(Rounded up from 4.5)

In a year where I promised to read more romance, of *course* I would return to the Christina Lauren duo! While I'm not always swooning over their titles, I am <I>always</I> entertained. This one? Held up as promised.

Second chance romance, treasure hunting, and "old west" stories and vibes? Checks every "no" box for "usual" me--but? I loved this book! So much fun, so tender in spots, good-vs-bad, some adventure (thank you for never making your female leads helpless and dumb!), and a male lead worth loving. Definitely recommending to friends and family who need a little romance, a little escapism, and plenty of light-heartedness in their lives!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for allowing me to preview and review this title!

I was SO excited when I found out I was getting an ARC of this book. As an avid Christina Lauren fan, I get my hands on anything they published and boy was I not disappointed. I love a second chance romance, but pair that with a wild treasure hunt?! Pure gold—pun intended! I adored the sorry of Lily and Leo, their past and their present, missed communications, journeys of self discovery, helping others, and making their own way. Plus, the supporting case of characters are hilarious! The brazen Nic and the shy Walt, then there’s frat by Bradley and gung-ho Terry—misadventures abound! Plus, you won’t believe the multitude of plot twists spanning across their adventure through the desert and through time. Definitely check this one out for a WILD adventure like you haven’t read before—all with the cherry on top—love!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed pieces of this book, but it was a little bit too much of a stray from what I wanted out of a sexy, fun, romance novel. But if you are looking for something out of the box this one definitely has some twists and turns.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Something Wilder was a quick read that is perfect for the beach or a day by the pool. Set in Wyoming, Lily Wilder is trying to make ends meet by running wilderness adventure tours using her famous treasure hunter father’s legacy as a marketing tool. Little did she know that the next group that arrived would include her long lost love, Leo. He was the one that got away. The one that disappeared into thin air after months of being together. The story unfolds as Lily gets clarity on her past and forges towards her future. A treasure hunt with romance, intrigue and suspense. Lily and Leo’s story unfolds in a way that keeps you engaged and wanting more. This book was brain candy, not too deep but entertaining.

Definitely not my favorite Christina Lauren title...parts of the story line are a little too far-fetched for my tastes. But still a sexy and fun read as all their titles are.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a light-hearted romance. Or a typical rom-com like the soulmate equation.

Instead, it’s more…Romancing the Stone LOL. There was adventure and murder and misunderstanding in love and treasure hunting. Our two main characters are thrown together 10 years after being each other’s first love, and they have never gotten over it. But what I really loved was the great way the adventure and mystery were weaved into the romance which made for a great all-around book.
I love it when authors try something new and it actually WORKS!

I enjoyed it and got caught up in the adventure! Definitely, one to read!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

It's been pretty hit or miss for me with Christina Lauren's novels but I had the greatest time reading Something Wilder. It was the perfect combination of action and romance. It was fast paced and kept me interested from beginning to end.
The only thing I will say is if you're going into this book thinking you're going to get a light hearted romance novel you're going to be disappointed. This book has some pretty shocking and brutal moments that really took me off guard. Sometimes they felt a little out of left field but didn't deter my enjoyment for the book.
I think fans of Christina Lauren will absolutely love their new book and their first time readers will become fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an e-copy of SOMETHING WILDER by Christina Lauren to review.

So, I'm a huge fan of Christina Lauren. Their books always provide a fresh twist on the romance genre. I appreciate what they tried to do here - an Indiana-Jones/City Slickers/Western-inspired romance. It just didn't work for me.

I'm seeing quite a few romance authors try something new and thinking outside of the box. I think this is great in that it's expanding the romance genre. However, the readers of romance are specifically tied to the romance/love/sex aspect.

SOMETHING WILDER and the others trying to find new twists to the genre - such as Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood - start off okay. But along the way the romance gets lost in the sub plots. SOMETHING WILDER = the fake treasure hunt that turned out to be a real treasure hunt. Love on the Brain = a NASA project. The main characters get completely lost in the sidelines and the romance plot is thrown out the window.

