge constantly only to pull you back before you finally tip over the precipice into hot, survival sex. But when Anders finally gives us that moment it’s like water to a man lost in the desert... everything. Every second of the torture is 100% worth it.
This plot was so fascinating! I mean, how many romantic suspense novels take place in the frigid emptiness of Antarctica. And damn Anders for tossing in the whole ‘21 days until safety, 6 days of food’ headings at the top of each chapter because I was hyperventilating as I wondered how they could possibly survive this trip, not to mention the murderers chasing them down! Whiteout starts with a bang and ends with an even bigger bang. With four thousand bangs in the middle. Everything is trying to kill our hero and heroine: the murderers, the government, the storms, the snow, the random crevasses that lead to the center of the Earth...this is one novel that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what could possibly happen next. Giving me a heart attack every darn page.
I loved the setting so much that I feel I need to comment on what an amazing reading experience it was to be set down in the middle of the barren wasteland of such an unfamiliar territory. I was enamored with every little detail of the land, the station, the constant danger. Quite a new adventure. And this is a lead up to what is sure to be an amazing cast of characters. Secret organization of hot men and woman vs. evil? Sign me up for everything Adriana Anders has to offer.
Ford Cooper is a raspy-voiced grump (yes, please). He’s the perfect hero for those romance readers who like their men challenging to work with because it’s all the more satisfying when the heroine finally convinces him to indulge his desires. I wanted to wrap Ford in a hug and tell him, “It’s okay to feel emotion!” A hot loner who prefers well-below freezing temperatures and nothing but snow over being forced to talk to someone he doesn’t want to talk to—can’t we all relate? Angel Smith, Ford’s complete opposite, was an ‘every woman’ sort of heroine. The woman we all are AND the woman we all want to be. Kind, witty, smart, brave, and, most importantly, understanding of her man’s quirks. The two of them shouldn’t have worked together, but they ended up being such a brilliant match for one another.
The best part was watching them fight their attraction for one another (I mean, running away from murderers and trying to survive a landscape bent on killing you is not the ideal time for some nooky), but eventually succumbing to their desires. Whiteout isn’t going to give you sex every three pages, if that’s your thing. It’s more about bringing you to the edge constantly only to pull you back before you finally tip over the precipice into hot, survival sex. But when Anders finally gives us that moment it’s like water to a man lost in the desert... everything. Every second of the torture is 100% worth it.
This plot was so fascinating! I mean, how many romantic suspense novels take place in the frigid emptiness of Antarctica. And damn Anders for tossing in the whole ‘21 days until safety, 6 days of food’ headings at the top of each chapter because I was hyperventilating as I wondered how they could possibly survive this trip, not to mention the murderers chasing them down! Whiteout starts with a bang and ends with an even bigger bang. With four thousand bangs in the middle. Everything is trying to kill our hero and heroine: the murderers, the government, the storms, the snow, the random crevasses that lead to the center of the Earth...this is one novel that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what could possibly happen next. Giving me a heart attack every darn page.
I loved the setting so much that I feel I need to comment on what an amazing reading experience it was to be set down in the middle of the barren wasteland of such an unfamiliar territory. I was enamored with every little detail of the land, the station, the constant danger. Quite a new adventure. And this is a lead up to what is sure to be an amazing cast of characters. Secret organization of hot men and woman vs. evil? Sign me up for everything Adriana Anders has to offer.
January 28, 2020
Chalk and cheese strikes again!
Micky read this super early and it was her being all excitement over it that inspired me to request, hoping I might catch it before the release date, and be able to swoon alongside her for this new title, and new series opener, from a new-to-me author.
But I pretty much didn't get on with anything about this story. The only thing that worked for me was the realistic weather experience, the harsh conditions, and the very practical conversations surrounding said realities (dealing with waste out on the ice, periods, blisters, everything!).
Otherwise, the plot? Both very slow moving and very action-move-style outlandish. The characters? Not interesting or, at least, not any I could connect to. The romance? Didn't buy it. And as for the ending.. I just.. it's a lot.
I also had an irrational irritation over the name 'Angel Smith', particularly as she was referred to by both names for 97% of the book. Not Angel. Angel Smith. Every time. And I just.. no, it wasn't working for me, I'm sorry. I did say it was irrational..
This is clearly a me problem, not the book itself, as so many of my good friends — not just Micky! — have read and loved this. I just wish I could count myself among them.
While this is definitely being set up for a big ensemble, conspiracy-filled, action series, I won't be reading on.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Micky read this super early and it was her being all excitement over it that inspired me to request, hoping I might catch it before the release date, and be able to swoon alongside her for this new title, and new series opener, from a new-to-me author.
But I pretty much didn't get on with anything about this story. The only thing that worked for me was the realistic weather experience, the harsh conditions, and the very practical conversations surrounding said realities (dealing with waste out on the ice, periods, blisters, everything!).
Otherwise, the plot? Both very slow moving and very action-move-style outlandish. The characters? Not interesting or, at least, not any I could connect to. The romance? Didn't buy it. And as for the ending.. I just.. it's a lot.
I also had an irrational irritation over the name 'Angel Smith', particularly as she was referred to by both names for 97% of the book. Not Angel. Angel Smith. Every time. And I just.. no, it wasn't working for me, I'm sorry. I did say it was irrational..
This is clearly a me problem, not the book itself, as so many of my good friends — not just Micky! — have read and loved this. I just wish I could count myself among them.
While this is definitely being set up for a big ensemble, conspiracy-filled, action series, I won't be reading on.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
November 2, 2021
4,5 stars
Well, I did not see this coming.
When one knows and loves an author, there are certain things to expect when starting a new book. Yet even knowing I wasn't getting into a sweet romantic story, I was blown away by how fast and suspenseful it was!!
The heroine was such a badass who grew a spectacular backbone by the end of the book! The neurodivergent hero was a pleasure to get to know. And I loved their story, there was something tender and fierce about it, in all that horrible coldness of Antarctica.
The ending was a bit too fast and I wanted more romance for those two... But I guess we can't have everything.
Thank you, Rain, for reading it with me! I really enjoyed our conversations about everything.
Well, I did not see this coming.
When one knows and loves an author, there are certain things to expect when starting a new book. Yet even knowing I wasn't getting into a sweet romantic story, I was blown away by how fast and suspenseful it was!!
The heroine was such a badass who grew a spectacular backbone by the end of the book! The neurodivergent hero was a pleasure to get to know. And I loved their story, there was something tender and fierce about it, in all that horrible coldness of Antarctica.
"It was do this or die trying. Which was almost funny, because if there was one place she could actually die trying, it was here."
The ending was a bit too fast and I wanted more romance for those two... But I guess we can't have everything.
Thank you, Rain, for reading it with me! I really enjoyed our conversations about everything.
January 25, 2020
Growing up, I was fascinated with Mount Everest and fictional survival stories taking place there. After I read The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan and loved the parts when the main character was in Antarctica, Kennedy Ryan recommended this book! I immediately went to netgalley to request a copy and couldn't wait to start this romantic suspense.
