I had very hugh hopes for this book. The story of Leo and Lily started out strong. I loved their conversation about what had happened over the years. And then a gun was drawn and someone went over the cliff. I tried to keep going but just couldn’t get passed the WTF I was feeling. I ended up not finishing it.

Christina Lauren is an automatic "read" for me since I first readMy Favorite Half-Night Stand. This one was a little disappointing, though.

First of all, there wasn't nearly enough build-up as to WHY Lily was so ruined when Leo left. We saw what, 4 pages of their "romance"? And she was 19?? This also felt so unnecessary because the book ended up more focused on the treasure hunt (which was frankly a billion times more interesting) than the romance. It just didn't seem to NEED Leo and Lily's past.

Once we got into the treasure hunting, it was far more riveting than the, "then they rode 4 miles on horses" in the beginning. The twists with Terry and Bradley were FASCINATING! It felt like the Leo-Lily romance could have happened with or without their past, so it just didn't draw me in.

This is definitely a departure from other books by duo Christina Lauren. I have never read a Western-set rom com before!

This book -also- has some turns I didn’t expect, but it was still fun! This wasn’t my favorite couple from one of their books, but I enjoyed it all the same: a perfect summertime novel!!!

Thank you to netgalley and to Gallery Books for the ARC!

When first picking up SOMETHING WILDER by Christina Lauren, I was expecting a romantic, sweeping journey of two characters reuniting for a second-chance love. Instead, I got treasure hunting, murder, and what seemed like endless, stereotypical backstabbing. This seemed less like a novel about finding yourself out in the wild, and more like a bad "National Treasure" spinoff. The romance I found lacking, as well as the main leads, Lily and Leo. The side characters offered nothing of any real substance to the story, and overall, I was just really disappointed with this one.

Read this book to see if my students would enjoy during independent reading. While it was engaging, it was not one of Christina Lauren's books.

Lily Wilder, daughter of the famous treasure hunter Duke Wilder, and Leo “Lovesick City Boy” Grady were each other’s first loves. Unfortunately, circumstances tore them apart 10 years ago. An annual best friends trip with Leo and his buddies reunites the two for a treasure hunting tour with Lily as the tour guide.

I really enjoyed that this wasn’t just a typical romance. The treasure hunting adventure gave it a unique twist and kept me entertained throughout. But of course, it’s Christina Lauren so the romance aspect was excellent too.

5 STARS! So unexpected and unique. Everything you could possibly want in a book and more— swoony (+ steamy) romance, witty banter, strong female characters, adventure, little historical fiction, treasure hunting and danger. Doesn’t get any better. You will not be able to put it down. I absolutely fell in love with both the main and supporting characters... from sweet Walt to the
From sweet Walt to hilarious (and outrageous) Nicole, I was sad to finish reading and hope to hear more about these friends in the future.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have never been so excited about getting an approval for an e-ARC. The fantastic queens of romance Christina Lauren? Pinch me! Also, this premise?! You had me at “daughter of a treasure hunter.”

There were several very well fleshed out characters with great personalities, the plot was different than anything else I’ve read before and kept me interested throughout. This was not just a romance - it was also packed with action, had western vibes, and was of course, infused with comedy. I won’t say that this book made me want to visit the rural wilderness of Utah, but I certainly enjoyed reading about it and picturing myself there!!

The romance between Leo and Lily was palpable, and the arc between Lily and her late father was beautifully portrayed. Lily’s relationship with her friend Nic was also wonderful (Nic herself was fantastic, would love to see her as her own main character in a future book)! The banter was fantastic (no surprise there). And the twist at the end was shocking but believable - the best balance!

Some things that may have made it better: the riddles were interesting, but in my opinion they could’ve been better/more approachable. Challenging but something the reader could’ve participated in. Instead they require extremely niche knowledge and background that wasn’t shared with us (like about the tributaries or waves being alphabetically labeled, for example). Also, for all the writing (there were a LOT of words - and I love words, but I’m not sure they were all essential and would venture that the book could’ve benefitted from heavier editing), I would’ve liked a little more imagery about where exactly there were traveling and the SEARCH process. It felt a little too easy.

Overall, great book but because I was so infatuated with this premise, I couldn’t help but he slightly disappointed with the riddles/treasure hunt itself. So 4/5 instead of 5/5. Thank you soooooo much to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an eARC to read in exchange for a review!

I love Christina Lauren, so I was delighted to see their next book on my shelf. It delivers, as they have since they started writing standalone novels. I won't spoil too much, but if you love exes reuniting, it's great.

I did subtract a star because the background research didn't feel as well-done to me, but that might be that I have a greater level of expertise with this than I did with some of the professions dealt with in previous books. (I'm begging them to change the archaeologist to an economist or something like that; you'd be hard-pressed to find an archaeologist who doesn't spend a lot of time outdoors or who has a positive view of treasure-hunting.)

All-in-all, a very fun read! My favorites of theirs are Unhoneymooners and Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, but this is more on the level of The Soulmate Equation for me, which I liked but don't feel the need to repeatedly re-read.

