Whiteout: A Steamy Forced Proximity Survivalist Romance (Survival Instincts Book 1)

FINAL DECISION: I really enjoyed this book which I didn't expect. A romantic suspense, it has action, but there is such emotion between the characters, that I almost forgot about the drama that was going on because these characters really clicked for me.THE STORY: Angel Smith has finished her latest job as a chef at a research station in Antarctica and is ready to leave and start something new for herself. On her final day, however, the station is attacked. Angel and glaciologist Ford Cooper make it out alive but are stranded in the middle of the ice continent. With limited time and food, the two must find safety before the people who killed their co-workers find them and finish the job.OPINION: Sometimes I like romantic suspense, and sometimes it leaves me cold. I enjoy the romance part much more than the suspense part, and sometimes the books are very light on romance and relationship development. But this book gets that balance just about perfect for me.The characters are well-developed and interact with one another in interesting ways. Angel is a woman full of life, and Ford is a man who has closed himself off. (Sunshine and the grumpy scientist is a great trope) But the book explores the complicated edges of those archetypes as they are stranded together.The book read fast, and honestly, I didn't care that we didn't get full answers about the suspense plot. For me, the important part of the book is how Angel and Ford peel away the things that are between them and keep them apart. They are so perfect for one another that I almost forgot that there were some villains that had to be dealt with.WORTH MENTIONING: As part of a series, the "big" story isn't finished here, so some people might be disappointed that everything about the overarching plot is not fully explained or completed. Not a cliffhanger per see (although the next book is suggested), and this couple's story is complete.CONNECTED BOOKS: WHITEOUT is the first book in the Survival Instincts series. There is a prequel novella, but I didn't read it and didn't feel that I needed to do so.STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

I haven't read a lot of romantic suspense and wasn't expecting to be super impressed by the suspense component...but I totally was. Not only did Anders do an incredible job of researching and mapping out every possible detail of her plot, but she opened the novel with an absolutely hair-raising crime scene. I personally found it to be more gory and detailed than I would have liked, but it certainly catapulted me into the kind of serious novel I look for.Later there are scenes where she affectively portrays human terror, a difficult thing to do with language. Anders hit the nail right on the head with that.I found both main characters very attractive and appealing, good looking, rugged and hot. The chemistry came out in a nice slow burn. My only issue with the romance is that by the time they let themselves go to each other, I didn't feel all that bottled up tension was expressed with the kind of desperate need I would have hoped for. But it was intense, nonetheless.One final detail knocking it down to four stars, is that it doesn't end nice and neat after the love is made and the crime is solved, etc. The end was a little too drawn out for me, alluding to their future in ways that seemed mundane after everything they'd just been through.Great book, wildly entertaining, strongly recommended.

This is an excellent novel on several fronts. It’s an engaging romance, in which two very different yet mutually attracted people have to feel their way through the growing feelings between them. It’s an exciting thriller, as teams of bad guys with guns go looking for our erstwhile heroes. It’s also a survival adventure, in which our heroes must somehow live and reach safety even as the Antarctic heads into its winter season. There’s more than enough going on to keep you occupied.I enjoyed the romance. Angel and Ford are interesting characters, and their attraction to each other feels genuine and sweet. (Content note for explicit sex.) They can’t help but make a connection as they’re thrown together under adverse circumstances–the real difficulty is in working out what exactly they want from each other, and what they’re ready for.The thriller side of things definitely works. There are teams of bad guys battling the elements as well, hoping for good enough weather that they can fly and use satellite imagery to help them find Ford and Angel. Bradley doesn’t handle the delays entirely well, while scientist Dr. Clive Tenny mostly hopes to stay out of Sampson’s way while preparing for the work he’ll do once he has the samples he wants and their mysterious payload.The survival trek is also engaging. There are storms, terrible cold, and treacherous terrain. The duo is trying to take certain samples with them as well as everything else they’ll need to survive, and that’s a lot of stuff. The terrain both helps and hinders the plot by turns, and it’s quite engaging.The tone of the book does change partway through; not all of it takes place in Antarctica. I think this is because the book is part of a longer series, though, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

When Angel and Coop find themselves in the middle of a dangerous group of criminals while on location in Antarctica they have one choice: try to make it to safety 300 miles across the ice.I enjoyed the suspense of this story and the tension between Angel and Coop, but would’ve preferred to have read more about their budding romance while not traveling across an icy death trap.The writing was great and the story kept me hooked, but with so much of the action focused on traveling there wasn’t as much romance as I was hoping.I still plan on reading the others in the series and more of Anders books! I just think this one wasn’t for me.