When this book started, it took me a few chapters to really get into the story and actually want to start reading. I was a little confused by what was going on, but as soon as the bad guys made themselves known, boy was I invested in these characters and their ability to survive. I loved how Ford and Angel had this attraction to one another that Ford refused to act on. Now, they have to trek across Antarctica together to survive and those scenes were CRAZY. Antarctica is beautiful and terrifying, so I had no idea how those two were going to walk over two hundred miles together and make it out alive.
If you're a fan of a romantic suspense novel with a slow burn romance, you're going to love this so much. It reminded me of an 80s survival/action movie and I could not stop reading. Ford is a cold, brooding man and I loved how he slowly decided to let Angel in. Definitely pick this book up if you want a good survival story in the freezing cold while the characters slowly fall for each other.
When this book started, it took me a few chapters to really get into the story and actually want to start reading. I was a little confused by what was going on, but as soon as the bad guys made themselves known, boy was I invested in these characters and their ability to survive. I loved how Ford and Angel had this attraction to one another that Ford refused to act on. Now, they have to trek across Antarctica together to survive and those scenes were CRAZY. Antarctica is beautiful and terrifying, so I had no idea how those two were going to walk over two hundred miles together and make it out alive.
If you're a fan of a romantic suspense novel with a slow burn romance, you're going to love this so much. It reminded me of an 80s survival/action movie and I could not stop reading. Ford is a cold, brooding man and I loved how he slowly decided to let Angel in. Definitely pick this book up if you want a good survival story in the freezing cold while the characters slowly fall for each other.
February 5, 2020
Angel Smith's life was at sixes and sevens. So she took on a very unusual assignment in Antarctica. She is an excellent cook and she fed the unique group of scientists and researchers. Her time has come to an end and she must get back to her life.
However, the research station is attacked and she has missed her flight. Left to freeze to death she is rescued by glaciologist Ford Cooper. When Ford realizes why the station was attacked, he knows that he and Angel are not safe. They must make a dangerous trek in order to find safety. It is not just the attackers they are in danger from. It is the elements. It can get as cold as 43 degrees below zero and colder. Angel and Ford must travel hundreds of miles to safety.
Back to the attackers. What were they after? Well, I will leave that much to the reader. What I will say is that the story shifts back to the masterminds as they devise a plan to locate Ford and Angel and whatever it is that they are after.
Ford and Angel trek dangerously ahead, protecting dangerous cargo and food. Meanwhile, during times of rest they both finally get to address feelings they have had for all the months Angel was working at the station.
Nonstop action! That is what Whiteout delivers to the reader. I will never travel to the Antarctic, but the beauty of this frozen desert felt real to my eyes. Imagining the pair staying warm and avoiding frostbite. Brrrr. Then the fact that the chase never ends. Oh, and the romance. Yum. The fact that this chilling, thrilling book is the first in a new series almost made me jump up and down with joy. I cannot wait to see what else is going to happen there, and I hope we will be seeing much more of Ford and Angel.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
However, the research station is attacked and she has missed her flight. Left to freeze to death she is rescued by glaciologist Ford Cooper. When Ford realizes why the station was attacked, he knows that he and Angel are not safe. They must make a dangerous trek in order to find safety. It is not just the attackers they are in danger from. It is the elements. It can get as cold as 43 degrees below zero and colder. Angel and Ford must travel hundreds of miles to safety.
Back to the attackers. What were they after? Well, I will leave that much to the reader. What I will say is that the story shifts back to the masterminds as they devise a plan to locate Ford and Angel and whatever it is that they are after.
Ford and Angel trek dangerously ahead, protecting dangerous cargo and food. Meanwhile, during times of rest they both finally get to address feelings they have had for all the months Angel was working at the station.
Nonstop action! That is what Whiteout delivers to the reader. I will never travel to the Antarctic, but the beauty of this frozen desert felt real to my eyes. Imagining the pair staying warm and avoiding frostbite. Brrrr. Then the fact that the chase never ends. Oh, and the romance. Yum. The fact that this chilling, thrilling book is the first in a new series almost made me jump up and down with joy. I cannot wait to see what else is going to happen there, and I hope we will be seeing much more of Ford and Angel.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
June 4, 2020
3.5 STARS rounded up to 4
WHY I ENDED PICKING UP THIS BOOK :
Survival Romance? —A romantic suspense with a survival trope. That sounds nice.
Opposites attract couple —Like enemies to lovers? I'm okay with that.
Jerk, distant hero —Yes, please. No questions.
Bubbly/sunny heroine — Mkay, we need levity after all. Please don't be empty headed.
Forced proximity you say? —Even better, I want my heroes all over each other!
A romance set in Antartica —But all that ice... surely they can't...
OH BUT THEY CAN. Again and again. — *starts chapter one*
Whiteout was my first book by Adriana Anders and I really enjoyed it for the most part.
With a gripping opening and at peek a feels unrequited between the main characters, I've pretty much devoured half the book in my quest to witness Angel and Ford falling for each other. You'd think such a desolate and unforgiving setting as Antarctica prevents any romance much less any steam but think again, Adriana Anders does a great job at leviting thrilling suspense and intense survival scenes by interspersing a scandalous amount of sexual tension.
The suspense plot was interesting but ultimately what kept me on the edge throughout the book was this almost unbearable, thick, potent tension between Angel and Ford. To the point I found myself internally debating with the hero—whose choice to stay fully clothed was of course the discerning one : "Come on, Ford, what's a little frostbite on your dick? Take off your clothes, promise you won't feel the cold, Ford... damnit!".
I know, trust me, I knowww, I was just past all discernment. The author had been toying with my feelings (hear : lust) ever since that first kiss scene. And the second. By the third kiss scene I was ready to combust. Yes, in the middle of Austral Antarctica, I was undergoing hot flashes. Kisses THAT hot. Kisses that powerful.
Torture. Pure and simple!
What worked for me additionally to the clever exploitation of crackling chemistry in this forced proximity trope was how polar opposites both heroes were.
The hero, Ford Cooper, is your typical grouchy, silent, brooding, aloof jerk. He's not an asshole but he could sure fool you. Turns out Ford has become as frozen as the ice he likes to work on, he needs a little thawing is all.
Kind, lively, witty Angel Smith brought some much needed lightheartedness to this sometimes somber and oppressing premise. She turned out to be more resilient and strong than what I first assumed she would be. Not only relying on Ford but sharing the load of their escape. She was the perfect pairing for the hero and a real trooper! Her POV was fun to read, just for the nicknames she awarded the hero : His Royal Stiffness, Ice Man.
All in all I adored Angel's and Ford's romance going strong against and despite the threatening climate and the impending menace to be outraced by the villains but had issues toward the end. Especially with the "epilogue" part.
Listen, I'm not that hard up about HEA and epilogues in my romance(don't cast me out yet, romance readers), give me a HFN and I'm good. Leave out the epilogue and I won't even fuss.
