I finished Something Wilder today while I was nap trapped - seriously not the worst thing in the world as long as my Kindle is close by - and it definitely wasn't the usual Christina Lauren book we've come to expect. This one had adventure and suspense with a smidge of rekindled romance.

While it wasn't my favorite of this duo's, I did enjoy my time reading it and going on a treasure hunt adventure with quite a few bumps in the road.

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧

Okay the description of this book does not even scratch the surface- I was hesitant to pick this one up thinking “horses? ranches?eh.” But once I was like 35% of the way through I was hooked. The story took a wild turn that’s all I’ll say😉 It was so unique to the rest of @christinalauren books that I’ve read & I loved it way more than I expected to!

👍🏼: This story gave you a little bit of everything- romance, humor, mystery? & even some action that kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved the second chance romance & the adventurous storyline that makes me want to book a trip to do something spontaneous 😍 The ending was also super satisfying & I loved how everything played out.

👎🏼: Was it realistic? I’d say not at all. 😂 But what a fun, wild ride this book took me on! I have no actual complaints!!

Thanks to @netgalley & @gallerybooks for the gifted e-ARC 📚 this one is out Tuesday 5/17! Message me if you read I’d love to discuss this one ✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a unique storyline for a romance book! I was not expecting it to go the way it did at all! It felt like certain parts had to be the climax, but then more drama would unfold.

It’s fun to see and watch Christina Lauren evolve over the years, and I’m eager to see what they do next.

I think it was ultimately obvious how this book would tie up, but I was curious to see how we would get there.

As a fan of Christina Lauren it pains me to say that Something Wilder just was not in my wheelhouse. I love the writing and I think this had a unique style but the tropes and main characters were not not my favorite. The city boy, country girl/second chance romance did not interest me and I found it a little too adventurous for my taste. I prefer many of their other romance novels but I appreciate that they are branching into other sub genres.

Kind of like a movie script...

This one was written much more like a script (think Romancing the Stone or the Lost City).
Its heavy on the adventure and puzzle, and very light on the romance. I would have preferred more romance and back story (like more about ten years ago). I did enjoy Lily and Leo together, though.

I’ve read and liked several Christina Lauren novels before, and this second-chance romance featuring a treasure hunt, all set in the wilds of Utah, sounded like a perfect summer read. While it does live up to some of those expectations, there was one major con that didn’t work for me at all.

“I guess I’m looking for adventure. My day-to-day life is pretty routine.” He turned his baseball cap over in his hands and seemed to note that the mood had grown solemn. “But maybe let’s set the low bar of just not dying[.]”


Once upon a time, deeply in love Lily and Leo were planning on running a ranch together, until misfortune struck. Leo’s spent the past ten years taking care of his sister Cora, while Lily has bee running tours based on notes in her treasure hunter dad Duke’s journal. When the annual buddy trip reunites Leo and Lily, it’s almost too good to be true – much like the rumored treasure in the canyons. But when things start to go wrong, they’re forced to work together and maybe, just maybe, they can make things work this time.

“The truth about tragedy was that once it struck, nothing on this wide green earth could make it any better. Leo had been her spark, had brought a glimpse of love and laughter and security into her life, but his departure had only proven what she’d already known: good things don’t stick around.”


Lily’s in a pretty rough place when the book starts. Frankly, she hates her job, especially for its association with the endless treasure hunts that took her father away from her. All she has are her horses and her best friend Nic, who helps her run the tours. From her dad’s constant travels to Leo’s unexplained abandonment of her, Lily’s learned first-hand that good things don’t last. So while seeing Leo again reminds her of how much she still cares for him, how good it felt to open up to him and share her feelings and dreams, she knows that giving him another chance will only lead to heartbreak for her again. Leo gave up his own dreams to raise his sister, but now that she’s graduated, he’s at a bit of a loss for what comes next. His job creating encryption used to be interesting, but his latest promotion will take him farther into manager-land. Being out in the wild again is like remembering how to live, and that’s not counting how he feels about Lily. Because this time, he’s determined to make it work.

