I enjoyed this book a lot! It sort of fits in the category of "quiet, not a lot happens". Which, I keep learning, really works for me. It was beautifully written - particularly from Alexei's perspective, where I did a lot of highlighting. And, again, especially from Alexei's POV, there were moments when I could feel really the warmth he was experiencing. Like, I had an actual physical reaction reading it. The connection and the longing (so much longing) between the main characters was so well drawn and I also appreciated the secondary characters. Also, I have been fascinated by long-distance trail hiking since following Alison Cochrun's walk on IG last year so I soaked up every little detail about the logistics and beauty and challenges of walking the PCT. And while overall I like how thoughtful the author was and how they were clearly mindful about intersectionality etc, there were a couple of little choices that didn't sit quite right with me and those are the things that kept me from giving this five stars but, I really did love it and will be doing a re-read in audio at some point and am thinking now I want to check out the author's novellas.

My first thought when I finished this book was, wow, it had a brutal punch of emotion. It was beautiful and thought provoking and difficult and sweet. From start to finish I felt like I was on the Pacific Crest Trail with Alexei and Ben. Alexei is more the main character as he’s the one dealing with familial trauma because of his sexuality. The author handled the entire situation with care and detail.

The romance? SWOON-LEVEL. The quiet moments were my favorite. These two felt destined from their meet cute and I felt like I was literally watching them fall in love.

Now, I gave this four stars because of the utter LOW we hit before their HEA. It’s totally a me thing…kudos to the author for breaking my heart into a million pieces. But the HEA was beautiful.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this. I saw Anita Kelly at a book launch last year, and when they described the premise for this book, I was completely sold. It's set on the Pacific Crest Trail with a journey toward the Pacific Northwest. It has Cheryl Strayed's Wild vibes, but make it a fictional romance.

Alexei is looking to find himself on the trail and come to terms with his family's awful reaction to him coming out to them. Ben is on the trail because he wants to follow through with a goal and be more mature before starting a new career in nursing.

The book highlights family and what that can look like. It tackles so many hard topics and does so thoroughly and well. It made me cry, as it resonated so deeply. And the journey on the trail was an amazing metaphor for the depth of character growth we see.

Parts were difficult to read, but overall, this book felt like a warm hug. I fell so hard for both Alexei and Ben, and I absolutely loved their journeys. It was great to revisit London and Dahlia, but this can be read as a stand alone.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

CW: homophobia

Alexei decides to hike the PCT from Mexico to Canada after coming out to his family as gay and consequently being disowned. Along the way he meets Ben who is on the trail to get away from his past and the bad decisions he makes when cute boys are involved. They begin hiking together and come to love each other’s quirks and provide much needed support for both the trail and life.

I loved Anita’s previous book and am very pleased to report that I loved this one too. I have never had the desire to hike the PCT, but each summer I find myself following a few through hikers on their journeys over social media. The book mostly takes place during the journey through the desert portion of California up to Kennedy Meadows, then switches to letters as Alexei continues north until he reaches Washington. I found this to be a really effective way to write the book, without getting bogged down by the hike itself. The writing made me really appreciate the trail and the hikers that keep its upkeep a thing, but confirmed to me that I never need to do anything like it.

I adored both Alexei and Ben. Both were such interesting and well rounded characters. I liked that they were both going through their own struggles, and while they were there to support one another, each made the decisions that were best for them and did their own growing. I loved the epistolatory section. The book had been in dual POV so I knew the characters well, but I loved having their written words and feelings, and the letters that were not sent were especially moving.

I read the beginning and end of the book, and listened to the audiobook for most of the middle of the book. I really enjoyed Mark Sanderlin’s narration. I was always able to tell whose POV I was in and his voice kept me engaged the whole time I was listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC, and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

Anita Kelly has once again taken me on an emotional and spiritual journey that I didn't know I needed. She did this through her characters Alexi and Ben and their individual and interactions on their hike on the Pacific Crest trail. Anyone going on a 2,000+ mile hike will go through a journey and changes and boy did they do that.

Both men spent time hiking individually and then together throughout the trail and they both learned and grew in their time together and apart. They built a strong friendship and more during this time. This discussed some sensitive issues related to family and coming out and more.

There is something about the way that Anita Kelly writes that lets you both be with the characters in their world experiencing what they do and watching them from the outside. The storyline is perfect, the trail and area is described perfectly and the characters are incredibly realistic. I will never skip an Anita Kelly novel as she always takes me on a journey that I need to go on and a journey that I learn from. This story is incredibly compelling and quite beautiful despite some of the hard topics. A best book of the year for sure!