In this case though, seeing as both heroes spent such a harrowing time escaping the bad guys and fighting to survive, I was expecting—no, I needed a HEA for them.
What did the author give me? A mother effin' cliffhanger disguised as an epilogue. Don't do this. Don't try to hook me to the much obvious next book in your series by robbing me from a much needed closure for the couple you made me stan for. Maybe it was just an accidental mislabel, maybe not. Just don't.
Is the next book about another couple? Are Angel and Ford out of trouble? I can't even say and that's problematic.
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WHY I ENDED PICKING UP THIS BOOK :
Survival Romance? —A romantic suspense with a survival trope. That sounds nice.
Opposites attract couple —Like enemies to lovers? I'm okay with that.
Jerk, distant hero —Yes, please. No questions.
Bubbly/sunny heroine — Mkay, we need levity after all. Please don't be empty headed.
Forced proximity you say? —Even better, I want my heroes all over each other!
A romance set in Antartica —But all that ice... surely they can't...
OH BUT THEY CAN. Again and again. — *starts chapter one*
Whiteout was my first book by Adriana Anders and I really enjoyed it for the most part.
With a gripping opening and at peek a feels unrequited between the main characters, I've pretty much devoured half the book in my quest to witness Angel and Ford falling for each other. You'd think such a desolate and unforgiving setting as Antarctica prevents any romance much less any steam but think again, Adriana Anders does a great job at leviting thrilling suspense and intense survival scenes by interspersing a scandalous amount of sexual tension.
The suspense plot was interesting but ultimately what kept me on the edge throughout the book was this almost unbearable, thick, potent tension between Angel and Ford. To the point I found myself internally debating with the hero—whose choice to stay fully clothed was of course the discerning one : "Come on, Ford, what's a little frostbite on your dick? Take off your clothes, promise you won't feel the cold, Ford... damnit!".
I know, trust me, I knowww, I was just past all discernment. The author had been toying with my feelings (hear : lust) ever since that first kiss scene. And the second. By the third kiss scene I was ready to combust. Yes, in the middle of Austral Antarctica, I was undergoing hot flashes. Kisses THAT hot. Kisses that powerful.
Torture. Pure and simple!
“The explosive nuclear attraction that even two weeks on the ice couldn't kill.”
What worked for me additionally to the clever exploitation of crackling chemistry in this forced proximity trope was how polar opposites both heroes were.
The hero, Ford Cooper, is your typical grouchy, silent, brooding, aloof jerk. He's not an asshole but he could sure fool you. Turns out Ford has become as frozen as the ice he likes to work on, he needs a little thawing is all.
“What was it about the coolness of him that made her so damned hot? All stern and seductively scientific, as he melted her into a useless puddle of want, right there, in the middle of nowhere.”
Kind, lively, witty Angel Smith brought some much needed lightheartedness to this sometimes somber and oppressing premise. She turned out to be more resilient and strong than what I first assumed she would be. Not only relying on Ford but sharing the load of their escape. She was the perfect pairing for the hero and a real trooper! Her POV was fun to read, just for the nicknames she awarded the hero : His Royal Stiffness, Ice Man.
“A Moan escaped her and he responded with a grunt of his own as he pressed deeper, kept her there with is melted Ice Man magic.
...On the ice, in the Antarctic cold, in the middle of freaking nowhere, his tongue showed her how dirty sex could be.”
All in all I adored Angel's and Ford's romance going strong against and despite the threatening climate and the impending menace to be outraced by the villains but had issues toward the end. Especially with the "epilogue" part.
Listen, I'm not that hard up about HEA and epilogues in my romance(don't cast me out yet, romance readers), give me a HFN and I'm good. Leave out the epilogue and I won't even fuss.
In this case though, seeing as both heroes spent such a harrowing time escaping the bad guys and fighting to survive, I was expecting—no, I needed a HEA for them.
What did the author give me? A mother effin' cliffhanger disguised as an epilogue. Don't do this. Don't try to hook me to the much obvious next book in your series by robbing me from a much needed closure for the couple you made me stan for. Maybe it was just an accidental mislabel, maybe not. Just don't.
Is the next book about another couple? Are Angel and Ford out of trouble? I can't even say and that's problematic.
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July 9, 2021
This was a really fun adventure. I am hooked.
Not a ton of steam, but the connection between them was deep and I liked the thrill of survival..
Diving into my ARC of the sequel now.
.
Off to the Alaskan Wilderness next.
4.5/5 stars.
Not a ton of steam, but the connection between them was deep and I liked the thrill of survival..
Diving into my ARC of the sequel now.
.
Off to the Alaskan Wilderness next.
4.5/5 stars.
January 28, 2020
4.5 stars
I don’t know about you, but a survival story with romance has my hands grabbing. I saw this book blurb and cover and knew I had to have it. Not one thing about this book disappointed, in fact, it surpassed by expectations. Get your running shoes on because this book has a fast-pace from start to finish.
What’s so special about WHITEOUT is that it was set in the antarctic and I really don’t think I’ve read a book based here (I’ve read a few thrillers set in the arctic). The time was taken to paint Antarctica both at the beginning but also as the story progressed and the characters ventured out into the wilderness. I needed this and it painted a white but vivid picture.
Angel was the summer chef on the station, ready to travel back to the US for the winter, leaving a skelton staff of scientists. Ford ‘Coop’ was a glaciologist there for the duration and he’d spent the whole time of Angel’s season on the station avoiding her and his attraction to her. He basically made himself look like a total jackass. There was a quick unfurling of events and Angel and Ford found themselves running for survival and for a higher purpose.
The journey to survive was compelling reading alongside an equally riveting story of the reluctant connection between Ford and Angel. Angel was all soft edges, kindness but with an expected strength that she bowled me over. Ford was the epitomy of grumpy male but just a bit more than that. I still have questions about whether he was on the spectrum, had PTSD and I still don’t know the story of his voice, and I NEED that. I’m hoping to find out more about him further into the series.
But here, across from a women who was the antithesis of everything he’d ever known, who’d fed him food that burst with flavor and worked as hard as any soldier he’d ever fought beside, he let himself wish-for just a second or two-that he could be the man who made her laugh.
This story kept rolling from the opener to the end. I wanted to read and stayed up late to do so, just to devour the words and the story. I fell into this book and writing not knowing the kind of writer Adriana Anders was, but I do now and I like her style very much. Just brace yourself for where this ends, although there is definite tying up of ends. All I can say is thank goodness this is a series and we get more from these characters and world.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the early review copy, I read this super early because I couldn’t resist. I hope that makes you want to pick it up.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
I don’t know about you, but a survival story with romance has my hands grabbing. I saw this book blurb and cover and knew I had to have it. Not one thing about this book disappointed, in fact, it surpassed by expectations. Get your running shoes on because this book has a fast-pace from start to finish.
