There’s no sophomore slump in sight for Kerry Rea in her refreshingly, intelligently funny romantic comedy Lucy on the Wild Side.

Lucy Rourke is a junior primate keeper at an Ohio zoo. Known for her devotion to gorillas and her aversion to fundraising (as her friend points out, she’s attended galas “with gorilla shit on your boots”), she lives with her grandmother and avoids her B-list celebrity mother who ran off when Lucy was ten but has now shown back up, transformed into a “sober, Peloton-riding woman who buys organic produce and reads every title in Reese Witherspoon’s book club”. When Kai Bridges, South African-American and super attractive “baby-capybara-hugging” man—and “the son of famed primatologist Dr. Charlotte Kimber” - arrives at the zoo to film his show On the Wild Side, they clash instantly and juvenilely. Then Lucy’s boss tells her that a promotion to senior keeper depends on Lucy proving she’s ready for the spotlight – which means taking part in the show.

The writing is what makes this book. I read Lucy on the Wild Side with laughing tears in my eyes and snort/chuckle sound effects. The humor is the perfect blend of intentionally funny and not trying too hard. The zoo setting gives a terrifically entertaining and interesting layer to the story (Lucy performs her job functions on the page). The secondary characters are more than a few positive adjectives put together (one of her coworkers has a TikTok star hedgehog named Ernest, and Lucy’s grandmother is

a semi-retired cardiologist . . . [who] once posed for the cover of Columbus Monthly wearing a red sheath dress that . . . probably inspired a thousand Viagra prescriptions.).

The book is definitely a romantic comedy as opposed to a comedic romance. But readers who like love stories packed with grand gestures and monologues of undying love destined to be printed on Etsy posters will be disappointed. The romance of Lucy on the Wild Side manifests itself in how Lucy and Kai show up for and support each other as they work towards and through personal and professional challenges and goals.

The one aspect of the book that is uneven is the physical side of the romance: Lucy and Kai’s first kiss isn’t so much fade-to-black as a cutaway, but their first sexual encounter is open-door with reciprocal oral. It’s also one of the only places where the writing loses its level head and Lucy starts waxing on about how

[Kai’s] cock filling up the place between my legs, is a destiny. A providence. A coming home.

Full of facts like “Scorpions die of constipation after they sting” and capably executed, Lucy on the Wild Side is a delightfully easy read.

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This book for me was okay. There are a lot of Harry Potter references. I don't care for them but I know a lot of people do so warning. I kinda wish we got more one on one time between the main characters. I enjoyed the moments where we got to see Lucy and Kai interact with animals. I wish we got to see more of that.

LUCY ON THE WILD SIDE by Kerry Rea novel was the sweet little change I needed from all the thrillers.

Lucy cares for a gorilla group like her life depends on it and Kai is basically a social media influencer. It has the cutest banter, and I loved all of the random science facts Lucy and Kai exchange. I also really liked how they grew closer through each others’ struggles.

Can we talk about 3rd act break ups?? Why do they need to be there? I don’t actually prefer them as a reader. Lucy and Kai go through a particularly heart wrenching misunderstanding/breakup and it made me so sad that it had to happen at all. I mean communication is key and I have just decided that I’d like to read some books without 3rd act breakups, that’s all. ☺️

Have you read any recently that didn’t have a 3rd act breakup? If so, share them! Any that had particularly tough 3rd act breakups? If so, share those too.

Thanks for the great discussion @berittalksbooks and thank you to @berkleypub for my copy of this cute little rom com out now!

Did I laugh so loud while reading this that I woke up my sleeping two year old that I just spent almost 3 hrs trying to get to bed? Yes, I did. 🙃

I feel in love with Lucy at her mentions of Lisa Frank and Sunny D. Lucy is a Junior Zoo Keeper, of the gorilla exhibit at her zoo. She has had a lot to go through in her short life, and is focusing on trying to get a promotion, her dream job of being senior keeper. Kai Bridges it host of a TV show, that is filming at Lucy’s zoo over the summer.

