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kkretzinger12's review against another edition
5.0
This whole book was fantastic but the letters section??? Blew me away 5 stars I loved this so much
The hiking trails list in the back was also a cute addition brb going to the pacific northwest right now
The hiking trails list in the back was also a cute addition brb going to the pacific northwest right now
mwilsner's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Anita Kelly doesn’t miss.
cberlin's review against another edition
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? Yes
3.75
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
"Alexei was being super gay, but this was fine, too; he would analyze this surprising level of gayness later in his journal, where he had planned to process all of his gay feelings anyway."
In Something Wild and Wonderful, Alexei and Ben meet while hiking the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail), which is a whole culture I knew nothing about before picking up this book. Along their journey, you can expect to hear about natural wonders, challenges to be conquered, and the camaraderie among those on the trail. Alexei, a birder, keeps a keen ear out for the sounds of avian denizens of the natural world, a trait Ben finds adorable from the get-go, and Ben can't help but pause to take pictures of each awe-inspiring little quirk of nature that he sees. The two don't start the hike together, though they run into each other early on in Alexei's journey. Craving his silence and easy competence, Ben leaves his first hiking group to travel with Alexei for a while, something that surprisingly ends up suiting both of them despite opposing personalities. Where Ben is gregarious, Alexei is self-sufficient, where Ben is comfortable in his queerness, Alexei is newly out as gay, and where Ben has boisterous familial support, Alexei has been cut off from his parents and the church that was so integral to his childhood. Also, if you're catching neurodivergent vibes from Alexei as you read, know that it's addressed explicitly by the end of the book (spoiler: he is).
I honestly just love a romance where people are kind to each other, as low a bar as that sounds, and this book delivers. They have a slew of cute moments on the trail, from Alexei reading aloud to Ben from his favorite childhood book in camp to Ben introducing Alexei to the joy and consequences of a night of margaritas in town. To balance out the gooey sweetness, there's also some important conversation between them... when Alexei isn't literally running for the hills, anyway. I especially enjoyed a part where Alexei advocates for himself. He doesn't want to be treated like a poor, ignorant kid because he's new to gay culture and being out. He also asks for direct, clear communication so he doesn't have to read between the lines, something he struggles with (see: neurodivergence). Ben takes this feedback to heart, making it a moment of successful growth for the two. I also think the final act breakup is reasonable, timewise, but packs a lot of big feelings into the space. There are many complicated emotions to contend with in the book, especially for Alexei as a person who's been so recently ostracized for bravely embracing his queerness. Ben also has a journey to make with himself, especially how harsh he is on his own successes and how he's blamed his open heart for past abuse, especially from romantic partners. It's just that Alexei's story hits at a wound that can't fully heal even if it can be addressed to make room for something new and healthy. The author makes clear it's no one's choice but Alexei's how he wants to proceed with his family, something that's important for everyone to hear, even in the queer community. It also strips away the cute packaging that found family sometimes gets as a trope by considering a situation where a person didn't want to leave his bio family behind, but that choice was taken from him by their lack of support. I appreciate the author's content warning for readers who may not be in a good headspace for the topic.
Alexei's family situation is made yet more complex because of how it ties him to religion. He'll need to discover what it means to him away from a community that no longer accepts him. I have to admit that the topic's a bit of a quagmire for me, though I think it's worthy of empathy and discussion. Alexei's in the process of distancing himself from values he no longer feels, doing his own research and deciding what he wants going forward.
Beyond the conversation around religion that I found difficult to process as a purely personal reaction, I had a couple of other things that bothered me. I noticed what comes across as tokenism in a couple of side characters. I admire the author's aim to include a variety of people as hikers, especially those who might face more (social) risk-- it's something they address in their acknowledgments. It just feels like a Black man and fat woman our hikers meet on their journey are particularly there to teach Alexei a lesson about his white, male privilege. There's also a scene, included in the content warnings, where Ben and Alexei experience homophobia on the trail. We see a bystander jump in as an ally but also wrestle with whether she overstepped or escalated the situation. I think those kinds of conversations are important for everyone to have, considering situations where they have the power to support someone under public attack and how that ought to look. I'm just not sure that the woman in question stands out as a positive example even if she's meant to occupy a gray area that encourages reflection. Alexei is particularly grateful to her, and I think that muddies the water of the message, perhaps. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either if that makes sense.
Readers who want to read about two queer people, out in nature and grappling with big questions of self, family, and religion should pick this one up. The icing on top is that it's a heartfelt romance about queer joy and showing up for yourself. Thanks to Forever for my copy to read and review!
In Something Wild and Wonderful, Alexei and Ben meet while hiking the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail), which is a whole culture I knew nothing about before picking up this book. Along their journey, you can expect to hear about natural wonders, challenges to be conquered, and the camaraderie among those on the trail. Alexei, a birder, keeps a keen ear out for the sounds of avian denizens of the natural world, a trait Ben finds adorable from the get-go, and Ben can't help but pause to take pictures of each awe-inspiring little quirk of nature that he sees. The two don't start the hike together, though they run into each other early on in Alexei's journey. Craving his silence and easy competence, Ben leaves his first hiking group to travel with Alexei for a while, something that surprisingly ends up suiting both of them despite opposing personalities. Where Ben is gregarious, Alexei is self-sufficient, where Ben is comfortable in his queerness, Alexei is newly out as gay, and where Ben has boisterous familial support, Alexei has been cut off from his parents and the church that was so integral to his childhood. Also, if you're catching neurodivergent vibes from Alexei as you read, know that it's addressed explicitly by the end of the book (spoiler: he is).
