Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly was such a fun book to read! Thank you Forever!

I've always loved backpacking and while hiking the PCT hasn't been on my list. I loved reading about Lex and Ben's hike and I could visualize them hiking and experiencing the PCT together. The way Anita Kelly writes, you can't help but root for these two to find happiness together!

If you've ever backpacked, you'll appreciate this book. The longest I've done is 5 nights, but she definitely hits the nail on what it's like to backpack and carry everything you need in a backpack!

Check this one out when it publishes on March 7th!

Ben and Aelxei are thru-hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, which may sound like garbled nonsense to you if you’re also an Indoor Person like me! But the gist is this: they’re walking from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, give or take a few hundred miles. Alexei is hiking to clear his head and come to terms with his new reality after coming out to his super religious family. Ben is hiking to prove to himself that he can do grown up things and make good choices before starting a new career. So of course these two giant cinnamon rolls meet by chance and decide to hike together for a while! Their dynamic filled me with such utter and profound joy that I don’t think I have the words to fully describe it. Are there hardships and misunderstandings and bad choices? Yes. But there are also two dopey idiots falling in love with each other and learning to accept themselves just as they are. A recurring theme is that The Trail Provides: companionship when you’re lonely, water when you’re thirsty, dinosaurs when you’re in need of a campy distraction. Personally, the trail provided me with Ben and Alexei at a time when reading was starting to feel like more of a chore than something I do for fun. I truly wish every book could make me as incandescently happy as Something Wild and Wonderful.

In Something Wild & Wonderful, we meet Alexei and Ben at the same time they meet each other, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and facing down a rattlesnake. Initially intent on hiking alone, Alexei turns down Ben's offer to join the group he's assimilated himself with. But when the two run into each other again at a rest stop, Alexei relents and the two begin the hundreds of miles journey to Canada together. The two each have their own reasons for hiking the long trail, including Ben's self-doubts about his intelligence and bad choices with men, and Alexei's parents disownment of him after he came out. What starts as hiking buddies turns into a train family which, perhaps, turns into a relationship.

Wow, oh wow! While I highly enjoyed Love & Other Disasters, Something Wild & Wonderful blew away! Total 10/10! Ben and Alexei are two likable, interesting heroes, and the Pacific Crest Trail is a truly unique and unfamiliar (to me) setting that I really enjoyed learning about and viewing along with our characters. I love how the two were constantly meeting new people and learning new things about nature, themselves, and each other. I really have nothing but positive things to say about this book and can't recommend it enough. While I think everyone would love it, I certainly recommend if you have a soft spot for (1) hiking (duh), (2) man buns, (3) epistolary romance (section two of three!), and (4) neurodivergent rep.

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

5 stars - 10/10

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Something Wild & Wonderful is a wonderful follow-up to last year’s Love & Other Disasters. It’s set in the same world, although it follows new characters and works as a standalone, with London and Dahlia from the prior book appearing briefly in supporting roles. While it’s somewhat of a different book, with a nature/wilderness focus, the heart of the story around queer joy largely remains the same.
Alexei is definitely the standout character here. He’s the product of a home environment that is unaccepting of his queer identity, due to religious reasons. A large theme of his arc of the book is him disentangling his trauma and dealing with the rejection from his parents for simply being himself. In spite of the homophobia he’s faced from those closest to him, I love how he never once feels pressured to conform to their expectations or to “pray away the gay.” He’s content in his identity, even if he has to reckon with the loss of his family and others who may not accept him.
And Ben…he’s very much the opposite, being carefree and chaotic where Alexei is more guarded. But that’s what makes them work. Ben is an openhearted source of support for Alexei, and his friends (which include London and Dahlia) and family are more than prepared to accept Alexei as well.
The trajectory of their relationship is an interesting one, because while there’s pretty much instant attraction, maybe even love, there’s still a slow burn to their romance too. They have some lovely moments together initially, but Alexei’s baggage means that they still have hurdles to navigate. I liked the choice to have the story switch to epistolary format for a while in order to accomplish this, with the letters, both sent and unsent, conveying all their complex emotions.
I had mixed feelings about the pacing choices. There were some occasions in the middle where the pacing plodded, a side effect of the somewhat remote nature setting. The letters, despite being such a stylistic shift, were the turning point for me from “this book is just fine” to “I really like this,” because that’s when I felt the emotional impact.
Even with my issues, I still enjoyed this book a lot. If you enjoy queer contemporary romances, I recommend checking this one out, especially if you’re looking for one with a nature theme!