When they say it’s about he journey not about the destination, they are talking about this book. Although the characters end up in a wonderful place, it would not be as meaningful with out the journey. For these two the journey is both emotional and physical, and it’s hard on both accounts.

As far as the physical journey, you feel like you are on the train walking right beside them. The descriptions are vivid as are the characters they encounter. They encounter so many other hikers on the PCT that add to their story.

I love that it was an unexpected connection between these to and an unconventional location for a love story. They definitely have interesting “meet cute!”

This was a beautiful, emotional journey with Alexi and Ben and I totally recommend it.

3.75 ⭐️
2 🌶️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book to review.

I loved the story of Alexi and Ben. There was a softness to their love story. It was not big gestures but more soft moments that built up to a bigger moment. I liked the hiking aspect and I really loved seeing both of them grow individually and together.

Where I struggled a bit:
- pacing was off a bit and it ended up being a too slow for me and I struggled making it through it only thing that kept me from stopping it was the love I had for the couple.

Pull up your chairs, kids, I've got some gushing to do. 🏔️

I RACED through this book in one night back in October, but sat on my review because in general I don't like to get people hyped about a book they won't be able to get their hands on for months. But the wait is (almost) over—SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL comes out in just over a week, so mark March 7th on your calendar as a day you can expect a Very Nice Thing!

Here's the quick summary: two guys encounter one another while thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). They've got different personalities, different trail approaches, & different reasons for being out there in the first place. But they strike up a friendship and over the miles (~2600 of them, some hiked together and some apart), that friendship deepens & strengthens into something more.

This book was transcendent for me on about 5 different levels. I’ve abstractly wanted a PCT novel/romance long enough that I would’ve read basically anything with a smile on my face. But to be gifted THIS? These gorgeous descriptions of places near & dear to my heart, two characters I was invested in from the jump as individuals, written with this level of nuance, care and depth? Equal attention given to the land/trail, the characters, their myriad relationships, AND the sociopolitics of distance hiking as a cultural practice??? WE ARE ABSOLUTELY SPOILED by Anita Kelly. I was elated. I was beside myself.

I am re-reading it now and even with that first rush of heady excitement over Getting Something You Always Wanted behind me? Not a single note out of key in the whole symphony. 5/5 stars, Anita Kelly fan for life, yearning so hard for a few California mountains & Oregonian forests that I might cry a lil bit.

@anitakellywrites has been giving this book a song a day for the past couple weeks & the soundtrack serves. Check it out right after you call in a pre-order for this at your local indie. Thanks @readforeverpub #partner for the dARC!

4.75⭐️

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an earc!

ANITA HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!! they have made me fall head over heels with two mcs and had me going through all the emotions. i absolutely loved this even more than book 1 - i think i could read 1000+ more pages of alexei and ben just doing mundane stuff. this also made me kinda want to go hiking?? although i’m the least outdoorsy person EVER so do with that what you will. i just really enjoyed every second - the emotional journeys both alexei and ben were on were heartbreaking and again, had me feeling all the emotions. i just love them both so much, and i cannot wait for julie’s book!!!

This book was so good. Both Ben and Alexei head to the Pacific Crest Trail to deal with some heavy personal stuff - one of them has been disowned by their parents after coming out - so the book does deal with a lot of heavy content and material. That said, it was beautifully written and there were funny (and steamy) moments as well. I loved both characters and Ben’s wonderful family, and of course all the other interesting characters they cross paths with on the PCT!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.

Alexei and Ben are a sweet couple that brought the story to life. I was not expecting much depth, but Alexei's journey to finding himself felt authentic and carried the story from start to finish. I appreciated that they were dealing with real-world problems, which made the couple's eventual coming together very satisfying. I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2/5 🌶️🌶️

Alexei and Ben, you sweet, joyous, characters. What a privilege it was to witness their stories, both as a couple and as separate individuals.

Anita Kelly really knocked it out of the park with Something Wild & Wonderful. The writing is incredibly immersive and the storytelling had me feeling like I was floating on cloud nine.

I felt so content while reading about Alexei and Ben. The pain, joy, love, grief, and devastation they had to walk through in order to heal was so comforting to read about. I could not put this book down. I simply had to know what was going to happen next. Kelly really makes you believe in hope after loss, which is something I’m sure all of us can relate to. And I would be amiss if I don’t mention how beautiful it was to read the lush descriptions of the Pacific Crest Trail. So stunning.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly is a breathtakingly beautiful narrative about two people who fall in love while hiking the PCT, only to fall apart in order to discover who they are as individuals.

