A review by nyquillll
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

What a rollercoaster of a read! I really did not expect all of this when I went into this - this is the second book I've read by this author duo and I was expecting another fluffy read. But this had an element of suspense and mystery that I wasn't expecting and it honestly threw me off guard a bit. By the end of the book, though, I was an overall fan I think of the stylistic and plot choices, for the most part at least. 

Things I liked: 

• The tension and angst that was built between the two main characters. Also, I'm always a fan of the put-together-never-rests + soft-place-to-land combo of main characters. And I loved how the authors built out this dynamic - and it felt respectful of both personalities and reasons for being, too, not shaming one or the other. 
• The friendship between Nicole and Dub, the exploration of complex and strained family relationships - the love that exists but the pain and hurt that often goes unexpressed, how time and years gone by can change us but also the core parts of us remain, the lengths people will go to out of greed and pure money lust, the decision to choose yourself first and promising to not build a life around other people, women in male-dominated or male-expected roles, the role of a parent in raising a child - how much of themselves is "sacrificed" and how much is poured into, children aging and the parent-child relationship changing, the effects of single-parenting on an only child, how trust is earned and broken, how love can make the world feel more intense and seem brighter, and that for what it's worth, adventures that make you feel you breathe differently, that make you feel the blood pumping in your veins, that challenge you to grow into a new version of yourself are a certain kind of addiction themselves. 
• The writing style :)

Things that were challenging for me: 

• THE (major spoiler ahead, warning)
  MURDER????? THE DEATH!!!!!
  like what the fuck. Was not expecting that in a romance book at all, at fucking all. I also was like "How are the characters just moving on all nonchalant????" I get that the dude was an ass, truly I hated him, but ??????? It was such a strong move to make and to include this in the story - though I do think it wrapped up satisfactorily and the twist that was introduced helped explain some things but for a good portion of the book I was like "Am I just supposed to forget this happened, too?"
• Sometimes the pacing of the book felt slow. Some areas were thick with descriptions of the landscape and the paths they were taking and I am not someone who's directionally savvy nor a long-description-of-landscape gal, so that was hard sometimes 
• I wanted
  Nicole & Walter
  to have a side story haha, not really a challenge per se, though

I already downloaded 2 other Christina Lauren books :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Classism

Some quotes I highlighted:

"...sometimes a story must come before accuracy, and so - despite all that we've learned about the geography of this area...we made up a lot of stuff anyway."

"There's a loud one, a sweet potato, a creep, and a-"

"This is why people in movies do stupid shit for money."

"Even if we have to pour beers and swindle every wannabe cowboy who walks in the place, we'll figure it out. It's you and me, remember?"

"Then I suggest you stop interrupting and wait until the name Terry is called. Sound good?"

"'-with a flourishing side business of my own.' The loud one again: 'He sells hacked iPhones.'"

"The Leo she knew had been a numbers geek but gently reverent about them the way a painter is about art."

"He'd loved Lily so deeply that it changed his biology."

"'Do you just make bullshit up all day long?' Nic asked."

"...the horses faking being tired so they could get their treats..."

"Fuck you. I call Leo."

"Lily stood and cleared out the lunch spread, avoiding the way her ancient lizard brain wanted to remind them all that no matter who called dibs today, Leo had been hers first."

"'Is that everything?' he asked. 'You showing off?' she replied."

"'Satisfied?' Finally, a real smile. 'Not yet.'"

"'Whatever Lily Wilder says, we do.' It's a ROT cipher."

"They were staring at each other. it was probably too long. Then it was definitely too long, but something happened in the depths of it. A tether, connecting them across time."

"Lily knew she'd grown up hard, but Leo had made her soft."

"She'd been so wounded, so young, so reactive, so alone."

"The alternate versions of their past branched out into fresh paths in her mind..."

"She could feel him moving on, remembered the gesture, how he would change the subject with movement before words."

"My ass is crying."

"...but he knew better than anyone that their lives were puzzle pieces cut from two different pictures."