“I had to let you go once,” he told her. “You think I’m letting that happen again?”


As far as a second chance romance, this works out pretty well. It’s only about a quarter of the way through the book when Leo and Lily hash it out and realize what’s kept them apart all this time was a big miscommunication, leaving them plenty of time to develop a new relationship. What’s there is pretty good and I could certainly understand both Lily’s hesitance to try again and Leo’s determination to. Unfortunately, the treasure hunt portion of the book overwhelmed the romance frequently. For the most part, the treasure hunt is the sort of madcap suspension-of-disbelief zaniness that I was expecting, but there’s one aspect that jarred me out of the book fully and repeatedly.

SPOILERS! [

“I think we’re missing the point,” Leo said. “Terry is dead. ”


One of the members of Leo’s group dies. Terry, the book happens to make clear, is a raging misogynist and a generally horrible person, and not really friends with any of them. He falls over the edge of a cliff while threatening the rest of the group, and while they’re initially quite shocked, what ends up happening? One of the things he claimed is that the treasure is real, so they decide to go off looking for it, and then will lie to the police that they thought he ran off and that they were looking for him. And then… the next half of the book happens, and besides some references to the fact that the guy is dead, that’s it. I don’t really care how bad the guy is, I just couldn’t get over how quickly a bunch of normal people just shrugged and decided to go on a treasure hunt. I mean, for goodness’ sake, Leo makes a joke about him being dead while using his condoms. It felt callous and not really in line with their characters, and it really affected my enjoyment of the book. (hide spoiler)]

“I just wanted to say to Miss Nicole and Lily, this has been one of the best trips we’ve ever, ever done.” He looked at Bradley and Leo. “Right, guys?”
“Except for the (spoiler),” Leo agreed, “it’s been great.”

Overall, if you can suspend your belief enough for that particular bit, I think this works as a beach read, so three stars for that.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I'll read anything CLo puts out (and I do mean anything) so I devoured this one once I got started. It's definitely different to their past works but in The Best way! I am a sucker for a good second-chance romance and this one might be my new favorite. All the stars from me, as usual.

Do I normally read westerns? Nope
Do I read a lot of treasure hunts/action adventure stories? Nope
Will I read anything written by Christina Laurent? Absolutely!


Happy Publishing Day to @ChristinaLauren and 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿! This book is so much fun! At its core this book is about a second chance romance, but it’s filled with so much action adventure, friendship stories, twists and turns, father/daughter relationship - there’s truly something for everyone here. The storyline can feel a bit over the top at points but the sarcastic humor and lovable characters make everything forgivable. Go into this book open to the fun adventure.

On a side note, I’m going to announce this loud and clear for the people in the back: Leo is MY new book boyfriend. Please step away. This puzzle solving, responsible guy, taking care of his sister, has obvious skills in the bedroom (or tent as the case may be), loving Lily even after a decade apart - he’s mine! Back off. 🤣

Pack this in your summer travel bag! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I always enjoy a Christina Lauren rom-com, this one just wasn't the one for me. The authors did an excellent job of describing the setting and really transported me to the backcountry of Utah. The treasure hunt premise was fun, but Lily and Leo's story didn't really draw me in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

🏜 Review 🏜
You guys, this book was so different than what these ladies usually write, but all the same swoony feels are there 😍. This was one crazy ride full of suspense, twists, and turns. What an adventure and what a book! I’m so glad the dynamic duo branched out to create such an exciting read 👏🏻.

I just love their books, y’all. This was definitely different than their “normal” and I gobbled it right up! I could not stop reading it. Especially after the doozy of a twist that was thrown in rather early! I did not see it coming at all, and there was no way I was putting my kindle down at that point. Sleep be damned!

