Wild About You is a cutie cute rom com that follows Natalie Hart as she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime (in desperation to stay out of student loan debt, which like, what a mood). She takes a shot at winning scholarship money on a popular nature survival show called Wild Adventures, where she is paired up with the very quiet, very grumpy (extremely handsome) Finn, who immediately seems to hate her. Can they survive Wild Adventures to keep Natalie out of student loan debt?? 🤭🤭🤭

Okay, I truly love a book with a rom-adventure vibe, and this absolutely scratched that itch for me!! I found this to be such a fun mix of funny and sweet. There was great banter, and I loved the characters. Absolutely recommend!

This was just okay for me. I felt like it moved achingly slow. I understand the reason why with all the challenges but it was very slow in the middle. The romance was also missing some chemistry and good banter. I liked all of the characters though. I thought the storyline was unique and interesting too. I'm in the minority but this was just okay.

3.5 rounded to four

I liked the writing and I loved the heroine, but the whole reality game show frame made it difficult to read except in spurts--it felt forced, and I kept paving to put the book down. Will try more by this author!

Meh this was average. Nothing special. It had some solid points but nothing to run home to mama about.

I enjoyed reading Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill. . You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Natalie Hart is determined to win the scholarship prize money... but in order to do that she'll have to win the outdoorsy reality tv show with Finn Markum, a grumpy outdoorsy teammate who is the exact opposite of her... can she survive the great out doors? Natalie Hart is a sunshiny, loud, and talkative theater nerd who lost her merit scholarship and discovers that she has anxiety. Natalie needs the money to go to school and she's already taken out student loans... but she decides to apply to Wild Adventures, a popular outdoorsy reality show. The prize: a $100,000 scholarship prize... but she has to win it with a partner and the person she ends up with is Finn Markum, outdoorsy guy extraordinaire who would rather be eaten by a bear than be her teammate. Natalie is going to need to survive the Appalachian trial and compete against other teams... but with a teammate who is as grumpy as he is outdoorsy, and would rather be partnered up with anyone but her, her chances of winning are slim.... right? The more she gets to know Finn the more she begins to realize that maybe underneath his silent but growly personality is someone who is dealing with his own baggage and reasons for needing to be on this show. The closer they get the closer the end of the show nears... and they'll have to find a way to work together to try and win it all! This was just a really cute and easy read. The story felt like the perfect summer camp read. The romance was sweet and I loved the anxiety and depression representation in this book. Natalie and Finn were fun characters to get to know and their romance was a soft slow burn. It's a fun read and I'd definitely recommend it!

Release Date: May 21,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Like I said I really enjoyed the past books from this author and one was no different! She is able to write such good characters and the tension and chemistry between them is so visible. She is so good at enemies to lovers that you can feel the hate between them but then instantly feel the switch when it happens. I really liked the reality show plot. I do enjoy watching a reality show here and there so this was super fun to read! Natalie and Finn were the perfect team and their grumpy and sunshine personalities worked really well for the plot. The setting is perfect and will definitely be a great summer book, especially for campers!! Loved this one! Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

The story follows Natalie Hart, a college student who has recently been diagnosed with anxiety, on a reality television show along the Appalachian Trail. Enter Finn Markum, her "randomly assigned, capital-O Outdoorsy teammate whose growl could rival a black bear."

This YA rom-com was funny and super sweet. As someone who also has anxiety and depression, I loved seeing that representation here (a perfect read for #MentalHealthAwarnessMonth). I am also an avid hiker who lives near and has hiked a lot of the Appalachian Trial myself! (I'm not a thru hiker by any means, but I've done a LOT of hiking in Shenandoah National Park, which a big section of the trail runs through, in addition to hiking a few others sections).

I don't normally read a ton of non-queer contemporary YA, but this one hit a sweet spot for me with the mental health rep and focus on one of my other favorite hobbies. And I really did find it quite funny!

If this sounds like a book you might like, I highly recommend giving it a go!

I enjoyed this book so much.