Thank you, Alexei and Ben, for healing parts of my heart I didn’t even know needed healing. And thank you, Anita Kelly, for writing a happily ever after that us queer people deserve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Something Wild & Wonderful hits shelves on March 7, 2023!

Alexei is closed off, and for good reason: his conservative Christian parents disowned him when he came out. To heal from the grief, Alexei takes to the PCT to figure out Alexei 2.0. After saving Ben from a rattle snake, Alexei doesn't think he'll ever see Ben again - but trail magic happens, the two become friends and make a pact to keep hiking together. Alexei starts to fall for Ben, and is shocked when it turns out that Ben likes him back. They two decide to give in to their feelings, but things go sideways when their plans change.

As an avid hiker it was so fun to read a romance set on the PCT. I have no intentions of ever becoming a through-hiker - I'd probably react like Ben did when he saw the snowy ridge, but no one would be able to talk me down 😅 The characters were so adorable, the setting was amazing, and I enjoyed this book so much! Definitely will be recommending this to friends :)

This book. I don't even know where to start with this book because I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!! I went into it expecting just another run-of-the-mill romance, but left having fallen in love with one of the best duos written in a romance novel. Seriously, Ben & Lex have my whole heart, they are a top tier pair! I finished the book days ago and I find my brain randomly wandering back to the Pacific Crest Trail, imagining Ben & Lex alternating hiking in silence and having heart-to-hearts.

Honestly, I'm having trouble putting my very big wonderful feelings about this book into words. It's difficult for me to put my thumb on what made this book so special. All I can say is that it feels like this book quietly snuck its way into my heart. I'm not a hiker but I loved the PCT setting. I loved both Ben and Lex's journeys as individuals and as a couple. Everything from the dialogue to the journal entries to the letters was so well written. At times I was smiling like an idiot and other times I was moved to tears.

This book is funny and sweet but it also deals with more difficult topics such as parental estrangement and homophobia. Anita Kelly addressed these topics with care.

This book is a MUST READ. I highly recommend!

5⭐
R for some 🌶️ scenes

The way I loved this book!!!! This will be a top romance favorite of 2023 for me. It spoke to my hiking loving heart but also to the part of me that loves a tender romance. There were also so many small things about Alexei that reminded me of the things I love about my hiker partner that just made me smile.

The Pacific Coast Trail is a perfect backdrop for a love story. Hiking truly bonds people in a way that is so unique and Anita Kelly perfectly captured this as someone who had clearly been a thru hiker. My heart broke so many times for both Alexei and Ben as they dealt with their past hurts, especially Alexei's homophobic parents. And seeing how these two healed both together and separately, including Alexei finding new family and accepting it, was just so satisfying.

This book is truly special. If you love to hike and love romance books, I think you will be just as obsessed with it as I am. I love these two so much and I love how Anita Kelly connects her books together a little bit because I know that means I'll be seeing more of these two in the future. An absolute must read this spring!!

Well this was a wonderful and sweet story! When Alexei Lebedev came out to his parents it went poorly so he decided to use the solitude of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to figure out what he wants to do next with his life. Along the way he meets charismatic and outgoing Ben Caravalho and finds himself unable to say no when he offers to be his trail partner.

Alexei and Ben had such a sweet and wonderful story. Alexei is a shy, quiet soul who struggles in social situations but thrives being outdoors. He is struggling to deal with his parents disowning him for being gay and with his religion’s part in that. I really enjoyed seeing Alexei open up to Ben and start trying to make changes with his life. He still makes mistakes, like always running away from emotional situations, but by the end he realizes what he wants from life and seeks therapy to help with that. I loved how much growth we see in Alexei in this one, but I did get a bit annoyed by him running from situations.

"Alexei was a butterfly, just emerging from his chrysalis, and he was showing Ben his wings."

Ben was a sweetheart who really brought Alexei out of his shell. Ben is struggling with his self worth because he is just now finding out what he wants to do with his life. His toxic relationships have made him feel like he isn’t worthy but we see him start to let go of that in this. Ben was just a sweet man who loved to take care of people and Alexei fit him perfectly.

