A cute romance that surprisingly dealt with much harder themes: mental health, family pressures, addiction, and just a lot of great therapy pointers.
I feel like this one will resonate with lots of readers, especially for fans of The Love Hypothesis.
Also bonus points for taking place in the lower mainland, where I grew up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-frenemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-alone on an island
-rained in
-animal conservatory
-anxiety rep

This book was just so soft and a cozy read. I loved the premise, a cancer researcher and an animal rehab owner clash and end up on his island together (with a bunch of wild animals). This book is very much about the things we carry with us from our past, and the struggle to rely on someone else. Bonkers in the best way, there is a real lightness there yet grapples with some heavy topics. I found the prose really engaging and just loved watching Zoey and Davy fall for eachother while also disocvering themselves too.

Ah, the Wild Life is a slow-burn romance that unfolds amidst the picturesque backdrop of a small island, throwing in some forced proximity, captivating adventure, and the irresistible charm of opposites attract, it was a recipe for a truly captivating read. So, buckle up, bookworms, because this was seriously a wild ride.

Tropes:
Slow Burn
Strangers to Lovers
Small Town/Island
Adventure
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet, funny story about when life doesn’t go according to The Plan.

Zoey is a toiling grad student doing bone research to help cure the childhood cancer her own sister battled; she has The Plan and doesn’t do spontaneity… until she meets Davy.

Davy is a wealthy trust fund kid who flits around, living on an island, and doing what he pleases (or so Zoey thinks). He appears to only do spontaneity and solitude… until he meets Zoey.

Zoey and Davy’s characters seem to be a balm for each other; they calm each other and help the other fight their demons and I absolutely adored their love.

THOUGHTS 💭
💕 This book was funny. The characters’ inner-monologues were stream of consciousness and hilarious; the animal comedic relief was absolute gold.
💕 I loved watching Zoey and Davy fall for each other, despite their supposed better judgement. These characters were like two interconnected pieces of the same puzzle and fit together perfectly.
💕 The side characters, Li-leng, A-má, and George, were fantastic additions to the storyline. They brought even more comedic relief and acted as sounding boards for our characters.
💕 Though Zoey and Davy had different upbringings, their childhood traumas and upsets led them to each other and helped connect them.
💕 The writing was beautiful and, at times, poetic.

I really enjoyed this book! The storyline was lively and funny and kept me interested until the very end.

Thanks so much to Opal Wei, Harlequin Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Unfortunately a DNF for me. The writing feels almost clunky to me and it kept pulling me out of the story. I don't love the romance between the two main characters, I've never been a fan on instalove. I will say I do love the bright cover and I loved the premise of this book, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you @harlequinbooks @netgalley for the review copy!

📖 When Zoey, a scientific researcher, loses an important slide for her cancer research, she must go with a stranger to his private, wildlife sanctuary island to retrieve it. As they get to know each other, they realize how well matched they actually are for each other.

💭I made it about 40% into this one and I’m calling it a DNF (did not finish). It is very, very slow and I’m just not interested very much in these characters to keep going. I was intrigued by the synopsis and it sounded like quite an adventure, but this one is just not for me. I strongly believe in DNFing books I’m not enjoying and just because this wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean you won’t love it. So if the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, give it a try.

This book is totally adorable! It's about this high-strung cancer researcher who's pretty bored with her day-to-day life. Then she bumps into this handsome guy who's all nervous and in a rush to get to an appointment for his wildlife habitat project. Their meet-cute happens when Dr. Fong, in her distraction, hands him something and he just follows her out. Later, she realizes he's accidentally taken her important slide and she's determined to get it back.

I loved how this book is a light-hearted rom-com that digs into overcoming anxiety, sorting out messy family stuff, and dealing with the impact of cancer in the family. Watching these two, Zoey and Davy, connect and bond over understanding life's curveballs and figuring out where they fit in the grand scheme of things was really sweet.