What’s so special about WHITEOUT is that it was set in the antarctic and I really don’t think I’ve read a book based here (I’ve read a few thrillers set in the arctic). The time was taken to paint Antarctica both at the beginning but also as the story progressed and the characters ventured out into the wilderness. I needed this and it painted a white but vivid picture.
Angel was the summer chef on the station, ready to travel back to the US for the winter, leaving a skelton staff of scientists. Ford ‘Coop’ was a glaciologist there for the duration and he’d spent the whole time of Angel’s season on the station avoiding her and his attraction to her. He basically made himself look like a total jackass. There was a quick unfurling of events and Angel and Ford found themselves running for survival and for a higher purpose.
The journey to survive was compelling reading alongside an equally riveting story of the reluctant connection between Ford and Angel. Angel was all soft edges, kindness but with an expected strength that she bowled me over. Ford was the epitomy of grumpy male but just a bit more than that. I still have questions about whether he was on the spectrum, had PTSD and I still don’t know the story of his voice, and I NEED that. I’m hoping to find out more about him further into the series.
But here, across from a women who was the antithesis of everything he’d ever known, who’d fed him food that burst with flavor and worked as hard as any soldier he’d ever fought beside, he let himself wish-for just a second or two-that he could be the man who made her laugh.
This story kept rolling from the opener to the end. I wanted to read and stayed up late to do so, just to devour the words and the story. I fell into this book and writing not knowing the kind of writer Adriana Anders was, but I do now and I like her style very much. Just brace yourself for where this ends, although there is definite tying up of ends. All I can say is thank goodness this is a series and we get more from these characters and world.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the early review copy, I read this super early because I couldn’t resist. I hope that makes you want to pick it up.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
December 5, 2019
Antarctica, a frozen sea of hidden discoveries, a scientific haven for the brave hearted, or as in Angel’s case, those looking to hide away from life for a while. The subzero temps and total isolation would be more than enough adventure for me, but for a scientific outpost and two of its occupants, it is about to become a chilling race to survive in a frigid hell.
WHITEOUT by Adriana Anders snowballs into a searing hot romance as two people trek through miles of ice and snow, knowing they could be humanity’s last chance against a deranged mind.
Adriana Anders does so well creating each scene, as well as an atmosphere of desperation, I’m pretty sure I could feel frostbite setting in where my hands touched my Kindle. Good thing the scorching hot romance developing between Angel and Ford heated things up just perfectly!
A rapid-fire action/high octane read with strong characters, great dialogue and a true sense of “being there.” Highly recommended for romance lovers, too!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca! this is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Survival Instincts - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 28, 2020)
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Print Length: 448 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
WHITEOUT by Adriana Anders snowballs into a searing hot romance as two people trek through miles of ice and snow, knowing they could be humanity’s last chance against a deranged mind.
Adriana Anders does so well creating each scene, as well as an atmosphere of desperation, I’m pretty sure I could feel frostbite setting in where my hands touched my Kindle. Good thing the scorching hot romance developing between Angel and Ford heated things up just perfectly!
A rapid-fire action/high octane read with strong characters, great dialogue and a true sense of “being there.” Highly recommended for romance lovers, too!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca! this is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Survival Instincts - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 28, 2020)
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Print Length: 448 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
January 18, 2020
Get a blanket, warm slippers and something hot to drink before snowshoeing into this read. Baby it’s cold inside this book and then it HOT but that has nothing to do with the weather. It’s about two people who are running away from their lives and a horrendous plot to kill millions.
Favorite line “The Iceman Cometh” < wink >. So the story is set in a remote scientific station near the pole, frozen beyond cold. Angel is the new hire, the cook for the station. Coop, one of the scientist, is the stick in her side, Mr Grumpy. He is colder than the ice surrounding the place. He spends most of his time out on the ice so when something goes wrong and he comes back to a nearly empty station he has no idea what happened, till he finds a certain cook. The cook, Angel is traumatized, horrified and broken. It doesn’t last long she’s not there to die. She’s a hero here, and Mr Grumpy knows it. Together they take steps to survive with little to no chance of making it. Remember it’s cold, and they have to stay warm somehow when it gets dark and there is no generator. :P Here come the toe tingling bits, it’s slow and delicious. It’s not all warm generating going on the guys who destroyed the station are now looking for them.
What an intense read. It has it all, intense action, uncertain future, difficult hard won relationship, snark, and so much more. I loved and hated the characters as they ere writer. The good was so awwwww, the bad, ugg they were nasty bits of evil ! Fun read !
I received a copy of this from the publisher for a honest review
Favorite line “The Iceman Cometh” < wink >. So the story is set in a remote scientific station near the pole, frozen beyond cold. Angel is the new hire, the cook for the station. Coop, one of the scientist, is the stick in her side, Mr Grumpy. He is colder than the ice surrounding the place. He spends most of his time out on the ice so when something goes wrong and he comes back to a nearly empty station he has no idea what happened, till he finds a certain cook. The cook, Angel is traumatized, horrified and broken. It doesn’t last long she’s not there to die. She’s a hero here, and Mr Grumpy knows it. Together they take steps to survive with little to no chance of making it. Remember it’s cold, and they have to stay warm somehow when it gets dark and there is no generator. :P Here come the toe tingling bits, it’s slow and delicious. It’s not all warm generating going on the guys who destroyed the station are now looking for them.
What an intense read. It has it all, intense action, uncertain future, difficult hard won relationship, snark, and so much more. I loved and hated the characters as they ere writer. The good was so awwwww, the bad, ugg they were nasty bits of evil ! Fun read !
I received a copy of this from the publisher for a honest review
February 7, 2020
4.5 Stars
Angel Smith is just about to end her time as the cook for Burke-Ruhe research base at the South Pole in Antarctica. Winter is about to start and instead of all days they’ll switch to all nights and only a skeleton crew will be staying on, but before she can get on the plane the base is attacked leaving her and Ford Cooper stranded. Now they must get to safety and survive in the harsh elements before their food runs out and before the bad guys hunt them down and finish them off.
Ford Cooper tried to keep his distance from Angel because of his intense attraction to her, because nothing could come of it, but now that they’re thrown together and on the run for their lives he doesn’t have much hope he’ll be able to resist her.
This was a thrilling, fast-paced, action filled read, and I loved every minute of it! At the beginning of the story Angel and Ford have a bit of an antagonistic relationship. Angel’s attracted to Ford, but thinks he hates her as all he does is scowl and avoid her as much as possible. She doesn’t realize that he’s attracted to her as well and has some fears about getting together. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, and they’re thrown together under life and death circumstances they get close and the sparks fly! Very steamy when they weren’t running for their lives! I was just worried about them surviving long enough for the relationship to go anywhere and let me tell you it was pretty intense and shaky there for a while!
Adriana Anders is a new to me author, but I had a strong feeling I’d love Whiteout after giving her a try with Deep Blue, the prequel novella to Whiteout. The story features Zoe and Ford’s brother, Eric. It isn’t necessary to read before Whiteout, but it was a lot of fun and a quick read! It’s still free on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, part of a bundle of novellas in Turn the Tide.