Thoughts💡
The grumpy sunshine trope was strong in this one with an extremely peppy MC who happened to be a total theater nerd. She wasn’t an outdoorsy person though, which made competing in a tv show, very similar to Survivor and Endurance, extremely tense.In fact there were a lot of scenes in this book that brought back memories of the Discovery Kids show for me.
Luckily Natalie’s love interest, Finn, was a hiker and nature enthusiast. He had hopes to win the competition so he wasn’t happy with his assigned partner. He also had a reason to be grumpy but it took him a while to open up about it; and his issues often caused him to overlook the creative ingenuity his partner displayed in order to win a challenge. Which caused all sorts of internal drama for our girl Nat.
Nat continually battled her inferiority complex and crippling anxiety which all created a very dramatic cycle. One that didn’t let up because they had to share resources, including a tent, and rely on one another to get through all the difficult challenges. Forcing this grumpy sunshine duo together long enough for sparks to ignite.
Overall I thought the author was funny and created a beautiful story that pulled on my heartstrings. The narrator had impeccable delivery and timing with just the right tones and inflections as she was reading.

So why read it?
☝🏻 It’s a steamy grumpy sunshine with an Amazing Race in the woods reality showmance.
✌🏻 As a girl from the Appalachia region, I loved all the little tid bits and history facts that were incorporated into the story in entertaining ways.
🫰🏻 It’s a Love from Scratch spin-off that you can read as a standalone.
🤌🏻 Somehow the only one tent trope turns into only one sleeping-bag.
🖐🏻 The theater nerd MC learns to embrace the outdoors and channel her inner bad ass.

Stats 📊
Characters 💙💙💙💙💙
Audio & Narrator 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
YA Romance: showmance, coming of age, grumpy sunshine, close proximity, only one bed, grief, hurt & comfort 📕
First Person, Present Tense, Single POV

Wild About You is an entertaining and emotional YA romance by Caitlyn Hill. This fun opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine love story takes place on the Appalachian Trail, which is such a fantastic backdrop for the story. Natalie, desperate for the prize money but not experienced in the wilderness, is a contestant on a reality show and is partnered with Finn, a grumpy but more experienced player.

Natalie and Finn are opposites in many ways, but they work together so well. I love how both characters learn so much about themselves and each other on the trip and how their physical journey parallels their emotional journeys. I thought Natalie was a great protagonist, and so easy to like. She's bubbly, chatty, and funny, and she's totally clueless about camping, which is comical since she's on a reality show that takes place outdoors. Finn is great, too. The grump to Natalie's sunshine, Finn is much more experienced with camping, and though the pair is initially unhappy to be put together, they slowly begin to break down walls.

Natalie and Finn have such a sweet love story, and I think they grow closer because of their forced proximity. Added to that, both are grieving the loss of loved ones. I like how they open up to each other and grow closer and how their relationship grows into friendship and then something more. Their story is sweet and funny and emotional, and the banter between them was so fun!

Something else I really like is the realistic and relatable portrayal of the physical and emotional struggles Natalie goes through. Though she is the sunshine to Finn's grump, we learn quickly that the sunshine and grumpiness mask deeper feelings, and Natalie is struggling with a recent anxiety diagnosis. I totally related to her feelings and the obstacles she faced, especially as she dealt with the loss of a loved one. Both characters have suffered significant losses, and that, combined with other obstacles, makes them easy to relate to.

I would definitely recommend this read to people who like fun and emotional YA contemporary romance with quirky characters and an awe-inspiring setting. Special thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours for having me on the tour today. All thoughts are my own.

Reality Game Show themes in books seems to be the trend lately. This book was hard to get through and I did not really love the characters. It would be a decent read for a young adult but not so much for adults.

Kaitlyn Hill has done it again. She always writes the cutest romances and I am obsessed. Nat and Finn are adorable and I loved seeing them bond. Finn opening up about his dad and why he was such an ass at the start was a really good moment. Finn encouraging Nat every step of the way and letting her know that she could do it was everything.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This is such a fun YA Romance, set on the Appalachian Trail where an unlikely pair find themselves teamed up for a reality show and a chance to win life-changing prize money.

The grumpy/sunshine trope is always a fun one, and the story is lighthearted and funny. It does touch on anxiety and grief in a thoughtful way without feeling too heavy..

Overall a really cute YA rom com & a fun summer read!

3.5 stars. It just wasn’t for me. A tad too young for my taste. The story was fine and the writing was okay as well, I just couldn’t get into it.

"The more I learn about you, the more I find myself wanting to know everything."

