Loved the honest way this book was written. It has a big open voice and makes you pay attention to it. Loved the main characters and what they went through to get where they needed to be.

[Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.]

I love adventure stories, and romance stories. So when I saw the premise for this book (adventure + romance), I was super stoked.

What I enjoyed -
The adventurous aspect of the story. I know someone who hiked this same trail and the amount of preparation and training she underwent to be able to do it felt immense. Someday I would love to walk this trail myself, but at this point in my physical and mental fortitude, that day is a long way away, so it was great to be able to do this through Jules' POV.

Jules's strength and independence. I liked that she was the one we relied on to keep them both safe and straight while on this adventure. She had her head together, even though her personal life had imploded. She is a strong and capable woman, and we need more of those!

Evan is a cinnamon roll. I enjoyed his character development and his personal arc very much.

What I did not enjoy as much -

The pace dragged a lot. So I would skim through sections of the book to get to the speedier bits.

Sometimes the writing felt a bit rough. Maybe it was the writing style or the voice, but the characters felt younger and slightly more immature than I would expect from 20 somethings? This made it a bit cringy in some parts.

The romance between Jules and Evan, while sweet, was a bit of a struggle to connect to. I enjoyed the first half, on-the-trail bits, more than the latter half, off-the-trail bits.

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy. I loved the wilderness setting of the story and having a woman competent in the outdoors. I really liked the first half of the story on the trail. The off trail second half fell over a bit for me. The heroine became almost childish in her behaviour and the setting up in the first half around her dating history seemed a little forced and didn't really account for her ridiculous behaviour. Bit I think we need more books of women in the outdoors. more books about regular women in sport. So although I didn't enjoy this particular story about Jules and Evan I was so happy to be reading a book set in the wilderness that I will aim to read more by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of Wild at Heart by Stacy Gold in exchange for an honest review. I rate this book a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. I am a sucker for dual pov stories and stories that incorporate the outdoors. I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I loved the main character of Jules. She is a badass and confident in her own skills and abilities. Evan is hapless and endearing while also being very emotionally intelligent. Together they make an adorable pair with great tension that builds between them. I wish that Jules history had been explored more in depth. I think it would have helped me to be more sympathetic towards her later in the story. My one complaint is that the book falls into the 2/3 through the story breakup trope which I find to be predictable. That being said, I enjoyed the story and will be reading the squeals about Jules's friends!

Author Stacy Gold hits the mark in this unique and exciting romance novel full of outdoor adventure, a sexy trail romance, self-doubt and the bravery behind loving again after past heartbreak.

Gold’s vivid language describing the Pacific Crest Trail as a backdrop for this steamy storyline captures all senses and effectively transports the reader to a world where screens, phones and work demands are replaced by the simple and quiet - yet the most incredible experiences the world can offer (experiencing all this from the comfort of my couch). Jules is a strong, sexually-confident woman who doesn’t hesitate to ask for what she wants in bed (or the sleeping bag), at least until she finds herself feeling more than she allows herself to. She is a relatable, admirable protagonist and makes for a wonderful character arc. Rather than end it there, I found it very gratifying to follow as they navigated their after-hike relationship, which gave the novel much more depth and realism.

Overall would definitely recommend, and I can’t wait to read more of Gold’s work!

t was enjoyable, the nature/hiking aspect was probably my favorite part and definitely what drew me in. I liked Evan’s character a lot, and really liked how he grew and flourished throughout the book.

I liked the hiking sections the best, and really enjoyed the beginning, it wasn’t necessarily a slow burn and you could sense the “miscommunication” mishap coming, but it also surprised me a lot and took turns I wasn’t expecting.

I didn’t feel particularly connected to the story though, I thought it was fun and angsty but it just fell flat in many ways as well. The ending especially just felt like it dragged on and on, and it would have been better if it ended earlier and cut some of that short.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book because the premise was great. But I just didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters. The ending also seemed to drag on a bit long. there were a lot of tropes the hero had to go through that all added up to be a bit ridiculous

Honestly, this book was just not for me. The plot was interesting and unique… the setting was spectacular (makes me desperate to be in the forest)… but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the pacing. Some of the dialogue was awkward too, which took me out of the story a bit. Also, it was overly spicy for me personally.

Even though it wasn’t my favorite, I’m grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read it ahead of its release May 1st.

I enjoyed this book by the new to me author. I liked that they met on a camping/hiking trip and all the outdoor mishaps one of the characters had. I liked how you watched them both grow until they got their HEA. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I travel for work so when I saw this cover and read the synopsis, I was instantly drawn to it. And it did not disappoint! Jules and Evan are both such relatable and adorable characters. Evan is an absolute softie and Jules is such a strong baddie! I wish there was just a tiny bit more conflict, but overall very enjoyable!