Getting to know these characters was a blast. They're super relatable, especially with how they juggle their personal ambitions, family expectations, and cultural backgrounds. The story does a great job showing their personal growth, like figuring out what they want in life and going for it. And, of course, there's some romance and spice – set on an isolated island with a power-outage storm, so you can guess how they keep themselves entertained! The chemistry between them is great, and it's more than just instant attraction; it's got this sweet, natural vibe to it.

All in all, this book is a perfect pick for a cozy, feel-good read. Whether you're curled up at home on a rainy day or chilling on the beach, it's just the right mix of romance, personal journey, and fun.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

i found the story to be not believable at all, what a weird series of events that don't seem to make sense. the Rudy storyline was unnecessary and boring

This book was really cute. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was slightly spicier than I was expecting.

This story follows the driven Zoey Fong. She has THE PLAN. Everything is planned out, and she's on the right path, but it's she happy??? One day, her life is turned upside down when Davy Hseih comes into her lab. He seems easygoing and has money to throw at any problem... after their chance meeting, Davy leaves the lab with a side that is super important to Zoey's cancer research. Now she's following him around, trying to get her slide back.

This book was such a fun adventure! I dove in without reading a blurb, and was fully invested by the chapter 1 meet-disaster between the two main characters Davy and Zoey and this zany adventure that followed.

Zoey is a time-crunched cancer researcher whose days are filled with long lab hours and often frustratingly slow progress . Davy is a former Asian boy-band star whose addiction and crippling anxiety led his musical career to a crashing halt. Since then he’s been living alone on a secluded island with dreams of one day opening an animal sanctuary. After a crazy mix-up on the college campus where Zoey works, Davy erroneously ends up bringing one of Zoey’s crucial tissue samples back to his island home. Zoey follows him and ends up stranded after a storm prevents a return trip to the city. Strangers and completely stranded, Davy and Zoey are both shocked to discover they not only enjoy one another’s company, but this week of exploration is the happiest they both have been in years! When their first ‘date’ involved searching for a semi-domesticated wild Cougar named ‘Baby’, a tranq dart, and very unfriendly Canadian geese, I could not stop laughing. There are so many misadventures, genuine connection, and sizzling steam. Fate and Davy/Zoey’s openness to taking a leap of faith drove this romance to a FUN HEA! Readers who enjoy opposites attract, forced proximity, mental health representation, quirky secondary characters and open door steam will adore this new romance publishing on 1/23/24!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for my e-arc in exchange for my honest feedback!

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book is so cute, it’s about a cancer researcher that is high-strung and is bored with the life that she has right now. She meets a handsome, but anxious young man who is just trying to get his appointment to start his wildlife habitat, and he is late. He runs into Dr. Fong is distracted when she hands him something and follows her out. It’s not until later that she realizes that he still has her slide that she handed him earlier and will do whatever she has to make sure that she gets it back.

I thought this was a cute rom com about two people who have overcome anxiety, flaws with their family relationships, and about family members who had cancer. It was nice seeing these two, bond over the understanding that life and the things that it will throw at you and trying to figure out where you’re supposed to be in life.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, I found that both Zoey and Davy were easy to relate to. I enjoyed that the characters got to bond over their culture, family, and the demands of wanting the best for your life and still wanting to please your family as well. The characters do have some development, it’s a lot about what, where they want to be in their lives as of right now and trying to make sure that it happens, and I loved that they both were them to help each other to figure it out.

In this book you will find some spice, but come on its set on an isolated island, with a storm that knocks out the power… what else can you do to pass the time. The chemistry between the characters in the book will have you loving this moment. I honestly didn’t mind the lust at first sight in this book that leads the characters to change their whole lives because of the way it was written. It wasn’t just an insta-love cringy way but a sweet understandable way.

Overall, this was a fast read, that was perfect for romcom on a stormy day or for a beach vacation read.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this charming love story where a former boy band singer with a complicated history and a heart of gold meets a grumpy, driven researcher who has been on auto pilot for too long. I loved the setting-an animal conservancy on island in Vancouver with quirky townspeople, killer geese, and a retired cougar named Baby. The writing is thoughtful, funny, and fresh-this was a lot of fun!

oh wow.
i cannot believe I took so long to read this. Zoey and Davy couldnt have been more opposites but seeing them together and their chemistry. the fact that she is a cancer researcher student and he's a boy bander is rocking my world. the meaning why Zoey became a researcher just warms my heart.
this does contain some triggers so please read before and the illness that were talked about were highly explained. i am absolutely loving how much anxiety is being looked at and not just a meaning less thought or feeling. this world is finally recognizing that anxiety is more bigger than it actually is.
Very little spice but chemistry was there plus no 3rd act break up.