A copy was kindly provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.
Angel Smith is just about to end her time as the cook for Burke-Ruhe research base at the South Pole in Antarctica. Winter is about to start and instead of all days they’ll switch to all nights and only a skeleton crew will be staying on, but before she can get on the plane the base is attacked leaving her and Ford Cooper stranded. Now they must get to safety and survive in the harsh elements before their food runs out and before the bad guys hunt them down and finish them off.
Ford Cooper tried to keep his distance from Angel because of his intense attraction to her, because nothing could come of it, but now that they’re thrown together and on the run for their lives he doesn’t have much hope he’ll be able to resist her.
This was a thrilling, fast-paced, action filled read, and I loved every minute of it! At the beginning of the story Angel and Ford have a bit of an antagonistic relationship. Angel’s attracted to Ford, but thinks he hates her as all he does is scowl and avoid her as much as possible. She doesn’t realize that he’s attracted to her as well and has some fears about getting together. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, and they’re thrown together under life and death circumstances they get close and the sparks fly! Very steamy when they weren’t running for their lives! I was just worried about them surviving long enough for the relationship to go anywhere and let me tell you it was pretty intense and shaky there for a while!
Adriana Anders is a new to me author, but I had a strong feeling I’d love Whiteout after giving her a try with Deep Blue, the prequel novella to Whiteout. The story features Zoe and Ford’s brother, Eric. It isn’t necessary to read before Whiteout, but it was a lot of fun and a quick read! It’s still free on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, part of a bundle of novellas in Turn the Tide.
A copy was kindly provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2021
Holy cow this story was fabulous! This was a buddy read with my friend Lana I throughly enjoyed this romantic thriller.
The snow, the ice, the steamy slow burn!
Anders is such a wonderful writer, and weaves this thriller is a way that I was instantly hooked and had to force myself to slow down.
I know there were complaints about the somewhat abrupt ending, but please don’t let that dissuade you from reading this story. You aren’t left wondering about the couple, it just doesn’t give you the longer ending we needy romantics prefer.
The snow, the ice, the steamy slow burn!
The explosive nuclear attraction that even two weeks on the ice couldn't kill.Ford is a dreamy (possibly on the spectrum) hunk of a hero. Angel is an excellent heroine, strong and capable. These two together were perfect!
Anders is such a wonderful writer, and weaves this thriller is a way that I was instantly hooked and had to force myself to slow down.
I know there were complaints about the somewhat abrupt ending, but please don’t let that dissuade you from reading this story. You aren’t left wondering about the couple, it just doesn’t give you the longer ending we needy romantics prefer.
April 13, 2020
I struggled to get into this one, but at about the 20% mark, I got into the groove. This is a survival thriller with a good dose of romance thrown in, and was a perfectly fun way to pass some time. I didn't find it particularly memorable, but was a nice variation on the romantic suspense genre
January 23, 2020
Source: Netgalley
I first fell in love with Adriana Anders’ writing while reading her Blank Canvas series and then again while reading Thirst through the Radish app (I really hope she releases it on Kindle at some point since I didn’t get to read the last five chapters of the story before my free trial ended.) So reading Whiteout was a no brainer.
Whiteout is an action pack ride in the middle of nowhere Antarctica. Our hero, Ford Cooper, is an ex-army sniper turned PhD scientist, who is socially awkward, grumpy, and a loner. Our heroine is Angel Smith, who is a cook. They both came to Antarctica for the same reason, to start over.
Ford just wants to be left alone on the ice with his research and Angel wants to start over after a terrible marriage that ended leaving her a widow.
Angel has a crush on the grumpy doctor, and he does his best to avoid her because he feels the same, even if he doesn’t know how to show it. But he doesn’t want to want her; he thinks he is better off alone. He only seeks out companionship with females to scratch and itch and that’s far and few between. Angel takes his avoiding her to mean he is not interested and he doesn’t like her at all. Her last night at the Pole she decides, with some liquid courage, to ask him to dance at the party they have when the summer crew leaves until they return the next summer (apparently Antarctica only has summer (all day) and winter (all night) with nothing really in between) leaving a skeleton crew for the winter months.
Ford’s refusal to dance is just the tipping point of the end of summer. Murder and mayhem follow putting Angel and Ford together on a race across Antarctica to the next station. While on the run for their lives they get to know each other and their sexual chemistry helps keep them warm in their tent at night in the middle of ice and snow.
Whiteout is a high-stakes rush to safety from murders, with a developing romance ending with a HEA. It also starts off the Survival Instincts series, which seems like it will circle around a group of ex-military men and women trying to take down a corporation who plans on using a virus found by Ford, but they don’t know what their end game is yet. I look for to learning more about the group who saved Ford and Angel and who happens to work with Ford’s brother.
I first fell in love with Adriana Anders’ writing while reading her Blank Canvas series and then again while reading Thirst through the Radish app (I really hope she releases it on Kindle at some point since I didn’t get to read the last five chapters of the story before my free trial ended.) So reading Whiteout was a no brainer.
Whiteout is an action pack ride in the middle of nowhere Antarctica. Our hero, Ford Cooper, is an ex-army sniper turned PhD scientist, who is socially awkward, grumpy, and a loner. Our heroine is Angel Smith, who is a cook. They both came to Antarctica for the same reason, to start over.
Ford just wants to be left alone on the ice with his research and Angel wants to start over after a terrible marriage that ended leaving her a widow.
Angel has a crush on the grumpy doctor, and he does his best to avoid her because he feels the same, even if he doesn’t know how to show it. But he doesn’t want to want her; he thinks he is better off alone. He only seeks out companionship with females to scratch and itch and that’s far and few between. Angel takes his avoiding her to mean he is not interested and he doesn’t like her at all. Her last night at the Pole she decides, with some liquid courage, to ask him to dance at the party they have when the summer crew leaves until they return the next summer (apparently Antarctica only has summer (all day) and winter (all night) with nothing really in between) leaving a skeleton crew for the winter months.
Ford’s refusal to dance is just the tipping point of the end of summer. Murder and mayhem follow putting Angel and Ford together on a race across Antarctica to the next station. While on the run for their lives they get to know each other and their sexual chemistry helps keep them warm in their tent at night in the middle of ice and snow.
Whiteout is a high-stakes rush to safety from murders, with a developing romance ending with a HEA. It also starts off the Survival Instincts series, which seems like it will circle around a group of ex-military men and women trying to take down a corporation who plans on using a virus found by Ford, but they don’t know what their end game is yet. I look for to learning more about the group who saved Ford and Angel and who happens to work with Ford’s brother.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 19, 2020DNF @ 68%
I decided to stop when I was skimming more than reading. It became too slow. I was intrigued by the setting and situation that these two were in but was bored with the suspense. Their love for one another seemed to come out of nowhere too. This definitely could be attributed to my book funk — so please don’t just take my word for it since others seemed to like it!