The story is S L O W B U R N! And soooooo good. The tension between Kai and Lucy is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 and I loved every minute. There is lot of talk about shirtless Kai, so I was hallelujah-ing when I found out this wasn’t a closed door romance! 😉

I really loved reading this one. It was funny, and heartbreaking, and emotional. It definitely has been added to my reread list. 🤍

Melli’s Book Breakdown
🤍Hate to love
🤍Slow burn
🤍Reality TV
🤍RomCom
🤍Heroines POV only (first person)
🤍Some steam

Kerry Rea’s latest novel, Lucy on the Wild Side, follows Lucy Rourke, a primatologist who works closely with a troop of gorillas at the zoo where she works. Lucy is passionate about caring for these gorillas, thinks of them as family, and would love nothing more than to be promoted from junior keeper to a senior keeper position. She’s well on her way to that promotion until an unexpected obstacle lands in her path in the form of a popular wildlife-themed reality TV show and its sexy and charismatic host, Kai Bridges.

Lucy is heading a program where an infant gorilla who lost its entire troop to disease is now being introduced to Lucy’s gorillas in hopes of finding a surrogate mother and being accepted as a new member of their troop. It’s a difficult and delicate operation and Kai has decided he wants to follow Lucy and document the infant gorilla’s journey. There are just two problems: 1) Lucy vomits at even the thought of appearing on camera, and 2) after a contentious run-in with Kai as soon as he arrives at the zoo, Lucy decides she hates him and wants nothing to do with him. With her boss dangling that promotion over her head and telling her she needs to step out of her comfort zone, Lucy caves and agrees to work with Kai.

I adored everything about Lucy. I loved her passion and sense of devotion when it came to caring for the gorillas and I admired her determination with respect to achieving her career goals. I also loved how awkward she could be in social situations because it just made her all the more relatable, not to mention that some of the things she blurts out when she’s nervous are laugh out loud hilarious. I also felt tremendous sympathy for her though, especially when we learn that her celebrity mother wasn’t interested in being a parent and left Lucy to live with her grandmother. Being abandoned like that really did a number on Lucy’s emotions so she’s quite vulnerable and reluctant to let anyone get too close to her.

Even though Lucy hates him from the moment she meets him, Kai is a sweetheart. It’s clear that he is just as passionate about the animals he works with as Lucy is about her gorillas. The more Lucy sees him in action, the more she has to admit to herself that she might have misjudged him. It was so much fun watching Lucy and Kai work together, from those initial super awkward moments to more heartfelt moments as the two of them bond while observing the infant gorilla trying to find her place in this new family. I really loved watching their relationship change and grow, especially as Kai reveals that he has also been dealing with family baggage that has scarred him emotionally. I was rooting for them so hard to find in each other the love, support, and happiness they both deserved so much. And not only did Kai and Lucy have my heart, but so did those gorillas. They made me laugh, they made me cry, and it was easy to see why Lucy loved them so much.

I devoured Kerry Rea’s debut novel The Wedding Ringer in a day when I read it last year and loved every page of it, and I just had the same incredible reading experience with Lucy on the Wild Side. I opened it Saturday morning and by Saturday evening, I was crying happy tears and wishing I had another Rea novel to dive into. What else can I say except that Kerry Rea just flat out writes the kind of books I want to read.

Lucy is the zookeeper for a troop of gorillas. She also watches reality TV shows to make up for a nonexistent love life. She is focused on being promoted to head keeper. Kai Bridges, a TV personality chooses her zoo to film a wildlife docuseries. Lucy cares about the gorillas, Kai cares about ratings. Funny and heartwarming romantic comedy with depth.

