Book # 2 in the Fiona Carver series, Crash Site is a must read for fans of adventure thrillers. It can be read as a stand alone but I strongly advise reading in the series order, to get the complete picture of the relationship of its protagonists.

Fiona and Dean are back after the adventures in book #1 Dangerous Ground, but this time it is not their choice but the strings that have been pulled at their backs to milk their popularity to the fullest. The setting of the story in Dominica is like a dream, the beautiful locale providing the perfect background for the thriller. I was thoroughly impressed with Rachel Grant’s research in the first book, and in here too, she doesn’t disappoint one bit. The culture and traditions of the Kalinago people of Dominica have been woven thru the story wonderfully by the author and the atmosphere is enhanced by the flawless descriptive writing.

Ruby Island hides many mysteries and it is left to Fiona and Dean to unearth the hidden truth of the place. The danger is always around the corner as, like a house of cards, incidents keep piling up one after another upon their arrival. Unlike the first book, Crash Site doesn’t offer much suspense. The antagonists more or less become clear from the outset but the author lures in the reader with the adrenaline pumping action and deathly dangers that hang around them. There’s also a subplot of Fiona’s friend Sadie and a glimpse of attraction between Sadie and Dylan, Dean’s twin brother, hopefully, which we will be explored in future series.

The romance between Fiona and Dean does take a leap forward but I did wish that Dean’s non-commital attitude had changed somewhere midway thru the book, coz the constant harping about his commitment issues which carry over from book 1 did tend to become off-putting after a while. Fiona is of course a character that I absolutely loved, her no-nonsense approach to things and dealing with matters of the heart giving her an endearing quality.

I would happily read all the books in this series for the thrill of discovering such exotic places and Rachel Grant’s historical detailing does deserve a special mention.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Montlake Publishers, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.

This book was a great summer read and I didn't have to read the first book in the series to know what was going on. I really enjoyed reading about the adventure with a hint of romance of Fiona Carver's life. The characters involved were definitely made for this book. The two faced Jude who thought he could turn a blind eye to what was going on and make the island a proper business, was what the book needed to get the story flowing into what turned to be a job for Fiona that wasn't going to be an easy one. After reading this book, I now want to read the first book in the series to see how Fiona, Dylan and Dean all fit together.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I read the first book in this duology yesterday, and I honestly think that I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't. Don't get me wrong; as a standalone, this book works just fine as a somewhat-action packed romantic suspense. As the second book, it was one book too long to spend with Dean. Two books of "I'm too broken to ever love again" is way, way too long, and his wishy-washy whining and the way he treated Fiona drove me crazy. He's not a good romantic partner, or a particularly good friend. Other than his hotness, I don't really know what Fiona sees in him, but I would recommend sticking with the first book. It is both more exciting, and less irritating.

CRASH SITE is a continuation of Fiona Carver and Dean Slater’s story, which started in “Dangerous Ground.” You don’t necessarily have to have read the previous story to enjoy this one, but it does give you more context to their relationship. Regardless, this is an exciting, edge of your seat romantic suspense that will tear at your heartstrings and hold you totally captivated from start to finish. There’s an underlying sense of intrigue as evidenced by the resulting elements of danger, that becomes interwoven within the characters’ complex relationships. It’s filled with fast-paced action and intense drama that will keep you riveted to the very end and leave you hoping for more adventures with these two.

The second in Rachel Grant’s Fiona Carver series, Crash Site is the sequel to 2021’s Dangerous Ground, and it picks up around nine months after the events of the first book. Although the mystery/suspense plot here is self-contained, the central relationship between the two leads was left unresolved at the end of Dangerous Ground, so I’d advise anyone interested in this one to read that first. And that being the case, there are spoilers for the previous book in this review.

