As a kid, I absolutely loved movies like Romancing the Stone and Indiana Jones. Something Wilder made me remember that love in the best way. Lily Wilder grew up in the shadow of her famous treasure hunting father, Duke. She's struggled in her adult life to make ends meet, running a pseudo-treasure hunt for tourists. She dreams of one day purchasing the ranch her father sold out from under her. In her latest trip, she finds herself face to face with Leo, her first love and the man who broke her heart by disappearing. This book was such a fun read- it had all the twists and turns of a great treasure hunt, found family, second chance love. I was a tiny bit anxious about the authors going a little different than their usual romances, but I shouldn't have been. Something Wilder Is a perfect summer read!

Lily Wilder is making ends meet by taking tourists on (fake) treasure hunts - something that her father was well known for. Lily wants nothing more than to get back the ranch she grew up on; but she doesn't have the current funds for that is simply getting by. If she occasionally thinks about the boy she fell in love with a decade ago - she has to remember to move on. He didn't reach out and she's over it - or so she tells herself.

Leo Grady is all work and no play. But when his annual trip with his best friends comes up he's in for a surprise. He's not sure where he's going - only that it's outdoors in the wilderness. Leo quickly finds out that not only is he going back to Utah, but Lily Wilder - the girl he fell in love with a decade ago is his tour guide. Will these two be able to mend the hurt that kept them apart all while looking for a treasure?

Something Wilder started out strong for me and I ended up reading the first half really quickly. The cast of characters were all strong and I enjoyed the dynamic between all of them. I really wanted to like Leo and Lily more than I actually did. I found the chemistry between the two lacking and the second chance didn't work for me in this instance. There was no angst, no tension and everything was resolved rather quickly.

After about the 50% mark and a certain sequence the book felt off to me. I just ... had a hard time going about the whole situation and everything that happened after.

Not a favorite Christina Lauren book, but a lot of friends have been enjoying it as it's more of a suspense with the love story taking a back seat. Overall I'd give Something Wilder 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC of this book.

This story revolves around Lilly and Leo's second chance love story and a treasure hunt.

I've read several of Christina Lauren's books and I found this one quiet different from the others. I did not enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed the others. This time I found the story difficult to buy into. I wasn't really into the whole treasure hunt thing and I struggled to suspend reality enough to enjoy it.

What worked for me:
- likable main characters
- a sweet second chance love story
- the setting was e hoyable for the most part

What didn't work for me:
- a difficult to believe plot
- the betrayal by Leo's 2 friends
- thugs holding them at gunpoint, racing to get to the treasure first...yeah, not for me
- a death on the trail during what was supposed to be an adventure trip

3 stars

Christina Lauren do it once again! Definitely did not expect the book to have so much action in it but it definitely was a good book. It gave me a bit of Indiana Jone vibes, which was totally unexpected. The twists in the plot definitely caught me off guard and had me a bit anxious, especially when Bradley made an appearance. And without missing the romance that Leo and Lily shared made its appearance throughout the book, which was just what their readers enjoy. Overall a great action packed book with the hint of a ‘cowboy’ romance.

Well, it finally happened. I found a Christina Lauren book that I did NOT like.

I knew going in that this was supposed to be a departure for them, so I was a bit prepared for this to deviate from the kind of story I'm used to from these authors. But nothing could prepare me for what happened about a third of the way into this book. I'm not going to detail the event in question, because I'm all about living a spoiler-free life. But if you've read the book, you know. And afterward it just seemed like...nobody cared? They just carry on along their merry way? I just couldn't get past it. I was extremely tempted to DNF right then and there, but I put my Kindle down for the night and picked it up the next day.

I will say that once the group got underway on their little treasure hunt, I did start to like the book more. I truly enjoyed the adventurous themes, and the descriptions of the scenery were compelling. I think this story had the potential to be truly great. If the authors had chosen to go the Man vs Nature route instead of Man vs Man, showing the characters battling weather and the elements and working as a team to survive, their relationships knitting more closely together as a result, this could truly have been a five-star read. The bones are there, they just needed to ditch the unnecessary drama and silliness, and perhaps provide their characters a better moral compass.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

SOMETHING WILDER – Christina Lauren
Gallery Books
ISBN: 978-1982173401
May 17, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Utah – Present Day

Lily Wilder grew up listening to her father’s tales about searching for buried treasure left behind by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It consumed Duke Wilder’s life so much that it caused Lily to grow up without a mother. With Duke dead and Lily needing money, she has built a small business leading people on treasure hunts using Duke’s maps. The latest group is from New York City, and to Lily’s horror, includes her ex-lover, Leo Grady. They had loved each other ten years ago, but he left her after declaring his love for her but never came back. He seems surprised to see her, so it appears that the other men in the group that had set up the escape hadn’t told him that Lily Wilder would lead them. She tries to avoid Leo, but it’s hard to when he’s right there. Then something happens that brings them closer.