Junior zookeeper Lucy is ecstatic when one of her favorite documentary shows, On the Wild Side, decides to film at her zoo. It not only features adorable animals, but her idol's dreamboat son, Kai. But things turn sour once she actually meets the surly Kai and she discovers she's going to have to be on camera. Her crippling stage fright and immediate dislike for Kai make what was supposed to be her dream project anything but. Through in being constantly reminded about how great her veterinarian ex-boyfriend was and Lucy's shot at a senior zookeeper position hanging precariously in the balance, and it's a stressful situation. But baby gorillas have a way of bringing folks closer together...

Love, love, LOVE this book! I had seen stellar reviews for it before I dived in, but it met--perhaps exceeded--my high expectations. We love to see a career-focused woman refusing to compromise! We don't see too many heroines who explicitly do no not want children, and particularly not ones who discuss a prior break-up because of this fact. And the zoo setting! A unique stage for a fabulous story with charming leads, there's nothing not to like about this book.

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

This book is an adorable romance that also has some really nice focuses on self-development and overcoming personal struggles! I loved the addition of the animals as part of the story, and I thought the romance was done really well!

Lucy lives to work with her gorillas at the Columbus Zoo. Everything about her job is absolutely wonderful, except for her Critter Chats when she has to public speak, which is NOT her thing. When a popular show, On the Wild Side, comes to the zoo to shoot their next season, her job goes from almost perfect to incredibly stressful. She’s up for a promotion, but she has to overcome her fears to make the show and zoo a success. Luckily, Dr. Kimber from the show is there to help her … Enter romance, stage left😉

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one for readers who enjoy a romance storyline with a strong plot of character development!

Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook and thank you @netgalley @berkleypub for my digital copy! My thoughts are my own.

This romcom is hilarious and definitely worth the slow-burn! The storyline, centered around a zoo setting, is particularly intriguing.

Lucy Rourke works with the primates at the zoo. She loves gorillas and she loves her job. She aspires to be the head zookeeper so she tends to lose herself in her work and often shows up at social events in her zoo shirt and khaki pants!

When TV star Kai Bridges decides to film his animal documentary series at Lucy’s zoo, Lucy and Kai immediately clash! Lucy can’t understand why everyone swoons at Kai! She believes he is self-centered and spoiled. This leads to lots of witty and sarcastic exchanges that had me laughing out loud. I also learned lots of interesting animal facts! I enjoyed this one so much I bought a copy for my daughter! 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙗𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙞𝙙𝙚 is available now!

I often alternate listening to audiobooks and reading physical books. The audio version, narrated by Emily Lawrence, is perfect! I read this book with a book club through @letstalkbookspromo.

Lucy is a zookeeper with her heart firmly on caring for her gorilla troop. When Kai Bridges decides to shoot his wildlife series at her zoo, Lucy knows this is her chance to highlight the plight of her gorillas and hopefully earn herself a promotion too. But from day one, Kai proves to be not the easiest to get along with and seems to care more about his show than the animals. As Lucy gets to know him more, she comes to realize that there is more to the man than the world sees.

I absolutely loved The Wedding Ringer (read it if you haven't already!!) so I was over the moon to receive a copy of Lucy on the Wild Side. Kerry Rea has such a fantastic writing style. I love that I found myself laughing out loud in parts of this story, then empathizing with the characters in the next part. The zoo setting with the tv show thrown in was a unique setting that was enjoyable to read. And the slow burn enemies to lovers story - love, love, love! I am already eagerly waiting for Kerry's next book.

Lucy is a reality TV loving primatologist who loves nothing more than the gorillas she cares for. When Kai, a famous TV personality chooses her zoo for his next wildlife docuseries, Lucy wants nothing to do with the show or Kai. But in order to get the promotion she is hoping for, Lucy will need to combat her stage fright and participate in the show.

I loved this book. I was fascinated by all of the information about gorillas and animal conservation and now want to pay a visit to my local zoo. I thought this was such a fun and unique premise. The ending of this book was unexpected in many ways and one of the most incredible conclusions to a story I’ve read in a long time. I adored the way this book wrapped up and the emotions it brought out in the process. This book was the perfect balance of sweet/spicy romance, incredible character development, informative and emotional moments. Kerry Rea is quickly becoming a favorite author.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the advance copy and to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for hosting a buddy read!