Naval Archaeologist Fiona Carver has landed herself a dream job on the gorgeous, privately owned (and fictional) Ruby Island in the Caribbean where, together with two other archaeologists, she has been employed to conduct an archaeological inventory of the island and its seventeenth century fort –which comes complete with legends of hidden Spanish gold. Fiona has known its wealthy owner Jude Reynolds (the island has been owned by his family for generations) for over a decade, from when they met as fellow students at archaeological field school – although they’re not exactly friends; she went on a date with him back then but he behaved like a complete tosser and she hasn’t seen him since. But the Ruby Island job was just too good to pass up – especially as Jude’s wealth means there will be no budget worries, and he genuinely cares about the work. He also seems to be working hard to convince Fiona that he’s not the same selfish, entitled brat he was back then – but Fiona isn’t sure how to feel about that. Sure, Jude is handsome and rich, he’s interested in her and understands her work… but she’s hung-up on someone else.

Wildlife photographer Dean Slater had been on the remote Alaskan island of Chiksook trying to find out what happened to his missing brother Dylan when he and Fiona found themselves stranded in a hostile environment and forced to rely on each other in order to survive (Dangerous Ground). The adrenaline-fuelled days they spent together engendered a real trust and closeness between them, and fed the flames of the mutual attraction that had sparked between them from their first meeting – although a basic incompatibility in their approach to sex and relationships seemed destined to separate them. Dean is unwilling to risk experiencing the hurt and devastation he felt on the death of his beloved wife from a brain tumor a decade earlier and made it very clear that he doesn’t do relationships, while Fiona has never been one for NSA sex or short-lived flings. It’s clear by the end of the book that they’re head-over-heels for one another, but Dean is adamant that he’s not about to break his no relationships rule and they part, both of them obviously unhappy and not expecting to see each other again.

It’s clear that neither has been able to forget the other over the nine months they’ve been apart, and when Fiona learns – at the very last minute – that Dean is due to arrive on the island at any moment, she’s both furious and suspicious. She’s sure that Dean wouldn’t be coming to the island had he known of her presence, and is almost certain this is a set-up. The media interest surrounding them after what happened on Chiksook was pretty intense, and she believes Jude is trying to use her and Dean to generate publicity for his new venture – a new streaming channel focusing on travel and adventure. Before she can decide what to do – should she yell at Jude, up and leave or both – the helicopter carrying Dean and a couple of other personnel explodes and crashes into the sea.

Thanks to the quick-thinking and skilful flying of the pilot Dean and everyone on board is able to escape before the helicopter pitches into the sea. He initially puts down the sight of Fiona running towards him down to disorientation – he must’ve hit his head after he jumped – but just seconds later, she’s soft and warm in his arms, crying tears of relief.

Once the initial shock of the crash – and nearly losing Dean – has worn off, Fiona begins to wonder about it – was it an accident or sabotage? If the latter, then who was the intended target? It seems, however that she’s not going to find out – the day after the crash, every single piece of wreckage has disappeared, leaving nothing for the not-yet-arrived crash investigators to go on. But the crash is only the beginning of a series of disasters as Fiona and Dean are thrown from one life-threatening situation to another… clearly there’s something about Ruby Island that someone is prepared to go to great lengths to conceal – and who has decided Fiona and Dean are surplus to requirements.

As in Dangerous Ground, the locations are vividly imagined and Ms. Grant does a great job of setting the scene, introducing and fleshing out the characters and setting in motion the wheels of her intriguing, complex plot. I always enjoy the way the author incorporates her impeccable research, experience and obvious knowledge and love for archaeology into her novels, and although the story is perhaps a little slow in places in the first half, things pick up considerably in the second, and the final chapters are a thrilling rollercoaster ride that had me glued to the pages.

Fiona and Dean make a great team when they’re working together and I liked them as individuals. Fiona is smart, compassionate and just a bit nerdy, and although Dean is still irritatingly stubborn about never wanting another relationship, he’s otherwise great hero material – protective, gorgeous and highly competent. They’re very intuitive as to the other’s thoughts and needs, and that part of their relationship works incredibly well, but their romance is less successful. They’re obviously very much in love, but Dean refuses to acknowledge it or contemplate having a relationship with Fiona for almost the entire book, telling himself he isn’t capable of giving her what she deserves. He’s completely honest about not wanting a relationship and the reasons for it, and those are clear and well-articulated, but Ms. Grant did such a good job of convincing me that Violet (his late wife) was the love of his life and that he really wasn’t ready to move on, that by the time he gets his head out of his arse as regards Fiona, I wasn’t completely convinced by his about-turn (and thought he should have grovelled a bit more!) The fact that this happens on practically the last page doesn’t help with that – but if there are to be more books in this series, then perhaps we’ll get to see their relationship develop from the HFN we get here.