The men in the group are all friends of Leo’s, yet they are each different. When one of them turns out to be after Duke Wilder’s diary which Lily carries around as it has Duke’s maps that he’s drawn of his hunt for the lost treasure, a tragedy occurs. What happens afterward has Lily and Leo fighting for their lives. Someone is desperate to find the lost treasure and appears ready to hurt—or kill—anyone who gets in their way. Who can Lily and Leo trust? Can she trust Leo? Will they make it out alive and will the treasure be found?

Going into SOMETHING WILDER, I figured it would be a romance with a little vacation trip on the side for the characters. But instead, it turns into a bit of a romantic suspense as Lily and Leo end up fighting for their lives. Lily and Leo fell in love ten years ago, but circumstances and miscommunication forced them apart. They thought the other did not really love them. Now they are together again, and the old attraction returns. At first, Lily tries to avoid Leo, using the others in the group to act as a buffer. But after the confrontation with one of Leo’s friends who wants to steal the diary, all hell breaks out. Lily, who prides herself on her independence, must now rely on Leo’s assistance in plotting the next steps that they must take in order to stay alive.

There is plenty of heart stopping action that will have readers wondering who will die or who the bad guys are. Even Lily isn’t sure that she can trust Leo. They are traipsing in a remote location with rugged conditions. One wrong step—literally—and you can end up dead. Will Lily and Leo make it out alive? Will the lost treasure be found or is it nothing more than a wild goose chase instigated by Duke? Find out the answers to these questions and the fate of the romance between Lily and Leo by picking up a copy of SOMETHING WILDER.

Patti Fischer

I went into this story prepared for fun, easy-going, and overall heartwarming. What I got instead left me feeling uneasy.

This story is a second-chance romance between Lily and Leo, who had parted ways 10 years earlier. Their issues revolving their breakup in the past is resolved fairly quickly, but what happened next really upset me. I should say, the reactions by all the characters is what had me upset..

I can’t spoil the premise of the story, but a big plot twist occurs and the way the main characters, along with the side ones, handle the situation is disrespectful and utterly disturbing. It was hard for me as the reader to move on from what occurred. The fact that the romance and adventure continued with no care in the world is baffling me. From the point of this major occurrence, things just went south for me. I couldn’t let go of the incident that’s ignored by pretty much everyone. Therefore my ability to embrace the rekindling of the romance between Leo and Lily, along with the adventure they continued on, just seemed morally wrong.

I’m well aware this is a book and not reality. But I want to like the characters and still believe they’re good people. The way these characters went about their lives selfishly only thinking about what they could gain with little disregard to what happened, left me with a bad taste on my mouth.

I wanted to love this and unfortunately I didn’t.

Advanced copy given in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Net Galley for sending this my way.

Love second chance romance and getting more from these Authors. Always a treat in what angle they come up with and this one delivered. Highly enjoyed the national treasure spin they took on this storyline.

My only hiccup is the lack of chemistry I felt between Lily and Leo. A senior reader to their many previous stories, usually delivers, and this one just missed the mark.Recommend for a fast fun summer read.

Something Wilder was such a fun and fantastical adventure story that I could not put down! This story has it all: adventure, adrenalin, romance, bad guys, and characters you will fall in love with.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I really loved everything in this story, but for me it was all about the setting and adventures! This fall my son and I will hike Moab for the first time, so I was loving the cinematic and wild-west vibes of Utah's Canyonlands National Park. Seriously, the duo has outdone themselves with their atmospheric writing! Each scene was perfectly developed and had all the vibes of National Treasure as they worked through riddles, puzzles, and codes. I even found myself pausing to try to figure them out myself! \

How was the romance?

This was a fabulous second chance romance. Leo and Lily were a great duo who you just had to root for as a couple and as individuals.

Steam level: PG-13

How was the pace?

This was a fast-paced story that took me on a nonstop adventure while keeping me on the edge of my seat! I really didn’t want to set it down and I know Kaley ripped right through it and also was in love with the story and characters from the very beginning. Personally, I think she would have actually jumped into the book if it was a possibility!