I LOVED this book. From the moment I started reading, I was hooked and instantly in love with both of our main characters. One would not think reading about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail would be so cozy and comforting, but it really was. This was such a beautiful, heartwarming, and sweet book about learning to love yourself while accepting all the parts of yourself. The journey to self love was a big theme in this book, but I also liked how our characters were able to find love along the way while staying true to their own journeys (even if they lost sight of being able to have both for a little bit). I laughed with these cuties but my heart also broke at the grief and difficulties they were going through. It all felt so real; I often found myself thinking about Alexei and Ben throughout the day and I could not wait to keep reading. Also, the fact that these two were able to find each other on this 2,000+ mile trail was incredible and magical; it was the perfect setting for this book.

Something Wild & Wonderful was, quite frankly, wonderful. I really loved the relationship development between Ben and Alexei. Their relationship is honest, genuine, and so, so lovely. Overall, this book was an incredibly comforting read. Between this and Love and Other Disasters, Anita Kelly is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.

Read For:
- Wholesome romance
- Hiking
- Strong family and found family dynamics with one of the MCs)
- Found family on the trail
- Characters who aren't afraid to work on themselves
- Cameos of our favorite characters from LaOD

Watch Out for:
- Estrangement from family due to homophobia (One of the MCs)
- Snakes (scene on page one)



----- 4.25/5

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Don't be fooled by the cute blurb - this deals with some pretty heavy stuff.

I had originally rated this as 3⭐ but think it deserves to be rounded up to 4⭐ because as I've had some time to collect my thoughts, I have to say, it's been niggling at me for a couple of weeks now. Something Wild & Wonderful is the loveliest of slow burns as you journey with Alexei as he trek along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). For Alexei, this is "a chance to say good-bye to his old life...to find a bit of peace before he started over." Unfortunately (or not), a chance encounter with the enigmatic Ben throws his plans off the cliff and Alexei finds much more than peace during his months-long journey on the PCT.

While the narrative shifts POVs between the two male leads, this is very much Alexei's story, and it is a story fraught with homophobia, abandonment, grief, & insecurities. I found the trauma of his religious upbringing was handled exceedingly well and it was heartbreaking.

"You raised me to believe that family and faith were everything. How can you take that away from me and not expect me to crumble?

[Y]ou might have been the one to bring me to church, Dad. But I got to know faith on my own. And your interpretation of God is a tragedy."

Each mile gained along the PCT expands Alexei's character and it was lovely to journey alongside him as he developed a tender, sweet relationship with Ben. "Alexei was a butterfly, just emerging from his chrysalis, and he was showing Ben his wings. Ben couldn't turn away from that." That's not to say that Ben is overlooked - he's also on the PCT for personal reasons as he closes in on 30 and is looking to become a more grounded, responsible person.

The setting itself is like another character and I loved the details about the PCT, the hiking community, and birding - things I'm completely unaware of but found really interesting based on the level of detail and care as they were presented with. It was a perfect backdrop to the tumultuous lived experiences & growth that both Alexei & Ben go through.

The last 20% was really unique for a romance novel. It's not a typical third-act conflict, but I don't want to get too spoilery in my review, so I'll just say that it's a heartbreaking and realistic turn of events and adding the epistolary choice of narrative was a deft touch.

All in all, if you love a slow-burn, feelings-filled romance with found family elements - this is the book for you.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oof, this book made me feel things.

