It was a no brainer for me to purchase this book for the reason being that, Christina Lauren is one of my fav authors and they also make the best rom coms with unique plots. With that being said though I was very thrown off by this new release from them. “Something Wilder” was a book that I found hard to follow considering the many plot twists that also made the romance plot of the book every questionable and for majority of the book it did not feel as if I was reading a rom com. This book was very odd to me and I went into this reading expecting something completely different.

I kept putting this one off because I kept thinking I wouldn't like it. I was afraid it would be too cheesy, feel gimmicky, or miss the Christina Lauren romance "spark" that I love. I kept hearing references like "Indian Jones" which made me nervous? What is funny it that while I was reading it I kept thinking about The Goonies and National Treasure, both movies that I LOVE ... so maybe I do love a good treasure hunt! (also got Inheritance Games vibes minus the teenage angst...)

I am SO happy to report that I was completely wrong and had the best time reading this book! It certainly is not your *typical* CLo romance, but it delivered in every aspect. I was so invested in the mystery/treasure hunt that I could not flip through the pages fast enough (especially toward the end). My heart was even racing a little at times, eager to see what would happen next! I loved Lily's backstory and relationship with her dad (may have even shed a few tears at the end). And thought the mystery/clues/twists were SO well done.

Now to the romance! I loved Lily and Leo. Their second chance romance had me swooning and I really felt their pain when confronting their relationship head on. Could there have been *more* romance? Sure. But it didn't affect my experience. Just adjust your romance expectations going in and I think you should be good to go :)

I will mention that a few parts were probably unrealistic, but it didn't bother me in the least.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Something Wilder is a nice change of scenery from the typical contemporary romcom. This story takes place in deserts of the US West, and features a treasure hunt, a second chance at love, with unexpected twists and turns along the way. The setting of this story really comes alive and also feels like its own character. Something Wilder is one of the best Christina Lauren books in recent memory.

Josh and Hazel and Unhoneymooners were always my favorites but Something Wilder may have just knocked them off their perch. This book is SO MUCH FUN! This is not your normal CLo book. Instead this is a second chance romance that takes place on an incredibly stressful and scary treasure hunt in Utah. The characters are on horseback, crossing raging rivers, with violence, lies and deceit. I was stressed reading this with my heart pounding but I also laughed out loud, snorted and did a little clapping thing a few times. And it had puzzles to solve that were straight out of something that CT would crush in an episode of The Challenge. This was really the perfect mix of a rom com that made me swoon, mixed in with so much adventure and excitement. Oh, my heart.

[Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for my gifted e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions reflected are my own]

SYNOPSIS:
Lily Wilder is the daughter of the infamous treasure hunter, Duke Wilder. After he passed away, leaving her basically bankrupt, with no land to call home, she leans into his shadow and starts to host tourists on fake treasure hunts. Until one tour group shows up, with the only man she ever loved. Is she ready to confront her past, are those feelings resolved, and is any of the treasure they're searching for actually real? All of these questions lead to the adventure of a lifetime, in a novel unique to any other Christina Lauren novel.

NOTE:
If you are expecting another tried and true, romance with spice, Christina Lauren - this is NOT that story. However, it is delightfully adventurous, exciting, and fun! There is still romance and some heat, but this story focuses much more on adventure and character histories.

RATING:
4/5 Stars, so much fun! Highly recommend.

I can always count on a Christina Lauren book to help me escape. I think this one is one of their best! I loved the treasure hunt and I loved the characters.

Pleasant. But not quite what I expected. I think I wanted the story to have a little more substance. It feels like a light beach read but I wanted a little more substance. Still recommended and enjoyable, but I felt myself reaching for more.

this is the first CLo book that has truly disappointed me. I'm not a big second chance romance person to begin with so I'm not sure why I had high expectations but this one fell flat. Lily and Leo's attraction seemed to depend too much on the past and combining that with the truly outlandish direction the plot went in was not for me. this either needed to have much less intense plot twists or should've committed to being a thriller or dark comedy.

Something Wilder is a second chance romance between a city boy Leo and horse loving Lilly.

The two are reunited after ten years a part for a treasure hunting adventure. The pair discover the spark is still going strong between them while doing some national treasure like codes mixed in with hiking and previously mentioned horses.

I wish we had more on Lilly and Leo's relationship in the past. What made them fall for each other in the first place? But instead, we are just given these feeling for each other and a very short back story that was only made up of how they ended.

I enjoyed it like I do all Christina Lauren's books. It was on the milder side of the heat scale. And by that I mean there is very few "intimate" scenes. And the stuff we got was very tame, language and description wise, if you know what I mean.


Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a very cute, light-hearted romance in the vein of others by this author. Set in Montana, protagonist Lily is trying to make a living guiding tourists a la City Slickers. In flashbacks, we learn she didn't always used to be so hard up; her father sold the ranch she loved in the same week as her then-boyfriend left her. Fast-forward a decade and Lily is older, wiser and a lot warier when the BF shows up for a tour. He's clueless - the trip's been organized by one of his group - but it doesn't stop the couple from reconnecting via various adventures and plot twists.

Most plots of this genre revolve around obstacles thrown up by one or both of the love interests. This book features more external obstacles to their happy ever after. There were a few spots where I fell out of the story - plot holes - but no doubt many others will enjoy the setting, the sweet dispositions of both main characters, and the escape this book provides.

When I started this book, I expected another cute romance, similar to Christina Lauren's other novels. I never expected a wild adventure and mystery along the way! This was an absolute blast to read. The only thing I was wanting more of was a deeper connection between the main characters, but overall I was totally blown away by this book!

