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fromjuliereads's review against another edition
- 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
But mostly, as someone who enjoys hiking, it was so much fun to read a romance novel with hiking involved! I had no idea that this kind of novel exists. And the fact that these characters were at crossroads in their lives and had turned to hiking was so striking to me. I would definitely recommend this book to other people for a queer romance! But I will include the warning that this made me want to go on a hike, and especially to go to Crater Lake in Oregon - something I might actually try to do!
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
mariposa517's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, and Alcohol
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
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."
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
- 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
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
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism and Toxic relationship
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
But of course, the romance itself was also lovely!! Whenever characters start falling for each other and mutually pining while being either oblivious and/or stubborn about it, I eat it up! And this delivered that in spades in at least the first half-ish of the book.
I do have way more thoughts on this, but don't know how to articulate them. All I can really say is that this book has easily become one of my favorites ♡
Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, and Dementia
on page f slurimstephtacular's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, Dementia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
jazhandz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Dementia
lost_windsock's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, and Medical content