I honestly just love a romance where people are kind to each other, as low a bar as that sounds, and this book delivers. They have a slew of cute moments on the trail, from Alexei reading aloud to Ben from his favorite childhood book in camp to Ben introducing Alexei to the joy and consequences of a night of margaritas in town. To balance out the gooey sweetness, there's also some important conversation between them... when Alexei isn't literally running for the hills, anyway. I especially enjoyed a part where Alexei advocates for himself. He doesn't want to be treated like a poor, ignorant kid because he's new to gay culture and being out. He also asks for direct, clear communication so he doesn't have to read between the lines, something he struggles with (see: neurodivergence). Ben takes this feedback to heart, making it a moment of successful growth for the two. I also think the final act breakup is reasonable, timewise, but packs a lot of big feelings into the space. There are many complicated emotions to contend with in the book, especially for Alexei as a person who's been so recently ostracized for bravely embracing his queerness. Ben also has a journey to make with himself, especially how harsh he is on his own successes and how he's blamed his open heart for past abuse, especially from romantic partners. It's just that Alexei's story hits at a wound that can't fully heal even if it can be addressed to make room for something new and healthy. The author makes clear it's no one's choice but Alexei's how he wants to proceed with his family, something that's important for everyone to hear, even in the queer community. It also strips away the cute packaging that found family sometimes gets as a trope by considering a situation where a person didn't want to leave his bio family behind, but that choice was taken from him by their lack of support. I appreciate the author's content warning for readers who may not be in a good headspace for the topic.
Alexei's family situation is made yet more complex because of how it ties him to religion. He'll need to discover what it means to him away from a community that no longer accepts him. I have to admit that the topic's a bit of a quagmire for me, though I think it's worthy of empathy and discussion. Alexei's in the process of distancing himself from values he no longer feels, doing his own research and deciding what he wants going forward.
Beyond the conversation around religion that I found difficult to process as a purely personal reaction, I had a couple of other things that bothered me. I noticed what comes across as tokenism in a couple of side characters. I admire the author's aim to include a variety of people as hikers, especially those who might face more (social) risk-- it's something they address in their acknowledgments. It just feels like a Black man and fat woman our hikers meet on their journey are particularly there to teach Alexei a lesson about his white, male privilege. There's also a scene, included in the content warnings, where Ben and Alexei experience homophobia on the trail. We see a bystander jump in as an ally but also wrestle with whether she overstepped or escalated the situation. I think those kinds of conversations are important for everyone to have, considering situations where they have the power to support someone under public attack and how that ought to look. I'm just not sure that the woman in question stands out as a positive example even if she's meant to occupy a gray area that encourages reflection. Alexei is particularly grateful to her, and I think that muddies the water of the message, perhaps. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either if that makes sense.
Readers who want to read about two queer people, out in nature and grappling with big questions of self, family, and religion should pick this one up. The icing on top is that it's a heartfelt romance about queer joy and showing up for yourself. Thanks to Forever for my copy to read and review!
sarshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This might be my new favorite book. Absolutely perfect.
natyosch's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
bluwacky's review against another edition
4.0
A gay romance... with an understandable third act conflict/breakup rooted in characterisation, not a ridiculous misunderstanding or the reveal that one has been deceiving the other in some way? Who'd have thought? Anyway, an enjoyable story of two hikers from very different backgrounds who almost instantly fall in love with each other; I particularly liked their characterisation, essential given the pretty myopic focus on the pair (supporting characters are thinner than in many stories as a result but this wasn't a problem). The epistolary chapter was a little contrived (unsent letters don't often ring true to me), and I wasn't necessarily convinced by the idea of one character being on the spectrum, but definitely one of the better gay romances I have read this year.
mirimo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
3.0
I’ll be honest—I was hesitant to pick up Something Wild and Wonderful. Having read the other two books in Anita Kelly’s Nashville Love series, I had mixed feelings. The first book didn’t fully click with me, and I’d hesitated to dive into more m/m romances written by non-male authors. I can probably thank (or blame) Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous for setting a pretty high bar when it comes to stories of men loving men. There’s something unique about someone writing from personal experience, where the love and intimacy feel naturally intertwined rather than pieced together.
But after loving How You Get the Girl (book three in the series), where Ben and Alexei’s story is hinted at, I decided to give this one a shot—and I’m glad I did. Something Wild and Wonderful brought me a sweet and steady journey through the Pacific Crest Trail with two characters who stayed true to themselves and their goals. Alexei and Ben’s evolving connection felt both low-key and genuine, and their personalities—grumpy meets sunshine—played off each other perfectly. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the trail’s highlights, giving this armchair traveler just enough of a scenic journey.
All in all, this was a cute, well-paced romance that didn’t disappoint, even if it didn’t completely sweep me away. A solid three-star read that’s worth it if you’re looking for a thoughtful road-to-romance adventure.
thekhameleonreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25