The suspense plot is tense, exciting and well put-together, and even though I’d have liked a little more certainty in the romance, I enjoyed Crash Site and would recommend it to fans of romantic suspense.

I did not read the first book in this series, but I could easily gather that there was one with all the references made. This is book 2 of Fiona Carver and Dean Slater and I’m glad they got their HEA. However, for me, this book dragged especially in the first half of the story and even though I could get the gist of the first book, the first half felt too much like one step forward and two steps back. As far as the suspense goes the plot is very good. I did ultimately enjoy this book and I will say reading this over the Christmas holidays added to the time it took me to read. Rachel Grant is a wonderful writer and she knows her archeology which give a realistic view of what happens on a archeology site.

Wow! This book was a surprise for me, but a very good one.

Crash side iscmy very first book from this author, but I'm sure that I will come back for more.

Last few years, I mostly read romances and with starting this book, I expected a good romance, and author delivered everything what I expected. From the firsr pagest, I felt hooked up and couldn't put this book down. What suprised me, was a suspense! It was absolutely mind blowing. Author mixing everything. together in a story line that made me breathless, I Didn't know what the next page will bring.

I will recommend this book for readres of all kind - I believe everyone will find something, what will melt Your heart, and leave You in awe.

Dear Rachel Grant,

I recently listened to Dangerous Ground on audio and loved it so when I saw the second Fiona Carver book at NetGalley I was impatient to find out what was next. I read it almost straight away even though as I write this it’s October and the book isn’t out until January.

In Dangerous Ground, archaeologist Fiona Carver met wildlife photographer Dean Slater and they had a suspenseful adventure together. However, Dean carries so much baggage it was too soon for a HEA by the end of book 1. Would I get my HEA fix by the end of book 2 or would I need to wait even longer? (No I’m not going to say here. I will say there is cause in Crash Site for readers to be more satisfied with the romantic arc than in Dangerous Ground but the details I will leave to the book itself. There’s more story to tell – I’m not sure how many books are planned in this series, but it must surely be at least one more.

Whereas Dangerous Ground started off with loads of action and didn’t let up for almost the entire story, Crash Site has a slower start. In some respects it put me in mind of an Agatha Christie-type mystery (without the racism) – although I’m no expert on Christie, I admit. The cast is fairly large and there’s a fair bit of introduction necessary to set up the story.

Crash Site picks up nine months after Dangerous Ground. This time, rather than the Aleutian Islands and the cold, the action takes place on (fictional) Ruby Island in the Caribbean. The island is owned by Dominica but leased out on a long term to an American businessman who just happens to be a former field school buddy of Fiona’s. Jude Reynolds is the CEO of Reynolds American Marine Freight (aka RAM Freight). He’s a billionaire with an interest in archaeology and Fiona. His lease to Ruby Island is about to expire and, keen to persuade Dominica to renew it, he hires her and a team to survey the island’s historical and cultural significance. There’s a star fort on the island and it was rumoured to have been a refuge for enslaved people who were fleeing captivity. There is also a rumour about sunken treasure. Jude also has ambition to start a streaming network, Wild Odysseys, and to that end, he has also hired a documentary crew to film the expedition.

The events in the Aleutians drew a lot of media attention and in an effort to make the documentary punchier, Jude’s machinations include bringing Dean Slater to the island to do a wildlife survey and photographs for National Geographic. The contract Fiona has signed allows to just about everything to be part of the documentary and bringing Dean and Fiona together again should help drive up ratings. Unfortunately, Jude had no idea that Fiona and Dean had feelings for one another – given his own interest in Fiona, this is perhaps the first place where his plans fall apart.

When Dean arrives, with the documentary film crew on the island via helicopter, it crashes and from there a series of unfortunate events occur – one is maybe an accident but two looks deliberate and before too long, things get very dicey for the people who remain on Ruby Island.