This was an easy read and a good vacation book. The plot was definitely unique and the author threw in some good twists, but the romance between the main characters seemed a bit underdeveloped.

This books is not at all what I expected from a new Christina Lauren book, but I loved every second of it! It's party mystery part romance part thriller, and the whole thing kept me guessing. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading because I could not wait to see how it ended. I think anyone who is looking forward to watching The Lost City is probably going to love this book. It's got all the CLo trademarks--banter, some steam, fantastic tension--plus all these added layers of adventure. These two continue to raise the bar and I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

My new favorite Christina Lauren book! SOMETHING WILDER was everything I wanted it to be and more -- it's got second chance romance, adventure, and mystery.

Lily Wilder is the daughter of the Duke Wilder, adventurer and treasure hunter. She is taking over her family's ranch, with her first love, Leo Grady, at her side. Fast forward ten years later, and Lily's life has fallen apart. She's lost the ranch and Leo, and is now trying to get by offering tours of the dangerous lands her father once searched for treasure. When Leo shows up on one of her tours, she is thrown for a loop. Things begin to go haywire fast, and soon Lily and Leo's tour devolves into a real life treasure hunt, with deadly stakes.

Combining mystery, suspense, puzzles, romance, intrigue, historical fiction and a western, this book has something for everyone. I loved the puzzle and treasure hunt aspect. Christiana Lauren, the pen name of two authors, always offers fun and engaging books that have more than just romance, although that part is usually sizzling. This reminded me a bit of the movie “Fool’s Gold” with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey with all the adventure and former lovers reuniting to search for buried treasure as well as “National Treasure” for the hunting of the clues aspect. I found Lily totally relatable and Leo swoon-worthy. I did not see the twisty plot line coming - the story went off in a different direction than I was expecting! I think that it made the story even better and was a welcome surprise. “Something Wilder” is a bit different from the other CL novels I've read, but I still enjoyed it as much as their other books. The setting was so gorgeous (it really made me want to take a trip out west) and the way they vividly described everything, it felt like I was on the adventure with Leo and Lily. This did have less romance than their other books, but that wasn’t a bad thing. If you’re a fan of CL, you will not be disappointed in their latest work. I would love to see a book with Walt and Nic. I thought they were both spectacular side characters and would make a great couple! I feel like the adventure romance genre needs more attention, and hopefully Christina Lauren will bring that attention. Thank you to Christina Lauren, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book surprised me- in a good way! I expected a steamy romance on a ranch. But boy did it take a turn! Still a steamy romance but with adventure, treasure hunting, and thrills. Really liked the treasure hunt plot and the characters, especially the group of friends. A good romance for people who may say they don't like romance, it was exciting!

This book captivated me from the first page to the last. I love Lily and her toughness, her adventurous spirit, and her friend Nic. And Leo was swoon worthy, as Christina Lauren always write men that make me wish they could leap out of the page and make them all mine.
Great read, lots of heart!

Yes INDEED! @christinalauren have outdone themselves with this completely original, genre-bending adventure romance and I am 100% here for it!

Some of you may know I grew up in Utah but probably none of you know that I spent my summers in college working at a kids adventure camp in Moab, UT. We trekked all over central/southern Utah, parts of Colorado, and northern Arizona as we rode horses, rafted rivers, hiked canyons, and slept under the stars. Now that I’m a mom, I regularly drag my kids to all the same places—red rocks, slot canyons, rivers. This book (set in one of my favorite places, the Canyonlands area) was like reliving those summers in college—plus treasure hunting, plus puzzle-solving, plus adventure, plus sexy second chance romance. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down. This book made me laugh out loud, had me on the edge of my seat, and made me cry at the end. It’s beautiful and clever and spicy and heartwarming and SO MUCH FUN. All the stars from me. I have already forced several people to preorder it so watch out, if you hang out with me too long, the same may happen to you!

This is out 5/17/22! Thanks @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the digital arc. I’ve already pre-ordered my hardcover!

Not my favorite by Christina Lauren. The plot seemed to be a bit far-fetched and forced. I much prefer some of their other titles!

I love Christina Lauren and this might be my favorite yet! It's like National Treasure (one of my favorite movies) meets a rom com. It was like a mixture of an adventure with romance - it was so fun, had lots of twists, and the perfect romantic couple.

Usually, Christina Lauren gives me all the feels, and I cannot put their books down. This one took me a while to get through. The plot was somewhat exciting, but it didn't have me on the edge of my seat. The romance portion was lackluster. There were a few funny parts. I still liked it, but it wasn't anything extraordinary. This was an easy "beach read." I would still recommend to friends looking for something fluffy.

Thank you so much to @Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

If you love the fun and exciting energy of The Goonies or Outer Banks, you’ll love this book. Not only is it laugh out louder funny, but it’s romance is also swoon worthy. I’ll be thinking about Leo and Lily for a while longer, I think. If you’re already fans of Christina Lauren or new to the writing duo, you’ll love this book!