Do you recommend this book?

Yes! This is such a unique adventure and romance all thrown into one, and I can guarantee you will devour this story and want more! Read it, love it, and enjoy the wild ride!

Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery Books, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Lauren is the GOAT for a reason -- SOMETHING WILDER is a delightful return to classic romance form, playing with genre expectations and proving once again that an excellent romance can get a little zany. It's not all melodrama and crying in the rain! Lily is a charming heroine (as always in a CLo novel), and Leo is the perfect blend of strong-but-silent and anxious nerd. Also: wild west adventure! A men's rights activist gets his comeuppance! Horses! Treasure hunt! Second chance romance and danger bangs and so much PINING. Complicated dad feelings! This book has it all -- I couldn't stop reading and already want to reread this instant classic. A truly excellent romance!

My favorite writing duo Christina Lauren has done it again, coming in strong with another book that’s no doubt going on my list of favorites.

I was instantly invested in Leo and Lily’s story, and the characters themselves. I loved them both so, so much.

The adventure aspect of Something Wilder was so fun. There were twists and turns I didn’t expect and it kept me interested until the very end.

Wow this book was so good! I’m not a huge romance reader, so I always go in weary but this book can easily be described as an adventure novel containing a second chance romance.

Lily Wilder leads tours and fake treasure hunts through the canyons in Utah. One day her first love shows up with friends for a tour and their treasure hunt takes plenty of wild turns leading them down the path of hunting for actual treasure left by her notorious treasure hunter father.

As someone who loves the outdoors this book was so much fun! There’s was so many fun twists and I couldn’t wait to see if they would find the treasure. I also really liked Lily and Leo’s relationship even though overall they were never together long and the reason behind their breakup was annoying 😂 This will be an amazing summer read! A solid five star read with a plot I won’t forget!

I’m a huge a fan of adventure plots so it’s no surprise I loved it! I was pleasantly surprised with the second chance relationship we got here and really only wanted more from the sex. I think the romance was a foundation of the plot and did feel like this was an adventure romance and not just adventure novel.

The authors approached this book so perfectly. They set out to make a cinematic experience and they totally did. This book is literally City Slickers in contemporary romance form. If you want more of this book, go watch City Slickers 1 & 2. I wasn’t expecting the book to go that adventurey, but it really did but in the best way! It had some twists and turns that I simply didn’t expect, and I loved the touch of danger. I flew through the book because the writing was charged.

I also think they balanced the adventure/romance and kept the romance simple and romantic and super easy to root for. There wasn’t a third-act breakup and their whole reason for breaking up in the past wasn’t kept hidden only to be extremely anticlimactic upon reveal. There was a lot going on with the adventure plot, so we needed something simple to balance out our heart rate. I wouldn’t have been able to handle anything angsty or anything too deep.

✨

I loved both main characters and really liked their separate POVs! I’ve found myself struggling lately with contemporary romance hero inner thoughts because they don’t read naturally to me (normally they’re too puppy doggish or legit bio hazard personalities). But I really loved Leo and his brain!!! He’s a hot nerd and knew exactly what he wanted, but he was logical about it. His puzzling skills were so sexy and I just really think he’s a good, hot person.

Lily was great as well. I love strong heroines who aren’t afraid to get a little punchy. (Hello Nicole, my hero.) Her relationship with her father made me tear up and she was just a straight up bad ass. I also like how they wrote Nicole and Lily’s accents/way of speaking. They just felt natural and complimented the accent I supplied in my head, but didn’t get too theatrical about it.

✨

However, I still am really salty about the closed door aspect of this book. It was semi open door but there was absolutely zero sexual language being used, the writing was very flowery, and he climaxed…anticlimactically. If one character climaxes off the page or it’s summed up, the book remains closed door for me.

With all that being said, the “Call me cowboy!” line absolutely took me out and I was still super invested in their relationship and loved the bits and pieces of their past firsts with each other woven in. (I liked that style of flashbacks within their thoughts, rather than full flashback chapters.) The tension, especially at the beginning when they first saw each other again, was delicious in the best way.

✨

While I enjoyed the romance, if you’re looking for an absolutely transcendent romantic experience, this isn’t that. But I’m not mad about it. If you don’t like adventure though? I’d stay away because this won’t be for you lol. I’d love to watch a movie version of this some day and am really thrilled I loved it! The side romance was cute and I want more of that so give me another book!