Lex (who is Russian) and Ben (who is Portuguese) are each independently hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. They meet and then end up hiking together, sharing stories of their lives and an (unknown to them) mutual attraction. They eventually cross that boundary into more which brings up quite a bit of unresolved trauma for each of them. While it also begins the foundation for a tottery beginning with the potential for an auspicious future.

There were some choices made by one of them that had me feeling personally slighted and angry to the point of wanting to lower the star rating, however, the epilogue is what really tied things together and redeemed them for me. It gave me the additional context I needed (and should have seen) to empathize with those choices and what they were a result of.

This read has a lovely slow burn/buildup, found family, re-connection and finding oneself (plus a bit of spice sprinkled in) while also touching on some really heavy topics such as religion and religious trauma, homophobia, internalized homophobia, parental abandonment, anxiety/mental health issues, cultural identity and self-acceptance.

5 incandescent stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like a warm hug. It’s sweet, it’s lovely and made me smile like a fool.

Ben and Alexei are very different, but work so well together. The setting is also absolutely gorgeous, and it made me want to do some hiking in the Pacific Crest Trail:

One of the highlights for me was Alexei. Alexei is autistic. And the portrayal is done with so much care and understanding. As a ND reader it was a fresh air to read.

Very recommended

This was a warm, cozy hug of a book. Alexei and Ben were such warm characters. Well, Alexei took a bit of warming up to people, but he was earnest and friendly. Ben befriended everyone he met and just exuded friendliness and warmth. They had such an easy, peaceful companionship that they fell into as they walked the Pacific Crest Trail. It was so nice to read.

The descriptions of the trail and the hiking were so beautiful and so appealing. It made me feel like I was there with them and made me want to attempt the hike myself. There's no way I could actually do it, but imagining it feels nice.

The difficult parts were not so much conflict between the two (aside from a few misunderstandings) but rather things each was struggling with internally. For Ben it was the loss of a close relative to Alzheimers and his past abusive relationships. For Alexei it was being cut off by his parents after coming out as gay. These were things each had to wrestle with on their own, and I really like that they weren't swept under the rug when they got together. They took the time and space they needed and came to terms with them, allowing them to build a stronger future together.

It was wonderful to see Alexei being welcomed into Ben's family and friend group, and it was wonderful to see Alexei and Ben's close relationships with their little sisters.

There is a section toward the end where it becomes an epistolary novel for a bit, the sort where most of the letters are unsent. Those are always heartbreaking, and this was no exception. I really, really, like the way it was written. Having the letters be unsent halves of conversations made them so much more impactful.

Most of all, this is a book emphasizing the wonders of queer companionship. As a queer person myself, who values that sort of companionship very highly indeed, this book hit all the right notes for me.

The audiobook performance was beautiful and the narrator imbued the characters with so much personality. I loved listening to it and definitely recommend it.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy of the ebook and audiobook for review.

I am 100% not an outdoorsy person so I was a little nervous to read a book set on a hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed that part of the story! The real MVPs were the characters though. I found myself completely in love with Alexei and Ben, both as individual characters and as a couple. Between Alexei’s social awkwardness and nerdiness and Ben’s easy going vibe with some hidden baggage to unpack, both of them were fleshed out incredibly well. I loved their vulnerability with each other and how they learned how to be themselves and say/ask for what they wanted. I did think the story dragged in a few spots, but overall the pacing was pretty good. I loved the ending and the epilogue. Both were fine extremely well. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great romance and also into hiking and the great outdoors!
TW: homophobia

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

An absolutely fabulous new release from Anita Kelly! Alexis and Ben’s journey along the PCT as well as the internal journeys they both experience throughout the book were so flawlessly written. Alexei’s excitement and heartbreak felt so real for someone who has just come out. And the contrast of that to Ben, who has been dating for a long time but never the right person, was just so enjoyable to watch unfold on the page. The chemistry between the characters was palpable and the tension took my breath away at some points.