I could not finish this book. The dialogue felt so stiff. It lacked the flow of a natural conversation and I just could not get past it.

Thank you to Netgalley & Onyba for the advance reader copy! All thoughts reflected are my own.

This was such a sweet book! Jules and Evan both went out on their solo hikes for their own reasons, but every time they happened across one another their chemistry was palpable. Even so much of the time their circumstances for meeting were hilarious. In Jules’ own words they are, “Just two random people in the middle of nowhere trying to figure out what to do with our lives.”

I always love when we get a dual POV in romance novels, and hearing Evan’s thoughts on Jules from his own perspective made my heart melt on multiple occasions. All those sweet moments were balanced perfectly with a good dose of spice.

Jules was a wonderfully refreshing MC. While she definitely struggled with her own baggage she was still strong, confident, and capable. Even when she struggled she had her best friends Aly and Bryn there to tell her exactly what she needed to hear, and support her through rough times. I’ll definitely be picking up Aly and Bryn’s books once they are released!

I still can't decide if I like this book or not. I absolutely loved the descriptions of hiking on the PCT, because that's a dream of mine to do someday. I also liked the parts where Evan was in Boston and Jules was alone on the trail. But it felt like a good 15% of the book was just them being extra spicy on the trail and then another 20% was Jules back in Seattle, panicking and avoiding communication.

I gave it three stars for the hiking descriptions and for Evan. I took two off for the gratuitous spiciness and because I didn't really like Jules for about 30% of the book.

There was so much about this book I wanted to like - the unique plot, the outdoors, the self discovery, the sexy scenes. But if I’m honest the writing style was stilted and formal, and it was tough to believe Evan and Jules’s story. It has lots of potential though and I hope to see more stories set in nature.

3.5 Stars.

As an avid hiker and sometimes backpacker, I really enjoyed this book. At times, I found the descriptions of the hiking dragged a bit it did not slow down my reading. I was so happy to see roles the reverse in this book with Jules as an independent outdoors woman who can handle herself and Evan, being a newbie to the outdoors. Jules is a women who lost the love of her life and since thrown herself into relationship that take minimal effort and leave zero damage to the heart. As she takes time off to unwind, she goes out on a long distance, multiple day hike and meets Evan, who is is also taking time to figure out his life's plan. The romance between Jules and Evan starts with a bit insta-lust. The attraction is quick and fierce. I wish a little bit more had gone into their relationship development. Through out the book they make a connection and work through their life challenges to find their HEA. This was my first book read by Stacy Gold and will definitely be looking for others.

Meh.. there’s nothing that gets me to lose interest in a book more than cringey dialogue and man, this was filled with it. This was very middle of the road for me otherwise.

This book was just an okay read for me. I thought the plot interesting and I enjoyed the characters, Jules and Evan. I liked how it is told from both of their points of view, however it dragged in various places. Overall I think it was a cute romance and a fairly quick read.

I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait for the next one.

I did enjoy how it’s told from two points of view.

It is a romance but also about self discovery.

I’ll be honest… this book was just okay. The plot was fairly interesting and unique, and I really enjoyed Jules and Evan as characters and together, but as a whole I found the story very slow and kind of boring. Also a lot of the dialogue (mostly on Evan’s side) was cringey. Like no sibling calls their brother “bro” in every sentence they say. And no child, especially an adult child, calls their partners “mother” and “father.” It was just weird.

I received a Arc copy of “Wild at Heart” by Stacy Gold from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I’m an avid hiker and the camping/backpacking aspect of this story appealed to me. The story is set in Washington state on the Pacific Crest Trail. Jules, a freelance graphic designer and kids gymnastics coach, is the female main character who has had a long run of bad luck in relationships. She sets out on a solo hiking and backpacking adventure to do some soul searching.

Evan, a Financial advisor from Boston, is the male lead character who has recently lost his job and his fiancé. He too decides to set off on a backpacking trip on the PCT. Unlike Jules, Evan is woefully unprepared for this trip and his mishaps often had me on the edge of my seat.

I love how Jules is such a competent and fierce main character. The author does an amazing job painting a picture of their surroundings and the beauty of nature. This was a quick and enjoyable read and I loved the authors writing style and duel points of view. The side relationships between Jules and her two best friends and Evan and his brother added more depth to the main characters.

The scene where Jules and Even first met had me chuckling out loud. “The guy wasn’t setting up his tent, he was in a full-fledged, mixed martial arts fight with it.” This sentence painted such a vivid picture for me.

In all, this was a wonderful read for those interested in second chances, romance, and the crazy paths that life can take us on.

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