Spoilers...spoilers...spoilers...

When Terry pulled out the gun and was pushed off the cliff I was shaking my fist at the screen. While there was a happily ever after, Terry's death and the treasure hunt became front and center, pushing Lili and Leo to the backburner.

I also didn't like Bradley's betrayal. I thought Leo and Lili's chemistry was good, but we'd get snippets of their past. There wasn't really a true backstory on how they fell in love with each other a decade earlier.

It was hard to believe in today's day and age of text, email and Facebook (ugh) that Lili and Leo would actually have gone a decade of ghosting each other if their love was that strong.

I still love Christina Lauren and will continue to read their books. While I appreciated the new approach, don't try to fix something that wasn't broke.

I rate SOMETHING WILDER three stars out of five.

Recently, there have been few books that stayed with me once I shut down my kindle. I often have two books going at the same time and it takes a few minutes for me to figure out which book I'm reading. That was not the case for Something Wilder. This story stayed with me and I found myself thinking about it during my work day. Instead of watching television, I would head directly to my iPad and start reading as soon as I could. This isn't just a second chance romance, it is a story of a father's love for his child and his desire to make something more for her. I absolutely believed that Lily and Leo still loved one another after a decade and it was easy to believe all of the plot twists leaving them on their adventure. This book was a mystery clearly thought out in detail but it did not fail to communicate the importance of friendship and romantic love. I really enjoyed this story and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

I absolutely loved this book. What an adventure I got to be apart of! I didn’t want it to end. It had me ready to pull out my dusty (very rarely used) hiking books and go on one crazy adventure!

I went into this book kind of blind. I’ve really enjoyed everything written by Christina Lauren so when I saw it available on NetGalley I requested without even reading the description. I was surprised to find the formula for this book was completely different than the ones I’ve loved in the past - and yet I loved it even more!

Is there a romance between two flawed but loveable characters? Absolutely. But there’s also murder, mystery, and adventure! Lily Wilder, in her early 30s, is begrudgingly living her life taking tourists on fake treasure hunts through the Utah desert to make ends meet. Her mom walked out on her when she was young, her dad spent his life on real treasure hunts and then died of a stroke, and the only time she’s ever been in love he completely ghosted her. She’s still not over any of it.

On todays weeklong treasure hunt, Lily looks up during orientation to find that “the ghost” Leo Grady, is set to be on her tour. He’s as surprised as she is. There’s no turning back and that point and they all have to learn to live with the awkward vibes. So much unfolds during that week - but the biggest mystery of all is that Lily is given a pointer that her Dad may in fact have found a huge million dollar treasure before his death and his it again.

Will she fall back in love? Will she find the treasure? I’m certainly not going to tell you, but you should for sure read this book to find out.

Thank you for an arc!
I loved that this is a Cowboy romance, and I trusted the authors enough to let me dip my toes into cowboy romance, it truly felt like a cinematic experience. But there was a few things I didn’t like. There was too many action sequences in a romance for me and the fact the initial romance crumbled because of miscommunication.

Second chance romance, an adventure guide company, and a fake treasure hunt. Yep, that is what we have here.

Lily's father, Duke has an "Indiana Jones" type of reputation with a past of hidden treasures and big dreams. The love of Lily's life, Leo from ten years ago, shows up at the ranch ready for some outdoor adventures. Things go off the path and over the cliff when someone in the group has another plan.

I didn't feel the chemistry between Lily and Leo and the witty banter the authors do so well was lacking. Things did get wacky at times, out in the dark, on the ranch. Think Hallmark meets a western adventure movie with a sprinkle of melodrama. I was hoping for more of Romancing the Stone. Very different from their past novels.

Three stars for the setting and adventure, even though it fell off a cliff.

I read all of Christina Lauren's books and this one SURPRISED me. Surprised me in the sense that it was different from anything else they've written and also in the sense that there were twists in the book I swear I didn't see coming.

