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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Anita Kelly writes another fantastic book that will grab you by the emotions and give you a shake! Alexei and Ben are wonderful, layered and likable characters. Setting the story with the PCT as the backdrop was so interesting and made for such a rich story. It was a generally really great read!
I do wish the autism was better explored, instead of being implied and then added in the epilogue. It felt obvious that it was where the author was going but I wish there had been some earlier discussions on the subject to really work it into the message being put out.
I do wish the autism was better explored, instead of being implied and then added in the epilogue. It felt obvious that it was where the author was going but I wish there had been some earlier discussions on the subject to really work it into the message being put out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship
daisy1_f's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Religious bigotry
siob___'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Grief
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Title: Something Wild & Wonderful
Author: Anita Kelly
Series: Love & Other Disaster #2
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Untamed • Affectionate •
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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.
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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When a trusted book friend described and raved about this book, I instantly added it to my TBR and placed a hold through my library. When my hold finally came through I dropped everything to jump in. At the time, I was in quite a reading slump and Something Wild & Wonderful definitely changed that. I could not put this book down and fell absolutely in love with this story!
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, the Western wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail was immediately transporting. The imagery - from the desert to the mountains, from the trees to the birds - all of it came to life. At times I even felt like I was taking the journey alongside Alexei. And as other readers have said, it certainly made me want to go hiking and see parts of the PCT.
But it is the characters that truly make this book shine! While I can safely say Alexei and Ben are opposites, they both are facing their respective life challenges. The heartbreaking reality of Alexei's reason for embarking on the journey evoked great emotion and I just felt an instant connection to his quiet, introverted character. The two men come together to help each other in ways they weren't even aware of and in the process being to heal. Ben's family and friends were also just wonderful.
The writing comes together in a tender and compassionate manner creating a purely magical story. The plot just made me heart happy. And even though the romance does happen fairly quick, yet it felt believable and sincere. There's no doubt Something Wild & Wonderful will be on my 2023 favourites list. It took me by utter surprise just how much I adored this book and it definitely made me was to explore more of Anita Kelly's work. I'd also be completely okay if Alexei and Ben got a sequel at some point.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• M/M romance enthusiast
• fans of Allison Cochrun
• readers who likes adventure
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Being still was powerful."
"There will also never be anyone else to take the place of my parents. Some parts of myself will always be missing. But you taught me I can find people. That there will be other people I meet in my life who will understand me. Who will love me. Who will show me how wonderful and surprising the world can be."
"Moving forward was different from running away."
Author: Anita Kelly
Series: Love & Other Disaster #2
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Untamed • Affectionate •
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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.
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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When a trusted book friend described and raved about this book, I instantly added it to my TBR and placed a hold through my library. When my hold finally came through I dropped everything to jump in. At the time, I was in quite a reading slump and Something Wild & Wonderful definitely changed that. I could not put this book down and fell absolutely in love with this story!
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, the Western wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail was immediately transporting. The imagery - from the desert to the mountains, from the trees to the birds - all of it came to life. At times I even felt like I was taking the journey alongside Alexei. And as other readers have said, it certainly made me want to go hiking and see parts of the PCT.
But it is the characters that truly make this book shine! While I can safely say Alexei and Ben are opposites, they both are facing their respective life challenges. The heartbreaking reality of Alexei's reason for embarking on the journey evoked great emotion and I just felt an instant connection to his quiet, introverted character. The two men come together to help each other in ways they weren't even aware of and in the process being to heal. Ben's family and friends were also just wonderful.
The writing comes together in a tender and compassionate manner creating a purely magical story. The plot just made me heart happy. And even though the romance does happen fairly quick, yet it felt believable and sincere. There's no doubt Something Wild & Wonderful will be on my 2023 favourites list. It took me by utter surprise just how much I adored this book and it definitely made me was to explore more of Anita Kelly's work. I'd also be completely okay if Alexei and Ben got a sequel at some point.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• M/M romance enthusiast
• fans of Allison Cochrun
• readers who likes adventure
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Being still was powerful."
"There will also never be anyone else to take the place of my parents. Some parts of myself will always be missing. But you taught me I can find people. That there will be other people I meet in my life who will understand me. Who will love me. Who will show me how wonderful and surprising the world can be."
"Moving forward was different from running away."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
familial estrangementsophieamreacher's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this in one sitting and stayed up till 4am to finish this. Absolutely beautiful book that made me smile, laugh, and cry. There’s just such a sense of joy, sadness, and healing. I loved the characters and I respected their decisions which ultimately just made them a healthier couple. Amazing book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a more difficult romance to read since it dealt with some tough topics. But I did enjoy it. The narrator was pretty good. However, I got annoyed at the MCs at some points when they did things that frustrated me. I did like the fact it has a neurodivergent MC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism and Toxic relationship
thefatpaperback's review against another edition
5.0
“I know you always talked about how I saved your life. But I really think, Ben, that you were the one who saved mine.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL is such a magical, magnetic, and a beautiful story of finding love in unexpected places. I started giggling on page two and I knew I was a GONER for Alexei and Ben. This book checks every box I want in a contemporary romance: fun concept (hiking PCT trail), diverse cast, multifaceted intimacy, humor, and emotional depth in characters.
Alexei is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to find out who the new version of himself, Alexei 2.0, could be. Ben Caravalho is hiking to take a break from men and get away from making bad decisions. A rattlesnake on the trail brings them together the first time, and as they make their separate treks through the 2,500 mile trail, their journeys intertwine. But maybe this is just the trail. Maybe none of it’s real outside this grand adventure. Or maybe they’ve found exactly what they need while trying to get lost.
🏕️ Queer Romance
🏕️ Portuguese and Russian MCs
🏕️ Autistic MC
🏕️ A BLUSHING NERD
🏕️ Introvert x Extrovert
🏕️ Strangers to lovers
🏕️ Forced Proximity
🏕️ FOUND FAMILY
🏕️ They write letters to each other 🥹
⚠️CW: familial estrangement due to queer identity, homophobic language, religion and strict religious upbringing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, and Religious bigotry
mbichaela's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ENG
this book was absolutely beautiful and i cannot even describe it.
it had:
- perfect summer vibes
- hiking aesthetics
- forced proximity
- self-discovery journey & acceptance
- emotions
and even the cover is pretty, like i really can't.
(mcs are part of lgbtq+ community, the sibling of one of mcs is non-binary)
this book was absolutely beautiful and i cannot even describe it.
it had:
- perfect summer vibes
- hiking aesthetics
- forced proximity
- self-discovery journey & acceptance
- emotions
and even the cover is pretty, like i really can't.
(mcs are part of lgbtq+ community, the sibling of one of mcs is non-binary)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Grief
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Religious bigotry
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked up a copy of Something Wild & Wonderful at the Hachette table at a library conference. I'd read a few reviews of it in librarian trade journals, and thought it would be an interesting read. It was. It was a very good trail log, making me wonder how many of the situations within the story happened to the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail