I’m sorry to say that I DNFd this book, due to technical reasons. The premise of this book sounded fantastic and really interesting and the first couple chapters I really liked.
However, a few things:

As we learn more about the main character and their background, she seemed to be a complete idiot. So much so that I strongly disliked her.

And the main reason I DNFd: the chapters, alternate between pass and present. But in the present chapters, they were full of backstory. So the past chapters had back story, then the present chapters also had backstory. For example, a ‘Now’ chapter starts with the main character, in her captivity, start thinking about how she got there, thus leading to a backstory of what led her there. I hope my explanation makes sense, it really irked me and it was really confusing because I would think I was in the present day and then she was with all of her family and I was confused.

I received a free copy of this book from Berkley through netgalley.com. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Being held hostage on a homestead in the wilds of Alaska by her husband who is presumed dead caught my attention immediately. This book is not what I expected it to be. It's a slow moving book that deals more with Liv's inner dialogue and finding her inner strength against her manipulative and charismatic husband. I thought it would be more action adventure but it is much more about learning inner strength, standing on your own, and gaining the power to move on. I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would when I started it. It's a book you have to stick with to see growth. You start to witness someone go from a victim to independence. It's actually quite remarkable and well worth your time.

From the blurb I was expecting a cat and mouse chase through the Alaskan wilds!! That is not what this book is about!!

Liz is down to her last paycheck and is about to lose her house. Her husband walked out a few years ago and she hasn’t heard from him since. Finally she has a lead as to where he might be so she decides to follow him, along with her young son, Xander.

PROS:
Interesting premise that never really evolved much

A beautiful setting which should have been used more to heighten the tension in this book

CONS:
The main character is hard to believe. She makes choices without thinking about what might actually happen

There is so much repetition in this book. There are only so many ways that you can describe a storage container!

There is no action until the last 15% of the book

The blurb stated: “extreme weather, starvation, and dangerous wildlife are not the only threats she faces. With winter's arrival imminent, she knows she must reckon with her past and the choices that brought her to the unforgiving Alaskan landscape if she is ever going to make it out alive”

In a word I would say this book was disappointing. I kept waiting for the anticipated chase through the Alaskan wilds and the dangers expressed in the blurb to occur - that never happened.

Others may enjoy this one but I can’t really recommend it.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

4 stars

This was a fresh exciting and fast paced thriller, with strong female lead, and non stop tension.
If Townsend keeps this kind of writing up, she will be a force to be reckoned with!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. Being hidden in a remote cabin, is not how Liv wants to live. Her escape and survival make a great story. 4 stars

This was a gripping page-turner that I finished in less than a day. It wasn't quite what I expected from the summary; it was less of a wilderness survival story than I thought it would be, although living off the grid in Alaska was central to the story. Overall, a good, solid entertaining book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 - The first chapter immediately drew me in - a wife is captured and trapped in a container like building while she and see her husband out of a small window with another woman. What the heck? Yes, I wanted to read, read to find out what in the world was going on.

This book is very different than other books I've read so I loved that. A woman follows her "thought to be dead" husband's trail and finds him in the wilds of Alaska living a very different life than the one he lived with her. What proceeds is this woman's desire to escape with their son but she is trapped by the wilderness and the weather. What I loved is that this author makes this female character with a strong mind and strong willpower. Female interactions and relationships in this book were very important and made the book interesting to read. I also loved the survivalist aspect to this book which to me seemed very real (of course, I've not ever lived anywhere near the wild - but it seemed accurate).

Thank you to NetGalley and Peggy Townsend and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You know how once in a while you come across one of those books that grab you right from the first page? Well, this is one of them.

It is so very easy to make ourselves believe in something when we want it so much. So easy to ignore warning signs because they don’t fit in the picture we have of our lives. That’s what happens in The Beautiful and the Wild. Liv finds that a great deal of her life may have been a lie. She wonders if her grief has been a waste of time, and she is determined to find out. That and fooling herself were two of her greatest mistakes.

