Ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ Ｗｉｌｄｅｒ 𝚋𝚢 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚗

💔 Second Chance ❤️
🥾 Adventure 🥾
👥 Forced Proximity 👥
⛺️ One Sleeping Bag⛺️
💎 Treasure Hunt💰
🤠 Cowgirl and Nerd 🤓

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/5

⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️

HAPPY PUB DAY 05/17/22!

Lily grew up with famous, eccentric, treasure hunter Duke Wilder. When she was young, she enjoyed his antics, but after her mom left, games were no longer fun. Lily grew resentful of her father.

Leo and Lily have a past. 10 years ago they promised to never leave. But they were young and life got in the way.

Flash forward, Lily now takes tourists on week long adventures into the desert to make ends meet. She practically penniless but can’t give up the horses or the life.

Out of pure chance (or is it?), Leo happens to show back up in her life as part of the group for the week.

Things are rocky at first, as they get to know each other again in the middle of the rough terrain. When things go amiss with the group, they find themselves on a reluctant treasure hunting adventure all set in place by Duke himself.

Thoughts:

I did not expect this book to be what it is. Definitely not the story I thought these two authors would write.

That said, I actually thought the surprise was for the best! It read like an adventure movie. Indiana Jones vibes for real.

Tough, rugged no nonsense female characters running the show.

Villains who thought they knew better.

A hero that had no problem hanging on the back burner in full support of his long lost love.

Beautiful scenery. I love Utah. I could really visualize the setting. It made me want to go back for a visit.

I really do recommend this read. I haven’t read too much Christina Lauren, but from what I can gather, you would most likely be shocked by how different it is from there typical stories.

Thanks NetGalley and Gallery Books for access to this ARC.

I enjoyed this book way more than I though I would! I am not sure what I expected going into Something Wilder, but I loved the treasure hunt adventure it took me on. If you go into the book knowing that it is supposed to be an over the top adventure, it is so much fun. There was not a ton of spice, which I enjoyed. This is my second Christina Lauren book (first was Love and Other Words) and I actually loved this one so much more.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the ebook ARC of this book!

Christina Lauren is an autobuy author(s) for me, so I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. Let me tell you, this is not your typical CLo book. As I always do with my favorite authors, I went into this book completely blind. I had no idea what it was about, where it was set, or really anything about it at all. I had no idea was in for a cowgirl second chance adventure romance!

Lily and Leo are reunited unexpectedly on an adventure with Leo’s friends, and things intensify quickly. There is suspense, there’s romance, there’s adventure, there’s the canyon, and so much more.

This book is funny, it’s sweet, it’s a little steamy, and it’s binge-worthy. I absolutely loved it and read it in one day. I loved this change of pace for these authors and hope to see more like this from them. SO FUN!

I enjoyed this one so much - it has adventure, romance, and horses! It’s easily one of my favorites of theirs! Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a gifted copy.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads rating: 4.02

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Second chances romances
▫️Rom-coms with an adventurous plot
▫️The show: Outer Banks

INITIAL THOUGHTS:
AHHHHH! 😍 Omg I loved this book so freakin’ much!! Not gonna lie y’all… I was getting a tad bored in my reading life 😂 (it happens!) and this book brought me back to life! It was full of adventures in the Wild West in search for a lost treasure! 💰 At first I wasn’t sure, but ended up LOVING how fun and different this story was when compared to your typical rom-com. Oh and Leo & Lily?? They had me swooning!!! LOVEEEED their chemistry & story. 🥹💕

MY MINI SYNOPSIS:
Despite Lily Wilder’s father, Duke, being a life-long treasure hunter, she is still struggling for income after his death. She is doing all she can to make ends meet, including taking tourists on fake “treasure hunts” through Utah. 🌄 She was shocked when her next group of tourists included her (totally gorgeous & charming) ex-boyfriend, Leo, who left her 10 years ago without a word. Lily wants nothing to do with him during this wilderness trip, but Leo uses this time as a chance to explain his absence. When the trip takes an unexpected turn, the group decides to pivot and search for the real lost treasure using Duke’s old journey full of codes and maps. 🗺 Can Lily forgive Leo AND look for a treasure?! Well… she has nothing to lose! 🐎

