"Chemistry that lights the pages on fire.” - USA Today HEA blog
“When we crash-landed on the island, I thought my story was over. Turns out, it was about to begin.”
He was an asshole from the first moment we met.
I took one look at the stranger in the airport terminal and knew he was exactly the kind of man my mother spent seventeen years warning me against. Gruff, grumpy, and far too good-looking to stare at without experiencing heart palpitations.
Thankfully, I’d never see him again.
Or so I thought.
I couldn’t have known our plane would crash.
I couldn’t have predicted we’d be the only survivors.
I couldn’t have ever, in my wildest dreams, anticipated that the asshole from the airport would become my only source of solace in the darkness.
It’s so wrong to want him, for so many reasons. But as the months slip by and our hopes of rescue grow dimmer… the spark between us kindles into something impossible to ignore.
Sometimes, survival requires swimming in uncharted waters.
But if salvation doesn’t come soon…
I might just drown in him.
** UNCHARTED is a full-length story of survival and forbidden love. Due to action elements, adult language, and sexual content, it is recommended for readers ages 16 and up. **
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: Johnson's plot is decently paced, slowing down after the initial whirlwind of events that puts the rest of the story into play. Readers witness the quickly strengthening bond of Violet and Beck as they encounter the unthinkable together, for better or for worse.
Prose: Johnson's prose is simple and realistically portrays the frenzied emotions of a young woman whose world has literally been turned upside-down. The author's descriptions of traumatic events are meticulously detailed and memorable.
Originality: Johnson's unconventional, uncharted romance brings the world of cuddling castaways to life in a way that feels fresh, believable, and original.
Character Development: Johnson's protagonists are relatable, vivid, and appealing. Secondary characters are also well crafted and believable.
Date Submitted: August 13, 2018
"Violet and Beck, our hero and heroine, have a rocky start after a heated encounter at the airport terminal. That all changes when their airplane crash-lands on an island. Forced to work together in order to survive and hopefully find a way out, the months chip away at their animosity and reveal a chemistry that lights the pages on fire."