There were some plot points which felt a little shoe-horned in and a lot of lining up to do in order to get to the real action of the book which, for the most part, doesn’t really kick in until about the halfway mark. There are more episodic risks and tensions prior to that; it is not all introduction but I found the story less cohesive overall.

The major barrier between Dean and Fiona is that Dean is a widower who has vowed never to risk his heart again, the pain of losing his wife was too much and he refuses to face the potential of doing it again. Where that kind of fell down for me is that it’s clear as clear that Dean already loved Fiona (even if he hadn’t admitted it to himself yet) and that being the case, his devastation if something happened to her would be the same whether they were together or not. In my brain at least, it seems like not having a relationship but potentially feeling all the pain is not a good deal. If the risk is already there, why not enjoy the good stuff too? So the hemming and hawing about his feelings didn’t work as well for me because I was ready for Dean to get with the program even if he wasn’t!

I appreciated the mini-history of the African, Taino and Kalinago people who used Ruby Island as a refuge and liked as well that the cast had representatives from at least two of those groups within it. I also liked that Fiona herself was at pains to ensure that the stories of the native peoples were told by themselves. She sought to boost their voices rather than speak over them. Her place in the project was explained in the book and made sense but she consistently wanted to highlight local experts and those who shared their heritage with the island region. Where there is significant historical detail it is largely told by indigenous people. (There’s an author’s note at the end directing readers to a site, built by indigenous people, which provides more information for interested readers as well.)

The back half of Crash Site is action-packed and I enjoyed it more – there were other reasons for this enjoyment too but I won’t give away spoilers here. It’s not quite as tightly plotted as the first Fiona Carver book but it was nonetheless an entertaining, tense read.

Crash Site is (at least currently) only available from Amazon.

Grade: B
Regards,
Kaetrin

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I hold Rachel Grant to a higher standard. She is a star in the literary firmament who has written the most amazing Romantic-Suspense books. The setting for this book has it all: a Caribbean Island with significant history, a volcano, caves, a rain forest and an historic star fort. Throw in Spanish sunken treasure and so much more and this should be an awesome book, right? Not quite. Be prepared to be schooled in the debate between colonizers and Indigenous people. You also need to be prepared for a tad too much techie talk. We are also treated to Dean's Relationship Avoidance, Part 2. If you read the first book you know what I mean. The first half was 3-Star, but the second half was 5-Star.

Wildlife photographer Dean Slater ghosted archaeologist Fiona Carver after their adventure in Chiksook, Alaska nine months ago. Fiona knew Dean didn't do relationships, but having survived a life-or-death adventure together, she was very disappointed when he just vanished. When the opportunity of her career came knocking in the form of handsome billionaire shipping magnet, Jude Reynolds, she can't say no, even if her history with Jude could be a problem. Fiona has been hired to conduct an archaeological inventory on his private Caribbean Island, Ruby Island. Cost is no barrier. Jude also is financing a documentary about the project. But Jude has hidden agenda and when Dean shows up things get interesting with a big bang.

Someone doesn't want this project finished and is willing to go to extreme lengths to see that it doesn't. Dean and Fiona are right in the center of the dangerous incidents but are determined to figure out who is behind all the mysterious happenings while they move from friends to lovers. Fiona has no expectations, but dammit, I do.

This is my first Fiona Carver book. Fiona Carver book 2. Contemporary suspense with a bit of romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better if the first book was read. A dream assignment on a private Caribbean Island attracts the attention of archaeologist Fiona Carver and wildlife photographer Dean Slater. Fiona arrives planning to map the rainforest and explore the 17th-century fort and caves. Dean and Fiona have unfinished issues from book 1 and neither is aware that the other has agreed to this assignment. Once the initial shock at seeing each other wears off, they agree to work together and put the past behind them. Unfortunately, someone doesn’t want them on Ruby Island and goes to great lengths to force them to leave. The amount of research and the attention to detail is incredible, the excitement really falls flat, just enough to keep you reading but not enough to flip through pages engrossed in the story. I was intrigued to read Crash Site upon seeing that it was following archaeologists, nature photographers and other aspects that I am always fascinated to read about. It was nice to have thrills and a love story with archaeology as the backdrop. I was gifted this advance copy by Rachel Grant, Montlake, and NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity.