Junior zookeeper Lucy Rourke has known she wanted to work with gorillas since she first saw Zuri at the Columbus Zoo just after her mother left her with her Nona so that she could star in a TV show. Soon after, she read the famous book by primatologist Dr. Charlotte Kimber who became her hero.

Now, Lucy lives for her job where she actually gets to care for Zuri and the rest of the gorilla troop. She loves everything about it except when she’s asked to do the Critter Chats for the zoo’s guest. Public speaking is not her thing. Since her boyfriend, a veterinarian at the zoo, broke things off with her just months earlier, Lucy has even more reason to devote herself to the zoo and work for a promotion to senior zookeeper.

It also allows her to ignore her mother and half-sister Mia who recently moved to Columbus from California. She’s happy that Mia has a loving mother, but it hurts that she never received that kind of attention when she was growing up.

Lucy’s ordered world at the zoo, though, is thrown into disarray when Kia Bridges, host of the exceedingly popular wildlife show On the Wild Side, and son of Dr. Kimber, arrives to film an upcoming season. Since Lucy will be organizing the efforts to integrate Keeva, an orphaned gorilla, into the zoo’s troop, she’ll be a focus of Kai’s story. Problem one: she’s a disaster in front of the camera. Problem two: her first two encounters with Kai could not go worse.

But if she wants that promotion, Lucy must make peace with being part of On the Wild Side, and Kai is willing to help her overcome her stage fright. She begins to realize she might have been wrong about him; however, opening herself to her feelings would only jeopardize her career goals, and she won’t let anything get in the way of her professional success.

As they spend more time together, though, and find that they have more in common than a passion for wildlife and conservation, that they had similar childhoods and struggles to surmount, it’s harder for Lucy to maintain the strict boundaries she insists upon, until she must ask herself if she has misunderstood the nature of success all along.

While I understood Lucy’s past and appreciated her character arc, at times, I found her very unsympathetic. She was unable to take advice or see the nuance in situations, even as her boss told her what she needed to do differently to secure a promotion, or her friends called her out on her interpersonal shortcomings. It was most egregious with her sister, Mia, to whom she was so cruel. On the other hand, Kai, who had his own insecurities stemming from childhood, was more likable and down-to-earth, maybe a little dreamy. Wowza! I also enjoyed the side characters, but the gorillas really stole the show. Gorillas and other primates are my favorite animals to visit at zoos, so I found the behind-the-scenes accounts from Lucy very welcome.

Lucy on the Wild Side has a satisfying resolution for several characters and their relationships, with Lucy, her family, and Kai experiencing significant growth, but be prepared on the way to cry tears of sadness and joy!

I loved this romcom, but my favorite characters were the gorillas. There was definitely chemistry between the main characters and I loved that they showed their true selves to each other. Set at a zoo, I am all for it!

Lucy loves gorillas, her friends and her Nona. She is also stubborn, holds grudges, and does not believe in depending on anyone but herself, but for good reason. She is still scarred by the childhood trauma of her mother's abandonment. Kai is a TV personality who plans on shooting a docuseries featuring Lucy's zoo. According to Lucy, Kai is also vain, arrogant and a first-class jerk; he did not make a good first impression.

Lucy has serious stage fright and believes Kai is punishing her by insisting on featuring her on-camera, but it soon becomes apparent to both Lucy and Kai that they may have more in common than either of them ever expected. Their story progressed from enemies to frenemies to friends to casual lovers to so much more, and it delivered all the romance goodness.

I adored Lucy and Kai story and all of the supporting characters, humans and gorillas. I found Lucy and her little sister Mia's storyline especially endearing. Kerry Rea's debut novel, The Wedding Ringer, was one of my favorite reads last year, so it's no surprise that Lucy on the Wild Side is officially one of my favorite reads this year.