I decided to stop when I was skimming more than reading. It became too slow. I was intrigued by the setting and situation that these two were in but was bored with the suspense. Their love for one another seemed to come out of nowhere too. This definitely could be attributed to my book funk — so please don’t just take my word for it since others seemed to like it!
March 29, 2020
In short, meh. The cold is brutal. I know what 60 below is and I'd have little will to survive let alone romance. Well written in a pace sense, but couldn't care less about the characters, romance, etc. Too long, hate a switch of POV in final chapters--and was that a cliffhanger end? Nope.
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January 27, 2020
Holy heck! This book is one wild adventure! From pretty much the very beginning things start happening and it never slows down. Talk about drama, danger, suspense! I couldn’t put it down!
When Angel and Ford are left as the only survivors after their research facility is attacked, they find themselves running for their lives across the unforgiving Antarctica landscape. To be on the run would be enough danger but with the addition of the sub-zero temperatures and conditions of the location they’re in, this author takes danger to a whole new level. Who would have thought that someone could find romance in such a cold and colorless world?
I absolutely loved both Angel and Ford. Despite feeling lost and unsure of herself, Angel was a ray of sunshine, especially to Ford. He’s the Ice Man, hiding behind a cold facade for reasons, unfortunately, that were never completely revealed or either I missed them through the sheer adrenaline this book created.
Ford is not only withdrawn, he’s also a bit of a science geek, a grump who doesn’t like mixing with people and who struggles just to speak (again not completely revealed why). When he does choose to speak, he usually messes it up, unsure of the words to say or how to say them. Especially when it comes to speaking to Angel. I enjoyed watching him slowly come out of his shell and reach out to her verbally and physically.
While there is plenty of romance, I have to admit that sometimes it was difficult to really feel it because this author has created so much danger just from the elements alone. I was so caught up in the suspense I found it hard at times to relax enough to enjoy this couple’s quiet moments.
This ends with a “happy for now” rather than a “happy ever after” and despite the thrills and drama this unforgiving backdrop of ice gave me, it looks as if the next book may take us to another location. I suspect it may still have severe weather conditions and while I enjoyed this one, I’m not in a hurry to return to such a harsh environment again. Then again, by the time the next book releases, it’ll be summer and should make a perfect beach read.
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
When Angel and Ford are left as the only survivors after their research facility is attacked, they find themselves running for their lives across the unforgiving Antarctica landscape. To be on the run would be enough danger but with the addition of the sub-zero temperatures and conditions of the location they’re in, this author takes danger to a whole new level. Who would have thought that someone could find romance in such a cold and colorless world?
I absolutely loved both Angel and Ford. Despite feeling lost and unsure of herself, Angel was a ray of sunshine, especially to Ford. He’s the Ice Man, hiding behind a cold facade for reasons, unfortunately, that were never completely revealed or either I missed them through the sheer adrenaline this book created.
Ford is not only withdrawn, he’s also a bit of a science geek, a grump who doesn’t like mixing with people and who struggles just to speak (again not completely revealed why). When he does choose to speak, he usually messes it up, unsure of the words to say or how to say them. Especially when it comes to speaking to Angel. I enjoyed watching him slowly come out of his shell and reach out to her verbally and physically.
While there is plenty of romance, I have to admit that sometimes it was difficult to really feel it because this author has created so much danger just from the elements alone. I was so caught up in the suspense I found it hard at times to relax enough to enjoy this couple’s quiet moments.
This ends with a “happy for now” rather than a “happy ever after” and despite the thrills and drama this unforgiving backdrop of ice gave me, it looks as if the next book may take us to another location. I suspect it may still have severe weather conditions and while I enjoyed this one, I’m not in a hurry to return to such a harsh environment again. Then again, by the time the next book releases, it’ll be summer and should make a perfect beach read.
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
January 3, 2020
The Angel we meet here is a woman whose world was turned upside down when she became seriously injured, losing everything that she thought was precious. She’s dusted herself off and taken a temporary assignment cooking for researchers at the South Pole. What she hadn’t expected because frankly who would ,is to witness a murder that leaves her stranded and alone in the abandoned station.
Ford Cooper is a committed scientist who adores the isolation that the “Ice” give him but he’s also a man who struggles to cope with the chaos that his fellow humans all bring. Spotting blood whilst out checking his experiments Coop is left with an uneasy feeling that gets much worse when he discovers his fellow Pole workers have all disappeared ! Well all that is except for the very lively and perplexing Angel but things soon get even worse as the couple need to travel across the frozen, inhospitable Antarctic landscape all whilst knowing they have something that others are prepared to kill for !
This was a slow burn romance that features two people both damaged in their own way and I loved that the author didn’t rush the romance. What we get instead is a frightening and realistic to my mind picture of what true isolation and freezing conditions feel like. At times this was a claustrophobic read that enabled me to almost experience the dire conditions that this couple found themselves in. Yes they undertake a physical journey because hey those bad guys are definitely following them but more importantly both Angel and Coop experience what I can only describe as epiphanies. Truly a happy ending that is hard fought for and well deserved and I cannot recommend this author enough for her emotional and insightful stories.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Ford Cooper is a committed scientist who adores the isolation that the “Ice” give him but he’s also a man who struggles to cope with the chaos that his fellow humans all bring. Spotting blood whilst out checking his experiments Coop is left with an uneasy feeling that gets much worse when he discovers his fellow Pole workers have all disappeared ! Well all that is except for the very lively and perplexing Angel but things soon get even worse as the couple need to travel across the frozen, inhospitable Antarctic landscape all whilst knowing they have something that others are prepared to kill for !
This was a slow burn romance that features two people both damaged in their own way and I loved that the author didn’t rush the romance. What we get instead is a frightening and realistic to my mind picture of what true isolation and freezing conditions feel like. At times this was a claustrophobic read that enabled me to almost experience the dire conditions that this couple found themselves in. Yes they undertake a physical journey because hey those bad guys are definitely following them but more importantly both Angel and Coop experience what I can only describe as epiphanies. Truly a happy ending that is hard fought for and well deserved and I cannot recommend this author enough for her emotional and insightful stories.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
October 28, 2019
4.5 stars rounding up...
Adeptly written, full of thrilling moments showing superb narrative control, ‘Whiteout’ is putting Adriana Anders on my romantic-suspense-authors list. Truth is, I had a damn good time with this. Few stories use Antarctica as a setting; even fewer delve so deeply into and write so convincingly about the endless, brutal, frigid whiteness and the fragility of humanity against the unrelenting harshness of nature.
Both Angel Smith and Ford Cooper are in Antarctica for various reasons of their own, but they have each found a place there they belong, amongst an eclectic group of people finding camaraderie at the end of the world. Things change only when a series of events lead them to run for their lives and the fractious ‘relationship’ both initially have changes as they are thrust together in extreme and adverse circumstances that no one could ever imagine.