One of the reasons why I loved the Inheritance Games so much was for it’s games and riddles and I love the same thing about this one.

Lily’s father was a notorious treasure hunter and often left riddles for Lily to decipher. Now, Lily uses her father’s hand - drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts. It’s this that reunites her with the man who broke her heart years ago.

I loved Lily; her strength and fire. She’s someone that can just role with the punches that life throws at her. I also loved Leo and the romance between the two of them. Not to mention Christina Lauren’s books in general always manage to make me laugh. This one is no exception.

I also loved the action and adventure and mystery. As I said, I’m a huge fan of riddles and treasure hunts and such. When authors blend genres to create something unique and fun, it makes for an intriguing book and that’s exactly what this one was.

All in all, this is a great read that I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was pretty late to the bandwagon, but I’ve been a huge fan of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings since I read The Unhoneymooners last summer. This is my fifth CLo book, and it had big shoes to fill, considering how much I LOVED The Unhoneymooners, and The Soulmate Equation. Did it measure up? I was pretty late to the bandwagon, but I’ve been a huge fan of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings since I read The Unhoneymooners last summer. This is my fifth CLo book, and it had big shoes to fill, considering how much I LOVED The Unhoneymooners, and The Soulmate Equation. Did it measure up?

This was a fascinating book, possibly made more fascinating by the fact that CLo are the darlings of the romance industry, and this was not a romance book.

I mean…ok, there was a central romance, yes. And there was the obligatory HEA. But while I would certainly call this a romantic book, I would not call it a romance.

This is an adventure book, full stop. It’s Romancing the Stone, rather than When Harry Met Sally. it’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle rather than Pretty Woman. It’s The Lost City rather than The Proposal.

Whether that’s good or bad depends on how you feel about romance as an element of the plot versus romance being the plot.

I am not a huge fan of adventure as a genre, but I enjoyed this one quite a lot. Hobbs and Billings (I would just call them ‘Christina Lauren’ but that leads to a tricky pronoun issue for this former English teacher, so Hobbs and Billings it is…) are gifted storytellers, and this was a well-paced story, full of intrigue, romance and very real danger. The specter of Lily Wilder’s late father hovers over every page, informs almost every decision, and is brought, ultimately, to a satisfying, if kind of infuriating, resolution.

The things that didn’t quite work for me—and I deducted about half a star each for them—both had to do with the romantic relationship between Lily and her erstwhile boyfriend, Leo. Lily and Leo were together for a brief time ten years ago, and their break-up was abrupt and gut-wrenching. It’s not long into their unpleasant reunion that they figure out that it was all a grand misunderstanding, which they then move past unbelievably quickly. I wanted more from this subplot. I wanted a knock-down, drag-out fight. I wanted the betrayal that they should have felt—why didn’t you try harder to find me, why didn’t you try calling again and again, why didn’t you show up on my door a month later, rather than ten years later—on the page. It wasn’t, and their reunion therefore rang a little false to me.

Also, there is surprisingly little steam in this book. There is one sex scene on the page, but it’s surprisingly clinical. Again, these are people who should have a fair amount of barely-suppressed anger, if not toward each other, then toward the situation they find themselves in—they stupidly walked away from a great love ten years ago, and now that they have found one another again, they are literally running for their lives. That setup should have lead to an explosive reunion. Instead, the way it was presented felt pretty flat.

Having said that, I was rooting for the adventurers to find the damn treasure and get out of there alive, and there were moments of great payoff, as well as an unexpected betrayal, and lots of the bad guys gettin’ what’s comin’ to ‘em, so overall I really found the experience quite satisfying.

Strongly recommend if you are a fan of adventure, with a slightly less enthusiastic recommendation if you are just in it for the romance.

I mean…ok, there was a central romance, yes. And there was the obligatory HEA. But while I would certainly call this a romantic book, I would not call it a romance.

This is an adventure book, full stop. It’s Romancing the Stone, rather than When Harry Met Sally. it’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle rather than Pretty Woman. It’s The Lost City rather than The Proposal.

Whether that’s good or bad depends on how you feel about romance as an element of the plot versus romance being the plot.

I am not a huge fan of adventure as a genre, but I enjoyed this one quite a lot. Hobbs and Billings (I would just call them ‘Christina Lauren’ but that leads to a tricky pronoun issue for this former English teacher, so Hobbs and Billings it is…) are gifted storytellers, and this was a well-paced story, full of intrigue, romance and very real danger. The specter of Lily Wilder’s late father hovers over every page, informs almost every decision, and is brought, ultimately, to a satisfying, if kind of infuriating, resolution.