Lucy On The Wild Side by Kerry Rea is a fun enemies to lovers with a really wonderful zoo setting. This one is full of fun animal facts, a love for wildlife rescue, conservation, and rehabilitation, a sweet & spicy romance.

*open door romance, strong language including f-words, strained parent relationship.

Thanks to @berkleypub and NetGalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. Opinions here are my own.

It's so rare to find a book set largely in a zoo, with the heroine as a zookeeper and the hero the reincarnation of Steve Irwin. Not seriously, but he certainly fit the bill well enough. Making it a rom-com seemed absolutely perfect, with enemies to lovers through in alongside some forced proximity. Sign me up! However, while the comedy and writing style was really well done, and I found myself eager to see how the story would end, particularly for the gorillas, I was quite disappointed in the main characters. The heroine read much younger than the 30 year old she was supposed to be, reacting immaturely and treating the hero with over-the-top disdain. The hero basically let her do that the entire book, with very few moments of backbone showing through. Had the heroine been a smidge less self-absorbed and the hero had more self-respect...this could have easily been a four-star read.

The story opens with Lucy, an inspiring junior primate keeper who desperately wants to become the next Dr. Charlotte Kimber. She has dreamed of working with gorillas since she was a young girl dropped on her grandmother's doorstep by her neglectful actress mother. Dr. Kimber was her idol, so naturally she assumed Kai Bridges would be just as amazing. However, their first meeting was less than stellar. Kai overhears her giving a talk on the gorillas, and he tells her she had one of her facts wrong about his mother. Affronted at his audacity to "mansplain" to her, when she clearly remembers the fact as being written in his mother's book, she sets out from that point on to hate Kai. Unfortunately for her, Kai is being paired up with her to film an episode for his tv show, and she can't refuse to participate without giving up her chance at a promotion. So they begrudgingly get started, and as they spend more time together, Lucy slowly....slowly...realizes that Kai may not be the big jerk she thought he was. There may be more to him than his dazzling smile and millions of social media followers.

Let's start with Lucy, shall we? Lucy acted like an adult in her early 20s at best. She was generally unpleasant throughout the book, and even when she could see she was wrong, she had a hard time letting go of her incorrectly held grudges. She said so many awful things about Kai that if it were me, I wouldn't have given her one iota of help. Instead, Kai, being the good person that he was, set aside his hurt over what she said and worked to help her overcome her fear of being on camera. What a guy. Was he perfect? Maybe a little too much. He came across as a doormat for a good potion of the book, only barely standing up for himself to Lucy a handful of times and doing a much larger showing of backbone later on in the book. I liked him but wish we had a bit more angst going both ways. It was often Lucy being rude and Kai laughing it off. Which is fine. I just wish he had given her a taste of her own medicine now and then. And don't get me started on how Lucy treated her sister - I'm sorry, half-sister, since she made a point to correct people, sometimes in front of poor Mia. Why? Because Mia was treated well by Lucy's mother, and Lucy was jealous. She is thirty years old and treating a ten year old like that.

The gorillas were lovely. Had the story had zero romance, it may have been better...although it would still have Lucy, so that's up for debate. It was very interesting to read about the runnings of the zoo, how an orphaned gorilla would be introduced to a new family. I was touched, and I wish there were more books to read that included a zoo as the backdrop. Or at least animal conservation. It's so important and fascinating to read about.

Overall, I give three stars for the writing style, the comedy and the gorillas.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

A zoo is such a fun setting when it’s interwoven in the book. I live just down the highway from the Columbus Zoo and grew up seeing Jack Hanna everywhere.

I must admit I so connected with Lucy. I have such a knack for putting my foot in my mouth. I had a little trouble rooting for Lucy and Kai in the beginning as there were just a little too much enemies in their relationship, but I warmed to them quickly and was on their side. I loved their banter and the humor in the book.