Angel/Ford are an unlikely pairing, but Anders persuades me early on that a terse, emotionally-unsure glaciologist with an everyday heroine with her own hurts can actually be one I’ll root for. In fact, the strength that Angel develops as the crisis goes on is admirable—more so because it very eloquently details the sort of limits and fortitude you don’t know you have until the need for survival drops suddenly on you.
The overall narrative arc isn’t one that is yet resolved: Ford and Angel barely get out of this alive (this is still thanks to an almost Deus ex Machina moment) and the bad guys for now get their comeuppance, but there overall trajectory of world domination through population-cleansing is still there. It left me somewhat uncertain and unclear, so portions with the masterminding corporation and the higher-ups seemed fuzzy despite the slow movements of chess pieces across a board I couldn’t fully understand yet.
I wished we could have had more moments exploring Ford’s history together—that is merely briefly alluded to—but the focus is so on the present that there just doesn’t seem to be enough space (both mental and emotional) for it. The last few pages wrapped up Ford/Angel’s story a tad hastily and a sort-of cliffhanger ending made ‘Whiteout’ feel incomplete despite the rushed HEA. But Anders leaves me wanting more and in this case, I’m already watching out for the sequel.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
Adeptly written, full of thrilling moments showing superb narrative control, ‘Whiteout’ is putting Adriana Anders on my romantic-suspense-authors list. Truth is, I had a damn good time with this. Few stories use Antarctica as a setting; even fewer delve so deeply into and write so convincingly about the endless, brutal, frigid whiteness and the fragility of humanity against the unrelenting harshness of nature.
Both Angel Smith and Ford Cooper are in Antarctica for various reasons of their own, but they have each found a place there they belong, amongst an eclectic group of people finding camaraderie at the end of the world. Things change only when a series of events lead them to run for their lives and the fractious ‘relationship’ both initially have changes as they are thrust together in extreme and adverse circumstances that no one could ever imagine.
Angel/Ford are an unlikely pairing, but Anders persuades me early on that a terse, emotionally-unsure glaciologist with an everyday heroine with her own hurts can actually be one I’ll root for. In fact, the strength that Angel develops as the crisis goes on is admirable—more so because it very eloquently details the sort of limits and fortitude you don’t know you have until the need for survival drops suddenly on you.
The overall narrative arc isn’t one that is yet resolved: Ford and Angel barely get out of this alive (this is still thanks to an almost Deus ex Machina moment) and the bad guys for now get their comeuppance, but there overall trajectory of world domination through population-cleansing is still there. It left me somewhat uncertain and unclear, so portions with the masterminding corporation and the higher-ups seemed fuzzy despite the slow movements of chess pieces across a board I couldn’t fully understand yet.
I wished we could have had more moments exploring Ford’s history together—that is merely briefly alluded to—but the focus is so on the present that there just doesn’t seem to be enough space (both mental and emotional) for it. The last few pages wrapped up Ford/Angel’s story a tad hastily and a sort-of cliffhanger ending made ‘Whiteout’ feel incomplete despite the rushed HEA. But Anders leaves me wanting more and in this case, I’m already watching out for the sequel.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
December 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this romantic suspense, forced proximity romance. It was a bit of a slow start though, and things didn’t really pick up for me until almost 50%. Ford was sooooo grumpy and I loved how things developed between him and Angel. It’s a definite slow burn between these two and I never thought I’d be so happy for a field research hut. ;) There was a little too much landscape and weather detail for me, but the virus plot line and what Chronus Corporation was planning to do was pretty terrifying. Whiteout was an entertaining ride and sets up future books really well. The story ends with a cliffhanger of sorts (the main couple’s story is complete though) and leads into the next book.
I both read the ebook and listened to this one. The narration by Coleen Marlo was overall enjoyable, but some of the accents and voices didn’t quite work for me. It was also difficult to sometimes differentiate between characters.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 3 stars
Story 3.5-4 stars
CW: guns, knives, death, murder, trauma, grief, kidnapping, captivity/imprisonment, cheating ex (past). Mentions and discussions of: past school shooting, death of loved ones including minors, biological warfare, and mass murder.
I both read the ebook and listened to this one. The narration by Coleen Marlo was overall enjoyable, but some of the accents and voices didn’t quite work for me. It was also difficult to sometimes differentiate between characters.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 3 stars
Story 3.5-4 stars
CW: guns, knives, death, murder, trauma, grief, kidnapping, captivity/imprisonment, cheating ex (past). Mentions and discussions of: past school shooting, death of loved ones including minors, biological warfare, and mass murder.
February 10, 2020
I read the paperback version. Although the book is 494 pages, Whiteout is 388 pages. There is 100+ pages of an excerpt (or maybe the full book) from Katie Ruggle's book "On His Watch". I did not read Ruggle's book.
Whiteout started out really strong and I was totally pulled in but then the adventure ended and the romance element began. The plot sort of stalled out as the h/H trekked across an ice field. For the most part this ended up chapter after chapter of being in each of the h/H heads as they make goo goo eyes at each other. I didn't feel it and it was long and boring.
Then there's like one more action scene, a character status update and it ended. No conclusion to the main plot - just a lead into the next book. With all the overly long romance elements I just felt totally disappointed. It felt like the dreaded cliffhanger so I'm labeling it that.
If the next books are just teasers to the plot and tons of filler romance, I'll pass. I know there are a lot of people who loved this but I wanted more story to the plot.
Whiteout started out really strong and I was totally pulled in but then the adventure ended and the romance element began. The plot sort of stalled out as the h/H trekked across an ice field. For the most part this ended up chapter after chapter of being in each of the h/H heads as they make goo goo eyes at each other. I didn't feel it and it was long and boring.
Then there's like one more action scene, a character status update and it ended. No conclusion to the main plot - just a lead into the next book. With all the overly long romance elements I just felt totally disappointed. It felt like the dreaded cliffhanger so I'm labeling it that.
If the next books are just teasers to the plot and tons of filler romance, I'll pass. I know there are a lot of people who loved this but I wanted more story to the plot.
January 28, 2020
Synopsis:
In the Ice Tunnels of Burke-Ruhe Research Station in the South Pole, a dying man tries to keep himself alive in order to warn the others. Twenty-two miles away from that man, Ford Cooper is at the field drilling site. His mind filled with the suspicious new crew and the station's cook, the bubbly Angel Smith who will be thankfully gone by the next day. She invaded his thoughts at the oddest of times and he didn't need the distraction.
Angel is a chef who had taken up the job at this end-of-the-world place to get away from her past. And she was handed over a new beginning, with nothing waiting for her at her non-existent home in Pittsburgh, a clean slate to start her life again. But on her last day, while ensuring that the handful who stayed back for winter didn't starve, she misses the only plane that took back the summer crew. Why? Because she witnessed a murder and she couldn't be allowed to stay alive by the killers.
Review:
I love me a good thriller. And when it's combined with frigid weather and impossible survival conditions, it's a recipe for a good book. I think Dan Brown's Deception Point was a book of this scale that I last read.