Interesting second book in the Fiona Carver series. I enjoyed catching up with Fiona and Dean. And the mystery, suspense, and storyline were intriguing. I love archaeological mysteries so much. This book did start a little slow, but then it picked up and the momentum carried on throughout the rest of the book.
For maximum enjoyment, I recommend reading book one first.

Many thanks to the publisher, Montlake, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

I also won a copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.

I have to say the first half of this book did not do it for me. I thought it was very wordy and long but I decided to stay with it. I am glad that I did because the end of the book was quite suspenseful. The romance between Dean and Fiona was pretty darn good too. Fiona is quite the explorer and very resourceful. The beauty of the island with it's wildlife was very well described. I did not read the first Fiona Carter book & I am not sure I would read another just do to the wordy beginning.
Thanks to #netgalley, #montlake & @rachelsgrant for an ARC of this book for an honest review

This story was an enjoyable mystery/suspense read with a romantic piece. However, I do not consider this a romantic suspense. First, I really do not like Dean. He is so opposed to commitment I wanted to bang his head into something. Fiona on the other hand is endearing and likable! This is the second book where these two are still push/pull with each other. Maybe they will end up together in the end, but honestly, I kind of hope they don't. If you took the "romance" subplot out of the book, I would have given it a higher rating. Maybe because I read SO MUCH romance I have a different set of standards, but I went into this book thinking it was a romantic suspense and it is a suspense with a "love story".

Another exciting archeological adventure…

This is the second book in the Fiona Carver series.

There’s a new project funded by a billionaire who unbeknownst to the main protagonists has ulterior motives and has used his resources to manipulate the people involved. The project is on an isolated island in the Lesser Antilles, part of the Commonwealth of Dominica whose fifty-year lease is up for renewal by the grandson of the former leaseholder.

Navy archeologist, Fiona Carver is hired to do an archeological inventory of Ruby Island in the Caribbean, she’s to map and document the historical significance of her findings. Wildlife photographer, Dean Slater is hired by National Geographic to take photos for the wildlife inventory portion of the project. These two are reunited nine months after the events on Chiksook Island in the Aleutians which garnished much media attention. They had no clue that each would be on this project.

Things start off with a bang when the helicopter bringing Dean and the documentary crew crashes while Fiona watches. That the occupants survived is a testimony to the expertise of the pilot. But it does not bode well for a beginning and perhaps it was an omen of what was to come. Danger and intrigue seem to follow whenever Dean and Fiona are in the same space and someone wants to nix the project.

After reading the first book in the series this reader very much looked forward to reading this one, the compelling well-defined main protagonists had unfinished business that begged for a resolution. The character issues were logically understandable and emotionally relatable though the reader can get frustrated with them at times. This is their second chance at something more. Will they be wise enough to take it? The intense attraction between them has not diminished but they’ll have to survive first. I recommend reading the first book to fully comprehend the dynamics between Dean and Fiona.

This was another exciting archeological adventure with a perplexing mystery to solve, filled with intrigue and suspense, fast-paced action, conspiracies, betrayals, and the furthering of a romance. This reader hopes there will be more adventures for these characters.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

The second in Rachel Grant’s Fiona Carver series, Crash Site is the sequel to 2021’s Dangerous Ground, and it picks up around nine months after the events of the first book.  Although the mystery/suspense plot here is self-contained, the central relationship between the two leads was left unresolved at the end of Dangerous Ground, so I’d advise anyone interested in this one to read that first.  And that being the case, there are spoilers for the previous book in this review.

Naval Archaeologist Fiona Carver has landed herself a dream job on the gorgeous, privately owned (and fictional) Ruby Island in the Caribbean where, together with two other archaeologists, she has been employed to conduct an archaeological inventory of the island and its seventeenth century fort –which comes complete with legends of hidden Spanish gold.  Fiona has known its wealthy owner Jude Reynolds (the island has been owned by his family for generations) for over a decade, from when they met as fellow students at archaeological field school – although they’re not exactly friends; she went on a date with him back then but he behaved like a complete tosser and she hasn’t seen him since.  But the Ruby Island job was just too good to pass up – especially as Jude’s wealth means there will be no budget worries, and he genuinely cares about the work.  He also seems to be working hard to convince Fiona that he’s not the same selfish, entitled brat he was back then – but Fiona isn’t sure how to feel about that.  Sure, Jude is handsome and rich, he’s interested in her and understands her work… but she’s hung-up on someone else.