Lily and Leo 😍 even their names just go together! I felt so much anticipation and angst within myself throughout this book. I wanted them to be happy so badly. That beginning hooked me right through the heart and I wasn’t going to be ok unless they had a happily ever after.

The adventure and madness that ensued during their trek/camping/treasure hunt was just a bonus on top of the love story!

It was a blast to read and just what you need if you are wanting a distraction from the real world for a bit! Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review! 💜

I have loved every Christina Lauren book I’ve read, but I wasn’t as interested in this one. I think i didn’t care much for the setting. Other than that, this author will always be a favorite.

Have you ever wanted book that felt like those adventure cinema classics like Romancing the Stone and National Treasure, with a hint of The Notebook’s romance? LOOK NO FURTHER BABES! ‘Something Wilder’ by Christina Lauren is IT. This book has everything from lost loves reunited to adventurous treasure hunts, from humorous banter to well developed character history that truly invites us into the world of this thrilling and endearing story. Our female lead, Lily, is steadfast and full of gumption, and I love that in a leading lady.

All in all, ‘Something Wilder’ was a book that I couldn’t put down and that made me want to plan my own adventure out west!

Let me preface this review with this; I have solidly come to the conclusion that I am just not a CLo standalone stan and I have to come to terms with this. I loved Beautiful Bastards, Autoboyography, and Josh & Hazel, but everything else from them has fallen a little flat for me. This is in no way reflective of their authorship, just that it's not for me!

I had seen a lot of advanced praise for Something Wilder and that it was less of a rom-com and more of an adventure romance. I love a good rom-com, but I was excited to read a little something different from this duo. While I enjoyed the story, there was just something about the overall experience that was off for me.

I loved Lily. Lily giving treasure hunt tours as a job fulfilled all of my National Treasure childhood dreams. The puzzles, clues, riddles and treasure hunting of it all was so fun and I loved how engrossed she was in the adventure. I loved that her and Leo got a second chance at love with each other since the only thing that kept them apart was distance... and the dreaded miscommunication.

One this that CLo does really well is BANTER! Leo and Lily have it in spades. It was so fun to read about their slow sizzling romance while simultaneously reading this epic adventure story. Dual POV is always a plus!

3.5/5 rounded to 4 stars!

Lily Wilder was devastated when her father, a famous treasure hunter, sold their family ranch in Wyoming just days after the love of her life abandoned her to return to his home in New York City. Ten years later, she is barely scraping by as she leads tours through the wilderness of Utah with hopes of one day being able to buy back her ranch. She is shocked when Leo, her ex, is a guest on one of her week-long tours. The group decides to set out in search of the treasure her father devoted his life to but never found, and while at first it seems like they're all in it together, that doesn't turn out to be the case.

This book was so different from the others I've read by this writing duo and it was a really fun adventure to take! It was an action packed, second-chance romance with lots of twists and turns. I'm not a huge fan of miscommunications that stretch out over the entire course of the book, so the fact that this couple actually had adult conversations right off the bat and cleared the air was a huge relief for me - thank you for that @christinalauren!

MOST of the characters in this one are extremely likable and the witty banter will draw you right in. If this book were to be adapted into a movie you can certainly count me in!

3.5/5, rounded up to 4 stars!

Thank you Gallery Books for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this Christina Lauren book. I think it might be my favorite, though I really enjoyed The Unhoneymooners.

This book is filled with wild adventures, twists & turns, and a sweet second chance love! When I first started it, I was unsure if I’d enjoy it because it seemed so cheesy, but as it got more into the story, I was hooked. I enjoyed Lily’s take no shit attitude and was pleasantly surprised by all the crazy twists and turns. Am I read a romance or a thriller? 😂 honestly, it’s a little of both. And what’s better than one bed? ONE SLEEPING BAG 😍 I loved watched Lily and Leo reconnect and fall back in love together, even though I don’t think either of them truly fell out of love.