Thirty-one-year-old chef Angel had preferred to go to the South Pole to leave behind what had happened. And with her tenure coming to an end, she was leaving again. While she was glad for the fresh start in life, there was nothing and no one to look forward to in the States from where she came, she would dearly miss this family she had right here, even if not the whiteness of the ice and the cold.
The author's icy and cooking references provided some much-needed relief from all the danger and the lingering suspense. Angel calls Dr Coop the Ice Man, he seemed to like the ice so much that he never even looked at her. And when he did, it was as if she was an unsavoury addition to the team.
Thirty-eight-year-old Dr Ford Cooper has made the Antarctic his home, he thrives in that cold weather, with his drills and equipment, and there is nothing that can distract him from his work. Except for that new chef Angel Smith to whom he feels attracted to but is in constant denial.
Through Angel's dialogue, we are made aware of the hardships of life in Antarctica. Reading a book set there sounds fun and thrilling but actually being there, damn! While I've read many romantic suspense stories with the revenge angle, this whole plot is what originally made me fall in love with the genre. And Adriana Anders has done a hell of a job in this one! There's those who are in-your-face evil, and then there's those who are the actual masterminds. And this has both! You never know where the next attack is coming from. And I'm not going to reveal who 'they' are or what their purpose is, you've to read it and find it out for yourself. Only dropping this quote here:
There is something in one of the ice cores that Coop found. And after their research station is destroyed, decisions have to be made, with the next nearest research station being that of the Russians - the Volkov Station. But, nothing is too close in the expanse of Antarctica.
Spanning a time period of close to a month, and skiing through Antarctica which is so not a cakewalk, starts Ford and Angel's twenty-one-day journey with provisions, and the five metal canisters that contained Ford's discovery, before 'they' get to them.
Reading this in the cold weather will certainly give you more jitters. Because it is exactly what the series is titled. It is about survival, about staying alive come what may. But it's about humour too, in the form of Angel's mouth. The things she calls Ford and the freezing wind that roars through the Antarctic.
It is one terrific romantic suspense, with a fair amount of breathtaking thrill. Especially the thrilling part at the end made me realise how perfect the deadly combination of an ex-army turned glaciologist and a chef can be. But as they say, when you think everything's gonna be alright, there's still a 'clusterfuck' left to be committed by the antagonists. And don't even get me started on Eric Cooper, Ford's older brother. The way he thunders in - *swoon* - can someone please make a movie on this book? I would recommend this to everyone who gulps down thrillers, because as much romance as there is in this book, it is one hell of a ride too!
There's an epilogue also. And it sets the premise for the next book. The events of this one have been rounded up nicely. And I'm excited for the next round of action and also for some of the revelations regarding Coop's discovery. Eagerly waiting for Book Two!
Thank you to the author, the publishers - Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the book.
Originally posted on:
Shaina's Musings
In the Ice Tunnels of Burke-Ruhe Research Station in the South Pole, a dying man tries to keep himself alive in order to warn the others. Twenty-two miles away from that man, Ford Cooper is at the field drilling site. His mind filled with the suspicious new crew and the station's cook, the bubbly Angel Smith who will be thankfully gone by the next day. She invaded his thoughts at the oddest of times and he didn't need the distraction.
Angel is a chef who had taken up the job at this end-of-the-world place to get away from her past. And she was handed over a new beginning, with nothing waiting for her at her non-existent home in Pittsburgh, a clean slate to start her life again. But on her last day, while ensuring that the handful who stayed back for winter didn't starve, she misses the only plane that took back the summer crew. Why? Because she witnessed a murder and she couldn't be allowed to stay alive by the killers.
Review:
I love me a good thriller. And when it's combined with frigid weather and impossible survival conditions, it's a recipe for a good book. I think Dan Brown's Deception Point was a book of this scale that I last read.
Thirty-one-year-old chef Angel had preferred to go to the South Pole to leave behind what had happened. And with her tenure coming to an end, she was leaving again. While she was glad for the fresh start in life, there was nothing and no one to look forward to in the States from where she came, she would dearly miss this family she had right here, even if not the whiteness of the ice and the cold.
The author's icy and cooking references provided some much-needed relief from all the danger and the lingering suspense. Angel calls Dr Coop the Ice Man, he seemed to like the ice so much that he never even looked at her. And when he did, it was as if she was an unsavoury addition to the team.
Ford Cooper didn’t do hugs—not as a kid or as a sniper in the U.S. Army, nor as a research scientist in the most unwelcoming field on earth.
Thirty-eight-year-old Dr Ford Cooper has made the Antarctic his home, he thrives in that cold weather, with his drills and equipment, and there is nothing that can distract him from his work. Except for that new chef Angel Smith to whom he feels attracted to but is in constant denial.
Through Angel's dialogue, we are made aware of the hardships of life in Antarctica. Reading a book set there sounds fun and thrilling but actually being there, damn! While I've read many romantic suspense stories with the revenge angle, this whole plot is what originally made me fall in love with the genre. And Adriana Anders has done a hell of a job in this one! There's those who are in-your-face evil, and then there's those who are the actual masterminds. And this has both! You never know where the next attack is coming from. And I'm not going to reveal who 'they' are or what their purpose is, you've to read it and find it out for yourself. Only dropping this quote here:
It was the survivors, after all, who wrote the books for future generations.
There is something in one of the ice cores that Coop found. And after their research station is destroyed, decisions have to be made, with the next nearest research station being that of the Russians - the Volkov Station. But, nothing is too close in the expanse of Antarctica.
Why bring violence to the most peaceful continent on earth?
Spanning a time period of close to a month, and skiing through Antarctica which is so not a cakewalk, starts Ford and Angel's twenty-one-day journey with provisions, and the five metal canisters that contained Ford's discovery, before 'they' get to them.
Reading this in the cold weather will certainly give you more jitters. Because it is exactly what the series is titled. It is about survival, about staying alive come what may. But it's about humour too, in the form of Angel's mouth. The things she calls Ford and the freezing wind that roars through the Antarctic.
Even now, running for their lives, she made him laugh.
It is one terrific romantic suspense, with a fair amount of breathtaking thrill. Especially the thrilling part at the end made me realise how perfect the deadly combination of an ex-army turned glaciologist and a chef can be. But as they say, when you think everything's gonna be alright, there's still a 'clusterfuck' left to be committed by the antagonists. And don't even get me started on Eric Cooper, Ford's older brother. The way he thunders in - *swoon* - can someone please make a movie on this book? I would recommend this to everyone who gulps down thrillers, because as much romance as there is in this book, it is one hell of a ride too!
There's an epilogue also. And it sets the premise for the next book. The events of this one have been rounded up nicely. And I'm excited for the next round of action and also for some of the revelations regarding Coop's discovery. Eagerly waiting for Book Two!
Thank you to the author, the publishers - Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the book.
Originally posted on:
Shaina's Musings
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