I’m one that needs something else going on in a book besides a romance and this one delivers twice. First it interweaves the animals and I’m impressed with the amount of research the author did to be authentic with this. She didn’t just mention the zoo and move on, but it really is an integral part of the story. And also the humor. I am such a sucker for comedy. Life is too serious all too often and I will take any chance to laugh.

There are enemies to lovers, a celebrity romance and a workplace romance, so a little something for everyone. If you are looking for a romance to root for the HEA, this is your book.

Lucy Rourke, reality tv aficionado and primatologist, is dead set on becoming head zoo keeper with the gorillas she loves. When reality tv star Kai Bridges chooses her zoo for his next season of his animal docuseries, she sees her chance to impress her boss and show the world her beloved gorillas. There’s only one problem….she can’t stand Kai.

Kai Bridges has always had an adventurous heart with a soft spot for animals. He grew up around his famous mother and is now famous in his own right. His docuseries is a smash hit, but he secretly wants to do something else. After his current filming season, he wants to film a special on gorillas in the wild. In order to do that though, he first has to get through filming at the zoo with a worker he doesn’t get along with.

Can the two put their differences aside for the gorillas and the orphaned baby? Will they eventually see the good in each other, or ruin each other’s careers?

My thoughts:

This one had so many funny parts through out. I went back and forth between liking the characters, to thinking they needed a snack upside the head. There were times my heart went out to them both, or I was scared, happy, laughing, mad, fighting tears, etc. Lucy’s grandma was a favorite of mine and Kai’s mother was always on my questionable list. You should read this for all the random animal facts alone. They are some odd and funny ones.

I know how much everyone loves the classic ‘hate to love’ workplace romances, and this book is definitely a new favorite. With a swoony love interest who flirts by sharing disturbing animal facts, fantastic supporting characters, and GORILLAS, there is something for everyone to love.

Lucy was a wonderful main character. Although she is too quick to harshly judge a person and inclined to hold a grudge, it is clear to see where such hesitation in relationships comes from. As a result, she undergoes wonderful character development throughout the course of the story. She also, as a woman who remains firm in prioritizing her goals and career over the predominant traditional expectations of women, is a character that is underrepresented in books. I love seeing the main couple get married and have kids in the end, but I also appreciated seeing a character with no desire for children, and has to learn to trust their partner when they say that they will not get in the way of their ambition.

Now let's talk about Mr. Kai Bridges. I. LOVED. HIM. He was funny and swoon-worthy, and as the captain of Team Lucy, he was the perfect love interest for her. It’s always fairly obvious in hate to love romances that the love interest is never the grouchy asshole that the main character thinks he is, and I loved seeing Lucy come to that realization. Learning more about his history simultaneously broke my heart and made me love him even more.

I loved everything about how Kai and Lucy’s romance was executed. It felt perfectly paced, and nothing ever felt contrived or unrealistic about their relationship. From their conflicts to the way they went from friends to benefits to maybe something more, the arc of their story as a couple felt wholly natural.

All of the various subplots only added to my enjoyment of the book. Whether it was Lucy coming to accept her half sister, or her working with the gorillas at the zoo, I felt a deep connection to all aspects of the story, and there were definitely a few times where tears were shed over this ink on paper that I became so connected to.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming romance that you will fly through while simultaneously wishing it would never end, then this one is for you.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook. And thank you to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for including me on this buddy read.

Lucy on the Wild Side was such an adorable story. Lucy is a keeper of gorillas at a zoo, gunning for a promotion. After an embarrassing breakup, the gorillas became her world. That is until the zoo brings in Kai Bridges and his show for a summer of filming. Kai’s mother is Lucy’s personal and professional hero. To get the promo, Lucy needs to overcome her phobia of public speaking and performing…is Kai the man for the job?

This enemies to lovers book is so much fun. The dialogue is entertaining and goofy. There was great character development on both main characters. I love how the two work together to overcome their disastrous family dynamics and to grow over the summer. It pulled at my heartstrings in love and loss.

4.5 stars – rounded to 5 stars for Goodreads