This story is set in Alaska. The homestead Liv visits is far from any town or real civilization. There is plenty of good description to give us a picture of the work necessary to keep a roof over the heads of the so-called family. The author gives a well-defined picture of the farm and of the people working on it. However, although done well, it isn’t where the most talent of this writer lies. It is the inner feelings, and the push and pull of emotion created between her characters that sets this story on end. Both their dialog and their inner thoughts cause your own anxiety to increase. The tension becomes so taut you feel as if you just might have to peek at the end first. Of course, I never would have done so, but believe me, I began to read faster and faster just to know how this would end.

This is a book that evokes several emotions. Sadness, anger, and wonder come to my mind. It was a great read. An excellent well-written story. Almost a thriller. I’m quite eager to read more of Peggy Townsend’s writing.

Absolutely unputdownable! Peggy Townsend’s latest novel, The Beautiful and the Wild, is a fast paced domestic thriller that completely wow’ed me! I really recommend going into this gem completely blind, I truly think everyone will be as blown away as I am! The storyline is well crafted with perfectly placed twists and turns! The hair on the back of your neck will be standing straight up and your heart will be pounding the entire way through—love that! I have never read Peggy Townsend before, but I am most definitely going to read her previous novels asap! The Beautiful and the Wild is a 5+++ star novel that EVERYONE needs to read!

Liv and her son, Xander, travel to Alaska on the quest to find her so called “dead husband.” What she stumbles upon is mind boggling and she finds herself held prisoner in a storage shed.

All she can think about is getting out of this storage shed and escaping her husbands clutches, but it’s going to be a lot harder than it seems.

Most of the book is her trying to figure out how to escape, so it does get a little redundant after a while. It was a little predictable to me, and that is why I knocked it a star. BUT it is a great book filled with suspense, a mothers instinct, murder, and even past secrets coming to light. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved this quote at the end, “The one thing I had learned, however, was that you couldn’t think too much about the past or the future. Instead, you had to live in the moment.”

TW:
Polygamy
Cult
SA/Rape

Honest review for an ARC provided by NetGalley

An engrossing page turner. Liv Russo has been hanging by a thread pretty much her whole life. Now, she finds herself held prisoner in the wilds of Alaska by her husband and father of her young child. Liv must use all her strength and wiles to learn about those holding her and free herself and her son- but everyone, including Liv, is hiding deep secrets. How well can you really know your husband or yourself?

Captivating and thrilling! I enjoyed this story so so much. The idea of being held captive by your own spouse is terrifying. I could never imagine being in the position Liv was in and stay as calculated and intelligent as she did. I found myself unable to stop reading (this book was literally a “just one more chapter” book for me). I will have to say I found myself a little disappointed with how one aspect at the end of the story played out and I think one certain person got off a little easier than I was hoping. Other than that, this book was one to remember!

Wow what a wild ride. This book was just as the title says beautiful and wild.
Liv has suffered a lot and has a lot to work through. We slowly learn about her past as we see glimpses of the past.
I couldn't put this book down, I read it in a day.
The writing and the setting keep you hooked and wondering what is going to happen.
A good book filled with suspense, life and love. Would be good for book clubs, there is a lot to talk about.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A story of survival in the wilds of Alaska, The Beautiful and the Wild explores the question of whether we can ever truly know the person we love—or ourselves.

This was definitely a wild ride. A first for me by this author and it did not disappoint.
Told from a singular POV, by a wife & mother who’s been deceived and who has also suffered previous trauma. We witness her growth, her will and strength and love for her child in the Alaskan wilderness revealing the true nature of those you think you know along the way, only to discover the chilling truths and the layers of evil that are so easily hidden by those you once trusted.

Recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and BPG for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 11.7.23.

Set in the Alaskan wilderness, a wife and mother finds herself fighting for her and her son's life from the familiar and the unknown. Good addition to any mystery collection.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

A quick and interesting read. I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. Overall, this was a quality read.