This book was beautifully written and I loved how it was broken down into different parts of their journey and time apart. I found the chapter written in just letters to be so emotional and heartbreaking, but also very healthy for both Alexei and Ben. I loved that we get to see them voice their emotions that they would have probably hid if they had been together. One of the best things about this book for me was that Alexei shows you don’t have to forgive your family for their actions, but you do have to move on. It isn’t healthy to expect them to change so seek help and move on with your life.

Overall, this was another amazing novel from Anita Kelly. I really enjoy their writing and they really know how to create an emotional story with great characters.

Trigger Warnings: Alexei was disowned by his parents when he came out as gay; strict religions upbringing discussed; anxiety; on page alcohol usage; homophobic language (Ch. 16); family member with Alzheimer’s and their care discussed; brief references to past toxic relationships;

- What a gift SOMETHING WILD AND WONDERFUL is. It pulls of the balancing act of dealing with very real homophobia and giving the characters real queer joy.
- Kelly excels at writing characters who care so deeply for each other, for all their quirks and complicated personal histories. I particularly loved being there with Alexei while he tried to figure out his new relationship to faith and church.
- This is also the rare romance novel that didn't have me rolling my eyes and speeding through the third act breakup. The way Alexei and Ben worked through it was so beautiful and precious.
- And! We also get to see Dahlia and London from LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS!

Trigger Warnings: wild animals (snakes, birds, foxes), alcohol, familial estrangement due to queer identity, lay off, cursing, religion and strict religious upbringing (Christianity); brief references to past toxic romantic relationships, mentions of Alzheimer’s/dementia care, sex, nudity, homophobia, harsh homophobic language (used in Chapter 16), underage drinking, grief

Representation: Gay, Portuguese, Queer, Autism

Something Wild and Wonderful is a contemporary romance about Alexei and Ben who are both hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to process their individual traumas. After coming out to his conservative community doesn’t go well, Alexei plans to be alone with his thoughts. His plans do not include meeting and falling in love. Ben is quite the opposite of Alexei, but the two can’t seem to help but cross paths. Alexei slowly lets Ben in until a change in plan forces him to decide if this new feeling is something he’s willing to face head on or will run away from.

Wow! Just wow! I absolutely loved this book! Easily going to be a top read for this year! I loved both characters, I loved the trip through the PCT, and I loved Ben’s friends in Nashville. This story has a lot of depth and darkness, but it also contains so much joy and light! I loved the crossover from the author’s prior book as well!

The author does a great job with creating this instant love which then turns into a slow burn plus including the heat! I loved the love and realness of these men’s characters, and thought they were portrayed with so much relatable-ness. Both men are flawed and struggle within their own realms, yet those are some of the things that make them so lovable. And the nature aspect of the story was so descriptive and peaceful. I loved walking the trail with them!

This was a cute story with some surprisingly deeper themes. Something Wild & Wonderful is a queer romance set against the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), which is over 2,500 miles of walking across the US and into Canada. Our two MCs, Alexei and Ben, both have their own reasons for deciding to give the PAC a try and although they begin the journey alone, their travel quickly becomes intertwined.

I mentioned earlier how this story deals with some more difficult topics, some that may be slightly triggering to some readers, so maybe be mindful of that before deciding to read. Lex is grieving the loss of his family and coming to terms with his sexuality, he is using the 2,500 miles of PAC to try and come to terms with that loss/realization. Ben is trying to dispel all of his wanderlust before settling down and finding a nursing job, Ben is also taking a break from relationships after some really terrible men left him feeling broken (mentions abusive relationship, but does not go into too much detail). What starts out as couple of strangers keeping each other company on the trail, slowly morphs into friendship, then eventually, despite their best efforts not to, into something more.

Something Wild & Wonderful was an enjoyable read. I have heard of the PAC before, but have never read anything about it, so that added an interesting element to the story. As a casual hiker it was intriguing to read about, though I would never want to undertake something like that myself. I also liked both the main characters, the story was a duel POV between the MCs which I always prefer in romances. The pacing of the story was good, it had some heavy moments and lots of sweet moments, plus there was even a little bit of spice as well. Definitely a worth while read to pick up if you enjoy queer romances!

I love Anita Kelly’s writing. Her debut novel, Love & Other Disasters was one of my favorite reads last year and I truly think she is one of the best voices in the adult LGBTQ+ literature world. Something Wild & Wonderful is a bit deeper than her debut, but still has some beautiful lighthearted moments. I struggled with the setting, the Pacific Crest Trail, as I have no experience with or interest in hiking/the wilderness. Obviously, this is a “me issue”, but my level of personal enjoyment is the reason why I ultimately rated it four-stars instead of five.