This unique story combines romance with adventure and mystery in the best way possible. When Lily Wilder's famous, treasure hunting father passed away, all she was left with was his journal filled with maps, codes and riddles. Scraping to get by, she leads a tour expedition company where tourists "hunt" for buried treasure along the Outlaw Trail using her dad's stories, always hoping that the next tour would be her last. However, Lily's world is turned upside down when her first love Leo, who she hasn't seen nor spoken to for ten years, ends up on her next trip. Thinking that there may actually be treasure buried by her father and clues in his journal, Lily decides to make this trip different from the rest. What happens next in the wilderness will keep you at the edge of your seat until the very last page. 

This is definitely going into the books for one of the best second chance romances by this duo. It's funny, swoon-worthy and such a page-turner. I love how Lily and Leo pushed each other outside of their comfort zones and all the trust that went into their relationship as they looked for the buried treasure. Their chemistry, despite many years apart, was undeniable and I thoroughly enjoyed how honest they were with their emotions as they caught up. The vivid descriptions of the landscapes and the research that Christina Lauren put into the story made it all that much better. 

Read if you're interested in:
-Second chance romance
-Forced-proximity (one sleeping bag)
-Treasure hunts
-Deciphering codes and puzzles 
-Hiking/ horseback riding/ camping

Big, big CLo fan here, and I think this latest title, "Something Wilder", is one of their all-time best ever! (just as good as the first of their's I ever read, "Love and Other Words". DIFFERENT too... really not a rom-com, by my take - kinda more like Romantic suspense or maybe even adventure. Loved the Utah rugged setting and the "retreat biz" angle!! MC's Leo & Lily's "second-chance romance" trope is also very well done - really enjoyed both character arcs... Highly recommend this one - probably a 4.5! My sincere thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and authors for the complimentary DRC - the exchange of which did not affect my opinion! Can't wait for what's next from this talented duo :)

This is a good "beach read" One that you will read quickly and enjoy. You will meet the good guys and the bad guys intermixed in the story, and even have some of the 'switch sides" as you are reading. I liked how there was a small history component to the story line, but did find a little bit of the treasure hunt unbelievable. I enjoyed the bok a lot!

Christina Lauren is such a hit or miss for me and this one was a hit! It was so much fun to read and I love second chance romances so much. It was unexpected with a different plot than what I am used to. One of my favorite books by the iconic duo and I will definitely be recommending and rereading!

The Most Anticipated Romance Novels of 2022

Romance writing duo Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings are consistently trying to top themselves when it comes to their prolific premises; recent romances have run the gamut from reality TV fixer-upper drama to genetics-based dating experiments that challenge the notion of soulmates. It’s somehow not surprising that their latest is about the shiniest allure of all: buried treasure, and the treasure hunters who devote their lives to the chance of finding that yearned-for prize.

This second-chance romance sees Lily Wilder, the daughter of an infamous (and absentee) treasure hunter who makes her living off gullible tourists, teaming up with ex Leo Grady to locate the impossible: a legendary treasure that might actually exist… and the answer to whether she can ever forgive him for abandoning her.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc for an honest review.

Lily and Leo fell in love but it didn’t work out, 10 years later Leo and he’s pals go an and adventure holiday on a ranch but who should be their guide but his first love Lily. Typical Christina Lauren style you know love isn’t going to run smoothly!

You instantly fall in love with the characters fiery Lily and hopelessly love sick Leo who will do whatever it takes to get Lily back and not forgetting he’s friends.
This book did not go where I was expecting it to, there is adventure and nail biting scenes. The unusual setting of the outback in Wyoming I was a little sceptical about but it really gripped me.
I found there wasn’t as much of the Christina Lauren humor in this book I wasn’t laughing out loud as much as I would of liked, but still a very good read with great characters and setting.

If you love Christina and Lauren’s writing then you won’t be disappointed in this one!

This was so fun!! It was unlike any other CL novel I’ve read, but that’s not a bad thing. Super sweet and adventurous, I’ll definitely be telling people about this!