RATING EXPLAINED:
5 shiny stars! I wasn’t sure about that first twist (DM me if you know what I’m talking about lol) but I ended up loving the rest of the book so much that I still went with 5 🌟! Christina Lauren will forever be my fav author duo! They are true rom-com masterminds 🤓

DETAILS:
▪️ Thank you @netgalley & @gallerybooks for my #gifted e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
▪️ Publishes: 05/17/22

This book is different from the usual romance themes from the Christina Lauren duo. Something Wilder is more adventure/treasure hunt than romance but there is a great second chance love affair to enjoy. Lily is the daughter of a famous treasure hunter who runs adventure trips for business people. She finds herself leading a trip involving the former love of her life Leo. After they get over the shock of seeing one another again after so many years, they set out to solve a grand treasure hunt. The relationship between Lily and Leo is sweet and has a mature feel to it. The story is also packed with interesting side characters that really add to the fun. I really liked this one and while it was a change of pace for the writers, it still captured their signature great romance feel.

Thanks to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC.

I went into this book totally blind and I’m really glad I did.

Lily Wilder has lost pretty much everything - her first and only love, her beloved ranch, and her dad, famous treasure hunter, Duke Wilder. She spends her days barely making ends meet by running treasure hunting wilderness tours where city slickers can live out their cowboy dreams for a week.

Imagine her astonishment when this week’s group happens to include that first love she hasn’t seen in ten years since he left her, Leo. Leo’s just as astonished - and happy - to see her. But, when one of the members takes the trip a little too seriously and there’s a prospect of real treasure to be found, everything gets turned on it’s head and Lily and Leo rediscover their love of adventure and each other.

This book is half very, very sweet second chance romance and half suspense and it had me hooked the entire time. Leo was so sweet and his love of Lily was incredible. The suspense portion kept me so intrigued and I loved how Lily and Leo regained their love and trust through it. It’s definitely half romance and half suspense so if you’re a romance 100% person, it might not be the book for you but I really loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

Something Wilder is a wild west ride reminiscent of the classic comedy movie "City Slickers". Throw in a couple tough as nails cowgirls and an unexpected second chance romance, and you've got a book worth reading.

Action, adventure, humor, and love make this a great read for a summertime escape.

Special thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Something Wilder by @christinalauren comes out tomorrow, and it was an incredibly fun second chance romance.

What happens when the burnt-out daughter of a famous treasure hunter encounters the love of her life, a man who abandoned her with no explanation years ago, on a tour she’s running through the red rock mountains of Utah? I think we have to assume at some point there will be an issue with one of their sleeping bags or tents or flannel shirts that will force an only one of that needed item situation.

I keep reading reviews of this one that say it’s not like a typical Christina Lauren book. I’m going to be honest and say that this assessment confused me a bit because I haven’t found there to be a typical Christina Lauren book. They write romcoms and more serious women’s fiction and time loop books and super steamy enemies to lovers and then less steamy sweet stories. The only thing I absolutely expect from a Christina Lauren book is romance, and that’s definitely a prominent feature—dare I say the prominent feature—in Something Wilder.
The treasure hunt and the red rock canyon tours are a great backdrop for the romance, but I never felt like I was reading an adventure Western, even though the book has those elements. I felt like I was reading a lovely story about two people reconnecting after years and misunderstandings and I was really, really rooting for them.

Leo is my kind of hero. He’s sweet and makes sacrifices for the people he loves. And he’s smart. Did I mention that there’s really nothing better than a smart hero? Lily is also a super fun character. She’s afraid to let herself believe that anything good can happen to her, and seeing that belief challenged throughout the book is really fun.