Wildlife photographer Dean Slater had been on the remote Alaskan island of Chiksook trying to find out what happened to his missing brother Dylan when he and Fiona found themselves stranded in a hostile environment and forced to rely on each other in order to survive (Dangerous Ground). The adrenaline-fuelled days they spent together engendered a real trust and closeness between them, and fed the flames of the mutual attraction that had sparked between them from their first meeting – although a basic incompatibility in their approach to sex and relationships seemed destined to separate them.  Dean is unwilling to risk experiencing the hurt and devastation he felt on the death of his beloved wife from a brain tumor a decade earlier and made it very clear that he doesn’t do relationships, while Fiona has never been one for NSA sex or short-lived flings. It’s clear by the end of the book that they’re head-over-heels for one another, but Dean is adamant that he’s not about to break his no relationships rule and they part, both of them obviously unhappy and not expecting to see each other again.

It’s clear that neither has been able to forget the other over the nine months they’ve been apart, and when Fiona learns – at the very last minute – that Dean is due to arrive on the island at any moment, she’s both furious and suspicious. She’s sure that Dean wouldn’t be coming to the island had he known of her presence, and is almost certain this is a set-up.  The media interest surrounding them after what happened on Chiksook was pretty intense, and she believes Jude is trying to use her and Dean to generate publicity for his new venture – a new streaming channel focusing on travel and adventure.  Before she can decide what to do – should she yell at Jude, up and leave or both – the helicopter carrying Dean and a couple of other personnel explodes and crashes into the sea.

Thanks to the quick-thinking and skilful flying of the pilot Dean and everyone on board is able to escape before the helicopter pitches into the sea.  He initially puts down the sight of Fiona running towards him down to disorientation – he must’ve hit his head after he jumped – but just seconds later, she’s soft and warm in his arms, crying tears of relief.

Once the initial shock of the crash – and nearly losing Dean - has worn off, Fiona begins to wonder about it – was it an accident or sabotage?  If the latter, then who was the intended target?   It seems, however that she’s not going to find out – the day after the crash, every single piece of wreckage has disappeared, leaving nothing for the not-yet-arrived crash investigators to go on.  But the crash is only the beginning of a series of disasters as Fiona and Dean are thrown from one life-threatening situation to another… clearly there’s something about Ruby Island that someone is prepared to go to great lengths to conceal – and who has decided Fiona and Dean are surplus to requirements.

As in Dangerous Ground, the locations are vividly imagined and Ms. Grant does a great job of setting the scene, introducing and fleshing out the characters and setting in motion the wheels of her intriguing, complex plot. I always enjoy the way the author incorporates her impeccable research, experience and obvious knowledge and love for archaeology into her novels, and although the story is perhaps a little slow in places in the first half, things pick up considerably in the second, and the final chapters are a thrilling rollercoaster ride that had me glued to the pages.

Fiona and Dean make a great team when they’re working together and I liked them as individuals.  Fiona is smart, compassionate and just a bit nerdy, and although Dean is still irritatingly stubborn about never wanting another relationship, he’s otherwise great hero material – protective, gorgeous and highly competent. They’re very intuitive as to the other’s thoughts and needs, and that part of their relationship works incredibly well, but their romance is less successful.  They’re obviously very much in love, but Dean refuses to acknowledge it or contemplate having a relationship with Fiona for almost the entire book, telling himself he isn’t capable of giving her what she deserves.  He’s completely honest about not wanting a relationship and the reasons for it, and those are clear and well-articulated, but Ms. Grant did such a good job of convincing me that Violet (his late wife) was the love of his life and that he really wasn’t ready to move on, that by the time he gets his head out of his arse as regards Fiona, I wasn’t completely convinced by his about-turn (and thought he should have grovelled a bit more!)  The fact that this happens on practically the last page doesn’t help with that – but if there are to be more books in this series, then perhaps we’ll get to see their relationship develop from the HFN we get here.