An at times over the top steamy (really spicy) romance between a previously buttoned up (down) MD/PhD candidate and an ex-boy band member with a private island and a geriatric cougar. Zoey isn't happy in her research program but she's been persevering because it's in her plan. Then she meets Davey and her life changes. At first she pursues him and then goes to his island with him because he's got the envelope with a precious slide but it quickly becomes apparent to both of them that there's a spark. Davey has unexpected depth having rehabbed from his drug use and made over his life. They're very different but both of them are focused. This has some very funny spots (the poor Constable!) and it's got some sweet ones. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Good characters and zippy dialogue make it a good read.

Rom/Com featuring a beleaguered cancer researcher student, a former boy band shirtless bad boy turned animal rehab island owner, and a cougar named Baby.
Zoey Fong and Davy Hsieh crash into each other at Zoey's lab, causing her to misplace her precious slide she needs for her research, and ending up with her on Davy's private island searching for the slide amidst his many crates of essentials he needs to survive mostly alone in solitude out there. What follows is a sexy romp as both Zoey and Davy immediately are attracted to one another and find themselves defending the other's quirks to everyone else they encounter. A great escape and a truly fun read!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this e-arc.*

What a fabulous story!

I loved how Zoey and Davy’s characters so totally pulled me into their lives without any hesitation.

A lovely combination of humor, all the feels, and just the right amount of mystery.

I’m so hooked by Opal Wei’s writing style now and can’t wait for more stories in the future!

Five stars and so much more!! I highly recommend!!

This was really cute, a very interesting premise and setting, and the use of the dreaded cancer plot line was actually used in a way that felt different and effective to the character development and plot of the book instead of just being like random way to show the character's backstory. I really liked the 2 main characters, there was plenty of heat with minor misunderstandings between the 2 MCs but no real 3rd act breakup.

Content notes: mention of mental health issues, parental abandonment, off page drug use in the past, FMCs younger sister had cancer as a child but is recovered.

I really enjoyed this read. I thought it was well written, and was very descriptive as well. The romance between Zoey and Davy was beautiful, but also constructive in a way that helped contribute to the growth of both characters. While some of the topics in the book could be difficult for readers, I thought they were handled well and also in a way that some might find healing, if they’ve also experienced similar things. Overall, it was a sweet and enjoyable read.

This one just didn’t do it for me, though I’d had high hopes for a brainiac scientist getting swept off her feet by the mysterious owner of a private island-slash-wildlife refuge.

The pacing of [book:Wild Life] was all over the place, from frantic for the first third to glacial in the middle. There was some decent spice between cancer researcher student Zoey and wildlife refuge owner/private island inhabitant Davy, whose reclusiveness is unsurprisingly hiding a not-so-sordid secret past. But the plot was paper thin (I just … didn’t… get the obsession over this sample slide: If it’s so crucial, why is Zoey allowed to carry it at all?) Unfortunately, I’ve seen the head-in-the-clouds genius meets (but doesn’t recognize) a disgraced former celeb before, and seen it done better. The side characters behaved too illogically to be more than one-dimensional plot dressing or kooky for the sake of being kooky. The third act brush with the law could have taken the story someplace interesting, but fizzled on execution.

Lest I seem like I totally hated this book, however, I do want to give my appreciation for the way Davy’s anxiety is received by Zoey, as well as her clear-eyed assessment in calling his past treatment by management abuse, without qualification.

CW: Childhood cancer (survived), abuse of a teen by authority figures (past, described), prescription drug abuse (past, described), anxiety and panic attacks.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This book was just okay. The story was a little drawn out and I struggled to finish it. I felt there was some good potential but it just didn't develop for me.