And yes, there is a treasure hunt and an adventure and maybe even a bad guy or two. But I don’t mind some adventure if there are plenty of swoony stolen looks over campfires, and I promise you there are!

Thank you so much to @Netgalley and @gallerybooks for and e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I’d definitely recommend grabbing of a copy! I’m so excited to pick mine up Thursday when the authors are in town (insert squeal!).

Thank you so much to the authors, Netgalley, and Gallery Books for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. One of my first thoughts upon starting was–this needs to be a movie! According to the authors’ notes, they wrote this to be a “fun, swoon-filled escape from the real world” and I’d say they accomplished that feat. The writing style was very cinematic and I could see it translating well onto the big screen with all the action, mystery, and adventure portrayed in the story.

The setting and plot were immersive, and it was fun following this group of characters as they searched for valuable treasures that may have been found (and re-hidden) by Lily Wilder’s famous treasure hunter father. There were a number of entertaining tropes, including forced proximity, second chance romance, and city boy/country girl.

My favorite character was hands down the MMC Leo, who was a delicious combination of nerdy, snarky, playful, logical, and soulful. His banter with Lily was amusing, and I loved the maturity that both characters showed in the open communication of their exchanges. I appreciated that the reasons for their separation in their youth were given to us without dragging out the drama too long.

I strongly believe this should have been marketed as adventure first, romance second, because the treasure hunting subplot was front and center for the majority of the story. I wanted a lot more sweet moments between Lily and Leo, and I think I would’ve connected with their relationship better if we got flashbacks to show us what made their romance so significant that they never got over each other even after a decade of being apart.

Nevertheless, this was a fun story filled with some crazy twists that definitely would make for an entertaining film. Temper your expectations for a romance story and it won’t be difficult to enjoy this novel. If you’re into movies like National Treasure, Indiana Jones, and Romancing the Stone, this is a good choice for your next romance read!

I was very excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of this book. Once I heard that Christina Lauren was writing an adventure romance I wanted to read it immediately. If you enjoyed The Mummy, The Lost City, or especially Romancing the Stone, this is going to be the book for you. The premise of the story centers around Lily Wilder. Lily, the daughter of the world famous treasure hunter, Duke Wilder, has been escorting wannabe rancher tourists on treasure hunting excursions for the last decade. Her dream is to someday get the family ranch back that Duke sold when she was a teen. Lily is taken by complete surprise when the next group of tourists includes Leo, of whom she shared a summer fling when he was working on the ranch as a farm hand. A series of bananas events leads Lily and Leo’s group on an actual hunt for Duke’s treasure following clues he left behind before his death. And as this is a romance, Lily and Leo discover that the feelings that they shared that summer never really went away. This book is pure fun and would be an awesome vacation read! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, I am more than happy to share a review with fellow readers.

Christina Lauren books are generally hit or miss for me and Something Wilder falls somewhere right in the middle. This is a second-chance romance, but the romance tends to take a backseat to the adventure/treasure hunting aspect of the plot, which I found to be a bit unrealistic and over the top at points. Overall, I didn't love this one, but I certainly didn't hate it and I'll continue to look forward to reading more from Christina Lauren.

What an adventure!

The writing duo of Christina Lauren never ceases to amaze me in how they continue to create such unique, engaging stories and boy do they ever with Something Wilder.

Buckle up for a romance that is part mystery and adventure coupled with a sweet, second chance romance.

I love how Christina Lauren share that they wrote this over the pandemic when it was really difficult for some to get out and experience any sort of travel at all.

What they created is the perfect summer adventure that would make the best beach read or the perfect escape for any staycation.

I felt like I was in the pages along for the ride with Lily and Leo exploring caverns and riverbeds and on the hunt for buried treasure.

This book totally made me want to travel out West, jump on a horse and just GO!

Which, if this alone was one goal this duo set out to achieve while writing this book, was greatly achieved.