Things I didn’t love: I wish we got more background on Leo and Lily’s backstory at the ranch. We saw short glimpses, but I think if we saw one or more in depth one I would have felt more chemistry between them! They also mention that Leo interacted with her dad in the past and I would have loved to see that flashback to get a better idea of him. The other issue I had with it, is that I’m pretty sure the word wild was used 200+ times in this book. I hope to god that was intentional since the book is called Something Wilder, and it’s Lily’s last name — but it was seriously used as a descriptor for everything and by the end of the book it was annoying. Two points that end of the day don’t mean much but could have easily made this a 5 star for me!!

Overall, this was a very fun book and I enjoyed it. I recommend to anyone who is looking for a great summer read with a sweet slow burn and lots of mystery added in!

Christina Lauren are one of my favorite duos. I don’t know how they do it, but their books are so fun. This one was a bit different and unique. If you love the Wild West, then I think you will love this one. If you don’t love Westerns, I still think you will enjoy it. It was so fun and fresh!

As I mentioned, this is very different for them! It was a romance wrapped in a mystery, with a treasure hunt. Not only that, but we also have second chance romance, which is always fun. I wasn’t sure how it would work, but they blended it all together very well. In fact, I would go as far as to say, this is less about a romance novel and more about adventure.

One of the things that I really loved about this was the treasure hunt. Figuring out the puzzles and clues was really cool, and I loved how Leo and Lily bonded over it. There’s a group of them that think they are on just a fun adventure, but it quickly turns into more. There’s a moment in this book that had me shocked!! I did not see it coming and that’s impressive with a romance. I loved Nic and Walt so much. Nic was hilarious and Walt was like a teddy bear.

The romance was sweet and was kind of predictable. I was a little bit let down with how much of a backseat their romance takes in this book. Just a heads up for all my romance lovers out there. I am a bit fan of Leo, and he was such a great MC. Another surprising aspect was how quickly the communication between them was. It was so refreshing to see characters actually clear the air early!! Thank you, CL for giving us something unexpected with that!

Overall, this was such a unique and fun read. The pacing was fast and there are several genres that they mashed together. I think it worked really well and the clues were fun. The romance was sweet, even if I wanted a bit more of it. There are some surprising elements and twists that I think readers will also appreciate. It was a great adventure, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next!!

Many thanks to Gallery Books for a copy of this book via Netgalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own. 🙂

As the daughter of famous treasure hunter Duke Wilder, Lily rarely saw her father. Or any money in the bank. Determined to overcome her circumstances, Lily uses the maps left by her father to lead tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rocks of Utah. When a ghost from her past decides to reappear on one of her guided trips, Lily draws a firm line in the sand that nothing will ever happen. Leo Grady wishes for nothing more than to reconnect with his first love. But when the trip goes horribly wrong, will the past be able to right itself?

I knew as I was reading the first few chapters, this book was going to be a five star read for me! And I was not disappointed. I started reading Christina Lauren when I started bookstagram last year and after reading this book, I’m SO glad I did! The setting was absolutely stunning and had me so excited to visit the American Southwest someday. It made the perfect backdrop for a treasure hunt! I loved how seamless the action and romance were woven together. I finished it in just a few days because I was dying to know what happens next! I think second chance romance might be my new favorite trope 😍 Leo was so steadfast in his love for Lily and it gave me all the butterflies! The biggest thank you for my E-ARC to Gallery Books, Christina Lauren, and NetGalley!

Read if you like:
♥️Second chance romance
🤠National Treasure
🏜Off the beaten path adventure

Are you looking for the perfect summer read? You need to pick this up! I didn’t think a book set in the west would be good to read on the Beach, but I had so much fun with it.

I loved Lily and Leo and Nicole and Walter. This book just reinforced how much I love the second chance romance trope, and the twists were fun and unexpected.

Don’t go in to this expecting a realistic portrayal of the adventure they take, the authors tell you on the first page that it’s not. Thank you so much @netgalley, @christinalauren, and @gallerybooks for the early copy!