Thank you to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley for this eArc of <i>Something Wild and Wonderful</i>. All opinions are my own.

It's true that I can cry at books easily. It's also true that I seek out light and easy romcom books because I am generally disconnected enough from the drama that it can't impact me personally. But wow—I was absolutely not expected to literally sob at this book. Anita Kelly, whose first book <i>Love & Other Disasters</i> I also adored, really got me here. Chronicling the journey of Alexei and Ben, two hikers who very much accidentally and literally run into each other while hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, <i>Something Wild and Wonderful</i> is a tale about second (and third and fourth, etc.) chances, about found family, and about finding out that you're good enough just the way you are. Most importantly, this book teaches us that everyone deserves love and to be loved unconditionally.

As a side note, even though book takes place in the same universe as <i>Love & Other Disasters</i>, you needn't have read that to be a part of the story of Alexei and Ben, two beautiful, gentle, lovely men who I would please like to be my best friends.

If you've ever felt not enough. If you've ever felt like you were trying to let go and figure out how to live your best life. If you want a beautiful love story, please read this book. Just don't yell at me if you cry like a baby.

4.5 stars. A beautiful MM love story with strong themes of self-discovery and acceptance.

Synopsis: Set on the iconic Pacific Crest Trail, Alexei and Ben meet on the 2,500-mile trail. Each arrives on the trail with his own personal baggage. Ben has a long history of bad decisions, usually involving beautiful men, while Alexei grapples with his gay identity and how to love himself when his family has rejected him. What unfolds is a beautiful love story.

Thoughts: This was such a sweet and bingeable story. I enjoyed how Anita Kelly crafted the characters and their backstories, each embarking on different personal journeys. I particularly appreciated that they reinforced the notion that no two life experiences are the same. There was great LGBTQIA+ and disability rep, and I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for my ARC & Hachette audio for my ALC.

Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn’t prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there’s a reason the trail keeps bringing them together . . .

Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if it’s possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful.

I'm still processing this book. In so many ways, this is more than a romance novel. Alexei's family trauma, Ben's dating issues, the incredible endurance it takes to walk the PCT, they all add up to one excellent story. Knowing that this was a romance, I knew the ending wouldn't be a downer, but there also wasn't an easy fix to all the problems. Thank goodness.

Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and forever publishing for access to the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is one I had been looking forward to for a while and it did not disappoint. First, the setting. You can really tell that Anita Kelly put a whole lot of work into really making you feel like you are on the trail with Lex and Ben. I found myself looking up pictures of the places they were describing because the descriptions sounded so beautiful. I am not at all familiar with the landscape in this part of America but they did a beautiful job of describing it for me.

Aside from a lovely setting though, the story was beautiful and sweet and uplifting! These 2 men working so hard on themselves to reach their full potential was both hard to hear at times but also extremely inspiring. And the support they give each other made me cry MULTIPLE TIMES! I wanted nothing but good things for them. They are both cinnamon rolls that deserve all the happiness in the world!

This story did such a great job exploring grief and religious trauma. It also had some of my favorite tropes in it: friends to lovers & found family. There were so many swoon worthy moments that made my heart flutter! Ugh! I want to read it again!

Anyway, If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book so much and now I’m off to pre-order it so that I have it on my shelves when it comes out. Cheers!

Thank you so much to Anita Kelly, Forever and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Alexei had never experienced friendship quite like that. Friendship that wasn't dependent on shared faith."

Alexei decided he wanted to walk the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) as the start of a new beginning to his life. While on the trail, he keeps seeing Ben along the way. Alexei was drawn to him and Ben was as well. Ben decided to stay and walk with Alexei for a huge chunk of the trail and from there, feelings ensue. Together they experience the beautiful trail and meet a slew of different characters along the trail.

"I think I fell in love with someone. And then I got scared and I left."