In addition to the amazing imagery conveyed in this novel, I really loved the mystery and suspense angle which is something they haven’t really explored in any previous novel.

I’ll admit at one point my jaw almost hit the floor because I was NOT EXPECTING a certain something to happen but it launched the book in this new direction that had me questioning and hypothesizing and playing super sleuth along with the main characters.

But as a romance book lover at heart, I too was all about the romance between Lily and Leo.

I loved the initial tension between them given their history and I really appreciated that they had their “talk it out” moment from the start without letting it linger.

Christina Lauren gave the perfect amount of backstory in the prologue to build their connection and provided just enough tension and romance to make their second chance storyline just as important as the mystery they were unfolding.

I fully admit that romantic suspense isn’t my go-to genre but I loved this one and highly recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I have not read any other books by this author duo. I enjoyed the first third of the book, but then it started to fall a bit flat for me. It was categorized as a second chance romance, but I felt it has more of an adventure feel to it than romance.

This was such a fun read. It reminded me a lot of Lost City. I won't say it's my fav but it was good. I wish there was a bit more romance a little less action.

I have been a fan of Christina Lauren and during this time I feel like I have come to know their writing style. They never disappoint and Something Wilder was not the exception. Having said so, this book took me completely by surprise in more than one unexpected way. This definitely is an adventure filled read with a twist of romance and not the other way around, but still plenty enjoyable.

4.5 Stars - wow I'm truly blown away. I started this book and within the first 2 chapters I was immediately like "ugh this is a cheesy setting I'm not into it" but a friend told me to continue and keep going and I'm so glad I did. I truly loved this one so much. I usually prefer more character development than plot development but Christina Lauren's writing is so phenomenal that I still was able to see and understand a lot about the characters even though this was more plot developed. I would say NOT to go into this one expecting just romance, this IMO is a little romance with a lot of action. If you enjoy second chance at love trope, one 'sleeping bag' trope, and puzzles & games you'll definitely like this one. Truly, the ending here is what got me. Lilly's questionable bond with her father was solidified in a very meaningful way. I also loved her relationship with her friend Nicole and obviously Leo. Christina Lauren honestly shocked me on this one, I truly was not expecting this masterpiece. I highly recommend if you enjoy the inheritance games, heavy plot development books, and second chance at love tropes.

This book was very different from the others by Christina Lauren, but equally enjoyable! These ladies just have the winning combination for hits. I will read EVERYTHING by them with an expectation of delight!

This is a second chance romance, which is a hit or miss trope for me, but really worked in this case. Lily and Leo fell in love ten years ago on Lily's family ranch in Wyoming, but Leo got called home when his mother has an accident, and through a series of communication issues they haven't seen or spoken to one another since. But when Leo and his friends go on their annual bro trip, which has been planned by one of his college buddies, it turns out that they're going on a wilderness experience that is being led by none other than Lily. She's barely making ends meet running these tours that draw on the legendary status of her father, Duke Wilder, who was a famous adventurer always looking for Butch Cassidy's lost treasure. She often resented Duke for being a semi-absentee father, and blamed him for her mother leaving, so she has a complicated relationship with Duke's memory. I wasn't expecting this to be quite as adventure-heavy as it was, and the pacing was great for those elements as well as the romance. There are moments where the adventure side of things became more intense that I was prepared for, but I thought that just made the story more compelling. A fun read that deals with some heavy topics but does it well.

A mix between Romancing the Stone and National Treasure, this is a fun book from the team of Christina Lauren. Set in the modern day west, the loving landscape descriptions make the reader feel like they are scrambling over rocks with Lily and Leo. The adventure definitely rates higher than the romance, but there is a satisfactory amount of sexy times for Lauren fans.

One caveat: don't, whatever you do, talk to a lawyer friend about the legality of Joe and Lily's actions. I did and after he spluttered for a while, he basically said that there's no way what happened in this book could really happen. Still, Something Wilder is a fun escapist novel.