Something Wilder
By: Christina Lauren
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 384
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.
Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.
Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.
First Impressions
It’s a Christina Lauren book. Does it need a first impression? I do really like the cover and the summary sounded right up my alley, especially since I went to Utah last summer.
What I thought
This book was so different from their other books and I really liked it. It felt refreshing.
Lilly runs a tour company along the Outlaw Trail in Canyonlands in Moab, Utah. When Leo and his friends show up as one of the groups for the tour, both he and Lilly are shocked since they haven’t seen each other for over 10 years. The last time they saw each other, Leo had been living with Lilly at her family’s ranch when he got a phone call his mother was in an accident. He left to go take care of her and then Lilly never heard from him again.
This book is so much more action packed than any of the other Christina Lauren novels. It felt more like an adventure novel with a side of romance than a true romance novel. Which, I definitely didn’t mind, but just was a bit different than their previous ones I’ve read.
Admittedly, this was not my favorite couple of theirs. I didn’t feel the spark as much as I usually do. I don’t know if this is because the adventure was so front and center that I was more interested in the mystery and adventure part of the story that I didn’t connect to the romance, or if it just wasn’t fleshed out enough. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Lilly and Leo, I just didn’t find myself believing they had this palpable chemistry that couldn’t keep them apart.
What I did really like about this book was that there were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. So much happened in this book and I enjoyed every crazy moment.
It’s a Christina Lauren book. What else do I need to say? I loved the adventure and their story telling is always so fun and easy to read. I got sucked in and loved that it took place somewhere I have visited. While it’s not one of my favorites of theirs, keep in mind it’s up against some stiff competition. I hold Christina Lauren books to a high standard to in order to get 5 stars everything needs to click perfectly. I enjoyed every moment I read this book, but felt that if the romance wasn’t there, I would’ve enjoyed this story just as much and not found anything lacking.