Alexei's development throughout this book is such a journey. He is very quiet, socially awkward and just wants to be left alone and by the end his personality shines through. And I love the juxtaposition Alexei was to Ben who was outgoing and personable. Alexei's childhood into adulthood is deeply upsetting but I am glad that by the end he was working on making his life better and has a new chosen family. I know there is a huge amount of people who have been through religious trauma and I do not think its talked enough in books. Alexei needed someone like Ben in his life and came at a perfect time for him during this transition phase in his life.

Fun fact (you may or may not know): There is a moment at the end when Alexei sees that Ben got a tattoo during their time apart and author Anita Kelly got the tattoo which you can see on their instagram page. How cool to see the image come to life!

This definitely inspired me to get out on the trails more. I love hiking and wish I could do it more often (my hiking partner's knees don't like it). And as if I didn't already want to go to the Pacific Northwest this made me want to go even more.

Also can we talk about this cover?! I remember being instantly obsessed with it as soon as it was released. I love that the same illustrator who did Love & Other Disasters also did this one. The colors are absolutely stunning!!!

I would definitely check this out if you are a hiker and enjoy the outdoors and want to see a love story unfold during hundreds of miles of walking.

I really enjoyed this strangers to lovers adventure romance about falling in love and finding self-acceptance while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Perfect for fans of TJ Alexander, this big-hearted story tugged at my heart strings and had me feeling all the feels as Alexei tries to work out his feelings after being disowned by his Christian fundamentalist family and Ben does such a great job showing him that he deserves to be loved just as he is. There were some fun cameos from Love and other disasters too which was a lot of fun! If you enjoyed Cheryl Strayed's Wild, this is the perfect story for you. All the PCT stuff was extremely well done! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!

This was SO GOOD! I laughed, I was in my feels, Alexi and Ben had me melting into a puddle. Such a sweet story! 10/10 would recommend

One of the great challenges in my life as a lover of romance novels - I have little to no patience for the major conflict that seems to need to precede a happily ever after. In my opinion, these usually feel forced and could easily be resolved by the characters just acting like normal people and having a simple conversation, and it’s the number one thing that can put me off a good romance.

In Something Wild & Wonderful, Anita Kelly’s follow up to 2022’s Love & Other Disasters, I knew that was the direction we were headed. From early on, I could sense that there would need to be some sort of conflict thrown into the mix, and I was filled with dread. This time, however, that dread stemmed from how much affection I felt for the main characters; I wanted to skip the conflict not for my own benefit but to spare them the heartache.

Something Wild & Wonderful centers on Ben and Alexei, two men who meet while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Though both had planned to hike solo, they end up making a pact to hike together at least through the end of the desert after Alexei saves Ben from stepping on a rattlesnake crossing the trail. Both men came to the PCT to take time to reflect on their lives and find themselves, and instead they end up finding each other.

Maybe it’s the setting - hiking on the trail is an inherently solitary and introspective process, so the chemistry between the two really gets a chance to blossom. It feels so natural from the reader’s perspective, and I was really rooting for these two to make it work. Alexei comes out to Ben early on and shares that he’s on the PCT to try to figure out his next steps, after his religious parents disowned him after he told them he was gay. Ben decides not to share that he’s also gay at that time in order to avoid overshadowing Alexei’s story, but then struggles to find the right time to confess - until a night off-trail, with a hotel bed and a few margaritas, provides the opportunity for the two to act on the chemistry between them.

I don’t want to say much more for fear of spoiling the novel, because it was truly a joy to watch this romance unfold. I felt so affectionate toward both men, and for once in my life, I understood how the conflict happened and why they couldn’t just talk it out. In trying to protect each other while also figure out their own goals and priorities, they end up almost risking it all. In the subsequent time apart, Kelly switches to an epistolary format to show their attempts to bridge the gap following their separation, and it’s a powerful literary device to illustrate the growth and the heartache that both men experience.

I cannot recommend Something Wild & Wonderful highly enough. It will be released on March 7, 2023, and is available for preorder now.

I received an electronic ARC from the publisher. Forever, in exchange for my honest review.