The suspense plot is tense, exciting and well put-together, and even though I’d have liked a little more certainty in the romance, I enjoyed Crash Site and would recommend it to fans of romantic suspense.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

Visit our Amazon Storefront

We pick up 9 months after the events of Dangerous Ground. Fiona has a new assignment, this time conducting an archeological survey of a private island in the Caribbean. It’s a simple enough assignment until 1) Dean, the wildlife photographer she had a “fling” with in the previous book shows up on the island and 2) a colleague goes missing. Like the previous book, Fiona and Dean find themselves thrust into really intense and dangerous situations and have to work together to make it out alive.

I honestly have no idea how Rachel Grant churns out multiple books a year because the amount of research and the attention to detail is incredible. I will never tire of her adventure/thriller plots and Crash Site is definitely a 4-star read in terms of suspense alone. The romance however in her last few books has fallen short for me, and I’m sad to say it was particularly disappointing in this one.

Fiona is a great MC – tough, brave, resourceful – but her actions in this book puzzled me. It grated on my nerves to see her pining over Dean for the entirety of this book (not to mention that we’ve already been through this in the first book). Dean, who is emotionally unavailable and still grieving his dead wife. Dean, who literally broke things off with her right before they were about to have sex in the previous book and had me thinking I received an incomplete ARC. Dean who, quite honestly, is a coward and not worthy of her love. While I understood Dean’s reservations in the first book, I was disappointed to read about the same hang-ups rehashed in the second book. I realize this is a multi-book series, but I wanted to see a little character development in Crash Site, or in the very least, some groveling by the end of the book.

I’m a little disappointed because this series had so much potential – and I think I would’ve really enjoyed reading about the same MCs over multiple books – but if every book is going to rehash the same romantic conflict then I’m gonna have to pass on the next installment.

Crash Site picks up the Fiona Carver series nearly a year after her first adventure on the remote Aleutian Islands where she met and fell for wildlife photographer Dean who she's not spoken too since. But now she's on her dream assignment on Ruby Island only she's just found out Dean is about to join her and so unfortunately is the danger that seems to follow the couple around. As Dean's arrival on the island isn't as smooth as he expected and that's only just the beginning.

And with a story steeped in archaeology detail, intrigue, suspense and romance that actually begins to see Fiona and Dean make strides at a relationship together this was an enjoyable and engaging read and I'm looking forward to more adventures with this pair in the future.

Would recommend.

Another fabulous story about Fiona and Dean another archeological project bringing them together again. Thoroughly enjoyed this story and love Fiona and Dean together. Will the story of Ruby Island get told? Will Fiona and Dean realize they should be together? Can Dean move on from the loss of his wife, violet and give Fiona a chance?
I recommend the series of which this is the second book.
Thank you to Netgalley for complimentary copy

The first book was exceptionally exciting. The sequel was even far better than the first. Fiona and Dean are stuck on an island, however this time there’s a team of people and mysterious events keep happening. As part of a team to do a job they find themselves in dangerous situations but remain for the sake of finding historical sites and uncovering island secrets. There’s friendships, lovers, bad guys, crashes and the possibility of gold. This is a book worthy of a movie, developed characters and many sub plots kept me reading. I received my copy from Netgalley and I wrote this review voluntarily.

Fiona Carver is on a private archaeological find on Fort Domingo on beautiful Ruby Island in the Caribbean Sea. Unknown to her, past love and freelance photographer Dean Slater was being brought in to take wildlife pictures for Net Geo for the documentary. Chad Baylor and Sadie Tate were part of the crew hired to film a documentary for Jude Reynolds who planned to use it on a project he was producing. Jude inherited his father’s company which included the lease on Ruby Island. What Jude didn’t realize was his late father was involved in criminal activities on the island with a business associate and he and his hired hands have come to visit.

The author describes the scenes so well that you can visualize and feel you are actually there. The story itself starts and ends well and is a little slow sometimes but it’s worth the read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.