Ever since City Slickers I've been fascinated with trail riding, acting like you are in the old west and treasure hunts. I used to horseback ride as a kid which was one of the 100's of sports my parents put me in before they found the right one lol. A horse stepped on my foot and instead of walking it off I thought we should go to the ER it hurt so bad. But once it stopped hurting I didn't know what to do so i just stayed quiet, that's my MO. 
I just love the way these two write a second chance romance ok I've enjoyed all the ones I've read. Lily Wilder is the daughter of Duke Wilder who is a famous treasure hunter. He's been searching for Butch Cassidy's hidden booty. It starts with young Lily being in love with a handsome guy that was working at the ranch. Fast forward 10 years and Lily is a fake treasure hunter guide, her legacy is in someone else's hands, her love is a long lost memory. They have a group of guys booked for this weekend and who shows up but the guy she fell for that just disappeared. I love these types of second chance stories. The reconnecting when things weren't as they seemed cause the message was never delivered or they didn't know what happened to the other.
This one is about to break bookstagram I'm sure. This book makes me want to go on a hike. There is a lot of outdoor adventure, honestly I think they are rarely indoors. So be ready for some adventure!
Thank you gallerybooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

The premise of this book is what drew me to it and I am so pleased to say that I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy to read, so thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity. The adventure and suspense of this story is the driving force of the action, the plot and the interactions with the characters. I loved the slow-burn, second chance nature of the romance and the magic of the plot in itself is such a wonderful partner for this tale. I loved so many things including the idea of the long lost treasure hunt, the lush descriptions of the caverns and the wild west as well as the mystique of the long forgotten treasure and splendors to be discovered! I recommend it to the fullest!

This was my first Christina Lauren book & I was very impressed. I received a digital ARC of this book and I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. I definitely expected more of a romcom vibe but that was not the case at all! This book was packed with adventure and definitely gave me National Treasure vibes (in the best way possible.. I love that movie)! Make sure you look up trigger warnings & there was a tiny bit of very mild & limited spice🌶
4.5/5⭐️

Oh, Christina Lauren. You’ve done it again! I really enjoyed this book. The romance and character are great, but I loved the adventure part the most.
This book reminded me a little of the movie City slickers, it’s an old movie I watched in my childhood, and I loved being reminded of that while reading. Something Wilder had a great plot. I don’t want to ruin anything by telling you more, but trust me when I say this is unlike any other CLo book I’ve read before.
Since I can’t talk much about the plot, I will talk about the characters. LeA and Lily were great, they had terrific chemistry, and I was rooting for you from the get-go. As usual with CLO books, there are some fantastic see characters. They really help make the book. Leo and Lily are great, but the side characters provide some great comic relief.
The only thing I didn’t love was this was written in the third person. I would have preferred this to be written in first person alternating POVs. I would have loved to get into Lily and Leo’s minds while reading this one! a

This was such a fun story! I absolutely loved Lily and Leo and their relationship. I enjoy a good second chance romance, but throw in some adventure and treasure hunting, and it makes it all the better!

The setting of the dessert in Utah was perfect for this story. Lily’s job of taking people on fake treasure hunts was great, and I loved the puzzles and code breaking involved.

Besides Lily and Leo, there were some other great characters, mainly Nicole and Walter. The fact that two women were bringing these men out into the desert was a great way to focus on strong female characters.

Lily and Leo’s relationship was complicated. With not seeing each other in 10 years and randomly meeting up again, it led to some amazing sexual tension. There is some steam in the book, but it’s mild. I really enjoyed the treasure hunt aspect of the story so I was okay that the romance wasn’t the main focus.

Read this book if you like:
* Second chance romance
* Adventure
* Treasure hunts
* Strong female character
* Horses
* Mild steam

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was initially into this book just by the premise, but there were some frankly bonkers narrative choices that happened that gave me a pretty big case of tonal whiplash, which is what ultimately prompted me to knock off a star from my rating. It's one thing for this to be an adventure romp, with engaging character dynamics and a compelling central romance, but the first major twist with on-page (secondary) character death happening about 20-25% of the way into the book really threw me off while reading. From that point on, it felt like a markedly different book from the first few chapters that built up a much lighter establishing plot. Overall I was a big fan of the way in which Lily and Leo's second-chance romance played out on the page, and it was a quick and pleasurable read, but the initial heel-turn in the story really took me out for a second before I was able to jump back in and engage with the book again.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In short: Lily Wilder leads tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of southern Utah. Imagine her surprise when the current group includes Leo, the man who stole her heart and then ghosted her 10 years ago. This book follows their journey way of reconnecting set against a trip gone horribly wrong no thanks to Leo’s friends.

What I liked:
🧭Everything! 😂
🐴2nd chance at love & how naturally they picked right back up.
🥾The treasure hunt adventure

My thoughts: I loved this book so much! I actually DNF’d their last book and only kinda liked the one before that. Due to that I was tentative about reading this one but was pleasantly surprised how much I loved this book! It was perfect! Fast paced, filled with adventures, mystery and a little romance. Everything I love

Another extremely enjoyable book from these authors. The romance between the main characters was believable and rewarding--you care for them and you want them to make it work. Here the authors added a mystery, which is a change for them. I thought it worked. The bad guys are kind of obvious from the beginning, but it still added a nice framework for the romance. There were some parts that made me suspend my disbelief a bit, but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment.

I'm a sucker for Christina Lauren books and this one is no exception. I love that the second-chance romance is wrapped up in a mystery/adventure, and it even made me, a true city slicker, want to visit a dude ranch. That's the power of Christina Lauren, my friends. Put this one on your summer reading list and thank me later!

Thanks to Gallery Books for a copy to review.