"Without hesitation, his hand came up, wrapping firmly around her hip, steadying her. 'It's okay,' he said quietly. 'I got you.'"

"'Google?' Nicole said. 'With what? This rock and a fork?'"

"He knew he'd been the only person she'd ever trusted her her softest thoughts."

"I'm sorry he died, but I'm done feeling guilty."

WUUUUUUT

"'You could get off your horse,' Nicole said, 'and I'll step on your neck for free.' Walter blushed hotly and Bradley stared blankly at them. 'This is the most bizarre flirting I've ever witnessed.'"

"Even a decade ago, she'd never needed Leo for a thing, but he wanted her to want him anyway."

"'I've got Terry's bag!' Walter yelled above the chaos. He pulled the handgun out, waving it. 'Guys! Want me to shoot back?' 'NO!'"

"'I'm so mad at you.' 'Breathe now. Be mad later.'"

"He hadn't felt this present in so long."

"The hope that I had that you might come back didn't just go away one day, Leo. It was a constant ache."

"You're a sweetheart, Walt. Don't let NIcole into your pants."

"'I had to let you go once,' he told her. 'You think I'm letting that happen again?'"

"Lily." "Hmmm?" "Ask me again." She laughed. "No." "Yes." "No."

"'Lily, I'm freezing.' His eyes were dancing, sparkling playfully in the sunset. 'I'm so cold. Please help me.'"

"'Oh, I'm sorry, would you prefer to wear my other pair?' he asked. 'The invisible ones?'"

"Don't do this if you'll feel shitty tomorrow."

"I mean, I fell in love once and stayed there."

"...she was never going to carve the shape of her life around a man again."

"It appears you'd like me to put these on."

"I can now."

"Then let me bend"

"It means you figure out exactly what you want your life to look like, and I find a way to fit into it."

"His life stayed interesting and full; hers just got tiny, and he was gone all the time."

"She had to see the truth tattooed in his eyes and scrawled across every feature: that he had always loved her, was loving her still."

"planets staring up at the stars"

"Break them? With the strength of my love for freedom?"

"It's a red herring. it's intentional. Only someone who knew Duke could figure it out. Leo: this photo is a mirror image."

"Why would Bradley risk coming into the canyon alone? Why, if he trusted Leo, wouldn't he meet them back in Hester, as planned?"

"You're a mess, honey, look at you."

"Maybe because it was her turn to be steady, and Leo's turn to be lost."

"Not yet, sweetheart." "Not yet what?" "You can't break up with me yet."

"But you can decide for me?"

"Good, because all of those voices in your head telling you that I wouldn't be happy with you long-term or you're not worth giving up my life for are just thoughts, Lil. Just because thoughts are loud or constant doesn't mean they're right."

"You knew me when I was at my happiest."

"It means I could tell them anything I wanted."

"That was a problem for Later Leo."

"'Look at home,' he said quietly."

"'What is that?' he asked, pointing to her hand. 'What is that rhythm you always do? Is it a song?'"

"'No. It's just my dad's knock,' she said. 'It was our secret knock.'"

"'What does it spell?' She came up beside him, staring down at the piece of paper. L I L I L I L I...Lili. 'Lily,' he said. 'But with an I, not a Y. Just a repeat of Lili over and over.'"

"Words literally hammered into every inch of the cabin."

"My name. After his stroke, it was all he could say. Do you think he was-"

"For Lily, To hell you ride. And inside were a key and a single gold coin."

"It was the compromise they'd made with her dead father: at least two months every years spent making her world bigger."

"Leo's smile softened, and that thing that had been knotted inside Lily as long as her earliest memory seemed to loosen a tiny bit more. I love you, his expression said. I'm not ever going to leave you."

"now that you're reading it, I hope we can say that we had the time of our lives."

"You're barely an adult. Don't tie yourself down to a place or a person yet. Don't let your world be small until you've seen more of it."

"...know you love that ranch. But it will mean something different when you get out in the real world and choose it."

"At least you'll have choices in front of you, which is the only thing I want for you."