Wild About You is a cute YA romance. I really liked the relationship between Natalie and Finn and that it wasn't an instant love story. Their journey of falling in love was cute, especially when he wrote her that letter. Additionally, this book included conversations about grief and how it affected the main characters. I thought the author wrote about it well, and it even made me a little emotional. Towards the middle, it felt like the book was dragging along, but after that, it was good. If you like a wilderness challenge-themed YA romance, this is the perfect book for you!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely exploration of first love and adventure! I adore Hill's writing and can always count on her for wonderful feels and insight!

Wild About You follows Natalie, a college student who hopes to fund her education by winning the Wild Adventures reality show... despite not being particularly outdoorsy herself. After thinking he's a bear in the woods (and panicking), she finds herself paired with the grumpy and stand-offish Finn.

I found Wild About You to be very fun and enjoyable. I enjoy the appreciation of nature and the opening up between Natalie and Finn as the book goes on. My one thing is that Finn's flip from being a perpetual jerk to actually being thoughtful & kind is so abrupt - I would rather have seen more flashes of a kind/thoughtful side to him before that moment. Regardless of that, I could not put it down.

The memories Natalie shares of her beloved Granny Star were like a punch in the heart every time.

I was given an advanced copy for review via NetGalley and Delacorte Romance in exchange for an honest review - thank you!

I received a free book in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.

I like this book very much! This reminds me of a cartoon called Total Drama Island, but nothing serious and weird. I like the setting, the competition, most of the characters, and the writing style. I am not much of a reality show fan, but this story got me interested a lot. Also, anything camping, hiking, and outdoor activities. Overall, I enjoyed it! Check out this book if you like romance, reality show setting, outdoorsy, and competition!

"Wild About You" by Kaitlyn Hill is an engaging and heartwarming YA romance that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the Appalachian Trail, blending the excitement of a reality show competition with the tender exploration of young love.

The story centers on Natalie Hart, a vivacious and unfiltered freshman who finds herself in a financial bind after losing her merit scholarship. Determined to stay in college without accumulating debt, Natalie enters "Wild Adventures," an outdoorsy reality show offering a substantial scholarship prize. Despite her preference for skincare routines over rugged trails, Natalie dives headfirst into the competition, showcasing her resilience and determination.

Natalie's partner in this adventure is Finn Markum, a quintessential outdoorsman with a grumpy demeanor that rivals a bear's. Their partnership is fraught with tension from the start, creating a delightful grumpy-sunshine dynamic. Finn's initial growling and gruffness might seem excessive, but it sets the stage for his remarkable character development as the story progresses.

Hill masterfully balances lighthearted moments with deeper themes, addressing issues like anxiety and the importance of honesty in relationships. While the grumpy-sunshine transformation might happen a bit quickly for some, it avoids the insta-love trope, allowing their relationship to develop naturally over time.

"Wild About You" excels in highlighting the significance of being true to oneself and the value of open communication. The backdrop of the Appalachian Trail adds an adventurous element to the romance, making the story as refreshing as it is touching.

Overall, "Wild About You" is a delightful read that combines humor, adventure, and romance. Kaitlyn Hill's deft storytelling and well-crafted characters ensure that readers will be rooting for Natalie and Finn from start to finish. This book is perfect for fans of opposites-attract romances and those who enjoy a good outdoor adventure with a side of love.

Not so wild about Wild About You. It’s a younger age read (12-15)and dare I say leaning towards the female audience. It has political views about whiteness mentioned 3+ times. The contestants introduced themselves with proper pronouns- which is something the youth do these days. I thought Hill was bringing in politics when I just want kids to read for pleasure.
Natalie Hart has heart and funny sense of humor. She has issues fitting in and college is no different. She misses her grandma who was her safe space and loved her unconditionally and accepted Natalie for who she is.
Struggling to pay tuition, Natalie signs up for a reality tv show, Wild Adventures, for a chance to win $100,000 scholarship money.
On your mark, get set, go! Natalie races for a backpack to use while hiking/camping on the Appalachian Mountains AND to find whose backpack matches her to determine her partner.
The partner is ….Finn. Finn is a loaner and does a lot of growling. Kinda the Grumpy/Sunshine duo. The couple need to communicate and help one another to survive and win competitions.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s