The things that didn’t quite work for me—and I deducted about half a star each for them—both had to do with the romantic relationship between Lily and her erstwhile boyfriend, Leo. Lily and Leo were together for a brief time ten years ago, and their break-up was abrupt and gut-wrenching. It’s not long into their unpleasant reunion that they figure out that it was all a grand misunderstanding, which they then move past unbelievably quickly. I wanted more from this subplot. I wanted a knock-down, drag-out fight. I wanted the betrayal that they should have felt—why didn’t you try harder to find me, why didn’t you try calling again and again, why didn’t you show up on my door a month later, rather than ten years later—on the page. It wasn’t, and their reunion therefore rang a little false to me.

Also, there is surprisingly little steam in this book. There is one sex scene on the page, but it’s surprisingly clinical. Again, these are people who should have a fair amount of barely-suppressed anger, if not toward each other, then toward the situation they find themselves in—they stupidly walked away from a great love ten years ago, and now that they have found one another again, they are literally running for their lives. That setup should have lead to an explosive reunion. Instead, the way it was presented felt pretty flat.

Having said that, I was rooting for the adventurers to find the damn treasure and get out of there alive, and there were moments of great payoff, as well as an unexpected betrayal, and lots of the bad guys gettin’ what’s comin’ to ‘em, so overall I really found the experience quite satisfying.

Strongly recommend if you are a fan of adventure, with a slightly less enthusiastic recommendation if you are just in it for the romance.

I DEVOURED this book. Read the whole thing in one sitting, in 3 hours. Lily and Leo were such a good match and balanced each other out even after their years apart. Nic was such a wild side character and Walter seems like the sweetest human. The one “bed” trope is always funny to watch. The adventure was a wild ride and the puzzles kept everyone on their toes, Duke was definitely an interesting character. CLo books always have such great characters and are always so fun to read!

Wow! What a wild(er) ride - in many ways I mean that literally.

When I started the book I expected a rekindling of an old romance and a trip into the desert on horseback. Sure, it delivers on that, but I hope you're also prepared for an Indiana Jones-style adventure for most of the story. As for "contemporary romance", I don't know that the genre label fits this one but it was certainly a fun read.

This is my first read of the author team Christina Lauren and I am HOOKED! YES, I've heard of them and seen the popular titles in bookstores and in the hands of friends but for some reason, it took SOMETHING WILDER to capture my attention and now I'm afraid the bar is SO high! After my first trip to southern Utah last year, I've been interested in learning more and dreaming of going back to hike and explore. Something Wilder has a dream setting in Canyonlands and it felt like I was really on this adventure with Lily, Nic, Leo and crew. I expected rom-com & that certainly delivered but the tension and rising stakes throughout this story is a genuine masterclass in emotive storytelling! I'll be recommending this one to many friends, and plan to have at least one extra copy to borrow out!

This book was quite different from the last few books I’ve read by Christina Lauren, in the best possible way!! I loved the setting of the wilds of the southwest, I loved the excited& suspense, I loved the all the puzzles they had to creatively solve, and I loved Lily & Leo. This was such a perfect blend of adventure & romance. If you’re looking for the humorous banter & quirky characters from earlier books, you may be disappointed. But if you are ready for an excellent story (with just the right amount of steam) full of likable characters (Walter!) and a bit of history & mystery, you will not be disappointed!

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

Book review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and gallery books for sending me a free arc to review!

Something wilder follows lily: the adventure tour guide. Lilys dad, is the famous treasure hunter: Duke Wilder. After he passes, Lily starts working as an adventure tour guide using her Dads old treasure hunting journals. But when one of the tour groups has her ex Boyfriend Leo in we’ll things get complicated. 🤠 🗺

Okay. This book. Yall. This book. I will say I’ve read quite a few of Christina Lauren books and this one feels a tad different than their other books I’ve read. but it’s still got the Christina Lauren charm that I love! It gave me everything I didn’t know I wanted: second chance romance, a there’s Only ONE sleeping bag, and all. The. Plot. Twists! I love lily: she’s strong, funny, and she’s such a complex character! 💪🏻 now Leo: he’s complete swoon worthy! He’s smart, kind, and I’m. In. Love. 🥺 I loved seeing their relationship develop! There were laugh out loud moments, sweet moments, and the steam was 🔥.