Hot page-turning romance in a freezing setting.So, I wasn't quite sure if I could do angsty and suspense (am getting enough through the regular news as is) but OOOH WOW did this keep me entertained and hooked from the very first page to the very last.This is a masterful suspenseful romance that ticks alll the boxes for me:Tropes: enemies to lovers and forced proximityHeat level: 4/5Overall rating: 5/5Someone once described this book to me as being like the 'Bourne movies but set in Antarctica and super hot!'. That sold me on getting started. But I'd add now that the emotional depth and the likeability of both characters brought this book to the 5-star level. Seeing the growth and determination and strength in both hero and heroine was inspirational.I'd highly recommend this book. Even my hubby decided to give it a go now after I raved about it ;)Content guidance: fight scenes that include people being killed, thread of mass casualties, imprisonment

Eigentlich habe ich dieses Buch sehr gern gelesen, es war spannend und die beiden Helden wirklich gut gelungen. Am Ende gab es dann aber doch einige Minuspunkte.Natürlich ist die Antarktis ein sehr gefährlicher Ort, zumal Angel weder eine austrainierte Sportlerin ist noch über irgendwelche Überlebenstechniken verfügt die hier extrem wichtig sind. Statt dessen hat sie ein verletztes Knie und ist in den Helden verknallt.Dass sie 300 Meilen auf Skier und zu Fuss hinter sich bringt ist völlig unglaubwürdig.Ganz zu schweigen von den anderen Verletzungen die auf dem Weg noch hinzukommen.Auch die Nächte mit Ford im Schlafsack können das nicht möglich machen.Ford, der härteste Eisforscher unter der antarktischen Sonne, fand seinen Weg unbeirrt, konnte in Sekundenschnelle mitten im Eissturm ein Zelt aufschlagen und schmuste mit Angel jede Nacht. Als sie nun gerettet sind und er weiss dass er die Frau seines Lebens gefunden hat beschließt er sie für den Südpol sausen zu lassen.Unglaubwürdig!Dann waren da noch die ständigen Hinweise auf Fords Narben und Verletzungen die aber nie aufgeklärt wurden. Auch der Bruder Erik der zur Rettung gleich mit seiner Ehefrau und seiner ganzen Militäreinheit anrückt erscheint zuvor eine gute Story gehabt zu haben, leider gibt es weit und breit keinen Hinweis darauf ob die irgendwo zu lesen ist.Alles in allem braucht es nicht so viele Qualen für Held und Heldin um dem Leser deutlich zu machen, dass sich ein eindrucksvolles Paar gefunden hat.

An epic fight for survival, Angel and Ford are in the harshest surroundings known to man, fighting against freezing temperatures and the worst of humanity, is there any chance at all that they will survive? Or will they die defending Ford's research, alone and frozen, soon to be swallowed by the unforgiving snow and ice.I read the prequel to this book as part of a box set last year and had totally forgotten I had pre ordered this until it appeared on my Kindle! A lovely surprise....well maybe 'lovely' isn't the correct word....it is dark and gritty, with depraved characters who will stop at nothing to take the research they want.We see numerous sides to Ford and Angel as we join them on a journey which will become the battle of their lives, a battle neither expected, wanted or are prepared for. Will Angel manage to melt 'Ice Man' Ford's heart or is she destined for heart break even if she survives the battle.A fantastic book, I cannot wait for book 2, no release date as yet but please don't keep us waiting too long!

This book was well recommended, so I had great expectations... the suspense is 11/10, believe me, it was that good! However, the romance was a 5/10 for me. You can argue that it would be hard in sub-zero temperatures, but I am not talking about sex itself. For me, the connection between Angel and Ford was not that convincing, and the way it was written didn't keep me that interested.

The setting in this book stole the show for me. It overshadowed pretty much everything which makes sense because they are in <i>Antarctica</i> of all places. I was a bit sceptical really of how a romance would develop in such a desolate place at all but I'm very happy to say that Anders' more than managed it.I will start off by saying that the research she must have put into this is <i>insane</i>. No detail was spared. There's even a funny section where the character's discuss the removal of waste and the female character's menstruation cycle.<i>'Ooohh.' She blinked a couple time. 'You want to discuss </i>our<i> waste.' 'I don't </i>want<i> to.' He swallowed hard.</i>Many props to Ford for thinking of all the essentials.On the topic of characters I did enjoy the both of them. Ford is fantastically gruff, I loved his lone wolf stance and how he shied away from crowds, it's absolutely adorable how socially inept he was at times. Angel took me a while to warm up to. The description given makes it out that she's a very positive, sunny character but, to me, she spent most of the opening scenes moaning about the cold and how the outside was so terrible. Thankfully once things took off I warmed up to her. She was quite well balanced with Ford. Her nicknames for Ford were also quite amusing.<i>'Her eyes cut over to him again. Was this an actual Ice Man joke? Nope. Same stern Batman mouth, hard and somehow kissable all at once.'</i>I was initially worried about how any sexy times would go down. Ford even admits that it wouldn't work in the cold, but, needless to say, things happen and when it gets down to it their chemistry is brilliant.<i>'This hunger was different, as strong as the one gnawing at his belly, but more wide-spread, impossible to pin down. It filled his head and lungs, only calming when she stepped into his arms.'</i>I loved how consent worked in this book. Ford was constantly asking if Angel was okay, if she agreed with what he was doing, if she wanted him to continue. I found all of that <i>so good</i>.The only not-good thing about this book was the slightly slow beginning and that damned epilogue. I'm used to epilogues being a continuation of happily ever afters, usually with weddings or kids or houses being involved. Anders instead does the same as the prequel novella and uses it to segue into the next book. I didn't mind it so much in the novella, mostly because I had the first book bought, downloaded and ready to go on my kindle, and it was a novella meant to introduce the series. But this is the first proper book and goodreads doesn't even mention a book 2. I really hope there is one though because now I really need to know what happens next!So yeah, definitely recommended to anyone who likes a good survival story. Or someone who just wants something a little different in their romantic suspense.